Paimon spread her hands. "Ah, I never expected it to end up like this—fighting oneself."
"Ei and the Shogun are actually going to battle."
[Paimon: Can two identical people really determine a victor in a fight?]
[Yae Miko: They are not completely identical. Ei's weapon is the Musou Isshin, while the Shogun's weapon is a naginata. Different weapons mean different swordsmanship styles, so there are some differences. As for victory or defeat, it comes down to who shows fewer openings. In martial combat, a single mistake costs a life.]
Ei said, "The rules I established for the Shogun... no, the Shogun is my past ideal, the cornerstone of eternity. She is difficult to shake."
"Unless absolutely necessary, I would not try to change her."
Paimon asked anxiously, "Is there another way? Like resolving things without fighting?"
[Yae Miko: Haha, this is a puppet built to defend eternity. How could she be persuaded with just a few words?]
[Paimon: This is a huge problem now. She has to defeat herself without making any mistakes.]
[Ningguang: It is like walking a tightrope between cliffs—no mistakes allowed.]
[Paimon: Ningguang, have you ever faced a perilous situation?]
[Ningguang: Yes. It was a business deal. If I could not collect the payment, my cash flow would have been disrupted. I would have been forced to go bankrupt and then burdened with massive debt.]
Lumine said, "Ei does not seem like someone who leaves herself a way out."
The Raiden Shogun's solemn voice rang out. "This body symbolizes supreme authority. It has been granted the power to rule the nation, embodying everything of the Raiden Shogun."
"Naturally, it also inherits the pain of constant loss that Ei experienced as she advanced, as well as the resolve to reach eternity."
"All of this is to resist erosion. Resolve, courage, love, and hatred—all will crumble and distort in the long river of time. Only rules remain eternal."
[Furina: So imposing, so majestic. So this is a deity? I must learn this fun way of speaking.]
[Paimon: Furina, your voice does not seem suited for such majesty.]
[Furina: I am Fontaine's greatest performer. There is no role I cannot master.]
[Lumine: Paimon, you have shot yourself in the foot.]
Ei responded, "This was indeed my intention when I created you. Now, you have become a wall I must overcome."
"Are you making an enemy of me?" the Raiden Shogun's solemn voice rang out.
"I am your past. I am the eternal, unchanging rule. I am the guardian of eternity."
[Paimon: Such cool, imposing lines. If this gets published in the school magazine, it would surely sell out completely.]
[Furina: It could also be adapted into a light novel that crosses the sea. Let me read it too.]
[Paimon: Sure! We would also love to see the scenery of Inazuma, but please visit often in the future too.]
Ei gripped the Musou Isshin, drawing a circle. "And I am Raiden Ei, the one who promises her subjects a dream."
With that, the two charged at each other. Lightning flashed across the entire space. Powerful elemental forces collided repeatedly, lighting up the entire consciousness space.
After a long battle, Ei eventually gained the upper hand over the Raiden Shogun and knocked her down.
Paimon breathed a sigh of relief. "She finally defeated her."
But the next moment, the Raiden Shogun rose again, fully restored. She looked at Ei and said, "It seems your martial skills have not declined. But how long can your will hold out?"