Tonight, the Shogun entered her Plane of Euthymia. The scenery within remained unchanged, with its dreamlike pale-blue hues, the glow where water met sky, and the ethereal cherry blossoms drifting through the air. The only difference was the Sacred Sakura, which had now grown considerably.
She walked beneath the Sacred Sakura. Its trunk and branches had grown far beyond the sapling they had once been, and it now possessed the beginnings of a mature Sacred Sakura. This tree contained Inazuma's long history, its evolution... and the accumulation of time itself. It had grown from a seed personally planted by her mother, Raiden Ei, who had inherited Raiden Makoto's will.
She gently pressed her palm against the trunk, closed her eyes, and felt the flow and traces of time within it.
Hum...
The next second, the trunk radiated a cherry-pink glow that enveloped her body. When she opened her eyes again, her surroundings had transformed into that familiar landscape—the beautiful grove of cherry trees, the cliff concealed behind them, the cherry tree atop that cliff, and the figure seated beneath its shade.
"...Hm? Is that you, Shogun?"
Raiden Makoto, who had been looking down while working on something, sensed a gaze upon her. She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, raised her beautiful eyes, and asked in a warm voice.
"...Yes."
Being addressed so suddenly made her tense. She immediately stepped out from behind the tree trunk and answered adorably.
"Hehe... What are you doing over there? Come sit with your mother."
Raiden Makoto smiled indulgently and beckoned to her.
"...Ahem."
She coughed awkwardly, then obediently walked to Raiden Makoto's side. After removing her shoes, she stepped onto the blanket, smoothed her skirt, and knelt before her. It had once again been a long time since she had last seen Raiden Makoto. She had missed Raiden Makoto at first, yet now that she was looking at her face, she found herself missing Ei as well. That was probably because the sisters looked so much alike.
"Oh my~? Let me see. This outfit is truly lovely... What kind of clothing is it?"
The white shirt was matched with a red bow and a burgundy blazer. Beneath it was a dark pleated miniskirt, paired with white stockings that wrapped around her shapely legs. A narrow stretch of smooth thigh remained visible between the skirt and the stockings, giving the outfit a youthful charm. Her daughter looked exactly like a pure and radiant young maiden.
She shifted closer to her daughter and examined her carefully.
"...A school uniform.///"
Embarrassed by her scrutiny, the Shogun lowered her gaze and fell silent.
"A school uniform? I've never heard of such a thing... Is it something worn at school?"
Raiden Makoto was somewhat puzzled. After all, Inazuma did not have anything like school uniforms. Yet looking at it now, the outfit suited her daughter's figure perfectly.
"Mm..."
She nodded.
"As expected of my precious daughter. You look good in anything. Everything suits you."
Raiden Makoto nodded in satisfaction, then gently tucked the loose strands of hair beside her daughter's ear behind it.
Good genes let you get away with anything~!
She felt secretly smug.
"Are you wearing makeup?"
She asked.
The Shogun shook her head. She did not really know how to apply makeup herself.
"You don't know how?"
"Mm."
"Ei never taught you?"
"Do you think she has the sort of personality that would know anything about makeup?"
The Shogun suppressed a laugh as she asked.
[Makeup? If I had that much time, I would rather do something worthwhile. Practicing martial arts, reading light novels, or even processing documents would be more interesting.]
That was undoubtedly how Ei would answer.
"Pfft~ That's true... Your mother will teach you someday."
Raiden Makoto stroked her cheek as she spoke.
"...Does it really... look good?"
"Hm?"
She looked at the Shogun in confusion.
"The clothes you mentioned just now. Do they really... look good?"
The Shogun raised her eyes to meet Raiden Makoto's gaze and asked softly, a hint of shyness in her voice.
"Hehe... Of course. How could I lie to you?"
Her daughter's adorable expression made Raiden Makoto laugh.
"Oh, right. Here... I made these for you. Would you like to try one?"
Remembering what she had been doing, Raiden Makoto placed the rice balls she had just shaped onto a small plate and handed it to her.
"...Can eating food here really satisfy hunger?"
The Shogun could not help asking as she looked at the perfectly shaped rice balls of various flavors before her.
"Um... I don't know either. I had nothing else to do, so I simply made a few."
Raiden Makoto smiled awkwardly.
"Where did the ingredients come from?"
"This is my consciousness space."
"Oh. I understand."
In other words, anything she imagines can appear here?
She picked up a rice ball and took a bite.
It tasted excellent!
It was even more delicious than the ones she made herself.
"Delicious..."
She answered.
"That's wonderful, hehe... I don't know whether it will still fill your stomach after you return, but at least you can eat your fill for now."
A bright and gentle smile appeared on Raiden Makoto's exquisite face, giving her the natural charm of a young maiden.
"So... why did you suddenly come to visit your mother today?"
Raiden Makoto sat with her legs tilted to one side, the long sleeves of her kimono resting against the ground. She tilted her head slightly and gazed at the Shogun with eyes as tender as water.
"...There was no particular reason. I've simply been away for quite some time, and I... missed you."
After swallowing the rice ball, the Shogun spoke somewhat sullenly.
"Pfft... I thought you had forgotten about me."
Raiden Makoto smiled.
"How could I..."
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"Because you seem to be getting along very well with those children..."
"But... even so, I still miss both of you...///"
She spoke with a blush, her words hesitant as though she were too embarrassed to say them aloud.
"Pfft... It's all right. Your mother will always be with you."
Raiden Makoto's heart nearly melted at the sight of her. She immediately pulled the Shogun into her arms, burying her face against her own full, high chest as she stroked her as tenderly as though she were the most delicate porcelain.
"I thought I might not be able to see you today..."
Perhaps their previous meeting had merely been a coincidence, or even a dream. She was no longer certain. It had all felt somewhat unreal, or perhaps she was simply afraid Raiden Makoto would leave her again.
"That won't happen... I told you before that I live within your 'heart.' My soul is your heart, so your mother will always be with you, no matter when or where."
Raiden Makoto soothed her gently.
"...Mm."
Raiden Makoto smells so lovely...
Her fragrance is different from Ei's... Ei's is subtle and elegant, while Raiden Makoto's is sweet.
But... I like them both.
Her eyes narrowed gently like a cat's as she nestled in her mother's embrace. The loneliness that had lingered since their long separation seemed to vanish once again.
"Raiden Makoto..."
"Call me Mom~"
"Mom."
She obediently changed how she addressed her, though she would probably revert again later. Calling her that always felt rather embarrassing, as though she were a little child.
"Mm-hmm. What is it?"
Satisfied, Raiden Makoto asked.
"About Musou Isshin..."
She began.
"Mm..."
Raiden Makoto nodded.
"Why can it purify the... virus in this world?"
She raised her eyes to look at her mother's face.
"Well... I suppose it would be best to begin with myself. As you know, this blade was born alongside me. Since I was a civil administrator who lacked any talent for battle, the sword inherited my nature and possessed no sharpened edge. Ei was responsible for fighting at the time and was often injured. Because I wished to prevent her from being hurt, the blade developed the healing power to protect others."
Raiden Makoto explained.
"..."
The Shogun listened patiently.
"Now, the blade has been passed down into your hands. Ei is a warrior who focuses primarily on battle, so when the blade passed into her hands, it inherited her nature and gained an edge capable of cutting through everything. When it came into your hands, Shogun, it changed once more. You are different from us. You are still young and innocent, with a pure and unclouded heart. Because of that, the blade gained the power of purification."
"It carries our dreams and convictions, changing in accordance with our hearts. That is the purpose for which it was born, and thus it is called—Musou Isshin."
Raiden Makoto raised her hand and gently placed her slender fingers against the Shogun's chest. Her power resonated with Musou Isshin within the Shogun's body, causing a faint tremor of energy inside her.
"I see..."
She covered her chest and murmured softly.
"Mm... It is difficult to describe in only a few words. It is enough if you understand, but it is also fine if you do not. It is the object born alongside me, and no matter what happens, it will never harm you."
Raiden Makoto concluded before pulling the child back into her arms. She pressed her lips to the top of the Shogun's head, lowering her tender, glistening eyes as she gazed at her lovingly.
"Shogun..."
"Hm?"
The person in her arms shifted slightly.
"Do you know how desperately I once wished to hold you with my own hands like this and feel your existence?"
The pain of being unable to touch her own daughter was easy to imagine.
"You can do that now..."
Buried against Raiden Makoto's chest, she answered in a muffled voice.
"Mm... Yes."
Now I can...
"But... you must also pay more attention to Ei from now on. She has always missed you, and she even cried in front of me. Since you're the elder sister, you must... take responsibility for her, all right?"
"Pfft~ All right~ How could I possibly refuse to take responsibility for her? You little grown-up, hm~?"
Raiden Makoto laughed at her words. She sounded just like a child who did not want her parents to quarrel.
"I... want the two of you to get along. There must not be another conflict like before. Promise me... Raiden Makoto."
She raised her head and looked at her beautiful mother. Intense emotion surged within her violet eyes, so similar to Raiden Makoto's, and their watery light trembled faintly.
"...All right. Your mother promises you. It will never happen again."
Raiden Makoto pressed her forehead against the Shogun's and made the promise in a delicate whisper.
"Mm..."
At last, the Shogun revealed a joyful smile and closed her eyes to savor the moment.
Do not let Ei... do not let her suffer again.