"We're leaving this afternoon… Thinking about everything that's happened over these past two days, it's almost as eventful as the school festival. What a long, yet wonderful couple of days it's been." Leaning weakly against Inori's shoulder, Chu Lian spoke in a soft, weary tone.
"But we've also gained a lot, haven't we?" Inori hadn't experienced Chu Lian's solo performance during the school festival herself, but she'd seen it through videos, and thus knew exactly how strong and resilient Chu Lian had been back then.
After all, the pressure of enduring slander and criticism alone was immense.
This time, however, the pressure didn't come from people's hearts, but from enemies of an entirely different kind.
From the moment she stepped off the plane, Chu Lian's body had already been in a combat-ready state—a fact only she and Inori knew. That was because Mana Ouma had awakened beforehand, borrowing Inori's body to tell Chu Lian that this journey to Japan would be filled with battles and opportunities, urging her to prepare.
Chu Lian's feelings toward Mana were complicated—a mix of gratitude, avoidance, and a faint trace of longing. Yet it was something she could never openly admit or share. Still, she always listened to Mana's words, because whether it was Mana or Inori, both cared deeply for her, and neither would ever harm her.
Thus, the battles of yesterday had all been within her expectations. Otherwise, she wouldn't have insisted that everyone stay together instead of splitting up—after all, it was precisely to prevent the enemy from dividing their forces to attack.
The only thing she hadn't predicted was being seriously wounded during her second fight—against that towering brute from the Otherside's "Evilrai Clan." The injuries she sustained there had weakened her in the later battles.
"Mm, that's true. The fights were exhausting, but our strength—and yours—has grown a lot. That gives us more confidence in facing whatever's ahead. You could even say it was a blessing in disguise—for us, at least."
Chu Lian nodded lightly, agreeing with Inori's words. She wasn't bringing up these matters to complain, but to reflect on everything that had happened yesterday.
"Actually, I think meeting certain destined people along the way is what matters most." As Inori said this, her gaze flickered slightly, as though hiding her own emotions.
"Kurosaki Satsuki, Miss Kujou Sakurako, the Yui mother and daughter, and Hare Menjou… To be honest, I do share a rather complicated connection with all of them." Chu Lian wasn't foolish. Having spent a lot of time with Inori, she could roughly guess what the girl was thinking, so she spoke with rare seriousness.
"Satsuki must have something connected to the Otherside. That object may have manifested precisely because of me—the 'Daughter of Fate.' It hasn't even been a full year, yet it's already changed her life completely." Chu Lian still remembered when Kurosaki Satsuki had mentioned the time her hair turned white.
There was also the dark shadow that dwelled within Satsuki's body. That shadow normally had no consciousness and only appeared under specific conditions. If not for the Seven Illusions Bow's sacred power—so strong that when purging Otherside energy it had also worn down the shadow's strength—it would never have awakened and revealed itself.
Both of these things were deeply tied to the Otherside, and by extension, to Chu Lian herself—the one destined to become its potential ruler, the "Daughter of Fate." After learning the truth behind these matters, Chu Lian's compassion toward Satsuki made much more sense—though only she understood the real reason why.
"As for Miss Kujou Sakurako's father's illness… I suspect someone deliberately orchestrated it, just to lure her mother here for treatment. I imagine her mother has already realized this, which explains why she hasn't shown herself yet."
"Our arrival here must have been an unexpected variable for them. They probably don't know about it yet, which means we still have time to prepare."
No one had told Chu Lian any of this—it was her own deduction, combining the system's quest descriptions, what Sakurako had revealed, and her mother's personality and certain rumors she'd heard.
It might not be a hundred percent accurate, but it was enough to reveal the outline of a deadly trap—one carefully set to ensnare Li Mingxue.
As for why the enemy used Kujou Sakurako's father as bait, it most likely had to do with events from long ago. Perhaps he had once been among those who pursued Li Mingxue. Even though Chu Lian's father ultimately won her heart, the man never stopped yearning for her.
Li Mingxue, however, had always regarded him only as an ordinary friend. Thus, even after marrying, she hadn't intentionally distanced herself from him. As a result, their relationship appeared unusually close to outsiders—and that, most likely, was why the enemy chose to use him as bait in recent years.
Of course, all of this was speculation. No one knew the real truth—not until it was personally uncovered.
Still, if Kujou Sakurako's father had truly ended up in this state because of Li Mingxue…
Then one could only imagine just how breathtakingly beautiful her mother must have been in her youth.
"Since this involves Mother, we should tell her when we return. It's about time we learned a bit more about her past anyway. I've always been curious what kind of person she was when she was young," Chu Lian said, sitting upright and swaying lightly in the breeze, her eyes full of anticipation.
"I'm sure Auntie will tell us," Inori replied softly, recalling that eternally gentle woman—and suddenly finding herself missing her, too.
"Mm, but honestly, more than Mother, I'm curious about Father—how he was back then, and how he managed to win her over," Chu Lian said mischievously. Apparently, now that her body and spirit had recovered, her playful side was returning as well.
"What kind of person is Uncle?" Inori asked, smiling faintly as she pictured Chu Lian's father in her mind. What a remarkable pair the two of them must have been in their younger days.
"Eh? How did we suddenly end up talking about my parents?" Chu Lian blinked, realizing she had gone off-topic. "I was supposed to be talking about yesterday's discoveries!"
"Your dazed look is unexpectedly cute, you know…" Inori giggled. No matter what expression Chu Lian showed, she always managed to radiate her own unique charm.
"I'm not dazed, just… sidetracked," Chu Lian muttered defensively, though even she didn't sound very convinced. Inori, of course, noticed—but, as always, chose not to call her out.
"Ah, right. We've talked about Kujou Sakurako, so next is the Yui mother and daughter. But honestly, I don't know much about them myself."
"My guess is that with the appearance of the Daughter of Fate, the seal on the Otherside's gate has weakened, and that's why those two appeared."
The situation with the Yui mother and daughter was far more complicated than with anyone else. In fact, Chu Lian suspected that even the original owner of her body might not have had as mysterious an origin as they did.
The only vaguely relevant record she could find described how, whenever an anomaly occurred between the Otherside and the real world, they would appear.
The records didn't specify who they really were, nor did they say whether they stood with the real world or with the Otherside.
The only certainty was this—they would never harm her.
And when so little was known, that was reassurance enough. With that, Chu Lian decided to set the matter aside for now and focus on what she could handle. After all, who knew—perhaps, while she was observing them, they were also observing her.
After listening to Chu Lian's thoughts about the Yui mother and daughter, Inori's delicate brows furrowed slightly before she sighed. "Lian, are we caught in a vortex we can't even see?"
"Even if we are—even if the future is dark and uncertain—so what?" Chu Lian said lightly, her gaze drifting toward the distant sky. "Isn't that what fate is? Something to be broken."
"To break fate…" Inori murmured, momentarily stunned by Chu Lian's calm defiance.
"Well, no point overthinking it. Let's just deal with what we know first and leave the rest for later," Chu Lian said, shaking her arm gently to pull Inori out of her thoughts, her voice soft and reassuring.
"I know. I was just thinking… Lian, you're really cute when you get serious." Inori's tone turned teasing once again, unable to resist flustering her a little.
In response, Chu Lian's chosen strategy was to simply go about her own business—pretending not to notice the teasing. It was the same method she always used when facing Ayase's provocations, though the success rate was practically zero. Still, she had never thought to change it.
"Lastly, about Hare…" Chu Lian said, stretching lazily before continuing.
At the mention of Hare Menjou's name, Inori immediately grew attentive.
"Her Void is healing. Right now, her identity is that of a Spirit Race member. But because she encountered something strange within a certain part of my spiritual sea, she might undergo some kind of mutation in the future. For now, she can only survive by relying on my body and spiritual power."
"For a long time, she won't be able to act independently. Without my permission, she won't even perceive our world or our daily lives."
"Her power is incredible, but her restrictions are just as severe. In the end, my greatest support is still you, Inori." Chu Lian's tone softened as she shifted the focus back toward her companion.
"Lian…" Inori's expression wavered slightly. Having come to understand human emotions more deeply, she could easily read between the lines of Chu Lian's words—and they made her heart flutter with warmth and embarrassment.
"Don't overthink it. You'll always be irreplaceable." Chu Lian whispered gently.
Inori smiled. That was all she needed to hear. She realized her earlier unease had been nothing but her own overthinking.
The wind stirred the fallen leaves and dried branches across the ground, twirling them into the air before carrying them off into the distance.
High on the tree, the two girls intertwined their fingers where no one could see, leaning close until their foreheads touched.
The soft, romantic air between them spread gently, and a faint pink glow illuminated the withered courtyard—adding to it the most beautiful hue of all.