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Genshin X Destiny: The Calm of The Thunder

Summary:

Inazuma has entered a state of relative peace... Trade routes have opened up bringing in goods from Liyue and Mondstadt, warring has mostly if not completely died out, even the Traveler herself has decided to stick around while waiting for the next part of her journey. Then one day she decides to wish upon a falling star...

She could have never anticipated the ensuing mayhem that would follow that one wish...

Chapter 1: Prologue: A Wish Upon a Star

Notes:

This takes place before the Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko's story quests. More on that later.

Chapter Text

"Hey Lumine! How long are you going to be staying in Inazuma?" A rather high pitched voice asks. Somewhere in the grand Inazuman city a certain traveler sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the traditionally dressed commonfolk. Everyone is out and about doing their own thing, whether it be just searching for the things they need, getting commissions or even doing tasks for the local adventurer's guild.

"I'm not sure honestly..." Lumine mumbles as she finds herself walking over to the guild kiosk. "I haven't enjoyed something like this ever since we first stepped foot here. I haven't seen it so lively since then either."

"Well Paimon's just itching for something new, something cool to do!" Paimon says as they stop by and see Katheryne.

"Ad astra abyssoque!" Katheryne calls out.

"Do you have any commissions for us?" Paimon asks.

"Unfortunately all available ones have been taken by other adventurers. I'm sorry but I really don't have anything for you to do." Katheryne replies, and Paimon deflates. "It is also getting very late. I would advise that you two get some rest before going on any."

"Yeah, she's right." Lumine says to Paimon. "We'll see you tomorrow then!" And with that the two head off, venturing beyond the city borders and towards a cliff. It gives the traveler a view of the boundless seas, with islands sprinkled all about- Lumine can just barely make out Watatsumi Island off in the distance.

"It does look beautiful out tonight..." Paimon says before her attention is caught by something else. "Oooh! Lumine! Look! Shooting stars!"

"I see Paimon." Lumine giggles. "Still energetic as ever I see."

"Wanna make a wish?" Paimon asks.

"Sure!" Lumine replies as the two close their eyes and slowly bring their hands together, silently hoping for their greatest desires. Once they open their eyes though they do see something different- they see a star not unlike the others as it begins glowing with a blue trail as it falls, a trail that gradually turns purple, then to yellow, and then to... White?

"Um... Is it just Paimon? Or is the star getting bigger?" Paimon slowly asks.

Narukami Island suffered a tiny earthquake for a few seconds, leaving everyone wondering what hit them...

Chapter 2: Chapter 1: A Ruin Guard?!

Chapter Text

Lumine and Paimon were barely able to leap out of harm's way when the white star came crashing down on Narukami Island, destroying a large part of the cliff they were on and causing shockwaves to hit both the Inazuman City and the local shrine. That next morning Lumine and Paimon stopped by the Grand Narukami Shrine to ensure that everything was still intact from the impact.

"Lady Yae!" Paimon calls out as the head of the shrine turns to face them.

"Ho? You've stopped by on such short notice!" Miko giggles. "What brings you two cuties out here?"

"We just wanted to make sure that everything was okay here." Lumine replies. "Did you not feel the earthquake that hit last night?"

"Oh I most certainly did, I thought the entire shrine was going to come crashing down!" Miko says with a more concerned tone. "What WAS that?!"

"Paimon has no idea. All Paimon did was wish on a star and then something hit the island." Paimon replies. "It almost crushed Paimon!"

"And me too, don't you forget that. You just had to float out of the way!" Lumine snaps back. "That aside... the impact site was just down there." She adds, pointing near the city.

"Oh dear... So close to the shogun's estate too..." Miko mumbles. "Is she doing okay?"

"The shogun's been doing her part in making sure everyone is okay." Lumine says. "The earthquake didn't cause any lasting damage aside from rocking everyone's housing."

"I suggest you check out the crash site. Maybe there's something there..." Miko replies. "But whatever hit the island..." She pauses for a few seconds, hand on her chin. "I'm coming with you. If the shogun and her commission are already investigating at least they won't feel any suspicion towards you two."

"But what about the shrine?" Paimon asks.

"The shrine can run itself when I'm gone, don't worry." Miko giggles as the three venture off to the impact site that nearly killed the traveler and her companion. They get many onlookers as they head over there, gazes that Miko brushes off, but they are otherwise unimpeded from reaching their destination. The damage here is very clear as the cliff that would normally make for an excellent sightseeing spot has been obliterated by the impact and the sandbed below has been greatly disturbed- a large crater has been flooded over by the ocean. That's the least of Miko's worries though as she looks down further. "Wait... Are those..."

"Footprints?" Lumine finishes Miko's thought. Yae immediately brings out her catalyst while Lumine prepares her blade, and the two carefully make their way down, using the crater of water to cushion their fall before reaching the trail of footprints.

"Ugh, not the most desirable way to get down but better than breaking a leg." Miko says as the three begin following. Much to their surprise they don't see the shogun or even the Tenryou commission out on patrol, but they do hear clanking noises, clanking noises that sound an awful lot like the ruin guards that have been found all over Teyvat... The two are prepared to strike, and then suddenly they hear the sounds stop. It's followed by a loud thud, and Paimon slowly floats ahead to scout.

"Guys! I think I found it!" Paimon whisper-yells, beckoning Lumine and Miko to slowly head on over. When the two finally reach the source of the footprints they are at a loss for words at what lays before them- it's a mostly black robot with eyes that are just barely glowing, giving off a faint red light. It has two antenna-like pieces on the sides of it's head and it's body is clad in very human-like clothing that could double as armor: a heavy jacket paired with what appear to be metal-reinforced pants with boots that have a steel toe in them, this robot appears to have been subjected to eons of war before it landed here. Before Miko can think of zapping the robot into submission it's eyes suddenly begin glowing brighter and it slowly sits up.

"Ugh... I don't know how long I've been here..." The robot mumbles in a male voice as it shakes it's head. His mouth glows red whenever he talks, and he takes time to look around. "That was a rough landing... Hm?" It slowly looks up to see Miko, and then it notices Lumine with her sword out. "What the?!" The robot almost immediately springs onto his feet and brings out a large sword that doesn't look like anything that could be forged in Teyvat. "I might not have my light but I can still carve you to bits with my crown splitter!"

"Too complex for a ruin guard... What ARE you?!" Paimon carefully asks, trying not to make the robot angry.

"You don't need to know that. What I need to know, is why you've got your sword ready." The robot retorts, glaring at Lumine. She's all but ready to try and cut the robot down where it stands when suddenly something materializes above the robot's shoulder. It looks like an eight pointed sentry with a single blue eye and it has kanji painted on it's flat sides.

"Hold up, hold up! I don't think they're hostile!" The sentry calls out. "I think they're humans like those in our universe!"

"Are you sure about that Shard?" The robot asks back. "Cause she looks ready to dice me up."

"I'm sure we can settle this peacefully, no need for you to fight!" The sentry, now known as Shard quickly replies.

"Yeah he has a point!" Paimon says trying to help out the sentry. The robot looks at Lumine, then at Miko, then at Paimon, and then back at his sentry Shard, and then he repeats the whole process again before sighing and stowing his blade on his back.

"Sorry about that." The robot replies. "I can get a little ahead of myself sometimes, thought you were hostile humans at first."

"So... Do you have a name?" Lumine asks.

"Call me Taiki-9." The robot known as Taiki replies.

"Wait... Is the nine really a part of your name?" Paimon asks.

"Clearly you're not from this world." Miko muses.

"Yeah... I don't know how I ended up here." Taiki says.

Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Outworldly Stories

Chapter Text

"I can't contact the Vanguard, nor get your jumpship. I can't even get your sparrow." Shard says to Taiki. "Worse we're in a completely different universe than that of the Traveler. You're lightless for the moment being."

"At least this place doesn't seem to be under constant threat of attack." Taiki replies.

"Aside from the local vagabond or hilichurl you shouldn't have too much a problem dealing with them." Miko says. "And what's all of this you're going on about?" She asks, looking at Shard. It's then that Taiki and Shard realize that the three natives have no idea of what their world is like.

"Would you like me to give a brief summary of my life?" Taiki asks. Lumine and Paimon simply nod in response. Yae on the other hand gleams, her eyes basically glowing.

"A story of your past?" Yae asks eagerly. "Do tell!"

"You ask, and I shall deliver." Taiki replies, mimicking a genie and making himself and Miko laugh. "Haah... Where do I start?"

"What are you first, Paimon really wants to know if you're some super advanced ruin machine." Paimon quickly interjects.

"I'll have you know Paimon, Taiki is not some simple machine." Shard quickly retorts. "Taiki is what's called an exo."

"...Exo..." Lumine mumbles. "How advanced is an exo?"

"I have almost all of the needs a human would." Taiki replies. "I have to eat actual food to survive, I have preferences, anything a human would want or need or anything along those lines, I can do the same thing and then some."

"So if Paimon were to feed you a lot of food you would actually feel super full?" Paimon asks.

"In a nutshell yes." Taiki chuckles.

"Then why are you wearing human clothes if you've got this robot body?" Paimon questions some more.

"These are heavily reinforced, saving me my mobility." Taiki replies. "For you see I'm a guardian."

"A guardian... Most interesting..." Lumine says.

"Do go on." Miko adds.

"Guardians are basically the protectors of humanity, chosen by an entity known as The Traveler." Taiki says, and Paimon and Miko immediately look at Lumine. "The Traveler created ghosts, which is what Shard is, and they will revive fallen people or exos in my case to wield the power of the light."

"Is it similar to the godlike visions that are bestowed upon us?" Miko asks. "Here in Teyvat various people are blessed by the gods above with elemental powers. They're contained in little trinkets called visions, and they are the source of our powers." She adds, pointing to her earrings. "We can fashion them in whatever way we please, as long as it is still on our person."

"The Traveler is the one that grants us our light based powers, and they are channeled through our ghost." Taiki replies. "Because we're in a different universe though, we've lost connection to it. Even then ghosts can still heal wounds."

"If I had the light I could even bring him back from the dead." Shard says. "Without the light Taiki is still a powerful warrior, but with the light he becomes nearly unstoppable. Light comes in three different varieties... There's arc, solar and void."

"So... Electro... Pyro... And I don't know the last one." Paimon mumbles.

"It's hard to explain the power of void energy but yes you do have a general grasp on the three varieties." Taiki replies. "I mainly use arc energy but I am capable of using all three, just not all at once."

"And the sword on your back..." Lumine says as she points out the crown splitter on the exo's back.

"Ah, this." Taiki replies as he unsheathes it. "Part of what makes us guardians so deadly is the fact that we can channel the light into our weapons. You people with visions must be able to imbue the elements into your weapons just the same, no?"

"You're actually right." Miko says. "Otherwise they're just plain and ordinary weapons." She adds as Taiki plants his sword into the ground.

"That sword is so big... It's probably twice as big as any claymore we make here!" Paimon says.

"It's not that big honestly." Taiki laughs. "It's really heavy though so I wouldn't try lifting it if I were you."

"Surely you jest!" Miko says as she walks over to the crown splitter and firmly grasps the handle. "The claymores we make here aren't that heavy- even I can at least lift them. Surely yours isn't... As... Bad! What! The! Heck?!" Each pull is accompanied by a strained grunt as Yae utterly fails to even uproot the crown splitter- even with Lumine helping her the two just can't pull it out. "What did you make this sword out of?!"

"Told you so." Taiki chuckles as the two stand off to the side and Taiki proceeds to pull out his blade with one hand before sheathing it on his back. "This thing has slayed gods and common enemies alike, and that's just Monday for me."

"Wait... You've slain gods?!" Lumine asks in shock.

"I guess I'm not the only one." Taiki chuckles. "I'll tell more stories about those later, but for now I think we should get back to society."

"Hopefully the people won't be too scared of you. I couldn't salvage your helmet." Shard says.

"Hopefully. Lead the way." Taiki says to Lumine and Miko.

Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Some First Impression

Chapter Text

The four slowly made their way back to the city of Inazuma, with Taiki lagging behind so he wouldn't rush ahead and alert anyone.

"So this is the city?" Taiki asks. "Looks a lot like the city back in my world."

"What was your city like?" Miko asks back.

"We were basically thriving under the Traveler's aura. It protected us from all of the monsters that were out for us and the light." Taiki replies.

"Not even an entire army here could even think to take on some of the most powerful Fallen." Shard mumbles. "But more on that another day." While the four make their way in though someone from out in the distance seems to notice them- a certain blonde fireworks maker... Taiki can barely hear the whishing noise of an arrow, but he definitely feels it as it strikes him in one of his eyes and he lets out a scream that immediately attracts everyone in the vicinity towards him.

"MY EYE! MY FUCKING EYE!!!" Taiki screams out as he collapses to the ground with an arrow lodged into his ocular socket.

"TAIKI!!!" Shard yells as he floats over. "Hold still! Don't touch the arrow or you might damage your systems more than necessary!"

"GODDAMN THIS HURTS! ARGH!" Taiki continues to holler out as Miko and Lumine quickly rush over to tend to the injured exo.

"Hold still, I'm going to pull it out. Lumine, hold him down if you can." Miko says as Lumine grasps an arm and Paimon holds down another.

"I've never felt anything like this... It feels like it's burning!" Taiki growls out. "Just get it out! Fast!"

"I'm trying!" Miko shouts. "You're flailing too much for me to grab it properly, just calm down!" Finally Yae manages to grab ahold of the arrow and with one powerful yank she cleanly rips it out, leaving Taiki's systems mostly intact for Shard to inspect, but not before Taiki lets out one more pained yell. "There... I got it! Are you okay? Can this guy here repair that?"

"That's what I'm trying to look at for the moment time." Shard says as he looks into Taiki's ocular systems. "Oooh..."

"What's wrong? Why did you say that?" Paimon asks.

"Whatever that arrow did, it's permanently damaged his left eye. He won't be able to see through it at all no matter what I do." Shard replies somberly. "Looks like you're going to need to cover it up."

"Might as well... At least you got it out..." Taiki says. "Thanks, Miko."

"No problem. I think I see our culprit over there." Miko replies as the fireworks girl comes rushing over, bow in one hand and arrow in another.

"Are you okay Lady Yae?" She asks. "I thought a ruin guard was following you so I shot it."

"He is NOT a ruin guard!" Shard shouts at the blonde. "You just blinded him in one eye! Permanently!"

"Wait I DID?!" She asks, looking at Taiki and seeing that his left eye is completely destroyed by the arrow she shot at him. "Oh my god I'm so sorry!"

"Ugh... You better be." Taiki grumbles, his remaining eye glowing brighter than normal. "Now who are you?"

"I'm so sorry." Miko says sheepishly. "This is Yoimiya."

"Um... Hi!" Yoimiya says awkwardly, knowing she's the reason that Taiki is now blind in one eye. "Um... May I get to know your name?"

"Taiki." Taiki replies gruffly. "All you need to know."

"...I'm really sorry!" Yoimiya pleads one last time, but at this point Taiki is already making his way towards the city, with Miko and Lumine following close behind.

"Just give him a little time, he'll warm up to you!" Miko calls out. "Hopefully!"

"I wouldn't count on it. Just be glad she didn't hit me." Shard says to Miko. Unsurprisingly their very first stop is by the local tailor, where Lumine is almost immediately recognized.

"Ah! Traveler! Welcome!" She says. "I see you brought a friend?"

"Ah yes, that would be me." Taiki replies more calmly.

"Well welcome to Ogura Textile and Kimonos! Might you have a specific request?" The owner, now known as Ogura asks.

"Uh yes... You wouldn't happen to make eye patches?" Taiki asks back.

"Eye... Patches...? Oh..." Ogura replies sheepishly, just now noticing the exo's destroyed left eye. "Do you have the mora?"

"I'll cover it for him, he doesn't have any mora." Lumine quickly says, tossing Ogura a small sack of mora.

"All right, I can make that right away. Any preference of color?" Ogura asks Taiki.

"Nothing special." Taiki replies. "But I'll go for red." And with that Ogura gets to work.

"Hm, what is this Mora you speak of?" Shard asks.

"Oh no, don't tell Paimon you don't know what Mora is..." Paimon mumbles.

"I'm not from this world, you doofus." Taiki says. "But I do have glimmer left over... Shard, do you think you could transmute it into this mora they speak of?"

"I'll have to scan it first." Shard replies. "Just a single piece will do."

"Sure thing." Lumine says as she tosses Taiki a coin. Shard only needs a few seconds to scan it before the exo tosses it back to Lumine.

"I can definitely do it bit for bit." Shard says happily.

Chapter 5: Chapter 4: The Vanguard of Inazuma City, Part 1

Chapter Text

It took Shard a few minutes to transmute what glimmer Taiki had into Teyvat's currency but before he knew it he had a good starting supply of mora until he could earn it on a regular basis.

"So is there a vanguard here in the city?" Taiki asks Miko.

"A... Vanguard?" Miko replies, cocking her head to one side.

"You know, a group of people that lead the city?" Taiki elaborates. "Back in my universe our city is basically governed by a group of three guardians who oversee everything that happens in there."

"Oh! Indeed we do in that case." Miko replies. "You're looking at one of them. Here on Narukami Island we do have three significant heads that run almost the whole place and I'm taking you to meet the other two."

"It would be of utmost honor to become acquainted with them." Taiki says as Lumine and Paimon split off to do their own thing. "You not coming along?"

"We know the others very well, I think she'll be able to guide you from here." Lumine replies. "If you ever want to come find us, we'll be out in Ritou!" And with that Lumine dashes off with Paimon floating just behind her.

"She means the entrance to Inazuma itself." Miko says. "Inazuma is mostly islands so most of us have to commune in and out by boat."

"I see." Taiki replies. "I remember one time back in my world we had set up base on a planet that was almost completely water so I can see what you mean from there, only you couldn't even travel by water from there. You'd literally have to fly from one base to another or else whatever was down there would swallow you whole."

"Such a dangerous world you come from..." Miko mumbles as the two stop by the Komore Teahouse where much to Miko's surprise the person she was looking for is out and about. "I think that's her." Taiki notices the odd one out of the bunch- a girl with silver hair and matching color eyes clad in what appears to be a dress reinforced with traditional samurai plates. What really makes Taiki cock his head to one side is her choice of footwear- white tabi and black geta.

"...Are you sure you aren't guardians? What you're wearing seems almost... Impractical." Shard asks. "Even you Yae." He adds, noting how much skin Miko's shrine maiden outfit exposes her. "Unless your visions work like the light does there's not much you'll be able to defend against."

"Oh we have our ways, little light." Miko replies teasingly, and Taiki bursts into laughter.

"I already have enough people calling me that, please don't." Shard mumbles, and the little ruckus attracts the attention of the samurai girl.

"Hi Miko!" The girl calls out. "Who is this?"

"Oh this is Taiki-9." Miko replies. "The traveler and I found him all washed up on the beach, apparently he's from a different universe."

"A different universe..." The girl mumbles. "Like the Traveler herself?"

"Oh far from it, if you couldn't tell from the way I look." Taiki chuckles. "Who may you be?"

"I'm Kamisato Ayaka, but you can just call me Ayaka." The girl, now known as Ayaka, replies. "And who is this little guy floating next to you?"

"I'm a ghost, well his ghost." Shard says. "If it helps I work with him like how Paimon works with the Traveler."

"I see." Ayaka replies, and then she notices the gigantic crown splitter on the exo's back. "Is that sword from your world?"

"Oh this thing?" Taiki asks as he unsheathes the blade once more. "Yeah, it's from my world."

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, don't." Miko replies. "It's too heavy for anyone in Teyvat to try and even lift. Maybe the Fatui could use it if they tried but not for very long."

"Oh... I see." Ayaka says as Taiki sheathes it again. "I take it you're showing him around?"

"Yeah." Taiki replies.

"Then I assume you're off to see the shogun?" Ayaka asks. "Let me accompany you two, I actually have a few matters that I have to discuss with her myself."

"Wait... The shogun... Is a lady?" Taiki asks.

"You'll see." Miko replies as she and Ayaka lead Taiki and Shard off to the Tenshukaku. "Make sure you leave a good first impression on her."

"Of course." Taiki says. "It's what I want to do in a new world like this."

Chapter 6: Chapter 5: The Vanguard of Inazuma City, Part 2

Chapter Text

Taiki and Shard followed close behind Yae and Ayaka, both of them equally interested in meeting this female shogun.

"It's not the first time we've seen a female lead an entire region." Shard says. "But here? Of this time? Seems rather extraordinary." They're immediately stopped by the guards standing in the way.

"Don't mind them you two, that's just the Tenryou Commission." Yae says, looking back at the two. "They're with me."

"I see." One of the more elite guards replies. "Best keep a clean nose around the almighty shogun."

"Understood." Taiki says as they all pass through and slowly head up to the Tenshukaku, where the shogun herself resides.

"Nervous much?" Yae asks as they stand before the doors.

"...How could you tell?" Taiki asks back.

"Your eye is flickering." Miko replies. "Just as long as you don't do anything rash, she won't look down on you." And with that the doors slowly slide open, revealing a large tatami arena and a throne just up ahead. Almost immediately Taiki and Shard begin feeling an overwhelming presence as the person on the throne stands up. She sports long purple braid that matches her eyes, and she's dressed in a kimono that stops just at her thighs. She wears long gloves that expose most of her hands, revealing her elegant violet nails and her kimono has a pauldron on her left shoulder along with other regal decorations. Not unlike the others Shard has seen her long legs are completely exposed, only protected by black thigh high stockings and high heeled sandals, but the exo on the other hand is completely and utterly captivated by her beauty.

"Guuji of the Narukami Shrine." She begins. "...And the Shirasagi Himegimi. Please state your..." She's cut off as she notices Taiki and Shard. "You two, step forward." She immediately says, her scowl not once leaving her face as she slowly points at the exo and the ghost. Not wanting to piss her off any further Taiki and Shard immediately step forward, with the exo going down on one knee. "I thought outlanders were forbidden here."

"Your excellency, he was found washed up on the beach." Miko says. "We have no idea where he came from... He's not even from this world." The shogun takes a few seconds to think. She then looks at Taiki and Shard again but this time there's not as much malice as before in her glare.

"I see." The shogun mumbles. "I have no choice but to make an exception for you two, since we do not know where you came from. Please, state your name."

"I have no real name, but I am referred to as Taiki-9." The exo replies. "If it makes things easier, you may simply refer to me as Taiki."

"You may call me Shard." Shard adds. "I am his traveling companion." He adds, trying to fit in.

"You two remind me of a certain traveler..." The shogun says. "Can I safely assume that you two have no ulterior motives?"

"That is correct." Taiki replies. "If you think otherwise, go ahead and lock us up." The shogun is taken aback for a few seconds before she regains her composure.

"There will be no need for that." The shogun replies. "From here on forth, I shall recognize you as citizens of Inazuma."

"Will we need to go through certifications?" Taiki asks.

"Such a foolish question." The shogun replies. "But I can assume the guuji can assist you, seeing she is the one that found you... You may stand now." And with that Taiki slowly gets back on his feet. "I am most intrigued by you... No matter, if you have no further matters to discuss you may leave, but I doubt this will be the last time we meet."

"Hopefully it's not for the worse." Taiki replies as he slowly turns around, a hand on crown splitter in case she attempts a surprise attack, and he leaves the tenshukaku unharmed with Yae just behind him.

"Are you okay?" Yae asks.

"Yeah, I'm okay, just a little nervewracked that's all." Taiki replies. "She said you would help me integrate?"

"Indeed I shall help you... For a price." Miko says.

"...What's the cost?" Taiki asks.

"If Paimon were here she would be throwing a fit." Shard replies.

"Oh follow me." Miko giggles as she leads Taiki along.

Chapter 7: Chapter 6: The Guuji Files

Chapter Text

"Taiki? What happened to you?" Lumine asks as she and Paimon run into a very exasperated Taiki and Shard.

"Well... First thing's first Shard and I are now official citizens of Inazuma." Taiki replies. "The shogun told us that."

"Then why do you two look like you've seen a ghost?" Paimon asks.

"One word..." Taiki mumbles. "...Miko..." Lumine and Paimon look at one another and cringe.

"...She's something else I'll say that..." Lumine replies sheepishly. "What did she do to you?!"

"Um... Do you want me to go from before she made me a citizen or after?" Taiki asks awkwardly.

"Um... Whatever explains it best." Lumine says.

"Once again, I can't thank you enough for helping us through with that whole matter." Taiki says to Miko as the two find themselves sitting across from one another in the Uyuu restaurant. A half eaten plate of yakisoba sits in front of Taiki while Miko has treated herself to a bowl of Fukuuchi Udon. "So... You mentioned that there was a cost to all of this?"

"Yes, I did." Miko replies.

"I guess I can't blame you... Official stuff like that is rough on the brain." Taiki continues, eating while he does so. "I mean I bought us lunch so... I guess that's a done deal?"

"Say... Where DOES all the food go when you eat it?" Miko asks. "Considering you're an exo and thus don't have any organics..."

"Well, some exos only eat for the fun of it." Shard replies. "Taiki actually has a biofuel system that is replenished by food."

"Uh... Bio what?" Miko asks. "You lost me there."

"Basically it works like a human stomach." Shard clarifies.

"So you're telling me that if you had something like... Flesh-like skin, I wouldn't be able to tell you apart from a normal human?" Miko asks, chopsticks stopped at her lips. "I could put you next to anyone in Teyvat and they wouldn't be able to tell the difference?"

"I'm waterproof for one, I can think for myself..." Taiki replies. "And anything a human can feel, I can feel too."

"Ho?" Miko asks, suddenly gaining an expression that Taiki can't put a finger on. Shard on the other hand begins to realize just what's going on in the guuji's head- if he could sweat he would be sweating bullets. "You can feel anything a human can?"

"Um... To put it simply yes." Taiki replies. "Is that odd?"

"I mean... You're still mechanical." Miko says. "It is kind of odd. What kind of use would that have?"

"Then again we exos were originally built as war machines." Taiki replies. "I guess the whole sensitivity thing is just to make sure we don't get too reckless and lose a limb on the battlefield."

"That's what I was thinking too." Shard says.

"It helped me out before I became a guardian, still helps me to this day." Taiki rambles on.

"I'm just surprised you can freely talk about this knowing you have the workings of what would be an extremely advanced ruin guard." Miko says.

"That's the thing..." Taiki replies. "Sometimes exos can reject their body and destroy themselves. That's what the reboot system was for- forget those memories, keep the ones necessary, go on with your life." He continues on, not even caring that both of them have finished their food and are starting to move on to their drinks.

"I see." Miko says as she takes a sip. "You are certainly the most fascinating person I've ever met. I'm really starting to like you."

"Was wondering why you asked me so many questions." Taiki chuckles.

"Well that and I'm still reaping our agreement." Miko giggles.

"Agreement? Oh you mean from earlier." Taiki says. "I'm surprised you're still going on about that. Are there still some loose ends that you need me to- Uuogh!" Taiki is suddenly cut off as something prods his crotch and he nearly chokes on his drink in the process. Once Taiki regains his bearings he looks at Miko, who's got a shit eating grin on her face, and Taiki slowly looks down to see her sandal resting on his nether regions. "Um... Miko? What are you doing with your foot?" It's then that Miko starts laughing, not so loud that everyone in the restaurant can hear but just loud enough that Taiki and Shard know what she's on about.

"Okay I'll consider all loose ends tied there." Miko guffaws as she pulls her leg back. "Thanks for the meal, I just wanted to do that for your reaction."

"Um... You're... Welcome?" Taiki replies.

"And that's what happened." Taiki finishes, and Lumine gently puts a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry she did that to you." Lumine replies.

"I've had worse honestly." Taiki says. "I have a feeling that's far from the last time we'll talk like that... So many questions all at once." That's when they pass by the Yae Publishing House and none other than the guuji herself is there, speaking with the owner, and she almost immediately notices Taiki.

"Hello there! Enjoying yourself in Inazuma?" Miko asks.

"Um... Yeah." Taiki replies. "I should probably be getting back to my house though, it's getting a little late."

"But it's only three in the afternoon?" Miko giggles. That alone is enough to make the exo and his ghost rush off, completely and utterly flustered. "Ara? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Chapter 8: Chapter 7: All Repped Up

Chapter Text

Taiki and Shard find themselves aimlessly roaming around the city once more, with barely anything to do. Lumine and Paimon have gone off to a different part of Inazuma the two have yet to see, leaving them alone in the city, possibly at the mercy of the guuji should she stop by. This time they've wandered around the police station where someone does notice them.

"Ah, you two." A voice calls out and Taiki slowly turns his head around to the source. She sports a short black bob, menacing yellow eyes and her outfit is a mix of white, yellow and black. Most notably she has a tengu mask on the side of her head and a delicately crafted bow is on her back.

"Hello." Taiki replies. "Out on patrol?"

"Not necessarily." The girl replies. "You may call me Sara. I actually need you two for something." And with that the two slowly walk over.

"You wouldn't perhaps be the head of the Tenryou?" Taiki asks. Sara doesn't say anything but the way she goes on seems to give it away.

"We've got a... Slight problem with enemies wandering too close to the city." Sara replies. "Most if not all of us are too busy in the city to actually go out there and deal with them."

"So... You want us to go out there and kill them for you?" Taiki and Shard ask simultaneously, throwing Sara off guard.

"How did you know that?!" Sara asks back, shocked.

"Oh believe me, where I came from? I was asked to kill monsters on the daily." Taiki replies. "It's nothing new." Unfortunately the three speak way too soon as screams can be heard from a part of the city. "No time to lose!" And with that they rush to the source where Taiki spots a group of people that clearly don't belong there: they're all encased in what appears to be mechanical armor, with some wielding powerful rifles and others using massive hammers, and they're all barking out commands and others to one another in a language that Taiki can't understand. Sara takes aim, drawing back an electrified arrow and firing it at the fat one of the bunch. It explodes with electricity, zapping him silly, but also attracting the rest of the attacking group to them.

"We've got Fatui in the city!" Sara shouts out as the soldiers march forward.

"Let's see you handle THIS!" Taiki shouts as he goes after one of the hammer soldiers and slashes at him with crown splitter. Even without the light the sword does incredible damage as the hammer soldier goes flying, tumbling along the ground much to his comrades' shock.

"What the?! Did he just do that?!" The rifleman shouts.

"I got him!" The barehanded fighter shouts as he rushes over and punches the ground next to the fallen hammerman. A blast of wind quickly rejuvenates the hammerman and the rifleman raises his rifle high into the air, summoning a fiery shield around him.

"What?! More guardians?!" Taiki asks in disbelief.

"They're nothing like the guardians you speak of." Sara replies. "Don't let them get any further into the city!" And with that she moves within melee range, distracting the Fatui by performing a flash step and completely vanishing from everyone's sight for the moment being.

"What the?! Where'd she go?!" The fat one asks.

"Over here!" Sara shouts out, having moved directly behind the Fatui and charged up another arrow. This time she simply aims at the ground next to all of the Fatui, and a lightning bolt suddenly comes crashing down, taking out the barehanded fighter in one strike.

"No!" The rifleman shouts as he leaps back and fires a flurry of blasts that heavily resemble a hunter's golden gun at Sara. She's even faster to dodge while Taiki gets in and starts wailing away at the rifleman. Thanks to his shield though the exo can barely even make a dent.

"What the hell...?!" Taiki growls as he finds that his sword isn't doing anything to the rifleman. Sara quickly notices the struggling exo and the person he's trying to fight and she acts fast, grabbing a bucket of water from a passerby and splashing it all over the rifleman, extinguishing the shield. Much to Taiki's surprise he hears popping and sparking noises as the rifleman collapses onto one knee, unable to get up on his own, and he takes that opportunity to leap into the air and deliver a deadly downward slash. This time the exo puts so much force into the strike that he manages to cleave the rifleman in half, frightening the Fatui that are still able to fight.

"This guy's insane! WHAT IS HE?!" The fat one screams out.

"Your worst nightmare that's what!" Taiki yells out and before the fat Fatui can deploy his shield he's met with a series of unrelenting slashes that begin cutting deep into his chubby skin before finally Taiki performs another jumping slam, cutting the fatty in half like he did with the rifleman. With only the hammerman left Sara decides to end the battle quickly as her wings spread and she calls down a lightning storm that zaps the hammerman to ashes, and before the two know it the Fatui presence has been quelled for the moment being. "I think that's a job well done." He chuckles as he cleans off his blade.

"You're much more fierce than I thought." Sara says as she walks over to Taiki and shakes his hand. "We may call upon you every now and then to help."

"Hey, I'll always be in the city. If any monsters are around, just give me a call." Taiki replies. "Wanna go out and get lunch? I'd like to get to know you better."

"I guess I wouldn't mind." Sara says.

 

Chapter 9: Chapter 8: A Seat In The Council?!

Chapter Text

Almost everyone had seen Taiki's prowess the day he and Sara utterly obliterated the Fatui that were at their very doorstep- the shogun included. One day Taiki finds himself lounging in his new abode- a relatively inconspicuous house located in the city and only a few blocks away from the tenshukaku itself, and Shard slowly floats over to the door, having heard knocking sounds.

"Is the owner of this house here? Taiki?" The voice on the other side asks.

"Sounds like a commission member..." Shard mumbles. "Um, yes we're home! Would you like to come in?"

"No need, I only need to deliver a letter, a summons more specifically." The voice replies. "If you must know I am from the Tenryou Commission." And with that a letter is slid under the door and footsteps can be heard walking away.

"A summons they said?" Taiki mumbles as he walks over and picks up the letter himself. "Only been here for at most a month and I'm already getting called to see her excellency herself?"

"Well to be fair even a week is more than ample time to adjust. Maybe they just noticed your skills." Shard replies as the exo opens the letter and reads it over.

A letter to the mechanical being known as Taiki-9... Or his traveling companion known as Shard...

As you may be aware, everyone has bared witness to your fighting prowess, myself included. You show unprecedented strength and ability, admittedly such is beyond anything I've ever seen. I believe you may be able to become a great boon to Inazuma as a whole.

I formally request that you make your way to the tenshukaku in the following hours of receiving this letter. I have a request for you but should you decide to turn it down, worry not, it is only a suggestion. I hope to see you there.

Best regards from her excellency,

-The Raiden Shogun

"So that is her official title..." Taiki says as he slowly leaves his house, crown splitter on his back. Shard follows not too far behind as they make their way to the entrance to the shogun's estate and unsurprisingly the guards initially bar entrance.

"Do you have a permit?" The head guard asks.

"I have received a summons from the shogun herself. If you need to verify it I have the letter on me." Taiki replies as he produces the letter and hands it to the head guard. He only scrutinizes it for a second before looking at the exo with a more docile expression.

"Most interesting. You may enter." The head guard says as they clear the way for the exo and his ghost. With Lumine and Paimon still away from the city Taiki and Shard feel almost lonely as they head up the long flight of stairs to the tenshukaku, and with one nod the doors slowly slide open to reveal the shogun herself, sitting on her throne. This time Sara is standing off to the side, shooting Taiki a brief smile.

"You've arrived much sooner than I anticipated." The Raiden Shogun says. "Sara, if you may?"

"I shall." Sara says as she steps forward. "The shogun herself has seen your skill in battle, as she has stated in her letter to you."

"And she wishes to make use of it I assume?" Taiki asks.

"Taiki, are you sure we should be agreeing on something like this so-" Shard gets cut off as Taiki flicks him and he dematerializes to let the exo do all the talking.

"Forgive me." Taiki replies.

"Worry not." The shogun says. "Please continue."

"Yes, she does wish to see you become a member of the Tenryou Commission." Sara continues on to Taiki. "There will be no repercussions if wish not to join, worry not. We just see potential."

"The offer is very promising..." Taiki mumbles. "But I'm afraid I have to turn that down. I can't find myself working uniform in line, I am better as a solitary unit."

"I see." Sara replies. "I take it as a no?"

"Unless you are willing to hear out my proposition?" Taiki asks. Sara is surprised but she maintains her composure, and the shogun cocks her head to one side.

"I'm intrigued. Do go on." The shogun replies.

"While I may not be serving the commission I am more than willing to become Inazuma's personal bounty hunter." Taiki says. "I'm willing to take direct requests from you and your associates, no questions asked."

"Bounty... Hunter...?" The shogun has to take a few seconds to understand what Taiki means.

"I think he means he'll become your mercenary." Sara says.

"Along those lines yes." Taiki replies.

"A most interesting proposition..." The shogun says. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife for a few minutes as Taiki goes down on one knee while she thinks. Finally when she has made up her mind she looks at Taiki, who is still bowed down. "Please, no need to bow your head." And with that Taiki stands up. "I have taken some time to think... I accept this offer you have made."

"You will not be officially recognized as a member of any commissions or the Shogunate's army to keep your profile low but a Tenryou Commision member will come to visit you should the shogun or I have any requests for you." Sara adds. "Allow me to request something that will help you stand out as a mercenary should the need arise." And with that she slowly walks over to Taiki with a small box in her hands. The exo slowly opens it, revealing a pauldron and what appears to be a trinket for the eye patch that has become a part of his appearance. The pauldron has an electro mitsudomoe design etched onto it while the trinket is designed in that way by default.

"Thank you. I shall not fail you in my duties." Taiki replies as he attaches the items.

"Do stay though, I wish to test your skills fully." Sara says.

"Surely you mean by a duel?" Taiki asks.

"Not before the throne. I would rather see it as sparring." Sara chuckles. "Prepare your blade."

"I guess we do have the space for it." Taiki chuckles back.

"Do go on, we need to see the full extent of your skills." The shogun says.

Chapter 10: Chapter 9: Witness to Glory

Chapter Text

"And here I only saw you as a mere archer." Taiki chuckles as he prepares crown splitter while the shogun tosses Sara a sword.

"Oh you'll be surprised, I wouldn't be where I am without my skills." Sara chuckles back. The shogun looks at both of them, but she's trained her gaze on Taiki specifically, noting his unique fighting style.

"If one of us draws blood, we stand down." Taiki says, setting the boundaries. "We need not shed any for this is just a sparring match."

"Agreed. Now come!" Sara shouts as the two ready their blades and prepare to make their first move. Both combatants begin circling one another, with Taiki not once drawing back for a strike. "That large blade of his was able to cleave Fatui clean in half... I best be careful about his overheads..." She mumbles in her head as she attempts to create a chink in his defenses and goes for a quick slash. The exo almost immediately lowers his blade to block, and he anticipates the second, much higher slash by rolling out of harm's way. "What?!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that." Taiki replies as he comes out of his roll and almost immediately follows up with a wide slash that Sara just barely dodges. In order to avoid the match spilling out of the large arena the shogun quickly puts up an electro barrier that harmlessly zaps the combatants back in, but the battle continues on just as fiercely as before with neither side letting the other gain the upper hand. "HAAAH!" Taiki screams as he leaps and performs an overhead slash, nearly smashing the ground with the resulting impact. Sara then attempts to take advantage, charging forth while he's vulnerable, but once again Taiki rolls out of the way, swinging his blade during the roll in an unprecedented surprise attack.

"How is he able to manipulate such a gargantuan blade with such ease?!" Sara asks in her head as she still can't break through Taiki's stone defenses, while the exo has been slowly but surely wearing away at her own. Finally Taiki goes borderline berserk as he begins relentlessly swinging at Sara, much to the shogun's shock.

"Try to keep up!" Taiki shouts as Sara does her best to hold out against the all out assault. Clang after clang after clang can be heard as their blades meet, with Taiki putting out an insane amount of force into his blade. After what seems like five minutes of nonstop attacking Taiki goes for one final overhead slash. At this point Sara is barely able to hold out as she raises her blade in defense and Taiki's blade misses her body. The resulting clash completely destroys the sword Sara is using though, and as soon as the last bits and pieces of the broken blade hit the ground, Taiki sheathes his own.

"Oh my archons... My sword..." Sara says in disbelief as she looks at what's left of her shattered blade. "I don't believe it..." And just like that the electro barrier goes down, allowing the shogun to step off her throne and examine the ruined sword.

"Impossible..." The shogun says as she carefully picks up one of the pieces. "Your power is something else."

"...Was that too much?" Taiki asks.

"No, not at all. I expected you to give it your all." Sara replies. "I just never expected it to be like this."

"This is proof enough of your skills." The shogun says. "I for one am quite amazed."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back home." Taiki replies. "If you need me, don't hesitate to ask." And with that the exo walks off, leaving the shogun and her associate bewildered. Eventually Yae Miko walks in, barely avoiding the shards of what used to be Sara's sword.

"...What happened here?!" Miko asks. "And what is this?"

"I had a duel with Taiki." Sara replies bluntly.

"And this was the result? Was this YOUR sword?!" Miko asks again.

"Yes." Sara replies again, just as bluntly as before.

"I don't believe it..." Miko mumbles as she looks at the damage. "Did he come here of his own will?"

"I summoned him here." The shogun replies. "He is now our mercenary."

"I see..." Miko says. "And he had to prove himself?"

"He didn't have to prove himself necessarily, he just agreed to spar with me." Sara replies.

Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Gray Clouds Over Heaven

Chapter Text

Another few weeks had passed and Lumine and Paimon still have not returned from their trip outside Inazuma. The only evidence that they were still even alive was a letter that was sent to them by one of Ayaka's commission members.

"So... How long do you think they'll be on Watatsumi Island?" Shard asks. "They've been there for a while."

"Probably for as long as we'll be in the city no doubt." Taiki replies as he looks at the photo that was included in the letter. It's of the traveler and her companion, and a girl that they have not seen before. She sports long blonde hair, styled in a unique ponytail, she has a headdress with two blue horns sticking out, and her outfit almost resembles that of a mermaid if she became a landfarer: her dress resembles a mermaid dress from the top down but where a tail should be she wears white thigh highs and intricately designed geta.

"Who is that person?" Shard asks.

"I have no idea." Taiki replies. "She must be the commander of Watatsumi." He mumbles as the two head outside and run into a member of the Tenryou Commission.

"Oh, you got a letter from that traveler girl?" The member asks as he looks at it himself. "Ah, she's with Sangonomiya Kokomi."

"Sango...Nom... Agh that's a mouthful, I think I'll just call her Kokomi." Taiki replies. "How come she's all the way out there and not near the city?"

"She and her excellency clash a lot. She actually leads a group of rebels that used to cause us a great amount of discomfort and pain before you got thrown into this world." The member explains. "With the warring mostly over though they're just like any other people."

"So... Is she the enemy?" Taiki asks.

"No, not necessarily." The member replies. "But she's just not someone the shogun gets along with." Suddenly a bolt of lightning strikes out of nowhere, hitting the exo dead on. Taiki jumps into the air, completely engulfed in lightning for a few seconds before he hits the ground, and Shard quickly moves in, restoring his functions and basically rebooting him. "Are you okay?!"

"Agh... What the hell?" Taiki mumbles. "What hit me?!"

"A bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and just flat out struck you!" The member says worriedly. "Are you sure you can still function after a hit like that?!"

"I've been shot by lasers, been in the range of an electric bomb, had my arm cut off by a sword, had my leg cut off by a different sword, been ganged up on by a nigh endless swarm of baddies, I've been through a lot. What's a chance lightning strike going to do to me?" Taiki rambles on.

"You didn't do something to irritate her, did you?" The member asks. "The storms around Inazuma are tied to the shogun and her mood. If the storms get worse, it means she's in a bad mood."

"I don't believe I've done anything to make the shogun angry." Taiki replies. "But it does concern me. Is there a way for me to visit the shogun? Outside of my role?"

"Outside of your role?" The member asks. "Unfortunately that's not possible. Unless you have an official summons or something along those lines, you can't just waltz into the Tenshukaku- not without your life."

"I understand." Taiki replies. "I think I'm going to go see the guuji and see what she has to say."

"Sure." The member says. "Stay safe out there." And with that Taiki and Shard make their way out to the Grand Narukami Shrine where Miko is seen waiting around. She's a little preoccupied by visitors, but as soon as she notices the exo and the ghost waiting for her she quickly finishes up any other conversations the visitors might have before beckoning them over.

"Why, if it isn't our mechanical mercenary!" Miko giggles.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Taiki quickly replies. "I don't think the shogun wants you ousting me as her personal war beast just yet."

"Speaking of the shogun..." Shard mumbles. "She seems to be in a pretty foul mood today. Just a few minutes ago Taiki got struck by a wild bolt of lightning."

"Maybe it's because you're mechanical? Metal is more conductive after all." Miko replies.

"I don't believe exos were made to be walking lightning rods." Shard grumbles.

"Come on Shard, don't beat around the bush." Taiki says.

"Anyways we wanted to come to you and see if there was a way to pay a personal visit to the shogun's residence- outside of mercenary duty." Shard asks.

"You're worried about the shogun?" Miko asks, and then she giggles. "I think she would be flattered if you came to check on her... Here, take this pass. Tell the guards at the Tenshukaku that the "Magnificent Lady Yae, Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine" sent you."

"Again, a mouthful to say!" Taiki chuckles as Miko hands over a pass.

"Don't worry, I'll at least remember it." Shard says as the two make their way off to the Tenshukaku, all the while Miko can't help but laugh to herself.

Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Euthymian Throne World, Part 1

Chapter Text

"I'm not sure if I want to know what Yae wrote on that permit." Taiki mumbles to Shard as the two make their way up to the shogun's estate. The guards were giving him an odd look as they cleared the way for him, some snickering to themselves and others looking in what appeared to be jealousy.

"...You don't want to know." Shard replies sheepishly as the two slowly open the doors to the shogun's residence. There they see her excellency, pacing around the arena rapidly, and she quickly notices that Taiki has entered.

"Mercenary... What is your business here?" The shogun asks.

"We wished to ensure you were in good health." Taiki replies.

"This is authentic." The guards at the Tenshukaku mumble. "But look at what's written on here... It almost looks like the guuji personally prepared this one specifically for him."

"May I read it?" A lesser guard asks.

"Sure, go ahead." One of the senior guards replies as the lesser one gets the letter.

-Guuji's permit

This permit is being specifically granted to the mysterious exo known as Taiki-9.

We are very well aware of the discord happening in the Tenryou Commission and how much of a toll it has taken on the shogun's mental health. She must be completely nervewracked and buried in work by now, so I've sent her little pet to come check up on her and make sure she hasn't worked herself to the point of illness. This anecdote was requested by Taiki himself.

-Guuji Yae

"Wait what?! Did I really request that?!" Taiki asks, but the guards have already cleared the way for him. "Oh well."

"You... Wished to check on my health?" The shogun asks. "Such a foolish request."

"Whoa... Something must have seriously pissed her off." Taiki mumbles to Shard.

"Request denied, I cannot perform..." The shogun growls to herself.

"Wait... What?" Taiki asks. "That sounds like something only a mechanical being should say..."

"Please do not make any further requests." The shogun replies. "I am currently incapable of dealing with any and all business manners whatsoever."

"We are worried about your health. You hit me with a bolt of lightning." Taiki pleads.

"I... Request forbidden." The shogun growls again. "Please... Don't make me talk any more than necessary."

"Are you telling me that exos have existed long before Bray?" Taiki mumbles to himself.

"Oh hello there!" A more jovial voice calls out from out of nowhere. "You wouldn't happen to be the mercenary the shogun recruited, would you?"

"Um... Yes I am the mercenary she recruited." Taiki replies to the air in front of him. "Um... Who are you?"

"It's... Going to take a while to explain. Allow me to bring you two to me." The voice says. "Um... Be careful though, try not to get sick." And with that a portal suddenly warps Taiki and Shard out of Inazuma all together. When Taiki and Shard finally recollect their bearings they find themselves in a strange world that they have not seen before- the ground appears to be gravel, stone pillars can be seen scattered all around, and the air is a mystic cyan.

"...Have we been transported to a throne world?" Taiki mumbles, but the owner quickly makes her presence known as a finger gently taps Taiki on the shoulder from behind. He's about to bring out his sword when he realizes it's just the shogun... Wait the shogun? "How did you get in here?" Even more confusing to the exo is that the shogun is actually smiling as opposed to her stone-faced expression back in the tenshukaku. "Wait wait wait what's going on here? How did you transport yourself here? Who are you and what have you done with her excellency?" The shogun suddenly begins laughing, hard, and Taiki can only stand there completely dumbfounded as he tries to make sense of the situation before him.

"Oh this is definitely going to be a while. I wish it were Lumine and Paimon that visited, but I'll try to explain to the best of my ability." The "shogun" replies. "For starters, you may call me Ei. This is my real name, and this... Is the plane of Euthymia, basically my home. Allow me to grab a table and some chairs, I have just as many questions for you, as you probably do for me."

Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Euthymian Throne World, Part 2

Chapter Text

Almost as if by magic Ei simply closes her eyes and waves her hands, and before Taiki and Shard know it a stone table and some rather comfy looking chairs have materialized out of thin air. The two quickly find a seat, with Ei pulling out a small bag that has a sweet aroma coming off of it.

"Whats in there?" Taiki asks.

"It's a gift from Miko." Ei replies.

"Wait Miko?" Taiki asks. "You mean the guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine?"

"That's my familiar." Ei replies. "And one of my closest friends."

"So that's how she got us in so easily..." Shard mumbles as Ei opens the bag and fishes her hand inside, pulling out a stack of no less than ten tri-color dango.

"Would you care for some?" Ei asks.

"I guess I'll take half." Taiki replies, and Ei happily splits it with him.

"So... I guess for starters... The shogun in the tenshukaku and you... Are you the same person?" Shard asks.

"The shogun in the tenshukaku is actually not me at all, but a puppet." Ei replies. "I built her to rule over Inazuma, enforcing the idea of eternity while I retreated back to my home in here. I had... A lot going on and I locked myself here for probably the better half of a millennium."

"So you had no idea of what was going on in Inazuma?" Taiki asks.

"Well, yes... Until the traveler and her companion happened upon Inazuma and found me, I had no idea." Ei explains. "To my knowledge the Fatui had been sowing chaos in Inazuma as a whole and had even managed to trick the puppet into their hands for a brief moment... Not to mention they corrupted the Tenryou Commission to the point I don't even know if you can trust them, Sara is the only one you can trust out of the commission at the moment."

"The fatui... Are they those futuristic looking guys with guns?" Taiki asks. "I'm not from this world."

"Yes, that would be them." Ei replies. "Speaking of your origins... What ARE you? Are you a robot? Some extremely advanced ruin guard?"

"I've been getting that a lot." Taiki mumbles. "And no, I'm not. I'm what's called an exo. I'm a robot that can do almost everything a human can."

"Even have a sense of wearing clothing?" Ei asks, looking at Taiki's attire- fit for a human more than anything else, and the little pieces of armor that show his mercenary status. "This world you come from is really something else."

"I can even get hungry and need to eat." Taiki replies as he pops one of the dango balls into his mouth. "Mmm... This is so sweet, I've never had anything like it."

"I never thought I'd see a day where a robot would actually get hungry." Ei giggles.

"Anything the shogun may need, I may need as well." Taiki chuckles. "I have a biofuel system, basically a stomach if you will, that powers everything in my body."

"You know... Miko was talking about you before you came here." Ei mumbles. "She mentioned that you were... What did you call yourself... A "guardian" of some sorts?"

"Ah yes that." Taiki says. "I think I'll let Shard here do the explaining. Oh and please, try not to confuse her."

"I'll try..." Shard mumbles. "Anyways, I am what's called a ghost. I am a sentry if you will that is built for one purpose- to revive a fallen warrior and bless them with the power of the light. Think of it like your visions. Basically as long as Taiki has the light he is able to command the elements and even cheat death- I am more than capable of healing his wounds if he suffers any, even without the light."

"So... He can't die?" Ei asks.

"We lost our connection to the light though." Shard replies. "I can still heal him but if he does take a fatal hit I am not able to revive him. If you mean outside of battle, then yes he is basically immortal as long as I am around. I think your shogun would begin to develop actual emotions before he kicked the bucket."

"Come on." Taiki grumbles, smacking Shard. "Don't do that."

"My apologies." Shard replies.

"Even without the light I am still a very fierce warrior, if this sword on my back says anything." Taiki continues on. "But I wouldn't dare doubt your skills."

"You would be right to assume that." Ei replies. "I am very adept with a polearm, and not a single person has ever been able to survive my blade... Well... It was like that until the traveler came around and I realized I still needed to hone it." She mumbles, distracting herself by pulling off the last ball of dango on the stick with her mouth.

"And I assume the shogun shares the same abilities as you?" Taiki asks and Ei only nods in response, still chewing. Once Ei has tossed the stick aside the exo continues. "So... The storms around Inazuma have been getting worse, and people are afraid it's because the shogun is angry."

"Wait they're getting worse?" Ei asks in surprise. "The only reason the shogun isn't able to do anything at the moment is because I've disabled some of her functions. After that whole Fatui incident I need to make sure something like that doesn't happen again, and that means keeping the shogun cooped up in the tenshukaku."

"I'd like to think it is a byproduct of those restrictions you've imposed onto the shogun." Shard replies. "Despite everything else the shogun is still a sentient being with it's own thought complex. It's not unlike a robot gaining sentience and suddenly turning on it's creator."

"Fortunately I have a strict set of rules on the shogun to prevent such a thing from happening, but I still need some time." Ei says.

"But we need to find a way to help ease the peoples' worries." Taiki replies. "Perhaps if they see you out and about, they'll be relieved that the shogun isn't actually sick."

"You suggest we go out into the city for a while?" Ei asks and the exo nods in response.

"Plus, it'll help you clear your mind for a bit." Shard says. "I know it would make a lot more sense if it were the traveler and her companion but both of them are out of state."

"Oh no I certainly don't mind if it's you two accompanying me. Besides, we can still get to know each other better from there." Ei replies. "I'll teleport us jut outside of the tenshukaku so the shogun doesn't have to be seen. It'll be an experience for the both of us."

"I'm glad you see it that way." Taiki chuckles as Ei teleports them out of the plane of Euthymia and back to Inazuma.

Chapter 14: Chapter 13: The Queen and Her Dog

Chapter Text

"Ugh... I don't think I like being teleported in that manner..." Taiki mumbles as he and Ei find themselves on the grassy land just next to the entrance to the tenshukaku.

"Are you okay?" Ei asks.

"Yeah I'm fine, give me a second to recalibrate myself." Taiki mumbles. "Doesn't help that I only have one eye to do that with." It only takes the exo a minute but he manages to stand upright without falling over to one side and with that the two slowly begin walking into the city of Inazuma.

"This place really has changed since the last time I was here." Ei says.

"It certainly looks beautiful, doesn't it?" Taiki asks. "I've never been to such a place like this myself, a lot of firsts for me." That's when the two begin to notice that the people of Inazuma are even more worried now that the shogun herself has made her presence known. "Hmm... Seems like being inside all the time really has got people all worked up, it's almost as if they're trying their hardest not to screw up in front of you."

"I was expecting Inazuma to be a little more lively than this." Ei mumbles.

"Then again, we might just not be interacting enough for them to actually do something." Shard says. "If we chat with the people maybe they'll loosen up a little bit. I don't know about you but judging from the incident with the Fatui the people might actually be outright scared of you. Coupled with the fact that everyone assumes you're sick, it's going to be a whole rollercoaster of emotions for these people."

"I see... Being out with the mercenary doesn't seem to help matters either hm?" Ei muses, looking at Taiki's appearance and how intimidating he must be.

"Um... Should I remove these little trinkets?" Taiki asks.

"No, do keep them on." Ei replies. "I would say try not to look so imposing, but then again... Here I am strolling down the city with not a single care in the world."

"You do have a point there." Taiki chuckles, and it's not long before the both of them burst out into laughter, something that the people notice. Many look confused as to what they're talking about while others find that they're not out for blood and slowly begin to loosen up. That's when the two see a local food stall- but barely anyone is going to it. "What do you say we pay a visit?"

"Let's." Ei replies as Taiki walks ahead to greet the stall manager.

"The almighty shogun... And her mercenary... Here?! What did I do wrong?!" The manager suddenly shouts.

"Don't worry." Taiki replies calmly. "We're not here to look for anyone. We just thought to relax a little bit."

"What are you selling here? I smell something sweet." Ei asks.

"I've got a random selection of foods really. I've got takoyaki, dango, milk, you get the idea." The manager replies, his voice still somewhat shaky with two extremely imposing figures seemingly looming over him.

"Wait... Milk? That's just a common beverage, isn't it?" Shard asks. "It's not very hard to get ahold of milk."

"Well that's where my milk is different." The manager replies. "I recently created something called dango milk."

"Dango... Milk? Two words that I just can't see following one another." Ei mumbles. "How did this idea come up?"

"Gaah! I'm sorry almighty shogun! I'm no enemy to eternity!" The manager suddenly pleads, taking Ei by surprise.

"Why so tense?" Ei asks. "You seriously think that dango and milk stand in the way of eternity?" Once the manager realizes that the shogun is truly here just to relax he finally loosens up, letting out a deep sigh.

"That seemed to do the trick." Shard muses.

"Well the idea of dango milk came around when a friend made too much dango and gave the rest he couldn't sell to me." The manager goes on at a much more casual pace. "Only problem was he gave me too much, and you know how long dango lasts. Same goes for milk, so I thought why not combine the two to make a good drink? And that's how dango milk came to be."

"Most interesting... Can we give it a try?" Ei asks.

"Wait... We? You mean he can eat stuff too?" The manager asks back, looking at Taiki.

"Just go with it." Shard mumbles as the manager produces two bottles of dango milk for them, the tops delicately wrapped with cloth.

"Well, bottoms up I guess." Taiki says as he and Ei open up the bottles and slowly drink. "Hmm..." He mumbles as he takes a few sips, noticing how sweet the drink is, and how the bits and pieces of dango mixed into the drink give it a texture that he wasn't expecting, along with extra sweetness. Ei on the other hand has managed to go through the entire bottle and her eyes are basically glimmering.

"It's not unlike eating a dessert... This is amazing." Ei says to the manager.

"I'm glad you approve of it!" The manager replies as Taiki finishes off his bottle, shaking out whatever pieces of dango were left into his mouth.

"I'm surprised that this didn't take off sooner." Taiki says. "Not bad."

"Well... That's the problem."  The manager replies. "It's such a strange combination that people don't want to try it."

"Hmmm..." Ei muses. "How about this? How about I have the Yashiro Commission order a few hundred cups and go door to door delivering them?"

"Wait what?! Oh almighty shogun this is too much!" The manager says.

"I would hate for people to miss out on this beautiful concoction that is dango milk though." Ei replies. Taiki chuckles under his breath, having found one of the shogun's greater weaknesses.

"Are you sure you don't want another bottle?" Taiki asks. "I have a lot of mora from previous bounties."

"Oh I would lo- *Ahem!* I mean... No, it's okay, I think I'm indulging myself too much." Ei quickly cuts herself off and Taiki chuckles even more, having confirmed this great weakness of hers as he secretly orders another bottle.

Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Common Goals, Common Interests

Chapter Text

By the time Ei realized that Taiki had slipped the bottle of dango milk he secretly ordered into her hands, she couldn't help but blush at the gesture.

"I'm flattered." Ei giggles as the two stop by the Yae Publishing House. "So this is the place that Miko keeps bragging about?"

"I do read every now and then, but I haven't done that as of lately." Taiki replies. "It'll be a pleasure to stop by." Unfortunately, just like the food stall manager the owner of the store freaks out upon seeing the almighty shogun and her mercenary stop by.

"Um... Almighty shogun!" The owner says in a shaky voice. "You... You have instructions for us?!"

"No... I just wanted to step outside and relax a little bit." Ei replies. "I haven't read a good book in a while... May we see what you have?"

"The shogun and her mercenary... Are looking to read light novels?" The owner asks, confused.

"Um... Yes." Taiki replies.

"I was certainly not anticipating this." The owner says. "Most of the novels here are directed more towards the general public, such we never expected the almighty shogun herself to indulge. If you want a good start, you can check out that section over there. This contains winners from the "This Novel is Amazing!" competition we hosted a few weeks ago, so they're more likely to appeal to anyone than anything else."

"Well, might as well pick one then." Taiki says as he and Ei stride over to that section. Both of them find themselves staring at a rather strange edition though, one that leaves Ei and Taiki completely dumbfounded. "I'm sorry... What?"

"Shogun Almighty: Reborn as Raiden With Unlimited Power..." Ei can't even begin to form words as she and Taiki continue to stare at the strange novel. "I... I don't understand this."

"Me either... Wanna give it a read?" Taiki asks, and Ei only nods in response as the two walk up to the owner, with Taiki handing over some mora for the books. That's when the owner looks at what they bought and he suddenly starts sweating.

"Ah... That one... I see..." The owner says, going all shaky-voiced again. "Um... Thanks for your support!" And with that the two walk out to a grassy plain just outside of the city to read the book in privacy.

"Just hand them the money when they arrive. After that I really need to think about how to earn some Mora, or I'll only have seagrass on the dinner table in the future." Taiki reads out as he scrutinizes the novel with Ei. "What? This is what all light novels are like?"

"The very title itself bears weight... Ah yes, I got reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun." Ei reads out. "Huh?! So suddenly!"

"I know Ei, I'm just as confused as you are." Taiki replies, but eventually the two come to a part that has them both in conniptions.

"Wait a moment... How do I unleash Musou No Hitotachi?" The two read out simultaneously. It initially starts with Taiki snickering, followed by Ei snickering, which then results in the both of them losing composure and laughing their heads off.

"I'm sorry, I just got a weird image in my head!" Ei says between laughs. Finally when the two manage to recover they lean on one another. "Gosh this light novel really is something else."

"I know, a far cry from anything I've ever read!" Taiki chuckles.

"Inazuma really has changed since the last time I dropped by." Ei says.

"You tell me, everything about my life has changed since I quite literally fell here." Taiki replies.

"Yes indeed." Ei says. "The food... The entertainment, it's vastly different from what I remember." Ei says. "You see... My idea of eternity... What the shogun imposes..."

"What is your idea of eternity?" Taiki asks. "Or rather what was it? You seem to be on the edge with this belief."

"Devoiding change..." Ei mumbles. "The shogun's, and in sequence my eternity for the nation, was a lack of change, a dynasty frozen in time. Yet the food and the entertainment has changed either way."

"From what I know... It is human nature to seek change. Even I as an exo do that." Taiki replies.

"And had I met you just a few months ago, if I was still in the plane of Euthymia, I would have said I don't believe you. The evidence is right here in front of me to prove me otherwise." Ei says. "This time we've spent out in the city has helped me out in more ways than one."

"To stop change is to stop human ambition... Which can topple even the strongest of empires." Shard says.

"You're right... Thanks for inviting me out." Ei replies.

 

Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Memories of The Heart

Chapter Text

"Hm... Our little hangout is slowly starting to come to an end... I've run out of stuff to do." Taiki says. "But the memories we've made here will be cherished."

"I can't help but agree." Ei replies as the two find themselves at the steps just before the gates leading to the tenshukaku.

"What do you say we take a photo?" Taiki asks.

"Take... A photo?" Ei asks, cocking her head to one side. "I'm confused."

"I don't think she understands that." Shard replies.

"Ah..." Taiki mumbles. "Maybe we should-" The exo cuts himself off as he notices an Inazuman citizen walking by with what appears to be heavy camera equipment.

"The almighty shogun?! Out in the city?!" The photographer asks in shock.

"We're just hanging out." Taiki replies. "I was just about to ask if you could take a photo of us since I don't have a camera at the moment.

"I do believe it's called a kamera. It's with a "K"." The photographer replies in a matter-of-fact tone. "Aside from that it would be an honor!"

"So... What do you do to take a photo?" Ei asks, looking at Taiki like a lost puppy.

"Basically a photo is a visual record of you in a certain moment of time." Taiki explains. "The kamera preserves this visual record in a photo. It'll look better if you strike a pose."

"Strike a pose?"" Ei asks.

"Allow me to help." Taiki chuckles as the photographer finishes setting up the heavy kamera, and he helps Ei get camera-ready.

"Are you two ready?" The photographer asks as Shard floats just behind the two.

"Just about." Taiki replies, gently helping Ei get into a good pose before finally slinging his arm around her. The shogun is taken by surprise at the sudden movement but she giggles and does the same to the exo. "Also be careful, the kamera might let out a bright flash when it takes the photo." With everything set the heavy kamera goes off twice and the pictures slowly emerge from the bottom. Ei and Taiki look at the picture they were given with satisfaction and the photographer happily walks off with the other one.

"So... This is me?" Ei asks. "Another copy of me? She can't move or talk though... Actually she can't do much of anything... At least the pose looks natural."

"Well as we mentioned before a photo is a visual record of something at a certain point in time." Taiki replies as Shard produces a picture of the exo back when he was in the Cosmodrome. In this one Taiki is clad in war torn armor with a hand cannon on his side, and Shard floats over the body of a dead enemy. "That's still me, but I'm not the same person as I was back in this photo, I've changed."

"If you think about it, your existence and your puppet shogun's existence are completely separate from one another." Shard adds. "This photo keeps the same background, the same us, we still exist... This photo just shows us existing at that point in time." Ei is still heavily focused on the photo of Taiki, how the background before her is a nigh desolate wasteland that could only keep the hardiest of the hardy alive.

"So this is the world you come from..." Ei says as she looks at the picture closely. "It looks... Terrifying. I doubt I would survive, not even with the musou no hitotachi..."

"I almost died many times... Permanently mind you." Taiki replies. "But that aside, we all change, even you. One day you'll look back at this photo and you'll say to yourself "wow, I've changed from this photo." because I've done that myself."

"So even in my own pursuit of eternity... I myself am changing..." Ei says. "Why should I force my people to remain unchanging?" She then sighs. "I'm sorry you had to see this ignorant side of me."

"It's okay. Lumine and Miko told us what you had did before." Taiki replies, remembering how clear their memories were of the vision hunt decree, how the statue of the omnipresent god used to be covered in confiscated visions, how people suffered before...

"If I really was reaching for eternity, I never would have done that..." Ei mumbles. "Perhaps I've been clinging on to everything too tightly..."

"Have you figured out your puppet's recalibrations?" Taiki asks.

"I do believe I have." Ei replies. "Once more, thank you for inviting me out."

"Any time." Taiki says. "I assume you're one that looks back to the past a lot?" Ei is silent for a few seconds. "Oh... Um... I'm... I'm terribly sorry if I struck a nerve..."

"No, you didn't." Ei replies. "It's just that... My past still haunts me to this day."

"You're not the only one." Taiki says. "I've been through a lot as well... Maybe when the time is right, I can look back at mine for you... That is if you'll do the same."

"Then we have a deal." Ei replies as the two shake hands. That's when they begin hearing lots of yelling coming from the statue of the omnipresent god. "Huh?"

"Let's go see what that is." Taiki says.

Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Vagrants and Rats

Chapter Text

Taiki and Ei slowly make their way to the source of the shouting- a young man who appears to be calling out for a man named "Kamaji".

"What seems to be the problem?" Ei asks.

"The almighty shogun?! What are you doing out here?" The man asks back.

"I was out on a walk with him." Ei replies, looking to Taiki. "You're calling out for... Who?"

"Master Kujou Kamaji." The man says. "He went out for a clan meeting and he hasn't come back. It's been almost five hours."

"What of the master?" Ei asks.

"He's in poor health and can't really do anything." The man replies. "So Kamaji has been running things."

"I've heard of the tumult that has been going around in the Tenryou Commission and the Kujou clan." Ei says.

"Yes, that's why Kamaji intends to reach out to members of the Takatsukasa clan to take over. You've yet to issue a verdict so that's why the meeting is even happening." The man replies. "But where in the world is he?"

"Perhaps he's still meeting with the members? Judging from what you've told us the Kujous and the Takatsukasas share close relations with one another." Shard says.

"Yes but this meeting shouldn't have gone on for that long. Has something happened?" The man mumbles. "I really don't want to barge in and cause a ruckus myself. I might not have Kamaji's wits but we grew up together so I'd hate to ruin him by suddenly rushing into things."

"I see." Ei says. "Then we shall investigate the manner ourselves."

"Wait really?!" The man asks.

"It's my fault for not making such a timely decision." Ei replies. "I intend to correct that mistake."

"Thank you so much!" The man says. "Here, I'll mark the location for you... It's around the mountains near the Grand Narukami Shrine." And with the coordinates roughly marked, Ei and Taiki make their way to that destination, with the shogun quite literally creating a shortcut by tearing open a way into the plane of Euthymia in lieu of a portal before emerging near said coordinates.

"We could have just walked all the way and we could have reached it in time." Taiki chuckles.

"Well, considering the situation, I don't think we can afford to lose even a few seconds." Ei replies as they find themselves standing before what appears to be a stronghold- the only idea of an entrance is heavily surrounded by plant life. "So this is where the meeting is... Funny."

"I've located the entrance" Shard says as he scans the area and Taiki quickly cuts away the branches with crown splitter.

"Well... Time to see how that blade truly performs." Ei says as she looks at crown splitter and she whips out a polearm. It resembles a naginata and it appears to have been custom made for the shogun herself, with the electro mitsudomoe design carved into the top of the blade- should the need arise the shogun could break a blade or two with the resulting grooves- and the handle grips seem to match up with the shogun's attire.

"Let's go." Taiki says as the two slowly enter the stronghold, not sure of what they're going to run into as Shard scouts up ahead.

Chapter 18: Chapter 17: One Word: Muda

Chapter Text

"We've got major trouble up ahead!" Shard calls out as he spots a small group of rogue samurai guarding the entrance further into the stronghold.

"Vagrants?!" Ei shouts in horror as the rogue samurai unsheathe their blades.

"I got these ones!" Taiki shouts as he rushes ahead of Ei and moves in with his sword. The shogun only stands back to watch as Taiki charges at the samurai and leaps high into the air. He then proceeds to come crashing down with an overhead slash and the sheer force he puts into his attack manages to cleave one of the samurai clean in half- not unlike what he did to the Fatui.

"What the hell IS this guy?!" The surviving samurai scream out as they attempt to slash at Taiki with their refined skills- only for the exo to block every single one of them and plant his blade into the ground. He then proceeds to go hand-to-hand with the vagrants, fists and feet flying everywhere as he unleashes a strange mix of karate and kung fu that throws the samurai off and knocks them to their feet before Taiki picks up his sword again.

"Tell me! Where is Kujou Kamaji?!" Taiki shouts. Not wanting to risk getting themselves cut down like their friend one of them quickly stands up.

"They're further up. Just take the elevator and you'll make your way there." The samurai quickly replies.

"Good." Taiki says. "That's all we needed." And with that he unleashes a powerful spinning slash, felling the samurai in one hit while Ei makes short work of the other samurai with lighting fast slashes and strikes- for a second Ei seems to completely vanish before a series of heavy slash wounds appear on the victim, and she almost seems to rematerialize right behind the vagrant before stabbing him through the back of the head with her blade.

"I think that's all the information we can get out of them. Let's not hesitate." Ei says.

"Roger that." Taiki replies as the two begin sprinting down the halls with Shard still floating up ahead.

"More samurai! And... What is THAT?!" Shard shouts as a samurai clad in red armor lights his sword ablaze and nearly dices up the ghost. Taiki only needed to see the flames to realize his ghost was in trouble and he charges in.

"Seems like whatever it was they're talking about they REALLY don't want people here!" Ei calls out. "That's a kairagi!"

"It's all dead meat to me!" Taiki growls out as he charges at the red-clad kairagi. "You hurt my ghost and I SWEAR TO FUCKING THE FUCKING TRAVELER I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR INSIDES OUT WITH MY BARE HANDS!!!"

"Oh my archons..." Ei says as she steps back again, not even getting a chance to get into the battle as Taiki proceeds to go all out, smashing up the Kairagi's armor with brutal and relentless slashes before coming down with another overhead. The red-clad kairagi attempts to block with his flaming sword but it's no use as the resulting slash shatters his fiery blade into unusable bits and the exo manages to cut the poor sap in half just like the others.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you guys! DIE!!!" Taiki bellows out as he continues to go berserk, cutting off limbs and heads alike until there is nobody left to oppose him. Once the exo finally calms down he notices that Ei hasn't moved a single inch, and he sighs. "...Sorry you had to see that."

"No, it's okay..." Ei replies. "At least the way up is mostly clear." And with that the two slowly head up to see none other than both clans arguing with one another. "Taiki, please... Let me deal with this alone."

"As you wish." Taiki says as he and Shard stand back and allow the shogun to resolve this matter herself. The exo and his ghost decide to then sit back and watch, only catching whisps of the whole ordeal.

"So you're telling me this little meeting was so important you had to hide out in the mountains AND hire rogues to defend it?"

"All they wanted was a written confession of everything wrong the Kujou clan did. They claim that they actually stood alongside us! Lies all of them!"

"WHAT?! You DARE go back on what we said before?!"

"You're just trying to make yourselves look better so you can oust us!"

"SILENCE!!!" And just like that the childish arguing stops. "I now seem to understand the situation before us..."

"And?" The members all ask simultaneously.

"If you want to become head Tenryou commissioner, you'll have to defeat me in a duel. The first one did it, this is how I expect it to be done." Ei demands, and not a single word is said as everyone is starting to have their doubts. "Not a single person wants to fight me? I'm surprised, because all of you were pining about how good you would be earlier." Further silence. Taiki and Shard are about to head in and help sort everything out when Kamaji himself speaks up.

"I'll fight you then." Kamaji says.

"Even if you managed to defeat me, the stains on the Kujou clan will never be erased." Ei replies sternly.

"I know that, but I am willing to shoulder the burden... ALL of it." Kamaji says. "I had my doubts during the vision hunt, I had my doubts about my master, but I did not take any action. I know what my lack of doing has done to the clan and it's decline. So I am willing to shoulder the burden."

"To be fair, there was nothing you could really do." Ei replies in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I understand that, but this is the clan's final hour." Kamaji says. "I'm representing my clan, and I'm performing the duties my forefather set! Allow me to end what once began!"

"..I see..." Ei mumbles. "Such a foolish request, but I accept. Come then!" She shouts as she readies her polearm. "Show me your mettle!"

Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Private Exemptions

Chapter Text

"Are you sure he doesn't need any serious medical attention?" Taiki asks. "He's black and blue all over his body..."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. I was going easy on him." Ei replies as the two find themselves well outside of the stronghold and on the cliff. "Had it been the shogun he would have been decapitated on the spot."

"Perhaps he was ready for that outcome." Shard says. "The way he was talking he was just about ready for you to kill him for his misdeeds."

"The Kujou clan has gone through so much... To see it crumble like that..." Ei mumbles.

"So... What of the clan now? Will the Tenryou Commission remain without a head?" Taiki asks.

"I'm actually going to give them a little more time." Ei replies. "They may have made many mistakes, but so have I."

"We are only human." Taiki says. "At least the road ahead is not as rough as we'd expect."

"Are you going to take control of Inazuma then?" Shard asks.

"I think I'll leave that up to the shogun." Ei replies. "If there's one thing that even I'm not immune to, it's erosion. It's almost inevitable. It's why the shogun is built so robust and strict... I myself will change over time so the shogun will continue to hold my beliefs."

"I see." Taiki says. "But at the very least the chaos that's been running about the Tenryou commission has been sorted out. We even gave you some time to clear your head."

"And that I really appreciate. I never expected you two to be so... Likeable." Ei replies. "I'm going to be brutally honest, I thought the shogun only saw you as pawns. Having met you two in person, you've blown those expectations out the window."

"I'm... Quite flattered." Taiki chuckles sheepishly. "You've also opened up to us so much."

"It's almost like I could see myself in you... Well parts of you that is." Ei replies, remembering the picture that the exo had shown her. "I guess... I could speak a little bit of my past."

"If you don't want to... You don't have to." Taiki says, gently putting a hand on Ei's shoulder. "I'm still struggling to come to terms with my own past myself, there are still wounds that are still fairly fresh.

"Yet after everything you've done for me at this moment, I would feel guilty not to do something for you." Ei replies. "...Stand back." The exo and his ghost quickly oblige as the shogun slowly cranes her head back. Suddenly electricity surrounds Ei as the handle of a sword slowly but surely emerges from her cleavage. Taiki can only look in surprise as the entire blade emerges with a bolt of lightning, and when it's all done the blade is materialized for the two to see- much like Ei's polearm this sword appears to have been custom made for the shogun- rather it seems like the shogun herself forged this blade, with the handguard being comprised of the familiar electro mitsudomoe and the blade itself being a frightening shade of violet.

"So this is..." Taiki is cut off by Ei.

"Musou Isshin." Ei replies. "This blade is a piece of my past... What could have been almost 500 years ago."

"This blade... It's unlike anything I've ever seen... May I hold it?" Taiki asks. Ei looks off to the side for a few seconds before she turns to face Taiki again, and she slowly passes the handle of Musou Isshin to the exo, who gets a feel for the blade itself. "I can't quite get a good grip on this blade... It's as if it was forged specifically for your hands... But the power that I can feel flowing through this blade... It's unlike anything I've ever felt... It almost reminds me of a blade that I once used... Regrettably a blade that I was forced to use to achieve victory..." And with that Taiki passes the blade back to Ei, who simply dematerializes it. "Since you've shown a piece of your past, I may as well do the same and show a piece of mine... Shard?"

"I don't believe it... It's still here." Shard says as he materializes a painfully familiar hand cannon into Taiki's hands. Ei looks at the gun in awe- it's seen a lot of wear and tear, with the ace of spades emblem just barely visible amongst the numerous scratches. The entire gun itself is still usable, but it's colors are faded and the trigger takes a lot of finger force to even pull, clearly evident as Taiki passes the hand cannon to Ei, who tries to get a feel for it. "I thought everything was gone when we got thrown here, but this somehow stayed with us..."

"'This looks like a Fatui weapon... But I'm sure it's not, considering the make of this one... This is a piece of your past, is it not?" Ei asks, and the exo can only nod in response as he slowly looks away.

"This one is a more recent part, meaning it only hurts even more when I see it..." Taiki mumbles as Ei's finger struggles to pull the trigger. "The gun you're holding, is called the Ace of Spades... It's a piece of my past... What happened not even ten years ago."

"...Am I not doing this right?" Ei asks the exo.

"Be careful where you aim that..." Taiki replies cautiously, but much to the exo's shock the shogun's electro power slowly begins to course through the old hand cannon. The paint on the gun begins to glow, with the spade beginning to shine with a purple hue, and the hammer actually kicks back, firing a bullet imbued with electricity with immense force. The recoil of the gun nearly causes the shogun to punch herself and the resulting hole that the bullet leaves behind has charred it's surroundings, all the while the hand cannon continues to brim with a new energy. "Impossible... I haven't used that hand cannon ever since I came into possession of it... And you've managed to fire it..."

"I... What just happened?" Ei asks.

Chapter 20: Chapter 19: Borrowed Power

Chapter Text

Not even a day after the Raiden Shogun and her exo mercenary cleared up the Tenryou chaos was the plane of Euthymia was occupied with people aside from the shogun herself.

"I'm glad that you've finally returned from your trip." Taiki says to Lumine and Paimon. "You came back just in time, because we just discovered something... Interesting, to put things lightly." Paimon immediately looks to Ei, who is handling the Ace of Spades.

"Wha-What is that?! Is Paimon about to get shot by a Fatui gun?!" Paimon asks in horror.

"No Paimon, you're not going to get shot." Taiki replies as Ei passes the gun to Miko.

"So... You mean to tell me that your electro abilities managed to make this gun work?" Miko asks.

"I'm not sure if it was just my electro abilities." Ei replies. "Taiki tells me that he hasn't used that gun for over a decade." She adds as Miko notices how worn out the gun is- the guuji can't even squeeze the trigger to fire it. "If indeed the elements enhanced this gun, perhaps a vision holder could perform the same feat as I did."

"Well... We could test that... If I could fire it! Wow! Ten years and this is all rusty?" Miko asks Taiki.

"Didn't touch it in all that time." Taiki replies. "And no smith in all of Teyvat could understand it's workings."

"Not even the Fatui rifles are this advanced." Miko mumbles. Unlike what Ei expected Miko's vision does not produce the same effects that Ei managed as when the hammer does kick only a click is heard, followed by another click when the guuji manages a second squeeze. "You wouldn't happen to have used up the only shot in the gun, did you?"

"That's odd..." Ei mumbles. "...Traveler, why don't you give it a try? You can manipulate the elements without a vision, who's to say you might be able to do it?"

"Are you sure?" Lumine asks Taiki, and the exo nods in response as she receives the Ace of Spades and attempts to fire it. Unfortunately not even the Traveler can get a bang out of it as when the hammer kicks, there's only clicks.

"Most odd... It could also be due to the fact that I am an archon and hold this power naturally..." Ei mumbles as Lumine hands the gun back to her.

"You mentioned that you infuse the light into your weapons." Miko says. "Could it... No I'm drawing extreme possibilities here." And just like that the shogun's natural electro infuses the Ace of Spades with it's power like before, allowing Ei to fire off electric-charged shots.

"I still can't believe it. I thought we didn't have any ammo for that thing." Taiki mumbles. "And here we have the shogun able to actually shoot it. Perhaps the energy is a substitute for the bullets..." This theory is confirmed as whenever the shogun fires a bullet, there are no traces of it to be seen afterwards- the exo even willingly took a shot from Ei and Shard found no bullet remains to speak of when he healed the wound.

"This is most interesting..." Shard mumbles. "So what are we going to do? Currently the Raiden Shogun is the only one capable of using this weapon..."

"...I'll still hold onto it though, that is something much too dear to let go of." Taiki replies as Ei hands the gun back to the exo and Shard stores it. "But I'm in disbelief that it still even works. Perhaps if I tune it up I can get it back into working condition again."

"It would certainly be most interesting to see." Paimon says. "We'll have our answer to the Fatui's guns!"

"Let's not get TOO ahead of ourselves now." Shard replies. "It's still a weapon with massive power and equally massive kickback."

"I'm trying my hardest not to hit myself every time I squeeze the trigger." Ei adds, confirming Shard's concerns. "That was all I called you in for, just to test out some theories. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get back to that novel I was reading earlier... Oh and Taiki..." Ei continues on, walking over to the exo. "If you ever wish to come visit me, just ask Miko."

"Oh! Um... Of course, thanks." Taiki replies sheepishly as Miko can't help but giggle to herself.

Chapter 21: Chapter 20: A Finishing Touch

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In light of Taiki's situation, and as a gift from the shogun herself, the exo found a package at his front doorstep containing what appeared to be the same vision that he saw on Miko, but it looked vastly different. Unlike other visions he'd seen where there was color and a symbol to it this one appears to be completely white and unmarked.

"Hm... This is interesting." Shard says. "It looks like a vision that doesn't have any imprints on it yet... Ah hold on there's a letter in here."

To Taiki-9 and Shard,

Inside this package is a vision like you've seen many of my subordinates using, but this one... This one was found masterless, long before the vision hunt decree. We were never really able to trace it's owner no matter how hard we tried, and as such it came into possession of the shogunate, who have been holding on to it until now. We couldn't even tell what kind of vision it is, so for all we know if you can resonate with it, it may just unlock this... Light you speak of. Then again this is a truly wild speculation by Miko so we're not sure what'll happen. For now just make it a part of you, have your ghost store it if you can't find a way to work it into your appearance.

The almighty shogun and permanent resident of the plane of Euthymia,

-Ei

"Seems like she's picked up Yae's sarcasm." Taiki chuckles. "I can definitely work this one in." And with that he takes off his pauldron and notes where the electro mitsudomoe has been etched on. It's the perfect size for the exo to fix the vision to, and with a little help from the local smith, the vision is now a part of this armor. "If I want this old thing to be restored back to it's former glory I'm going to need a few things... Now what did he say it needed again?" He mumbles, looking at the worn out hand cannon. He remembered how the hammer was hard to pull back according to Ei and other people that tried to use the weapon, how the trigger was hard to squeeze, how the recoil nearly- or actually- made them punch themselves.

"It would seem like everything that's being problematic is near the handle itself." Shard says. "Otherwise it still hits just as hard."

"Do you still have glimmer on you?" Taiki asks.

"Yes, I only converted half of it into mora." Ghost replies. "The other half I felt would still come in handy later on." And with that the two visit the smith again, this time for questions.

"Oh? You need something?" The smith asks.

"Oh I don't really need anything forged at the moment Hajime, I actually had a couple of questions." Taiki replies. "Have you ever worked with a Fatui gun before?"

"I've examined a couple of them when the shogunate attempted to reverse engineer them, with little to no success." Hajime says. "You... Wouldn't happen to be trying the same?"

"Not exactly." Taiki replies as he procures the Ace of Spades. "I'm trying to restore this gun here... It's probably way too advanced for you to take a look at but if you say you've looked at the Fatui's weaponry this might actually not be so different."

"And you'd be right to assume that." Hajime says as he looks at the worn out hand cannon. "We've got the hammer... Firing pin should be inside... If you'll allow me to I can actually forge parts of a weapon for you."

"We would be honored." Taiki replies. "Uh... What would we need though?"

"Since this is designed to go through tons of wear and tear regular iron won't do it." Hajime explains. "At least not for long before you have to replace it again. You'll need white iron and crystal. With that kind of alloy you wouldn't ever have to worry about replacing parts."

"Which just led into my next question... Where do I find that?" Taiki asks.

"We don't have a mine here... At least an active mine." Hajime replies. "But I hear in Liyue, the region just beyond this ocean, has multiple active mining businesses. If the shogun will allow you, you can go there and request resources... But with the Sakoku decree still being enforced it might not happen."

"I think I might have an idea." Shard says. "We'll be a moment." And with that the two head to the tenshukaku where they find themselves standing before the shogun.

"Your excellency, have you any work for us?" Taiki asks.

"You need not go down on one knee, please stand." The shogun replies as Taiki obliges. "I actually do have a request for you. This one was made by general Sara herself."

"Please elaborate." Taiki says.

"There have been multiple reports of Fatui roaming the city borders, speaking with the local ronin, collaborating on something that I have yet to know." The shogun explains. "If you could remove these threats-"

"Say no more." Taiki quickly replies. "Give me the location, and they will be no more."

"These vagrants were last seen outside of the Kamisato estate. Please ensure that the members there are safe." The shogun says.

"It shall be done." And with that Taiki and Shard find themselves bolting out of the Tenshukaku as fast as they can hoping that Ayaka, who Miko considered part of Inazuma's vanguard, wasn't harmed.

Chapter 22: Chapter 21: Fit For a Rogue

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Taiki and Shard quickly made their way to the Kamisato estate where much to their horror both Fatui and Kairagi had already begun assailing the walls of the estate, with Ayaka doing her best to hold them off with who appears to be her older brother.

"They certainly won't let up!" The older brother shouts as he begins performing lightning fast slashes almost too quick for Taiki to even see, and the exo quickly joins the fight.

"I heard you needed backup!" Taiki calls out as he pulls out crown splitter and cleaves one of the Fatui clean in half.

"Oh crap! It's the shogun's pet!" One of the riflemen shouts. "Get him!"

"Oh I don't think so punks!" Taiki yells as all attacking forces then begin to converge on the exo himself.

"Ayato we can't just stand here!" Ayaka says as she quickly joins the fight. "Taiki you're gonna want to stand back! Kamisato art: Soumetsu!" And just like that Ayaka summons a mighty blizzard that catches all of their opponents off guard and begins slowing them down.

"Ugh... Too... Cold..." One of the Fatui complains.

"I've got this!" One of the kairagi shouts as he lights his sword ablaze and leaps at Ayaka.

"Oh no you don't!" Ayato shouts as he attempts to move in to stop the Kairagi from slicing up his little sister, but Taiki moves even faster, blocking the Kairagi's blade with crown splitter. Ayaka just barely gets out of the way as the two enter a bladelock, with the other attacking forces keeping the Kamisato siblings busy.

"You're done now!" The kairagi shouts.

"Oh really?!" Ayaka suddenly yells out as she performs a series of lightning quick slashes in quick succession, breaking the samurai's armor and allowing her a weak point as she dashes forth and impales him from behind. The last thing the kairagi sees is Ayaka's katana jutting out from his chest where his heart should be, and he slumps to the ground.

"Thanks!" Taiki says as the siblings manage to finish off the last of the attacking forces. With the last of the enemy gone the three breathe out a long sigh.

"Thanks for stepping in when you did." Ayato says. "Had it not been for you, we would have been overwhelmed."

"No problem." Taiki replies. "The shogun actually sent me because she suspected those guys were collaborating for something. Looks like that was all of them though."

"It's nice to see you again Taiki, it's been a long while... And you've certainly changed a lot." Ayaka giggles as she looks at Taiki's new pieces of armor and the vision attached to his pauldron. "Would it hurt you to just stick around and catch up?"

"I mean... I certainly don't mind." Taiki replies. "But I'm a little busy myself."

"As head of the Yashiro Commission, I insist." Ayato chuckles, and Taiki looks at Ayato in disbelief. "I insist you stick around and relax for a bit."

"This is abuse of power!" Taiki complains.

Chapter 23: Chapter 22: The Princess, The Pauper and The Jester

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"I can't believed you used your power to rope me into this..." Taiki mumbles as he finds himself sitting next to Ayaka, with Ayato just across from him.

"So, what I hear from Miko and the others is that you've become the shogun's little pet?" Ayato asks, trying his best to keep a straight face.

"It's... Not like what you think it is." Taiki replies.

"So you're telling me that THE Raiden Shogun, ruler of Inazuma, THE electro archon, MY boss, just so happens to appoint a random stranger that fell into our world after a whole year, as her personal war beast?" Ayato asks. "I honestly think it's a little more than that."

"What?" Taiki asks. "What do you mean by that?" At this point Ayato's face has contorted into a weird expression as he covers his mouth and looks away. His body is shaking in a strange manner as if trying not to burst out into laughter, and he eventually recollects himself.

"Were you programmed with every emotion that a human can feel?" Ayato asks.

"Brother! How crass!" Ayaka shouts. "You really shouldn't be asking him a question like that!"

"It never hurt to ask." Ayato replies. "But it is a critical question. Were you?"

"I was programmed to feel human emotions yes, so I'd assume every single one." Taiki says.

"Well... I-never mind." Ayato replies. "I'm not sure if you'd be able to understand it completely, would you like some tea?" He asks, quickly changing the topic before his sister can even try to butt in.

"What kinds do you have?" Taiki asks.

"I actually have something that might interest you." Ayato replies as he heads off to where the kitchen would be. Ice can be heard in the background for a few seconds before Ayato returns with two decent sized cups of a strange "tea" that Taiki had never seen before: It's kept in a large cup with a cloth wrapped around the top much like the dango milk he and Ei had tried beforehand with a near comically large straw punched through the center. The "tea" itself appears to be regular milk darkened with black tea and strange pearls that look much like what would be found at the bottom of dango milk.

"Are you sure this isn't just dango milk?" Taiki asks. "Cause it looks a whole lot like dango milk." He sips through the straw, noting how the little pearls give the tea a texture almost exactly like dango milk. "It's really good though."

"Oh so it was you two that I saw at that stall!" Ayato replies. "I remember passing by one day and I heard Tomoki crying out that he wasn't an enemy to eternity or something like that so I had my suspicions."

"So wait, you can actually eat stuff?" Ayaka asks.

"I even get hungry." Taiki chuckles. "I've had to explain this to everyone that questions."

"I see." Ayaka says. "So... About what Ayato said earlier... You were on a date with the shogun?" It's at this point that Taiki spits out his drink and rapidly whips his head around to look at the princess.

"Huh?!" Taiki asks, his lone eye flickering like mad. "What are you going on about? DATE?!"

"Whoa... He got so flustered..." Ayato mumbles in his head. "Surely he's hiding something?"

"I mean you two were out and about together, is that not called a date?" Ayaka asks as Taiki struggles to recompose himself. "From the sound of it you even got food together."

"It's not like that!!!" Taiki semi-shouts. "Who's side are you on Ayaka?!"

"Oh my! Why are you getting so defensive?!" Ayaka shouts back. "Did I say something wrong?"

"N-no! Not at all, it's just..." Taiki slowly realizes that he's digging himself into a deeper hole that he won't be able to get himself out of, and Ayato is only adding to it, and the exo slams his head on the kotatsu. "Never mind..."

"You were on a date after all." Ayaka says. "You didn't have to get so... Aggressive about it."

"I'm sorry Ayaka..." Taiki mumbles. "I've just been a bit of a mess lately. First your brother distracted me from what I was doing, and then went on about this... I'm just gonna finish my boba."

"Well... What were you doing beforehand? Because you just came by and killed a bunch of Fatui and ronin." Ayaka asks.

"I was looking for ores and resources." Taiki replies.

"Every time I walk down the beach just beyond our estate I notice some every here and there." Ayaka says. "Try looking there if you really want them."

"Thanks." Taiki replies as he sips on his boba.

Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Death's Card

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"Alright... Just like that..." Taiki muses as he and Hajime work on parts for the Ace of Spades. "Hm... Are you even able to work with a piece that small?"

"A smith always has his tricks." Hajime replies as he whips out a pair of pinchers and begins shaping the red hot metal to his liking. It only takes about a whole hour to forge everything but when all is said and done the parts for the hand cannon have been forged and Taiki proceeds to take the old gun apart. Before Hajime's eyes and everyone else nearby the exo and his ghost get to work restoring the old hand cannon, carefully replacing old with new with near needlework accuracy. With the old parts turned back into glimmer to be used later on the hand cannon is reassembled, but Taiki still isn't quite finished yet.

"Hm... It handles just like it did before." Taiki says as he experimentally uses the hand cannon. "But I need to add the finishing touches to this thing... You wouldn't happen to know an artist who can repaint this? Or at the very least... Are you able to remove the rust on this?"

"You'd have to see an alchemist if you want to get rid of those marks." Hajime says. "Or at the very least try and ask Yayoi." And with that Taiki and Shard head off with the newly reassembled hand cannon to go see Yayoi, who is more than surprised to see them.

"The shogun's mercenary... Here? What is it that you need?" She asks.

"I just need something repainted." Taiki replies as he procures the hand cannon. "Or at the very least, these rust marks removed, if that's possible."

"Hmm..." Yayoi mumbles as she takes the hand cannon and looks at the marks. "I can definitely restore the paint on this. Give me about half an hour." While Taiki and Shard wait around they see someone familiar walk by them, presumably on patrol.

"Yo, Sara." Taiki calls out as the tenryou general turns to face them.

"Ah, hello." Sara replies. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm actually getting something restored." Taiki says. "We just finished repairing it and now all we need to do is get rid of the rust stains and corrosion on it."

"I see." Sara replies.

"Oh! I'm done!" Yayoi calls out as she walks over and hands Taiki the fully restored hand cannon. Sara can only look in shock at the design of the gun, and when Taiki experimentally uses it the gun is much more responsive.

"Wait... What is that?" Sara asks.

"It's a piece of my past." Taiki replies. "I thought everything else I had on me, save for my sword and my armor, was gone. This stayed behind though."

"Do you think we should go pay a visit to Miko?" Shard asks.

"I think we should." Taiki replies. "It'll be interesting to see how well this thing works." And with that the two head off to the Grand Narukami Shrine, with Sara left wondering what they were talking about.

Chapter 25: Chapter 24: What The Fox?

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Taiki and Shard found themselves confused as when they headed to the Grand Narukami Shrine to go see Miko, the guuji was absent from her usual post.

"Maybe she went to her publishing house?" Taiki asks.

"But we would have seen her there first." Shard replies. "I don't know where she could be."

"Ho? You're actually looking for me?" A voice says out of nowhere. It's Miko's voice but Taiki can't quite get a tab on where she might be.

"Miko? Where are you?" He asks out loud, not sure where the voice is coming from. He spins around to get a feel for his surroundings, and he realizes too late as his face ends up in her buxom chest, much to Shard's chagrin.

"Why was I expecting this to happen?" Shard mumbles.

"...Shard... Fuck off." Taiki says, his voice muffled by the guuji's breasts.

"You like what you see?" Miko asks as Taiki slowly backs away.

"It's... It's not what you think!" Taiki replies. "Forgive me, I didn't see you there!"

"So, what brings you here? Off to see your girlfriend again?" Miko giggles. It's at this point that Shard just dematerializes, taking shelter inside Taiki to wait out the oncoming storm as the exo's eye immediately starts flickering like mad.

"W-Wait What?! G-Girlfriend?!" Taiki asks, nearly falling over. "Miko what are you going on about?!"

"Taiki... Do you have your head in the ground?" Miko asks back, barely able to contain her laughter. "You're so head over heels in love with E- *Ahem!*- I mean the shogun, that it's not even funny! You sure that her excellency hasn't appeared at least once in your dreams?" She continues on, just barely catching her slip of the tongue so she doesn't expose her archon as a shut-in.

"Exos don't dream thank you very much." Taiki replies. "And what makes you think that I'm in love with the shogun?"

"It was obvious from when you first met her." Miko bluntly jabs, remembering how smitten the exo was when he first laid eyes on the shogun. Part of Taiki's systems feel like shutting down upon realizing that he gave himself away that easily, and he quickly finds himself delaying the inevitable in a near impossible war with the guuji. "And then there was that entire hangout you had with her, oh should I mention that you were the one that was worried sick about her health? So worried that you came to me to see if you could visit her outside of your bounty hunter duties?" The exo only gets even more flustered as Miko continues to lay down the facts.

"Uh... Miko I think you might want to stop." Shard says as he materializes. "I think poor Taiki is going through a sensory overload." Miko only laughs her head off upon realizing she nearly broke the poor exo and she relents.

"Oh alright, I'll stop." Miko says between laughs. "I'm still laughing from the fact you called it a sensory overload!"

"What seems to be the problem?" A familiar voice calls out and Taiki jumps, nearly frying his circuits upon realizing who that voice belongs to.

"OH! UM! HI E- I mean- almighty shogun!" Taiki quickly stops himself before he makes the same blunder that Miko almost made. "I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

"Wait... Why is your eye flickering like that?" Ei asks. "Are you malfunctioning?"

"He was left at the mercy of Miko over here..." Shard simply replies as he rematerializes.

"Oh... I see..." Ei says. "Did he want to see me?"

"He practically danced over to the shrine." Miko giggles. "Was going on about how you were going to react to the gun he just restored."

"Please just get me into the plane so I can recover from this..." Taiki quietly whimpers.

"Um... Okay!" Ei quickly replies as she teleports the flustered exo and his ghost into the plane of Euthymia before looking at Miko. "You wanna come?"

"No it's okay, I've had my fun." Miko says as Ei vanishes herself.

 

Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Acting Emissary

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"So the gun works perfectly fine now, and Ei is actually able to use it pretty well." Taiki says as he looks at the newly restored Ace of Spades. "I think she might secretly be a hunter."

"No... I see her more as a titan. She's very straightforward, and titans can be fast." Shard replies. "Plus, I don't think a hunter would carry around a spear like that on the daily outside of their arc staff."

"But she also uses Musou Isshin, which is a sword." Taiki fires back. "Yes titans can be fast, but they could never get to be as fast as hunters. You saw how she performed the time we invaded that stronghold with her? In the blink of an eye she'd slashed one of those ronin at least twenty times!"

"Well we haven't personally sparred against her yet so don't be making too many assumptions." Shard replies. Eventually their debate is cut short as they hear knocking noises coming from their front door, and when Taiki goes to open it, Sara awaits them.

"Still not able to resonate with the masterless vision?" Sara asks.

"Haven't found, or done, anything that could awaken it." Taiki replies. "Doesn't matter how many Fatui I take down."

"Maybe it'll respond to your... Duties?" Sara asks. "You offhandedly mentioned that you were a titan and you were supposed to be like a knight?"

"Eh... Something along those lines." Taiki replies. "Anyways you needed me for something?"

"Indeed yes." Sara says. "As general of the Tenryou Commission the people of Watatsumi Island have reached out and are planning peace talks."

"So you want me to stand guard in case something goes wrong?" Taiki asks.

"That's exactly what I had in plan." Sara replies. "We'll be going to Tatarasuna according to our agreement. Just be prepared for anything."

"Let us hope that a fight doesn't break out." Taiki says. "The last thing we need is an all out brawl before the political table. Are we going now?"

"Yes we are." Sara replies. "You'll be accompanying the soldiers to supplement the guards."

"Understood." Taiki says as he and Shard head out to the docks of Ritou with Sara and they begin their long journey to Tatarasuna. Almost inevitably during the long trip Sara and the various Tenryou members take interest in the exo, chatting with him and getting to know lots of fun facts about him, but Taiki then notices that two of the soldiers that he's supposed to help seem to be actively avoiding him.

"Maybe they're scared of you?" Shard asks as the group reaches Tatarasuna.

"I don't think they were scared of me... Almost looked like they were scared of something else." Taiki replies as he marches alongside Sara towards the designated area. Just as they reach the area the negotiators from Watatsumi do the same, with Taiki seeing Kokomi in person for the first time, and seeing a duo that they weren't expecting.

"Oh crap! They brought HIM here?!" Paimon asks in utter shock.

"What are you talking about?" Kokomi asks. "Is he... Someone that you don't like?"

"Oh no we do like him, it's just that he's THE Raiden Shogun's mercenary!" Paimon frantically replies.

"Mercenaries have been called to act as guards, it's not too far out of the question." Kokomi says.

"We meet again, Kokomi." Sara interrupts. "Outside of the battlefield for once."

"I'm glad you came." Kokomi replies.

"So Traveler... What are you doing here?" Sara asks.

"She's here to witness the peace talks." Kokomi replies. "As a first-hand recountant of the war that we fought and the one that helped secure peace, she was the best candidate."

"I can't help but agree on that." Sara says.

"And might I ask in turn, what is HE doing here?" Kokomi asks back, staring at the exo and his humongous sword.

"I am here to witness these peace talks as well, and serve as guard for the Tenryou commission." Taiki replies, and almost all of the Watatsumi guard shudder upon hearing his voice, not sure how to explain such a human sounding voice is coming out of something completely mechanical.

"Understood." Kokomi says, keeping a strong poker face. "So, shall we begin?"

"We shall." Sara replies as the peace talks start.

Chapter 27: Chapter 26: Mechanophobia

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The peace talks continued on rather smoothly, with Taiki silently meditating and Lumine and Paimon slowly looking around to make sure nothing was too suspicious. Shard had dematerialized for the moment being, getting a well deserved rest, but two hours into the talks, trouble began to arise in the form of one of the members of the Watatsumi guard.

"You Kujou scum!" The guard suddenly shouts, immediately rousing the exo from his meditation. "Was working with the Fatui not enough for you?! Do you just want all of Watatsumi Island for yourselves?! For your sick enjoyment?!"

"You DARE make such a wild accusation?!" Taiki shouts back even louder, his single eye glowing much brighter than normal. This proceeds to intimidate not just the members of the Watatsumi guard, but EVERYONE currently at the peace talks. This doesn't stop the wild vagrant from moving forward with his plan.

"Never trust the kujou!" He shouts as more of the guard raises their weapons and begins to move in on Sara.

"Shard, the Ace of Spades, NOW." Taiki commands.

"But isn't it-" Shard is cut off.

"It'll work, trust me." Taiki says as the Ace of Spades is materialized onto his hip and he immediately whips it out, pointing directly between the eyes of the one that started the whole commotion. Now everyone is completely terrified as Taiki continues to aim the hand cannon at the guard's head, eye trained onto him.

"What the hell?!" The ransack guard suddenly screams out.

"Not. Another. Word." Taiki growls out. "Did they ever teach you manners back at Watatsumi?"

"Holy crap... He's not going to shoot anyone is he?!" Paimon whimpers out. Kokomi and Sara are now sweating bullets, Kokomi over the fact that some of her guard are making such wild accusations and Sara over the fact that Taiki might be using too much force. Paimon on the other hand is flipping through a book trying to make sense of what's going on with Lumine only looking at Taiki in fear. That's when Lumine notices that two of the Tenryou soldiers are shaking more than normal- something that Kokomi and Sara also pick up.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lumine quietly asks Paimon, who's still too busy flipping through.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Paimon asks before she herself notices the nervous soldiers.

"You say another word, and I swear I will-" Taiki is cut off as Sara quickly puts a hand up.

"Disarm at once, I think that's enough." Sara says.

"Understood." Taiki replies as he puts the gun away and continues to stand guard as before.

"This is a serious accusation, but I can't be too safe, considering what happened before." Kokomi says. "May we have an explanation?"

"You shall have one." Sara replies. "Nobody make another move until I'm done!" She only has to look at Taiki and nod before the exo brings out his gigantic sword, ready to cut down anyone that dares to break out. "You two here, NOW!" She shouts as the two nervous Tenryou soldiers step forward. "Collusion with the Fatui... Is this true?"

"Umm... Not exactly..." One of the soldiers begins. "We were approached by a few of them, they said they wanted to cooperate in return for keeping the war alive."

"But we were careful!" The other one continues, and everyone hears a loud metallic clang. "We didn't agree to anything! It was just a one-off conversation!"

"That's enough." Sara says. "Do you realize that this is the FATUI we're dealing with? You shouldn't have even entertained the idea of speaking with them! Now who were these ones?"

"The few that approached us said they wanted to settle a score for their boss." The soldiers say simultaneously.

"Huh, so they were her lackeys?" Sara mumbles. "When we get back there will be consequences. Just be glad that he's not the one dealing with you." She growls out, pointing at the exo who has still not removed his hand from his face. When he finally does his eye glows brighter than normal and he stares down the two soldiers, who immediately grab one another out of fright. "...Taiki please, I can handle them. I don't need you to utterly break them before we get back to the city."

"My apologies." Taiki says as he looks away.

"Now... I'm hoping we can continue the peace talks?" Sara asks Kokomi.

 

Chapter 28: Chapter 27: A Spark of Hope

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No thanks to the peace talks going awry that day the people of Watatsumi and the shogunate did not talk to one another for quite a long while, resulting in Lumine and Paimon ending up staying on Watatsumi Island for fear that Sara might even go as far as to sic Taiki on them. In turn the exo had more than earned Sara's respect and he could be seen working more in tandem with the tri commission while at the same time continuing his normal merc duties. With hostile activity at a record low Taiki finds himself lounging about in Ei's plane of Euthymia with the archon herself and her familiar, munching on some tricolor dango and drinking dango milk.

"Man, I can see why it's so hard for you to get tired of this stuff." Taiki chuckles to Ei as Miko simply watches the two.

"And the evidence lies before me." Miko giggles to herself as Taiki and Ei slowly turn to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" Ei asks as the guuji struggles to contain her laughter. The exo on the other hand facepalms as he realizes that Miko is starting to poke fun at them again.

"You know I can't help but compare this... Plane to a throne world." Shard says, quickly changing the topic. "From what I was told here even works like one."

"What are these... Throne worlds you speak of?" Miko asks, now intrigued. "You kept mentioning them whenever you came here."

"One of our greatest enemies, the Hive, made use of such throne worlds. Basically they are alternate realms of reality." Shard explains. "Only Hive that have ascended can create these planes of existence and it allows them to become immortal- if you were to kill them in a normal manner they would just resurrect themselves in their throne world. That's why if you want to kill an ascendant Hive permanently you have to venture into their throne world and kill them there, and that's already a challenge in itself."

"Well Ei is still an archon inside here or not, and she's just as vulnerable." Miko replies. "But I could see where you're coming from here."

"See the challenge comes in the fact that the ascendant Hive can basically make it's own rules and the throne world will impose them upon anyone that enters. For example one of our greatest Hive threats, Crota, was a master with the blade. His throne world basically imposed a rule that only hive blades could hurt anything in there, so Taiki had to adapt by stealing hive swords and using them against him." Shard goes on.

"I see, most interesting." Ei says. "It almost reminds me of when the vision hunt decree was still in effect..."

"I was told stories by that traveler girl." Shard replies. "You basically nullified everyone's powers at will, except for her's."

"So... If I could take... Could I possibly give?" Ei mumbles to herself as she closes her eyes and begins meditating. She slowly begins to levitate into the air, with one leg uncrossed and barely touching the ground, and with that the plane of Euthymia begins to shape before their very eyes as a stone statue begins to rise from the ground among the many stone shrine gates that were already there beforehand. It was shaped like a roughly crafted sphere, much like the Traveler itself, and it had formed right next to the trio. "Your ghost has told Miko many stories of the Traveler, who in turn told me about them. I did my best to recreate it in the form of this variant of one of our statues of the seven."

"I think you did a pretty good job." Taiki chuckles to himself as he walks over and looks at the statue. "It definitely looks like the Traveler we know."

"Not just that... I can actually feel light coming off of it!" Shard says in shock.

"Wait really?!" Taiki asks.

"It's only enough for you to use your striker abilities in here but it's definitely enough." Shard replies as he channels it through Taiki.

"Ei, you really are something else." Taiki says as his fists spark with arc energy and he takes out the Ace of Spades. Now with arc energy flowing through him the hand cannon fires off electrified shots much like when it was in the shogun's hands, and he looks at Ei with joy. "Thank you so much... You really didn't have to do this but you did."

"You've told me many stories of your fighting prowess." Ei replies. "But I honestly didn't think this would work myself... If you could demonstrate some of your abilities for me?"

"Why of course." Taiki chuckles. "Remember what you used to say Shard?"

"Eyes up guardian!" Shard proudly calls out as the exo begins showing off the power of the light for the electro archon and her familiar.

Chapter 29: Chapter 28: The Root of The Problem

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Weeks quickly turned into months and before long Miko found herself unable to stop teasing Taiki about his close relationship with Ei.

"I swear you two have to get married some day!" Miko giggles to the exo, who currently has his hands in his face.

"You don't need to say that in front of all the shrine maidens..." Taiki grumbles. "Anyways, what did you call me here for?"

"I'd like you to try drawing your fortune." Miko says.

"...Draw your fortune?" Taiki asks. "I don't understand." Miko starts laughing especially hard at this, all the while the exo cocks his head to one side in pure confusion.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You just reminded me of the shogun for a second there!" Miko says, trying to recollect herself from her burst of laughter. "Have you never tried or even heard of fortune telling?"

"I think she means trying to see if you're going to be lucky today." Shard says to Taiki.

"Oh!" Taiki replies, now getting on the same page with the guuji. "I mean, I guess? Not like it's going to do anything for me as a guardian..." And with that Taiki walks over to a part of the Grand Narukami Shrine where the luck of the draw awaits. "So what do I have to do here?"

"Give that box a good shake and pull one out." Miko replies, and Taiki does as instructed, shaking the box for a few seconds before shaking a slip out. "And then just give it to her to open." And with that Taiki hands over the slip to the maiden, who proceeds to open it and hand it back to the exo.

"...Great fortune." Taiki says. "Nice." Just as he finishes saying that though Miko's face turns grim. "What? Was I not supposed to draw something like that?"

"No, far from it... I can sense something wrong with the sacred sakura." Miko replies as she looks to the aforementioned tree and notices that it's blue light is starting to fade- almost as if it was being drained by something.

"That's not good at all... Is it?" Taiki mumbles. "Is that tree important?"

"This is what absorbs filth from the ley lines. If it's damaged it might end up releasing all that filth at once, and Inazuma will return to it's olden days..." Miko explains as the two rush to the tree.

"I'm not about to let another Red War happen." Taiki says. "Let's just hope it's not as bad as an army of cabal... Where do you want me to investigate first?"

"Head down there!" Miko says, pointing down a cliff. "If any damage is done to the sakura, it's most likely to the roots!"

"Roger that!" Taiki shouts as he begins sliding down the mountain towards the root system that Miko pointed at. When he finally gets down there the exo bolts, with his ghost scouting ahead to the roots. "Hopefully there isn't too much damage..."

"Enemies up ahead! And they don't look like they belong here!" Shard calls out.

"Fallen?! Here in Teyvat?!" Taiki asks in disbelief as the two reach the roots. Unlike what Taiki expected the enemies they encounter are far from human- they resemble wolves with disembodied limbs, with the smaller ones only having front paws. "...What ARE those things?"

"Whatever they are it looks like they've been gnawing at the roots." Shard says. "Let's chase them out!"

"Right!" Taiki says as he brings out crown splitter. "Hopefully reinforcements will arrive... I don't know if I can take on that many at once."

 

Chapter 30: Chapter 29: The Unstoppable Tag Team

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"GAH!" Taiki screams out as the largest of the wolf-like aliens slashes at him, sending him flying. "What ARE these things?!"

"Taiki keep an eye on yourself! That slash is eating away at your armor!" Shard calls out as the exo quickly follows up with a powerful bisecting slash. It deals significant damage to the giant wolf but this only makes it even angrier as it charges directly at Taiki. He's about to become tin ribbons when all of a sudden a voice can be heard bellowing from behind them.

"TORN TO OBLIVION!" Ei screams out as she pulls out the musou no hitotachi and begins going all out on the rifthounds that are still left- cleaving them to bits with her blade and dicing up the larger ones with lightning fast slashes that make her appear to vanish for a few seconds. Finally she's left with the largest one, the one that sent Taiki flying, and she looks back at the exo. "Stand back, this is going to be ugly!" And with that Ei moves faster than Taiki can even see, delivering thousands if not millions of slashes, and when all is said and done the shogun puts her blade to her side. The damage is done as the slashes then appear on the wolf itself and it explodes into tiny pieces before being sucked back into what appears to be a portal.

"The almighty shogun! You saved us!" Taiki calls out. "Or is that you Ei?"

"I shouldn't be surprised that I ran into you here." Ei says as she walks over to Taiki. "Are you okay? I saw you take that hit."

"I think I'm okay." Taiki replies as Shard heals his wounds.

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen." Shard says. "He took a slash and all of a sudden something was eating away at his armor."

"That is... Concerning... I now fully realize just what attacked the sacred sakura's roots." Ei replies. "It's a good thing that I made early preparations."

"Wait you prepared for something like this?" Taiki asks.

"Our time out has showed me things that I wouldn't have seen in the plane of Euthymia, in the past." Ei replies. "It's stuff that I've come to understand."

"So... That's why you're out here?" Shard asks.

"Well that and I sensed the changes all the way from my throne world- now you've got me saying it!" Ei whines, bopping Taiki over the head as she realizes she's picked up some of the exo's dialect.

"So you saw these... Wolf things attacking the roots?" Taiki asks as the two completely recollect themselves.

"They're called rifthounds... I've never seen them so close to the city before..." Ei mumbles. "So I pursued them. Then I ran into you two."

"I should have expected you to come. The shogun probably would have paid this no mind." Taiki says.

"She's only programmed to deal with matters that directly correlate with her. She would have sent the tri-commission in this case." Ei replies. "But this... This brings back bad memories... Memories from 500 years ago..."

"That... You haven't told me before." Taiki says. "This is what haunts you to this day?"

"And then some..." Ei mumbles. "I never liked seeing that again..."

"Either way, I probably would have done the same thing you did to those hounds if I had the power." Taiki replies. "Shall we move forward?"

"Let's. We need to minimize the damage done to the roots." Ei says as she whips out her polearm and Taiki raises crown splitter. The two perform a hard fist bump and nod at one another before they head off, with Ei guiding the exo down a warpath, a warpath against the aliens he only knows as rifthounds.

Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Recollections of What Was Once Before

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The two had been running around, following the traces that the rifthounds left behind, to the point that their legs were burning and they were forced to lean against the side of a mountain to recover.

"It's a miracle you can even run in those..." Shard mumbles as he and the exo look down at the shogun's seemingly impractical footwear.

"When you've been fighting for almost millennia you kind of get a feel for them." The shogun replies.

"So those rifthounds... It sounds like you've run into them before." Taiki says as the two slowly stand up.

"Five hundred years ago a great catastrophe fell upon Inazuma and those cursed dogs were the ones leading the front lines." Ei replies. "Those claws aren't just for melting people away... They're called "rift" hounds for a reason- they tear open rifts with those claws to call forth even deadlier beasts."

"No wonder you pulled out musou isshin as soon as you caught up with them." Shard says.

"The first thing I did was chase them until my legs gave out... Then when I finally caught up with them, by the time you stepped into the equation I was all but ready to rend them to shreds." Ei growls. "Okay... I think I'm feeling better now. Let's make haste."

"Got it." Taiki replies as the two bolt off at breakneck speed again. When they reach one of the sacred sakura's roots the largest rifthound that both of them had ever seen is already at hard work hacking away at the root, causing a strange blue substance to seep out of the wound. When Ei goes to pull out musou isshin again though violet lightning begins to course through her body and she gasps in pain. "Ei!"

"Don't worry about me! Take that thing out first!" Ei shouts as she recollects herself and resigns herself to using her naginata.

"I REALLY wish I could use the Ace of Spades!" Taiki grumbles as he attempts to slash at the big rifthound, with little to no success as the wolf weaves out of harm's way every time the exo swings. Fortunately this has kept the giant wolf distracted long enough for the shogun to make her move as she proceeds to vanish and inflict thousands upon thousands of slashes on the rifthound's body, weakening it.

"Now! Go for it!" Ei shouts as she reappears and the exo acts quickly, leaping high into the air before bringing crown splitter down on the wolf where it's neck would be. The giant sword effortlessly cleaves through the wolf's neck and it's head rolls off before it along with the rest of the rifthound vanishes through a portal. When the dust clears Ei and Taiki look at the damage done to the root and the shogun sighs. "At least the damage isn't too severe. The Yashiro Commission should be able to nurse this one back to full health within a few weeks."

"Hold up... I'm detecting a strange energy flowing out of the root..." Shard mumbles as he scans the wound. "It appears to be an energy unique to Teyvat."

"That must be the filth coming from the ley lines." Ei says to the ghost. "If it's impure it'll manifest as something dangerous. If it's purified it'll present itself as something decidedly more benign and won't last as long before it's reabsorbed." The energy Shard picked up suddenly spikes as a ghost materializes before the three of them.

"Impossible..." Shard says in disbelief. "It looks like a phantom... Like the ones we saw on the moon!"

"It doesn't seem hostile though..." Taiki replies as he looks at the phantom- it's dressed in shogunate infantry attire- with his hat denoting his rank as a captain. He looks around worriedly, as if searching for an invisible threat.

"Gah! I can't go on like this... But I must keep pressing on... My people need me..." The phantom growls. "My troops are counting on me!"

"What's the situation? Report." Taiki asks.

"What are you doing here?!" The phantom asks in shock. "You need to run while you still can! Monsters are everywhere, you're good as dead if they catch you! Just go! I'll hold the fort for as long as I can!"

"What are these monsters you speak of?" Taiki asks again.

"Are you living under a rock?" The phantom asks. "The world is shrouded in darkness! They're all over the place... I've seen them EAT children!" Almost immediately the exo turns away, about to throw up.

"He better not be talking about those damn Fallen..." Taiki growls.

"The almighty shogun is gone, Kitsune Saiguu is gone... We've only got ourselves!" The phantom shouts. "I can't abandon all hope... Not with everyone still here..."

"Don't fret... I'm here." Ei says, slowly walking towards the distressed phantom.

"The almighty shogun... Here?!" The phantom asks. "You're really back! Quickly! You have to save Inazuma! Only the might of your supreme lightning can cut through the darkness... Quickly, before all of Inazuma becomes a hunting ground for these beasts!"

"This war you speak of... Is long over." Ei replies calmly. "Look around you, calm your nerves..."

"There are no monsters... Nobody is after your blood... Nobody is after your family or your loved ones." Taiki continues on, helping Ei relieve the frantic ghost.

"But how? They were just going after me a few seconds ago..." The phantom mumbles.

"This is Inazuma at peace... Just like you remember it." Ei says.

"You did your best, soldier." Taiki adds, and Ei simply closes her eyes and nods.

"I see... You came back and saved Inazuma..." The phantom says. "A million times I thank you! We were right to put our trust in the almighty shogun... With you around, Inazuma will last an eternity!" Finally satisfied the ghost dissipates, being reabsorbed into the ley lines, leaving Taiki and Ei looking at one another.

"So this... This was Inazuma before?" Taiki asks.

"Long before." Ei replies. "That phantom is one of countless that sacrificed themselves to save Inazuma."

"And if I assume correctly... This Kitsune Saiguu person... Is no longer with us?" Taiki asks.

"I hate to say it but you're right." Ei replies. "She sacrificed herself as well to turn the tides, to protect the people..." A tear threatens to fall, but she quickly wipes it away. "I did everything I could, yet I was still too late..."

"This... Is what haunts you to this day..." Taiki says, feeling old memories come back himself. "I... I feel the same pain you do... I know how it feels to lose someone so close to you... If I could cry... I would..." Ei can just barely hear the exo mutter a name under his breath. "...Cayde..."

Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Murder With a Side of Tea

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"How... How's my hair?"

"...This is what I get for playing nice..."

"Tell Zavala and Ikora... The Vanguard was the best dare... I ever lost..."

"It still rings clear in my head to this day." Taiki says as the two make their way towards another one of the sacred sakura's roots. "But I somehow managed to move on."

"Thanks to our hangout... With my own internal clashes with human ambition... I think I can do the same now." Ei replies. "Moving on brings forth new encounters to replace old memories, to put loss before me."

"That soldier had nothing left to lose and he still kept on fighting." Taiki says. "But enough of that, we need to get to the other roots." He adds, remembering how Ei had stalled for a few seconds, saying a few last rites for the soldiers that had lost their lives there. Once the two reach the next root there see more rifthounds, but when Taiki goes in to fight, the shogun simply sticks her arm out, blocking his way.

"Let me handle this one." Ei says, but she still doesn't pull out Musou Isshin- another one of those sparking episodes happens as she continues to use her polearm.

"Something's just not right here... This isn't Ei fighting at her fullest..." Shard mumbles. "Do you think something's holding her back? Previous memories?"

"I don't know really." Taiki replies. Despite not being able to wield her famous sword the shogun still manages to make short work of the hounds, leaving them clear space to examine the damage.

"Before you say anything... I'm conserving energy." Ei says, having overheard Shard talk to Taiki. "I'm fully aware of the situation, but it could change at any moment and I need to be ready for if it does."

"Understood." Taiki replies, and then Shard picks up the same energy as last time.

"Looks like another memory is surfacing." Shard says as another ghost emerges. This time the ghost appears to be a blind old man, with cloth wrapped around his eyes, and the shogun almost immediately recognizes him.

"Furuyama?" Ei asks. "I don't believe it!"

"The almighty shogun here?" Furuyama asks back. "I thought you were fighting off in a distant land..."

"Oh how rude of me! Taiki this is Furuyama, a member of my retinue and a tea master." Ei says to the exo. "He only makes the best of the best for Inazuma."

"Oh you're spoiling me with praise!" Furuyama chuckles. "I've just been under you for long enough to know the ins and outs! Sounds like you brought a guest, but I can't serve anything at the moment... It's quite a mess out there..."

"The darkness encroaches on us, perhaps even closer than before..." Taiki mumbles, playing along. "We've been doing our best to hold out but looks like even our combined forces aren't able to push them back." Ei gently puts a hand on the exo's shoulder, knowing he's just trying to fit in.

"So it's already gotten so close to home..." Furuyama mumbles. "My neighbors wanted to take me with them and escape but I've decided to stay. And with the almighty shogun here I have even less reason to." He snickers at the thought. "But if this is something that even she can't deal with entirely... Where would I run?"

"You've remained so calm... Yet monsters are just about knocking on our front door..." Taiki says. "Are you sure you'll be alright when we're gone?"

"I have no regrets." Furuyama replies. "People flee and panic from situations like these because they still have unfinished business. Me on the other hand, I have no such regrets."

"Spoken like a true philosopher." Taiki says.

"I remember the stories the shogun would tell me over tea, her dreams would take me throughout the most beautiful parts of Inazuma with just her words alone. She's quite the romantic." Furuyama chuckles.

"That doesn't sound like Ei at all..." Shard mumbles quietly, but both the exo and the shogun hear him, and the two both flick the insensitive ghost, causing him to vanish into Taiki.

"As dire as the situation may be, I have no reason to not be satisfied." Furuyama says. "Pity I'll have to bid the almighty shogun goodbye one last time... Pity I won't be able to see Inazuma rebuilt by the shogun..."

"Even if you don't make it... We'll make sure that your death isn't in vain." Taiki says, gently shaking the phantom's hand. "We can at least promise that."

"Such a valiant warrior you are..." Furuyama chuckles. "It's no wonder the almighty shogun brought you along. Pity you'll only see me as a befuddled old one if I am still alive after all of this... Oh goodness me speaking of befuddled... The almighty shogun is here and I don't even have tea ready!"

"Don't worry." Taiki chuckles back. "We've held them off for this long, at least."

"Give me a second to... Wait a minute... Where did it go?" Furuyama mumbles, his hands looking for an invisible tea set. "I thought I just had it here a second ago... I hope it wasn't smashed during the mass panic."

"We can fetch it for you, if you'd like." Taiki says.

"What? Good heavens you mustn't! I can't possibly have my guests bringing it for me, that would be shameful on me!" Furuyama replies, laughing in the process.

"Just take a rest Furuyama, we'll go find it." Ei giggles. "This tea house is unlike the one you're used to."

"Oh all right." Furuyama chuckles. "The almighty shogun personally goes to collect my tea set for me... Is that a stroke of luck? Or a final regret?" And with that Taiki and Ei leave the phantom to whatever he needs to do before he's reabsorbed, walking off to a distance where the ghost won't be able to hear them.

"I still want to honor his memories." Taiki says. "Think we can find one at the Kamisato Estate?"

"We should go there." Ei replies. "I'm feeling nostalgic for his tea as well..."

"Even if we don't make it by the time he's reabsorbed, we'll still have his final moments." Taiki says as he and the shogun bolt off for the Kamisato Estate.

Chapter 33: Chapter 32: Bittersweet

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The fact that the almighty shogun herself and her mercenary suddenly turned up at the Kamisato Estate had many on edge, but the fact that she only came for a simple tea set had some confused, but still working to find one as soon as possible.

"So... The person Furuyama was speaking of... The person he referred to by your title..." Taiki says. "I'm assuming you have a twin?"

"I seldom had time to sit down and drink tea, I was too busy practicing my martial arts." Ei replies. "He's been serving my sister, Raiden Makoto the whole time. He probably knew of both of us, but he played off being delightfully oblivious pretty well."

"From the sounds of it you two had vastly different views on eternity." Taiki says.

"Her idea of eternity revolved around dreams... Ambitions." Ei replies. "They're the same yet they're not. I had my own view of eternity."

"Which you've explained to us before." Taiki says. "But I assume that changed?"

"When the traveler barged into the plane of Euthymia and fought me a second time human aspirations lit up during our fight. It made me realize my sister was right the whole time." Ei replies. "Ambitions are concrete and will be replaced. Makoto pursued the drive that creates these ambitions, rooted in instinct. That on the other hand... Is eternal. I didn't understand it at first, how are we supposed to maintain eternity against evolution?"

"Her idea of eternity lined up with humanity more than anything else." Taiki says.

"Elegant and simple, it took me a long while before I finally understood it." Ei replies. "I no longer cling to what was lost, I now move forward."

"Oh! We found a set!" A Kamisato soldier calls out. "Should be fit for use."

"Thank you, we'll be taking our leave now." Ei says as the two make their way back to Furuyama's location. Just as the exo and the shogun expected though his ghost has been long reabsorbed into the ley lines, with only a flat stone marking where he would have had his tea set.

"He was only able to be sustained for so long." Taiki says. "Figured it'd only be a matter of time."

"The fact we were even able to meet him is a stroke of fate in itself." Ei replies.

"Perhaps you've picked up his skills?" Taiki asks.

"A couple, I should be able to brew up something good." Ei replies as she gets to work. Her hands may be shaped by war, but she still manages to brew up some piping hot tea.

"I could never." Taiki chuckles as Ei finishes.

"So many memories flashed by me as I made this..." Ei mumbles. "Not only did that war take Kitsune Saiguu... I also lost Makoto for good..."

"I don't blame you for taking it so hard, even up to now." Taiki replies.

"She was no fighter- I was the one that did all the fighting while she made peace." Ei says. "She had gone off to the war without me knowing until it was too late... Perhaps she wanted to put herself in front of me, perhaps to hide me... I still remember rushing to her... She had taken her last breath, in my arms... The only thing I could do then was enter her own plane of Euthymia. I could never understand..." A tear falls, and then another. "Why couldn't I have been the one to go?" The exo gently puts an arm around her, gently squeezing her. The shogun is initially taken aback by how gentle he is, despite the fact he's a robot, but she continues on. "I was actually able to save this plane and bring it back to Inazuma for my pursuit of eternity, but by the time I got back the sacred sakura you know suddenly appeared."

"I can't say if it was sudden... Miko talked to me about it as if it had always been there." Taiki replies.

"I'd like to think that Makoto's last wishes, the last of her strength, gave rise to this tree." Ei says. "But it's with the power of the sacred sakura that I was able to bring Inazuma out of darkness... These memories still burn, they still hurt to look back at... But I must, if I'm to press onward."

"I've mentioned it before, but you're not the only one." Taiki says.

"You've told me of the bloodshed you've had to experience as a guardian..." Ei replies.

"I remember Crota... How he slayed almost millions of lightless guardians..." Taiki begins. "I remember Ghaul... How the red war stripped everyone of their light for years, and the casualties that resulted from it... And then..."

"Cayde..." Ei finishes the exo's sentence. "I heard you say that name under your breath... Perhaps he was a brother figure to you?"

"Indeed." Taiki replies. "Our last mission together saw his ghost destroyed, and I was too late as well... By the time I reached him he was dying... The only thing I could do, was say my goodbyes..." And with that the two hug each other tight, with the exo's eyes dimming and the waterworks flowing for the shogun. "We've seen so much tragedy... So many lives lost... I know you've wondered when it would all end before... I have too..." Shard remains quiet, letting the two have their little moment, and they stay like this for a good few minutes before letting go, drying up whatever tears were left. "Might as well savor the bittersweet memories before that tea goes cold."

"You're right." The shogun says, rubbing her eyes. "And then we have to get going."

 

Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Soul Suspect

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"I hope we made it in time Petra! Maybe the young wolf's already down there helping him out! I swear to god I'm going to murder every single fucking Scorn I see when I'm done with this!"

Taiki takes a sip, letting the memory consume his mind.

"MAKOTO?! WHERE ARE YOU?! Damn! I can't see anything! I pray that she's still alive, she should have told me!"

The horrible memory flows into Ei's mind as she takes a sip.

"That's the biggest damn Scorn I've ever seen so far. I think Cayde might actually be alive! Hold on! We're... Coming... No... Impossible..."

The exo takes another sip. The taste burns just as strong as this moment.

"Monsters... They're still here... No... No no no no no no... Don't tell me... Makoto?! Can you hear me?!"

The shogun takes another sip- this one burns even stronger.

"No... Cayde... We were too late..."

Taiki finishes his cup, remembering how he had slumped to his knees and started punching the ground out of disbelief, remembering how absolutely distraught the young wolf was holding Cayde's limp body in his arms.

"No... This can't be happening... Makoto...? Makoto?! Please... Say something... Anything! You can't be dead! I won't believe it!"

Ei finishes her cup, remembering how quickly she had entered her sister's plane of Euthymia hoping for some semblance of her consciousness only to be met with a cold, dark void, remembering how she wanted to curl up into a ball and die right then and there.

"I imagine... It was just as hard for you as it was me, no?" Taiki asks.

"Yes... It was... But we both reacted differently." Ei replies. "I shut myself away for millennia... You on the other hand... You told me of the bloody rampage you went on."

"I borderline committed genocide against an entire alien species." Taiki mumbles. "And THEN I shut myself away when all was said and done..." And with that they gently set the cups down next to the unfinished cup, left for the late Furuyama out of respect.

"Are you two okay?" Shard asks as he materializes. "You went through a lot there."

"Please don't tell me you saw me crying..." Taiki mumbles. "Exos don't cry."

"You totally were. Both of you." Shard chuckles.

"Fuck off." Taiki grumbles as he flicks Shard, and Ei does more or less the same, causing the teasing ghost to dematerialize.

"Ow..." Ei mumbles as she rubs her finger. "I thought that was some sort of plastic."

"Nope, that's pure metal." Taiki replies. "Let's get going though."

"Right. This should be the last of the monsters if I guess correctly." Ei says, but yet another sparking episode happens.

"Are you sure you're okay Ei?" Taiki asks. "You've been doing that ever since you got here?"

"I'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Ei replies as the two rush off to the location of the last sakura root. The damage to this one is more severe than normal and the rifthounds that are present only seem to be of the large variant. Once more Ei sticks out her arm, barring Taiki from fighting as she charges in. A few minutes in though something worse happens to Ei as a sparking episode happens again and this time Ei finds herself paralyzed for a few seconds. "GAH!"

"Ei!" Taiki shouts.

"What?! Why now?!" Ei growls as she struggles to make her body move but alas her arms are frozen in place and her feet are practically stuck to the ground. A few more seconds pass before she is able to move again, but it's too late as one of the giant alien wolves rams her into the exo, causing them to tumble over one another.

"You're being reckless." Taiki says as he slowly helps Ei back onto her feet. "Leave this one to us, take a rest."

"I..." Realizing that she nearly got herself killed before Taiki's eyes the shogun relents. "I'm... Sorry."

"It's all right. You should know when a fight is too great for you to take on alone, it's saved my life countless times." Taiki replies as he goes to bring out crown splitter once more.

"Hold up! I'm detecting more of that energy again!" Shard calls out as not one, but three ghosts emerge from the wound. They're all dressed in yoriki samurai attire, and they all have their swords ready.

"Hold up... The almighty shogun is here too?!" The leader of the three asks. "You're not hurt are you?"

"A little stiff, but I'm fine." Ei replies.

"Come men! Let us protect the shogun!" The leader shouts. "We will put our lives on the line for her excellency!"

"Incoming forces! Move!" His right hand man shouts.

"Don't! It's too dangerous." Ei pleads.

"Danger is our middle name." The leader chuckles. "What would we be without never fearing it?"

"Plus, we can always call upon the godly heavens from above to help us." The third samurai says, and Taiki sees the visions on them. "We were starting to despair when you had gone... Now with you here it's reignited our spirits!"

"The power of the gods..." Shard mumbles. "You've been blessed?!"

"If we've been given a vision the high heavens expect a lot out of us... Let us prove their worth and defend the shogun!" The leader shouts. "Everyone on me!"

"Roger that!" Taiki shouts as he takes up a fighting stance alongside the ghostly samurai.

"We weren't expecting backup at a time like this... We'll take it either way!" The leader guffaws. "Protect the almighty shogun!"

"Charge!" Taiki shouts as he and the phantom leader charge forward towards the attacking rifthounds.

 

 

Chapter 35: Chapter 34: An Internal Struggle

Chapter Text

Taiki's skills shined alongside his ghostly allies as they made short work of the rifthounds- eventually the battle boiled down to the samurai keeping the alien wolves distracted long enough for Taiki to come crashing down on one of them and inflict massive damage wherever he landed. With the last of the hounds gone the three samurai sheathe their blades for the moment being and Taiki looks to them proudly.

"I've never fought like that before." The leader chuckles. "I don't think I've ever seen such strong spirit from you either."

"Thank you all..." Ei says.

"You sure you don't need to rest more?" Shard asks.

"I'll be fine, thank you very much." Ei replies.

"They'll definitely be back soon, and it'll be more than just those dumb alien dogs." The right hand man says. "You need to escort her excellency back to Inazuma City and regroup with the general's forces as soon as possible. We'll hold the line from here."

"We are brothers in arms." The leader says. "So long as we stick together, nothing will stand in our way!"

"Spoken like a true warrior! You are sure to be among the many that will create a legacy that will last for years... No, an eternity!" Taiki replies, playing along. "We'll get her back as soon as possible. I'm unsure of the general's current whereabouts but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them, and I'll definitely be sure to pass down the valiant efforts you made."

"Now you're just spoiling us with praise!" The leader laughs. "But that's what we're here for! The almighty shogun after all is the one that can turn the tides and bring Inazuma out of the darkness! No matter what happens, our faith in the shogun will never falter!" Ei is silent for a few seconds, but when she recollects herself, she smiles.

"Once again, thank you all." Ei says. "I promise when the war is finally over, that I create the Inazuma that everyone desires. I know this is late, but from now on, I will be true to my word!"

"Don't worry your excellency." The leader chuckles. "So long as you're leading, we won't doubt your words! Glory to the shogun!"

"Glory to the shogun!" The other two samurai shout before they vanish, reabsorbed into the ley lines once more.

"At least they went out the way they wanted." Taiki says, remembering how he had played along for the phantom captain, Furuyama and now the three ghostly samurai, how he became a part of their reality and helped them live out their last moments with joy and valor.

"I can't help but thank you." Ei replies. "I definitely think your actions made it a lot easier on them."

"I did what I could." Taiki says. "But that promise... I think that was more of one you made to yourself than anything else..."

"It was for the people... And myself." Ei replies. "Through all the grief I've suffered it blinded me to the splendors of humanity, their final moments and how they shined so brightly in the face of death... I feel like I've dishonored them."

"So what you said to those ghosts..." Taiki says.

"Was the same thing you were doing, playing along and helping ease their troubles before they were reabsorbed." Ei replies. "But they are still due a resolution. I owe them a huge favor for putting so much faith in me."

"If you think about it, you're still the ruler of Inazuma, even if it's not in person all the time." Taiki replies. "The city has flourished beyond the dark days they spoke of, and most importantly, the people still hold faith in you."

"...I don't deserve those kind words..." Ei says. "Those are but basic duties of an archon, and I have neglected them for far too long... Inazuma doesn't need a warrior to rule the land... They need someone like Makoto. I still need to do the things she would have done, even if I could never be half the person she was."

"Humans should trust you." Taiki replies. "Look at me, I was once just a random "robot" washed up on the shore, but the people learned to trust me. I became a local hero to them. If they can learn to trust someone like me, then they've already put their trust in you."

"And I should not be the one to hold them back." Ei says. "Change will come to Inazuma soon, and with it new possibilities."

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Taiki chuckles. "But I'll support you every step of the way, as your personal mercenary, and as a friend."

"The future will heal the scars of the past, and I look forward to seeing what it brings." Ei chuckles back. "For now let's leave this matter to the tri commission- those rifthounds won't be coming back any time soon."

"Well, let's go then." Taiki says as the two slowly begin to walk out of the cave where the sakura root was located. A few steps out of the cave though and Ei's condition turns even worse as the sparking episode happens again- this time on a much more drastic level as Ei's entire body freezes up mid step and she nearly collapses had Taiki not caught her. "Ei!"

"Aagh!" Ei gasps out.

"It's happening again... Are you okay?" Taiki asks.

"My body...! It won't... Listen to me... I can't move!" Ei struggles to say as she finds herself unable to stand of her own willpower, sparks of purple lightning running about her body every few seconds. "This is worse than I thought... Guh!"

"I have to get you to the city right now!" Taiki says.

"No... No need... She is calling me... The time has come..." Ei whimpers out. "I need to get to the cave... Below the Grand Narukami Shrine..."

"Come on Ei, easy now." Taiki says as he slings an arm around the shogun and helps her walk. She's barely able to muster enough strength in her legs to get them to move, albeit with a terrible limp, and the two slowly but surely trudge towards the shrine. the sparking continues as the shogun begins to lose more and more steam, struggling to even lift her feet as if they were stuck in glue, and eventually Ei can't move another step as she attempts to grab her leg and force it forward with little to no success.

"It's getting worse as we speak..." Ei says through clenched teeth. "She's... Not too happy about me... And isn't letting me do what I please with this body..."

"We're almost there... Just... Hold out until then." Taiki replies. "But at this rate we're going nowhere fast... If you'll let me carry you." Ei can't move her head away to hide the rather obvious blush as the exo proceeds to sweep the shogun off her feet, bridal style, and he begins covering more distance.

"He's so warm..." Ei says in her head. "Wait did I really just say that?! GAH! Why am I saying this in my head?! SHUT UP EI! SHUT UP!"

"Huh? Is something the matter?" Taiki asks as the two reach the cave.

"No... Nothing... You can put me down now..." Ei winces as Taiki carefully sets her back on her feet and a torii gate suddenly emerges, opening up a portal with it. "It's high time... I severed ties with the past and took... The first steps into the future... You may come if you'd like." Mustering just enough strength to make her legs move again Taiki helps Ei into the portal while Shard vanishes into Taiki to wait out the warp.

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Heart of The Rebellion

Chapter Text

"Ugh... I hate warping like that..." Taiki mumbles as the exo barely stops himself from throwing up whatever was left in his biofuel system. Ei stands before him and Shard, but someone else is also there as well- someone that the exo wasn't expecting. "Wait... If you're here Ei... Then is that-"

"The almighty Raiden Shogun, yes." The other shogun replies. "We meet again... This body is the assistant to the one within, but it is also the guardian of the rules... Should the one within stray from them, this body will stand in her way..."

"A-what?" Taiki asks, completely baffled.

"I think I understand..." Shard mumbles. "When Ei created the shogun puppet, she based her own body on it as well, a spitting image of her own likeness if one will... And the shogun technically has complete control over Ei's body as a result..."

"That does make sense..." Taiki mumbles back, simply letting the conversation run.

"You have wandered the world in my body, and you appear to have grasped the true essence of eternity." The shogun puppet begins. "You have put more faith and trust into your present self, but is this a result of enlightenment? Or erosion?"

"Well I'm here to show you my answer." Ei replies sternly. "We are both warriors after all. The only way to settle this talk now... Is by crossing blades."

"Surely there's a more peaceful method than this?" Shard asks warily. "Most of the fights that Taiki won were with sheer wit."

"Are you even able to fight in your current condition?" Taiki asks Ei. "You were barely able to move, let alone walk." Ei can now properly look away to hide her blush, something the shogun puppet notices.

"That was only happening due to the puppet's resistance." Ei quickly replies. "Here she cannot affect me because we technically exist as two different entities. She'll call me here to confront me about various things... The fact that I'm entertaining the idea of change included. Your ghost was right when he said that she has her own separate consciousness."

"Finally, someone appreciates my wit!" Shard says, only for the shogun puppet to flick a tiny bolt of lightning at the ghost, not causing any damage but he does shut up quickly after.

"This definitely takes the term "internal struggle" to a whole new level..." Taiki mumbles.

"The Raiden Shogun is a key monument of my past, all of my ideals in one body. She's not very easily swayed." Ei replies. "She was built to resist erosion and I don't dare change her unless it's an absolute necessity."

"So... There's no other way out of this, is there?" Taiki asks. "I like fighting myself, keeps me on edge, but this is something else... All for the sake of Inazuma."

"I am the symbol of supremacy." The puppet begins. "The power of the entire realm lies within me, I am what constitutes the "Raiden Shogun". I inherit Ei's pain, the loss that comes with moving forward, I inherit her drive to reach eternity. Everything I do, every step I take, is to avoid erosion. Emotions like rage and love, hatred and joy... These will be lost to the flows of time... But rules are eternal."

"When I first created you, those were the thoughts running through my head at that moment in time." Ei snaps back. "Now these thoughts... And in term you... Are now an obstacle that I have no choice, but to face head on."

"You wish... To become my enemy?" The puppet asks, surprised. "I am THE Raiden Shogun! I am your past, the everlasting law, guardian of eternity!"

"And I am she who promised a dream to her subjects... Raiden Ei!" Ei shouts before the two charge at one another. They move too fast for Taiki to see, and Shard can only see snapshots of them clashing through giant bolts of lightning. Captured through Shard's eyes the two shoguns unleash hell on one another, clashing with their blades hoping to get an opening, and Ei manages to land a fatal blow on the shogun puppet. The two leap back to assess the damage, but the shogun puppet almost immediately begins regenerating, healing the stab wound completely as if it were nothing more than a mere nuisance.

"...Are you sure you aren't a guardian Ei?" Taiki asks. "Cause only the light is able to heal that fast when it acts."

"This place... Works differently from the plane of Euthymia you know." The shogun puppet simply replies as the two prepare to go at one another again. Once again they're too fast for the exo to catch, but Ei lands another fatal hit somewhere in the struggle. The shogun puppet grunts in pain as Ei's blade finds itself plunging into her neck, and when the two leap back the puppet find herself on one knee.

"...That was so fast... Did you actually beat her?" Taiki asks.

"If I can fight as fast as Ei... Then I can heal just as fast." The shogun puppet simply replies as the wound regenerates once more. "But your skills have not faltered... How long can you keep that up?"

"No way... She still wants to fight!" Shard says in disbelief. "Yet you've basically killed her twice already!"

"Those were just mere slip ups." The shogun puppet replies. "I will not be swayed so easily."

"Her will is almost unbreakable... But I must prove to her that my current state is not due to erosion. Otherwise Inazuma will be caught in stasis." Ei says to Taiki. "Whether this take days, months, years... Even centuries, I will drive my point through until she can literally feel it in her head."

"And what of the people in Inazuma?" Taiki asks.

"500 years ago humanity proved their strength in battle." Ei replies. "They learn to adapt, to overcome their hardships, to cut away the old and weary so the new may spring into place. It's high time I trusted them."

"You are their beacon of hope, Ei..." Taiki says in a last attempt to get Ei and the shogun puppet to rethink this through.

"If Makoto spoke true, what's a few hundred years without my rule?" Ei asks. "I'm fighting for the sake of Inazuma, no matter how long this lasts. I vow to one day return, and you shall be my witness to this oath!"

"Ei!" Taiki and Shard shout.

"Everything is in Miko's hands now." Ei begins.

"Please... Pass on our words." The shogun puppet finishes before the two of them proceed to create a shockwave that knocks the exo and his ghost out of the plane. "Now that our outside influences have been cleared up... Shall we pick up where we left off?"

"Not like I had any other choice." Ei says as the both of them brandish their polearms.

 

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: For The Last Time

Chapter Text

"Ugh..." Taiki mumbles as he and Shard recollect their bearings. They've found themselves in the cave once more, with the portal that the torii created long gone. "She really gave us a good thrashing there... I'm afraid of how long this is actually going to take."

"You're not the only one." Shard replies. "Now that the shogun has basically denied Ei access to her own body she's basically stuck in that plane until she can knock some sense into the puppet."

"Still... I can't help but feel as if it's my duty to get back in there and rescue her." Taiki says. "I feel like she's walked into this without thinking things through."

"That's what I'm thinking as well." Shard replies. "If Miko's anything to go by Ei sometimes has a habit of losing whatever her initial purpose was, the time she locked herself away in her throne world to state a point. The only way Ei is going to come back is if she wins her fight against the shogun puppet."

"But the only way to ensure her... Their own safety is to get back in there." Taiki says. "As much as I don't like the way the shogun puppet thinks, that's still a crucial part of Ei- if she accidentally destroys it in their clash, or it's broken otherwise, she's going to have to spend a long time making a new one."

"I told you Ei's a titan!" Shard calls out. "Don't you remember the times other guardians had to bail you out of a tough situation?"

"I still think she's a hunter. You saw the way she fights!" Taiki replies. "And hunters are just as guilty of making mistakes!"

"You saw the brute force both of them were putting out!" Shard barks back.

"So you're saying hunters aren't capable of hitting that hard?" Taiki asks, thinking of Cayde. "Okay let's just end it here for now, we're not getting Ei out by arguing... Let's go see Miko and see what she has to say about this."

"Sure thing." Shard replies as the two climb their way up the mountain to find Miko, who's currently sitting at the steps of the sakura with a bowl of udon and fried tofu. What's more surprising to the exo is the fact that a set of tails are visible, and once he realizes this fact Miko quickly finishes up her bowl before looking at him.

"Don't utter a single word about this." Miko says sternly as her tails dissipate for the moment being.

"Understood." Taiki replies. "I follow your word just as strongly as Ei's."

"Happy to hear." Miko says. "So, what brings you at a time so late? Don't... Exos need sleep?"

"That's the weird part..." Taiki says. "I need food and everything else, but I don't exactly need sleep. Sure I go into a sort of standby mode that resembles sleep but otherwise I can quite literally jump back into action in the blink of an eye. Speaking of Ei, something... Serious has happened with her."

"What happened this time?" Miko asks.

"Well... Ei has started to change ever since we first hung out with her, the shogun puppet didn't take too kindly to that thinking Ei eroded, and as we speak the two are fighting with everything they've got in Makoto's plane of Euthymia. From what I was told, Ei has no idea how long the battle will be, so Inazuma is without their almighty shogun for an unknown period of time." Taiki explains in a nutshell. "She also told me to tell you that Inazuma is in your hands until she gets back to us." Shard quickly flies off from Taiki towards the Tenshukaku where much to the ghost's horror the shogun is completely gone, a fact he relays to the exo as soon as he gets back.

"That I can confirm." Shard says. "So, where do we go from here?"

"So Ei charged in headfirst without thinking, fighting an almost unwinnable war that doesn't even have an end date..." Miko mumbles. "She can be so immature at times."

"Would explain her sweet tooth." Taiki says. "Raiden Makoto is no longer with us... So will getting into her throne world even be the same?" Miko cocks her head to one side in confusion.

"He means Makoto's realm of consciousness... Guardian talk." Shard clarifies.

"That's precisely why it's hard to triangulate the exact location. With an unknown end date to add to the equation that means it's going to be hard to find Ei at the end of her duel." Miko says. "I can open the portal again but if you were to try and enter as you are you'd most certainly get lost, even on the way back. I'm not sure how an exo consciousness works but if you want to enter a... Throne world as you put it, and suffer no negative effects, you have to place your consciousness in a physical object. I don't know if your current body acts as a grounding object."

"Unfortunately I don't know the answer to that either." Taiki replies. "But I was tossed out by Ei and the shogun puppet and I'm still fine so... I guess I'm okay?"

"If Ei had to throw you out she had to have known the exact time you guys first entered so she doesn't throw you into... Say Inazuma during it's dark age, so it doesn't seem like your exo body works as a grounding object." Miko theorizes. "Just to be safe I have a couple of things I'm gonna need to discuss with you before you go rescuing your girlfriend."

"For the last time Ei is not my girlfriend!" Taiki shouts, his eye flickering like crazy. "A-Anyways that aside we need to create a point in time that we can rely on so when we do come back we'll know it's the same time period."

"And how are you going to do that?" Miko asks.

"An old warlock taught me a few tricks when he studied the Vex." Taiki replies. "Fortunately we're not going to need actual mind fluid or whatever they're made out of for this to work... You can lend a hand if you want Miko."

"Osiris must be laughing his head off by now, probably going on about how his theories finally got through to at least someone." Shard mumbles.

"Probably." Taiki says. "Does Teyvat have an equivalent to simulation seeds?"

"I'm sorry... Simu-wha?" Miko asks, completely baffled.

"I'm sorry he's going into guardian talk again." Shard replies. "He's looking for a sort of... Magic crystal."

"Oh! We do have those actually." Miko says. "Let me mark a huge vein I found while going around the shrine... Whatever your friend has in plan has me interested."

Chapter 38: Chapter 37: The Greatest Shogun Who Ever Lived

Chapter Text

Miko found herself deeply absorbed into the process of whatever Taiki and Shard were making, with the exo mining every single piece of magic crystal he could at the vein she had marked and chopping down multiple trees with crown splitter as an impromptu axe. He had also been accumulating a large pile of plain iron as opposed to the more durable white iron to make up the base of the device.

"All right... This should go here..." Taiki mumbles as he does his best to recreate a vital piece of the device, and a couple days pass before finally it's complete and Miko looks at the finished device in confusion.

"...What... Is this?" Miko asks as she looks at the finished product- it looks like an oversized catalyst, as big as she is, with the center parts being completely composed of all the magic crystal the exo could find, and the various other materials slowly revolving around it thanks to the crystal's properties.

"It's a very crude time dial." Taiki replies. "This was actually inspired by an interesting fellow I worked with back in my world who created what was basically a time machine called the sundial."

"And this thing can control time?" Miko asks.

"Not necessarily." Taiki replies. "This thing would make up the pinpointing mechanism of the sundial. Basically what I've created is a solid reference point in time."

"When Taiki sets this thing to spin it'll spin rapidly... For a good few minutes." Shard replies. "That way we can triangulate what time to come back to judging by when the device stops spinning."

"Sounds complicated but I'll go with it." Miko says. "Now let's head to that gate." And with that the trio heads to the torii gate that held the portal to Makoto's throne world. "As Ei's familiar I can get a good sense of her whereabouts. I can't send you to the exact location but I can at least get you near Ei."

"I don't know how intensely they're fighting but they've probably more than stirred up the realm." Shard says. "Is that what's making it so hard to pinpoint her exact position?"

"Precisely. This chaos can create temporal tidal waves that can easily send the unexpecting off into the vast emptiness." Miko replies as she reopens the portal. "And it's about what I expected too."

"So... How do we reach Ei without drowning in the seas of time?" Taiki asks.

"Your will must be strong." Miko replies. "Focus constantly on your heartfelt wishes once you're inside and I'll be able to send you to the right destination. I'll stand by in case anything happens."

"Roger that." Taiki says, saluting Miko. The guuji only giggles in response before watching Taiki and Shard prepare to enter.

"I'm placing my god in your capable hands... Please, for the sake of Inazuma, bring Ei back." Miko pleads.

"If we could help bring the greatest titan who ever lived back to the mortal realm, surely we can bring the archon of Inazuma back home." Taiki replies valiantly.

"...Just don't tell Ei I said that..." Miko mumbles. "Please." And with that Taiki and Shard jump through. Almost immediately as soon as the two are inside they see time itself ebb and flow, with plant life rising and falling all at once, entire cities built and crumbling in one breath, but the exo remembers the reason he's here in the first place, to save Ei... From herself. Remembering the guuji's advice Taiki closes his eyes and lets fate guide him to the warring archon, his wishes glowing radiantly in his mind. What seems like hours pass by when finally Taiki can begin to hear the sounds of clashing blades and crashing thunder- a sign that he's here, but then he feels himself succumbing to gravity, and he opens his eyes to reveal that he did in fact reach Ei and the shogun puppet, but he's being dropped from several feet above the ground.

"Oh crap!" Taiki shouts as he finds himself falling to the ground.

"Wait... Impossible!" Shard calls out as he scans the area in Makoto's plane of Euthymia. "Her ideals... They've... Coalesced into... The light?!"

"The light you say?!" Taiki shouts back. "Then use it!"

"Hang on!" Shard calls out as he begins absorbing this light-like energy before channeling it into the titan. As soon as Taiki feels his striker abilities returning he charges himself with arc energy, going from haplessly tumbling through the air to coming crashing down like a missile, and then he hears the fighting stop for a brief moment before he crashes down to the ground in a hero-style landing. When he finally looks up, he sees a surprised shogun puppet and a VERY shocked Ei, and Shard finally catches up with the exo.

"You're... Back?! Impossible!" Ei says in disbelief. "How did you get back in?! And... How come you haven't changed at all in... All these years?! Surely you haven't rusted over by now?!"

"Wow, real crude Ei." Taiki chuckles. "What are you going on about?"

"This is a duel to remember!" The shogun puppet says valiantly. "It's almost as if we returned to when the laws of eternity were first established. Your will today is just as strong as back then. Even if I made the entire universe... Time itself stand against you, it would not break you!"

"That's not going without saying you have just as strong a will for the rules." Ei replies. "You've brought honor to the title "Guardian of Eternity.""

"And now these two are back." The shogun puppet says. "Perhaps this was fate... So... Let this be our final duel, the conclusion to what began 500 years ago."

"Final duel you say?" Ei asks as she readies Musou Isshin once more, but this time Taiki puts a hand on the archon's shoulder, surprising her.

"I don't think we can let you do this alone." Taiki says.

"Ho?" The shogun puppet asks, surprised. "You wish to make me your enemy too?"

"Far from it." Taiki replies to the shogun puppet before looking to Ei. "I know you've been trying to handle everything yourself, prove yourself to your sister. You've told me."

"Taiki... What are you going on about?" Ei asks.

"What I'm saying is, there are times where you need to fall back and call for help instead of charging forward with reckless abandon." Taiki replies. "Don't do what I did countless centuries ago." Ei stops to think for a few seconds before realizing what he's going on about, and she nods.

"You're right." Ei says as the shogun puppet smirks.

"Allow me to make this a more... Even battle." The shogun puppet says as she closes her eyes, and a bolt of lightning comes crashing down next to her, revealing another instance of the shogun puppet. "Now, show me your mettle!"

"Gladly." Taiki says as he pounds his fists together, creating arc sparks.

"Your light!" Ei says in shock.

"I know, it's back... At least in here." Taiki replies. "Now let's do this Ei... Together." He says as he whips out crown splitter.

"Let us take the next step, and be the start of something new." Ei says as she and Taiki stare down the two shogun puppets, ready to end this duel once and for all.

Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Duel of The Fates

Chapter Text

Almost immediately the two shogun puppets made the first move, both advancing on Taiki at once.

"Take THIS!" Taiki shouts as he leaps high into the air and infuses arc energy into crown splitter before slamming his sword on the ground, leaving behind a cloud of electricity when he hits the ground. Unfortunately that doesn't do very much to either one but it does distract them long enough for Ei to act, unleashing a flurry of lightning quick slashes on one of the two puppets. This manages to stagger the one and the archon steps back as Taiki moves in to deal brutal damage, whacking the shogun puppet over and over again with his sword before finally he proceeds to let loose a spinning kick that sends her flying.

"You're certainly strong, but how long can you keep that up?!" The shogun puppets shout simultaneously as they pay attention to Ei and start attacking her. "Our duels lasted long enough to witness the rise and fall of nations!" One of them shouts.

"The energy consumed enough to turn day to night, to vaporize oceans!" The other shouts. "Their will enough to crush dreams and pierce minds but here you still stand, with an ally let alone!"

"I shall endure forever!" Ei yells back defiantly as she and Taiki move in and begin going crazy on the puppets. Moving too fast for anyone to keep up Ei unleashes another series of lightning fast slashes that catch the puppets off guard, staggering them long enough for Taiki to begin juggling them into the air with overpowering swipes and uppercutting slashes.

"Go for it!" Taiki shouts as Ei proceeds to tear open a small portal to her own plane of Euthymia and create an explosion that sends the puppets flying. A strange electro eye then begins floating just above their shoulders and Taiki quickly moves forward while the puppets are still trying to recover- this time pulling out the Ace of Spades and firing at both of them. Arc charged shots fly out of the restored gun, knocking the puppets back, but once they finally regain their bearings they both put up a shield that blocks any and all shots fired. "Oh! Copying my skills huh?! Then get a load of THIS!!!" The exo screams out as he clips his sword to his back and leaps high into the air again, but this time he charges his fists with arc energy, coming crashing down on one of the shogun puppets and driving his fists into her head.

"UGH!" The puppet shouts out as her shield is broken and Taiki leaps into the air again before coming back down and caving her head in. This time the puppet falls to the ground, completely blown away by the attack, and Taiki proceeds to go after the other puppet, performing a fast and violent shoulder bash that floors the other puppet. With every supercharged attack Taiki unleashes he grants his own energy to Ei through the electro eyes and slowly but surely the archon is gaining even more power than she could ever imagine.

"This power... It's unlike anything else!" Ei says as Taiki stands beside her and the puppets recollect themselves.

"Now, let us show you real power!" One of the puppets shouts, looking to the other before the two dissipate into a mass of electro energy. The two masses combine into one and before the two know it an even stronger foe emerges from the mist- she looks like the shogun if she were more heavily armored, with a golden headpiece that resembles a pair of horns, a shoulder pauldron that could put Zavala's to shame and samurai platings at her side. Floating on both sides of this super shogun are a pair of massive mechanical arms made out of pure electro energy, with one of the arms carrying a giant-sized Musou Isshin, and a pair of physical mechanical hands. "Tremble before the Baleful Shadowlord!"

"Okay... That could be a problem." Shard says as the super shogun starts unleashing attacks with it's humongous sword, nearly cutting Ei clean in half had she not jumped out of the way.

"How in the world do we beat THAT?!" Taiki shouts to Ei.

"You know how!" Ei shouts back as the mechanical hands begin circling around Taiki with the intent of crushing the exo like a tin can. Fortunately Taiki is faster, jumping out of clapping range just in time as he and Ei begin attacking the super shogun. They only manage to get a few good hits in and dent it's electro shield before the baleful shadowlord proceeds to teleport well out of range. Ei almost immediately recognizes what's going on and pulls Taiki close to her.

"WITNESS, THE FINAL CALAMITY!!!" The super shogun screams out as the arm carrying the super sized Musou Isshin gears up for an unavoidable attack, and Ei almost immediately begins searching for a way out.

"What are you doing?!" Taiki asks as Ei discovers a counter in the form of a small sakura petal.

"I got this one!" Ei shouts as she goes to grab it, but she's far too late as the sword starts coming their way. With no time to grab the petal Ei raises her sword in a seemingly futile attempt to block it, but as she expects death to come knocking on her door it doesn't happen. Instead she hears a thunderclap and when she looks to her left she sees Taiki has moved next to her and is also bracing the gigantic sword against his own, reigniting her fighting spirit.

"How interesting!" The super shogun says as both Taiki and Ei begin pushing back the blade. "Your will is as strong as ever, even in the face of utter death!"

"THE WILL I CARRY WITHIN ME WILL NEVER BE ERODED NOR DESTROYED!!!" Ei screams out as she and Taiki let out a battle cry and parry the monstrous blade away with sheer force. As the blade is forced out of lethal range Musou Isshin begins glowing even brighter than normal, and the masterless vision on Taiki's armor begins to shine with a strange red hue.

"Taiki... Your vision! It's glowing!" Shard calls out as everyone recollects their bearings.

"What?! What's this?!" The super shogun shouts as Ei's sword shines bright and Taiki's vision explodes with light, awakening with a new power, and the two supercharge their blades with this new energy.

"All right Ei! Let's finish this, once and for all!" Taiki shouts out, looking to his ally.

"Right!" Ei shouts back as the electro eyes dissipate, showering the two with extra power, and with that they go all out.

"INAZUMA SHINES ETERNAL!!!" The two scream as they charge at the super shogun, with Taiki letting loose arc charged punches and Ei unleashing slashes too quick for anyone to see. Finally this proves too much for the super shogun as it gets sent flying with Taiki's last punch and Ei begins slicing away at the armor- the two pummel the super shogun for over five minutes before finally the baleful shadowlord can keep it's form no more, being forcefully returned back to it's ordinary shogun puppet form. The other puppet dissipates into purple electro particles and the main puppet finds itself falling to the ground from several feet above. As soon as their energies run out Taiki quickly catches the shogun puppet to break her fall, and as soon as the shogun puppet is able to stand on her own he quickly rushes back to Ei's side, having completely exhausted himself in the fight.

"This... Is the end..." The shogun puppet says between heavy breaths. "You... Have won."

Chapter 40: Chapter 39: Last Call

Chapter Text

All three combatants found themselves collapsing to the ground out of sheer exhaustion, with Ei and Taiki leaning on one another for support and the shogun puppet barely managing a proper seiza despite her legs feeling like they're on fire.

"That vision... It awakened during our battle." The shogun puppet says as she and Ei look at the vision. The vision itself appears to be a yin-yang of red and purple, with the pyro and electro symbols mixed into one. "I've never seen anything like it... Had the vision hunt decree still been in effect this would have been seized... And analyzed."

"I can understand the electro part, considering you always used it, but where did the pyro come from?" Ei asks. "That's what I'm confused about."

"Pyro... Solar..." Taiki mumbles in his head, and once more memories of Cayde flow through his mind as he looks at the Ace of Spades. "It was Cayde's element..." He says, looking at the hand cannon.

"Nonetheless, I most certainly underestimated you when we fought, I underestimated your fighting spirit." The shogun says. "But a will that cannot be eroded... Has no way to embrace the future."

"You don't need to worry about the future, you're not alone." Ei says. "I know your power more than anyone else. Had I relied on strength alone, I would have been toast... Yet my reasons for fighting have changed me. The heavens above are watching me."

"That's not the only thing I noticed..." Taiki mumbles. "Musou Isshin was glowing."

"That power was like nothing I'd ever seen." The shogun says. "And that... Gun... I even noticed it shining... Almost as if it were aflame."

"Wait you did?" Taiki asks. "When did that happen?"

"Roughly the same time Musou Isshin started glowing." The shogun replies. "You were using your fists and your blade at the time, so you must have not noticed in the heat of battle." It's then that Taiki notices that he's given the shogun puppet a black eye from one of his punches.

"Oh... I'm..." Taiki slowly trails off.

"What's the matter?" The shogun asks.

"Taiki has left a bruise or two from his attacks." Ei replies.

"Worry not, I simply have not recovered all of my energy yet. Once I do they will go away in a matter of time." The shogun puppet says.

"It almost feels like Makoto is with me whenever I use this blade... It was especially strong during our battle where that was all I used." Ei mumbles. "Yet she barely ever used a blade in her life."

"I was never a hunter like Cayde was... But every time I use that gun, it almost feels like he's guiding my very moves with it... Showing me all of his tricks." Taiki adds as the three of them stand up, fully recovered from the battle. To test out his theory Taiki ushers Ei and the shogun puppet away so he doesn't accidentally burn them, and following Cayde's movements from how he remembered pyro energy begins converging on the Ace of Spades itself. With a rising thrust Taiki summons forth Cayde's famous golden gun with a crack, and he can fire up to six high powered shots from the hip before his energy drains.

"Side matters dealt with..." The shogun puppet begins. "You have my approval. You have not succumbed to erosion, so I shall not hinder you whenever you change the rules."

"I won't make any rules that can't be changed from now on." Ei replies.

"This body shall remain your assistant, but I feel that is no longer the case." The shogun says.

"You used to represent my past, but from now on, you are me. Makoto never saw me as a mere weapon. I should not see you as a mere tool."

"So this is the growth humans speak of." The shogun chuckles. "I shall become your shadow, just as you did for Makoto. My duties will not change, but I do look forward to fighting like that again in the future."

"While we are definitely NOT going to fight to the death, I can entertain that for you. I need someone to keep me on edge myself." Taiki chuckles. "Same place?"

"Preferably." Ei says. "I don't want you two to mess up my plane of Euthymia."

"God it's gonna be weird jumping between the both of you." Taiki chuckles.

"Hold up, I'm detecting a strange energy coming from Musou Isshin." Shard says as the three notice the sword glowing even brighter than normal.

Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Peacemaker

Chapter Text

Musou Isshin starts to glow brighter and brighter- the electro mitsudomoe on the hilt beginning to shine with a strange light. This light then proceeds to shoot out of the sword, with sakura petals floating around it like a vortex until finally the petals dissipate, revealing a glowing purple ball floating just in front of the trio. Shard goes to scan the strange entity, but the shogun puppet bonks him with her polearm, causing him to vanish for the moment being.

"Amazing... What just happened?" Taiki asks, but the voice that comes out of the strange purple ball suddenly makes Ei weak at the knees.

"Greetings Ei, and all those present." The voice begins. It sounds like Ei, and Taiki looks to Ei to make sure he's not being tricked- but the archon herself is at a complete loss for words, her jaw dropped and her knees knocking. "I am Raiden Makoto. I'm the previous electro archon who sadly failed in her duties, and then proceeded to leave you guys to pick up the pieces."

"Impossible... Makoto... Is that really you?" Ei asks in a shaky voice.

"I'm so happy... Sister, you've come so far, I had a feeling you'd make it here in the end." Makoto replies gleefully. "I left a piece of my will inside Musou Isshin, a piece that would be released when you unleashed it's full power."

"So... Are you still..." Taiki trails off, not sure what to make of the situation.

"I know, it's a very convoluted way to reach you Ei." Makoto chuckles awkwardly. "But you held such deeply entrenched views at the time that well... You wouldn't listen to a thing I said. I couldn't wait for you to have a change of heart... Forgive me, all I could really do was wait until you came to me."

"You... You never mentioned anything of this to me..." Ei replies, trying to fight back tears. "If you'd told me... Then-"

"It happened so suddenly... I'm sorry." Makoto says. "I should have been imparting my ideas to you bit by bit, to dissuade you from your pursuit of stasis..."

"Did you know what was going to happen in Khaenri'ah?" Ei asks.

"Only a few... No archon in their right mind would ignore it." Makoto replies. "As we speak, I can't really perceive time. I don't know how long it's been since we last saw each other, and I don't know what happened to Inazuma either... But this must have been a long and hard journey... You've wanted to cry... I know..."

"...Don't look down on me... I already am..." Ei whimpers out as Taiki gently puts an arm around her shoulder.

"See, you admit it." Makoto giggles. "I had a feeling this would happen, and I don't really have much time left. I have a gift for you." And with that something emerges from inside the orb, gently floating into Ei's open hand where it transforms from a simple sakura petal to a seed. "Now all that's left... Is for you to take the next step." Taiki slowly steps away, standing alongside the shogun puppet.

"...How are you taking this, almighty shogun?" Taiki asks. Initially the shogun is silent, but the exo can hear her sniffle a few times.

"I'm... I'm doing just fine." The shogun replies.

"The miracle tree that blesses the people, in this moment new to the world and yet to be known." Makoto begins. "When to plant it, where it shall bloom... She who brings it into being must let her heart and dreams decide."

"Is this really...?" Ei mumbles to herself as she holds the seed.

"Grant it life Ei... If you can take... You can give." Makoto gently replies as Ei closes her eyes and imbues some of her own energy into the seed before dropping it on the ground. The seed plops through the floor like a raindrop before slowly but surely growing into a young sacred sakura tree. "Eternity extends time into infinity, dreams illuminate each moment within. When both shine in unison, the sacred sakura blooms from the darkness, free from the clutches of the heavenly principles." As the tree finishes growing buildings that resemble the Inazuma that everyone has known begin to appear around the tree, with Ei looking around in awe. Taiki then slowly walks over, joining Ei and taking in the view before seeing what appear to be watery holograms, visions of what's to come for Inazuma. "Now the nightmare has been dissipated and reality is made whole. The vision we both yearn for is still ahead."

"...Shall we?" Taiki asks Ei, who only nods in response as the two slowly begin walking towards the holographic city, stepping from the "now" and into the "future" of Inazuma.

"I only regret not being able to witness this future, to walk this path down with you, but it seems... You already have a confidant capable of that." Makoto giggles, acknowledging Taiki. "My final wish has come true, and I couldn't be any more happier... You were always there with your polearm at the ready, ready to defend me, ready to protect from the countless calamities we've endured. I felt like I was indebted to you, and I wanted to do something in return. Now... Possibly eons later... I get to finally return the favor, even if it's not in full. The sacred sakura will buy you time until you are ready to awaken and embrace the new." Both Taiki and Ei can feel a weight being lifted off their shoulders as the sacred sakura glows, cleansing them of their burdens. "What do you think? Did that do the trick?"

"It... It did..." Ei softly replies, more tears falling as she sees Makoto begin to ebb.

"Well... My time is up... This time it really is goodbye... Ei." Makoto says. "And to you, who has been with my sister through thick and thin... Please, take care of her." Taiki only nods in response before Makoto lets out one last giggle and she vanishes.

"...Goodbye... Makoto..." Ei finally says before the waterworks flow again and Taiki gently pulls her in for a hug, gently squeezing her. As this happens the shogun puppet can't help but shed a single tear herself, knowing the toll this has taken on everyone. "...Thank you... For everything..."

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: A Legacy To Behold

Chapter Text

When all is said and done Taiki, Ei and the shogun puppet all leave Makoto's plane of Euthymia, set to return to their own time.

"I created a mechanism that would help us keep our time period accurate." Taiki says as Ei makes sure that the time period hasn't been messed up.

"No need for that, I already have the exact time." Ei replies. "You might want to hold onto something so you don't get sick. You really don't seem to like warping." Meanwhile on the other side...

"Taiki?! Are you there?" Miko shouts out through the portal, hoping to get some response from the exo. "Ei?!" Still nothing. Finally, after looking around to make sure nobody is standing nearby looking at her like a doofus, Miko tries one last callout. "Guardian?!" A few seconds after she says that the portal dissipates and Ei and Taiki slowly walk out. "Oh thank the archons you two are back safe and sound. I was starting to get worried because that sundial thingy of yours stopped spinning half an hour ago."

"I didn't think we'd be out that long." Taiki says. "I got caught in the crossfire."

"You did not get caught in the crossfire." Ei giggles. "The shogun even agreed to spar with you every other monday so you wouldn't lose your edge."

"Ho? Is that what I think I'm seeing?" Miko snickers, noticing that the two are holding hands. "Well first thing's first, let's get back up to the shrine, my maidens are probably wondering why I was suddenly calling out "Guardian!" over and over..." And with that the three head up. "So how did it go?"

"It was unlike anything I've ever experienced." Taiki replies. "The battle we undertook, and remember the sacred sakura? This big tree we're standing before? Apparently Ei here planted it in the past."

"The Ei of this time period, the one we're with right now, planted the sacred sakura?" Miko asks. "Quite incredible."

"You have my sister Makoto to thank for that." Ei replies. "She understands eternity much better than me. It's a concept intimately linked with time, only gets murkier the more you touch on eternity."

"I still can't believe what we saw in there." Taiki says. "Time marched to the beat of it's own drum. If it wanted to wind back it winded back."

"So that was the turbulence I was seeing. It's no wonder you two had no issue getting back here." Miko replies. "And that dissonance is now gone."

"I'd like to think it was all because of that seed." Ei says.

"Perhaps there was a higher being at play here, I'm not sure myself." Miko replies.

"Whatever the case, without the sacred sakura we would not be in the Inazuma we know and love." Ei says.

"You know, you keep going on about how important the sacred sakura is, how there's a divine connection, but in reality it's always been there." Miko replies. "You keep saying it's there because of Makoto but you could never win."

"It's no wonder it looks the way it does." Shard says as he looks at the tree.

"Only about half an hour passed since Taiki first went to look for you. Perhaps it was longer in there?" Miko asks.

"I had my wishes in my head the whole way there." Taiki replies.

"On top of the chaos there were some extra anomalies in the plane that were both a help and a hindrance. Perhaps the one that took you to the exact time of the fight was Makoto herself, but we have you to thank Taiki, for bringing the almighty shogun back home." Miko says, patting Taiki on the back.

"I honestly thought the flow of time was the same. You said it was only half an hour? It felt like centuries to me. When Taiki barged in I thought something happened to Inazuma while we were gone, but it looks like he came to save me from myself, quite literally." Ei giggles. "I can't thank you all enough."

"I swear!" Miko laughs. "You two are made for one another!"

"Miko... Please..." Taiki says, exasperated.

"Say, Ei, how are you doing?" Miko asks.

"I'm feeling better, the shogun's no longer resisting." Ei replies.

"I mean emotionally. You saw Makoto didn't you?" Miko asks.

"I only heard her, but yeah... I'm fine now." Ei replies.

"She was crying into Taiki's chest." Shard bluntly points out and Ei proceeds to punch the ghost, causing him to dematerialize, before she rubs her fist in pain.

"It brought some things back but I'm moving forward either way." Ei says. "She's so darn brilliant, even factored in my immaturity into her plan! She had plans for every singe path Inazuma could take."

"You played just as big of a role Ei." Taiki replies.

"I just planted a seed." Ei giggles.

"Still a huge contribution no matter how you look at it." Taiki replies before everyone ends up spacing out for a minute or two.

"I can't thank you enough for stepping in and saving me." Ei says.

"At long last, Inazuma steps out of the shadows. With you and Makoto as past and future, we'll be looking at a much brighter city." Miko says.

"I surprised to hear you say something like that but thank you." Ei replies.

"It was only because you were too stubborn back then and didn't listen to anything I said." Miko snarks.

"Makoto said the same thing." Shard adds.

"I guess great minds think alike." Miko laughs. "Perhaps that's qualification for me to... Take up shogun for a few days?" Miko giggles as Taiki and Ei immediately facepalm upon the request. "Kidding, that's too much for me."

"Well with that aside, I have to get back to work." Ei says. "The shogun and I will have to look over Inazuma and how we're going to progress from here, and then the sakoku decree shall be abolished."

"So we're getting more than just trade routes?" Shard asks.

"We are no longer a city under stasis, it's high time we opened up to the other nations." Ei replies. "Sure that might stir up new troubles..."

"But it'll also bring forth new opportunities." Taiki says, finishing Ei's statement.

"...Get a room already!" Miko laughs, and at this point Ei and Taiki have had enough of Miko as they begin to advance on her. "Uh oh! Gotta go!"

The guuji could be seen running through Inazuma city with a very irate shogun and mercenary nipping at her heels.

Chapter 43: Epilogue: Lonely No More

Chapter Text

"HAAH!" Taiki shouts out as he summons forth his golden gun and starts firing at the shogun. She's quicker to react, weaving around and deflecting shots with her blade, but this leaves her open as the exo proceeds to move in and go in for the killing blow. Suddenly the exo stops crown splitter just a few inches from the shogun's body, and he smirks. "Looks like I win this round, and our match as a whole."

"All of those new techniques and that still did not throw you off?" The shogun asks. "If you can best Ei, my creator, perhaps she may even let you found your own martial arts tradition."

"Um... I don't do martial arts." Taiki chuckles. "But still, I'd say that was a good match."

"Don't expect the same thing next time." The shogun says as the two shake hands.

"I never do." Taiki chuckles as he leaves Makoto's plane of Euthymia and returns to Inazuma, the shogun having helped him work quite the sweat for an exo. Unsurprisingly Ei is waiting at the portal with a bottle of dango milk, a bottle that Taiki quickly takes and downs the contents.

"She really gave you a run for your money, hm?" Ei asks.

"Yeah, she's probably THE best training partner I've ever worked with." Taiki replies. "Really lets me try out my vision." He adds as he finishes off the bottle. With that out of the way the two head back up to the Grand Narukami Shrine where Miko is too busy working to tease the two, but Taiki decides to test his luck and draw his fortune.

"So... What is it?" Ei asks.

"Wonderous fortune..." Taiki mumbles. "How about you try?"

"Um... Sure." Ei replies as she draws her fortune. This time when she reads it she looks at it and blushes. "...Blissful fortune..." The two slowly read the contents of their fortunes, realizing what they mean, and the two immediately stare at Miko, who simply looks off to the side, pretending not to notice. "Well, I guess there's no harm to trying your luck now is there?"

"Nope, not really." Taiki says. "I'm getting a little bored though, and I'm tired. Wanna head out to the city food stands and see if they have anything good?"

"Sure, I guess it couldn't hurt." Ei replies as she creates a small rip to her plane and then to Inazma City, creating a makeshift portal that they quickly pass through. Even here signs start to point in a certain direction when the two stop by the food stand that always sells dango milk.

"Wait... What is this... Pocky?" Taiki mumbles as he reads the description of the new product.

"Apparently people are playing a game with these candies." The stand owner says. "I can make a stick or two if you two want to try."

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Ei replies as the owner takes a long and thin biscuit stick and dips one end in chocolate. "This one's on me."

"So how do you play this game?" Taiki asks.

"The both of you have to basically bite down on the stick until there's no more... It's hard to explain." The owner replies. "It'd be better if you experience it yourself." And with that Ei decides to take the end that's not covered in chocolate and stick it in her mouth. Taiki then proceeds to bite off a bit on his end while Ei does the same. Eventually the stick gets smaller and smaller and their faces draw ever closer, with Taiki's eye flickering and Ei blushing like mad as they find themselves with a small piece of the pocky left. Finally Ei makes the move, biting off the rest of the pocky, but at the same time her lips crash into his and her eyes shoot wide open upon realizing before they quickly draw away.

"Um..." Taiki mumbles. "That... Wasn't too bad was it?"

"That... That wasn't bad at all." Ei replies. "I... I guess I didn't mind." It's then that they realize that they're starting to draw a crowd in the form of other people, and they become even more flustered.

"Um... I'm gonna get going! BYE!" Taiki calls out. "Wait... Did I just kiss THE Raiden Shogun?! Ugh there's too much going on in my head!"

"Uh... YEAH! BYE!" Ei shouts as the two rush off in opposite directions. "That was my first kiss... And it was with him! God I don't know how to feel about this!"

The resulting rumors about them would last an eternity... Much to their chagrin.

The End