Chapter 36- Rogue Puppet- Part II

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Lumine POV

She parried a strike against Ei from a rifthound, glancing at her half-sister worriedly. While travelling, Ei had often frozen in place, due to the Shogun's resistance. The situation was grimmer than she had expected. As Ei unfroze, she heard Xiao finishing off one of the bigger ones.

"You know Ei, maybe we should go back to the city. You don't seem too well." Her companion stated as his signature spear disappeared into his dimensional storage. "...No need." Ei replied, hand on her head. "'She' is calling me. The time has come for me to go to the cave below the Grand Narukami Shrine." "Are you sure? You look like you're having trouble even walking." Paimon exclaimed worriedly, and Lumine winced at the extremely high pitch of the little fairy. "I know that she is. I understand what is going on."

"It is a battle ground... The place where I shall sever ties with the past, and create a new future for the people of Inazuma."

They thankfully managed to get to the place Ei had spoken of without much interruptions. However, Ei's condition seemed to be bad. "It's getting worse.. But I shall put an end to this soon. The entrance should be nearby." As she spoke, a purple-red torii gate formed out of nothingness, as if having recognised her voice. Xiao curiously asked, "What is this place though?"

"The entrance to Raiden Makoto's realm of consciousness, Plane of Euthymia."

.

Lumine was unprepared for this. Zhongli had told her that Makoto was gone, so what was this new thing now? "Makoto?" she questioned. "But how?"

"Is it alright if I explain later Lumine-san? It seems that 'she' will no longer allow me to use this body as I please." "Are we talking about Makoto or the Shogun?" Xiao asked.

"Follow me."

"Where are we goi- aaaaaaahhhhhhh" Paimon screamed, not helping the mild dizziness from being abruptly sucked into a plane of Euthymia.

Xiao nudged her and nodded his head towards the scene ahead. One that would prove to be rather... long.

"-body is an assistant to the one within, but should the one within stray from the path of eternity, I, as the guardian of the rules, shall not allow it. You appear to think that you have grasped the true essence of eternity now. But is it real, or have you merely been degraded by irreversible erosion?"

Narrowing her eyes, Ei replied, "I'm here to show you my answer. We are both warriors, and our dialogue now must be conducted by blade and blade alone. "

"Wait-Ei-" Paimon was rapidly cut off by Lumine, who silently shook her head. "But isn't Ei unwell?" Xiao whispered to her. "Not anymore. Before, the Shogun was resisting the continued use of her body. But now, in a Plane of Euthymia, she exists independently."

Meanwhile Ei and the Shogun continued talking. The tension in the Plane had skyrocketed; it could be cut with a knife.

"Determination, courage, love, hatred. With the unstopping flow of time, isn't it inevitable that they get eroded? Aren't rules the only way to sustain eternity? Is that not why you created me?"

"Those indeed were my thoughts while creating you... But now they are nothing more than towering obstacles I must overcome, for the sake of the eternity both of us desire."

"...You wish to make yourself my enemy?" The Shogun asked, her impeccably cold nature revealing itself again. "I am your past. The everlasting law. And most of all, the guardian of eternity. I am the Raiden Shogun."

"I honestly think this eternity thing is going a bit too far, but let's wait and watch." Lumine whispered to her two trusty companions.

"And I am the present. She who promised a dream to her subjects and will achieve it at all costs. I am Raiden Ei." She glowered back, eyes glowing bright violet as her katana appeared in her hands, and she held it over her head.

And so the battle commenced.

.

.

.

.

Ei stood calmly, towering over the Shogun who was on her knees. They all took a step back as she rose up to meet Ei's eyes again, and Lumine knew that the battle was far from over. In fact, she could sense that something was almost confirmed to go wrong. After all, she too was one of the most skilled in battle, having her own seat on Olympus.

"It would appear that your martial prowess has not dulled. However, how long can your will last?" This wasn't good. Even though Ei's will was extremely strong, the Shogun was an artificially created puppet, built to resist erosion. There was barely a tiny chance of being able to break her, what with her artificial will being stronger than that of any human

"But wait, isn't this gonna be a never-ending battle?" Paimon exclaimed, tired of being silent. "Perhaps. But if I don't do this, then the Shogun's rules will never change, and the future the humans desire, the future that I now desire for Inazuma... It shall never be fulfilled."

"This is my duty, No matter how long this battle may last, no matter how many times we must fight, I will beat her. I fight for the everlasting future of Inazuma."

"I vow to the subjects of Inazuma that I shall one day return. This is my oath, and you are my witness. During my absence, I place everything in Miko's hands. Pass it on to her.."

"But- But-" Paimon tried to say, but was cut off. Lumine knew what was going to happen a split second before it did. And she was not going to allow her to do it on her own.

Before the portal could reach her, Lumine's eyes glowed golden as a sphere of electro-charged water surrounded her, preventing her from getting sucked in.

She would fight this battle with her sister for however long it lasted. She would not allow another of her kin to be harmed.

Xiao POV

"Looks like we got kicked out, huh?" Paimon sighed as she shook her head. Xiao, however, was quick to notice the absence of a certain vital person. "Lumine?" he asked hurriedly, frowning.

No response.

"Waitwaitwait!" Paimon screamed in his ears, as he winced and covered them. "Is Lumine IN there? Is she also battling with the Shogun? This isn't good, not good at all..." "Yeah can you shut up pixie? I'm trying to think of a way back and you are not helping." He retorted. "Waaaah! So mean!" Paimon cried.

"My, my, who do we have here?" Came a silky smooth voice from behind. He swiveled around, trusty spear in hand, to see some fox lady dressed in pink, electro visions hanging off her pink fox ears. "Heh, no need to be so alarmed. I already know what happened, and I am here to help you out. Come on, won't you cut your helper some slack with the violence?"

This lady was very suspicious... He'd have to watch out.

( 1260 words.

Hi yall I'm backkk, and I am SO sorry for the late chapter... Let's just say that I got a bit wrapped in irl stuff, and farming for Kazuha, AND making genshin fanarts... But anyways, I'll try to be more regular.

Right, also I wanted to inform you guys that I'll probably be ending this book after the Inazuma arc....

But dw! A bit after 5k views, there is going to be a special surprise for you guys! Hopefully...

Oh also, who are you guys pulling for in 2.8? I'm expecting the majority to be Kazuha, but I also know of many Klee and Yoimiya wanters. So anyways good luck on your pulls, may you win the 50/50, and see you soon!

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