Crack...
"Hiss~"
Aether sucked in a breath of cold air, enduring the pain of the scrapes all over his body as he forced himself to stand again. Gripping the now-restored Dull Blade, he raised it toward the Shogun before him, assuming a fighting stance.
Wish against wish, huh?
Then let's see whose wish is stronger!
He bore the wishes of many, while his opponent carried only one person's. He would not lose! The Traveler affirmed this to himself with certainty.
He gathered flames once more upon his blade and, at the same time, used a surge of Electro energy to flash toward the Shogun's flank in a golden blur!
"..."
However, the Shogun's eyes instantly locked onto his movement trajectory.
"!"
He froze for a second in shock and tried to move again, but—
"Too slow."
That all-too-familiar line sent chills down his spine. Before he could react, her figure flashed before him, blocking his path with a burst of lightning.
In that instant, memories of their first encounter flooded his mind. His side throbbed again with the echo of phantom pain, and he couldn't help but grimace.
Whoosh!
The Shogun swung her heavy naginata single-handedly, slashing straight toward his face.
"!"
Bang!
Aether quickly raised his flaming greatsword to block. The next second, without giving him even a moment to rest, her other hand brought down Musou Isshin in a follow-up strike!
Bang!
The force of that blow made his arms go numb. It was even more overwhelming than when he had fought Ei before. Seriously? How could the puppet be even stronger than its master?!
The Musou Isshin in the Shogun's hand seemed to have fully awakened its power. The blade shimmered with dazzling starlight, twisting space itself as it clashed against his flaming sword.
"Urgh!"
Aether's legs nearly sank into the ground. This power—she was a monster, a living weapon in human form.
Watching him struggle, the Shogun's lightning-filled eyes narrowed slightly. Then, beside him, the air split open as she summoned a Electro Eye that tore through the void.
Bang!
"Urrrgh!"
A mechanical arm burst out from the rift, its massive fist slamming into Aether's side with crushing force. The impact thundered through the Plane of Euthymia, sending dust and debris flying outward like a storm.
Spurt!
Aether felt his organs tremble. Blood sprayed from his lips as he was sent flying like a cannonball. But it didn't end there—
The Shogun wasn't finished. As he was flung through the air, another mechanical arm appeared along his trajectory, grabbing him mid-flight and yanking him back violently!
The Shogun timed it perfectly. As his body came flying back toward her, she spun gracefully and kicked him square in the abdomen.
Bang!
The blow struck hard, making him spit out saliva. His body was launched again, but before he could cross the border of the Plane of Euthymia, another Electro Eye opened before him. A second mechanical arm extended outward and swatted him down like an insect.
Bang!
Another deafening impact.
Boom!
Aether's body slammed into the ground like a falling meteor, carving a deep crater into the surface.
"Hiss~ ouch~"
From afar, Yae Miko winced, turning her head away and covering her eyes with her hand. Even she couldn't bear to watch. That was a beating that could make anyone ache just from looking.
"..."
Within the Shogun's Plane, Ei watched through the cracks of consciousness with a complex expression, as if enduring the sight in silence. Her gaze shifted away from the Shogun's perspective.
Cough! Spurt!
Lying in the crater, Aether coughed up another mouthful of blood. His entire body screamed in agony—ribs broken, limbs burning with pain. The power of the people's wishes within him was tearing his body apart. He could still move, but just barely.
There was almost nothing left uninjured—his body battered, his face barely recognizable.
Tap, tap...
Through the haze of dust, a slender silhouette emerged, her footsteps drawing closer with each step. Aether knew that sound well—it was like the approach of death itself.
"Ugh... cough..."
Aether coughed harshly, then tried to endure the pain as he reached for the broken Dull Blade. He managed to grip it again and struggled to lift it, aiming its shattered edge at the woman approaching him.
But the moment he pointed it toward her—
Clack!
She stepped forward and kicked the sword effortlessly from his hand. His body, weakened and unbalanced, toppled sideways from the impact.
The Shogun looked down at the near-unconscious Traveler, her eyes devoid of warmth—only cold, merciless killing intent.
Tap~ tap~
Her exquisite legs moved gracefully as she circled him, each click of her heels echoing crisply against the ground. Aether, bruised and swollen, lay helpless on the ground, his gaze locked on her feet as she paced, unable to move.
Stopping at just the right spot, the Shogun sheathed her naginata and pressed the blade of Musou Isshin against his throat.
"Before the gates of Tenshukaku, you... still owe me one strike."
Her voice was cold.
"..."
Aether remained silent, too weak to respond. The cold touch of her blade at his neck was the only thing keeping him conscious, his vision blurred until only the faint violet silhouette before him remained.
"When you intruded upon the Vision Hunt Ceremony, I gave you a chance. But you failed to seize it. Do not blame me for being merciless."
She said it as though making an official declaration. But deep down, her true reason for wanting to strike him was far more personal—he had made Ei cry. Or at least, nearly cry. For that alone, this was his punishment.
"Ei... she is easily moved. But I am not... not when it comes to you."
With those words, she raised Musou Isshin high, ready to strike down.
"Shogun!"
Clack!
A slender hand suddenly grasped her wrist, halting her motion.
"...Step aside."
The Shogun knew who it was—and what she wanted to say. But at this moment, she had no intention of stopping.
"Shogun... do it for my sake. Don't kill him."
Yae Miko did not let go. She brought her other hand up, holding the Shogun's wrist firmly—not with her usual teasing demeanor, but with rare seriousness.
"..."
The Shogun exhaled softly and turned her head toward the pink-haired shrine maiden before her.
"He's the one I brought here. I was the one who made him do this. I can't let him die here—it's my responsibility. If you must strike someone, let it be me instead."
Glancing at the barely conscious Aether lying at her feet, Miko stepped forward to stand between them, locking eyes with the Shogun.
The Shogun stared back at her for several seconds, then sighed and finally lowered her blade.
"..."
Seeing the Shogun's arm relax, Miko let out a small breath of relief and slowly released her wrist.
"Miko, after all this, what do you have left to say?"
The Shogun's tone softened slightly as she eased out of her battle stance, her voice returning to its usual calm.
"..."
By now, Aether had already fainted.
"Haa..."
Hearing him fall unconscious, Miko averted her gaze, her expression complicated as she looked at the Traveler's motionless form.
"You lost this bet."
The Shogun spoke quietly, her eyes resting on Miko's graceful profile.
"Shogun... you already know what I'm going to say."
Miko sighed lightly, meeting her gaze again—her expression, for once, devoid of her usual playfulness, replaced by solemnity.
"Of course I know. And you, too, know how I will respond, don't you?"
The Shogun's tone was calm. The outcome had been decided the moment Miko stepped in to help Ei. Both of them knew it well.
Yes, Ei had lost the bet—but how could the Shogun ever allow her master to admit defeat while in such a fragile state? Impossible. That was why she had intervened.
"Shogun, shielding her from everything... taking on all her burdens—that's not a good thing."
Miko's tone was firm, like that of an older sister scolding a stubborn sibling.
"...I know. But this body exists for that purpose."
The Shogun's violet eyes flickered as she turned her gaze away, unable to refute the words.
"Haah... you two are both so hopelessly stubborn."
Miko sighed helplessly. Between them, who was the parent and who was the child, really?
"Honestly~ you two make me worry to death. Never a moment of peace."
She walked a few steps ahead, turning her back to the Shogun as she spoke, her tone half-chiding, half-tired.
"You indulge her, and she indulges you. But Shogun... take my advice. For Inazuma's future, you should let her come out again."
Always hiding in the Plane of Euthymia, clinging to childish stubbornness—it was, in truth, nothing more than avoidance. Avoidance of time, of loss, of change. Anyone could see it was wrong.
"..."
The Shogun fell silent. She knew Miko was right. But what could she do? Ei depended on her too deeply. All she could do was offer comfort, waiting for Ei to find her own way out.
"Ei, the Traveler's unconscious now, and there's no one else here. Isn't it time you came out? Don't act so timid."
Miko didn't look at the Shogun as she spoke, but her tone was clearly directed toward the other presence within that body. She knew Ei could hear her.
"Will you keep letting this child bear all the burdens meant for you? Can you really stand that?"
"!"
Hearing those words, Ei trembled inwardly. She lowered her gaze, lips pressed together, lost in hesitation.
"Miko—"
"It's all right now, Shogun."
"!"
The Shogun froze for a moment at the sound of Ei's voice. Miko also turned toward it.
The Musou Isshin in the Shogun's hand slowly lifted on its own, then glowed softly as a new figure emerged from it—a woman identical in appearance to the Shogun herself. Her form solidified, materializing completely. She reached out and gently squeezed the Shogun's hand in reassurance.
"That's enough. This so-called wager... as Miko said, I've lost."
Ei glanced at the Shogun, then at Miko, and finally smiled faintly, her expression one of peaceful acceptance.
"Phew... finally, you've come out. I thought you were going to keep hiding in there forever."
Yae Miko crossed her arms and stepped forward, gazing at her long-lost friend with a knowing smile.
"...After the way you just called me out, if I didn't come out, you'd only laugh at me more. Besides..."
Her eyes shifted toward the silent Shogun who was watching her closely.
"You were right. I shouldn't have let the Shogun bear all of this alone."
Even if that body had been created for that very purpose, she could no longer stand to see it suffer by itself.
"Hehe~ looks like someone finally grew a conscience~?"
Miko teased playfully.
"You're still as glib-tongued as ever. I'll overlook your intrusion into Tenshukaku this time, and I won't ask about the wager you made with the Shogun."
Ei folded her arms and shook her head slightly before turning her gaze back toward Miko.
"Tell me, Miko... you came here for the 'Vision Hunt Decree,' didn't you?"
The moment she asked, the Shogun seemed to instinctively turn her back to them, walking a few steps away into the distance. She moved toward the shadows at the edge of the Plane of Euthymia, creating space for the two behind her. Even so, she could still hear their conversation with perfect clarity.
She knew exactly why she withdrew—because more than anyone, she understood her role. As the 'Guardian of Eternity,' the topic they were about to discuss went against her very nature. She could sense it instinctively.
Miko noticed the Shogun's movement and smiled faintly.
"I have to say, the Shogun seems to be more sensible than you."
"..."
Ei rolled her eyes at her.
"Haa... Ei, why can't you just believe in your people? Believe in the power of their wishes?"
Miko began to speak earnestly.
"..."
Ei closed her eyes and said nothing.
"Those wishes have transcended distance, space, and time. They've become something that no one—not even gods—can destroy."
Ei seemed to anticipate what Miko was about to say, yet she merely listened silently, her expression complex. When Miko finished, she raised her eyes to study Ei's face before speaking again.
"You must have realized it yourself. If the Shogun hadn't stepped in earlier, you would've lost. That's how powerful wishes can be—so powerful that even gods can't ignore them."
"Haa..."
Ei sighed softly, recalling how embarrassing that moment had been.
"Have you heard about what Morax did?"
Miko suddenly asked.
"...You mean that he entrusted his nation to humanity? Yes, I heard."
She rarely concerned herself with the outside world, spending nearly all her time within the Plane of Euthymia. But the Shogun often ventured out, overseeing Inazuma's affairs and learning about the world—then returning to tell her what she had missed.
"That's right. A nation where humans march forward, leaving the gods behind. When you think about it, it's quite incredible, isn't it? But tell me, why must we, gods, be so self-righteous—why must we abandon progress altogether?"
Miko countered with a question of her own.
"Progress? You know as well as I do what progress brings—loss. You've witnessed it with me!"
Ei lifted her gaze to meet Miko's, her tone carrying a flicker of agitation. Her fingers clenched unconsciously, then relaxed again.
"And in the end? Haa... we both know the answer, don't we? We've both lost something precious. Haven't we?"
She turned her head away, unable to meet Miko's eyes.
"..."
Even as Ei looked away, Miko continued to watch her.
Tap, tap.
Ei took a few steps aside and gazed at the now-bright and clear sky above the Plane of Euthymia.
"Only Eternity... only Eternity can—"
Her voice trailed off. The firmness she once had was gone, replaced by a note of uncertainty. Yes, she was beginning to waver.
"See? You're starting to doubt yourself, aren't you~?"
Miko came to her side and asked softly.
"So what if I am? Only through Eternity can we approach Celestia itself. We are, after all, gods of Eternity."
Ei did not yield.
"Celestia, huh... Hah... to me, Celestia is something far too distant to care about."
Hearing that word, Miko shrugged indifferently. Celestia held no meaning for her—it was too far away, too vague. What mattered to her was here and now: the two before her, and the nation of Inazuma. That was all that truly mattered to her.
"In the end, all you want is to protect the Inazuma you love so dearly, isn't that right?"
She summarized calmly.
"You make it sound too trivial."
Ei turned her face away again, almost pouting like a child.
"Indeed, you're right. But have you ever thought—does a nation bound by the Vision Hunt Decree truly possess any value in its so-called 'Eternity'?"
Miko seemed to already know how Ei would respond, so she skillfully changed the topic, pressing her further.
"..."
This time, Ei fell silent.
From a distance, the Shogun also watched her quietly. Sensing that gaze, Ei lifted her eyes, meeting the Shogun's. Miko's words had struck something deep within both of them—so much so that their eyes met almost instinctively.
"A nation that has lost its wishes, its capacity for change—one that merely exists—is nothing more than an empty shell."
"..." ×2
Miko looked at the two—mother and daughter—staring at one another, and smiled faintly before saying something no one else would dare to utter.
"If that's the case, then so what if it's destroyed?"
"!"
Ei's eyes snapped away from the Shogun, fixing sharply on her old friend, her tone cold and commanding.
"Miko, take back what you just said."
Her voice dropped low—a clear warning.
Miko's expression didn't change, but she didn't continue either.
"An Eternity unchanging for all generations—that is the promise I have made to my people."
Ei placed her hand over her chest, speaking with heartfelt sincerity.
"But what your people need isn't your promise—it's your gaze."
Miko's next words pierced straight to the core.
"My gaze? You mean the Vision? Chasing after wishes inevitably brings loss. Their lifespans are so short—they cannot bear such loss. That's why I must guide them toward the path of Eternity."
Because she had already lost too much. She had lost enough to last a lifetime.
"Haa... you're far too cruel to yourself, Ei."
Miko sighed deeply, her violet eyes glimmering with a trace of sorrow.
"Cruel... to myself?"
Ei blinked, momentarily confused.
"You've spent countless years here alone, with only the Shogun to speak to. Even so, you must feel lonely, don't you? You fear loss—but if you never move forward, you'll miss so much. In remaining still like this... aren't you also losing something? Isn't that cruel, too? You just haven't realized it yet."
"..."
Ei fell silent again. She didn't know how to refute her. Perhaps Miko had hit the truth. Maybe she really had been losing—missing—things without even knowing it.
So what was she supposed to do now?
"If you can't decide... then why not ask her?"
Miko's tone softened, but there was meaning hidden beneath her words.
"Her?"
Ei didn't understand at first. Then realization dawned, and she turned toward the Shogun standing quietly in the shadows. The entire time, that figure had been watching her.
"The Shogun... she might be the one who sees things most clearly, you know?"
Miko smiled knowingly.
"..."
Ei glanced back at her.
"Go on~ Sometimes, children can enlighten their parents with just a single word."
Miko winked playfully.
Hearing her teasing tone, Ei couldn't help but smile faintly. Then she obeyed, stepping silently toward the Shogun. When she reached her, the contrast of light and shadow between them became clear—Ei stood in the sun, while the Shogun remained in shadow, as if deliberately keeping to the dark.
"Why are you standing in the shadows?"
Ei reached out and gently took the Shogun's hand, pulling her into the sunlight.
"It didn't feel right to join your discussion."
The Shogun allowed herself to be pulled closer, answering softly.
"I don't want you to be too far from me."
Ei spoke in a low voice, filled with quiet unease. She feared losing her—feared that distance between them.
"Mm."
The Shogun nodded obediently.
"Shogun, I want to hear your understanding of Eternity."
"Ei..."
"Not as the executor of Eternity, but you—as yourself. What do you think?"
The Shogun blinked once, then closed her eyes as if gathering her thoughts.
"In my view, Ei... the 'stillness' you seek does indeed belong to Eternity. However, Eternity isn't limited to that alone. The people's pursuit of their wishes—that too is a form of Eternity, isn't it?"
"The pursuit... of wishes?"
Ei was puzzled.
"People will always have wishes. With every new life, new desires are born. With wishes comes the drive to act, to chase them—to pursue, even if it's just for a fleeting moment of light. From ancient times to now, isn't that also a kind of Eternity?"
The Shogun looked into Ei's eyes as she spoke her true thoughts at last.
"!!"
Ei's body trembled slightly at the familiar words. Her eyes widened as memories surfaced from long ago.
[Go and pursue it, even if it's only a moment of light. At least, in that moment, we still possess 'now.']
That long-forgotten phrase echoed in her mind once more, along with the familiar voice that had spoken it. At this moment, she finally understood—finally grasped what that woman, standing beneath the cherry blossoms with a parasol in hand, had once told her.
Makoto...
The figure before her seemed to merge with that of the woman from her memory.
[Ei, infuse my lightning into 'her.' In the future without me, 'she' will accompany you through the long years. Treasure 'her' well.]
"Ei? You... are you crying?"
The Shogun noticed a single, glimmering tear sliding down Ei's cheek. Ei herself seemed unaware of it until the Shogun gently reached up and wiped it away with her fingertips.
"I'm fine... (sniff)~"
Ei raised her hand to cover her mouth, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice, but her tone was already quivering.
"Ei..."
"I'm really... fine... (sob)"
Her head lowered as she tried to fight the stinging in her nose. But the emotions she had buried for centuries broke through all at once, and she could no longer hold them back. The tears came quietly, painfully.
Seeing her cry like that made the Shogun's own chest tighten. Her eyes stung as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ei, pulling her into her embrace. She held her gently, letting Ei sob against her shoulder, her hand stroking her back in soothing circles.
"..."
Miko approached silently. She stood beside them, watching Ei weep silently in the Shogun's arms. Her own expression softened with tenderness and sympathy. Reaching out, she placed her hand lightly on Ei's back as well, comforting her as one might a grieving child.
Then, smiling faintly, she drew both of them—mother and daughter in all but name—into a quiet, warm embrace.
"Miko..."
The Shogun's eyes shimmered as she looked toward the woman beside her, her voice unsteady from emotion.
"It's all right now. It's over. Ei, Shogun—everything is over."
She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead gently against theirs, whispering softly.
Yes... for this 'stubborn' Eternity, it was finally over. With this child's tears, everything had come to an end. When tomorrow came, Inazuma would awaken to a new form of 'Eternity.'
...
"Nngh..."
Far away within the Plane of Euthymia, the unconscious Traveler stirred. His brows furrowed slightly, a faint sound of pain escaping his lips. But his weak voice went unheard by the three figures embracing in the light.