“Yes, I know you, Luo Qing.”
The unexpected words from Makoto left Luo Qing momentarily stunned.
He had imagined countless scenarios for their reunion but hadn’t anticipated this one.
“This…”
Luo Qing furrowed his brow, his gaze filled with disbelief as he stared at Makoto. Subtly, he activated his system and retrieved his final Master Ball, hiding it behind his back—just in case.
After all, he had resurrected Makoto to work for him, not to end up working for her.
“I can see what you’re doing,” Makoto said softly, glancing toward his concealed hand.
“You don’t need to be so tense. I bear you no hostility.”
“What else do you know…?” Luo Qing asked cautiously.
“Why don’t you guess?”
“…”
“The realm of consciousness… You glimpsed the future from there,” Luo Qing muttered.
Only then did it dawn on him.
The realm of consciousness existed outside the constraints of Teyvat’s time and space. Lumine and Paimon had seen glimpses of both the past and future during their journey there.
If Makoto had created that space, it stood to reason she might have also seen Inazuma’s future—a future that included Luo Qing.
“Something like that,” Makoto replied.
“But the future is never set in stone. Your presence is just one thread among countless possibilities; it doesn’t guarantee it will come to pass.”
She lifted her gaze to Luo Qing, her eyes still carrying a trace of amazement.
“And yet, you happened to witness a future that involved me.”
“That’s correct.”
“…”
Silence hung between them as Luo Qing digested her words.
For some reason, he had the nagging feeling he had made a colossal mistake.
“Then you also know why I brought you back to life?” he finally asked.
“Of course,” Makoto nodded.
“You want me to work for you, to become your subordinate. And there’s also…”
Her words trailed off, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“What else?” Luo Qing prompted.
“Nothing, that’s it,” Makoto replied quickly, avoiding his gaze.
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Luo Qing paused, testing the waters.
“Does this mean you’ve agreed?”
“…”
Makoto hesitated, her expression conflicted.
Suddenly, she leaned forward, grabbing Luo Qing’s collar.
“Why did you go after them?” she demanded.
“Huh?”
Luo Qing was caught off guard.
His gaze flickered between her eyes and the plunging neckline of her loose kimono, where a deep valley had formed from the fabric’s shift.
Judging by the indignation in her eyes, Makoto knew something… significant.
“…”
After a moment, she released his collar and sat back, lowering her head.
“You… You’re such a scumbag,” she muttered softly.
Huh?
Luo Qing blinked, dumbfounded.
She had just been resurrected, and already she was calling him a scumbag?
“Come on…” Luo Qing sighed, his tone flat.
“I haven’t even done anything to you yet.”
“Not yet,” Makoto countered sharply.
…Does that mean I can later?
“Can you stop speaking in riddles?” Luo Qing groaned. “Being cryptic is a terrible habit.”
Makoto studied him for a moment, then sighed.
“Fine.”
She began recounting what she had seen—a single thread of possibility among many, one that featured Luo Qing.
It started when a man named Luo Qing appeared in Inazuma. After resurrecting her, he brought her along as he stirred up chaos everywhere he went.
But the most damning detail was that he left a trail of relationships in his wake, enough that the number of women he had “deeply connected with” couldn’t even be counted on one hand.
Even her own sister had…
“Hiss…”
Luo Qing sucked in a sharp breath.
If what Makoto said was true, then he was undeniably a scumbag of the highest order.
After a pause, he asked, “So, after seeing all that, you’re still willing to come with me?”
Internally, he felt a flicker of excitement.
If Makoto had seen all of this, did it mean she would eventually…
“Fate cannot be avoided,” Makoto replied.
“Once a future begins to take shape, no one can escape it.”
She turned to look out the window, her expression growing somber as memories of that timeline’s end resurfaced—the unparalleled disaster that lay at its conclusion.
“But before we get to that,” Makoto said abruptly, pointing at her chest, “don’t you think you should find me something to wear underneath this?”
To be fair, going without undergarments was comfortable, but it also felt incredibly unsafe.
“Oh! Right, one moment,” Luo Qing said quickly, leaving the room.
He rummaged through Rosalyne’s old wardrobe in the adjacent room, eventually finding a few sets of lingerie hidden in the back. Ignoring the sizes, he returned and handed them to Makoto.
“Here. See if these fit.”
“Alright…”
Makoto examined the undergarments, then frowned as she looked back at Luo Qing.
“What are you staring at? Go on, get dressed,” he said.
“…”
【+1 Frustration Value from Makoto】
“Hmph.”
Turning away, Makoto began the tedious task of slipping the lingerie under her kimono.
It wasn’t like the future had arrived yet—she certainly wasn’t going to let Luo Qing see more than he already had.
After some effort, she turned back around, fully dressed.
“How is it?” Luo Qing asked.
“It’s… a bit tight,” she admitted.
“Really? That shouldn’t be the case,” Luo Qing mused.
Rosalyne’s size shouldn’t have been much different from Makoto’s… Had someone tampered with the fit?
“Why would I lie to you?” Makoto shot back.
“Because comparisons and rivalry are unhealthy,” Luo Qing said solemnly.
“?”
Makoto was speechless.
Did he think she cared about competing over something like this?
“Just make do for now,” Luo Qing said, studying her face.
“Give me your measurements, and I’ll get you some properly fitting clothes later.”
“…Okay,” Makoto replied, her tone subdued.
“So, I can’t meet her yet, can I?”
“You already know the answer,” Luo Qing said.
His current strength wasn’t enough to contend with Ei or the Raiden Shogun. Since both of them had previously tried to kill him, he didn’t plan on reuniting the sisters until he was certain he could handle the consequences.
Makoto fell silent.
Though she had been resurrected, her divinity and authority as a god were gone. She was now just an ordinary girl—without even a Vision to her name.
For now, her only option was to cooperate with Luo Qing to reach that ultimate end.
Even if she didn’t want to, she lacked the strength to resist him.
Seeing her quiet, Luo Qing turned to leave.
But just as he stepped outside, Makoto’s voice stopped him.
“Come back quickly.”
“Huh?”
“And don’t get too cozy with that Kamisato girl.”
“?”
—
T/N: friggin scumbag…
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