Inazuma City — Tenshukaku
With a bag of freshly packed Dango Tricolor in one hand and a stack of light novels in the other, Yae Miko arrived before the Raiden Shogun.
"It's you," the Raiden Shogun said calmly.
"What brings you here?"
"I want to see Ei."
Yae Miko didn't waste words.
She didn't mind teasing Ei—but the Raiden Shogun herself was a puppet. A thinking one, yes, but cold and rigid most of the time. To Yae Miko, there was simply no fun in bantering with her.
"The consciousness within is currently meditating and does not wish to see anyone," the Shogun replied.
"You have already tried once before. This time as well—"
She paused.
"…She has agreed."
As the words fell, the Raiden Shogun closed her eyes.
Ei herself did not appear—but the entrance to the Plane of Euthymia opened.
Space fractured gently, and Yae Miko was enveloped as she was drawn inside.
The Plane of Euthymia was unchanged.
Silent. Desolate. Dim.
Ei sat cross-legged in midair, her attention fully fixed on the Diary Replica floating before her.
She didn't even look up when Yae Miko arrived.
Yae Miko's eyes lit up.
As expected—Ei has it too.
"Well, well~ I was planning to come report everything to you," Yae Miko said with a smile.
"But it seems you've already started studying it yourself, Ei~"
From the diary's first appearance until now, barely two days had passed.
Just the night before last, Ei had still refused to see her.
And now?
The diary really was effective.
"Just as I thought… you have one as well, Miko."
Ei lifted a hand, pulling the dango over to herself as she spoke.
"Why did you only come now?"
This strange object had appeared two days and one night ago.
Yet Yae Miko had only shown up today.
"I was just rejected, you know~" Yae Miko rolled her eyes at her.
"It is a mysterious thing, but I still have my pride."
"Getting turned away one day and immediately coming back the next?
Who knows if I'd even be allowed to see you again."
"So I waited."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"And look—my decision was correct. Not long after, I'm already standing inside the Plane of Euthymia again."
"…Mm."
Ei nodded stiffly.
Yae Miko's reasoning… was acceptable.
Her attention soon returned to the diary.
"Star Rail…"
"A train that travels through the real cosmos…"
"…Eternity…"
Ei pondered the concept of Eternity, and the information the diary conveyed about this so-called Star Rail.
More importantly—
She contemplated the energy transmitted when the diary delivered its knowledge.
Even she could not resist it.
That sensation far surpassed Heavenly Principles.
If anything could approach the Heavenly Principles, it should be Eternity—
And yet the diary's power surpassed even that.
Then… are the Heavenly Principles themselves not eternal?
"What are you planning to do?"
Yae Miko asked softly.
As Ei's closest friend, she could tell—even from a single murmur—that Ei had made a decision.
"Miko," Ei said after a brief silence.
"Come with me to Liyue."
"I want to meet this Descender named Lin Ze."
"For now, Inazuma will be managed by the Shogun."
To understand Eternity, Ei intended to meet Lin Ze personally.
"Of course," Yae Miko replied without hesitation, smiling brightly.
"I've wanted to meet that little one for quite some time now."
Knowledge from other worlds didn't interest her much.
What Yae Miko truly cared about—
Was the fun from other worlds.
And, of course… their novels.
"But even if I bring you there using Musou Isshin," Yae Miko added thoughtfully,
"that Martial God will surely notice."
"I've tested it already—this thing can't convey information to non-holders."
"If Morax isn't a holder of the diary, have you prepared an excuse?"
Going to Liyue alone would be easy.
But this time, she was bringing Ei.
Morax might not notice many things—but would he fail to notice the true Electro Archon's presence, or the disturbance of the Plane of Euthymia?
It had been five hundred years since the last Archon gathering.
Even before the Sakoku Decree, Inazuma's relationship with Liyue had been… lukewarm at best.
For Ei to visit Liyue without reason?
That would raise questions.
"…We'll say it's for—"
Ei paused briefly.
"…Visiting Lin Ze."
Yae Miko froze.
Then she burst into laughter, waving her hand teasingly at Ei as she turned around.
"I'll have the Shogun cooperate with me. I'll send an official visitation notice first."
"Once everything is prepared…
we'll go and visit… Lin Ze."
As Yae Miko's voice faded, the entrance to the Plane of Euthymia appeared once more before her.
An entrance—
And also an exit.
Ei remained behind, her gaze returning to the diary.
To the line where Lin Ze claimed he was already invincible beneath the heavens.
Invincible?
Stronger than the Heavenly Principles?
If so—
What understanding of Eternity would Lin Ze hold?
After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Ei reached out for another dango—
And grabbed nothing.
She glanced to the side.
The dango was gone.
She looked at the light novels, waved her hand, and set them aside.
Those could wait until after returning from Liyue.
Closing her eyes, Ei entered meditation once more.
Meanwhile, having exited the Plane of Euthymia, Yae Miko immediately got to work.
Even with the Raiden Shogun's cooperation, there was still much to prepare.
Fortunately—
Time was on her side.
The next day, a package departed from Komore Teahouse.
A cat-eared girl with two tails, brimming with excitement and anticipation, boarded a ship bound for Liyue.
A map in one hand.
A compass in the other.
This was her first international delivery.
She absolutely could not mess it up.
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