In pursuit of eternity, Ei had abandoned her physical body and voluntarily entered the Plane of Euthymia to meditate for centuries, creating the Raiden Shogun in her place.
Thus, the Raiden Shogun's obsession with eternity was no different from Ei's. That was why the Vision Hunt Decree had been enacted. For the eternity of Inazuma, what did the sacrifice of a single swordsman matter?
That was what she told herself. Yet she could not help looking toward the fallen swordsman. She spoke slowly, "Kujou Sara, pursue him. You must retrieve that Vision."
After giving that order, under everyone's stunned gazes, she walked slowly toward the swordsman's body.
Kujou Sara was puzzled. Her Excellency seemed different today. Something was off. But she did not question it. "Yes, Your Excellency. I will bring back that Vision."
With that, she led a contingent of Shogunate soldiers, pushing through the crowd at Tenshukaku's gate, searching for Kazuha. But the streets were packed. There was no sign of him.
Inside Tenshukaku, the once-bustling scene grew quiet. The Raiden Shogun found herself standing before the swordsman's corpse. Looking at his unfamiliar face, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, a sense of closeness.
Had she met this swordsman before? She could not remember.
Looking at the horrific wound—the bone and blood—she felt an inexplicable pain in her heart. She reached out and channeled her Electro power into the swordsman's body. Miraculously, the wound closed. The bone and blood were covered once more by flesh. His broken body was made whole.
After doing this, she looked at her hand, not understanding why she had done it. Was it because she acknowledged him as a worthy opponent?
Then she reached out again, gently brushing her hand over his face, closing his unseeing eyes.
"Someone—take him out."
Her voice trembled slightly. She stood in the courtyard for a long time, watching the Shogunate soldiers carry the swordsman's body away. Her heart ached.
She pressed a hand to her chest and swore silently: no one would stand in the way of eternity. Not a samurai. Not a swordsman.
She stood there for a long while, her expression cold, but her heart growing more and more unsettled. It was time to see Ei.
The next moment, she vanished from before Tenshukaku. The courtyard fell silent. Everything returned to normal, except for the bloodstains on the ground.
...
The story of Kazuha's friend had ended.
Now, at Wangshu Inn in Liyue, Li Mo had finished telling the story in a calm voice. The outcome: the Raiden Shogun herself had killed her brother's reincarnation.
His feelings were complicated. To be killed twice in a row by his own sisters—even if not by blood—was painful. But he did not blame the Shogun or Ei. Instead, he mentally cursed the system and its creators. Damn them. Giving him such twisted tasks. Making his sisters kill him.
But no matter how he cursed, the system ignored him. It quietly strengthened his soul.
As he reflected on his past reincarnations, he even wondered if the system had a grudge against him. Or perhaps its creators did.
He was exhausted. But sharing these sad stories with the people of Inazuma, sharing his pain with others, brought him some relief.
Now, the audience reacted to the seventh life's outcome with shock, disbelief, sighs, and tears.
"Incredible. The Shogun really killed her brother twice. How could you be so heartless, Raiden Shogun?"
"She didn't know."
"Quiet. The Electro Archons are right behind us. With Rex Lapis gone and three Shoguns here, we can't win."
"If only Rex Lapis were still alive. He wouldn't fear them."
"To be fair, the Vision Hunt Decree was a mistake."
"What happened to Kazuha? Did he escape Kujou Sara?"
"I think so. I heard he joined the resistance on Watatsumi Island afterward."
"A real man, daring to oppose the Raiden Shogun."
The audience in Liyue murmured. Some even whispered criticisms of the Shogun, saying she had killed her own brother. They spoke quietly, afraid the three Shoguns in the corner might hear.
But no matter how soft their voices, they could not escape the ears of gods. Barbatos heard them clearly. The three Shoguns heard them as well.
Now, after hearing the story of the seventh life, knowing that she had personally killed her brother's reincarnation with the Musou no Hitotachi, the Raiden Shogun was overcome with guilt.
As a puppet, her expression was usually cold, unskilled in showing emotion. But now, sorrow, guilt, regret—all flickered across her face.
"I didn't mean to—I didn't know—"
She clutched her head, unable to bear it any longer, and burst into tears.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, brother.
If she had been alone, she might have completely broken down. But thankfully, Ei and Makoto were beside her, helping her slowly calm down.
Ei comforted her. "Listen to me. He will forgive us."