Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Kitsune Saiguu Laughs at Raiden Ei

With a loud crash—

Mikoshi Chiyo was kicked straight out from the upper level of Tenshukaku.

She slammed into the ground, sending dust flying everywhere.

The Okujō guards protecting Tenshukaku immediately rushed forward, surrounding the fallen figure with their weapons raised.

"Cough... cough..."

Chiyo brushed away the dust in front of her face.

Ignoring the guards around her, she looked strangely at the Raiden Shogun slowly descending from the sky.

It had been a reunion between old friends.

She hadn’t expected tears and emotional embraces—But she at least expected some basic excitement.

Instead—

There was none.

Did this mean she didn’t consider her a friend anymore?

Feeling the pain in her abdomen, Chiyo gritted her teeth and stared at the Shogun.

"Ei, you’ve become much more decisive than before. Your skills have improved quite a bit too."

Although it hurt—

Chiyo didn’t blame her.

After all, she was the one who requested the spar.

If she lost, she had nothing to complain about.

"I am not the Raiden Ei you are referring to. She is not here."

The Raiden Shogun hadn’t even drawn a weapon.

Just simple hand-to-hand combat was enough to defeat Chiyo.

The gap between a god and an oni was still enormous.

Even though Chiyo had been a legendary warrior centuries ago—

She still couldn’t participate in battles at the level of gods.

So defeating the Raiden Shogun was impossible.

And in the past—

Ei’s sparring with her had mostly been holding back and guiding her.

"Huh?"

Chiyo had just been reflecting on how five hundred years had changed Ei into someone so cold and distant.

But now—

The other party said she wasn’t Ei?

Chiyo’s brain nearly crashed.

"Then... who are you?"

If she wasn’t Ei—

Why was she inside Tenshukaku?

And why did she look exactly the same?

"Wait... are you Ei’s daughter?"

Seeing the identical appearance and fighting style—

Chiyo couldn’t help forming that theory.

If she really was Ei’s daughter—

Then who was the father?

Su Ran?

But hadn’t he only arrived in Inazuma recently?

Lady Makoto really should have explained things more clearly!

"So you’re Ei’s child?"

Chiyo had only come here because she sensed the presence of the Electro Archon inside Tenshukaku.

If Makoto was correct—

Ei should currently be at Narukami Shrine learning to cook.

"In a certain sense, yes. But not entirely. I can also be considered her, though I have changed now. For now, you may treat us as two separate individuals."

Especially with Ei’s current small form.

If the two stood together—

People might actually think Ei was the daughter.

"So what’s your name?"

"Raiden Shogun."

That was simply her title.

"...Sigh. Lady Makoto should really give you a proper name later."

Chiyo felt speechless.

She really shouldn’t have expected too much from Ei’s wooden-headed personality.

Even naming someone properly seemed beyond her.

Who names someone "Raiden Shogun"?

Makoto had mostly talked about Su Ran earlier.

She hadn’t fully explained Ei’s situation.

Otherwise Chiyo wouldn’t have misunderstood like this.

Originally—

She had only been the Raiden Shogun, a tool created by Ei.

Now she simply possessed a full consciousness.

She had become more like a person— 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Rather than a machine.

"..."

Names had never mattered to the Raiden Shogun before.

But now—

With a complete mind of her own—

She also felt that calling herself only "Raiden Shogun" wasn’t quite appropriate.

After all—

"Raiden Shogun" was never meant to refer to a specific individual.

It was a symbol.

That title had already belonged to three different people.

Strictly speaking—

She didn’t actually have her own name yet.

She was only called that because she currently fulfilled the role.

"Come on! Niece! Let’s go find that irresponsible mother of yours!"

"..."

The Raiden Shogun shook her head.

"That won’t be necessary. There is nothing left for me to say to her. If you wish to see her, go by yourself."

There was no longer any common ground between her and Ei.

The eternity she pursued had already been achieved.

She had become the true guardian of eternity.

But Ei had already strayed from that path.

She had abandoned her pursuit of eternity.

So now—

The Shogun had nothing left to say.

In the past—

She might have acted to correct Ei’s mistakes.

But now—

There was no need.

"...Family conflict?"

Chiyo immediately came up with that explanation.

What had Ei done to anger even the Shogun like this?

"It is not a conflict. We are not even the same family. Our paths are simply different."

So the meeting was unnecessary.

"Alright then. Do you have anything you want me to pass along?"

The Shogun paused before answering.

"If you see Su Ran, tell him to come meet me quickly. His promise has not yet been fulfilled."

Chiyo sighed.

Ei didn’t want to meet her—

But the Shogun wanted to meet Su Ran instead?

Was Ei really that annoying now?

"...Alright."

Meanwhile—

At Narukami Shrine.

"Pfft—!"

"You’re telling me that tiny little one is Ei?!"

Seeing the small figure stirring a huge pot with an oversized ladle—

Kitsune Saiguu nearly laughed herself unconscious.

This was too hilarious.

When did Ei become so...

tiny?

It was unbelievably adorable.

"That’s your benefactor’s doing. He separated Ei’s consciousness and used leftover materials from the Shogun’s body to create that little one."

Yae Miko sighed.

After being tortured by Ei’s cooking experiments for days—

Even now she wants to laugh now.

Normally she would already be laughing out loud.

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