"Hey, you, don't tell me there's no hope at all!"

- Roger Waters, The Wall


Aether felt the world crashing down around him.

Signora's brutal execution at the hands of the Raiden Shogun had left a deep impression on the young traveller. The raw power and viciousness displayed by the Shogun using the Musou no Hitotachi in Tenshukaku was enough to rock his entire soul to its core, and then some. As if it was out of spite, the Shogun had allowed Aether to walk free and unharmed from Tenshukaku, even though he knew that she absolutely did not want to in the slightest. Essentially, they both wanted each other dead, and the Shogun will try her hardest to make sure of it, even if her "Eternity" comes right back to slap her in the face.

The air around him was thick and soupy. The Inazuman summers were especially harsh on someone like Aether, more accustomed to weather from places such as Mondstadt. Even in the summer Mondstadt was pleasant, while Inazuma was hot and humid, even on colder than average days it still was obnoxiously humid than average.

Aether had hated Inazuma from day one. Compared to the hospitality provided to him by the crew of the Alcor, especially Beidou, Inazuma was like moving out of one's childhood home. He viewed it as "such a backwards nation it gives Mondstadt's governance a run for its money." He despised the Sakoku decree, he despised the Tri-Commission power balance, he especially despised that witch that was the Raiden Shogun. Mondstadt and Liyue had left a clear impression on him. Mondstadt especially, due to it being the City of Freedom. To see merchants from the nations that he had protected be used and abused by the powers of Inazuma, especially the Kanjou Commission, left a horrible first impression on him.


"Teppei." Aether almost wanted to break down in tears of both rage and sadness, but he knew he couldn't. Teppei was a brave man, an idiot, but a brave man. He wouldn't want Aether breaking down like that, even at his lowest point. No one would, anyway. Aether held a high level of respect for him, in fact, the resistance was the only thing he had enjoyed about Inazuma. He hoped the resistance would help alleviate the International Trade Associations' woes, and besides, he was essentially forced to join after the incident with the Shogun a week prior.

"Those damn Fatui, how could they? I swear to the Archons I will wipe them off the face of this fucking planet. To think that everyone thought the resistance was genuinely going well, when all along it was just yet another plot by the Tsaritsa's lackeys! Mark my words, Teppei. I will avenge you…"

Paimon could sense the animosity that was leaking from her counterpart. No, no, sense wasn't the right word. She could taste it. She did not like this taste at all.

"Aether… lets just focus on the NOW, okay? Paimon thinks it'd be healthier than dwelling on Teppei…"

"I cannot let his legacy be in vain, Paimon! Vengeance will be both mine and his. I will find that bitch Scaramouche and slam my fist right in his smug face! He can't get away with distributing delusions to the resistance. None of those Snezhnayans can."

"Okay, but… Paimon will still hold her opinion on this. We shouldn't focus on that right now, even after what just happened in that palace."

Almost immediately after, Aether winced in pain. A sharp tension formed instantly in his head as his blood vessels attempted to burst. He attempted to shake it away, to little effect. He eventually decided to just ignore it, not before getting the most horrifying feeling in his stomach.

"Aether, are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah… just a really bad headache all of a sudden…"

"Maybe this heat is getting to you? Paimon doesn't feel very comfortable either…"

"No no, this is different. Way different. I feel an unimaginable sense of dread as well, almost as if something is watching us."

"Yeah… Paimon can feel it too… It's probably just superstition. It's been a long day too, Aether."

"I suppose." Aether said, heaving out a deep sigh.

Nearby, in the City of Inazuma itself, the resistance had wasted absolutely no time in occupying the place. Due to Sara Kujou's incapacitation of most of the experienced guards during her fit of rage prior to Aether's duelling of Signora, the resistances' servicemen made quick work of the more inexperienced soldiers that the Shogun and the Tenryou Commission itself had set up around the city. Their next target would be finally their last. Tenshukaku.

Aether and Paimon had finally left the labyrinth that was Tenshukaku. From there they could see a small resistance squadron running towards them, including Gorou and Kaedehara Kazuha. Both Aether and Paimon were pleased to see them, and Paimon waved cheerily. However, the expressions on the two resistance leaders' faces turned from a look of cheerfulness to a look of pure horror. Aether felt all the hair on his body stand up, as if lightning was about to strike. There behind him, the Raiden Shogun materialised out of thin air and attempted to brutalise the blonde traveller, much like Signora before him.


Inside Kaedehara Kazuha, a fire burned brightly that he once thought had been fully snuffed out. A fire of electric proportions. Immediately, Kazuha lunged forward, brimming with the power of Electro, and voraciously blocked the Musou no Hitotachi. Aether was in pure, yet excited disbelief. So was Paimon. However, they both knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

The Shogun merely brushed it off, and attempted to push Kazuha back, not before he managed to fully deflect her attack and push her back instead. This time, she knew damn well she won't hold back.

She effortlessly disarmed Kazuha, the Masterless Vision that he held going with it. Horrifyingly, the resistance charged at the Shogun, with Aether knowing that they would all die a brutal and remorseless death if he didn't do anything. Thus, he knew he had to duel the despot yet again. Wielding his sword, he imbued the sword with enough Electro that he deemed fit, and lunged at the Shogun. Almost instantly, he felt the world around him be swallowed up into an endless void, containing only the stony remnants of the Torii of shrines scattered around him.

In the distance sat the Raiden Shogun, or rather, the Electro Archon, who was named "Ei".

"So, we meet again, Aether."

Ei slowly began to walk towards him, while Aether kept a very tight grip on his dull sword. Inside him, the embers of rage had slowly been gathering in strength. Luckily, the wind of reason had kept his composure in check. He wanted this witch to bleed, and he will make sure of it.

"I wonder, boy. What is the reason that I find you standing before me yet again? Were you merely willing to seek an audience with me, or do you have something else planned?"

"The Fatui have deceived your puppet."

"Oh? I see. Surely you did not willingly return to the Plane of Euthymia only to tell me such a simple statement. Because, if so, then how dare you question my intelligence! I am fully aware of the Vision Hunt Decree."

"Does that mean you know about everything that has happened this entire time you've been here?"

"I only choose to know about things that pander to my goal of achieving Eternity, boy. The Vision Hunt Decree imposed by the Shogun has my full and unwavering permission to be carried out. The actions by the Fatui do not constitute a threat to Eternity at all, otherwise they would have all been taken out of the picture a while ago. In fact, I believe they are contributing to the furtherment of Eternity and its goals."

"Ei, the Vision Hunt Decree is damaging everything and everyone related to Inazuma. It is destroying this nation from the inside out. It needs to be stopped."

"You see, dear boy, individual ambition is incompatible with Eternity. In fact, it goes directly against the very ideals of Eternity that were established by myself. It is only reasonable to rid Inazuma of the main thing resisting Eternity, no? What you might not realise is that… more often than not, people always have much more to lose pursuing their dreams than letting them fizzle out. Consider this: Nobody has to die on account of their Vision being taken from them. Rather, the ones who died are merely the ones who insisted on pursuing their ever growing ambitions, am I wrong?"

"Teppei…" Aether could not believe what he was hearing. Thus, he chose not to question it. Teppei's death was still fresh on his mind and he could not lose his composure now at a crucial moment like this.

"Aether, your existence is very unique in my eyes. In layman's terms, you are the furthest thing away from Eternity. Either way, I merely tread the path to Eternity for the benefit and prosperity of my nation and its people."

"This Plane… you created it through your consciousness, yes?"

"Correct. I'm surprised you can understand that. Anyway, judging from that, you're looking for a way to shake my will… aren't you? Because if so, I will not show you any mercy, boy."

"I am not here to debate your ridiculous ideas of Eternity. I am here to tear them down from their rotten core, Ei."

"Well then, so be it. Please, enemy of all Eternity, ENLIGHTEN ME!"

With a sharp breath and the drawing of his sword, Aether knew that there was no going back from this. The Electro despot drew her polearm and gave him a look of no mercy. Her eyes glowed a deep purple, brimming with power. Aether grimaced. He had to win, no matter the cost of life. He was ready and willing to kill an Archon if he had to, and yet, he found solace in this fact.

"Mark my words, vengeance will be mine." Aether muttered, under his breath. Ei smiled.


A/N: Short chapter, next one will mainly be the duel and the consequences of said duel. One of them will come out distraught and mangled to the core. Anyways, THANKS FOR READING!

-nbcman67