Farewell to the Past

Farewell to the Past is the second part of .
==Steps==
# Continue the pursuit
#* Head south-west
# Talk to Ei
# Defeat the Rifthounds
#* The player's party will be locked to only the Raiden Shogun during this battle.
#* The Raiden Shogun will temporarily become immobile at random moments throughout the fight.
#* Wave 1 
#* Wave 2 
#* Wave 3 
# Talk to Ei and ascertain her condition
# Aid the samurai in defeating the Rifthounds
#* Wave 1 
#* Wave 2 
# Talk to Ei and the samurai
# Go to the cave below the Grand Narukami Shrine
# Talk to Ei
# Enter the secret realm
#* Enter the Quest Domain: End of the Oneiric Euthymia
# Talk to Ei
# Defeat the Raiden Shogun
#* 
#* The player's party will be locked to only the Raiden Shogun during this battle.
#* The player's Raiden Shogun cannot die and will instead automatically recover to full HP. Energy is also generated periodically.
# Talk to Ei once again
# Talk to Paimon about how to respond
==Trial Character==
==Dialogue==
: Paimon: We should go. Let's keep following the traces.
: Ei: Very well. Based on my investigation so far, I believe this next pack of monsters should be the last.
;(Continue the pursuit and defeat the Rifthounds)
: Ei: Once again, please leave them to me.
: Paimon: Hey, hey! A—Are you sure you're alright? You're scaring us!
: Ei: Fear not. Fighting is what I do best.
;(Partway through the first wave, the Raiden Shogun is immobilized for a moment)
: Ei: Ugh...
: Paimon: Are you alright?
: Ei: I'm fine, I...
;(After defeating the Rifthounds, or if Ei's HP falls below 25%)
: Paimon: Ei, maybe you should leave this one to us.
: You don't look too good.
: Don't force it.
: Ei: I...
: Ei: My apologies.
: Paimon: Don't worry about it! Just take a breather and get your strength back.
: Paimon: We'll deal with the monsters!
: Paimon: Look... that's the same light again.
:
: Time for another trip down memory lane.
: Who have we got this time...
: Fujiki: Wh—Where am I?
: Fujiki: Who are you... *gasp* Almighty Shogun, you're here too!
: Fujiki: Are you injured, Your Excellency?
: Ei: Ahem... I'm quite alright. Just feeling a little stiff.
: Fujiki: We, the Shogunate samurai, will defend the Shogun until the very end!
: Fukami: Come on, men! They're coming back for more, let's get them!
: Ei: Don't. It's too dangerous.
: Fujiki: Danger is our duty, Ma'am! If we were the kind to shy away from danger, we never would've taken up arms to begin with.
: Fukami: No need to worry, Almighty Shogun. When the situation looks bleak, we will draw on the power granted to us by the gods.
: Paimon: Is that a Vision?
: Fujiki: It certainly is. I know the gods are omnipotent, and their willingness to grant their power to humans means that they have high expectations for us.
: Fujiki: If the Almighty Shogun is in trouble, now of all times is the moment for us to honor that.
: Paimon: So that's how samurai of that era understood Visions, huh...
: So full of hope.
: An unwavering commitment to resistance.
: Fukami: Nobody knew where Your Excellency had gone, and we were starting to despair. But now we've found you. You are right here with us.
: Fukami: Just the sight of you appearing before us once more has reignited the hope in our hearts.
: Fukami: This hope is the light that will guide us out from the darkness.
: Fujiki: Everyone, on me!
: Paimon: We'll help too!
: Fujiki: Huh...?
: Fujiki: Affirmative. But watch your backs!
;(Defeat the Rifthounds)
: Fukami: Protect the Almighty Shogun!
;(After defeating the Rifthounds)
: Fujiki: It seems like their attacks are finally over.
: Fukami: Huh, I've never fought so fiercely before!
: Ei: Thank you all...
: Paimon: Umm... Are you okay? Maybe you should keep resting...
: Ei: I'm fine. I feel much better already.
: Fujiki: You fought phenomenally. It was truly awe-inspiring.
: Fujiki: The monsters will definitely come back. And when they do, it'll be more than a few rifthounds this time.
: Fujiki: Quickly, escort Her Excellency back to Inazuma City, and regroup with the general's forces as soon as possible.
: Fukami: When everyone sees the Almighty Shogun safely returning, their spirits will be lifted.
: Paimon: Well... what're you guys gonna do?
: Fujiki: We will stay here and guard against the monsters' advance. We cannot afford to let them get any further.
: Fujiki: We are brothers in arms. As long as we stick together, we can face any number of monsters that come our way.
: Paimon: *gulp*...
: (We have no business disrupting the reality they are experiencing.)
: Great, thanks. I appreciate it.
: Fukami: Just leave it to us! Fighting is what we do best!
: Fukami: But the Almighty Shogun is the only one of us with the power to change the present state of affairs. Only Her Excellency can turn back the tide of despair and lead us onward into the future.
: Fukami: No matter what kind of threat faces Inazuma, we will always place our faith in the Almighty Shogun!
: Ei: ...
: Ei: Thank you all very much. I promise you that I will create a bright future for Inazuma.
: Ei: I should not have left it this late to make this promise. But from this moment forth, know that I shall be true to my word.
: Fukami: Don't worry, Your Excellency. We will never doubt your word as long as we live!
: Fukami: With you leading us, we will claim back everything that Inazuma has lost!
: Fujiki: Glory to the Shogun!
: Samurai: Glory to the Shogun!
: Paimon: ...They're gone.
: Was that a promise to them...?
: Or a promise to yourself?
: Ei: It was both.
: Ei: The people's sacrifice has always caused me immense pain, but in dwelling on the tragedy, I overlooked their splendor... The grief blinded me to how brightly they shone in their final moments.
: Ei: The result being that in the centuries since their sacrifice, I have dishonored their will.
: Ei: You could take the view that whatever I say to them is meaningless, because they are but disembodied memories held in the Ley Lines.
: Ei: But even so, they are due a resolution... I owe it to them and to all the people who have placed their faith in me to date.
: Paimon: Well... Paimon thinks that even if it's a few hundred years later, you're doing right by them now. And that's what counts.
: Ei: Thank you for your comforting words. But this is my basic duty as Inazuma's archon, and I have neglected it for far too long.
: Ei: I used to think just like that samurai... that I was first and foremost a warrior, and my only duty was to face whatever challenge came my way.
: Ei: But what Inazuma needs more than a warrior is someone like Makoto.
: Ei: Even though I am utterly unlike Makoto, and can never become the person she was, I still need to do the things that she would have done.
: Humans are worthy of your trust.
: Ei: Yes, they are. They are strong and resilient, and have much to be proud of.
: Ei: As the Raiden Shogun they revere, I should not be the one to hold them back.
: Paimon: Well said! Sounds to Paimon like you've figured things out.
: Ei: Change will come to Inazuma, and with it, new possibilities. This will take time, but eventually, the future will bring healing to the scars of the past.
: Ei: No matter how long it takes, I am committed to bringing this to fruition. This is my promise.
: Ei: Now that we've dealt with the rifthounds, this matter is halfway resolved. It does not appear that the threat will escalate for the time being.
: Ei: I will leave the Tenryou and Yashiro Commissions to handle the follow-up work, such as investigating the origins of this incident and tending to the root system.
: Paimon: Alrighty then! Let's move on.
: Paimon: Ei looks calm on the outside, but Paimon bets her emotions must be all over the place right now, huh?
: Paimon: She seems to have changed a lot since we last met her.
: Paimon: ...Hmm?
: Paimon: What's wrong, Ei? C'mon, keep up.
: Ei: Ugh...
: Ei!
: Paimon: What's going on? Are you feeling unwell again?
: Ei: My body... I can't move it.
: Ei: It looks like the situation is more serious than I thought.
: Do you need to take a rest?
: We should get you back to the city.
: Ei: No need. "She" is calling me. The time has come.
: Ei: Can you help me walk, ?
: Ei: I need to go to the cave below the Grand Narukami Shrine.
: Paimon: Why? What's in there?
: Ei: A battleground... One where I shall sever ties with the past and take the first steps into the future.
----
;(Go to the cave beneath the Grand Narukami Shrine)
: Ei: We're finally here. The entrance should be nearby...
: Paimon: Whoa, where'd that torii gate come from?
: Are you alright?
: Ei: It's getting worse again... But it's fine, I'm about to put an end to it all.
: Ei: This is a place I once sealed off with my own hands... The entrance to Raiden Makoto's realm of consciousness.
: Ei: It looks like "she" will no longer allow me to do with this body as I please.
: Paimon: Huh? What are you talking about? And who is "she" — Makoto?
: Ei: Follow me.
: Paimon: Where are we g— aah, aaah aaaah!!!
:
;(Enter the realm of consciousness)
: Paimon: Ugh... Paimon's dizzy, where did we get sucked into this time...
: Paimon: Whoa! This place...
: It does look a lot like the Plane of Euthymia.
: Paimon: Look! Look, over there!
: Paimon: It's another Ei!
: Raiden Shogun: We meet again, Traveler.
: Raiden Shogun: This body is an assistant to the one within. But it is also the guardian of the rules.
: Raiden Shogun: Should the one within wish to stray from the rules, this body shall stand in her way.
: Paimon: Wait, Paimon knows that voice... is that... the puppet!?
: Raiden Shogun: You have wandered the realm in my body, and you appear to have grasped the true essence of eternity.
: Raiden Shogun: You believe your present self has greater certainty than your former self. Thus, you believe your present self is correct. Don't you?
: Raiden Shogun: But have you really been enlightened with new ideas? Or have you been degraded by irreversible erosion?
: Ei: I'm here to show you my answer.
: Ei: We are both warriors, and the dialogue we must now have shall be conducted by the blade alone.
: Paimon: Uhhh, wait, wait, wait, the atmosphere in here just took a turn for the worse!
: Paimon: A—Are you, uh, are you alright now?
: Ei: The discomfort I was experiencing earlier was caused by the Shogun rejecting my continued use of her body.
: Ei: As she indicates, once I started entertaining the idea of change, I became hostile in her eyes.
: Ei: But inside a realm of consciousness, I exist independently of her. She cannot affect me in this way.
: Ei: Though she is a puppet, the Shogun has her own consciousness, too. When necessary, she appears here to confront me.
: I think you've mentioned this before...
: This is her system to safeguard against modifications to eternity?
: Paimon: Uh... Paimon gets that everyone has their internal battles and stuff, but... not like this! It's a bit extreme!
: Paimon: Ei's showdown with the Shogun... Never thought we'd see that day.
: Ei: The rules I set for the Shogun are... no, the Shogun herself is the manifestation of my past ideals, the very foundation stone of eternity. It shall not be easily swayed.
: Ei: I would not try to change her if it wasn't necessary.
: Paimon: Isn't there any other way? Can't you... talk it through? ...Or something?
: Ei isn't someone who leaves herself an escape route.
: Paimon: But they both just want the best for Inazuma...
: Raiden Shogun: My form is a symbol of supreme majesty, in which has been vested power over all the realm. It is the cohesive embodiment of all that constitutes the "Raiden Shogun."
: Raiden Shogun: It inherits Ei's pain — the pain of inevitable loss that comes as she moves forward. So too does it inherit her determination to reach eternity.
: Raiden Shogun: Every action undertaken is for the sake of resisting erosion.
: Raiden Shogun: Determination, courage, love, hatred... All of these will be degraded and distorted by the incessant flow of time.
: Raiden Shogun: Only rules shall remain constant for eternity.
: Ei: Those were my thoughts when I created you.
: Ei: Now they are towering obstacles that I have no choice but to overcome.
: Raiden Shogun: You wish to make yourself my enemy?
: Raiden Shogun: I am your past, the everlasting law, the guardian of eternity.
: Ei: And I am she who promised a dream to her subjects... Raiden Ei.
;(Fight the Raiden Shogun)
: Raiden Shogun: In the end, even the proud and mighty oni maiden was cut down and disgraced...
: Raiden Shogun: Though your blade has been cleansed of her blood and filth, never shall it shine as brightly as it once did.
;(If the player's Raiden Shogun reaches low health for the first time)
: Ei: I shall not fall here.
;(When the enemy Raiden Shogun reaches low health, she completely recovers)
: Raiden Shogun: The Kitsune's Sakura blossoms that once filled the skies fell to the ground as pitch-black rain...
: Raiden Shogun: As long as the Ley Lines flow, the relentless erosion of time will never stop.
: Paimon: Sh—She's completely recovered!?
;(When the enemy Raiden Shogun reaches low health a second time, she completely recovers again)
: Raiden Shogun: The divine lightning that envelops all of Inazuma will fade silently into the clouds...
: Raiden Shogun: There shall never be another. Never, for the rest of time...
;(Upon defeating the enemy Raiden Shogun for the third time)
: Paimon: Have you finally defeated her?
: Raiden Shogun: It appears your martial prowess has not dulled.
: Raiden Shogun: But how long can your will remain strong?
: Paimon: How the heck...
: Surely the Shogun puppet isn't invincible...?
: Ei: In this realm of consciousness, her existence is tenacious indeed.
: Ei: She was built to resist erosion. Her will is stronger than any other living being's, including you and me.
: Paimon: Then... does that mean this is gonna be a never-ending battle?
: Ei: Maybe. But I have to prove to her that my present will is no product of erosion. The future I shall forge will be a grand undertaking, one that will be resistant to erosion.
: Ei: If I don't do this, the Shogun's rules can never change, and Inazuma can never move forward.
: Ei: This is my duty. No matter how long this battle may last, months, years, centuries... And no matter how many times we must fight, I will defeat her.
: What will happen to Inazuma in the meantime?
: Ei: Five hundred years ago, humanity proved their strength in battle.
: Ei: Here in the present, they rely on their ambition to challenge wayward practices, tear them out like the diseased wood of an old sakura tree, so that new, healthy branches might spring to life in their place.
: Ei: It is about time that I learned to trust them.
: But can you bear to leave humanity to go alone?
: Everyone looks to the Shogun for hope.
: Ei: I understand that. But if the dreams of which Makoto spoke are true eternity, a short moment for which the Shogun does not exist is nothing to fear.
: Ei: I fight for the everlasting future of Inazuma. However long the battle may last, it is but a drop in the ocean of eternity.
: Ei: I vow to the subjects of Inazuma that I shall one day return. This is my oath. Please be my witness.
: Ei: During my absence, I place everything in Miko's hands.
: Paimon: But, but this means that—
: Ei: Pass on my words.
:
: Ei!
: Paimon: Whoa!
----
: Paimon: Looks like we got kicked out...
: Paimon: What do we do? Are we really just gonna leave Ei and the Shogun to keep on duking it out in there forever!?
: Paimon: She was making sense, and maybe this is the only way to change the Shogun's rules, but still...
: Ei has no physical body anymore, and has to rely on the Shogun.
: But this cannot be the only way...
: Paimon: Right? Also, Ei can be pretty stubborn at times, and has a history of rushing into difficult situations...
: Paimon: What if she gets too obsessed with winning, and she forgets why she's there in the first place? It could happen... And then she might never leave again!
: We're not about to leave her just yet.
: Our work here isn't done.
: Paimon: Yeah! We should help her out, like we did last time. The quicker she gets through this, the better.
: Paimon: Is there any way we can cut down how long she needs to spend in there? Or, y'know, help her win the fight?
: Umm...
: Paimon: Well, whatever, we can't let anything bad happen to Ei while she's in there!
: Paimon: ...Oh, but we also can't get in there anymore.
: Paimon: Okay, well first things first, we gotta find a way back in! C'mon brain juice, don't fail Paimon now! Um, okay, maybe if we both ram into it at the same time, really really hard—
: We need to talk to Yae Miko.
: Paimon: Oh, you're right! Paimon nearly forgot about her!
: Paimon: Who knows if she really understands these consciousness realm-plane thingies more than we do... But there's no one else we can turn to. Alright, up the mountain we go!
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:Adiós al pasado