Yae Miko stood in place, her hand supporting her chin as she watched Luo Qing’s figure vanish into the distance.
The moment he raised his hand earlier, the turbulent flow of time she had sensed seemed to abruptly cease.
Moreover, the faint glow that had gathered around the Sacred Sakura Tree emitted an aura that felt both familiar and foreign—similar to Ei’s yet distinctly different.
“Could it be…”
Linking together Luo Qing’s recent actions, an extraordinarily bold theory emerged in her mind.
“Does he really have such power?”
Yae Miko glanced at the Sacred Sakura Tree.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, the tree seemed smaller than before, its cherry blossoms less radiant than usual.
Just as she debated whether to track down Luo Qing and confront him directly, hurried footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
She turned to see Lumine and Paimon waving as they approached, and alongside them was her old friend—Ei.
“You’re back already? Seems everything went smoothly,” Yae Miko remarked with a soft smile, her eyes scanning Ei from head to toe.
“My, so you’ve stepped out of your shell. How does embracing the future feel?”
“…It’s fine,” Ei murmured.
“Lady Miko, you won’t believe this!” Paimon exclaimed, her tone exaggerated. “We just met Makoto!”
“Makoto?”
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow. Her voice was calm but carried a hint of curiosity.
“Little Paimon, care to explain in detail?”
“It happened right after Ei defeated the Shogun! Makoto’s voice came from within the Musou Isshin sword!”
Paimon animatedly recounted everything that had transpired in the realm of consciousness.
As the story unfolded, Yae Miko’s expression grew more thoughtful. By the time Paimon finished, she had pieced the sequence of events together.
“No wonder… So it was you three who calmed the turbulence I sensed earlier.”
Yae Miko resumed her contemplative pose, her expression serious.
By now, she realized the truth—Luo Qing had known in advance not only what would transpire within the realm of consciousness but also that Makoto would manifest when Ei’s heart truly changed, delivering the Sacred Sakura Tree’s seed.
That’s why he had said the tree had yet to be planted at that time.
“This man…”
A trace of irritation crossed Yae Miko’s face.
It had been a long time since anyone had made her feel like a mere puppet on their strings.
“Lady Miko? Is something wrong?”
Lumine’s concern pulled Yae Miko from her thoughts.
“Nothing at all,” she replied, her demeanor shifting as a sly smile spread across her face. Her gaze turned toward Ei.
“But you—since you know Luo Qing is still alive, how about meeting him one more time?”
Yae Miko had long been aware of the connection between Luo Qing and Ei.
Although she didn’t fully understand why Ei had once sought Luo Qing’s life, that didn’t stop her from using her friend as an excuse to probe into Luo Qing’s secrets.
At the very least, before Luo Qing returned to Snezhnaya, she intended to unearth every last bit of his mystery.
“Him…”
Ei lowered her head, her emotions conflicted.
The name “Luo Qing” stirred something inexplicable within her, a vague sense that they had shared some history, though she couldn’t recall what.
“I hear he’s heading back to Snezhnaya,” Yae Miko teased. “If you don’t seize this chance, you might have to chase him all the way there~”
“…”
Ei remained silent, her gaze unfocused as though deep in conversation with the Raiden Shogun.
“I do owe him a proper apology,” she finally murmured.
—
Elsewhere
After slipping away from the Grand Narukami Shrine, Luo Qing quickly returned to his safehouse in Inazuma City.
The place, once lively with Rosalyne and Teresa’s presence, now felt noticeably quiet as Luo Qing prepared for his imminent departure to Snezhnaya.
He glanced around at his belongings, recalling that many of his personal items had been taken by Kamisato Ayaka—likely for a cenotaph, though he wasn’t entirely sure.
After tidying the room, Luo Qing retrieved a set of light purple women’s kimono. With a thought, he summoned the emerald-green Seed of Nirvana from his system inventory.
[Proceed with physical reconstruction?]
Staring at the system prompt, Luo Qing steadied his excitement and selected “Yes.”
The Seed of Nirvana immediately emitted a dazzling green light, floating in midair. It began to grow rapidly, the glow intensifying before condensing into the form of a young girl.
As the light faded, pale, snow-like skin gradually came into view.
When the radiance finally dissipated, a girl with long, deep purple hair floated in the air. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her expression dazed as she took in her surroundings.
“Impossible…”
A hint of astonishment flickered through her violet pupils. Before she could say more, the Seed of Nirvana’s effects completed, and she plummeted, landing face-first onto Luo Qing’s tatami mat.
“Ouch…”
The girl rubbed her knees, noticing Luo Qing nearby. She straightened up and looked directly at him.
“Uh…”
Luo Qing examined her from head to toe.
Her features were nearly identical to Ei’s and the Raiden Shogun’s—stunningly beautiful, with a figure just as ample. Yet, unlike Ei’s mature demeanor, this girl carried an air of youthful innocence.
“It’s you…”
Her voice was soft, tinged with disbelief.
“Yes, it’s me. But more importantly…” Luo Qing swallowed, pointing first at her chest and then at the purple kimono he had set aside.
“Shouldn’t you, uh, put on some clothes first?”
Just like with Rosalyne before, the system’s resurrection tool had brought back her body—but not her clothing.
The girl sitting in front of him, Raiden Makoto, was utterly bare, her long purple hair barely concealing her fair skin.
Luo Qing couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
Those legs…
That figure…
…Smooth.
“…”
Makoto looked down at herself and immediately turned crimson. Hugging the kimono to her chest, she glared at Luo Qing with a mix of shame and anger.
“You…!”
“Me what?” Luo Qing asked, feigning innocence.
“Get out! I need to change!”
Makoto’s voice was high-pitched, tinged with both embarrassment and frustration.
“There’s no one else here. Why not just change? Besides, I’ve already seen everything…”
“?”
【+1 Frustration Value from Makoto】
Makoto bit her lip, glaring at him with defiant eyes. Unbeknownst to her, this very expression and posture were driving Luo Qing to the brink.
Seeing no sign of him leaving, Makoto let out a small huff, turned away, and began dressing herself.
As she picked up the kimono, she noticed something odd.
“Is this the only piece?”
“Yup. What’s the problem?”
“…”
Makoto sighed.
What kind of girl wears just the outer layer of a kimono? At the very least, she should have some undergarments. This felt far too unsafe…
After securing the obi tightly, she finally turned back to face him.
“All done?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, it’s time for answers.”
Luo Qing’s voice turned serious as he stared at her.
“Earlier, you said ‘of course.’ You know me, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Makoto’s lips curled slightly as she met his gaze.
“I know you, Luo Qing.”
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