On the western side of Inazuma lies an island called Yashiori. It is one of the most dangerous regions in Inazuma, with an excessively high concentration of Electro energy and a perpetual thunderstorm environment. On a day already filled with heavy rain and thunder, the conditions were all the more severe.
Normally, to stay alive, one should avoid such weather altogether. But as one of the Seven Archons, the ruler of Inazuma, and the very god of Electro, the Shogun was completely unaffected by such environmental hazards.
Even in the midst of fierce storms, she could walk as if on solid ground. And if a bolt of lightning were to strike directly, her natural Electro shield would protect her—leaving no cause for concern.
Rumble rumble!!
A bolt of lightning struck right beside the mountain path the Shogun was walking along, the explosion of the thunderclap muffled by the pouring rain.
Yet, for this kimono-adorned beauty of unparalleled grace, it was nothing worth a glance. She didn't even turn her head.
She still held the oil-paper umbrella in her hand—at least in this, she listened to Ei's words.
Thus, her shapely legs, wrapped in deep purple thigh-high stockings carried her toward today's destination… a plateau near the Musoujin Gorge.
Zzzzt!
Nearby, floating Electro Seelies scattered at incredible speed upon seeing the Shogun.
[Those little things… quite amusing.]
Ei spoke again. She was the type to chat idly whenever possible—after all, within her own domain there was no one to talk to, save for the fox lady, and the closest to her otherwise was the Shogun.
"Only if you can catch them."
The Shogun spoke, then casually closed her oil-paper umbrella and set it on the rain-soaked grass beside her.
[That's easy. I'll leave it to you, Shogun.]
"This body… is not omnipotent."
She let out a small sigh, her stunning, expressionless face as beautiful as ever.
[In my eyes, you are omnipotent.]
After all, she was Raiden Ei's proud, high-performance 'AI.'
"As you wish."
Whoosh…
After speaking, the Shogun flicked the drenched sleeve of her kimono, sending a spray of raindrops flying.
Then, she raised both hands before her.
Zzzzt~!!!
From the center, purple Electro particles began to gather, growing and spreading until they enveloped her entire body.
Her form began to float amid the increasingly dense light of Electro, thick bolts of lightning snaking around her.
Zzzzt!
The grass beneath her, soaked by the rain, began to conduct electricity, releasing wisps of steam.
Above her, at the point of greatest Electro concentration, appeared a purple eye—the Eye of Baal—its three tomoe design rotating ceaselessly.
'Hand and eye'—the meaning referred to one of great power, whose sight and will are one.
From her chest, the gathered purple particles began to condense into an ornate sword hilt, which emerged from her chest at perfect height. She gripped it with one hand and slowly, vertically drew it out.
Zzzzt!!
The weapon drawn was a magnificent tachi wreathed in concentrated lightning. Its blade was long, the drooping tip nearly reaching her ankle.
'Musou Isshin'—the shared trump card of herself and Ei. The famed 'Musou no Hitotachi' was executed with this very blade.
At this moment, the crackling lightning along the blade seemed to make the very air tremble, wrapping her in an aura of violet light.
Looking at the Musou Isshin in her hand, the Shogun's expression did not change, as though this was routine. Her cold gaze shone with lightning, the tomoe crest on her kimono and the hair ornament at the back of her head glowing faintly.
[Do you know what I like most about you?]
Ei asked playfully.
"I do not."
The Shogun replied simply.
[…I love the way you strike a pose—whether in battle or when summoning Musou Isshin, your stances make me want to imitate them.]
Before the Shogun existed, Ei had never done such striking poses—not even her sister, Makoto. Perhaps, in her own way, the Shogun was a bit playful after all.
"Haa… it is merely an unconscious action, not an attempt to pose."
The Shogun sighed, her voice as cool and elegant as ever.
Meanwhile, Ei sat cross-legged, meditating in the 'Plane of Euthymia' she had created. Though she did not open her eyes or move, the corners of her exquisite lips curved slightly.
"What is the true limit of Musou no Hitotachi? I wonder."
The Shogun's cold voice, though almost to herself, was in truth meant for Ei within her body.
[If you're curious… why not try it? Though, in my memory, the most powerful strike I've ever used was when I felled the god Orobashi. The Musoujin Gorge stands as proof of that power. But even then, I didn't use my full strength, so I'm not certain.]
"That is not what I mean. By 'limit,' I don't mean the limit of its power… but of its purpose."
The Shogun shook her head slightly.
[Oh? What do you mean? Please enlighten me, Shogun.]
Ei opened her eyes, intrigued.
"What can Musou no Hitotachi cut through?"
The Shogun asked in return.
[Cut through? Anything… even space itself, and all things in the world. If pushed to the extreme, it could even sever the structure of the world.]
"In that case…"
The Shogun raised the hilt in one hand, slowly lifting the crackling blade toward the empty space diagonally above. In that instant, vast amounts of Electro surged once more, gathering into the unsharpened edge of Musou Isshin.
[!]
Ei's eyes widened in surprise.
Before her eyes, the air around the blade began to tremble, then slowly crack outward. As the Shogun's arm lowered, the path traced by the blade left a fissure-like scar in space.
A cut the height of a person appeared in the void before her, and then… like shattering glass, the surroundings splintered. The crack widened into an opening, at its center churning violently with Electro particles, like a raw, bleeding wound torn open.
"Haa… just as I thought. It seems I was not mistaken."
The Shogun lowered her arm, frowning slightly, as if she had anticipated this outcome.
[Remarkable… this is the first time I've seen Musou Isshin used in such an unexpected way—a secret even I did not know, and you have discovered it.]
Ei's tone carried no regret, only quiet satisfaction.
"Humankind must constantly advance. Even gods, if they remain stagnant, will one day be abandoned by the world."
The Shogun's voice was calm.
[Truly worthy of a warrior, Shogun.]
And you, once a warrior yourself, have the nerve to say that? the Shogun thought inwardly.
[But… what is the purpose of something like this crack? If it can cut the structure of the world, doesn't that mean there's another world beyond? That this is a rift in reality?]
Ei was quick to grasp the implication.
"Possibly. We should confirm it ourselves."
The Shogun's violet eyes gleamed sharply as she spoke, her tone serious.
And this was something only she and Ei knew—and only they could know.
"Well?"
After a moment, the Shogun suddenly asked.
[Hm? What do you mean?]
"Shall we go or not?"
[If we've made such a strange discovery, wouldn't it be a shame not to see it for ourselves?]
Ei's answer was clear.
"Truly surprising."
[What do you mean?]
"For someone who so rarely interacts with the outside world, you seem unusually eager today…"
The Shogun's tone carried a hint of mild surprise, though her face remained expressionless.
[Isn't it obvious? Even as the ruler of Inazuma, I sometimes grow weary. Why not take this chance to change the scenery, walk somewhere with you, and ease this dull fatigue?]
Of course, that didn't mean she intended to retire—she still had her duties as the Electro Archon, unlike certain other gods who shirked theirs.
"…"
The Shogun sighed softly.
Normally, Ei stayed in her own domain, leaving all outside affairs to her. But the Shogun had no complaints—that was her purpose. And thanks to that, their relationship had grown to the point where they could confide in each other.
She drew Musou Isshin back into her body, then stepped forward without hesitation into the rift before her—a gap between worlds.
As her slender figure vanished inside… the fissure closed in the next instant, leaving the void as intact as before, without a trace.