Raiden Makoto had perished five hundred years ago, during the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah—the very same era when Kallen had met her end.
Though time's flow could be distorted by crossing between eras, the rate at which Kurumi absorbed time still left Nagami speechless with awe.
Even now, she hadn't yet filled the first of her Twelve Bullets with a full five centuries' worth of power.
Who knew how long the second one would take?
Besides, Nagami knew almost nothing about the true cause of the Khaenri'ah War.
Recklessly traveling back could easily disrupt the entire timeline.
So, using the Twelfth Bullet to travel into the past and save Makoto was out of the question.
But there were… other ways to bring someone back.
Nagami didn't fully understand how Archons were born in Teyvat, but there was one truth he was sure of: Archons do not truly die.
Literally. They are eternal beings, bound to the world itself.
Those who perished during the Archon War or the fall of Khaenri'ah were considered "dead" by mortal eyes.
But from a higher perspective, a Archon's "death" was far different from what humans imagined.
To put it simply—
If a Archon were a nuclear bomb, then their fall would be the detonation.
The concept of "immortality" would be the lingering radiation—one that never fades with time.
The Sacred Sakura at the Grand Narukami Shrine, for example, bloomed eternally because it was influenced by the "divine radiation" left behind after Makoto's fall.
If Lumine could fully master her control over dimensional energy, and combine it with Nagami's Herrscher abilities, they could use that lingering essence as the core—
and reconstruct Raiden Makoto's form in the mortal realm.
"R–Resurrect… her!?" The words exploded from both Yae Miko and Ei at once, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Even for them, the idea of resurrecting a Archon was pure fantasy.
"Do you even realize what you're saying?" Ei demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.
"Of course," Nagami replied calmly. "You heard me right. I can bring your sister back."
He couldn't help but chuckle at their stunned expressions.
"And I'm not even being stingy about it. If you fulfill just one of my conditions, I'll revive Makoto immediately. The other two you can complete afterward. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?"
In truth, "resurrection" wasn't quite accurate—it was more of a reconstruction of existence.
For Lumine and Nagami, it wasn't exactly a trivial task… but it wasn't impossibly difficult either.
"What conditions…? No—so long as it doesn't endanger Inazuma, I'll agree to anything!" Ei declared, her voice ringing with conviction.
Her instincts warned her that this boy was beyond anything she'd ever encountered.
If beings like Celestia existed above the Archons, then Nagami's power might belong to that same impossible realm.
And if there was even the faintest chance to bring Makoto back, Ei would wager everything.
For the twins who shared one soul, one divinity—the bond was deeper than blood.
"Then tell me," she said firmly, her amethyst eyes steady. "What do you want me to do?"
Her hand pressed to her chest as she met his gaze.
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: Has she seriously shut herself away so long she forgot how to be skeptical? That was way too easy.
This poor shut-in Archon's never seen the world's cruelty. So what kind of request you want her to do Nagami~?
———————————————————————
Lumine's teasing voice echoed in Nagami's mind.
He had to bite back a cough and shut her out from his mind.
"The first condition, huh…" Nagami tapped his chin. "Actually, I haven't thought of it yet—ah, don't get mad!"
The moment Ei's hand twitched toward her sword, he raised both hands defensively.
"To revive Makoto, I'll need some preparation anyway. It'll take about… one or two years. But for a Archon, that's hardly long, right?"
When Lumine eventually left for Gensokyo to reunite with Yukari, time in Teyvat would nearly stop in comparison.
So one or two years was generous—he'd finish long before then.
"One or two years…" Ei repeated softly, her lips parting slightly. She hesitated as if to speak, then closed her mouth and nodded.
Nagami was right.
For someone like her, time was endless. If Makoto could truly return to this world, she would wait as long as it took.
"Good," Nagami said, smiling faintly. "Then I suppose that wraps up this arc nicely. What comes next is sister bonding time. Should I prepare tea, cake, and maybe a light novel or two?"
"That would be appreciated," Yae Miko said gently, a rare note of sincerity in her voice. "There are centuries' worth of stories I want to share with her."
For the first time, Nagami saw genuine warmth in the fox's expression.
Yae looked up at the glowing sky above the Plane of Euthymia, then turned to Ei with a soft smile.
"Let me tell you everything that's happened in these long years."
"...I thought I'd never get the chance to see you again," Ei said quietly, her voice tender.
Her usually cold expression softened into a rare, gentle smile.
She turned her gaze toward Nagami, her violet eyes glimmering faintly with light.
"Meeting all of you… it's a variable in eternity. I suppose you could call it a pleasant surprise."
"Well then, I'll take that as an honor~"
Nagami smiled with the grace of a gentleman.
"Still, there's something outside that needs to be taken care of first. Even though the Raiden Shogun was my creation, I don't have full control over her…"
Under Nagami and Lumine's watchful gazes, Ei looked slightly embarrassed.
The introverted shut-in programmer had actually revoked her own administrator rights.
That alone could make Nagami laugh for weeks.
"I know. But since you and your dear friend finally reunited after five hundred years, I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about. Leave what's happening outside to me," Nagami said, his smile growing brighter and more inviting.
"I've already prepared tea, cakes, and sweets for you both."
Yae Miko couldn't help but recall her earlier chat with C.C., and the latter's completely objective comments about Nagami.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips. It seemed C.C. hadn't exaggerated after all.
The golden-haired girl's expression softened as she extended her hand.
The ring on her left ring finger shimmered faintly, and in the next instant, Miko and Ei's figures vanished from the Plane of Euthymia.
Lumine turned toward Nagami, their eyes meeting.
Slowly, both their smiles began to twist into something… less wholesome.
"W-What are you two planning to do?"
Seeing those disturbingly mischievous grins, Paimon shivered and floated backward in fear.
Knowing what these two were really like, she suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the Electro Archon.
Poor Ei… she's in danger.
"Obviously, we're going to handle the aftermath of the Vision Hunt Decree," Lumine said innocently. "Come on, Paimon—let's go."
With a light hop, she landed in front of Paimon and grabbed her tiny foot, dragging the poor creature straight into a shimmering rift.
As the dark spatial fissure sealed behind them, Nagami slowly raised his right arm.
A red-and-black blade formed in midair before him, and with a single motion, he unsheathed it.
Ominous crimson light rippled across the blade's surface.
"Let's see if I can help… fine-tune the Raiden Shogun a little."
He swung the divine weapon lightly, and crimson particles drifted from the blade, flowing beyond the Plane of Euthymia.
Although the Jizo Mitama appeared to be a katana, using it to slash enemies was the wrongest possible way to use it—like smashing someone with a remote meant to launch nuclear missiles.
In Nagami's hands, the sword had never once tasted blood.
As the blade dissolved completely into red mist, his hand remained suspended in the air, holding a glowing cluster of starlight—the core of the void's principle.
"Alright then… I'll borrow this body for a while~"
A sly grin crept across Nagami's face as the core floated skyward, glowing brilliantly in the heavens above the Plane of Euthymia.
Surrounded by countless stars, it resembled a new moon rising in the night sky.
Wearing a faint, unreadable smile, Nagami closed his eyes and crossed his legs in midair, entering deep meditation.
———————————————————————
Outside the Plane of Euthymia
When Ei had expanded the inner realm, to those outside it looked as though Nagami had suddenly vanished mid-charge toward the Raiden Shogun.
The Shogun then summoned a simple samurai blade and began dueling Lumine.
Those who witnessed the battle could only describe it as divine.
When they realized they were outmatched, they fled in terror.
Of course, what really happened was that Lumine had toyed with the puppet briefly, then used her connection with her alternate body to locate the Plane of Euthymia and enter it.
After her departure, the Shogun remained standing silently, her head slightly bowed as if lost in thought.
Lightning still danced around her body, and the halo of thunder behind her showed no signs of fading.
The samurai of the Tenryou Commission didn't dare approach, let alone the common folk watching from afar.
The silence grew heavier with each passing second.
Then, suddenly—
A crimson-black gleam flashed through the Shogun's violet eyes.
Her elegant body stiffened like a rusted machine.
The red glow lasted for only a moment before her eyes returned to their usual shade of amethyst.
Her field of vision shifted—white skin, long lashes trembling slightly. The Shogun blinked once.
"Ah… I lost, huh."
Lumine's voice echoed faintly in Nagami's shared perception, utterly devoid of regret.
"Still," Nagami's amused tone followed, "I prefer 'my' version. It suits me best."
Lumine's lips curved upward slightly at his words.
Neither of them even bothered to hide what they truly felt anymore—even about those topics.
The Raiden Shogun lifted her head, her eyes falling on Thoma, who stood surrounded by the Tenryou Commission, worry written all over his face.
"You may all stand down," she declared coolly. "The offenders may leave. The Vision Hunt Ceremony is canceled."
Her calm yet commanding voice rippled through the crowd. Every soldier turned toward her, stunned by the sudden change in tone.
"Shogun, this—"
One of the high-ranking officials began to protest, but a single cold glance from her lightning-filled eyes froze him in place.
Archon pressure swept across the plaza like a tidal wave of thunder.
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
"N-No, my lord! The ceremony will be dissolved immediately!"
No one dared defy the will of a Archon.
"Furthermore," she continued, her voice carrying an authority that shook the heavens, "from this day onward— the Vision Hunt Decree and Sakoku Decree are hereby abolished."
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Go to p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters.