"Poisoned?"
Yae Miko was the first to react.
She hurried over to examine Sayu.
As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she was naturally well-versed in medicine and healing.
"Someone actually dared to poison food right in front of me?!"
Ei's expression darkened.
This was Inazuma.
Inside Tenshukaku.
And worst of all...
It had happened to the tri-color dango she was so proud of.
This was nothing less than a direct provocation.
An insult to a god.
"They'd better pray I don't find them..."
"Or else..."
A cold light flashed through Ei's eyes.
"...Have you considered the possibility..."
"...that Sayu only looks 'poisoned' because she ate the dango you made?"
The Raiden Shogun calmly offered another theory.
After all...
Those pitch-black things didn't exactly look edible.
It wouldn't be surprising if they upset someone's stomach.
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
Ei immediately rejected the idea.
Yes...
Her basic cooking skills were lacking by... a tiny little bit.
But there was no way they could actually poison someone.
She'd eaten her own cooking before.
So even if something had gone wrong...
It had to be caused by something else.
"...Could it be the Delicious Seasoning?"
A thought suddenly struck Ei.
After all...
That seasoning was the only new variable.
While she was deep in thought...
Miko finished examining Sayu.
"Don't worry."
"It's not poisoning."
She smiled reassuringly.
"...That's good."
Ei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But then she frowned again.
"If it isn't poisoning..."
"Then why did Sayu react like that?"
"You probably won't believe this..."
"But she simply ate something she shouldn't have."
"So her stomach couldn't handle it."
Miko's expression became rather strange.
As expected...
Her intuition had been right.
Those burnt-looking things...
Really weren't fit for human consumption.
No matter how incredible they smelled.
"...Miko."
"Are you sure?"
Ei's face nearly froze.
Wasn't Miko basically saying...
Your cooking is the problem.
How could that be?
"I'm quite certain."
"I don't know how you managed to produce such an amazing aroma..."
"But I do know your cooking."
"Accept reality, Ei."
Miko's smile was full of amusement.
Before...
Her food had merely tasted bad.
Now...
It had evolved.
It could actually make people collapse.
Her dear friend truly was extraordinary.
"Come on, Sayu."
"Let's leave."
"Give Her Excellency some more time to study the culinary arts."
"Yes, Lady Guuji..."
Sayu nodded repeatedly.
After this...
She definitely wasn't eating random food anymore.
Especially anything cooked by the Shogun.
It was terrifying.
Even though Miko had eased her discomfort...
Her stomach still felt awful.
After the two of them left...
Only Ei remained in the reception room once again.
Well...
Along with one lonely skewer of black dango.
"Next time you visit the boss..."
"Read a cooking manga."
"For everyone else's safety..."
"You really shouldn't cook anymore."
The Raiden Shogun slowly shook her head.
The Delicious Seasoning was merely a supplement.
The true issue...
Was the food itself.
If the base dish wasn't edible...
Problems were inevitable.
And now...
Someone had practically been "poisoned."
"I don't believe it."
"I'm going to test it myself."
Ei made one final stubborn attempt.
She picked up the remaining skewer...
And began eating it.
"So?"
"How does it feel?"
The Raiden Shogun watched curiously.
Would Ei end up poisoning herself too?
"Nothing happened."
"It tastes even better than the dango sold outside."
Ei snorted confidently.
However...
Not long after she finished eating...
A slight discomfort spread through her body.
Fortunately...
She was the Electro Archon.
Unlike Sayu, she didn't collapse.
She merely frowned slightly.
At least...
Her cooking retained a tiny shred of dignity.
Naturally...
The Raiden Shogun noticed everything.
But this time...
She didn't tease Ei.
First...
She'd already teased her enough today.
Second...
The Delicious Radishes had finally ripened.
"Let's see."
A trace of anticipation appeared in the Shogun's eyes.
She walked over and harvested one.
Ei also noticed.
Closing her eyes...
Her consciousness entered the Plane of Euthymia.
When the Shogun looked toward her...
Ei pretended not to care.
"I just came to take a look."
"Go ahead."
"The Delicious Radishes are mine."
"I assume that a mighty Archon like yourself wouldn't steal someone else's belongings?"
The Shogun ignored the remark.
She merely reminded Ei before carrying the harvested radish away.
"I wonder..."
"What kind of food is inside?"
She looked at the Delicious Radish with genuine anticipation.
The feeling was...
Surprisingly enjoyable.
She gently lifted the upper half of the radish.
Warm steam drifted into the air.
Inside...
Lay seven or eight perfectly made skewers of tri-color dango.
Not Ei's charcoal creations.
These were proper dango.
Pink.
White.
Green.
Beautifully arranged.
The enticing aroma drifting from them made anyone's mouth water.
Compared with Ei's version...
They were worlds apart.
The Shogun couldn't resist.
She picked up one skewer...
And took a bite.
"...Mm."
"Delicious."
A rare smile appeared on the Raiden Shogun's usually expressionless face.
This...
Was wonderful.
No wonder Ei loved sweets so much.
"...Damn it."
Watching the Shogun happily enjoying the dango...
Ei became even more depressed.
She had personally cooked hers.
And they nearly poisoned someone.
Meanwhile...
The Shogun had done absolutely nothing.
Yet she had an entire pile of perfect dango.
The comparison only made Ei feel worse.
The more she thought about it...
The more irritated she became.
She decided to leave.
Watching any longer was simply torture.
But then...
Something happened that left her completely speechless.
The Raiden Shogun...
Casually threw away one skewer of dango right in front of her.
"Y-You..."
"How can you waste food like that?!"
Ei stared in disbelief.
Something she desperately wanted...
Was being treated so carelessly.
"Oh?"
"You're still here?"
"I simply can't finish them."
The Shogun waved her hand nonchalantly.
Then...
She tossed away another skewer.
"...That's enough!"
Ei finally exploded.
Anyone who failed to cherish tri-color dango deserved punishment.
Shing!
A flash of violet light appeared.
The Musou Isshin materialized in her hand.
"Shogun."
"Fight me."
"If I win..."
"All of your dango belong to me."
"If I lose..."
"I'll grant you one request."
Ei pointed her blade forward and declared coldly.
"Very well."
A faint smile appeared on the Raiden Shogun's face.
The next moment...
Two violet figures clashed within the Plane of Euthymia.
Even Han Feng probably never would have imagined...
That Ei and the Raiden Shogun would eventually become opponents.
Not because of differing views on Eternity...
But because of...
A few skewers of tri-color dango.
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