"Alright," Hiko spoke up, breaking the silence. "First, let's take Yae Sakura to the Science Departnt for a physical exam and get her information into the system."
"Right," Theresa nodded quickly in agreent.
But then, as if a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in her head, she turned to everyone with an excited glint in her eyes. "Oh, by the way! Did you guys know? Ei said that in her world, there's an alternate version of Yae Sakura too!"
"Whoa! Seriously?!" Kiana's eyes lit up instantly. She practically pounced to Ei's side, clinging to her arm with unbridled excitent. "So! Ei, is there another in that other world too!?"
"I'm sorry, Kiana." Ei looked down at the girl who had so naturally wrapped herself around her arm and gave a gentle shake of her head. "Shortly after I gained consciousness, I arrived here. So far, the only people I've t in Teyvat are Narukami and Yae Miko."
Wow...
Kiana's skin felt as soft as pudding. Even though she didn't look quite as well-endowed as i and the others, that texture—that curve!
It felt like she was made to be held right in the palm of one's hand!
Raiden Ei's expression remained perfectly stoic, even as she felt her arm being completely enveloped.
"I see... what a bumr." Kiana let out a disappointed sigh, but she bounced back almost imdiately. "Well, the '' in the other world better work hard too! She needs to get to the other i's side as soon as possible!"
"Kiana!" Raiden i cried out in embarrassnt, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks.
"..." Ei went silent for a mont. She looked at Kiana with an expression that was halfway between exasperated and dead serious. "Kiana... Narukami no longer has a physical body. I am Narukami's vessel."
"Eh?" The realization finally hit Kiana like a freight train. When she looked at Ei again, her gaze started to shift into sothing... different.
Finally catching on, are we, Kiana? Ei thought to herself with a hint of inner mischief.
"So! In other words, Ei, you're basically the other world's i!" Kiana's voice reached a new peak of excitent, and her grip on Ei's arm tightened significantly.
"No." Ei shook her head, her expression remaining earnest. "If we're going by your logic, then Narukami is the 'real' i. I am rely... the shell she crafted for herself."
"Huh?"
At this point, while Ei's explanation only served to fire Kiana up even more, i, Theresa, Bronya, and Hiko all realized sothing much deeper.
"Wait a second..."
Hiko and the others suddenly looked grave.
"Ei... i... the connection between the two of you might be... a lot more unique than we first thought."
"What do you an?" Ei knitted her brows, playing the part of the confused newcor perfectly.
Internally, she knew exactly what they were thinking.
Raiden i was a Herrscher, and within her body resided the consciousness of the Herrscher of Thunder. At this point in ti, the two of them hadn't rged into one like they would in the future.
And right now, in their eyes, Ei and Narukami were in the exact sa boat.
"So that's how it is..." Kiana whispered, her eyes turning serious as she looked at Ei. "Then... Ei, between you and Narukami... who is i, and who is the Herr—"
"Kiana." Hiko cut her off before she could finish.
"What are you all talking about?" Ei asked, her eyes filled with feigned innocence.
"It's a long story," Theresa sighed, looking at Ei with a mix of pity and concern. She then began to explain Raiden i's complicated situation.
Ei listened quietly. Her brow furrowed and relaxed at all the right monts, looking for all the world like she was hanging onto every word. Once the explanation finished, she turned a sincere gaze toward Raiden i.
"To , you are the only one. You, the i of the present, are the one I owe my soul's loyalty to."
Just wait. Once I transform into other characters from Teyvat, I'm going to break all your hearts...
Ei hadn't forgotten the lore. In the original story, even though the Raiden Shogun had a consciousness of her own, she was programd by Raiden Ei to be a cold, chanical shell obsessed only with Eternity.
If I show up as soone else later and tell i and the girls that the Shogun's will is being suppressed by Narukami—that she's lost her sense of self—I wonder what kind of delicious drama that'll stir up?
The re thought was delightful.
"Hehe~ Whether it's Raiden Ei, Narukami, or our i, I love all of you the most!" Kiana declared, essentially making her "harem" proclamation right then and there.
How bold, Ei thought, feeling a genuine spark of amusent.
"If that's the case, I'll have so many is to—OW!!"
With a dark expression, Raiden i brought her hand down on Kiana's head and sighed in exasperation.
"Honestly... Ei, no matter what, to us... you're family now."
"Family... I see." Ei's gaze softened as she looked at i.
Since everyone was in a hurry to get to the Science Departnt, they all tacitly agreed to drop the subject of Ei's identity for the ti being.
After Sakura's check-up was complete, St. Freya Academy had officially welcod yet another Herrscher into its ranks. The "Demon's Den of the Far East" was certainly living up to its reputation.
By evening, the group returned to the dorms lugging bags of clothes and daily necessities they had bought for Yae Sakura. They even managed to clean and prepare a private room just for her.
"Whew~ Finally done!" Hiko couldn't wait to strip off her outer layers, leaving her in just a cold-shoulder tee. As she plopped down on the sofa, her ample chest gave a couple of heavy bounces.
Ei walked over and took a seat beside her.
Hiko habitually reached into the drawer under the coffee table and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. She gave Ei a playful, mischievous grin.
"Hey, Ei~ Feel like another round? Let's see who can hold their liquor tonight."
"Challenge accepted." Ei had no intention of backing down.
She was actually looking forward to it. If Hiko got trashed like last ti, she might end up stripping down and crawling into Ei's bed again. It was quite the "fan service" perk.
However...
Just as the two of them set out the glasses and prepared to pour, a hand landed softly on each of their shoulders. An instinctive chill ran down both Ei's and Hiko's spines.
"Hiko-sensei, can I ask you sothing?" Raiden i stood behind them, wearing a smile that was as "radiant" as it was terrifying.
"W-what is it, i?" Hiko asked, her neck creaking like a rusty hinge as she slowly turned around.
Ei turned back as well, looking confused.
"Why is it... that yesterday morning, there were over twenty empty bottles of Vodka in your room, Hiko-sensei?"
Facing i's interrogation, Hiko—the adult, the teacher, and technically i's legal guardian—felt a sudden outbreak of goosebumps across her skin.
"L-listen! I can explain! i!"
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