Ayaka's eyes widened slightly. "General… is a puppet?"
Hearing Lumine's answer, Yae Miko nodded gently.
"That's right — it's Celestia."
"Do you know that Orobashi, the serpent god of Watatsumi, was once a truly benevolent deity?"
"He only fell because he saw something he wasn't meant to see beneath Watatsumi Island."
"Orobashi feared that his people would suffer the same fate as the ancient nation buried beneath the snow — that they too would be destroyed by the Skyfrost Nail."
"So he chose to march east, to die by his own will. His death allowed the people of the deep — the ancestors of those who now live on Watatsumi — to survive."
"If not for Celestia, would Orobashi have had to seek death through war? Would Hibiki have perished?"
"If not for Celestia's curse upon all immortal beings, would so many of my old friends have lost their minds to the erosion of time?"
"If not for Celestia's forced command that gathered the Seven to invade Khaenri'ah, would Makoto — who was never suited for battle — have set foot on the battlefield and fallen five hundred years ago?"
"If not for Celestia… everything might have remained as it once was — perfect."
Miko's tone was calm, yet it carried an unmistakable, deep-seated hatred.
"To tell the truth," she said with a faint, almost dangerous smile, "I'm glad to see the three nations now forming an alliance against Celestia."
"I'm a vengeful person by nature. And the one I despise most in this entire existence… is Celestia."
"She destroyed everything that Makoto was, everything Ei held dear… and everything that made me who I am."
"So, from any point of view, I'll do whatever I can to make Inazuma join this alliance."
Ayaka was silent for a long while before whispering,
"I'm sorry, Lady Yae…"
"It's not your fault," Miko replied softly, smiling as she glanced at her.
"Now then, let's talk about something important."
"Ei, that woman… deep inside, she hates Celestia."
"She knows her Musou no Hitotachi — the all-encompassing slash — may reach the heavens themselves, but it isn't invincible."
"She can't defeat Celestia. Even Morax could suppress her effortlessly if he wished."
"Ei knows her hatred is something she can never resolve."
"And Inazuma — it's the last treasure left behind by Makoto and the other friends we once had."
"She doesn't want to see Inazuma repeat the tragedy of Khaenri'ah. That's why she says—"
"Only Eternity is closest to Celestia."
"I'll admit," Miko sighed, "she's not good at governing. She protects Inazuma in the clumsiest, most fragile way imaginable."
"But the sad thing is — she's just like a child suddenly forced to grow up after losing everyone she loved."
"She doesn't know how to move forward. So she chose the simplest, most brutal way — to seal her own heart."
"As long as I hide away, nothing can hurt me."
"That's what she thought."
"But if you ask who in this world hates Celestia the most…"
"No one's hatred burns stronger than Ei's."
"Because of Celestia, she lost everything."
"And yet — having seen Celestia's overwhelming power with her own eyes — she knows she has no chance to resist."
"To fight back would only mean that Inazuma — Makoto's final legacy — would burn to ashes as well."
Miko sighed softly and shook her head.
"It's a cycle with no escape. Unless you can untangle the knot in Ei's heart, Inazuma will never change."
"And even if you meet the Raiden Shogun herself… you still won't be able to change what Ei believes."
"The only possible way," Miko said slowly, "is to make the Raiden Shogun unleash her Musou no Hitotachi upon you."
Lumine froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
"So… the current Raiden Shogun… still isn't Beelzebul?!"
Miko fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"That's right."
"The Raiden Shogun is a puppet — a mechanical vessel crafted by Ei herself, from her divine body as a god. Its purpose is to govern Inazuma and carry out the concept of Eternity."
"The real Ei has sealed herself within the Plane of Euthymia — a realm of pure consciousness."
"She exists there, in isolation. So tell me — how could you ever hope to meet her?"
Ayaka and Lumine exchanged glances, both of them feeling a growing headache.
Inazuma's situation was far more complicated than they had imagined.
They had thought that letting Miko find a way to meet the Shogun would be enough…
But now it seemed that even the Shogun wasn't truly the Electro Archon.
The real one was still hiding — in her own mind!
"To let a puppet rule the nation… this is really…" Ayaka gave a bitter smile, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes.
To blame Ei for it?
She was never good at managing people. She only wanted to protect Inazuma, to prevent it from following Khaenri'ah's tragic path — so she sealed herself away.
Having lost everyone she loved, it was natural she'd fall into such despair.
But not to blame her? That wouldn't be fair either.
Ruling a nation isn't a matter of emotion. It's cruel, but a ruler cannot let personal feelings dictate the fate of her people.
"I'll… think of something about Ei," Miko sighed deeply, rubbing her temple.
Even she felt the weight of this problem pressing on her.
A self-sealed god couldn't simply be "met."
To reach Ei, one had to first meet the puppet — the Raiden Shogun.
But the Shogun wasn't someone easy to reason with. She was a construct bound by strict directives.
Her prime directive: to enforce Eternity.
If she were to deem their meeting as a threat to that Eternity…
None of them would escape her blade.
Solving this problem wouldn't be as simple as Ayaka imagined — it wasn't a matter of "just meeting Ei and talking it out."
Miko shook her head, exhaled softly, and looked at Lumine and Ayaka again. Composing herself, she spoke lightly:
"Now, enough about my troubles. Let's talk about you two."
"You tricked me into signing that little 'contract of servitude' — though I'll admit, that Totem of Undying of yours is quite the curious artifact."
"But still, just that one thing isn't worth my life, you know."
She blinked playfully, her tails swishing as her lips curved into a sly smile.
"Since you've chosen to stand against Celestia, you should already know how powerful that being truly is."
"Even if the three nations — Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma — joined forces with the Abyss Order, they still wouldn't be her match."
"So tell me — what makes you think you can oppose her?"
At the mention of this, Lumine and Ayaka exchanged glances once more — but this time, they both smiled. The tension in the room eased instantly.
Miko blinked, surprised.
She had expected them to be nervous, or at least uneasy, upon realizing the true strength of Celestia.
But instead… they looked calm. Almost confident.
"Tell me then," Miko asked softly, narrowing her eyes, "what kind of courage do you think it takes to stand against Celestia?"
"Is it the power of someone stronger than her?" Lumine replied quietly.
"Or perhaps the might of a force greater than hers?"
Ayaka's voice joined in — calm, but resolute:
"Or maybe… the courage that comes from a vast and boundless world behind us — one that can rival even Celestia itself?"
At those words, Miko's eyes widened slightly.
For the first time that night, the ever-composed Guuji Yae looked… moved.