"…I've changed back?"
Upon entering the dream, Ei's very first sensation was that her vision was higher.
No longer forced to look up at others— this time she stood eye to eye.
Of course. Su Ran had only altered her outward body.
Her consciousness remained unchanged.
And here, within the dream, she naturally returned to her true form.
"This is… the Grand Narukami Shrine?"
Standing in the courtyard, Ei's gaze swept the grounds until it fell upon the Sacred Sakura.
Beneath it stood a figure in violet, back turned, gazing up at the towering blossoms.
The sight made Ei's heart stop— even after five hundred years of seclusion.
That silhouette…
"As promised with him, this is the part where I greet you.
Hi~ How does it feel?"
The figure turned, smiling at Ei with gentle warmth.
Her tears welled instantly.
"You… is it really you, Makoto?"
That voice, that smile, so achingly familiar— exactly as in her memories.
"Do you wish it to be real?"
The woman before her was none other than her elder sister, Raiden Makoto, the first Electro Archon of Inazuma— long dead, these past eight centuries.
"Of course I do!"
Ei first approached cautiously, fearing the vision might dissolve like mist.
But then she broke into a run— and threw herself into Makoto's embrace.
It was real.
The scent, the warmth, the grace long absent.
Everything told her: her sister stood here again.
"Honestly… you're not a child anymore.
Don't cry and fuss so much."
Makoto patted her sister's back with a sigh.
She could see clearly now how much Ei had suffered these long years.
"I don't care…!"
Ei clung to her, sobbing freely.
She poured out all her grievances, her loneliness, her sorrow.
It had been so long since she allowed herself to vent so openly.
And Makoto simply listened. Patiently.
Meanwhile, in the nearby corridor, Su Ran quietly filmed the scene.
Moments ago, Ei had sworn she would never "cry and fuss" again— and here she was, proving herself wrong in record time.
Such a priceless sight.
How could he not record it?
Perfect material for teasing later.
Beside him stood two others: the puppet Shogun, and Yae Miko.
The Shogun, though once part of Ei, had already developed her own self.
Makoto's presence stirred something within her, but only faintly.
Compared to the sister, her mind lingered more upon the dream itself.
Miko, however, could not remain calm.
Raiden Makoto…
She had been there in Miko's earliest days, cradling her as a child.
And now, to see her again…
"If Lady Makoto can appear in this dream, then what of Lady Kitsune Saiguu and the others?"
Ei had lost more than just her sister.
Why were the rest not here?
"Because perfection breeds danger,"
Su Ran replied.
"Leave a trace of regret— otherwise she might sink too deeply and never wake."
Bringing Makoto back was already a monumental kindness.
If Ei's ties here grew too strong, this dream might truly become "eternity."
This was merely a stage, built for a single act.
And every play must end.
The lead had yet to step onto the stage.
"…But isn't this good enough?"
Yae Miko asked softly.
"Wasn't this your plan all along?
If even a god clings to this dream, what force could shatter it?"
Even she felt her resolve waver.
Looking upon Makoto, she too thought— perhaps this was not such a bad fate.
"Yes, but I chose not to bring the others.
I'm curious— if Ei one day begs me for it, what kind of outrageous price might I demand in return?"
Ei always bristled when facing him.
That would only make her pleas all the sweeter.
"…Then I'll be looking forward to it as well."
Yae Miko exhaled in relief.
Just moments ago, she herself had nearly asked Su Ran to bring her lost ones back.
She would have even paid the price.
But his words killed that impulse.
Let Ei pay.
And she—she could simply reap the benefits.
A win–win, surely.
Of course, Su Ran saw through her thoughts.
"How optimistic.
But I've changed my mind."
Yae Miko's smile froze.
Slowly, she turned to him.
"You'll be asking too, or I won't agree~"
Yae Miko: …
So there was no escape after all.
How shameless!
"Oh, I see.
The Shogun and Ayaka aren't enough for you.
Not even Ei will satisfy you— you mean to target me as well?"
She drew a sharp breath.
Just what manner of man was this Su Ran, to be so insatiable?
"What's the harm? And not only that~
Shogun, do you recall the words you spoke when you first awakened?"
He nudged the puppet's shoulder, urging her to repeat them.
"Which ones?"
She had memorized all his sayings, but surely he didn't mean all of them.
"The very first."
The puppet nodded.
Yes, she remembered well.
"'A life-saving grace cannot go unpaid.
Thus, I shall offer myself in return.'"
Yae Miko blinked, stunned.
Her head tilted as she tried to recall.
Life-saving? Offer oneself?
Who had saved whose life?
Surely not…
Her eyes darted to Makoto embracing Ei.
Then back to Su Ran.
"That Makoto… she's just a fabrication of this dream, isn't she?"
Her voice trembled with both disbelief and desperate hope.
If so… then what was truly wrong with such a dream?
Su Ran only smiled, enigmatic.
"If you wish her to be false, then false she shall be."
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