Back when her sister had still been alive, Ei's belief in Eternity had never been this extreme.
It was only after experiencing the horrors of the Khaenri'ah War that her mindset truly changed.
To her, Eternity was the ideal closest to the Heavenly Principles.
That became the foundation of her philosophy.
In Ei's eyes, only by pursuing Eternity could Inazuma continue to exist forever and avoid suffering such a hopeless destruction again.
That was, until she encountered that mysterious manga shop.
For only 100,000 Mora, one could obtain miraculous rewards.
Makoto's experience had already proven that.
Ei herself had witnessed it firsthand.
Because of that, her faith in Eternity had begun to waver.
Rather than sealing herself away and entrusting everything to the Heavenly Principles, perhaps it would be better to strengthen herself—to elevate Inazuma until it possessed the qualification to stand on equal footing with the Heavenly Principles.
In the past, such a thing had been impossible.
But now...
"The manga shop is indeed extraordinary, but what we've seen so far isn't enough. And the Heavenly Principles are not so easy to oppose."
After a moment of silence, the Raiden Shogun slowly shook her head.
She still adhered firmly to her belief in Eternity.
The only reason she was even willing to discuss these thoughts was because she was speaking with Ei.
Had anyone else dared question Eternity in front of her, they would have been greeted by the Musou no Hitotachi.
"Then we'll just keep going back. We have plenty of time to learn more."
Ei waved dismissively.
"That's settled then. Tomorrow I'll bring Kujou Sara along as well."
As for the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree, she still intended to proceed according to her previous plans, though perhaps at a slower pace.
If circumstances changed in the future, she could reconsider then.
"I—"
The Raiden Shogun had barely begun speaking when an angry shout interrupted her.
"This is infuriating! That monster doesn't play fair! It actually ambushed me when I wasn't paying attention!"
Looking at what was happening on her screen, Ei immediately became furious.
One hand gripped the keyboard while the other controlled the mouse as she frantically fought back.
The Raiden Shogun fell silent.
Then she simply shook her head.
"Forget it. I can't rely on her for this."
Her consciousness withdrew from the Plane of Euthymia.
Not long after returning to her body, another figure entered the room.
"Did you meet that woman?"
The Raiden Shogun looked at Yae Miko.
After returning, Miko had gathered information and immediately gone to find the witch.
The Shogun was curious whether she had succeeded.
"I did."
Miko gracefully sat down, a smile dancing in her eyes.
"Alice, her daughter, and Yoimiya have somehow ended up together. You'd better be careful from now on."
In the past, Alice alone had caused no shortage of trouble.
Now three explosive enthusiasts had joined forces.
And judging by appearances, they seemed to be developing something together.
The Raiden Shogun would probably have quite the headache in the near future.
"Where are they now?"
After a brief silence, the Raiden Shogun asked.
She had already sent people to investigate, but no reports had returned yet.
"Inside that hot-air balloon in the sky."
Miko chuckled lightly and pointed outside.
She had already gone to inspect it herself.
The interior was fully furnished and surprisingly comfortable.
It was practically the perfect travel vehicle.
Even she found herself tempted to get one.
I'll ask the boss about it tomorrow, she thought.
"So that's where they are."
The Raiden Shogun nodded.
Her eyesight was exceptional.
She immediately spotted the balloon floating high above.
For her, that was actually convenient.
It would make monitoring them much easier.
"Oh, right. What reward did Ei get today?"
Miko suddenly remembered and asked.
She was genuinely curious.
The Raiden Shogun's expression immediately became serious.
"A sinful object from the Abyss. She's already fallen."
"Abyssal object? Fallen?"
Miko blinked.
What?
Had Ei actually obtained something like that?
The manga shop shouldn't even have rewards like that.
Yet judging from the Shogun's serious expression, she couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"Go see for yourself."
The Raiden Shogun opened a passage into the Plane of Euthymia.
She still possessed the authority to do so.
Inside the Plane of Euthymia.
The moment Miko entered, she found Ei completely absorbed in operating something.
Words like "monster," "weapon," and "punching trees" continuously escaped her lips.
She hadn't even noticed Miko's arrival.
Or perhaps she had noticed and was simply too busy to care.
"Ei, it seems the Shogun was right. You've fallen."
Miko walked over and teased her with a smile.
Truthfully, she wasn't very surprised.
After all, this was the same Ei who had nearly suffered an emotional breakdown because she couldn't read novels while eating sweets.
Granted, that description was somewhat exaggerated.
But it clearly demonstrated that Ei had always possessed the qualities of a shut-in.
Now she had discovered something even more entertaining.
Getting addicted was perfectly understandable.
"Miko, don't listen to the Shogun's nonsense."
Without taking her eyes off the screen, Ei replied seriously.
"I'm merely researching why computer games are so enjoyable. I haven't fallen at all."
She would never admit such a thing.
"I don't believe you."
Miko blinked innocently, her smile growing wider.
"If that's true, then go cook me a meal to prove you haven't fallen."
Ei: (⊙_⊙)
You want me to cook?
I think you're deliberately making things difficult for me.
No, not for Fat Tiger...
For the Almighty Narukami Ogosho herself!
This fox was absolutely shameless.
Why did I ever choose her as my familiar?
Ei felt utterly depressed.
"Take your time playing."
Miko patted her friend's shoulder.
"And remember to visit the manga shop often."
With that, she stood and left.
Seeing Ei's attitude begin to change made her genuinely happy.
After only a single visit to the manga shop, there had already been such noticeable improvements.
If Ei continued visiting and experienced even more of the world, perhaps her way of thinking would eventually change completely.
At that point, Inazuma could gradually return to normal.
Not to mention...
There was still Makoto, five hundred years in the past.
Miko's eyes softened slightly.
"Going to the manga shop was probably the best decision I've ever made."
She quietly murmured to herself before disappearing into the night.
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