"So the effects of erosion... were that great?" Raiden Makoto couldn't help but feel a sense of lament after hearing Guuji Yae explain the dangers of erosion at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Miko, when do you think would be a better time for me to see Ei?" Actually, Makoto did want to see Ei, but she also felt there was no rush; now that she knew who her sister was, she felt much more at ease.
"Hmm..."
"Now is not quite appropriate... Before your memories are restored, I don't think you know much currently, do you?" Yae Miko said thoughtfully, her watery eyes looking at Makoto seriously; she had her own selfish motives.
Yae Miko said with an air of righteousness, "And we still don't know why you were resurrected... That cataclysm..."
"Before the cause of your resurrection is thoroughly investigated, I believe it's not appropriate for you to see Ei right now." Yae Miko sounded very 'noble and upright' when she said those words, which caused Makoto to dismiss the idea of seeing Ei for the time being.
"Mm."
"Miko, can you tell me stories about my past?"
Grand Narukami Shrine.
Makoto and Sayu both listened to Yae Miko tell stories of the past, but to Makoto, those stories felt somewhat foreign.
"Have you also lost many memories because of erosion? I have no impression at all of what you just said."
It didn't seem like something that should be in those blurry images; it appeared Yae Miko had also lost part of her memory due to erosion.
"Mm."
Regarding Makoto's deeds, she had heard them through hearsay, but regarding everything about Makoto and herself, those impressions were deep.
To Yae Miko, the most important people in her life were Kitsune Saiguu, Makoto, and Ei.
She and Ei became close later, and Ei chose her to be the familiar of the Electro Archon, while Kitsune Saiguu and Makoto had watched over her since she was a child.
She could still remember the warmth of Makoto's embrace.
"Little Fox... oh no, Miko, I need to head back to the Kamisato Estate early." Makoto subconsciously called out 'Little Fox', which caused Yae Miko's face to flush.
She knew Kamisato Ayaka was likely worried about her, so she had to return to the Kamisato Clan as soon as possible.
"Mm..."
"Makoto, once those matters are resolved, I will accompany you to find your lost memories."
"Alright."
As Makoto led Sayu away from the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko watched Makoto's retreating figure, lost in thought.
She and Ei had been bickering back and forth for so many years; preventing Makoto from seeing Ei was indeed out of a bit of selfishness.
"Sister..."
"How I wish we could return to that afternoon, but that..."
Makoto and Sayu had already set out on the path down the mountain, and Sayu was currently in a somewhat silent state.
"Ma... Rai..." Sayu stammered when facing Makoto, for a moment not knowing how to address her. She couldn't imagine that the Makoto she had been with for several days was actually the Electro Archon.
Furthermore, Makoto was the original Electro Archon, the older sister of the current one. The Raiden Shogun they saw was just a puppet.
"Sayu, don't be nervous." Makoto lightly stroked Sayu's small head, knowing Sayu probably didn't know how to face her. "Just call me Sister, regardless of who I once was."
"Speaking of which, once we're back, Sayu must keep my secret and not tell Ayaka."
"Mm."
Makoto was afraid that if Kamisato Ayaka knew her identity, a gap would form between them. After all, having spent several days with her, she knew that although Ayaka seemed not to revere the Electro Archon, her internal faith was actually the Electro Archon.
"Sister... are we going back?"
"Yes, to report safety to Ayaka, and also to tell Kamisato Ayaka about the matters on Watatsumi Island."
She knew now that the Raiden Shogun was actually just a puppet, so it was no wonder wrong orders were issued.
"Ei, I didn't expect that after so many years, you are still a Little Child." Makoto sighed softly. "The eternity you understand... is too forced."
During the journey to Watatsumi Island, Makoto saw the people living in dire straits. The Vision Hunt Decree might not have affected them much, but the Sakoku Decree caused them to live in anxiety every day.
Watatsumi Island was originally equivalent to an autonomous territory, yet under the Vision Hunt Decree, it raised the banner of resistance, and war was on the verge of breaking out.
Once war truly broke out, it would certainly not be a small skirmish.
That was also the reason Makoto was angry. No matter what, after becoming a ruler, one has that responsibility—the responsibility to protect all the people, not to let things slide.
Ei had actually sealed herself away in one place, which in Makoto's eyes was completely an act of escapism.
"Let's go, let's head back early."
...Meanwhile, at the Kamisato Estate.
"Thoma, are you saying the Tenryou Commission's Wanted Posters for Makoto and Sayu have been withdrawn?"
"It couldn't be because they've already arrested Makoto and Sayu, right?" Kamisato Ayaka looked worried; she felt somewhat powerless at this moment, unable to help Makoto much against the Tenryou Commission.
"Of course not. Makoto and Sayu have gone to the Grand Narukami Shrine. Although I don't know why the Tenryou Commission lifted their wanted status, it might be due to the help of Lady Guuji." Thoma's words put Kamisato Ayaka at ease. As her only recognized confidante, she currently did not want anything to happen to Makoto.
If Makoto really fell into the hands of the Tenryou Commission, she would definitely do her best to rescue her.
"Mm."
"That is good then."
After reflecting for a while, Kamisato Ayaka looked at Thoma with some seriousness. "Thoma, there is a task for you now. You need to go to outlying islands to pick someone up."
"Eh? My Lady, please say."
"The Traveler who resolved the trouble in Liyue is about to arrive. She might be able to help us. I heard she helped that Lord Rex Lapis clear out a God. With her here, we can resolve the Vision Hunt Decree faster."
"Mm."
...Tenshukaku.
The Raiden Shogun was pacing inside, and only after Yae Miko entered Tenshukaku did she stop her steps.
"Miko, I felt Sister's aura within the Plane of Euthymia... do you know anything?"
"Is that so? Ei, that must be your imagination, right? Makoto has already passed away." Yae Miko was slightly dazed; so that was the real reason Ei had sought her out, though she had already guessed as much.
"Sigh..."
"If I had been in Inazuma that day... Sister wouldn't have..." Ei actually hadn't thought about the things that happened in the past for a very, very long time, but that sudden aura related to Makoto made her lose her composure a bit.
"Saying those things now is meaningless. Ei, why don't you look at what the Shogun has actually done."
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