The explosive shockwave blasted everyone behind Ei off their feet, hurling them violently to the ground. Even Ei herself had to plant her feet firmly, the soles grinding against the stone as she was forced to slide several meters backward before she could stabilize.
"Ah—!" ×2
Kokomi bore the brunt of the force. She was blown straight into Ayaka with a heavy thud, sending them both tumbling backward. Because Ayaka had been standing on the outer side, she hit the ground first—and Kokomi fell squarely on top of her.
Bang—
In the chaos, Kokomi's head slammed against the armored plate over Ayaka's chest. The impact left her dizzy, her vision blurring instantly.
"Mm—! It hurts..."
She clutched her head in pain, curling instinctively against Ayaka. Her voice even carried a faint sob.
Ayaka herself was unharmed—perhaps because Kokomi was lighter than she looked. Though Kokomi had crashed into her, she barely felt it. But Kokomi clearly did. When Ayaka saw her lift her head, she was startled.
"Mm..."
Kokomi pressed a hand to her forehead. A drop of bright red blood trickled down, sliding across her cheek.
Is she made of paper?!
Ayaka could not help but complain inwardly. She had expected at most a bruise—yet she was already bleeding. How could her skin be so delicate?
"Miss Sangonomiya... are you all right?"
Coming back to herself, Ayaka propped up her upper body slightly and looked at the girl sitting on her lap, still holding her head. Her tone carried a trace of awkward concern.
"Haa... Miss Kamisato... do I look 'all right' to you?"
Kokomi shot her a speechless glare.
"I couldn't help it. You ran straight into my breastplate."
Ayaka explained.
"...And whose fault is it for wearing something so hard?"
Pat—
Kokomi complained as she lightly slapped the solid armor over Ayaka's chest. The strike made Ayaka's body tremble slightly. She rolled her eyes and tried to sit up.
As if I knew you'd be this fragile... and now you're blaming me.
Watching Kokomi rise, Ayaka sighed helplessly. Never mind... this was not the time to argue. The most important matter was the figure ahead... Shogun-sama!
She quickly stood as well and, together with Kokomi—who was still holding her head—moved forward again to Ei's side. Pandora had also been struck by the shockwave, but since she floated in the air, she had not fallen and remained completely unharmed.
"Are you all right?"
Ei had kept her gaze fixed on the figure before her the entire time and had no chance to look back. Only when she heard their approaching footsteps did she ask quietly.
"We're fine... What happened to Shogun-sama?"
Ayaka asked nervously.
"I regret to say that at this moment, she is no longer the Shogun."
Ei shook her head.
"Eh?"
"The program's priority is extremely high. 'It' has taken control of the Shogun's consciousness."
She explained calmly.
"...!" ×3
All three of them stared in shock at the identical figure standing opposite them. No—more precisely, it was indeed the Shogun's body.
"Hm—she is still struggling. How stubborn... she never learns her lesson."
The 'Shogun' before them—the personality governed by the program—felt the resistance of the true Shogun within and glanced disdainfully at her own hand.
"If you dare harm her, do not blame me for what I do next."
Ei's voice was as cold as a blade. It sounded as though she might draw her sword at any moment.
"...Haa. When have you ever treated me kindly?"
The other asked in return.
"...!"
Ei's brow twitched. She was clearly angered.
"Shogun-sama!" ×2
"Shogun!"
The girls behind Ei called out—not to this personality, but to the true owner of the body.
"Your 'Shogun-sama' is gone. She will not appear again. This body is now under my control. No one can stop me."
"What are you saying? Give Shogun-sama back to us! Or else—"
Ayaka's eyes turned cold as she prepared to draw her blade.
"Or else what? You are not qualified to order me."
The other swept a cold, arrogant gaze over her. In that instant, overwhelming pressure surged over Ayaka once more. Her body trembled, nearly collapsing to her knees—but she forced herself upright through sheer will.
"No. Even if it is us... we will not retreat!"
Kokomi grasped Ayaka's trembling hand. Though she was afraid as well, she had to stand firm. She squeezed gently, helping Ayaka regain her focus and dispel a trace of fear.
Ayaka looked at her in surprise. Kokomi's profile was resolute. Compared to that, Ayaka felt almost ashamed of her own hesitation.
"Heh... and you think you are worthy...?"
The personality sneered. She did not even raise her hand—only a cold violet light flickered within her eyes.
Boom!!
In the next instant, a bolt of thunder crashed down from the sky directly above Kokomi, striking toward her head with lethal precision.
"!"
Kokomi had not even processed what was happening. She thought she would be struck—
—but at that very moment, an equally powerful thunderclap collided with it midair, erupting into a violent explosion.
"Am I qualified?"
Ei's voice had grown ethereal and distant as she asked coldly.
"!"
The program-controlled personality frowned and immediately turned toward Ei, whose entire body now glowed with violet light.
"Haa..."
Kokomi was drenched in cold sweat. That bolt had truly been meant to kill her. It had carried a chill, a sharpness, and... fury.
Completely unlike Shogun-sama's warm radiance.
She finally understood.
The one before them was no longer her Shogun-sama.
At that realization, her nose stung, and tears threatened to spill—but she forced them back.
"I will bring her back..."
"...?!"
The words seemed to answer the turmoil in her heart. Kokomi's eyes widened as she looked up at the violet figure before her.
"You need not grieve. This is my responsibility and my duty."
Ei did not turn around, yet her words were clearly meant for Kokomi.
"We... believe in you."
Kokomi smiled and offered her encouragement.
"Mm."
Ei nodded, then shifted her gaze back to the figure ahead.
"Say what you came to say. Was it not to speak with me that you summoned me here?"
She asked coldly.
"Hmph... I am the assistant of the inner self and the guardian of the law."
The 'Shogun' pressed a hand to her chest as she spoke.
"... "
Ei stared at her silently.
"If the inner self seeks to defy the law, then I... shall become an asura."
Hummm—
In the next instant, she drew Engulfing Lightning into her hand and swung it in a sharp arc before resting it behind her.
"Even if your master does not wish it, you would still rebel?"
Ei asked.
"Rebel? What a joke. Was it not you who 'changed' first? You established me for this very purpose, yet as the master you have already gone back on your word. What sort of conduct is that?"
She retorted forcefully.
"No. You misunderstand. I am not your master."
Ei shook her head.
"...?"
The other frowned slightly, as though pondering her meaning.
"Your master is the primary consciousness of this body—the one you were created to serve. She is my child—Raiden Shogun. Yet now you have imprisoned her within a cage. If anyone should be questioned for their conduct, it is you."
Ei folded her arms and regarded her coldly, her tone equally resolute.
"... " ×3
Under the pressure of the clashing auras, the girls behind them scarcely dared to breathe. Even so, they were still turning over every word exchanged between the two.
"The Shogun? Haa... her heart is fragile—pathetically so. If this continues, she will only grow weaker. As the sustainer of eternity, she was the first to defy the path of eternity itself, sinking into those illusory dreams like fleeting bubbles. Utterly unworthy."
At this point, her voice even carried open mockery, and Ei felt a surge of irritation.
"You're wrong!"
The one who retorted immediately was Ayaka. Everyone turned toward her.
"That is not an empty illusion, nor is it a dream. It is the warmth we gave her, the happiness we shared with her, the love we offered her. They are not meaningless things as you claim. You who have never understood her—how could you possibly comprehend her heart?"
Though Ayaka was still suppressed by the other's overwhelming presence, she cast aside such concerns in defense of her Shogun.
"Nonsense. As I said, they are nothing but dreams. Dreams shatter in an instant... Warmth? Happiness? Love? Pretty words. Mortals are insignificant. Their lifespans are like the faint flicker of a candle, extinguished in a heartbeat. To her, you are but momentary dreams. To indulge too deeply in that fleeting tenderness will only trap her beyond escape. For one who pursues and maintains eternity as I do, such errors cannot be allowed to exist. They must be corrected."
She refuted coldly.
"I was born from the law of eternity itself. Eternity is my everything. Since she seeks to defy the law, then I shall replace her as the sustainer of eternity and imprison her forever within an eternal cage!"
Whoosh!
She flicked her naginata outward, unleashing a fierce gale.
"Replace her? In the end, you are simply afraid. Afraid that if the Shogun's consciousness disappears, you will vanish as well. Isn't that right?"
Ei sneered.
"...A foolish question. I exist solely for eternity. To attain eternity, I would pay any price. She is the foundation upon which I stand here. I have already turned her into the cornerstone of eternity. She will not escape."
"Are you worried we will 'corrupt' her... or do you simply wish to take her place? Hm?"
A trace of probing light entered Ei's eyes.
"...Haa... Is there a difference? I cannot control her thoughts. All I can do is fulfill the meaning of her existence—that is eternity."
The program-governed 'Shogun' tightened her grip on the shaft of her weapon as she answered.
"... "
Ei noticed the small movement. Understanding dawned in her heart.
So you are stubborn as well...
"You once traveled the world with her. You believe you grasped the true essence of eternity. You think the you of today is more resolute than before, and therefore this current you is correct. Is that it?"
Seeing Ei silent, the 'Shogun' continued at her own pace.
"Raiden Ei... have you truly gained a new conviction, or have you merely succumbed to irreversible erosion?"
"...I came precisely to answer that. You and I are both warriors. At this moment, there is only one way for us to speak—battle. I do not believe mere words can change your present obsession. After all, you are a program I created. I know you better than anyone."
Ei smiled faintly after saying this.
"That is precisely my intention as well. You wish to alter my thoughts? To change the law I abide by? Heh... then let battle decide!"
Whoosh—whoosh!
She swung Engulfing Lightning twice and assumed a combat stance.
"Tell me about the Shogun's condition..."
Ei demanded.
"Have you still not understood? She is me, and I am her. The one standing before you now is the Shogun—the one you seek. I am simply the aspect of her that enforces the law. I stand before you, Ei... I am the Raiden Shogun."
She stepped forward, cold violet light flooding her eyes.
"...!"
Ei's expression shifted in surprise.
"Haa... Do you remember the worlds I traveled with you...? Those worlds remain vivid in my memory. The words you once spoke to me—I have never forgotten them."
"That's impossible! If you were truly the Shogun, you would never attack us—never attempt to kill Kokomi... to strike her down!"
Ayaka refuted.
"Heh... I was born for eternity. Everything I do is to pursue eternity. I am the executor of eternity. All who defy eternity shall be erased, one by one. You are no exception."
The Shogun sneered.
"... "
Ayaka found herself at a loss for words. The one before her—no, this program—possessed only such rigid logic. Only a program could think in such an inflexible way. She wore Shogun-sama's face and voice, yet spoke words far too extreme and abnormal.
"She is not wrong... Ayaka. The one standing before us truly is the Shogun. However... she is a Shogun influenced by the law. She is not lying."
Ei interjected.
"Lady Ei?"
Ayaka looked at her.
"To be precise, this is the true form of the existence known as the 'Raiden Shogun'—this puppet's original state. The reason she became the person you came to know was because of her 'heart'—because her true soul transformed her. And now, at this moment, she has reverted to the state she possessed upon awakening... her extreme mode when confronting the law."
This... was the Shogun's original form?
So it was true?
It made sense. Shogun-sama had been created by Lady Ei—a puppet fashioned for eternity. Yet even so, they would never deny the Shogun who had lived alongside them day and night. In their hearts, the woman who smiled gently at them, who could act spoiled, who grew shy, who was graceful and kind—that was the true Shogun.
And precisely because of that, they cherished her so deeply.
"Haa... Stand back. Leave the coming battle to me."
Ei gestured for the girls to retreat, her sleeve sweeping lightly through the air.
"Mm..." ×3
They did not interfere. They understood the vast gulf between themselves and the two before them. All they could do was withdraw to a distance and watch the battle about to unfold—a battle between mother and daughter.
"Come... Shogun. Let me see your strength. Let me see how far your true martial skill has progressed."
Hummm—
From her chest, Ei summoned Musou Isshin and grasped it in her hand, pointing the blade toward the Shogun.
"I symbolize supreme authority. I was granted the power to govern a nation. I embody everything that is the 'Raiden Shogun.' I have inherited your pain—Ei—the pain of all you lost along your path, as well as your resolve to reach eternity."
Hummm—
Behind the Shogun, Chakra Desiderata manifested.
"Resolve, courage, affection, hatred... all will distort and decay with time and circumstance. Only the law remains eternal."
Chime— ×N
As the many eyes upon the chakra lit one by one, her aura transformed completely. The ground at her feet began to ripple like fragments of shattered space.
"... "
Ei's brows knit tightly.
"Raiden Ei... I am your past. I am the immutable law through countless ages. I am the guardian of 'eternity'!"
Boom!
Thunderous particles erupted from her body all at once, whipping the air like a violent storm.
"Come at me, Shogun!"
Boom!
With that, Ei unleashed a blinding radiance from Musou Isshin, raising the blade skyward. In an instant, the lightning particles of both sides collided, shaking the entire Plane of Euthymia. The violent wind pressure made the three girls in the distance struggle to remain standing.
Crash—
Kokomi summoned a flowing curtain of water before her. Seeing this, Ayaka channeled her Cryo power through Kokomi's Hydro, forming an ice wall in front of them to buffer the wind pressure.
The three of them crouched behind it, temporarily sheltered—watching from what felt like front-row seats as an awe-inspiring spectacle unfolded before their eyes, one that ordinary people would never witness in a lifetime