As the Starry Portal materialized before Ei, she immediately tensed up.
Whenever Yuki traveled between worlds, this portal accompanied his arrival—stepping through the vast cosmos, walking out from a brilliant unknown.
As the figure in the depths of the starry expanse slowly emerged, Ei rose from her throne and descended the steps.
In front of Yuki, she was no longer the lofty, untouchable god of Inazuma. Compared to him—the true deity who had saved countless worlds and sat at the apex of all existence—what was a mere "Raiden" like her? Soon, the figure fully stepped out of the portal, and Ei finally saw Yuki in person.
Her violet eyes scanned him up and down, as if carefully verifying that the person standing before her was really him.
"Uh… what's wrong? Are you that surprised to see me?" Yuki was a little confused, watching her stand there silently.
His words snapped Ei out of it. "I am surprised." She nodded and answered honestly. "I've seen you on the livestream before, so I knew you were incredibly beautiful. But seeing you in person… it's even more overwhelming."
Ei wasn't exaggerating. With Yuki standing right there, she could feel an inexplicable charm radiating from him.
If watching him on the livestream scored him a hundred, then seeing him in person raised it to two hundred. Even someone as naturally reserved as Ei couldn't help feeling a subtle restlessness in his presence.
"Heh. You're not the first to say that." Yuki nodded and chuckled. He waved his hand casually, and the portal dissolved.
"You're very beautiful too, Ei. Looking at you now, you remind me of a vibrant, delicate violet. Especially your jewel-like eyes, they're irresistible." Yuki flashed a faint smile and offered her a few compliments.
Hearing that, Ei's heart—so rarely stirred—gave a faint tremor. A strange emotion began to spread within her.
"Oh… is that so? Thank you. That's the first time anyone's ever said I'm beautiful." Ei showed a thoughtful, slightly inexperienced expression as she thanked him.
Yuki understood what she meant. To the people of Inazuma, Ei was an object of reverence. She was the god they worshipped—the one who had slain the great serpent in a single slash.
They approached her with solemn respect, never daring to entertain any frivolous thoughts. To say something like, "Lord Raiden, you're so beautiful," would be seen as teasing a deity—an act of blasphemy that would surely incur divine wrath. So the people of Inazuma praised her martial might, her strength, her divinity. Ei had heard that countless times. But hearing someone compliment her appearance, like Yuki just did—that was a first. It felt refreshing.
"Heh. I just spoke the truth." Yuki chuckled and smoothly moved on. "So, tell me. What's the issue?"
Yuki got straight to the point and asked about the current situation in Inazuma. Based on how he had previously shifted Ei's perspective, he assumed that something like the Vision Hunt Decree wouldn't happen now.
Rather than using his own abilities to find out, he decided to let Ei explain first.
She gave a slight nod and invited Yuki to move to a tea room adjacent to the main hall to talk in more detail. Following Ei, Yuki walked through a corridor lined with traditional Japanese-style architecture.
Anyone who didn't know better would think they were in Japan back on Earth. The buildings were entirely wooden, with an aesthetic that matched Japan's style perfectly. Walking through them almost gave one a sense of temporal dislocation.
After turning a corner, Yuki and Ei arrived at a cozy little tea room. Compared to the somber, dark-toned solemnity of the main hall, this room was decorated in simple beige tones, creating a natural and relaxing atmosphere.
A faint fragrance wafted from an incense burner, calming the mind and soothing the spirit.
The attendants inside immediately bowed when they saw Ei. But their eyes secretly drifted toward Yuki, who had come in with her. They were curious. The divine being they served had actually brought a guest here—and a man, at that.
Normally, the only person allowed in this tea room was the head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine. This was astonishing. Their revered god, entering a room with a man? If word of this got out, the people of Inazuma would be shocked beyond belief.
But the more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became. They were the witnesses. If this ever spread, they would likely face the wrath of their god.
One of the attendants felt her legs go weak. Another, younger girl, actually started to collapse but Yuki caught her before she fell.
"You alright, little one?" Yuki gave a warm smile and asked with concern.
The young girl—around thirteen years old—was immediately captivated by his handsome face. His natural charm was already overwhelming, but paired with that gentle smile? Even a stone-hearted goddess would waver. And this was just a young girl.
In that instant, she forgot everything. Forgot the others. Forgot the god standing right there. All she could see was Yuki. She stared at him, transfixed, imprinting his face deeply into her memory.
Ahem…
Her fellow attendant, growing anxious, tried to get her attention. She coughed loudly, trying to snap the girl out of it.
Oh my god, stop staring! Sure, he's handsome, but that's the Shogun's man! Her heart was racing with fear—what if the Raiden Shogun lost her temper and struck down the girl she saw as trying to steal her man?
But to her relief, Ei didn't react much. She had already expected that young girls would react this way to Yuki.
"Can you stand?" Yuki asked gently, finally snapping the girl out of her daze.
She looked over at her companion, suddenly realized her blunder, and nodded quickly. "Y-Yes... thank you, my lord."
Yuki smiled softly and followed Ei into the tea room. Only after the door slid shut did the two attendants breathe a sigh of relief.
"That was terrifying. I thought the Shogun was going to strike you down."
"Um… sorry for making you worry." The younger girl felt a wave of fear and embarrassment.
"Ah, don't blame yourself. That man's beauty is almost otherworldly."
Hearing that, the girl nodded firmly in agreement.