"Why not kill him?"
Kujou Takayuki had already been dragged away, yet Hiiragi Shinsuke was simply spared?
All because he had paid a "protection fee"?
Two mere men, and yet they could turn the whole of Inazuma upside down.
Raiden Ei thought both deserved death.
But then came the puppet Shogun's words:
Fewer deaths than in the Archon War.
Those words stunned her.
So by the Shogun's standard, only if casualties rivaled the Archon War would it count as serious?
"I am a Harbinger of the Fatui.
It already undermines our work here in Inazuma if I personally eliminate one of them.
And you still want me to kill the other?"
Raiden Ei: …
Stop clinging to that worthless Harbinger title of yours!
With such overwhelming power, why choose to labor for the Fatui of all things?
"Besides… what meaning is there in killing?"
Lifting the tiny Raiden Ei in his arms, Su Ran admired her with satisfaction.
Truly, the battle puppet he had crafted was far too adorable.
"How about this—before the dream is fully established, why not take one last look at Inazuma?
You may never see it again afterward."
On the streets of Inazuma City, Kamisato Ayaka walked, heavy with thought.
The common folk seemed almost indifferent to the Shogun's promise of a dream of eternity.
Even when spoken of, it was more idle chatter than true belief.
"Ayaka!"
A fiery-haired girl bounced up, patting her on the shoulder.
"Why so downcast? Don't tell me you didn't sleep well last night?"
Seeing the ever-lively Naganohara Yoimiya, Ayaka managed a faint smile.
"It's you, Yoimiya… I was only thinking about the Shogun's dream."
The two strolled side by side.
"That dream? The one without illness, old age, or suffering?"
To Yoimiya, the Shogun's dream was vague at best.
She thought of it as nothing more than… a dream.
No matter how long it lasted,
one would eventually awaken.
"You've been serving at the Shogun's side for days, Ayaka.
You must know more than anyone, right?"
Her curiosity was genuine.
"It is a dream upheld by three gods together."
And for mortals, to enter meant losing their bodies forever.
A terrifying prospect.
Ayaka gazed at her bright friend
and could not bear to reveal the darker truths.
Yoimiya was brave, yes— she had even resisted the Vision Hunt Decree— but at heart, she was still a common person.
Best to keep her from standing against gods.
Ayaka's evasiveness only puzzled Yoimiya.
"Don't tell me it's as bad as the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree?"
"…It'll be fine. We'll find a way."
Ayaka sighed, then smiled again.
She had only one more day before she must return to serve at the Shogun's side.
Best to enjoy this fleeting freedom.
"I heard there's a stall ahead selling dango milk. Let's try it."
Seeing Ayaka unwilling to say more, Yoimiya relented.
She knew Ayaka's nature well—gentle on the surface, but steadfast inside.
If this dream was truly dire, Ayaka would not sit still.
So Yoimiya chose to trust her.
"All right, all right! I've heard it's super popular too. Let's go!"
After a short walk, they arrived at the stall.
Yoimiya dashed ahead in excitement.
Ayaka, however, froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
She rubbed them once, twice, but the sight did not change.
That familiar figure, buying dango milk at the counter…
"How is it?"
Handing one to the tiny Raiden Ei in his arms, Su Ran tasted his own share.
It was… acceptable.
This was Teyvat, a world without artificial flavorings.
Food here was healthier— but also plainer.
By rights, this should have been the Traveler's moment with Raiden Ei.
But the timeline had shifted forward, and now it was him beside her.
After finishing hers, Ei's gaze lingered greedily on the half-full bottle in Su Ran's hand.
With a helpless sigh, he passed it to her.
"Fine, you win. You really are like a child."
Ei accepted it without the slightest embarrassment.
"I am a child."
This was not the Shogun's puppet body, but her own tiny vessel.
Was she not, indeed, like a child?
And she would never admit, before others, that she was the Archon of Inazuma.
"How cute! What an adorable little doll!"
From the line behind, Yoimiya's voice rang out.
In an instant, she was utterly smitten.
Though the Shogun's governance had faltered, her popularity among the people had not waned.
She remained their idol.
Su Ran, of course, noticed the blonde girl behind him.
"My little Ei is naturally the cutest."
Raiden Ei: …
I was only teasing. Did you really take me for a child?
"Little Ei? That's such a sweet name!
And that outfit—are you dressing her up as the Shogun?"
Yoimiya admired the likeness.
This tiny "Shogun" was uncannily similar to the real thing, down to her very features.
"No, no. In truth, it's the Raiden Shogun who is pretending to be her."
Su Ran spoke the unbelievable truth as though it were a jest.
"…What a boring joke."
Naturally, Yoimiya didn't believe a word.
~~-----------------------------
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