Aether closed his eyes, the weapon in his hand feeling unusually heavy, for he knew that at this moment, he carried the wishes of all the people of Inazuma.
He saw the oppression of the Shogunate's forces upon the people under the Vision Hunt Decree.
He saw the hollow, lifeless eyes of those who had lost their ambitions.
He saw all these wishes now converging into a river of stars, slowly merging into the blade in his hands.
Aether slowly opened his eyes. His expression hardened as he sidestepped Ei's slash, then pressed his foot against the blade.
With a flick of her wrist, Ei lifted her weapon, and Aether used the momentum to leap into the air. Just as the lightning above struck down, Electro energy surged around him, and he appeared behind the Raiden Shogun in an afterimage.
Ei remained expressionless. With another clench of her hand, violent bolts of lightning erupted around her. Aether crouched low as several Geo pillars suddenly rose before him, forming a stone wall that blocked the sudden outburst.
Then, with both hands, he delivered a powerful slash. The gleaming blade split apart both the stone wall and the Electro field behind it, even leaving cracks in space itself.
Aether charged at Ei once more. This time, in a daze, he saw Rover standing beside him.
"Do you remember?"
The howling thunder carried Rover's voice, echoing endlessly in Aether's ears.
I remember. I've always remembered what you taught me, Rover—that even the elements can be wielded in different ways!
Ei sensed danger and tried to retreat to reposition herself, but Aether raised his free left hand, and a swirling vortex of Anemo formed in his palm, pulling at Ei's form. That slight disruption was enough to put her at a disadvantage.
Ei frowned. Under the so-called "wishes" empowering him, Aether's overall strength had increased, and even the weapon in his hand had grown sharper.
Under Aether's relentless assault, Ei's breathing became slightly ragged, and her rhythm began to falter.
The next second, Aether saw Rover nod at him. Yes—now's the time!
Clang!
The familiar sound of metal clashing rang out. Ei looked on in surprise as her weapon was deflected, and the deadly blade thrust straight toward her. Finally, she discarded all underestimation. Her expression shifted, and in that instant, supreme lightning drowned out all the shimmering stars. A violet sword was drawn from her chest—
That blade, accompanied by the roar of thunder, came slashing down at Aether. He barely managed to shift his thrust into a horizontal block.
Now, Ei radiated divinity, coldly suppressing Aether—who wielded his blade with both hands—using just one arm.
Electro particles raged wildly, relentlessly assailing Aether's body, trying to crush him.
Under this immense pressure, Aether couldn't move. His standing stance quickly turned into a half-crouch, his face flushing red.
"Even the wishes of the people cannot surpass the will of a god. This has been true since ancient times. On the path of Eternity, variables like you are nothing more than fleeting farces."
Ei looked down at him imperiously. In the next moment, she exerted more force, increasing the pressure on Aether even further.
"You... are... wrong."
Aether forced out the words with difficulty. He raised his head, the conviction in his eyes still unbroken.
"I... told you... these are everyone's wishes. I was never alone!"
In a flash, Aether saw a hand resting atop his own—it was Kazuha's. The young samurai smiled at him, followed by Ayaka, Thoma, Yae Miko... and countless others he had never met before, all reaching out to him.
Aether stood up. Under the oppressive might of a god, he met Ei's gaze.
There will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow.
Ei's lips parted slightly. She saw more and more of Inazuma's people standing behind Aether. In that moment, her heart seemed to waver...
Have I... taken the wrong path again?
That self-doubt caused Ei to hesitate for just an instant. But in that fleeting moment, the combined wishes of the people repelled the Musou no Hitotachi. By the time Ei could react, the blade was already at her throat.
"Ei, you've lost."
Yae Miko appeared out of nowhere, smiling playfully at Ei.
Ei sheathed the Musou Isshin. Whether she had held back or hesitated no longer mattered—defeat was defeat. There was nothing left to explain. This was the result.
"Why are you here?"
Yae Miko laughed as if she had heard something amusing.
"It seems you've forgotten about the method of implanting consciousness into objects. Now that the match is decided, Ei, you should step outside and listen to the people's wishes."
Ei sighed and dispelled the Plane of Euthymia. The surroundings returned to the dueling platform.
And on that platform, the crowd had already gathered, waiting.
Ei looked up at the Statue of the Omnipresent God, where the embedded Visions still glowed faintly, piercing through the darkness that had shrouded Inazuma City. Then, her gaze turned toward the distant sea, where a monstrous god prepared to attack. She fell silent.
"My, my, it's rare to see Ei looking so dejected. If only I had a camera to capture this moment."
Yae Miko grinned, but before she could steady the camera in her hand, a bolt of lightning from above reduced it to ashes. She shrugged, as if to say, Wasn't me.
Ei turned to Yae Miko.
"So, why have you come to me?"
"To heal the Sacred Sakura. About Makoto... I believe only you know where her consciousness resides."
At the mention of Makoto, Ei fell silent for a moment. With a sweep of her divine sense, she immediately understood the situation.
"In the cavern beneath the Grand Narukami Shrine. Follow me."
...
"As I thought... just as I suspected."
Yae stopped in her tracks, staring at the torii gate ahead as if recalling something.
Ei undid the seal on the torii and stepped through.
Compared to Ei's Plane of Euthymia, her sister Makoto's realm was as clear as still water.
Ei felt the Musou Isshin tremble in her grasp. Once again, she drew the blade that had once belonged to Makoto.
"It's been a long time, Ei."
Ei froze, staring at the sword before lifting her gaze to the glowing orb emerging from it. She had never expected Makoto to have left such a contingency.
"Five hundred years ago... when you left, did you already know your fate?"
Makoto listened quietly before replying.
"Yes, I had some premonition. So before I departed, I left this behind. Here, I cannot feel the passage of time... so I assume it's been quite a while?"
Ei nodded. Remembering her battle with Aether, her expression darkened.
"Makoto... I'm still searching for the meaning of Eternity. But now, I've begun to doubt myself..."
Makoto floated closer, comforting her.
"I'll take the blame for this. I left too soon and never had the chance to share my thoughts with you..."
Ei shook her head.
"To enforce Eternity through the will of the gods, to freeze Inazuma in a single moment—so that no matter how time's river flows, it leaves no trace upon this land. Was I wrong to do this?"
"Ei, you must look forward. You cannot stop the inevitable changes brought by time. It has already been turning in corners you've failed to notice. What we should do is stride boldly down this path of Eternity, not remain stagnant."
"Makoto, do you know what lies at the end of this path? Is the unknown ahead the Eternity we seek? You don't know either. How can we gamble the lives of all Inazuma's people on an uncertain future? Eternity should be firmly held within the will of the gods!"
"Listen, Ei. The concept of Eternity isn't just about freezing a single moment. Eternity stretches time infinitely, while dreams illuminate every moment along the way. The two reflect each other. Since the Sacred Sakura took root, it has witnessed Inazuma's entire journey. It changes constantly, yet it is also eternal."
Ei fell silent. Makoto continued.
"Choosing to freeze Inazuma in a single moment—isn't that also a form of escape? You refuse to face the trials to come. Every time this happens, you cling to the word 'Eternity,' using it as comfort for your soul. But you know these trials won't disappear just because you avoid them.
Moreover... the will of the gods has been defeated by the wishes of the people. Doesn't that mean your so-called Eternity has already strayed from its original meaning?
Ei, trust me. Try leaving Inazuma's future in the hands of its people."
Makoto's words echoed throughout the realm of consciousness, finally coalescing into a seed—a seed of dreams.
Ei clenched the seed tightly. After a long silence, a new Sacred Sakura sprouted within that realm.
"Then... this time, it's truly goodbye."
Makoto's voice faded amidst a shower of falling cherry blossoms. Ei stood there, feeling an inexplicable loss.
She looked around before finally settling her gaze on Rover.
"We've crossed blades before. You're strong."
Rover was taken aback but quickly understood—she must have been referring to their clash within the Vision's domain.
"Makoto told me to trust in humanity. This new Sacred Sakura still contains the power of time—from nothingness to existence, every moment given meaning. You are the most suited for it."
Rover hesitated, not immediately grasping Ei's intent.
"I never believed that insignificant mortals could amount to much. But when I was defeated by the sheer weight of their wishes, I wavered. Only after speaking with Makoto did I understand her vision of Eternity.
So... I will try to trust in her. Thus, I shall resolve this calamity in Makoto's way—through human hands, not divine. The power within this Sacred Sakura is yours to wield, Traveler. If you are willing to represent the people of Inazuma and face this new Archon War, I shall bestow this power upon you."
Rover was still uncertain, but Aether stepped forward and returned the blade—now filled with wishes—to him.
"Rover, I believe you can do it. After all, I've always believed there's nothing you can't accomplish."
Rover looked at Changli, who gave him a slight nod.
"This is your decision to make. I will not interfere. If you are willing, I shall be a fitting pawn in this game, stepping onto the board myself."
With that, Rover made up his mind. He took the blade from Aether's hands.
Seeing this, Ei wasted no more words. A searing heat spread through Rover's arm. He looked down to see the third element—Electro—manifesting upon his skin.
Rover was the first to step out of the cavern. His gaze fell upon the churning sea, where a mechanical Osial raged. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Since I've already buried you once, this time, I'll send you straight to hell."