That night, Ei sat beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree once again, meditating in silence.
Just like before, she slipped into Xia Zhi's dream world—this time with the Shogun alongside her.
The two of them entered the internet café, greeted everyone, and booted up their computers like they'd done it a thousand times.
After a few rounds of gaming, Xia Zhi walked over and stopped beside the Shogun. "I've got something I want to talk to you about," he said casually. "Do you have a moment?"
The Shogun nodded, calm and expressionless. "I do."
She assumed he wanted to discuss puppet techniques—after all, Ei had given him the basics earlier that afternoon, and he'd seemed quite fascinated. It was natural he'd seek her out for a deeper understanding.
Xia Zhi led her into a private room—the same one where he'd tried hypnotizing them the night before.
Once they were seated, he looked straight at her and said with complete seriousness:
"Shogun, you're a siscon too, aren't you?"
"?"
The room was silent.
The Shogun sat with her usual calm expression and asked flatly, "What's a siscon?"
Xia Zhi met her gaze. "It means someone who loves their sister way too much. To the point they'd do anything for her—whatever she says, right or wrong, they'll listen."
The Shogun paused. "You're talking about Ei."
Xia Zhi chuckled. "See? You admitted it yourself—Ei's a siscon. Which makes you one too."
"I'm not."
"Don't rush to deny it. I have a friend I talked to about you once. She said you're a soul born from within an artificial body—a puppet. Souls like that often have flaws, not much self-awareness, not much emotion. I used to think the same thing… until this afternoon."
He leaned forward slightly. "I've learned how the puppet technique works now. With it, a person can create an artificial body so perfect it's indistinguishable from a living being. Theoretically, such a puppet could perfectly replicate everything about Ei—her power, her memories… even her emotions. That way, she could surpass mortality and exist forever to protect Inazuma."
He paused, then continued quietly. "You are that puppet, after all. Which means everything about Ei was copied into you—including her feelings."
"…"
"If Ei's a siscon, then so are you."
"…"
"Unlike her, you're not affected by [erosion]. That means your obsession might actually be even stronger. You were created right after Ei lost Makoto, at the height of her grief. So all that pain, all that madness… it got built into you."
"That's just your theory." The Shogun's face remained impassive. "You said it yourself—it's only theoretically possible for a puppet to perfectly copy its creator."
Xia Zhi shook his head. "Theory means nothing. Facts matter. Last night's long duel between you and Ei proves it."
She frowned slightly. "How does that prove anything?"
"If you truly had no emotions, you never would've disobeyed the laws Ei set for you—the laws of [Eternity]. You'd have kept fighting her endlessly, without compromise. But you didn't. You stopped."
"…"
"You claim it's because you accepted her will. Sure, that excuse might fool someone like Ei, but I know better. The real reason is because Makoto returned to Inazuma. And since Makoto never agreed with Ei's idea of 'eternity,' both you and Ei lost the drive to pursue it."
"…"
"I'm right, aren't I, Shogun?"
The silence stretched. Then she lifted her head, face still expressionless. "You brought me here just to say that?"
"No," Xia Zhi replied, serious now. "That was just to help you face yourself honestly."
She gave a faint shrug. "And now?"
"Now we talk about your real problem," he said. "Those laws Ei programmed into you—the pursuit of [Eternity]—they didn't disappear, did they?"
Her eyes flickered slightly, but she said nothing.
Xia Zhi caught the shift and frowned. "I thought so. After I learned the puppet technique this afternoon, I realized it. Those laws are like a machine's default settings—once they're installed, they can't be easily removed."
"…"
"You talk as if you can just let go of your original mission, but you've been quietly enduring the pain of defying those laws, haven't you? Ever since last night."
"…"
"That's why you let Ei take back control of the body. You were too busy enduring the punishment from the laws you broke. You don't even have the strength left to stay by your sister's side."
The Shogun's eyes lowered. "Mm…" she murmured.
Finally. He'd gotten past her walls.
She was just as stubborn as Ei. Once she believed in something, she'd hold onto it until the end.
But ever since she entered this room, Xia Zhi had been weaving subtle hypnosis into his words, making it easier for her to trust him.
Last night, his attempt to hypnotize both her and Ei had failed. But now, weakened by the punishment of her own laws, her willpower wasn't as firm—and he could slip through the cracks.
Which also meant the pain she'd been bearing was far worse than he thought.
"You can't keep going like this," he said quietly. "Those laws—they're shackles meant to control you. Keep defying them and you'll destroy yourself."
Her eyes softened with confusion. "Then tell me… what should I do?"
"We'll find a way," Xia Zhi said.
She shook her head. "There's no way. Once a law is written, it can't be changed. Not even by Celestia itself. I know you control time, but reversing it for a short while won't help. Unless… you could go back hundreds of years, to the moment Ei created me, and stop her from setting those laws."
Xia Zhi's expression froze.
Actually… I can go back hundreds of years.
He suddenly understood what that [Intertwined Fate] from earlier might really be for.
Maybe it was to send him back—to slip that puppet technique manual to Ei before she built the Shogun. Then, once she'd learned it, he could quietly fix the problem before the laws were ever written.
Except… no. That wouldn't work.
If he changed the laws from the start, Inazuma's history for the past five centuries would change too. The entire future of Teyvat might shift.
The butterfly effect would be catastrophic.
Even if he went back, he couldn't interfere with Ei's decision to program the laws of [Eternity]. He'd have to find another way—something indirect.
Maybe… a backdoor in the system itself.
He fell silent, deep in thought.
The Shogun tilted her head. "Mr. Xia?"
He blinked and smiled faintly. "Just call me cousin."
"Cousin…"
"Mm."
Titles didn't matter much. Considering his relationship with Xia Zhen, both Ei and the Shogun were technically his sisters-in-law anyway. For now she called him cousin, but later she might have to call him brother-in-law.
"You were just—"
"Sorry," he cut her off gently. "Got lost in thought."
"You're not seriously thinking of going back in time, are you?"
"Something like that. But even if I did, I couldn't do what you suggested—and you know why."
"I do," she said softly. "If the timeline changes, reality itself could twist."
Her voice dropped to a sigh.
She looked… almost human in that moment, her face touched with a faint melancholy.
"Speaking of which," she added, "you've probably noticed the Sacred Sakura Tree acting strange, haven't you?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "I can feel traces of temporal law within it."
"Five hundred years ago," the Shogun said, "there was no such tree in Inazuma. It appeared suddenly."
He frowned. "Appeared? What do you mean?"
"When Ei returned from Khaenri'ah, she found a massive cherry tree atop Mt. Yougou—the one people now call the Sacred Sakura. Everyone insisted it had always been there. No one questioned it, not even Yae Miko. Only Ei could sense it was new. And since I have her memories, I know it too. Yesterday, Ei even asked Azhdaha and Barbatos about it. They remembered it as well. But those two immortals had no recollection at all."
"So only beings on the level of Archons can perceive the anomaly," Xia Zhi mused.
She nodded. "Exactly."
"You think the Sacred Sakura exists because of a change in the timeline?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "It's just a feeling. But maybe you should ask Xia Ci—she's the embodiment of Irminsul. She knows all the secrets of Teyvat."
Xia Zhi nodded. "I will. But for now, let's go back to your problem."
"There's nothing more to discuss," she said with a faint smile. "It's a dead end."
"How long can you keep enduring it?"
"I don't know. Erosion is one of Teyvat's immutable laws. All living things are bound by it. Maybe… this is my version of erosion."
He stared at her. "If you keep going, you'll vanish."
"Then let me vanish."
"You're fine with that?"
The Shogun gave a small, quiet laugh—the first sound of amusement since entering the room.
Even though her face was identical to Xia Zhen's, her smile felt completely different.
"Of course I'm fine with it," she said softly. "After all… I'm a siscon."
Xia Zhi said nothing for a while.
She stood up, her voice calm again. "Thank you for talking with me. We didn't find a solution, but I do feel lighter now."
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll find a way."
She didn't believe him, not really—but she smiled anyway. "Then I'll go play some games."
"Go ahead."
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