LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 22: chapter 22
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Chapter 22: Turning Inazuma Into the Second Pinocchio, The Defecting Lei Movie
"Are you... going to betray eternity?"
When the Raiden Shogun said she had been saved from her mission, Raiden Ei's expression was one of utter disbelief. The Shogun's directive to pursue eternity had been something she herself had programmed. In fact, to prevent any future deviation from her own goals, she had deliberately set parameters that even she couldn't override.
Yet, here it was—the Shogun had been tampered with?
"No! Eternity is my sole mission in life, and it should be my true pursuit."
This boundless pursuit of eternity, even at the expense of defying Raiden Ei herself, seemed foolish to the now more intelligent Shogun. It baffled her that her own creator—her inner self—had set such a simplistic directive.
Eternity? Eternity is important, the Shogun mused. But does she truly know what eternity even means?
Raiden Ei, to the Shogun, didn't seem particularly clever, especially now. The Shogun couldn't help but question: What does she, Raiden Ei, really know about eternity?
"I will no longer follow your commands or pursue this false eternity! True eternity will soon descend upon Inazuma!"
Raiden Ei's eyes widened as she stared at the Shogun in disbelief. False eternity? Since when was there a distinction between true and false eternity?
"Ahem," Yae Miko cut in, "let me ask you—what exactly is this 'eternity' you're talking about?"
The Shogun, far more rigid than Ei, remained unfazed. Yae Miko couldn't help but wonder if she would need to remake the Shogun from scratch. What had that man, Su Ran, done to modify her?
The Shogun extended her hand toward Yae Miko, and in an instant, an intricate chess piece appeared in her palm.
"Even if the body perishes, the consciousness can continue to exist eternally—no decay, no war, no death. Inazuma will become a perfect dreamland!"
With that, the Shogun presented the Heart of God to Su Ran, almost as if she was offering it in worship to an adoptive father.
"I don't understand…" Raiden Ei said, her large, innocent eyes filled with suspicion as she stared at Su Ran. This man was dangerous—powerful enough to control even the Raiden Shogun. Ei was wary, but she couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps Su Ran did understand what eternity truly was.
All threats to eternity had to be eliminated, and Su Ran was certainly a potential threat. Ei didn't believe that someone who had defeated the Shogun could be taken down so easily. But if Su Ran was also pursuing eternity, perhaps there was no need to resist.
"I plan to gather the people of Inazuma in a collective dream," Su Ran said, sharing his grand vision. He intended to create a world like Pinocchio's, but one free from the flaws of reality. It was ambitious, but given enough time, he was confident it could succeed. The Heart of God—once belonging to another—would serve as the core of this dream.
"With no physical bodies to hold them back, people will never die. Since their consciousness won't be tied to the real world, it will never wear out. In this way, Inazuma will become an eternal nation, free from loss and death."
As Su Ran held the tiny Raiden Ei in his arms, she didn't resist. Instead, after hearing his plan, only one thought crossed her mind:
This is perfect! If this isn't eternity, what is?
No death, no loss—this was the true eternity she had been searching for all along. Could it be that Su Ran had been sent by the gods to fulfill her deepest desires?
Although it sounded far-fetched, Raiden Ei found herself listening attentively, drawn to the idea. She had, after all, attempted something similar in her quest to avoid the impermanence of life—abandoning her body and separating her consciousness from reality.
"This... this kind of eternity..." Kamisato Ayaka, who had felt a brief sense of relief earlier, suddenly tensed up again. A world where people abandon reality for a false dream—could that truly be considered eternity? To her, Su Ran's plan seemed far more terrifying than the Shogun's Vision Hunt Decree or the Sakoku Decree.
And Ayaka wasn't alone in her concern. Yae Miko, too, had her doubts. Plunging into an artificial dreamworld, forsaking reality? She found it distasteful. There were too many interesting things in the real world for her to ever want to give it up.
"Alright! I'll assist you!" Raiden Ei agreed, wholeheartedly endorsing Su Ran's vision of eternity. Or rather, she embraced it because it aligned perfectly with her own desire for an everlasting Inazuma. It was something she had always wanted to pursue but had never thought possible—until now. With Su Ran at the helm, she was ready to support him.
Raiden Ei's defection didn't surprise Su Ran, but it certainly caught Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayaka off guard.
"..."
The two exchanged glances. Things were about to get much worse for Inazuma. Whatever was coming, it would be far worse than the Vision Hunt Decree or the Sakoku Decree. Now, with three god-like beings involved, it seemed inevitable.
Even Yae Miko briefly entertained the idea of joining them—if you can't beat them, maybe it's better to join them. After all, resisting would mean going up against three gods.
"I'm kind of looking forward to how things unfold," Su Ran mused. His goal was to turn Inazuma into a second Pinocchio-like dreamland. However, unlike the story's resort hotel, he wasn't doing it for profit. He knew there would be rebels, no matter how perfect the dream seemed.
Although Yae Miko hadn't said anything yet, Su Ran could tell she wasn't completely on board. And Kamisato Ayaka? Her expression made it clear she was already trying to figure out a way to break this new nightmare.
But Su Ran didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it. What he truly wanted to see was how the rebels would resist, how they would challenge the gods, and how they would fight to break free from Inazuma's collective dream.
For that, the traveler would be the key. Every rebellion needs a leader—a protagonist. But the traveler was still busy fighting the wind dragon in Mondstadt, wasn't he? Was it Aether or Lumine this time? Su Ran didn't know, but he hoped it was Lumine.
"Abyss Order, grant the prince a little favor, won't you?"
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