"True, I'm not exactly short on Mora," Lumine said with a grin, "but working without pay still messes up the market balance, you know?"
Makoto couldn't help but laugh softly and nodded.
Beside her, Ei had been quietly observing Makoto's every move. After a long pause, she pursed her lips and said,
"Your strength… it doesn't seem to have weakened. You're still just as powerful as you were five hundred years ago."
Makoto gave a small nod.
"Resurrection is a mysterious thing, I don't fully understand how it happened myself.
But honestly, power doesn't mean much to me anymore."
Ei fell silent for a moment before speaking again, her tone calm but probing.
"You signed a mutual-aid pact with Morax and the others.
What kind of secret lies in that world, something so important it united three gods?
Or rather… what enemy are you preparing to face?"
Makoto didn't answer. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Lumine.
Lumine neatly finished the pastry in her hand, clapped the crumbs from her palms, and replied,
"As for secrets, about resurrection, and about that world, since you haven't signed the pact yet, we can't tell you."
Ei's voice was firm and immediate.
"Makoto's decision is my decision. Whatever she says, goes!"
Seeing her resolve, Lumine didn't waste words. She pulled out a contract and handed it to Ei.
Without even reading it, Ei infused it with her divine power and signed her name.
Her decisiveness made Lumine mutter under her breath,
"Wow… a total sis-con."
"Can I know now?" Ei asked, pretending not to hear the jab.
She didn't deny it, because to her, Makoto was everything. Being called a sis-con didn't bother her in the slightest.
Lumine tucked the contract away, resting her chin on one hand.
"Now then… where should I start?"
"Resurrection," Ei said firmly without hesitation.
It was only natural, that was what mattered most to her now.
Makoto had returned, yes, but there were still those like Kitsune Saiguu and others from the past whom she longed to bring back.
If resurrection was possible, she wanted to restore that happiness and peace they once had.
"Resurrection, huh…" Lumine murmured, twisting her lips.
"It's… not exactly simple, but not impossible either."
"The key lies in Ryen's world, and in how much progress Inazuma can make in developing it."
"That's why Makoto wants you to go to Liyue. Only there can you meet Ryen and enter his world. Only then will you have a real chance."
"As things stand, resurrection research has only advanced in two regions, Liyue and Mondstadt."
"But most of the active resurrection points are concentrated in Liyue. Mondstadt…" Lumine trailed off, sighing.
"Venti said, 'Death is also a kind of freedom.' He has no intention of reviving his fallen friends."
"Besides, human souls are fragile, they can't leave behind as many traces as gods or beings touched by divinity."
"By the way," Ei asked suddenly, "his friend , was he human? I thought it might be one of those beings like Dvalin, a familiar of a god."
Paimon nodded thoughtfully.
"That does sound like something Barbatos , the Archon who chases freedom , would say."
"So then," Ei continued, "what exactly is required for resurrection?"
Paimon spread her hands.
"You need a Resurrection Totem, Resurrection Points, and the Wither's soul essence. You use the totem to absorb the Wither's soul, convert it into resurrection points, and use those points to bring someone back , like what we did for Ryen."
She added casually,
"Oh, and just so you know , if a Wither Storm isn't handled properly, it can destroy all of Teyvat."
"This time, Ryen's resurrection used up Liyue's points," she continued with a half-smile. "So… you'll have to repay that debt later."
Ei nodded, deep in thought.
"So, in other words, we'll need to fight , to gather enough points for resurrection?"
"Pretty much."
Hearing that, Ei's heart steadied.
She wasn't good at much besides battle , but that was enough. If fighting could earn the points needed for resurrection, then no matter how terrifying the Wither might be , even if it rivaled Celestia itself , she would face it head-on, sword in hand.
"I'll repay Liyue's points on Ryen's behalf," Ei said firmly. "Once I reach Liyue, I'll learn everything I can and get things back on track."
"Earlier you mentioned Ryen's world…"
Paimon nodded.
"Ryen is a World Master. He governs an entire world under his control. Liyue's incredible growth comes from joining his world early , they had the most manpower and the longest time to develop."
"There's not much more I can tell you , you'll understand once you see it yourself. It's a world full of the unknown, with no limits , where anything is possible."
"That's also why the three nations , Mondstadt, Liyue, and now Inazuma , decided to form an alliance."
Ei fell silent, digesting Paimon's words.
"I understand," she said at last, her voice calm but resolute. "When you return, I'll go with you."
But as soon as she finished speaking, Ei felt her body tense , a subtle resistance tightening her movements. She frowned slightly.
It seemed Raiden Shogun's consciousness , her puppet self , was fighting back. Troublesome.
Yet Inazuma's affairs were far too tangled at the moment; this wasn't the time to confront it.
Ei kept her expression steady, hoping to keep Makoto , her sister , from noticing anything amiss.
But of course, Makoto noticed. She always did.
With a sigh, she decided she'd speak privately with Ei that night.
"Also," Paimon said, her tone suddenly serious, "there's one more thing you need to know."
"Since you've joined the Three Nations Alliance, you'll also have to face the same enemy that all three are preparing to fight."
Ei had already guessed as much. After a brief silence, she looked up and said quietly,
"It's… Celestia."
Paimon nodded.
"Exactly. Celestia itself."
~~----------------------
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