Rumble rumble!!
After a deafening clap of thunder came a blinding flash of lightning that tore through the darkened skies of Inazuma City, illuminating for a brief moment the bustling city shrouded in a gloomy hue.
Splash splash~!!!
The next second, cold raindrops poured down in torrents—
The once silent town was instantly filled with the crisp sound of rain and the damp scent of earth. The large raindrops, like the sky's tears, relentlessly poured down, striking the ground, leaves, and eaves, making a continuous pattering sound.
Rumble rumble!!
Another clap of thunder.
Even in such a fierce downpour, there was one person who stood as if ignoring her surroundings, beneath the stone statue beside the gates of Inazuma City—the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
She was a woman whose face, though cold, was breathtakingly beautiful. Her slender figure stood gracefully, her head slightly raised, as if lost in thought while gazing at the statue before her.
The Statue of the Omnipresent God before her was about several tens of meters tall, shaped like a woman in a long robe, seated in a formal posture. The woman's head was slightly lowered, her eyes partially hidden beneath the hood, casting a mysterious shadow. From the hood extended two side bangs of hair, but the most striking feature was the pair of enormous wings behind her. On the surface of each wing were eye-like patterns, the "eyes" currently glowing in various colors—the collected Visions.
These Visions seemed unwilling to submit… still shimmering with a defiant light. But the woman below paid them no attention, not even glancing at them. Her gaze was fixed on the statue's face, not its wings.
"..."
She narrowed her purple eyes slightly, the faint violet glow within them carrying a palpable pressure in the dim scene.
[It's raining again. The weather in Inazuma has been rather fickle lately, either thunder or rain.]
A voice appeared in the woman's mind, gentle and with a touch of domestic warmth. But she knew all too well that the owner of this voice was not truly gentle—sometimes, she was as helpless as a child.
[Is the Shogun in a bad mood lately?]
"Thou art the embodiment of thunder—why dost thou lay its blame upon me?"
Her expression remained unchanged, her beautiful purple eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of helplessness as she replied, her cold tone forming a stark contrast with the gentle voice in her mind.
[Fair enough~ But… at this moment, you are the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma.]
"A foolish question. As thy executor, how could I possess personal feelings?"
She stepped forward, walking to the edge of a wooden platform, gazing at the distant Inazuma landscape, mysterious and dreamlike despite the stormy weather.
[Is that truly so?]
The other clearly didn't believe her—or perhaps chose not to.
"Huu…"
The Shogun merely closed her beautiful eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"Only by being free of all thoughts and emotions can one speak of personal feelings."
Her voice, though cold, carried a trace of gentleness.
[By that reasoning… you are still in a bad mood.]
"..."
This time, she remained silent, already accustomed to such blunt remarks.
[Are you perhaps lonely? Because I haven't been talking to you these past few days?]
The other seemed to think for a moment before quietly asking.
"I am but your puppet. How could I possibly feel loneliness?"
[Haa…]
Yet the other let out a deep sigh.
"Why sigh?"
She opened her eyes and asked.
[When it's just us, can't you drop that overly formal, archaic way of speaking?]
The voice carried a hint of complaint, subtly pointing out how she had been speaking with an old-fashioned manner since earlier. Even as one of the Seven Archons, surely there must be times when such speech becomes tiresome?
"Weren't you the same before?"
The Shogun finally returned to her usual conversational tone.
[Just joking… I just wish you wouldn't always keep that poker face. Smile a little more.]
Listening to the voice in her mind, the Shogun merely reached up to brush aside the bangs already dampened by the rain. It's not that she couldn't smile… besides, you hardly smile yourself, she thought with a small trace of complaint in her heart.
[On a rainy day, it seems only the Shogun would go out without an umbrella.]
"I am but a puppet. I cannot fall ill."
She responded calmly.
[Even so, you should still use one.]
Buzz~
In the next second, faint purple light particles rose from her body, and the figure of a woman identical to her emerged, standing in front of her. The woman lifted her hand slightly, conjuring a paper umbrella in her palm, and handed it to her.
Then, the figure faded again and returned into the Shogun's body.
The Shogun looked at the oil-paper umbrella in her hand without replying, simply obeying by opening it and raising it above her head. The edge of the umbrella perfectly shaded her eyes, her purple gaze giving off a faintly oppressive glow in the rainy night.
[That's better. Look, even the Tenryou Commission guards over there have all taken shelter under the eaves. So take better care of yourself, so I won't have to worry.]
Hearing this, the Shogun instinctively glanced toward the guards at Inazuma's city gates, who had indeed moved quickly under the eaves, though their order remained unbroken as they continued their duties.
"In the past, when danger arose, you always sent me forward. How is that concern?"
Her slender fingers stroked the surface of the umbrella handle, her tone still cool but noticeably softer.
[That's true… perhaps my mindset is different now. I've also been thinking lately… just what is the Shogun to me? Haa… thinking too much is pointless. In time, such small matters will become clear.]
"…"
She gave no reply, simply walking with unhurried steps along the platform, umbrella in hand, until she reached the edge facing the sea. The cold storm wind lifted her long purple hair and the hem of her kimono.
[It seems I'll need to start controlling the weather… If it keeps raining like this, Inazuma's people will be unable to live in peace.]
The voice in her mind sounded somewhat helpless.
"Even without this rain, they are unable to live in peace."
She spoke the plain truth.
[…]
The other fell silent.
"Are you angry?"
This question already carried a trace of personal emotion.
[How could I be angry at you? This isn't your fault—it's mine… Perhaps for me, this is the only way to pursue eternity… and the price that must be paid.]
At this, the voice fell silent again…
"In that case… as shadow, your executor, I will help you obtain the 'Eternity' you desire."
Of course, the Shogun knew the unspoken parts of her words, and would never force her to say them. Her sole mission now was to pursue that seemingly distant yet 'selfish and willful' eternity alongside Baal.
[Shogun… am I selfish?]
"All people have a selfish side—even gods. Do your best, and that is enough, Ei."
[…Mm.]
The other's tone softened, a hint of comfort in her voice.
In the end, the Shogun's very purpose of existence was to serve her master, Raiden Ei. Whether Ei's decision was selfish or not was of no concern to her—everything was for the somewhat childish and reclusive Baal within her.