Just a moment ago, the two were locked in a life-and-death battle.
And then Paimon dropped a single sentence that extinguished the flames of their fight entirely.
The Raiden Shogun, ignoring Ei entirely, flashed like a bolt of lightning toward Paimon. Her voice was cold and unyielding.
"Repeat what you just said."
"Uh..."
Terrified by the overwhelming pressure emanating from the Raiden Shogun, Paimon quickly darted behind Lumine, peeking out timidly.
"I-I said, Luo Qing isn't dead. He's alive and well! You two can stop fighting now..."
"..."
The Raiden Shogun fell silent, raising her blade and pointing it at Lumine and Paimon. Her voice was like a chilling gust.
"If you dare lie to me, you will face divine retribution."
"I-I'm not lying..." Paimon stammered, clutching Lumine's shoulder for safety. "Luo Qing was so terrified by you that he faked his death to escape..."
"..."
The Raiden Shogun was silent again, her blade hovering indecisively.
"Luo Qing is really still alive?"
Ei, too, approached, her brows furrowed as she studied Lumine and Paimon.
"Of course! We just saw him not long ago," Paimon said, raising her voice slightly. "He mentioned he might return to Snezhnaya. If you two keep fighting, he could be gone before you even find him!"
"..."
Ei exchanged glances with Lumine and Paimon. Their sincerity made her suspect nothing.
Perhaps Luo Qing had indeed escaped using some unknown method...
If that were true, then—
"In that case..."
Before Ei could make her decision, the Raiden Shogun lifted her blade once more. Her tone was calm, yet resolute.
"Let this final battle mark the end of the five hundred years of fate binding us."
Even without Luo Qing's presence, the betrayal against eternity was still an unavoidable catalyst between them.
No matter what, the battle between Ei and the Raiden Shogun was destined to happen.
"Huh? Why are they still fighting?"
Paimon blinked in confusion.
Weren't they fighting because of Luo Qing's supposed death? Now that they knew he was alive, shouldn't this be the part where they stopped fighting and ran to find him, like in those light novel plots?
"Paimon, stay back."
Lumine summoned her blade, shielding Paimon as the battle reignited.
The Raiden Shogun ascended into the air, her form wreathed in thunder. The divine aura surrounding her was even more intense than before.
"You..."
Feeling the Shogun's intent, Ei frowned. She could sense it clearly—the Shogun was determined to finish this battle quickly, so she could pursue Luo Qing.
The murderous intent she'd once harbored toward Luo Qing had long since dissipated, replaced by a lingering fondness she couldn't fully understand.
Even if her memories of those tender days were erased, an inexplicable affection remained in her heart.
Ei couldn't comprehend why the Raiden Shogun would blush and grow excited at the mere mention of Luo Qing's name.
Though, she had to admit, she felt a little...
"Since that's the case..."
Drawing the Musou Isshin once more, Ei spoke calmly.
"Let this blade's will end everything between us."
In the next moment, Ei charged at the Raiden Shogun, her determination unwavering.
Their clash filled the realm of consciousness with the brilliance of blades and lightning.
This was a battleground for gods, one in which Lumine, far from her former strength, had no place. All she could do was wait beside Paimon for the battle to conclude.
At last, the lightning subsided.
Bearing the hopes of countless Inazumans, Ei emerged victorious.
"This is the end... You... have won..."
The Raiden Shogun knelt on one knee, her face weary, though her tone carried a hint of urgency.
"The will that knows no wear... In the end, it cannot embrace the future."
"The reasons behind our blades define the limits of our skills. What I carry are the gazes of countless souls, fixed on the dawn. You need not fear the future, nor face it alone."
Ei gazed at the Musou Isshin in her hand, her voice soft.
"This blade... only responds when I truly understand and accept it. I never saw you as a mere tool, just as you never treated me as a fearless, unfeeling weapon."
"Heh... So, are you apologizing for that?"
"..."
Ei understood what the Shogun referred to—the erasure of their memories with Luo Qing, his death for the sake of eternity.
"I'm sorry."
"..."
The sudden apology surprised the Raiden Shogun. It was a long while before she responded quietly.
"You truly have changed... Is this what humans call growth?"
After a moment's hesitation, the Raiden Shogun continued in a calm voice.
"I understand. I will become your shadow, as you once were mine... But as for him... I won't give him up to you."
"..."
It took a moment for Ei to process the Shogun's parting words.
"You still can't let it go, can you?"
"Hmph... Neither can you."
With that, the Raiden Shogun ascended, transforming into a streak of light that returned to the Plane of Euthymia.
"Wait, that's it?"
Paimon poked her head out, muttering.
"So, do we head back now, or..."
Before she could finish, the Musou Isshin in Ei's hand began to glow a soft pinkish-purple.
From within the light, a cheerful voice echoed.
"Hello, Ei, and to all the witnesses here..."
"This voice... You are... truly..."
"Yes, it's been a long time, Ei."
---
Meanwhile, beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree...
Luo Qing twirled his fingers, summoning a small, emerald-green seed into his hand.
"This is..."
Sensing the seed's vibrant life force, Yae Miko raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"No need to be so shocked, Miss Yae," Luo Qing said with a smirk. "It's merely a little prop for the wager between us."
With that, he placed the seed in front of the Sacred Sakura Tree.
The air shifted as he did. Yae Miko's expression tightened—she could sense the turbulence of time and space calming instantly with his actions.
At the same time, a voice echoed in Luo Qing's mind.
[Ding! Residual souls of deceased lifeforms detected nearby. Would you like to use the Seed of Nirvana?]
"Just as I thought..."
Luo Qing's lips curled into a knowing smile.
It was as he'd suspected. The final fragment of her consciousness had become a seed within the Sacred Sakura Tree, crossing the currents of time and space to return to the past, saving Inazuma from calamity.
But only by planting the seed in the past, once Ei's heart truly changed, could her spirit fully manifest within the Sacred Sakura.
"Use it."
With a thought, Luo Qing activated the seed.
A soft violet glow emerged from the Sacred Sakura Tree, gathering around the Seed of Nirvana in his hand.
[Ding! Residual souls collected. Would you like to proceed with physical reconstruction?]
"Alright then," Luo Qing said suddenly.
"What?" Yae Miko asked, startled.
"Miss Yae, remember to keep this a secret for me~"
Before she could respond, Luo Qing disappeared from beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree.
---
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