While Lumine and Paimon were playing the “game” Thoma prepared, on the other side…
After Qixuan entered Chinju Forest, she couldn't see that figure anymore, but that didn't stump her. Soon, a “consciousness” enveloped the entire Chinju Forest.
“Qixuan: Hehe, found it.”
She then stretched out her hand, seemingly trying to grab something, but before she could, several tanuki suddenly appeared and threw stones at Qixuan.
“Kichiboushi: Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“Opan: Hmm… Ioroi-sama said to just tell any humans we meet to leave.”
“Shousei: But no humans have come in for a long time. Why don't we ask her to play a game with us?”
“Kichiboushi: No, no, Ioroi-sama will scold us.”
Qixuan looked at the three little tanuki.
“Qixuan: Are you yokai from here?”
“Shousei: You… how did you know?!”
Kichiboushi playfully punched Shousei.
“Kichiboushi: Are you stupid? We're already speaking.”
“Shousei: Oh… (covering his head)”
“Qixuan: Haha, I don't mean anything else, I just came here to find something.”
At this moment, a voice came from the forest, “No matter what you're looking for, this isn't a place for humans to enter. You should leave quickly.”
Qixuan didn't say much and directly “space” teleported in front of a stone statue.
“Ioroi: You… you… you! How did you get here?”
Ioroi was startled to see Qixuan suddenly appear in front of him.
“Ioroi: I'm telling you, I… I am a great yokai of this forest, you'd better… leave quickly.”
“Qixuan: Hahaha, then why are you still sealed?”
“Ioroi: You… what are you talking about, human? I don't know, anyway, leave quickly, or I won't be polite.”
Qixuan directly activated “Endless Oppression,” and Ioroi was so overwhelmed by the aura that he couldn't speak.
“Qixuan: What do you want to do?”
“Ioroi: Wrong… wrong, wrong.”
Qixuan lifted the “Endless Oppression.”
“Ioroi: You… who exactly are you?”
“Qixuan: You can call me the super TM invincible cute…”
(Aichan: Captain, pay attention, cough cough.)
“Qixuan: Cough cough… You don't need to know who I am. What's important is that I can help you see the person you've always wanted to see.”
“Ioroi: (At this moment, he felt his yokai life had encountered its first scam, and it was the threatening kind.)”
“Ioroi: I… I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Qixuan: Saiguu~”
“Ioroi: What! You know where she is? I want to see her!”
Ioroi immediately became excited.
A humanoid consciousness in the distance sensed something was wrong and tried to escape, but was immediately sucked in by a powerful pull.
“Hanachirusato: Am I not a memory construct? How can I still be sucked in? Is this person that overpowered?”
Qixuan looked at Hanachirusato, whom she held in her hand. Oh, to be precise, it was a composite of Saiguu's consciousness and inherited memories.
Then Qixuan put her down.
“Hanachirusato: Your Excellency… he can't see me, so please don't…”
“Qixuan: I almost forgot, my apologies.”
Then Qixuan waved her hand, and “corrosion” transformed Hanachirusato into “reality.”
Ioroi saw Qixuan wave her hand, and a “miko” wearing a fox mask suddenly appeared in front of him.
“Qixuan: Aren't you going to talk?”
“Ioroi: Who is she?”
Ioroi looked at the “miko” Qixuan had conjured out of thin air, feeling puzzled.
“Hanachirusato: I didn't expect Your Excellency's… abilities to be so formidable, but he still won't recognize me. After all, I've been infected by 'defilement,' and I'm merely a 'memory construct.' Once the 'defilement' I'm attached to is purified, I will completely dissipate.”
Ioroi wasn't deaf; he heard what Hanachirusato said.
“Ioroi: You… is this really you? Saiguu?”
Ioroi's voice trembled with excitement. Ever since he refused to believe his friend had died, he stole the warding stone and was sealed here, he had been waiting and waiting…
“Hanachirusato: …I'm sorry. You must be very tired after waiting so long, right? I am just a composite of Saiguu's will and memories. You don't have to be like this.”
Ioroi didn't care about any of that. After waiting so long, he had finally waited for her. He had so much he wanted to tell her. How much he wanted to say that time, 'You won the bet, but I'm not convinced.' How much he wanted to do it again… but he couldn't find her no matter how hard he looked…
“Ioroi: Hmph… who… who wants to see you? In my current state, are you here to mock me? Besides, you're always wearing a mask, who knows if you're even…”
“Hanachirusato: I apologize… I broke my promise. For Inazuma, I had no choice. That time was my willfulness. I don't ask for your forgiveness.”
“Ioroi: …… (sobbing) You… who do you think you are, asking me to forgive you…”
Hanachirusato turned to Qixuan and said, “Your Excellency's power is so great. I want to ask Your Excellency for a favor, even if I… I have nothing to offer.”
“Qixuan: Aren't you going to take off your mask and let him see?”
“Hanachirusato: Your Excellency jests. My current appearance… shouldn't Your Excellency know about it with your abilities?”
“Qixuan: You mean that you've been infected by defilement, and in order not to affect Inazuma's ley lines, you had no choice but to coexist with it, and now you want me to purify you?”
“Hanachirusato: Your Excellency truly knows.”
“Qixuan: You know the consequences of doing this.”
“Hanachirusato: I protected Inazuma throughout my life. This is my obsession. It's the same now. To see an old friend again, I have no regrets.”
“Ioroi: You… what are you doing?!”
He understood Hanachirusato's meaning. Coexistence… if she were purified, wouldn't she also… He wanted to resist and let Hanachirusato escape, but he knew he couldn't defeat Qixuan.
“Qixuan: Then don't you want to see a few more? And your little fox that you raised for so long is here too. She's already an excellent Grand Miko. Don't make me seem like the bad guy.”
“Hanachirusato: I…”
Qixuan said nothing, activating “Endless Power,” directly severing Hanachirusato's source. Hanachirusato's form began to blur, on the verge of dissipating.
Then a vast amount of imaginary energy surged from Qixuan, stabilizing Hanachirusato's form. With a flash of white light, the peculiar aura on Hanachirusato completely disappeared.
“Hanachirusato: Your Excellency… this is.”
“Qixuan: How is it? How do you feel?”
“Hanachirusato: Thank you for your kindness, but… if I leave the ley lines, Inazuma's…”
“Qixuan: Oh, you mean that little bit of 'defilement'? I cleared it up casually. No need to thank me.”
“Hanachirusato: Ha… ha… Your Excellency is truly… powerful.”
“Qixuan: Don't worry, although you are still a memory construct, while exploring the ley lines, I found some residual soul fragments of Saiguu. Even these alone are enough.”
Then Qixuan held the soul fragments in one hand and the memory construct in the other.
“Qixuan: Super Fusion!”
Boom—! Saiguu's soul form.
“Saiguu: Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“Qixuan: So, do you want to meet your descendants and the current Electro Archon?”
“Saiguu: Current? Electro Archon?”
Qixuan explained the current situation in Inazuma, and then also told her about Makoto.
Saiguu believed Qixuan wouldn't lie to her; otherwise, why would she help her revive.
“Saiguu: Sigh… Ei is still so…”
“Qixuan: So, you should talk to her properly, right?”
“Saiguu: Hehe… After all, I also left her without saying goodbye back then.”
“Qixuan: Alright, alright, don't say so much. Ioroi, I'm taking her with me first. Do you have any objections?”
Even if Ioroi had objections, he couldn't voice them, so he could only remain silent.
Then Qixuan retracted Hanachirusato into the Imaginary Space and walked out.
By this time, the two miko outside were almost asleep from waiting.
“Kawasakana: When do you think this esteemed person will come out…?”
“Momiji: Just wait. This is a distinguished guest Yae-sama specifically invited, so we can't have any complaints.”
“Kawasakana: Sigh… but, eh? Momiji, look, she's out!”
………………
“Qixuan: Have you been waiting long?”
“Momiji: No, no, just right. Shall we depart now?”
“Qixuan: Let's go.”
Inside Tenshukaku.
“Ei: Is it taking a bit long? Did something happen on the way?”
“Yae Miko: Hmm… I don't think so. Although I haven't seen her in action, it's impossible…”
Before Yae Miko finished speaking, a spatial fluctuation appeared directly in front of them. Ei's eyes immediately glowed with lightning, entering battle mode.
Qixuan walked out from inside and then saw Ei in battle mode and Yae Miko still drinking tea.
“Yae Miko: Hi, you're here.”
Qixuan looked at Ei, who was emitting lightning, and asked, “Is she that happy?”
“Yae Miko: Of course. After Ei heard about you, she cried and fussed, insisting on seeing you~~”
“Ei: ………… (Perhaps we should eat fox meat tonight?)”
“Qixuan: Hahaha, really?”
“Ei: Don't listen to her nonsense. She loves to tease people the most.”
“Yae Miko: Wuwuwu… How could you say that about me? I'm so heartbroken~~”
“Qixuan: Pffthaha, how about that? Didn't expect the little fox from back then to be like this now, did you?”
Yae Miko knew she was being referred to, but calling someone a little fox like that was perhaps too impolite. Ei also felt a bit emotional; it had been so long since anyone had spoken to her dear friend like that. However, both were more curious about whom Qixuan was speaking to.
At this moment, a voice came, seemingly responding to what Qixuan had just said.
“Yes, she was mischievous when she was little. I thought she would become more restrained when she grew up… Hehe, you've really been troubled, Ei.”
A familiar voice entered their ears. Then, after a spatial fluctuation beside Qixuan, a figure that both had yearned for appeared before them.
“Saiguu: Long time no see, Ei, and… Yae, you've also become a Grand Miko, that's wonderful.”
Although Yae Miko knew who it was after hearing the voice, she still couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't even notice that tea had spilled all over her.
Immediately, she disregarded any calmness and wisdom a Grand Miko should possess. Anyway, everyone present was… familiar. She then rushed forward, wanting to embrace her, as if afraid she would run away.
But the reality was that she passed right through her body.
“Saiguu: Oh, alright, alright. Look at Ei, she's so cold…”
Before Saiguu could finish speaking, she saw Ei's perpetually cold face, unchanged for hundreds of years, begin to shed tears.
“Saiguu: …………”
After some commotion…………
“Ei: So, Saiguu is still in her soul state?”
Yae Miko now didn't want to leave her for a single moment. She didn't want to experience the taste of losing a loved one again.
“Qixuan: Yes, she just recovered recently. She's pretty stable now. After Makoto's soul is repaired, we can create a body for her.”
Yae Miko nodded to Ei.
“Ei: If there is ever a need in the future, I can remove all obstacles for you.”
Yae Miko covered her head, looking speechless.
“Yae Miko: My apologies, my apologies. Ei's head might be broken. However, if there's ever anything you need help with in the future, you can come directly to me.”
“Saiguu: Thank you.”
“Qixuan: It's not a big deal, but can Ei cook me a meal? (She really didn't believe the superstition; could it really be as unpalatable as in the game?)”
“Yae Miko: This… (She didn't want Ei to commit regicide!) That won't be necessary, Inazuma has many famous chefs, I…”
Before Yae Miko could finish speaking, Ei said, “Yes, I didn't expect you to know about my cooking skills.”
“Saiguu: Um… perhaps I could supervise? (She had also witnessed kitchen disasters.)”
“Ei: No need for further words. Just wait a moment.”
Then she walked into the adjacent room.
“Yae Miko: Um… I wanted to chat a bit more, so I'll leave first…”
“Qixuan: Why leave? Come on, come on, let's eat and chat here.”
“Yae Miko: Hehe… No… no need, I still want to live a few more years.”
“Saiguu: Could it be that Ei's cooking skills are still like before…”
Yae Miko nodded helplessly to her sister.
Sure enough, after a short while, only a loud bang was heard from the room next door—Bang!
After a loud bang, Ei opened the door, walked out emitting black smoke, and was holding a pot of… epic food, the “Unspeakable Thing.” Even the Tsaritsa wouldn't need to collect the Gnosis after seeing this; she could just feed this thing to the Heavenly Principles, and it would be the grand finale!
Yae Miko said to her sister with a look of despair, “Sister, I might be coming to join you now.”
“Saiguu: …… Ei, what is this… soup?”
“Ei: It's just a strange color, that's all. Don't worry, although I've always stayed in the Plane of Euthymia, I do occasionally look at recipes.”
“Yae Miko: Is it the kind that makes you kick the bucket if you eat it?”
Seeing this, Ei forcibly fed Yae Miko a spoonful.
Yae Miko… no, her entire fox form lost its luster.
“Yae Miko: (Burned out)”
Then Qixuan, not believing it, took a shallow spoonful of the “Unspeakable Thing.” Immediately, everyone seemed to hear something shatter.
(Aichan: Captain, what did you encounter? It triggered the “Endless” passive?)
“Qixuan: ……It's delicious, don't make it next time.”
“Ei: ……?”