Seeing Yae Miko nod in agreement, Lumine let out a sigh of relief.
As long as it could be done, that was enough. She didn't have time to waste on Inazuma's chaos any longer.
A month…
Waiting a whole month? That would be far too slow.
Yet, Lumine couldn't help feeling a bit surprised at Yae Miko's abilities.
She wasn't even a god of war, yet with just this staff, she could temporarily bypass the Raiden Shogun's seal?
It seemed Yae Miko was far more than she appeared.
Yae Miko naturally noticed Lumine's surprise, but didn't bother explaining.
Her own power among the gods of war wasn't the absolute strongest, but it was top-tier.
She excelled in techniques involving consciousness space.
With her elemental power increased unconditionally by so much, her ability to manipulate consciousness space would also be enhanced.
It wasn't enough to tamper with Raiden Shogun's consciousness space directly, but it was enough to hide from Shadow for a short time, allowing Lumine and the others to enter and retrieve what they needed.
The three immediately set out, arriving at the area beneath Mount Kage where Makoto's consciousness space was sealed.
It was a massive cave, and in the center stood an unassuming torii gate.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary.
But with elemental sight, one could immediately notice the torii radiated an extraordinarily dense divine power.
The violet lightning almost seemed ready to ignite the entire space.
"This is the torii. Makoto's consciousness space is sealed within it."
Yae Miko's gaze revealed a hint of nostalgia, but deep in her eyes was a glimmer of anticipation.
Lumine and Ayaka weren't the type to lie, nor was there any need for such a grand deception.
The gods had already been revived; if this weren't true, Lumine and Ayaka wouldn't speak so calmly.
With the Immortality Totem in hand, reviving one more being didn't seem unreasonable.
As long as they successfully retrieved Makoto's consciousness fragment, Makoto… could be revived!
If Makoto could be revived, then finding the soul fragment of Fushiguro and bringing him back would also be possible.
The happy times of the past and the future might once again be theirs to enjoy.
For Yae Miko, someone who hated trouble above all else, this was worth dedicating all her energy to.
Gathering her thoughts, Yae Miko pointed at the torii with a playful smile.
"See that torii? Soon, I'll temporarily open a passage into Makoto consciousness space."
"Even with your staff, I can avoid alerting Shadow, but she is, after all, the Raiden Shogun."
"This place connects to the ley lines, so… we only have one minute! One single minute!"
"After that minute, whether we gain anything or not, we must leave immediately."
"Otherwise, Shadow will find out."
"If that happens, she'll come straight here from Inazuma."
"And then… we'll all be in big trouble."
Lumine nodded slightly.
"I understand. One minute is enough!"
Yae Miko handed Lumine a small incense pouch and said softly,
"Makoto's consciousness space has likely fractured over a hundred times by now. Where the consciousness fragments are… well, that's uncertain."
"So, little ones, your task is heavy. Once you enter, you must quickly locate Makoto's consciousness fragment and store it in the incense pouch."
"Be careful when passing through the consciousness-space passage. Don't be distracted by the strange and bizarre scenery."
"Otherwise… you might not be able to come out."
"The world of consciousness and the material world are completely different."
"Remember, guard your mind."
Seeing Yae Miko so serious was rare, and Lumine scratched her head, feeling a little guilty.
Pursing her lips, she asked,
"Yae Miko, why can't we just take the whole consciousness space?"
Hearing this, Yae Miko rolled her eyes in mild annoyance.
"Makoto's consciousness space is already fragmented and unstable. Without the ley lines to maintain it, a consciousness space without its master would likely have shattered long ago."
"Besides, I've only found a way for you to sneak past Shadow. That doesn't mean I can directly break her seal."
"Little ones, you trust me a little too much, don't you?"
"Even if you could take Makoto's consciousness space, do you have a way to keep it from breaking?"
"This is Shadow's most cherished sister's relic. Taking her consciousness space… Shadow will absolutely go into a rage. Even if you escape to Liyue, she will relentlessly pursue you."
Yae Miko's reasoning was sound, and it quickly dispelled Lumine's fleeting thoughts.
With little interest, she waved her hand.
"Alright, alright, let's stick to the original plan!"
Yae Miko smiled and, holding the Thunder-Tamer Staff in her right hand, scattered a pile of strange objects across the ground.
Chanting quietly, her elemental power fused with her consciousness power, slowly spreading and encompassing the space.
The torii gate shone brilliantly, and a strange vortex formed at its center.
The surrounding space was coated in a purple haze, vivid and mesmerizing.
"Get ready!"
Sweat appeared at Yae Miko's temples. It was clear this was no easy task for her.
Lumine and Ayaka stood firmly before the torii gate.
This time, Paimon didn't complain about not going with Lumine and quietly hovered at her side.
The next moment, the light within the torii dimmed, and the central vortex solidified completely.
"Go!"
Yae Miko commanded softly. Lumine, Ayaka, and Paimon instantly dived into the torii and vanished.
Yae Miko's elemental power continuously flowed through the Thunder Staff, temporarily forming a barrier that sealed the surrounding ley lines and lightning.
Her face showed an unshakable fatigue, and she let out a deep sigh.
"It's been hundreds of years since I've worked this hard…"
"Little ones, make sure you succeed. Don't let me down…"
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