[Ningguang: Nervous? No, I will not be.]
[Paimon: But she is a deity. A deity living alongside you.]
[Keqing: Those who have never seen a deity before might feel anxious upon first meeting one. Ningguang is different. Even in Liyue, she has witnessed the Geo Archon's divine form many times.]
[Yae Miko: I am never constrained around Ei either, little Paimon. And neither are you, are you?]
[Lumine: Ei is a very gentle person.]
[Yae Miko: That is true. Ei is truly gentle.]
After that, Ei and Lumine continued their journey to hunt down monsters. They soon found a new one.
Ei stepped in front of Lumine and Paimon. "As before, leave the fighting to me."
[Lumine: Since meeting the Shogun, Ei has not let me participate in battle.]
[Yae Miko: Ei is someone who protects everyone behind her. She simply did not know that the Shogunate Army and the resistance were both suffering casualties. Otherwise, she would not have allowed people to sacrifice themselves.]
[Lumine: Warm, strong, and very reassuring.]
[Furina: I must also practice martial arts to protect my people.]
[Paimon: You do not seem to have any elemental power. Training may not solve the problem. You could start with Hydro Slimes.]
[Furina: Paimon, do not undermine me!]
[Neuvillette: Furina has good intentions.]
[Clorinde: Lady Furina, if you wish to learn swordsmanship, I can help you.]
[Paimon: Clorinde's swordsmanship must be very impressive, right?]
[Furina: Clorinde is Fontaine's champion duelist, undefeated at that!]
[Lumine: Very impressive.]
[Paimon: The Traveler has never lost a battle either. In the future, Tartaglia and Signora will both be defeated.]
[Furina: The Traveler is also amazing.]
During the battle, Ei's body seemed to experience serious problems.
Her Electro power flickered on and off. No matter what she did, she could not win.
Paimon said with concern, "Ei, maybe we should take over."
Lumine agreed. "Yes, your condition is clearly not right. Do not push yourself."
The next moment, mist surged on the ground, and several tall, sturdy Shogunate samurai emerged.
The samurai glanced around and walked up to Ei. "Your Excellency, are you alright?"
Ei clutched her head in pain. "I am fine. Just a bit stiff."
[Paimon: That clearly does not look fine.]
[Lumine: Less than one percent of her combat strength remains.]
[Paimon: Can deities get sick?]
[Zhongli: Sick? I have never been ill. I do not know about Ei's condition. Erosion comes from memory and spirit and has little effect on combat ability.]
[Paimon: Strange. Why is Ei so weak?]
The phantoms stepped forward, standing before Ei, and spoke in unison. "We Shogunate samurai will protect you until our last breath."
Ei shook her head. "No, it is too dangerous."
The samurai answered firmly. "That is our duty. If we feared danger, we would never have picked up our weapons in the first place."
"Do not worry, Your Excellency. It is precisely in times of crisis that the power the gods have granted us becomes most meaningful."
As they spoke, the Visions on the phantoms began to glow.
Paimon asked, "Is that a Vision?"
The samurai nodded. "Yes. We know that the gods are almighty. That they are willing to grant power to humanity shows that they have great expectations for us."
"Now that Her Excellency the Shogun is in trouble, it is time for us to fulfill our promise."
Paimon looked at Lumine. "So that is how people back then viewed Visions..."
Lumine said, "Yes. That view is also full of hope."