Yes, Lady Funina!

It's like a puppy from my hometown meeting its long-lost owner. Upon meeting, it barks defensively and is ready to pounce, but once it gets closer and realizes it's its familiar owner, it wags its tail immediately.

Face Changing

Perhaps even General Thunder couldn't understand how [Dream Heart], who had been with her for so many years, could have a side she didn't know, or perhaps this was its true nature, and the [Dream Heart] she knew before was just an act?!

General Thunder had no time to think and immediately tried to distance herself from Richard. She tried to pull the sword out, but found that the blade seemed to be firmly welded between Richard's two fingers, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not pull it out.

General Thunder made a decisive move, immediately letting go and lightly touching the ground with his toes, pulling himself back dozens of meters away from Richard.

The situation on the field reversed in an instant. In just one glance, Richard seized the [Dream Heart] from General Thunder.

Watching Richard skillfully twirl his sword, it wouldn't have been so bad if that were all. The key point was that the sword in Richard's hand, "Dream of One Heart," also emitted a clear and melodious sword cry in perfect harmony.

This sound... it never made when it was in my possession!

General Thunder's emotions were extremely complex at this moment. She didn't know how to describe them—bitterness? sorrow? jealousy?

In short, this emotion should be considered the most intense emotion General Raiden has ever expressed since his creation.

"Do you want to continue fighting? Your weapon is already in my hands." Richard felt the pleasure emanating from the blade of the [Dream One Heart] sword, which reminded him of the days when he also wielded this sword and practiced with his shadow.

But now things have changed. He still holds the same sword as before, but the person standing opposite him is no longer the same person.

General Thunder did not answer Richard directly, but slowly floated up and said, "Although you are my eternal enemy, I acknowledge your strength. I will now fight at my peak..."

Halfway through his sentence, General Thunder seemed to freeze, standing there in place, and the dense, almost tangible lightning element around him slowly dissipated.

His originally cold and sharp eyes suddenly became clear, as if the blade of a sword had lost its sharpness and been replaced by a gentle, watery warmth.

Looking at the Thunder General who seemed like a completely different person, Richard lowered the sword he had just raised and tentatively asked, "Shadow?"

"Well, it's me."

Although the voice was the same, it was very obvious that Shadow's tone was much gentler and more emotional than that of General Thunder.

"In my eternal meditation, I sensed that General Thunder was fighting a powerful enemy, to the point where he needed to use his primal power, and so I thought..."

“You’re not suited to lying, Shadow,” Richard suddenly said.

Ying's expression froze for a moment, then she put on a helpless smile. "You've been found out."

"When I first set foot on the land of Inazuma, you must have known I was back, right, Kage?"

"……Yes."

Why have you come to see me?

"Didn't you also not come to see me?"

—You've been gone for so long, and even when you came back you never thought of coming to find me, so why should I bother?

Unlike Yae no Miko, Kage is not good at expressing her feelings. In fact, she is even more oblivious and dull in matters of the heart than most people. Therefore, it is obviously impossible to expect her to express her feelings as directly as Miko.

Compared to the straightforward approach of the Divine Child, the Shadow is more likely to hide away in a pure land and pluck small pearls.

"Does a man always have to take the initiative? Putting the issue aside, don't you bear any responsibility at all, hiding in your own sanctuary?"

film:???

Watching the figure silently take out the [S Grass of Rice Light], Richard naturally stopped his planned punch and said instead, "Of course, in terms of the division of responsibilities, I admit that I do bear more responsibility."

"So even though it's a bit late, I still want to apologize for leaving without saying goodbye back then. I'm sorry, Ying, all these years..."

Ying shook her head and said, "You don't owe me anything. Whether you stay or leave is your choice, so there's no need to feel sorry about it."

"Moreover, compared to me, I think the goddess should want to hear your apology more and is more deserving of it."

"Qualifications and such... Why would Shadow think that?" Richard looked at Shadow. Did Shadow have a 'favoritism' towards Yae no Miko?

Instead of answering the question directly, Ying brought up a topic that seemed completely unrelated to the matter.

"Although I have been engaged in perpetual meditation all these years, I am actually aware of what is happening in the outside world."

"In Inazuma, whether it's the Seven Gods statues by the roadside or the statue of the head priest of Takenouchi-no-Kami enshrined in the shrine, they can all be considered my eyes and ears to some extent..."

So what happened in the shrine's main hall after I met Yae no Miko was actually all seen by Kage.

"I am truly happy for you both that your relationship with Yae no Miko has developed to this point."

"Shadow, you're not suited to lying."

Volume 1: Chapter 140 A duel before the emperor, the victor rules all!

Ying fell silent again. She had only been reunited with Richard for a few minutes, and she had already gone against her own heart twice.

That alone would have been bad enough, but the real problem was that Richard exposed him twice without any mercy, which made Ying lose face and want to go back to the Pure Land of One Heart to go into seclusion.

Oh, so you're in the Pure Land now? Then it's alright.

Fortunately, this awkward situation didn't last long. Richard, understanding the situation, changed the subject and asked, "You just said that although you were in a meditative state, you were fully aware of what was happening in the outside world?"

"The statement 'knowing everything' is not accurate. Meditation is a very demanding activity, so I only have a general understanding of the external situation," Ying corrected.

"Including this 'Eye Hunt Order'?"

“This includes the Eye Hunt Order.” Shadow nodded. “I acquiesced to the issuance of this order, and I am also aware of the actions of the Fools.”

"Although their motives were impure, they did not inherently pose a threat to [Eternity], otherwise they would have been eliminated long ago."

"What do you think of the current lives of the Inatsume people?" Richard was referring to the five islands other than Narukami Island.

Because Heguan and Qinglai Island are not on the front lines and their local environments are not suitable for human habitation, they have been less affected.

However, the main battlefields of this civil war were Kannazuka, Hachimanjima, and Umi-ojima. Although the number of residents on these islands was not as large as that on Narumi-no-Kami-no-Shima, they still accounted for at least half of the entire population of Inazuma.

How does the current Inazuma administration view the plight of these people?

"In the pursuit of desires, one often loses more than one gains. Just as the act of confiscating the Eye of God itself does not necessarily lead to anyone's death from its removal..."

"Isn't it those who insist on pursuing their desires who lose their lives?"

After listening, Richard shook his head, his tone filled with indescribable disappointment, and said, "Shadow, when did pursuing one's desires become a wrong thing? Are there things we shouldn't do just because we've lost them?"

"If that's the case, then why did Fox-Sai-gyu, Mikoto Chiyo, and your sister Shin go to the battlefield back then? Didn't they know the risks involved?"

"..."

"Shadow, everyone has the right to pursue their desires. You can't deprive others of their desires just because of your own. That's unfair and unrealistic."

"Because you can't suppress people's yearning for a better life forever. What you think is the best, others may not think so."

“I… can’t argue with you, it’s always been like this.” Ying said, pursing her lips, but her expression did not waver in the slightest because of Richard’s words.

Indeed, if mere words could change Shadow's mind, then that would be a gross underestimation of Shadow and his divine awareness.

Richard looked up and around; desolation and gloom were the main themes of this space.

"This is your 'Pure Land of One Mind,' a space constructed by your consciousness, right?"

"Yes, you've been here before, haven't you?" Ying used to often pull Richard into the Pure Land of One Heart for martial arts training.

After all, the commotion caused by her fight with Richard at that time was already quite significant. If she hadn't fought in the Pure Land of One Heart, Inazuma City might have faced a renovation if she hadn't been careful.

“The changes are too great. After all, although there wasn’t much here back then, it wasn’t as desolate as it is now,” Richard said meaningfully.

The Pure Land of One Mind is the consciousness space of the shadow, meaning that everything within the Pure Land is actually a reflection of the shadow's consciousness.

The fact that the Pure Land of One Heart is dark and desolate actually indicates that Ying's mental state is not as good as she appears.

That's true. After all, who can lock themselves in a dark room day after day for a hundred years, without eating desserts, reading novels, or engaging in any entertainment, and still maintain a good mood while only meditating?

If this happened to an ordinary person, they would be unable to sit still for more than two days, and their mental state would probably start to deteriorate after a week or more. If this time were to be extended further, their life would likely be in danger.

Moreover, even the Shadow has probably reached some kind of limit by now, right?

Ying clearly understood Richard's meaning, and she simply replied softly, "Neglected."

Does the space of consciousness also need to be managed?

It's obvious that this is just a pretext.

However, upon returning to Shadow's Pure Land after a century, Richard also realized that Shadow's current problems had reached a point where intervention was necessary.

According to Dr. Richard's assessment, if Shadow is allowed to continue like this, in another hundred years, Shadow's condition may approach that of Funina, or even be more serious.

The most likely scenario at that time is that the Shadow will gradually become like the Raiden General.

To become a machine whose heart is set on eternity.

"Shadow, you're still stuck in the past, just like before. It seems that simple arguments are no longer useful, and I don't want to argue with you anymore."

“Then…” Ying seemed to want to let Richard leave the Pure Land of the Heart.

But Richard picked up the [Dream of One Heart] in his hand and pointed the tip of the sword at the shadow located at the very center of the Pure Land of One Heart.

"Let's have a duel before the Emperor! The victor will rule over everything the loser has!"

“…Okay.” Ying Mei’s eyes showed a slight surprise, but she still agreed and summoned her weapon, [S Grass Light].

Before the Pure Land of One Mind, the two stood on opposite sides of the Pure Land, facing each other from a distance, with the center as the boundary.

This scene is just like when the film mastered martial arts for Richard back then, except this time it's not a friendly exchange, but a real fight.

The loser will become the victor's appendage, fulfilling all the victor's demands and desires.

Without exchanging many words, the two understood that the duel had begun in the blink of an eye.

Without much probing, Ying immediately unleashed all her power.

—If I can win, it wouldn't matter if I'm a little selfish, right?

With this thought in mind, Shadow swung his S-blade down at Richard with immense force. The power of this single strike was comparable to the [Unthinking Slash] used by General Thunder earlier.

After so many years, Shadow's strength is clearly not static. His contemplation of eternity has become part of his own strength, and every move he makes is the pinnacle of martial arts.

Richard no longer used only two fingers to fight the enemy, just like he had when dealing with General Thunder.

The reason they dared to do that before was because the other party used [Dream Heart]. Compared to the Thunder General who had no dreams, [Dream Heart] clearly preferred Richard. Therefore, when the Thunder General launched his offensive, [Dream Heart] only made contact with Richard before immediately 'betraying' him.

Without the aid of a weapon, the power of the "Unthinking Strike" is naturally reduced to less than one-tenth. After all, without a weapon, what threat can it pose?

Now, Richard is facing the Shadow and the [S-Grass Light] in his hand. The two are of one mind. Not only will the power of the Shadow's attack on Richard not be reduced, but the power may even be increased because of what he did with Yae no Miko in front of the statue.

In just a few breaths, Richard had already clashed with Shadow dozens of times, each collision accompanied by a loud noise and a violent tremor in the ground.

Furthermore, the frequency of these exchanges is increasing, and the movements of both sides are becoming faster and faster, gradually reaching a point where they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. The only way to catch a glimpse of the two figures is through the shockwaves caused by the collisions.

After countless exchanges, when Ying saw Richard still handling things with ease, she knew that Richard's strength was no longer what it used to be. The boy who could barely parry her moves back then had finally grown into a man who could stand on his own.

'This can't go on.' Ying clearly realized that if they just kept fighting on the surface like this, they probably wouldn't reach a conclusion even if they fought forever.

Ying wouldn't mind spending time with Richard, but definitely not in this way.

Richard also noticed the change in Shadow's offensive style. After a clash of swords, the two of them simultaneously distanced themselves from each other.

“Richard…you’ve become stronger.” Shadow said, his eyes slightly lowered, his tone complex.

"Yes, people always have to grow; they can't stay the same forever, can they?"

"There's no need to test me with these methods anymore. My thoughts will not change. You haven't personally experienced the losses that come with moving forward. Some things are not as simple as you think..." Ying lowered her head, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes.

"Only eternity, only eternity can..."

"Shadow, look up and look around." Richard interrupted Shadow's obsession and made him look up and look around.

Shadow subconsciously did as Richard said, and when she looked up, a sky full of stars came into view.

As the stars twinkled, it seemed as if Kage heard the heartfelt wishes of Inazuma's countless people.

"Arriving at the depths of the Silent Sea..."

"To become the greatest swordsman in the world..."

"To see pure white snow with my own eyes..."

"I hope everyone can be treated equally..."

The myriad thoughts stirred by the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed God statue ultimately transformed into the strongest voice.

—"I hope the Eye Hunting Order can be abolished."

As Ying's pupils contracted and her mind wavered, Richard had already placed the [Dream One Heart] on her shoulder. With just a slight movement, the sharp sword light could cut through Ying's delicate skin.

"Shadow, you've lost."

"Yes... I lost."

Shadow released the [S-Grass of Light] he was holding, and the divine weapon turned into starlight as Shadow retrieved it. Richard also removed the [Dream of One Heart] from Shadow's shoulder.