"What?!"
"This..."
"Impossible!"
Upon turning around, Ei was completely stunned.
Although she had known for some time that there would be someone who bore a striking resemblance to herself, seeing the other party up close still left her dumbfounded.
There was no helping it; the resemblance was simply too uncanny.
What in the world...
Why?
Why does she... look so much like me?
Could it be a puppet?
No longer maintaining that expressionless facade, Ei gazed at the figure standing on high, her mind racing with countless thoughts, the possibility of a puppet being the first to surface.
She knew very well that the technology to create puppets was not unique to her; in fact, she herself had learned this technique from elsewhere.
Even if that place had long since been destroyed, it was still possible for such techniques to have been passed down.
However, she could sense that the feeling the other party gave her was unlike that of a puppet; she felt completely like a living, breathing human being.
Yet, even so, she did not detect the aura of Makoto on the other party.
But despite this, she still found herself wondering if the person before her could be Makoto.
After all, hundreds of years had passed since that time. Many things would have changed, more or less.
Hm...
Change?
Suddenly thinking of her own actions, Ei felt a complex mix of emotions.
She wished for all things to remain still, having initiated such a stagnancy long ago, yet now she naturally assumed that if Makoto were still alive, she would undoubtedly have changed after hundreds of years.
Makoto...
She would definitely laugh at this behavior of mine, wouldn't she...
Sighing silently, Ei knew that her actions were certainly something Makoto would not have permitted.
So... is that why she took those Visions?
Back then... did Makoto not die?
Did she instead encounter something that even I, as a god, cannot comprehend?
Ei was well aware that as gods, they were not the apex of this world.
Above them, stronger existences presided.
And so, the two individuals who looked so incredibly alike remained silent, simply staring at one another—one from above, one from below.
It was at this moment that Ayaka walked over.
Someone had just informed her that the Shogun had arrived, so she had hurried out to check on the situation.
Although she had known in advance that such a scene would occur, seeing two 'Her Excellency, the Shogun' before her eyes still made her feel a profound sense of strangeness.
Moreover, due to the status of the Shogun, she wanted to say something but didn't know what would be appropriate.
I suppose I'll just watch for now...
After thinking for a moment, Ayaka silently decided on this course of action.
There was no other choice; she knew what was going on, and speaking rashly might cause her brother and Lady Guuji's plan to fail, which would be terrible.
Actually, her best option would have been not to come out at all and just hide in the house, but unfortunately, her home was right nearby. It would have appeared too strange if she didn't come out to take a look.
Therefore, she could only come out to observe, but refrain from speaking.
"Why are you impersonating me?"
Seeing that the other party remained silent, Ei decided to speak first.
Initially, she had intended to ask why the other party had taken the Visions she had confiscated, but after some thought, she chose to ask why she was impersonating her instead.
She knew the other party wasn't truly trying to pass as her, but she wanted to use this as a conversation starter.
Regardless, she had to figure out the other party's true identity first.
Since the other party's appearance was so similar to her own, it stood to reason that she must have some connection to herself, or perhaps... to Makoto.
Of course, there was another possibility: that the other party's current appearance was a result of a transformation.
But whichever it was, she had to get to the bottom of it.
"I am not impersonating you," Acheron replied faintly to the Raiden Shogun's interrogation.
She knew that it was best to speak as little as possible at this moment, to give the Raiden Shogun's imagination the greatest room to run wild.
"Wearing a face identical to mine, yet you claim you are not impersonating me."
It had to be said, the other party's answer made Ei think of Makoto again, but she knew this wasn't enough.
If the truth of the matter could not be obtained through words alone, then only combat remained.
Thinking this, Ei drew the Musou Isshin from her chest.
Her Excellency is drawing her blade...
Watching from the side, Ayaka couldn't help but feel worried when she saw the Shogun draw the Musou Isshin.
Although she felt the other 'Shogun' was also no simple figure, she was, after all, not a god.
"What are you still doing here? This is not a place for you."
Just as Ayaka was worrying, the Shogun's voice suddenly drifted over, causing her to freeze for a moment.
"...Yes, Your Excellency. I will leave immediately."
Recovering her wits, Ayaka hurried to distance herself.
In any case, since the Shogun had already ordered her to leave, she might as well go far away.
After all, she couldn't do anything here, and her presence might even cause the plan to fail.
Subsequently, Ayaka quickly departed the vicinity.
Musou Isshin...
Why did the Raiden Shogun draw her blade so quickly this time...
After witnessing the process of the Raiden Shogun drawing her sword, Acheron, standing on high, silently thought this in her heart.
Thinking back to when she played the game, the Raiden Shogun would leisurely pull the blade from her chest before proceeding to inlay the player into the statue.
Of course, even if she sped up now, there was no way she could cement Acheron into a wall.
However, after mentally roasting this detail, Acheron's attention focused on the Musou Isshin.
Or, to put it another way, she focused on the mass of Raiden Makoto's consciousness residing within it.
Her appearance this time was not merely to show her face to the Raiden Shogun; her goals included Raiden Makoto's consciousness.
She currently possessed the Mimicry of Fenghua Down, which allowed her to transfer and prolong the consciousness of Raiden Makoto within the Musou Isshin.
However, to achieve this, she would need to exchange blows with the Raiden Shogun briefly.
Of course, she could also just beat the Raiden Shogun into submission and snatch the Musou Isshin directly.
Hm...
That actually feels a bit more convenient?
At this moment, Acheron suddenly felt that directly robbing the Raiden Shogun of the Musou Isshin would be more convenient.
But...
Should I really do that?
Pondering this question, Acheron fell into deep thought.
However, from Ei's perspective, Acheron was staring intently at the Musou Isshin in her hand, which caused Ei to subconsciously glance at the blade herself.
Why is she...
Staring at the Musou Isshin?
Quickly retracting her gaze to look back at the person who looked so much like her, Ei felt incredibly strange.
Swish—
____
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