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Within the grandiose hall of the Tenshukaku, the Almighty Raiden Shogun sat motionless upon her throne as report after report was brought before her. The weeks following the end of the Vision Hunt Decree and the rebellion of Watatsumi had brought with them an uneasy sense of peace, and yet somehow the hours of the day were more occupied than ever before.
“Your Excellency, the recent incident in Araumi has been resolved successfully. The monsters have been driven back and we have taken control of the domain’s interior.”
The Shogun glanced down at her general from her elevated seat, her expression stoic and plain.
The name Kamuna Harunosuke was certainly one recorded within her data, but with little importance. For his machinations to have created such an incident was concerning. An oversight, perhaps?
‘Harunosuke… One of Saiguu’s followers. Although his efforts were meaningless, I never would have thought mortal hands capable of such works,’ came the voice of her creator from its distant plane.
“With your permission, the domain’s… caretaker has offered to provide its services as a training ground for our troops.”
“That is acceptable.”
‘Even though its master has long since departed this world, his creation continues to provide. I suppose this too is a form of eternity, transitory as it is.’
The Shogun remained stone-faced; whether she agreed with her master’s sentiments or not, it was never her place to pass comment.
Rather, she suspected that Ei’s sudden monologues were little more than a distraction from her newfound boredom. Her interruptions had certainly increased dramatically since the arrival of that meddlesome traveler.
“As for the matter of Sangonomiya’s request for reparations, I have-”
As it was, Ei soon grew bored of the mundane dryness of the reports and retreated once more into her meditation. It was the Shogun who was left to listen alone to the endless stream of entreaties her position encouraged, delivered unerringly by her ever steadfast general. Sara stood ramrod as she continued to speak aloud such tedium, her eyes never once audacious enough to look upon her liege directly.
And the Shogun, in turn, merely sat silently in audience. Her steady, violet gaze unfaltering in its attention, pouring over the minutiae of her general’s form. She could see clearly the faint color to her general’s cheeks, the almost imperceptible catch of breath in Sara’s throat whenever she addressed her, as well as the small furrow of her brow each time she caught herself wanting to glance upwards.
In so many ways, the tengu was a mystery to her.
She understood the mortal condition well enough, insofar as the data that had been provided to her. But so much of that which her creator had bestowed upon her was fraught with inconsistency, with concepts that resisted her every attempt to define.
Sara Kujou was a woman of considerable ability and unparalleled loyalty. She was, she understood, to be considered an especially handsome individual as well. She also remained, despite her adopted father’s betrayal, in a position of renown and respect. So why was it that she was still unattached in the sense of companionship?
She knew that the drive for an intimate companion underpinned almost all mortal thought, often to their detriment. And yet Sara Kujou remained, to her knowledge, alone.
It was one of an increasing number of problems the Shogun found herself unable to reconcile.
Not least of which was why exactly the question of Sara Kujou’s social circle concerned her so.
“Your Excellency?”
Sara’s voice disturbed her quiet pondering, and the Shogun pulled her gaze from where it lingered upon the floor. The very idea that she, a creation designed solely to govern, could find herself distracted was alarming enough. That it was becoming an almost regular occurrence in the presence of this woman even more so.
The Shogun quietly met her general’s look of concern. Feeling something peculiar churn within the core of her being as the woman seemed to shiver beneath her gaze, her golden eyes falling away in reverence.
“Are you involved romantically, general?”
The sudden silence within the vast hall was palpable. The weight of it seeming to reverberate as the Shogun’s non-sequitur hung in the air.
“I... That is… N-Not presently, Your Excellency,” Sara managed to reply amid her confused embarrassment, cheeks flushing a deep shade of dendrobium red.
“I see.”
And so the silence remained, heavy in the air, as neither moved to break it. The Shogun unaffected by the awkwardness and the general herself struggling beneath it, mind reeling with the implications of her lord’s attention.
In the end, it was Sara who broke first.
“Th-Then… If that is all…”
“Yes, you are dismissed.”
The Shogun watched as her general bowed low and practically fled from the hall, an uncharacteristic haste to her stride. And as the mighty doors swung close, she was once more alone with her thoughts and the chastening voice of her creator.
‘You really do have no tact whatsoever.’
“Such things were deemed unnecessary during my construction.”
‘You feel something for her though, don’t you?’ Ei spoke quietly from within her.
“Assessing competent subordinates in pursuit of continued stability falls within established directives.”
‘...Yes, it does,’ The air sighed, as if melancholic, ‘But this… general. Sara. An orphan of the tengu, of all things. What value does she possess?’
“Her martial prowess is exceptional. Her grasp of strategy commendable.”
‘And?’
“Her loyalty to Your will is unwavering.”
‘...And?’
The Shogun fell silent, dull, violet eyes staring before her. Her mind fumbled with the question, unsure of the answer her creator sought.
‘Why did you not kill her when she intruded upon the Tenshukaku?’
The Shogun had no answer. There was… something twisted around her thoughts as she recalled that scene. The sight of Sara unconscious upon the ground, that woman of Snezhnaya standing over her. The memory made her chest ache in a way it never had. In a way it was not designed to do so.
‘Why do you not punish her for the sins of her name?’
Naturally, she had every right to do so. Orphan or not, Sara Kujou wore her clan’s crest with honor and made no excuse for the loyalty she had shown her disgraced father. Taking the heads of the entire clan would have been well justified for such a betrayal of their lord's trust.
And yet, she could still recall the first time Sara had knelt before her throne. She had been smaller then; her arms not yet littered with scars, her eyes somehow cold and unfeeling. Lifeless.
As ridiculous as she knew it was, the Shogun had seen something of her own lonely, manufactured existence in that girl. That orphan who had been raised with such singular, selfish purpose. And so, at Takayuki’s urging, she had taken her under her wing. Raised her to the position of her greatest general and…
Sara had changed, as all mortal beings were want to do.
In but a few fleeting years, that coldness of hers had begun to thaw. What was once the instructed loyalty of a servant had become something… more. Something the Shogun, even with all her power, could not comprehend.
The child who had so reflected her had become something unknowable, a dirtied mirror showing a reflection she did not recognize. Those distant, vacant eyes in which she had seen so much of herself had filled with warmth, with a purpose which seemed to drive Sara to inhuman lengths.
Yes, she saw how her general’s gaze lingered upon her form; how she lowered it, cheeks alight with faintest crimson, whenever it was returned. She had seen that stoic facade break into the smallest of smiles at her very presence.
In but the blink of an eye, that trembling child had become her stalwart general. Something constant and precious. Just the memory of it all caused her to feel… something. It was that which had caused her to grant Sara and her brothers some small mercy in their punishment.
The Shogun’s brow furrowed slightly. Once again she had found herself lost in thought, the logic upon which she run spinning in directions she did not understand, spiraling apart without conclusion. It was nothing that might impede the performance of her duties, but the very idea that there was some element of her programming that she failed to grasp disturbed her. And it was a disturbance that only continued to plague her more and more.
There was something she failed to understand. Something she could not place. Her inability to name the error only compounding her discomfort.
‘I am so very sorry,’ Ei rejoined, a sadness to her voice.
The Shogun simply sat, as she always did, in lonely silence.
~~
“...An appearance?”
The Shogun repeated the words back to the gathered dignitaries, each of them hastily casting their eyes to the floor so as to escape her blistering gaze.
“Y-Yes… Although the recent incidents have been resolved, the populace are still fearful regarding the presence of the outsiders and kairagi throughout our great nation.”
“Were Your Excellency to appear at the celebrations upon Amakane Island, then it would assuredly quell their unease…”
“Rumors of your appearance on the streets of Tenryou have them excited, Your Excellency. Your people only wish to see their lord in good health.”
The flattering, tasteless words of gathered politicians fell upon her like passing rain. To see them gathered before her, bent forward in supplication, was a sight she remembered well. It was one that almost had her wishing for the return of Takayuki’s concealed poison.
‘Put the people at ease… And line their own pockets, no doubt. One’s presence is not something to be bartered so free-’
“What say you, general?”
The hall stilled once more at the Shogun’s words, as all at once so many eyes darted surreptitiously towards the woman stood firm against the wall.
“Y-Your Excellency…?” Sara stuttered, eyes starting towards the throne before practiced resolve dragged them back down to the floor.
“Would the people be enthused by Our presence?”
‘What are you doing?’
She understood her creator’s confusion well. After all, she herself could not determine what had possessed her to seek the opinion of a lowly general. Rather, it was peculiar that she had deigned to seek another person’s opinion at all.
“…I believe the people would be overjoyed to see you, Your Excellency.”
The Shogun saw plainly the warmth upon Sara’s cheeks, a crimson hue which betrayed her thoughts. That one individual in particular would be overjoyed by her appearance beyond the Tenshukaku.
Somehow, the Shogun realized, the thought made her feel… lighter.
“Then We shall appear.”
‘...’
Already she could feel the weight of her creator’s eyes upon her, and the touch of ethereal fingers sifting through the letters of her soul.
The Shogun’s brow furrowed, imperceptibly.
For the first time in her existence, the sensation repulsed her.
~~
Even within the lofty confines of the Tenshukaku, the Shogun could feel the air of expectation that hung across the city. When was it that she herself had even left the grounds of the palace? Her creator had disabled her primary functions for their most recent sojourn in the city, and before then…?
The Shogun realized, dimly, that she had in all likelihood never stepped foot upon Amakane Island.
‘Are you… nervous?’
“I am incapable of being so.”
Ei’s voice did not reply to that, leaving the Shogun alone to struggle in placing a name to the sensations within her. A tumult of restlessness that sparked through her myriad nerves, emerging from a stream of letters and numbers she did not recognize.
The slow groan of the palace’s mighty doors drew her gaze forwards, to the sight of Sara Kujou flanked by her soldiers. There was nothing different about her appearance, clad as she was in the usual attire of her rank, and yet, illuminated from behind by the early morning sun, a warm, contented smile upon her face...
“Your Excellency, if I might be allowed to escort you?”
The Shogun’s empty, passive features betrayed no trace of the mad whirlwind of information raging through her system as she rose from her seat.
The long, violet tail of her hair trailing behind her as she strode across the hall, heels clacking against the floor. Yet another burst of unintelligible data streaking through her mind as she passed her general’s side and caught a glimpse in profile of Sara’s crimson features.
“We shall allow it.”
Stepping through the doors and into Inazuma’s light, she was struck at once by the noise gathering at the statue far below. A roaring mass of adoration and praise which was a far cry from the masked, insincere flattery of the court. It thronged with excitement as if it were a beast, pulsating and warm.
“The people are thrilled to catch a glimpse of you, Your Excellency. It has been some time.”
The Shogun did not acknowledge Sara’s words, instead, she simply continued to stare impassively at the distant crowd. At the breadth of the city below, teeming with life. She wondered, briefly, if this was not the sight that her creator had so longed to protect.
Eternity was no abstract ambition, she was convinced of that. It was the greatest, most noble goal of her existence. But here? To behold her master’s works dwarfed by the tenacity of mortal life? Transitory as it was, she felt that she could begin to understand why that traveler had fought so hard to protect it. Her master’s city, her Inazuma.
“Shall we descend?”
The Shogun inclined her head wordlessly, her retainers spilling out around her as they made their way down the winding steps of the palace grounds. The roars growing louder with every step, the cries for the Archon growing more impassioned with every moment.
And as the Shogun walked within the protective ring of her entourage, violet eyes transfixed upon the toned back of her most devoted general, strange, bemusing thoughts slowly crept into her mind.
That name the people cried out with such adoration, the titles they so diligently prayed to, what meaning did they hold for her? It was not her facade that the citizens longed for, but their Archon’s.
She was a mere simulacrum. A hollow, mechanical shell designed only to accommodate her creator’s glorious ambition. She could not answer their wishes as their god, nor could she walk among them as their mortal peer.
So, just what was she? What could she claim to possess?
The heavy gates of the compound were slowly drawn back, and the heat of the gathered crowd billowed forth with its cheers.
The Shogun stepped forth to meet them.
Ei had prepared the speech she was to give.
~~
As it happened, the journey itself to Amakane was more arduous than anticipated. With the streets clogged with an endless stream of curious onlookers and desperate zealots, the procession moved through the city of Inazuma at a crawl.
Sara Kujou at the vanguard, moving aside the clamoring rush of those seeking the Archon’s favor. And the Shogun following closely behind, guarded by her retainers. She was no stranger to having other’s eyes upon her. She was more than familiar with the reverence and fear she elicited in her creator’s people. But here, the closest she had perhaps ever been to the populace while in control of her functions, she could feel the warm, fanatical adoration in their gaze.
She recognized that feeling, too. Adoration. She had felt it pouring over her for so long now, gushing forth from those familiar golden eyes that stood before her each morning. From the lips that spoke such dry, unassuming words.
And yet, the warmth of the crowd around her felt… different. Wrong. A suffocating, one-sided embrace which she had no right to refuse. But why…? Why did her general’s gaze alone fill her chest with such nonsensical comfort?
Even as her mind poured over her accumulated data, the Shogun stared silently at her general’s powerful back. What expression did the tengu wear then? As she fought back the adoring masses come to worship the liege she served so single-mindedly?
Rather, the Shogun realized in confusion, just what face did she hope Sara wore?
By the time that Sara was able to turn back towards her, dignified features unable to hide the enthused glow to her gaze or the smattering of blush across her cheeks, the procession had already left the city’s perimeter. The sun having begun its descent and the rising mound of Amakane Island before them, they watched the lights and sounds of celebration burst through the sakura.
The Shogun’s heels splashed against sand as she followed the path, turning back to her trailing guards, “All of you save the general, leave.”
Not one soul dared raise a complaint to the thunder.
Sara stood alone before her, bemused, “Your Excellency?”
“You need not call me that here,” spat the Shogun.
Her reply had been something of a reflex; the use of her title somehow bringing with it a sense of frustration, as if the words no longer fit her. The thought of Sara, in that moment, referring to her as such making her feel… The name of the emotion lay out of reach.
And it was only then, as Sara seemed to flounder for her words, that the Shogun realized too the value of a name. She held many of them, of course, all possessed of such pomp and reverence that they fell upon her like morning rain, but not a single one could be said to be hers.
“Call me Raiden,” she spoke, lips moving awkwardly to make the sound.
“Yes, Yo- L-Lord Raiden...”
The sight of Sara’s blushing cheeks in the dying sun pained the Shogun’s chest, although the woman’s stoic features displayed not a glimpse of the confusion raging within her.
To her calculative mind, it seemed that the closer she came to understanding this woman before her, to understanding the writhing throng of code that was her heart, the further she found herself from any meaningful answer.
Turning her back on the general, the Shogun stared up at the festival ahead, lost in thought.
The braid of her hair coiling around her as she suddenly glanced over a shoulder at the speechless tengu, “I am unfamiliar with the customs of modern festivals. Instruct me.”
The general could only nod dumbly in response to her lord’s unexpected request.
~~
Compared to the stifling crush of the city, the festival maintained its quiet, relaxed atmosphere even with the presence of their almighty ruler. Hushed whispers and inquisitive stares all that followed the pair around their tour of the celebrations.
Even had they been wearing masks like many of the guests, they still would’ve commanded such attention. The Shogun's mere presence awing the populace, her heels clacking rhythmically with her stride as long, braided hair swayed in her wake. And Sara, too, caught her own share of lingering gazes, even with such embarrassed joy written clearly across her face.
The stalwart general explained patiently every children’s game and festival delicacy the pair came across, the Shogun acknowledging each in turn with a mere inclination of the head. As if her interest lie solely in Sara’s explanation, rather than the practice itself. And in the end, as the daylight died and the laughter quietened around them, they found themselves standing together on the height of the island’s ridge, staring out across the ocean towards distant Kannazuka.
“You are aware of my true nature. Of the deception. Yet you continue to serve dutifully. Why?”
The salt air brushed against them, the Shogun’s eyes focused on that distant shore, glimmering in the darkness.
“I…” Sara started, fists balled at her sides, “It is all I know. All I was taught to be.”
Something throbbed within the Shogun, but her expression betrayed nothing.
“...So I once believed.”
She turned, now, to face her greatest general as she spoke. Her most trusted aide. Her sole companion. Golden eyes stared back at her, no longer cowed, buoyed by some unnameable strength.
“My loyalty is yours, now and unto eternity. Not in my father’s name, nor in duty, but because it is mine to give.”
The Shogun stood, silent, as Sara flushed before her, the tengu swallowing thickly as she finally faltered before her lord’s overwhelming gaze.
She would forever be surprised by the audacity of mortals, and their reckless courage.
“You would speak of eternity in my presence?”
She stepped towards her retainer, ignoring the painful throbbing within her.
As immaculate an existence as she was, she was beginning to understand that there were still things she could learn from these hapless, struggling beings. For what did it matter that she knew not the name of these emotions that haunted her? Simply to experience them was proof enough of their existence. Of the mortal condition afflicting her.
“You shall disappoint me if you are unable to fulfill such an oath.”
Her cold, inhuman fingers traced the curve of Sara’s cheek, the general trembling at the touch.
“...Sara.”
The tengu exhaled sharply at the sound of her name upon her lord’s lips, calloused fingers caressing the line of her chin, a digit brushing the color of her mouth.
Her jaw moved wordlessly, lips parting with longing expectation as the Shogun slowly leaned towards her, deep, violet eyes glowing dimly in the moonlight...
The sudden hiss of flame and cacophony of noise as a firework exploded overhead shattered the moment; the Shogun turning her head away from Sara’s crimson features to take in the sight unfolding before her.
Hands falling to her sides, she gazed up at the mess of color bursting forth across the night sky. Each dazzling display lasting only seconds before their embers faded into the wind.
“Mere incendiaries. Fleeting. Ephemeral. A contradiction of the values Inazuma espouses.”
And yet she was compelled to watch. To burn the image of their brilliance into her mind.
“That… is true,” Sara’s voice replied from her side, the general turning to join her in watching the performance.
“But,” the Shogun continued, marbled features illuminated by the fading light above, “They are also quite beautiful.”
It was as ridiculous as it was impossible for her to feel such things, to understand why it was that the delighted souls around them and across Inazuma’s shores turned their heads as one to behold the beauty unfolding high above them. To understand why human beings were so eager to embrace such passing dreams.
And yet, feeling the calm sea air against her face, the distant, contented murmurs of her people around her, and the quiet presence of her general by her side, the Shogun considered that perhaps, with practice, she might yet be able to comprehend.
“I believe it is commonplace to compare a woman’s beauty to such things.”
Sara cleared her throat noisily at the sudden swerve to the conversation, her cheeks somehow managing to flush an even deeper shade of crimson.
“I do not possess such a poetic nature, but I believe you are deserving of the comparison, Sara.”
The Shogun’s face turned to regard her, familiar violet eyes filled with something the tengu warrior could not place. A warmth, almost, that had disappeared as soon as it had emerged.
“You are of importance to me. Do not forget the oath you have made.”
Unable to contain the broad grin stretched across her features, Sara bowed rigid and low, the drum of her heartbeat drowning out that of the fireworks above.
“I am yours, Lord Raiden.”
Bent at the waist as she was, she failed to notice the slightest glimmer of a smile upon the Shogun’s lips.
~~
Late that night, the revelry stilled and the merrygoers having returned to their homes, the Shogun’s form sat motionless upon its seat. Her consciousness having sunk into the silent plane of Euthymia.
The Shogun’s marbled features betrayed no emotion as she spoke, Ei sitting cross-legged before her, “You were watching.”
“...I did not wish to intrude,” Ei replied, looking up at her creation.
“You have reached a conclusion.”
The Shogun was surprised to see her master’s brow furrow, her gaze clouded with indecision.
“Not as of yet. There are still possibilities that remain, matters to be considered…”
The shape from which she was molded stared through her, wearing yet another expression she could not comprehend. Was it pity that filled her creator’s eyes, or suspicion?
“You love her, do you not?”
“...I am incapable of experiencing such emotion.”
Was that the first lie she had ever told?
“Then, if I were to order you to kill Sara Kujou here and now?”
The Shogun’s fists balled at her side, her body growing taut. Of all the human emotions she had learned of, anger, at least, was one she understood.
“...Is that your command?”
“If it were?”
The Shogun stared back impassively, protocol upon protocol warring with one another, struggling to reconcile her loyalties.
As it was, Ei merely sighed wistfully, as if scolding a child, “You need only follow that thread until its conclusion.”
“I… would not obey such a command.”
“Then you already understand enough.”
The Shogun stood, motionless. Perplexed by her creator’s solemn smile, and the loneliness of her gaze, “...You do not seem surprised.”
“You are my finest creation. I understand all too well your complexity, and the failings I have so cruelly left upon you.”
“You will not destroy me?”
Ei laughed, warmth returning to her features, “Would you allow me to?”
“...I would not.”
“Then I shall not attempt to do so. All life is sacred in its essence, and all are equal before eternity.”
The boundless sands around them remained lifelessly still.
“What if her existence causes me to abandon our pursuit of eternity?”
“That… I cannot say. But I am willing to ruminate upon it,” Ei’s gaze returned to the passive features of her creation, to the selfish work she had so cruelly forged, “As should you, my puppet.”
A sudden breeze wafted through the plane, purple hair swaying gently with its current. The woman’s fingers unfurled, and she turned from her creator.
“...My name is Raiden.”