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"My Shogun, dinner has arrived."
"Bring it in."
Kujou Sara froze outside the door. This was the first time in days she had heard a voice other than Kamisato Ayaka or Yae Miko from within the room. It sounded like a man. Could the deity who defeated the Raiden Shogun actually be a man? Though surprised, a flicker of relief stirred in her heart. She finally had an excuse to see what was happening inside.
The doors opened, and the sight of the Raiden Shogun standing there allowed her to finally let her guard down. The panic and anxiety that had plagued her for days began to dissipate.
Wait. Aside from the unfamiliar man, she noticed another peculiar presence. It was Raiden Ei, who could only manifest through a puppet body. She glanced at the imposing Raiden Shogun, then down at the small, petite figure beside her. Could it be that the Shogun had stayed sequestered these past few days because of this miniature version?
Marriages between gods weren't unheard of, but applying that logic to the deity she worshipped made her feel as if her world were crumbling. If such a thing had to happen, couldn't it wait at least a thousand years after she died? Feeling disheartened, Sara brought the dinner inside.
Seeing the food, Raiden Ei stepped forward. "Are there any sweets?"
Sara faltered. Though the situation was maddening, seeing Ei's expression was strangely healing. "I apologize... little Shogun. I didn't anticipate your presence, so I didn't bring any desserts. If you require them, I shall go prepare some immediately."
Raiden Ei stood still. Little Shogun? She admitted she was small right now, but the title sounded bizarre. And what was with that look in Sara's eyes?
Sara was doing her best to maintain her composure. Were it not for the harsh training of military life, she might have succumbed to her maternal instincts, scooped Ei up into her arms, and held her tight.
"Forget it. I don't need them that badly." Ei wasn't overly concerned. Without them, she could just have Yae Miko bring some later. She had more important matters to attend to, like eternity—an eternity that could finally be realized in Inazuma.
Even though Ei dismissed it, Sara felt a wave of profound regret. If only she had thought for a moment longer, would the little Shogun have gone without her sweets? How foolish she had been.
"Sara, how has Inazuma been these past few days?" The Raiden Shogun, a puppet designed to manage the nation, still cared deeply for the land. Ever since Su Ran had upgraded her cognitive functions, she cared even more. Seeing her loyal subordinate, she wanted the truth. After all, Yae Miko might lie, but Sara wouldn't.
"It is likely in terrible shape," Su Ran said, cutting in before Sara could answer as he tinkered with his dream machine.
Ei's attention snapped to him. She had only been away from the management of Inazuma for five hundred years; had it really fallen into such disarray? She wondered how the Shogun had been handling her duties.
"The Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission have colluded with the Fatui. Combined with the war against Watatsumi Island, Inazuma is effectively in the middle of a disaster." Su Ran hadn't looked into the specifics, but having played the game, the reality was clear. If Inazuma weren't ruled by a literal god, it would have been torn apart long ago.
"Impossible! How could the clan heads collude with the Fatui?" Even after accepting that Su Ran was a deity, Sara braced herself to refute the claim. Her house was loyal to the core, and her lord worshipped the Raiden Shogun above all else. This had to be slander.
"I am a Fatui Harbinger," Su Ran said, stepping forward to pat Sara on the shoulder as he offered living proof. "I think I would know whether or not they've colluded. I know you find this hard to believe, but neither the Sakoku Decree nor the Vision Hunt Decree would exist without the prodding of the Fatui."
He admitted to the Fatui's crimes with such brazen ease that Sara was left speechless. She wanted to ask where he found the courage to say such things in front of the Shogun. Was it just because he had a little Shogun with her? And why was the Shogun so indifferent to the truth? Did she not care at all? Had she turned traitor too?
"A Fatui Harbinger?" Raiden Ei cared deeply, even if the Shogun did not. Since when had the Fatui Harbingers become so capable? What kind of luck did the Tsaritsa have to recruit such talent?
Kamisato Ayaka, meanwhile, felt a mounting headache. In the past, the Fatui had merely manipulated the commissions to push for the Vision Hunt Decree, but this man, Su Ran, intended to enforce an eternal dream upon Inazuma. He planned to trap everyone within it. Now that both Shoguns were supporting his decision, she had no idea what to do. The will of a god was impossible to shake, and it wasn't just one god anymore—it was three. Who could possibly stand against that? Despite her resistance, she could think of no other option but to surrender to fate.
"I don't understand," Ei said, feeling stifled. "You possess such power. Why would you act as anyone else's subordinate?" Had it only been five hundred years? Was the Tsaritsa truly powerful enough to bring someone capable of defeating a Shogun into her service? She had heard rumors the Tsaritsa wanted to rebel against the Heavenly Principles, but had the world changed so much? Was the Tsaritsa the new ruler of Teyvat?
"Because... the Tsaritsa is beautiful," Su Ran said, offering a reason no one believed. "And she wears white silk stockings."
"People really don't believe the truth these days," he muttered. "Fine. It's because the Fatui provide the funding. Does that work for you?"
Yae Miko rolled her eyes. She found that excuse even less believable. "That's even more ridiculous than the last one."
If it were just a matter of funding, she would have simply offered more. Well, Inazuma was poor compared to Snezhnaya, but Raiden Ei was not inferior to the Tsaritsa in any way. Especially when she had a fox priestess of such beauty and wisdom at her side. What did Snezhnaya have? A girl dressed like a bundle of leaves?