Chapter 431: Victory or Defeat (2-in-1 Chapter)

Feeling a sudden chill from the absence of a blanket, Nolan groggily rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened them, only to realize that he was only holding Lumine in his arms.

The two who had slept beside them last night—Eula and Amber—were nowhere to be seen.

Naturally, his gaze drifted toward the sky, noticing its dark and somber hue. It was only then that he realized he had somehow entered the Plane of Euthymia.

Huh? Could it be that the warmth of the girls' blankets was just too comfortable, and he had overslept? Did an impatient Raiden Ei simply pull him in?

"You all seem quite enthusiastic about matters of intimacy between men and women. Besides reproduction, what other purpose does it serve?"

Standing with her arms crossed, Ei looked down slightly, her amethyst eyes filled with confusion as she observed the two of them embracing.

"Ahem—reproduction itself is a pretty significant purpose. Besides, it's normal for lovers to do such things."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed under her gaze, Nolan sat up, still holding Lumine. While casually answering, he opened a spatial rift leading to the room.

One by one, he retrieved the clothes that had been casually tossed onto the bed.

First was Lumine's soft white bloomer shorts and her snug crop top, followed by his own clothes.

Without any hesitation, the two dressed in front of Raiden Ei. Once they were done, she parted her soft lips and spoke:

"Now that you're ready, let's begin the lesson on Musou no Hitotachi."

She had no interest in their personal pleasures. The reason she had pulled them here so early was simply to teach them the essence of Musou no Hitotachi as quickly as possible.

Once they grasped the technique, they could return to practice on their own, while she continued her research on the power of time.

"Alright then..."

Since Raiden Ei wanted to complete today's lesson early, he had no choice but to learn first and eat breakfast later.

Then, a thought struck Nolan.

Right now seemed to be the perfect moment for Raiden Ei to execute Musou no Hitotachi and release Raiden Shogun's consciousness from Musou Isshin.

After pondering for a moment, he found an excuse and said:

"Lady Ei, before we start formally learning Musou no Hitotachi, why don't you give us a demonstration of its unparalleled brilliance? It's said that you once used a single strike to slay a god!"

As he spoke, he made sure to show an expression of eager anticipation.

Hearing his words, a flicker of curiosity appeared in Lumine's amber eyes as well.

The reason she wanted to learn Musou no Hitotachi was because of its sheer power—it could significantly enhance her strength.

But just how powerful was it? She had no idea.

If she could witness Ei's demonstration firsthand, it would at least satisfy her curiosity.

"Did you not already withstand a strike from the Shogun?" Raiden Ei asked, puzzled.

"The Shogun held back in that attack. It wasn't at full strength, so I wasn't able to fully experience its overwhelming might."

Nolan chuckled as he replied.

"Full strength? You wish to witness the true, unparalleled Musou no Hitotachi... Very well. Perhaps by experiencing its essence, you two will be able to grasp it more quickly."

A faint smile appeared on Ei's pale face.

Since this was her mental realm, she could unleash Musou no Hitotachi at full power without worrying about destroying anything.

"Step back a little."

Summoning Musou Isshin into the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei took hold of it in her hand.

Nolan and Lumine stepped behind her, watching in anticipation.

"Hah..."

Raiden Ei spread her long, violet-stocking-clad legs in a steady stance, raising Musou Isshin above her head with a single hand.

Violent arcs of lightning crackled along the blade, releasing a terrifying aura of raw power.

Just as she was about to unleash the same strike that had once slain a god—an unmatched, transcendent cut—

She suddenly lost interest.

If Musou no Hitotachi was aimed at nothing but empty space, it felt dull and uninspiring.

She couldn't reach the peak of her ideal state this way.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing the raging lightning around Raiden Ei gradually subside, Nolan asked in confusion.

"Without a worthy opponent, wielding my blade feels meaningless. Why don't you be my opponent?"

Raiden Ei gazed at him thoughtfully.

She could sense that his strength was considerable.

Even some deities lacked the dangerous aura he exuded.

It was truly unimaginable—

A mere mortal without a Vision, yet he had grown to this extent.

Lumine, meanwhile, brushed a hand through her golden hair, which was still missing its usual floral ornament, and smiled teasingly at Nolan.

"This guy only stands tall when he's goofing around. If he were facing you, Ei, his knees would probably buckle instantly."

"Am I really that bad?" Nolan grabbed Lumine's cheeks and gave them a firm rub before turning to Ei.

"Honestly, my strength is still far below yours. Even if I wanted to take your strike, I wouldn't stand a chance. How about I go get the Shogun instead?"

"When Lumine and I trained in swordsmanship with the Shogun, we could tell she was really passionate about battle. Unfortunately, we weren't strong enough to give her a proper fight."

"Now's the perfect chance! We can use this Musou no Hitotachi demonstration to let the Shogun enjoy herself too. What do you think?"

Hearing his suggestion, Raiden Ei lightly nodded her fair chin and smiled.

"Hmm, I didn't expect you to be so considerate of the Shogun… Very well, I'll call her over now."

With that, she reached out in her mind to contact the Raiden Shogun.

Not long after, another figure identical to Ei appeared beside her.

"This is quite rare. I didn't expect you to personally invite me for a battle."

Raiden Shogun crossed her arms, looking at her "inner self" with surprise.

"I just mentioned it, and here you are. Aren't you looking forward to this as well?" Raiden Ei's lips curved slightly as she gazed at the Shogun.

"Indeed. This body is yours, and you and I are one. I've always had some doubts about which of us is stronger."

As the Shogun naturally lowered her arms, a long-handled naginata materialized in her right hand.

"I underestimated how impatient you are."

Ei felt her fighting spirit stirred by the Shogun, a long-lost passion awakening within her.

She gave "Muso Isshin" a light twirl in her right hand, turning the blade towards the Raiden Shogun. Then, glancing at Nolan and Lumine, she said:

"Watch closely. Soon, you will witness the unmatched and peerless strike!"

"Mhm, Ei and the Shogun, both of you, do your best!"

Nolan nodded lightly and quickly pulled Lumine back to a safe distance.

Based on the original story, Ei's strength should be superior to the Shogun's—that much was certain. But defeating the Shogun wouldn't be so easy.

"A battle between top-tier Archons is a once-in-a-millennium event. Why don't we bring everyone into the 'Plane of Euthymia' so they can witness its power firsthand?"

Lumine tugged at Nolan's sleeve.

"That sounds like a good idea." Nolan sought Ei and the Shogun's opinions, but they had no objections.

With that settled, he asked the others in the Wonderland who would be interested in watching an Archon-level battle.

Of course, everyone was eager for such an opportunity.

Especially Paimon, who, despite being deep in sleep, immediately snapped awake and teleported over.

Before long, all the girls from the Wonderland had arrived, making the "Plane of Euthymia" much livelier.

At that moment, Ei and the Shogun's battle commenced!

With merely the act of gripping their blades, without even moving, an invisible pressure spread throughout the "Plane of Euthymia." Floating mid-air, Paimon let out a "Wah!"

Her legs trembled uncontrollably.

In the next instant—

The blades of the katana and naginata clashed. Ei and the Shogun met each other's gaze with calm determination.

Their blades moved in harmony, effortlessly countering each other's strikes.

Though their attacks seemed simple, like mere fundamental techniques, every slash contained boundless power.

Even a basic clash sent tremors rippling through the space and atmosphere, like distant thunder rumbling within dark storm clouds.

One second, two seconds—time passed.

The battle between Ei and the Shogun grew increasingly intense. Nolan could barely keep up, while Paimon, Sucrose, and Fischl found their eyes struggling to follow.

They couldn't make sense of the battle at all.

Jean, Lisa, and Eula, who were stronger, could just barely perceive their afterimages.

But as the fight escalated, even they lost track.

Since the Knights of Favonius still had duties later, they left early to prepare breakfast.

Only Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon remained.

Perhaps Ei and the Shogun were so evenly matched that they momentarily forgot their original goal—to demonstrate the "Muso no Hitotachi" to Nolan and Lumine.

With no other choice, Nolan and Lumine took turns stepping out to eat breakfast and even escorted Jean and the others back to Mondstadt.

When they returned, Ei and the Shogun were still locked in an evenly matched battle.

There was no sign of a victor emerging.

As noon approached, Nolan couldn't help but remind Ei, "Maybe that's enough. If you keep going, the sun will set, and we still won't have learned 'Muso no Hitotachi'!"

However, he underestimated Ei and the Shogun's determination to see this fight through. At their core, both were warriors devoted to martial arts and battle.

They had only just warmed up—how could they stop so easily?

Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon ended up watching them fight from morning till night.

And still, there was no conclusion.

Now, it was his problem to solve.

Ei and the Shogun were two aspects of the same soul, essentially the same person. Ei was slightly stronger, but not by much—determining a winner in a short time was nearly impossible.

In the original story, Ei and the Shogun also fought in the consciousness realm for a long time. Ultimately, Ei gained a new understanding of "Muso Isshin," and only after receiving the blade's additional power did she earn the Shogun's approval.

Nolan didn't want to wait for days. He had to find a way to make Ei realize the hidden power of "Muso Isshin" sooner.

Previously, he might have struggled to do so.

But now, within the Wonderland, with the "Omniscient Wishes" ability, he could assist Ei.

As for the Shogun… there was no choice but to let her endure a small setback for now. Next time, he would find an opportunity to wish for her victory.

After all, the primary goal now was for Ei to comprehend the hidden potential of "Muso Isshin" and unlock its full capabilities, allowing Raiden Makoto's consciousness to be fully released.

With a plan in mind, Nolan turned his attention to the "Omniscient Wishes" ability, checking how much "wish power" had been accumulated.

Since there weren't many people in the Wonderland, and only a single day had passed, the amount of collected wish power was quite limited.

Based on the feedback from the ability, the current amount of wish power was only enough to grant something as simple as "give me an apple."

Trying to help Ei skip centuries of comprehension and directly grasp the full power of "Muso Isshin" seemed utterly impossible.

Nolan furrowed his brows, deep in thought.

No, wait—Ei was an extraordinarily skilled Archon with unparalleled mastery of the sword. Her ability to comprehend and adapt couldn't be weak.

There was no need to waste a wish on making her instantly understand "Muso Isshin."

Instead, he could wish to slightly increase her probability of comprehension. Given enough time in battle, she might suddenly gain insight into its true power and unleash an even stronger strike!

A spark of inspiration flashed in Nolan's mind—this idea could work.

Thus, he consumed a portion of the stored wish power and made his wish: to maximize Raiden Ei's probability of comprehending the hidden power of "Muso Isshin."

As it turned out, this method was quite effective.

Ei and the Shogun were locked in a dead-even battle, and the only way to break the stalemate was through new insights. As Ei's probability of understanding "Muso Isshin" increased, even if the boost wasn't massive, it was still enough for a top-tier Archon like her.

After all, continuous battle would eventually yield results.

Sure enough, thanks to Nolan's wish, Ei, who had been wielding "Muso Isshin" as usual, suddenly sensed a trace of its hidden power.

At that moment, the effect of his wish faded.

But Ei had already grasped that fleeting power, and from there, she could explore and fully comprehend it on her own.

With each swing of "Muso Isshin," her understanding deepened.

As a result, she steadily gained an advantage over the Shogun in battle.

This advantage, of course, stemmed from the hidden power of "Muso Isshin"!

With the power of "Muso Isshin" growing stronger, Raiden Ei finally unlocked its full potential—

And unleashed the most powerful "Muso no Hitotachi" to date, striking the Shogun back!

"Hm?"

Raiden Shogun halted her attack, a hint of surprise in her expression.

She wasn't shocked that her "inner self" had surpassed her—after all, they were equals in power.

But even if there were to be a victor, it shouldn't have happened this quickly!

She was certain of that.

Yet somehow, Ei had pulled ahead so decisively.

Recalling the last strike she had just taken, the Shogun quickly noticed something unusual.

She shifted her gaze to "Muso Isshin," still crackling with arcs of lightning in Ei's hand, and remarked:

"Its power… seems to have changed?"

Ei didn't hide anything. She glanced at the blade in her hand and nodded.

"That's right. During our battle, I vaguely sensed its hidden power."

"So, as we fought, I gradually embraced and wielded that power—

"And as you saw, I managed to defeat you by one and a half strikes."

"Hmph, how opportunistic," Raiden Shogun muttered, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome.

—(End of Chapter)—

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