The passage linking the real world to the space of consciousness was filled with fragments of time—fleeting scenes from moments the three of them had once lived through, each pulled from different points in their past.
Neuvillette's coat snapped lightly in the shifting currents as he surveyed the corridor. Compared to the others, his past was almost mundane—largely composed of Fontaine's endless affairs and measured judgments. Lora's memories, by contrast, flickered with far greater turbulence.
After crossing the river of fractured moments, they stepped into the vast expanse of the consciousness space.
It stretched outward without visible limit, so immense that even she could not discern its edges. Yet both she and the Dragon Sovereign sensed that it was not truly infinite.
Ei drew in a steady breath. "Let's find my sister's consciousness at once."
But neither of the others moved.
Standing still, Lora gestured calmly behind her.
"You might want to look behind you first, Ei."
Startled, she turned.
There stood a figure nearly identical to herself, a naginata resting in her hand, watching them in silence.
"You are… the Shogun."
She recognized her instantly.
"This body exists to uphold the inner self and preserve the laws," the Raiden Shogun replied evenly. "Should the inner self waver from them, this body will act as correction—even if it must become a blade against her."
Her gaze passed across the three of them in turn.
Ei said nothing.
"The person you are now," the Raiden Shogun continued evenly, "is far removed from the one who established Eternity five centuries ago. Have you truly grasped its meaning… or has time slowly worn you down?"
Ei met her gaze without flinching and released a quiet breath.
"I didn't want to have this conversation now. But if I don't make things clear… when she returns, she may be disappointed in me."
She straightened, her voice steady.
"I have found it. The Eternity that belongs to me—and to the people of Inazuma."
"Have you?"
The Shogun's expression did not change.
"We are both warriors. There is only one language we truly share."
Her grip tightened around the naginata.
"Battle."
Ei exhaled softly. Turning to the two behind her, she said,
"I'm sorry you have to see this. This is something I must settle myself. Please step back."
"It's fine." Lora waved dismissively. She quite enjoyed this sort of spectacle.
Fight. Fight.
The Dragon Sovereign remained silent, but he did not move from his place beside her.
The Shogun lowered her stance slightly, lightning gathering along the blade.
"I am your past," the Shogun declared. "The unyielding law that endures across the ages. The guardian of Eternity."
Ei drew the Musou Isshin, lightning racing along its edge.
"And I am Raiden Ei—the one who allows her people to dream."
Lora spread her hands as Hydro gathered in her palms. Water condensed into two delicate lenses. She handed one pair to the Dragon Sovereign.
"Here. No need to thank me. No time to find proper sunglasses—these will do. They'll handle the glare."
He accepted the Hydro-forged spectacles without comment and put them on.
Moments later, two translucent chairs formed behind them.
"Have a seat."
They settled in to watch.
One wielded a naginata. The other held the Musou Isshin. When their blades collided, violet lightning exploded outward. Thunder tore across the void, arcs of electricity flashing into existence before dissolving just as quickly. Space itself fractured under the strain, only to stitch itself back together in their wake.
They surged apart, then crashed together again. Advance, retreat. Strike, counterstrike. Neither gained the upper hand.
Before long, Lora began to grow bored. She curled sideways on her chair and glanced at him.
"Hey, Neuvillette. They're going to keep this up for a few centuries. If you get tired, just take a nap."
"A few centuries?" He frowned slightly.
Seeing the flicker of concern in his expression, she waved a hand lazily.
"Relax. This place is sealed off from the outside world. Time moves differently here. No matter how long we stay, when we leave, it'll still be the instant we stepped in."
Only then did he feel somewhat at ease.
Before long, Lora had already drifted off against her chair.
The two identical figures continued their duel without pause. Watching such overwhelming power collide again and again, the Dragon Sovereign found himself quietly absorbing insight from every exchange.
He glanced at her sleeping form beside him, then summoned a veil of shimmering water that settled around them both, softening the impact of the violent shockwaves rippling through the void.
After a moment, he closed his eyes as well.
Their sleeping postures could not have been more different. Curled sideways in her chair, she looked almost childlike. He, by contrast, remained upright and composed. Even at rest, the dignified bearing of Fontaine's Chief Justice did not leave him.
Within the consciousness space, lightning alone dominated the horizon—flashing endlessly across the dark expanse. Amid that relentless sea of thunder, the Hydro barrier remained steady, untouched by the storm.
In the distance, two violet silhouettes collided and separated, again and again, each clash birthing arcs of blinding light.
...
As time drifted on, the two violet figures continued their relentless clash.
The Dragon Sovereign stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
They were still fighting.
There was no way to tell how much time had passed.
He glanced beside him—Lora remained fast asleep.
Gently, he reached out and roused her.
"How long were we asleep?"
She shifted, blinking groggily before focusing on him. Her gaze flicked briefly toward the distant flashes of violet light.
"Probably… around five hundred years."
"Five hundred years…" he repeated, a trace of disbelief entering his voice.
She, however, looked entirely unconcerned.
"Time isn't really our problem. A hundred years, a thousand—it doesn't change who we are."
She was a deity, though unlike the Archons. Her existence was bound to the Primordial Sea itself. Barring some overwhelming force, she would endure without limit. Time alone could not wear her down.
"Five hundred years…" he murmured again, thoughtful.
Lora rose from her seat and stretched lazily.
Despite half a millennium of stillness, her body showed no stiffness; it remained loose and fluid as ever.
Her gaze fell upon the veil of water shielding them from the storm of lightning beyond. Then she turned back to him.