Ei regarded Lora at the head of the resistance. Her expression held neither anger nor agitation. She drew a measured breath and unsheathed Musou Isshin.
"I am the Goddess of Eternity. With this blade, I uphold my will. As a deity of another nation, do you truly intend to stand with Inazuma's rebels?"
"Deity?"
Lumine and Kokomi both turned toward Lora. Though Lumine had long suspected Lora was far more than a mere Adeptus of Liyue, hearing Ei name her a god still sent a quiet shock through her.
"I am simply fulfilling my obligation," Lora replied evenly. "After all, when doing business with your fox, one must keep their word."
Her fingers closed around Judgment of the Raging Sea.
The greatsword manifested in her grasp, and the waters surrounding Narukami Island rose and fell in subtle resonance, as though answering its call.
"This disturbance won't go unnoticed," Lora said quietly to Lumine and Kokomi. "The rest of the Tenryou Commission will arrive soon. Once Ei and I enter the Plane of Euthymia, I won't be able to protect you. Don't fail me."
"You have our word," Kokomi replied firmly.
"Remember," Lora continued, "if you wish to overturn the will of the Goddess of Eternity, only the will of her people can do so. That is why I brought you before the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
"The Visions…" Kokomi murmured, her eyes shifting toward the statue where confiscated Visions lay embedded.
"Exactly."
Without another word, Lora stepped toward Ei.
Ei's gaze lowered to the blade in Lora's hand.
"To have never crossed blades with Morax remains a regret of mine," she said quietly. "You preside over justice. To face you in battle is no small honor. Whatever the outcome, I will hold no one accountable."
Lora gave the greatsword a light swing.
"Then let's begin."
Lightning flashed.
The world dissolved.
…
When the scene stabilized, Lora stood upon pale sand beneath a dim, oppressive sky. Crooked torii gates leaned in silent rows around them.
"Ready?" she asked calmly.
"That is my line."
Ei's body dissolved into lightning and shot forward.
A veil of water rippled into existence before Lora. Musou Isshin sliced through it in a single arc—yet the severed water fused together again, lightning racing along its surface in crackling brilliance.
Judgment of the Raging Sea came sweeping in from the side.
Ei pivoted instantly. Steel met steel.
The impact thundered like crashing surf. An immense tidal force drove Ei back several steps. Yet there was no killing intent within it—only overwhelming pressure, restrained and deliberate.
Ei understood immediately.
"Do not show mercy," she said. "If you hold back, you cannot change my will."
"Changing your will was never my task."
Lora surged forward again.
Despite its immense size, Judgment of the Raging Sea moved in her hands as though weightless. Its arcs were fluid, relentless, precise.
Their blades collided again and again, divine weapons striking without fear of fracture. Sparks and lightning intertwined with surging tides.
Within the Plane of Euthymia, two gods clashed.
…
Outside Tenshukaku the Okuzumeshuu and the arriving Tenryou Commission forces engaged the resistance. Lumine and Kokomi held the center, stabilizing their formation.
Then lightning split the sky.
A familiar figure descended.
"Miko!" Lumine called out.
"It's Guuji Yae…"
Yae Miko stepped onto the battlefield, her gaze immediately settling on the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
Kujou Takayuki, commanding the Tenryou Commission, shouted,
"Guuji Yae! Assist us in suppressing the rebels!"
Yae Miko gave him a languid glance.
"I have no time for you. Stand aside."
She had little patience for a man who deceived both superiors and subordinates alike.
Her gohei swept through the air.
With each motion, faint golden motes rose from the resistance soldiers—responding to the Visions embedded in the statue.
"What are you doing—"
Kujou Takayuki froze mid-sentence, realization dawning.
"Stop her!"
"But… Commissioner, she is Guuji Yae…" The soldiers hesitated.
Yae flicked her gohei again.
Lightning surged along the ground and struck Kujou Takayuki, paralyzing him instantly. He collapsed, unable to utter another command.
As her power spread, the Visions embedded within the statue began to blaze.
They answered their owners' suppressed wishes.
Radiant light surged skyward.
Yae exhaled softly and turned toward Tenshukaku.
"The rest is up to you, Miss Lora."
…
Plane of Euthymia
The oppressive sky began to brighten.
Stars ignited overhead—each born from a Vision—linking together into a vast constellation. Golden radiance poured down, transforming the landscape of the realm itself.
Ei looked up.
"…What is this?"
Lora's breathing had grown uneven from the prolonged clash. Unlike Ei—who had honed martial perfection for millennia—Lora was not built for endless close combat. Holding her ground this long was already proof of extraordinary strength.
"These are your people's wishes," she said quietly. "Wishes too strong to remain buried."
Ei stared at the forming firmament.
"Their… wishes…"
For the first time, doubt touched her voice.