Unlike the players' relaxed and effortless experience,
Mu Yang's battle was far from comfortable.
This was the Plane of Euthymia—Ei inherently possessed the advantage of home turf.
Moreover, Ei wouldn't hold back, at least not obviously.
When the real confrontation began, Mu Yang understood.
This was far more terrifying than fighting Clarisse.
Nor was it like his casual sparring with Zhongli using a one-handed sword.
Ei was employing her most refined martial techniques.
"So this is the might of The Seven, renowned for their combat prowess..."
The two struck almost simultaneously.
"Illusion shattered!!"
"Azure Dragon's Lunge!"
Their aggression was maxed out—both charged straight at each other.
Steel clashed, glacial ice collided with thunderous lightning.
The first exchange ended in a draw.
But Ei was the Archon who commanded Electro.
Her elemental mastery was flawless.
The moment Withering Glory disengaged from her naginata,
Violet lightning descended like torrential rain from the sky,
Engulfing them both.
She herself was unharmed,
But if Mu Yang took the hit, the consequences would be dire.
Mu Yang executed Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, using the recoil from creating an ice clone to propel himself out of the lightning zone.
The ice clone was struck and instantly shattered into frosty particles.
This was exactly the effect Mu Yang wanted.
The lingering frost and Electro interference slightly obscured Ei's vision.
With a flick of his left sleeve, Mu Yang sent five flying daggers hurtling toward Ei.
Guided by adeptal energy, they aimed for her vital points.
Yet in the Plane of Euthymia, such tricks were meaningless.
Even without looking, the Raiden Shogun could sense his movements.
The countless lightning bolts suddenly condensed, forming a protective barrier around Ei.
All five daggers were intercepted before they could reach her.
Ei spread her arms, expanding the lightning shield outward in a shockwave.
Mu Yang dodged it effortlessly.
After a few more probing exchanges,
Ei seemed to grow impatient.
"Enough testing."
She sheathed her naginata and drew Musou Isshin from her chest,
Simultaneously activating the Eye of Stormy Judgment.
Phase Two had begun!
When Ei fought with Musou Isshin, her style closely mirrored Mu Yang's.
Both utilized long-range sword energy,
While their close-quarters strikes prioritized speed and precision.
Neither attacked carelessly—every strike aimed for a fatal point.
Just like Mu Yang dealing with bandits—
Either a slit throat or a pierced heart.
The slower one would die.
Their duel became a mirror match.
Ei unleashed Hakkenden from afar.
Mu Yang countered with his own sword energy.
Ice and lightning clashed, neither gaining ground.
Ei leveraged the Plane of Euthymia's advantage,
Closing the distance rapidly. Mu Yang raised his sword to block—
Only to realize it was a feint.
Ei vanished mid-air, then reappeared in four afterimages surrounding Mu Yang.
The illusions launched relentless sword slashes from all directions.
Dispersing her power like this was actually unwise against Mu Yang,
Because his Untraceable mental discipline allowed him to see through any technique
As long as the opponent's overall strength didn't surpass his.
So despite the overwhelming barrage,
This was less threatening than Ei's earlier feint.
Mu Yang easily spotted the opening and struck Ei's true form, scoring the first decisive hit.
However, Ei responded with madness.
She'd clearly gone too long without a worthy opponent.
Now, she was intoxicated by the fight.
She could've retreated safely, but chose not to.
Instead, she twisted to avoid fatal damage, tanked the hit, and counterattacked.
Mu Yang activated Swallow's Return at maximum speed, backstepping to safety—
But still took three slashes across his left arm.
Staring at the wound, Mu Yang felt a rare tremor of apprehension.
This was undoubtedly his toughest battle since arriving in Teyvat.
Yet instead of dampening their fervor, the injuries only fueled it further.
Mu Yang was exhilarated. Originally, he'd planned to block the Musou no Hitotachi then exit gracefully.
Now, he'd completely forgotten that plan.
His only thought was defeating the Raiden Shogun before him.
Coincidentally, Ei felt the same.
They clashed again, exchanging dozens of blows in a flurry of steel.
Though neither gained clear advantage, Mu Yang gradually fell behind.
In the Plane of Euthymia, Ei's energy expenditure was minimal,
While Mu Yang had to maintain peak concentration every second.
It was a test of both stamina and willpower.
Ei shifted into her divine raiment, perhaps deciding to end this.
Her stance indicated she would conclude with the Musou no Hitotachi.
But Mu Yang knew—she was still holding back.
This wasn't the Shogun's ultimate form from the weekly boss fight.
"Seems I haven't satisfied Her Excellency enough."
"Still, I can withstand this level of power."
Mu Yang invested all his accumulated popularity points, temporarily pushing his strength to its limit.
Of course, he wouldn't waste this opportunity.
A power surge shouldn't squander popularity points for nothing.
Thus, in the players' perspective,
After Phase Two, the final showdown's cutscene played.
The Raiden Shogun stood amidst raging thunderstorms, her divine raiment amplifying her majesty.
[HOLY SHIT YOUR EXCELLENCY I'M YOUR DOG]
[How are her clothes so perky without proper support???]
[??? Touch grass you degenerate]
Mu Yang's transformation was equally spectacular.
A coiling ice dragon engulfed him with its maw,
Then shattered into a blizzard,
Revealing Mu Yang in brand-new blue-and-white battle robes, now adorned with draconic and cryo armor.
His sword had also transformed—previously bare branches on the hilt now bloomed with three pale blue flowers,
Matching the pattern on the scabbard.
Exhaling a frosty breath, Mu Yang prepared to face the legendary strike head-on.
————————
In the livestream, Guinaifen was losing her mind.
"HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THIS?!"
"NEW OUTFIT? MIYOYO I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!"
[Classic Mu Yang—character not even released but already getting skins]
[Is this an SP form?]
[Was scrolling past on the bus when the person next to me said "damn that's hot" and made me scroll back]
[Good people still exist! Want to learn more about our boy Mu Yang?]
[LMAO his rizz is unstoppable]
"Mainly this outfit is just chef's kiss. And the dragon motifs keep increasing—wonder what hoyo's hinting at?"
[If an earth dragon can be the Geo Archon, an ice dragon should be Cryo Archon!]
[The Cryo Archon's still around, so I nominate Mu Yang as new Geo Archon]
[Zhongli: I don't mind]
[I demand Mu Yang's new model animations on certain sites TONIGHT]
[You thirsty little gremlin]
"Fam, fam, check your DMs. Tag me if you find it."
Little Gui made it clear she also wanted to... thoroughly study the transformation details.
——————
Back in the Plane of Euthymia,
Both combatants reached their climax.
Each knew what the other would unleash.
No more feints or mind games—just pure power colliding.
Ei gathered energy, Eye of Stormy Judgment channeling into Musou Isshin.
Mu Yang closed his eyes, focusing completely,
Letting the ice dragon coil around him.
They moved as one—Ei's blade split the void,
While Mu Yang's sword energy, now infused with the dragon's might, surged forth.
The ice dragon began fracturing upon contact with Musou Isshin,
But its claws still left cracks in Ei's attack.
Their strikes canceled out...
This was Mu Yang's ultimate technique.
After using it, he could barely maintain his new form.
He reflected—raw power alone wasn't enough.
Only by manifesting his own domain like Ei's Plane of Euthymia,
A realm that endlessly fueled its master, could he hope to defeat her.
For now, blocking a divine raiment-enhanced Musou no Hitotachi was an achievement.
The road ahead remained long.
My popularity grows daily.
Overpowering you, Ei, is only a matter of time.
[PSA: You can breathe during cutscenes]
[Thanks, almost passed out]
[Dead.]
Had Ei wished, one more strike would've ended Mu Yang.
But she didn't.
Dispelling her divine raiment, she approached.
"It seems we're at a draw this time."
Mu Yang likewise reverted forms.
"I know I lost. Why didn't you go all out?"
"That was my full power."
Ei was playing word games—it was her strongest attack in that form,
But she still had an ultimate phase in reserve.
Mu Yang wasn't fooled. "The truth?"
Dorky Ei mode activated: "Last time I went all out, Yae scolded me."
The chat exploded with question marks.
THIS is the Raiden Shogun?!