Ei had seen countless battles. Soldiers who would fearlessly throw their lives away against an enemy, attacking with abandon. Duels, where warriors fought on past the point of broken bones, past the point of sanity. Right now, she was experiencing one such duel.
Her opponent could barely stand. Sweat drenched his golden hair, falling down his chin in ripples. Every breath was laborious.
"We should stop here," she said. "You can't—"
"No," he sputtered. "N-not yet."
Clawing to his unsteady feet, he aimed his swordtip at her. Beaten and broken as he was, the sheer determination in his expression made her, the immortal Shogun, shiver. Did she dare deny him this? No, that would be spitting in the face of his resolve.
She had promised him he could make any request of her should he win. Doubtless, he wanted information regarding his sister. One-hundred rounds, one-hundred losses, and still he persisted. Such determination she found admirable.
Ei readied her blade.
Once more, they charged. Steel rung across Euthymia, echoing all the way up to the Heavenly Principles. The combatants dashed about each other, hurtling elemental energy in every slash. Aether ducked her slice and summoned a Geo pillar. The construct hurled Ei into the air. He swapped to Anemo and unleashed a tornado upon the skyborne archon.
Ei admired his strategy. Were she anyone else, this would have succeeded. One slash of the Musuo-No-Hitotachi and the tornado split in two. The dust settled. Aether was gone. She sensed him. She landed, turned around, and intercepted his thrust. He came in again, his blade brimming with Hydro energy, and Ei leaned back to dodge. Which was exactly what he wanted. Water droplets ran from the tip of his blade. They flew right into Ei's eyes and blinded her.
Ei smiled. Aether had grown so much since their first duel it was unbelievable. One of the many reasons she utterly adored him. Unfortunately for him, he still had a long way to go. Her ears homed in on his whistling blade. Shifting backwards, she let it pass her by. He swung again and again, but like a butterfly she floated out of range each time.
The air crackled with Electro. He had enhanced his blade with Electro energy for extra range. But he was on his last legs. Strained breath, chest heaving, feet shaking. This would be his final attack. The electro blade came down and Ei leapt backwards. Soon as she landed, she would blink the Hydro from her sight and finish him.
Then her back struck something solid. Startled, she misjudged the landing and stumbled. She wiped her eyes in bewilderment, wondering what she could've hit. That was all it took. Aether closed the distance and pressed his blade against her throat. He had her pinned to a Torii Gate.
This was his real plan. He hurled up all that sand just to obscure her field of vision. He maneuvered her towards the Gate. When she sensed his strength waning, she let her guard down. One-hundred rounds, one-hundred losses, but he finally won.
Triumph gleamed across his expression. Then he crumbled over in exhaustion, and she caught him before he hit the ground. Ei lay his head upon her lap. He slept, safe under her protection. Stroking his tender, sweet face, Ei smiled.
She fought many duels. The warriors who bested her could be counted on a single hand. But for someone to best her twice…she never could've imagined it. More than amazement, she found something else in her heart. Relief. Aether braved countless dangers, which mortals and archons could never withstand. She worried for his safety. But it seemed her worries were unfounded. If he could defeat her, then he could defeat anything Teyvat threw at him.
Aether yawned. His eyes opened to hers.
"You won. As the victor, you may make your request."
Now came the hard part. He'd ask about his sister and she'd have nothing to tell him. Hopefully, she could break the news gently.
She prepared herself for the speech when Aether got onto his knees. He took a deep breath.
"Ei. I love you. My request is that you'll…consider accepting this."
He proffered a jewelry box. Inside lay a golden ring encrusted with a violet gem pulsing with Electro energy.
"I'm giving you this as my promise. So long as you love me, I will never stop struggling against whatever this journey throws at me because you make me strong."
Ei was speechless. So, all this time, he kept getting back not for his sister or some stubborn sense of pride, but to prove his resolve. He would endure any hardship, overcome any opponent, so they could have their future together.
She smiled and offered him her hand. Aether gently slid the ring on. Ei appreciated the ring's shimmering golden coating, the way it fit so perfectly on her like this was meant to be. It made her unreasonably joyful.
Overcome by emotion, Ei threw her arms around him. They kissed. Aether caressed her waist, dug his fingers through her braid. In response, Ei pulled him closer. Their tongues explored one another, savoring every sensation.
They rested their foreheads together, just basking in their moment of bliss.
"Aether, I want you."
"Me too."
Cheeky Aether went for her breasts, cupping them beneath her kimono. He made no secret how much he loved her body. She loved it. All her life she had commanded the respect of her soldiers through her divine powers. Commanding Aether's heart made her feel far more powerful than that divine being.
Aether undid her kimono sash, while she removed his shirt. They paused, bodies pressed together. His nipples and midriff were hot against hers. That heat built up inside her, growing into an unbearable itch that she couldn't withstand.
Ei threw off her kimono and nearly tore apart Aether's pants trying to strip him. Finally, they lay in the other's embrace, completely exposed. He massaged tiny circles on her back, ran his palms across the supple curves of her waist. Ei lay her chin on his shoulder. She held him close to her, so close she could feel their hearts beating in perfect harmony.
Ei wasn't in a rush. She wanted this to last a while. A very long while.
The 500 Year Date, Article by Charlotte
Aether and Ei spent their date together in the Plane of Euthymia. Unfortunately, Ei claims she forgot to adjust the time distortion between the regions. What should've been a date of 24 hours became something more like a date that lasted 500 years.
As this violates the Amendment 7 of the Constitution of the UHA, Ei has been dismissed from the UHA House of Representatives. A panel of judges have assembled to determine if further punishment is warranted. Depending on their vote, Ei could be forced to take the last position on the Aether Date List when the lots are redrawn.
Further adding to this concern, Yae Miko revealed that Ei has incredible stamina. The Electro Archon once fought the Raiden Shogun for 500 years straight. Given her godly stamina and Aether's inability to refuse a beautiful woman, many suspect the date veered into no-no territory for 500 years. It certainly isn't out of the possibility.
When asked if she regrets her transgression, Ei said, "I regret my negligence, yes. But I will never regret Aether."