"People of Inazuma, lend me your strength!" Ei closed her eyes, sheathing Musou Isshin. As she did so, countless golden streams of faith energy flowed into the blade, coating its purple surface with a golden glow.
"Now, the moment of oblivion!"
Ei's eyes snapped open, the golden Electro Mitsudomoe spinning rapidly. With a swift motion, she slashed Musou Isshin through the air, sending a blade of faith and Electro energy hurtling toward Yun Fan in his Finality form.
Theoretically, Ei, in her divine attire and bolstered by the faith of Inazuma's people, was unprecedentedly powerful. With a single move, she could unleash enough force to cleave mountains and rivers.
In this state, what she wielded was no longer the "Musou no Hitotachi," but the ultimate technique, "Musou Shinsetsu," infused with the faith of Inazuma's people.
"This is the true 'Musou no Hitotachi.'"
Watching the blade of light slice through space and part the clouds, Yun Fan, in his Finality form, silently praised it. This "Musou Shinsetsu" was undoubtedly the strongest attack he had encountered since arriving in Teyvat, several times more powerful than Zhongli's "Planet Befall" in its normal state.
"However... in the face of the Authority of Finality, it's still no match," Yun Fan murmured, his movements never slowing. He extended his right hand, making a grasping motion.
Rip—
As Yun Fan moved, a claw formed of faint purple Honkai energy tore through space, meeting the incoming golden blade and shattering it effortlessly.
Seeing this, both Ei, who was confronting Yun Fan in the sky, and Yae Miko, who was watching from afar with the Kamisato siblings, couldn't help but gasp.
"How... how is this possible? That was an attack infused with the faith of all of Inazuma! How could it..." Yae Miko, who had always been confident and composed, was now truly questioning her understanding of the world. How could the gap between gods be so vast?
"Lady Yae..." Ayato began, but Yae Miko raised a hand to stop him.
"The situation has completely spiraled out of our control. Compared to the Divine Sovereign of Liyue, Ei's strength is like a firefly against the moon. Now, we can only hope that the Divine Sovereign isn't too cruel..."
---
Above Tenshukaku
Ei stared blankly at the young man before her, passively feeling the overwhelming power emanating from him, far surpassing even the Heavenly Principles. In her daze, she seemed to see a face identical to her own. But when she reached out to touch it, the image shattered like glass.
"Sister..." Ei murmured, gazing at the shattered memory. "If only I had possessed the power to defy everything back then, perhaps you wouldn't have left me..."
Thinking this, Ei's face was filled with a bitter smile. She looked down at Musou Isshin in her hand, gently stroking its sharp blade.
"In the end... I can do nothing..."
Meanwhile—
"What's she muttering about? Did I scare her that much?" The silver-haired youth looked at Ei with a strange expression. Had his earlier "dragon claw" move really shaken her that badly?
But it wasn't his fault. Compared to the billions of people in the modern civilization of the Honkai world, Teyvat's population was pitifully small.
The entire population of Inazuma, including regions like Watatsumi that didn't submit to the Shogunate, was only a few million. Even if Liyue, with its large population, was included, the entire population of Teyvat likely didn't exceed 100 million.
The Herrscher of Finality, which even billions in the Honkai world couldn't defeat—how could the faith of a few million people be enough?
"I surrender," Ei suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. Before Yun Fan could react, she dispelled her divine attire, reverting to her original form.
"Not going to struggle a bit more?"
"No," Ei shook her head.
"That strike just now gathered the will of all the people of Inazuma. It was the true, strongest 'Musou no Hitotachi.' If that didn't work, I have no other options left," Ei sighed, her eyes filled with resolve.
"The victor reigns supreme. From now on, the title of Electro Archon is yours. Since I have been defeated, do as you will with me. But I hope you will treat the people of Inazuma well."
As she spoke, Ei cast a longing glance at Inazuma City, her eyes filled with guilt and remorse. "I, an unworthy god, have brought them too much suffering. They are good people."
Yun Fan had no idea what Ei had seen within the Gnosis, so he asked with interest, "Oh? So you've given up on pursuing your idea of eternity?" Had Ei, the stubborn blockhead, really had a change of heart? This didn't seem right! In the original story, Yae Miko had spent years scheming, and it was only at the end, with the Traveler's help, that she managed to "awaken" Ei.
And here he was, achieving in half a day what had taken them years?
"Pursuing eternity... I must have been a fool..." Ei looked at Yun Fan, whose aura now surpassed even the Heavenly Principles, and felt nothing but bitterness. If even the Heavenly Principles weren't the ultimate power, what meaning did her pursuit of eternity, which sought to approach them, hold?
Moreover, as the Divine Sovereign had said, was the Heavenly Principles truly eternal?
"People change, and so should our perceptions. Though this is our first meeting, I must say, Ei, you've reshaped my understanding of the gods of Inazuma," Yun Fan lightly clapped, a look of approval on his face.
"None of that matters anymore," Ei shook her head again, then spread her arms, her gaze calm. "Do it."