Knock knock!
Early the next morning, a hurried knocking echoed through the Shogun's bedroom as she slept.
"..."
Curled up beneath the blankets, the purple-haired woman frowned slightly in displeasure, then pulled the covers over her face.
(Shogun-sama?!)
Ram's voice came from outside the door. Muffled by the wood, it still carried unmistakable urgency.
Knock knock!
Another round of knocking.
(Shogun-sama, are you not awake yet? What should we do? Ram begs your pardon!)
Click!
After a quick apology, Ram opened the door and rushed inside. She hurried to the bedside and gently shook the sleeping woman.
"Shogun-sama, please wake up!"
Though such behavior was terribly impolite, she steeled herself and acted anyway. The situation was urgent.
"Mm~!"
With Ram's light shaking, the Shogun gradually stirred from her sleep. She opened her hazy violet eyes, staring at the blurred red figure before her.
"Shogun-sama, are you awake?"
Seeing her respond, Ram revealed a hopeful smile.
"...Ram?"
She asked groggily.
"Yes, it is Ram."
Ram nodded.
"What are you doing? Barging into my room so suddenly..."
She sat up from the blankets, adjusting the somewhat loose straps of her nightdress back onto her shoulders as she spoke.
"Um... this is bad. Rem—"
"She has awakened?"
The Shogun asked blankly.
"...No. Quite the opposite. Her condition has worsened!"
Ram shook her head anxiously.
"Worsened?"
She froze for a moment.
That was impossible. Yesterday she had already used Musou Isshin to remove those black impurities. Why would it worsen? Why?
"I do not know either. Beatrice-sama is conducting a full examination, but judging from her expression... it does not look good."
As Ram spoke, she lowered her head. Her voice began to tremble.
"...Haa. Take me there."
Letting out a faint sigh, she rubbed her forehead to dispel the remnants of sleep. Barefoot, she slipped into the plush slippers by the bed. Without even changing clothes—still wearing the nightdress whose hem barely reaching her upper thighs—she prepared to leave with Ram. Yet midway, she seemed to recall something and glanced back at the bed she had just left.
[I am here.]
The next instant, as if aware of her thoughts, Ei's voice sounded within her mind.
When did you wake up?
She asked silently.
[Just now. When I heard the knocking.]
You are quick.
As she followed Ram briskly down the corridor, she teased her inwardly with a faint smile.
[It has become a habit.]
Ei replied helplessly. Was it easy sleeping beside her daughter? In Tenshukaku, it had been simple—they slept together nearly every day. But in this foreign world, one had to be especially careful to avoid raising suspicion.
A few minutes later—
"Mm—"
Seated at the edge of the bed, Beatrice frowned deeply at Rem beneath the blankets. The girl's face was deathly pale, cold sweat continuously trickling down her skin. Beatrice held one hand above her, maintaining a posture of magical detection. She had remained like that for over ten minutes.
Though several people filled the room, it was oppressively silent.
Present were the Shogun, Ram, Emilia, and Beatrice. Roswaal and Natsuki Subaru had likely not yet risen, and Ram had not informed them.
Perhaps because of the urgency, aside from Ram—who was still in her maid uniform—the other three, including the Shogun, were dressed in nightwear.
Hum~
The magic dispersed. Beatrice sighed and withdrew her hand, looking toward the others.
"Beatrice-sama, how is Rem?"
As her elder sister, Ram was the first to ask.
"It is very strange... the curse inside her has reappeared."
Beatrice answered with a frown.
"Eh?" ×2
The two others, excluding the Shogun, gasped in shock.
"How can that be? Yesterday I removed those impurities."
The Shogun spoke.
"That is precisely the strange part."
Beatrice raised her hand again. In the next instant, black smoke identical to yesterday's—only thicker—rose from Rem's arm.
"Why would this happen..."
Emilia covered her mouth slightly, disbelief in her voice.
"It seems the enemy is more cunning than I thought. What was left behind was not an ordinary curse. After purification, it resurfaces—and even more violently than before. The curses within Rem are now completely intertwined. It is extremely troublesome."
Beatrice's tone grew heavy.
"Beatrice."
"?"
Hearing the cool, clear voice call her name, she paused and looked toward the purple-haired beauty before her.
"You know how to resolve this, do you not?"
The Shogun asked.
"...Yes. I do. But—"
"Tell me what must be done."
The Shogun cut off her hesitation directly. She knew she did not fear so-called difficulties.
"!"
Beatrice was momentarily stunned by her aura. Then she sighed in understanding.
"To undo the bell, one must tie it. To eradicate it completely, the caster must be eliminated."
Beatrice met her gaze seriously as she answered.
"...The caster?"
"Yes. That magical beast. It must be that one. Otherwise, it will have no effect."
[Haa... merely slaying evil. What difficulty is there? Move, Shogun.]
Ei shrugged casually, clearly not taking it seriously. The number of malevolent beings that had died by her hand was beyond counting.
"Do you know its location?"
As Ei implied, the Shogun wasted no time on unnecessary questions.
"Yes. Through the aura of the curse, I can sense that it is in the forest beyond the village."
Beatrice closed her eyes briefly to concentrate.
"Eh? The forest? The one we went to last night? Wait—does that mean the other children who were bitten—"
Emilia asked in alarm.
"That is not a concern. Only Rem was afflicted with a special curse, and she was bitten by that particular magical beast."
Beatrice replied.
"I see... haa..."
Emilia finally let out a breath of relief.
So last night, she had not slain the true culprit—only its underlings. The mastermind had never appeared.
At that thought, the Shogun immediately stood, intending to head out.
"Shogun-sama, please allow me to accompany you. My Clairvoyance can show me the appearance of the magical beast Rem saw. I may be of help."
Ram quickly rose and followed.
"Mm... come with me."
The Shogun did not refuse.
"Leave this to me. I will suppress Rem's deterioration as much as possible—at least until you completely eliminate that beast."
Beatrice strengthened her magic, contending against the black aura as she instructed them.
The two nodded and departed the mansion together. Of course, the Shogun changed clothes before leaving.
...
Splash splash!
Of course, the very next second after the two arrived in the forest, the once-clear sky poured down with torrential rain. The clamor of raindrops instantly filled their ears. The scent of wet soil grew sharp and heavy, and their surroundings dimmed beneath the storm.
Rumble~!
Thunder boomed across the heavens. Hearing it, the Shogun subconsciously lifted her gaze toward the streak of lightning in the sky.
"Could that bolt have been your doing, Shogun-sama?"
Walking beside her, Ram turned and teased lightly.
"It was not."
After a simple reply, she continued deeper into the forest. Ram followed closely behind.
Watching the pink-haired girl gradually soaked by the rain, the Shogun's eyes flickered slightly.
"I am sorry... Shogun-sama."
Yet the next moment, Ram unexpectedly apologized, leaving her momentarily puzzled.
"Why are you apologizing?"
She asked in confusion.
"For letting you see my unsightly side yesterday."
Ram smiled at her, speaking with faint self-mockery.
"Haa. What is unsightly about that? Crying for one's family is only natural."
The Shogun sighed, faintly displeased by the needless apology as she refuted it.
"...You are very gentle, Shogun-sama."
Ram paused, then gave a relieved smile. Her rain-soaked pink bangs draped over her eyes, lending her a fragile air.
Hum~
Seeing her become more and more drenched, the Shogun sighed inwardly. She lifted her hand, forming a pale violet barrier around Ram to shield her from the rain.
"...?"
Ram looked at her in surprise—at the Shogun, who herself was still getting wet.
"Do not catch a chill."
She instructed calmly.
"You as well."
"I have no need... This body rather enjoys the cool touch of raindrops, as though becoming one with nature—"
[Raiden Shogun... stop showing off and put up the umbrella. Now.]
You cannot fall ill, but that does not mean your clothes will not get soaked. Do you think standing there drenched looks good? Honestly...
Ei's sharp reprimand rang in her mind, clearly irritated by the girl's oddly poetic stance in the rain. She sounded like she was scolding a mischievous child.
"..."
The Shogun stiffened at once. Obediently, she raised the old oil-paper umbrella and rested it against her shoulder.
Hmph~!
She gave a small, rebellious snort within her mind toward the stern mother scolding her. The gesture was unexpectedly cute.
[...Haa.]
Ei said nothing further, merely sighing softly as she calmed herself.
Being a mother truly is not easy.
"Shogun-sama, is something wrong?"
Seeing the displeased look on the woman's face, Ram asked cautiously.
"Nothing. Merely someone being rather annoying."
She crossed her arms and replied sulkily.
[...Annoying? You call me annoying? Hah... Do not expect me to sleep beside you tonight!]
Ei shot back indignantly.
...!
At those words, the Shogun immediately fell silent.
Heh...
Ei smiled in satisfaction.
Brat. Think I cannot handle you?
"Hehe... It is my first time seeing you like this, Shogun-sama."
Ram chuckled softly.
"Haa... Enough. Let us continue."
Finally behaving herself, the Shogun exhaled and resumed walking beside Ram through the mist-laden forest beneath the rain.
"Rem... she is very important to you, is she not?"
After some time, she asked quietly.
"Mm... very important."
Ram lowered her gaze and nodded gently, unconsciously keeping pace at her side. She looked ahead at the dark storm clouds and drifting fog.
"Important enough that I would stake my life for hers. But... haa."
Her voice trembled slightly as she sighed.
"As I am now, I am merely a joke. Whether this life of mine could accomplish anything is uncertain. As a 'hornless one,' the only thing I could do in her moment of crisis was kneel by her bedside and cry. Beyond that... I can do nothing."
The pink-haired girl clenched her hand tighter as she spoke with self-mockery. Her lips pressed together, her eyes filled with dense complexity and sorrow.
"...Did you coin the term 'hornless one' yourself?"
The Shogun asked.
"No. It was an old saying in our village—a derisive term for fools born as oni yet lacking a horn."
"Do not speak of yourself that way..."
She responded softly, a trace of heartache in her voice.
"I am sorry. Sometimes, when faced with my own helplessness, I fall into such self-ridicule without thinking. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will refrain from saying it again."
Ram reflected and apologized.
"I merely lost my horn by chance when I was young. After that, everything required relying on my younger sister. As the elder sister... perhaps I was unwilling to accept it."
Ram smiled faintly and looked up at the unrelenting rain.
"I had meant to protect her from the very beginning."
Crack.
Ram snapped a branch beneath her foot, her tone filled with helplessness.
"Oni are born with two horns. But twins are born with only one each, so we were shunned from the moment we came into this world."
"I am aware of the oni as well."
The Shogun replied, looking at her.
"...You are, Shogun-sama?"
Ram asked in surprise.
"Mm. In Inazuma, oni are not particularly common, but neither are they rare."
She answered, recalling her homeland.
"...Inazuma?"
Ram blinked.
"My homeland."
She clarified.
"Ah, I see... There are oni in your homeland as well?"
"In a sense. My mother once had a dear oni friend."
She spoke according to the memories she possessed. She did not say that she herself had such a friend, for she knew she was not Ei. Those memories were not truly her own, and she would not overstep. Besides, she had never believed herself superior to Ei. On the contrary, she was still immature.
[Chiyo... what a nostalgic name. But those days are long past.]
Ei's voice carried a trace of melancholy and complexity.
"...Once? Meaning—"
"She is no longer here."
The Shogun shook her head.
"My apologies. I spoke out of turn."
Ram hurriedly apologized.
"It is fine... It is all in the past."
She did not mind. After all, she had brought it up first.
"Inazuma... Shogun-sama's homeland. It sounds fascinating."
Rustle—!!!
Just as Ram finished speaking, a sharp chorus of bird cries pierced through the rain-soaked forest. Immediately after, animals scattered in frantic escape, kicking up clouds of dust.
"!"
Ram instantly stopped speaking and raised the wand crafted from her own horn, assuming a battle stance.
"It seems they have come to find us first."
The Shogun sneered lightly.
As if confirming her words—
Roar roar!! ×N
Thunder echoed overhead. In the next instant, dozens of wolf-like beasts emerged from all directions, just as the night before. Their eyes glowed red as they stared at the two slender women hungrily.
"Well? Have you found the beast that bit your sister?"
She asked Ram.
"Regrettably, it has not appeared yet."
Ram shook her head.
"I see. Then we shall take the safest course, Ram..."
"Yes. Drag them all out—then slaughter them all!"
Whoosh whoosh!!
In the next moment, violent gales erupted around the girl, forcing the surrounding beasts back several steps. Sand and debris lifted into the air around her. With a sweep of her hand—
Boom!!!
Multiple tornadoes surged forward, sweeping up large numbers of beasts and hurling them into the air, where wind blades continuously sliced through their bodies.
Was that not strength? In her eyes, it was already formidable—worthy of a Anemo Vision bearer.
The Shogun smiled faintly. With a single swing of her blade, several violet arcs of lightning flashed outward, instantly reducing the beasts before her to mangled flesh.
Boom!
Crash!
Explosions roared through the forest once more, sending birds scattering into the sky again.
Lightning and tempest intertwined. The wind amplified her thunder, pushing its destructive force to the extreme.
The raging tornadoes began to shimmer with crackling violet currents. As the storm intensified, even those beasts that had briefly escaped were inevitably dragged into the vortex. Under the combined assault of lightning and slicing winds, they were torn apart. The once-cool rain transformed into a crimson downpour, splattering onto the damp earth along with fragments of shattered viscera.
Roar roar!!
One surviving beast, though its lower body had been charred black by lightning, still lifted its head and roared defiantly at the two approaching women.
"Ro—"
Splurt!!
The tip of Engulfing Lightning pierced straight into its mouth, impaling through its throat. As its severed head flew into the air, blood gushed forth.
Swish!
The Shogun glanced at the blood staining her blade with mild distaste, then executed a flawless flourish to shake it clean.
Splash~
A semicircular arc of crimson marked the ground.
Whoosh!
Bang!
Ram dismissed the swirling gale around her with a casual flick, the winds dispersing with a sharp crack.
"You fight quite well. How can you claim you are not strong?"
The Shogun teased lightly.
"Haa... please do not make sport of me, Shogun-sama. Compared to Rem in her awakened state, I am nothing."
Ram smiled bitterly and shook her head. Moreover, she was wielding her own severed horn as a catalyst. The strain and magical expenditure were immense.
"Shh... look over there."
The Shogun gestured toward the distance ahead.
"?"
Ram looked over in confusion. Directly opposite them, another group of beasts had arrived. Yet the one at the center was different from the rest. Though canine in shape, it was far smaller than the others. Its fur was pitch-black, its eyes glowing crimson—almost rabbit-like in appearance.
"...!"
A flicker of light flashed in Ram's eyes as she stared at the creature.
"Is it that one?"
The Shogun asked, noticing her reaction.
"Yes. That is the one."
Ram nodded silently, her grip on the wand tightening.
Roar roar!!
The next instant, the special beast let out a furious howl. Its rabbit-like body began to change. The black fur swelled grotesquely, veins bulging red beneath the surface. Its small frame rapidly expanded, muscles knotting across its body. The posture of four limbs on the ground shifted as its hind legs lengthened and forced it upright, standing like a human. Bloodstained fangs protruded from the corners of its mouth.
At the same time, the surrounding beasts grew restless, their killing intent unmistakable.
"It is enraged," Ram said.
"Let it be. Stand behind me."
As she spoke, the Shogun settled into the posture of drawing her blade from her chest.
"Understood."
Ram immediately retreated behind her, peeking slightly from over her shoulder.
Roar roar! ×N
In that instant, all the beasts—including their leader—charged toward the two women, their stampede shaking the earth beneath their feet.
Yet everything was destined to turn to nothing.
Crackle...
Lightning gathered endlessly around the Shogun's body. The thunderous current condensed—until time itself seemed to slow.
Hum~
A deep vibration rippled through the air. A pale violet hue washed over the surroundings.
Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu.
Crackle!
Her violet eyes snapped open in a radiant glow. From her chest, she drew forth Musou Isshin, the blade gleaming with breathtaking brilliance. In a single, seamless motion, she struck.
A long, slender fissure carved through the very space before her.
The slash began at the leader and extended across everything within sight.
Crack.
When the blade mark faded, the entire space showed signs of fracturing. Like shattered glass breaking apart, the world peeled away—and time resumed.
Boom!!
"!!!"
Before Ram's eyes, the dense forest ahead split cleanly in half horizontally. Even the air and wind seemed severed.
And so were all the beasts.
Blood erupted across the earth.
Within a single second, every living thing before them vanished.