Shao Yun curiously observed the Raiden Ei, who appeared to be meditating before him, while also noting the strange scenery around him.
The decaying red torii gates, the blood-red moon, and the unsettling, shadowy atmosphere—was this the place where she had spent countless years?
Compared to the outside world, this place felt more disturbing than a haunted graveyard.
Shao Yun looked upon Raiden Ei with disdain and bluntly questioned, "You're Beelzebul, aren't you? Do you remember not long ago, you struck a blonde girl with your blade?"
At his words, Raiden Ei slowly opened her eyes, which shimmered with a mysterious violet glow. Behind her appeared the glowing Wheel of a Thousand Wishes.
She gazed over Shao Yun with an analytical look, replying coldly, "The blonde girl? You mean the one who wields elemental power without the aid of a Vision?"
Shao Yun raised his chin with a taunting smirk. "That's right."
Raiden Ei stood calmly upon the Plane of Euthymia. With a single motion, she sliced the air beside her, and a rift opened. From it, she drew Musou no Hitotachi—her radiant thunder-infused naginata.
She set her eyes on Shao Yun and nodded faintly in acknowledgment.
Shao Yun's gaze fixated on the weapon in her hand, a flash of resolve and fearlessness in his eyes. He licked his lips and asked in a low voice, "Do you regret the harm you caused her?"
Raiden Ei's expression remained cold and void of emotion.
"Anything that threatens eternity is my enemy," she replied without a flicker of hesitation.
Shao Yun stood silent for a moment, then gave a firm nod. Meeting her gaze head-on, he stated flatly, "Then either you kill me... or I kill you."
Raiden Ei's eyes flicked to the skull-engraved Vision at Shao Yun's waist, a twinge of suspicion surfacing.
Though the Vision struck her as unusual, she didn't dwell on it.
To her, Shao Yun likely resembled another challenger like Kazuha's friend—someone defying the Vision Hunt Decree in the name of resistance.
Raiden Ei looked down on Shao Yun with a faint smirk. "So, for your so-called Vision, you've chosen to become an enemy of eternity? How utterly laughable."
Shao Yun shook his head slightly, the fire in his eyes burning brighter with resolve. Clutching "Micah's Revolver," he replied coldly, "No. I'm not eternity's enemy—I'm the nightmare you can't escape."
His voice was calm but resolute, revealing he was fully prepared.
Raiden Ei stood tall, weapon in hand, perfectly aligned with her naginata, exuding a majestic, overwhelming aura.
That power rolled out like crashing waves, dense and palpable, pressing against the air itself.
Shao Yun remained still, gripping his revolver, his eyes narrowed with composure and confidence.
The two stared each other down in silence, each searching for the other's weakness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As tension thickened, Raiden Ei moved first.
She gripped Musou no Hitotachi tightly, eyes fixed on Shao Yun. With a low snarl, she slashed it through the air before her.
The blade ripped through the void, unleashing a dazzling arc of lightning that split the darkness like a bolt from the heavens.
A massive horizontal slash of Electro energy hurtled toward Shao Yun at incredible speed, its thunderous roar striking fear into the heart.
Shao Yun swiftly raised Micah's Revolver, finger tightening on the trigger. At the same time, the Vision at his waist flashed crimson.
He fired a bullet charged with Pyro energy straight at Raiden Ei, the flame-imbued shot blazing through the air like a meteor.
The two powers collided midair, Electro clashing with Pyro in a violent Overloaded reaction.
The resulting explosion boomed like a thunderclap, flooding the Plane of Euthymia with a searing, midday brilliance.
Raiden Ei observed Shao Yun's response, a flicker of admiration in her eyes.
She nodded. "Not bad. Your power and reaction are commendable."
Shao Yun remained stoic, his voice cool. "Thanks for the compliment."
Raiden Ei glanced once more at the Vision on his waist and sneered.
"Too bad," she said mockingly, "you're only keeping up with me thanks to that little trinket. Without it, you're nothing."
Without warning, she lunged forward, hand outstretched toward his Vision, fingers curled into a grasping claw.
A shockwave of Electro energy burst forth, spreading outward like a tidal surge, tearing at space itself with sheer pressure and destruction.
Air distorted. Space twisted. Everything plunged into chaos.
Raiden Ei smirked, certain she had just sealed Shao Yun's elemental abilities.
Without them, he was nothing more than a mortal with a gun—no match for her.
She only needed to twitch her finger, and the fight would be over.
But unexpectedly, the moment that wave of power touched the Vision on Shao Yun's waist, an entirely different force erupted.
Suddenly, a piercing demonic screech rang out in Raiden Ei's ears.
It sounded like countless demons shrieking at once—jarring, unearthly, terrifying.
Her head throbbed violently. She stumbled back a step, her face draining of color.
She looked at Shao Yun in disbelief. Unease twisted in her gut.
She realized then—his Vision was no ordinary Vision. It harbored a force she had never encountered.
Glaring at him, she asked coldly, "Is that really a Vision on your waist?"
Shao Yun's lips curled into a dark smile.
'So, that's what you were trying to disable, huh?' he thought.
He looked down at the glowing artifact, then back up with a mocking grin. "What else could it be? Doesn't exactly look like a fruit from some tree of good and evil, does it?"
Raiden Ei scowled. She understood this fight would be unlike any she had fought before.
...
The clash resumed. Shao Yun used only Micah's Revolver, focusing purely on offense. It was clear he was testing her limits.
Despite her precise strikes, Raiden Ei failed to land a single blow.
Finally, she paused, slamming Musou no Hitotachi into the ground, eyes narrowing with respect.
"I see now... your strength is not to be underestimated. You've earned my full attention."
Shao Yun spat. "Cut the crap. I remember—you've got that Musou Isshin. Why not use that and end this already?"
"Today, either you cut me down, or I kill you. Let the world see the rise of a third Raiden Shogun!"
He clenched his fists, his eyes ablaze with unwavering resolve.
Raiden Ei's smile turned cold. "Big words. But I'm done playing with you."
She calmly stowed away Musou no Hitotachi.
Slowly, she raised her right hand and reached into the space before her chest.
A blinding flash split the silence like thunder, illuminating the Plane of Euthymia.
Musou Isshin was drawn in a single motion, its lightning radiance dazzling.
The blade crackled with thunder, its reflection casting solemn shadows across Raiden Ei's face.
Clutching it tightly, she murmured, "I'm almost grateful I brought you here. Only in this place... can I use my full strength without restraint."
Shao Yun showed no emotion. From his Legend of the East satchel, he pulled a bottle of snake oil and downed it in one gulp.
He closed his eyes, feeling the energy coursing through him.
Then, he opened them with calm clarity.
"Where you die doesn't matter. But your death... means everything to me. This is our final battle."
Raiden Ei raised her blade with both hands.
"No thoughts. No distractions. All illusions—cut down!"
The blade glowed sharper than ever, her ultimate move—Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu.
Shao Yun knew she was done holding back. So, he dropped Micah's Revolver and drew his sidearm: the Cowboy Revolver (Goat's Blessing).
He activated his Deadeye. Thunder roared. A clock ticked. The twisted melody echoed like a requiem.
He marked her heart.
At the same time, blood-black fluid trickled from the skull ornament of his Vision, dripping onto the ground in thick, rhythmic drops.
Raiden Ei stared at his revolver—then froze.
A flicker of fear crossed her face.
She saw it: a monstrous goat-headed figure. Its twisted horns curled like spirals. A reverse pentagram glowed on its forehead.
Its eyes blazed red—malevolent and terrifying.
Raiden Ei's heart seized. Without hesitation, she raised Musou Isshin overhead and struck with all her might.
This strike was everything she had. The same force she once used to slay Orobashi—her most absolute attack.
Shao Yun, far away, pulled the trigger.
The flame-charged bullet screamed forth, trailing fire like a burning comet.
Within it pulsed an indescribable power—as if from another realm.
The bullet soared toward Raiden Ei's ultimate slash.
Her blade, wrapped in divine thunder, met the incoming round.
At the instant of impact, energy surged violently.
The collision sparked a cataclysmic explosion.
But what emerged was not just fire or lightning—it was something else.
A deeper, darker force detonated outward.
Raiden Ei's eyes went wide. Her pupils shrank in disbelief.
Before her, Musou Isshin—her pride and symbol—shattered like fragile glass.
It disintegrated, shards drifting like falling petals.
Then the pain came—searing from her left side. A fire unlike any she had known ignited in her core.
This was not mere elemental force—it was something beyond.
It tore through her flesh, her bones, her very heart, unleashing cascades of blood.
Each crimson droplet danced like a cursed blossom in the dark.
Her face contorted. Pain. Rage. Fear.
All in one.