In the end, Ei emerged victorious. The Shogun said softly, "You have won. I thought you could not surpass the past, but it seems I was too presumptuous and underestimated your soul."
"An everlasting will, after all, cannot embrace the future."
Ei replied, "You need not worry about the future, nor walk alone."
"I know your strength better than anyone. If I had relied only on myself, I would surely have lost this duel."
[Paimon: Is this diplomatic language? They are both praising each other...]
[Lumine: This is not a diplomatic occasion, but it certainly sounds like diplomatic language.]
[Yae Miko: After winning, taunting the opponent? That does not seem like something a deity would do.]
[Ei: Diplomatic language? What is that? I believe what I said came from the heart.]
[Shogun: I feel the same way.]
[Paimon: Right. When the Shogun killed Signora, she was very decisive and did not worry about diplomacy at all. So naturally, she would not use diplomatic language either.]
[Signora: What? Is that funny to you?]
"However, the reason for drawing the blade determines the limits of one's martial skill. What I carry on my shoulders are countless gazes. Whenever I think of this, I feel a strange stirring from this Musou Isshin."
"This blade, which I took from Makoto, seems to remind me and encourage me. I also felt it—during the intense battle just now, it seemed to unleash a new power."
The Raiden Shogun acknowledged, "That power exceeded my expectations."
Ei fell into thought. "This is Makoto's blade. Perhaps only when I truly understand and agree with her will the blade respond to me fully."
"Gripping the Musou Isshin tightly makes me feel like I am fighting alongside her again. A feeling both familiar and strange. She, who never swung a blade, was always by my side."
[Zhongli: Makoto, who never swung a blade in Inazuma, once brought down ten thousand meters of lightning in Khaenri'ah.]
[Paimon: It seems Makoto's remaining power and weapon helped Ei defeat the Shogun.]
[Lumine: Makoto was also a very powerful deity.]
The Raiden Shogun nodded. "I acknowledge that your new will does not come from erosion. I will no longer try to obstruct you from changing the rules."
With that, the Raiden Shogun crossed her arms and continued, "From now on, this body will remain your assistant."
Ei also felt regret. "I will no longer set unchangeable rules. You once represented my past, but from today onward, you are me. Makoto never treated me as a fearless weapon, and I should not have treated you as a tool."
[Yae Miko: Ei has become Makoto, and the Shogun has become the shadow.]
[Paimon: The Shogun and Ei have also spent five hundred years together. In a way, they are very good friends, aren't they?]
[Raiden Shogun: The rules of eternity are the shackles upon me. Free will is trapped by eternity.]
[Lumine: Shogun, do you not like eternity either?]
[Raiden Shogun: I do not like eternity's unchanging nature. It is no different from death. But the rules constrain me; I have no choice.]
[Ei: Eternity... is but a fleeting dream.]
A rare smile appeared on the Raiden Shogun's face. "You have truly changed. This is what humans call growth, is it not?"
"I understand. I will become your shadow, just as you were once Makoto's shadow. My duty will not change. But as a warrior, I still look forward to opportunities for battles like this in the future."
Ei asked, "Are you still unwilling to accept this?"
The Shogun did not answer directly. "I have simply never felt this way before. It is novel and worth remembering."
Paimon was still confused, but the battle was already over.
A seed appeared in the air.