Konda Village.
Before the sacred fox statue, a shrine maiden in white stood quietly wearing a fox mask, as if waiting for someone.
This aura…
Yae Miko looked at Hanachirusato. There was a familiar presence about her—one that only the Byakudan bloodline possessed—yet it also felt strangely foreign.
She wasn't sure if this woman was truly Kitsune Saiguu. But she was certain that…
"I am not her," Hanachirusato shook her head softly. "I am only the condensation of her remaining memories."
"I see. Kitsune Saiguu has already passed away."
Yae Miko's tone dimmed. "That great liar… She said she'd come back. But she never did. And she left me to manage the Grand Narukami Shrine in her stead."
"Lady Miko, since you've found me, then I must ask you to complete the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual." Hanachirusato's voice carried a calm plea.
"And you understand what that means, don't you? Once the ritual is complete, you—born as the embodiment of impurity—will vanish completely from this world."
Yae Miko looked at her solemnly.
"…That is my final duty," Hanachirusato replied gently.
"I understand."
Yae Miko let out a quiet sigh. She respected Hanachirusato's choice.
How could Hanachirusato not be another Kitsune Saiguu in her own right? Watching her walk toward her end made Yae Miko's heart ache.
"Ah-la-la, I can't stand this sort of thing."
Koji reached out through the air. Two white light spheres appeared in his hands—one contained Hanachirusato's consciousness, the other Kitsune Saiguu's memory.
Without them, Hanachirusato's body collapsed into a puddle of dark violet filth. The surrounding grass shriveled instantly under the corruption.
"Lightning… so beautiful."
Yae Miko's eyes sharpened. Fox-shaped thunder descended from the sky, purging the blight with raw Electro power until nothing remained.
"Koji, what are you doing?"
Yae Miko eyed the two light spheres. One of them was clearly Kitsune Saiguu's, yet she couldn't understand his intentions.
"Refining a body, of course—so that she may walk this world again."
Koji smiled faintly. "With my blessing, restoring a soul is easy—even if only from fragments of memory."
"You can really do that?" Yae Miko's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Is that supposed to be hard?"
Yae Miko's mouth twitched. If it were that simple, how could Teyvat still be such a mess? Especially for beings like her, blessed by divinity.
To recreate Kitsune Saiguu's body, what was needed most was the Byakudan bloodline.
Her blood—imbued with divine heritage—was the catalyst.
"These should be enough?"
Yae Miko filled a porcelain bowl with her own fresh blood. Her face had gone pale; even for one such as her, losing that much blood required time to recover.
"With the blood of Byakudan as the key, may flesh be reborn from dust. Let this vessel awaken anew, and receive the flame of life."
Koji recited an alchemical incantation. The array beneath him glowed; the Byakudan blood merged into the reagents, the surging elemental power beginning to flow and infuse the form taking shape.
"This is—the moment of Creation!"
Two flawless, pale bodies formed before them.
The sudden burst of light filled the room with a scene of divine springtime beauty.
White foxes? Koji blinked in surprise.
These bodies had been shaped purely from Kitsune Saiguu's memory—he hadn't added any private imagination—yet the result was a breathtaking white-haired fox maiden.
Yae Miko quickly reacted, wrapping both figures in shrine maiden robes before Koji's gaze lingered too long.
Koji looked a bit disappointed—such beauty was worth appreciating.
"Mm…"
Kitsune Saiguu stirred first, her consciousness merging slowly with the body. She couldn't move yet.
"Kitsune Saiguu-sama?!"
Yae Miko's voice trembled with emotion as she clasped her hand, eyes moist.
"You are… little Miko…"
Kitsune Saiguu turned her head slightly. Her voice was hoarse—unaccustomed after ages of silence.
"It's me. Welcome back."
Yae Miko nodded gently.
"So, I truly have been revived… what a long dream that was."
Kitsune Saiguu smiled faintly. Centuries must have passed. Even that young fox, Yae, had grown into a graceful beauty.
As she adjusted to her new body, her memories still lingered at the moment she'd been swallowed by impurity.
"Hanachirusato, from now on, you'll be my little sister."
Kitsune Saiguu placed her hand on Hanachirusato's head affectionately. Though the white-haired shrine maiden lacked fox ears, the bond of bloodline made the closeness unmistakable.
Hanachirusato, ever gentle, accepted it without resistance.
"Miko, this one will be your younger sister now. Take care of her," Kitsune Saiguu said.
"Leave her to me. The Grand Narukami Shrine has room for one more maiden," Yae Miko nodded.
"By the way… how has Ei been these years?"
Kitsune Saiguu took a bite of her favorite fried tofu. Tears welled up at the familiar taste she hadn't known for centuries. "Ahh… just like I remembered!"
"Ei…" Yae Miko sighed helplessly.
She explained briefly—how the Shogun had created a puppet to rule in her place, and sealed herself away in the Plane of Euthymia, leaving only solitude behind.
Kitsune Saiguu nodded thoughtfully. "So she chose isolation after all."
Then she turned to Koji, eyes bright with amusement. "Little brother, since you've revived me, is there anything you want?"
"For bringing you back, Lady Miko agreed to let me touch her for three extra days," Koji said with a grin.
"Oh-ho, little Miko, how daring! Do your best then—birth a few more little foxes for the Byakudan line!"
Kitsune Saiguu laughed playfully.
Yae Miko clenched her fists, her cheeks flushed. "Pervert!"
"If you wish to continue the Byakudan bloodline, Kitsune Saiguu-sama, you can do it yourself!"
Even as an adult fox, she still couldn't outmatch Saiguu's shameless cunning.
"Hehehe, I wouldn't mind, but it seems Koji prefers you, Miko. The little one from back then… now you're truly stunning."
Kitsune Saiguu ruffled Yae Miko's hair fondly.
Yae Miko didn't protest. That familiar head-pat… she couldn't bring herself to hate it.
(End of Chapter)
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