After Sakura finished explaining to Rin, Rin, in turn, began to apologize to Sakura for what happened yesterday.
"I'm sorry, Big Sis… I didn't recognize you yesterday…"
"It's alright, Rin. If I were in your shoes back then, I would have been scared too… It's okay, don't blame yourself…"
"Big Sis…"
"Don't cry anymore… you've cried your face into a mess~"
After comforting Rin for a while, Sakura explained to her the changes that had occurred in her body since "God's Advent Day" and that she had been learning the sword techniques passed down through their family.
She promised Rin that no matter what happened, no matter what either of them became, she would stand firmly by Rin's side and protect her forever.
Rin didn't agree, but she didn't refuse either…
She didn't want her sister to protect her forever, because life is long, and her sister should have her own life and her own companions, not be held back by her…
But deep down, she hoped her big sister could always be with her, living happily together every day, being her big sister forever.
———————————————
———————————————
In front of Sakura and Rin's house stood a giant cherry blossom tree with branches so thick that Ryn and Elysia couldn't wrap their arms around it together.
Many ema (wishing plaques) hung from the tree, inscribed with people's most beautiful wishes.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the right season, and the cherry blossom tree was not in bloom, which was a pity for both Elysia and Ryn.
But it is precisely because life isn't always as smooth and perfect as one wishes that beautiful things seem all the more precious.
Elysia and Ryn sat under the cherry blossom tree, one telling stories, the other listening.
The girl as beautiful as a cherry blossom was in a very good mood today. Firstly, she had become friends with Sakura, and secondly, she had heard many stories from Ryn about Kiana, Mei, Kika, and the others.
No child is incurious about their parents' stories; they only dislike the way their parents tell them…
But this was not a concern for Elysia and Ryn. Elysia had never met Kiana and was extremely curious and filled with beautiful expectations about everything related to her.
Although Ryn's storytelling skills were lacking, he had Cortana, who had recorded every little detail of their lives. So, how Ryn told the stories didn't really matter; Elysia's gaze was completely fixed on the photos Ryn took out.
However, Elysia made a funny mistake back then, which made Ryn laugh so hard he immediately had Stigmata Kiana record the moment.
At that time, Elysia was intently looking at the photos, one by one, her eyes filled with envy at how beautiful Kiana, Mei, and the others were.
My moms are all so pretty! In the future, I must be like Dad and find a bunch of super-duper beautiful girls to form Elysia's harem of pretty girls!
"Eh… what's this?"
Elysia's gaze was suddenly drawn to a photo of Ryn and Mei sitting together, with a mischievous Kika squeezed between them.
Kika was small, with the same standard oval face as Mei and the same long, straight black hair of a cool older-sister type. If you didn't look closely, it was really hard to tell them apart.
"Dad! Is this my big sister? Is she the fruit of your and Mom Mei's love?"
Elysia asked Ryn with a face full of expectation, pointing at Kika.
Elysia had always wanted an older or younger sister, someone she could be with like Sakura and Rin, where the older sister always protects the younger, and the younger always relies on the older…
Ryn blinked and looked at the photo carefully several times.
In his eyes, the difference between Mei and Kika was so obvious; they were two completely different people. But how could both Elysia and God Mei mistake her for his and Mei's child?
Just because she and Mei had long, straight black hair, and her eyes, like Ryn's, were red?
In the world of 2D animation, does having the same hair and eye color make you the same person?
"Is she, is she? Tell Elysia, quick~"
Elysia pulled on Ryn's arm, swinging it wildly, pulling Ryn back from his thoughts.
Ryn raised his hand and gave Elysia a flick on her big head.
"Of course not, that's your Mom Kika!"
"Huh?" Elysia clutched her head, her big eyes filled with disbelief.
She picked up a selfie of Ryn and Mei, then a photo of Kika, looking back and forth between them carefully…
When compared separately with either Mei or Ryn, Kika didn't look very similar. But when you combined Mei and Ryn and compared them to Kika…
It was probably one of those cases where you could tell at a glance whose child she was, right?
Ryn pinched Elysia's chubby little face, pulling her gaze away from the photos.
"Don't worry about that. Anyway, Kika couldn't possibly be my and Mei's daughter. But seniority isn't that important. I have a feeling you and Kika will become very good friends."
"Why is that?"
"Because your skin is as thick as your chubby little cheeks, making you immune to Kika's sharp tongue. Plus, Kika is very frail, a tsundere and a pushover. She can't resist someone like you who likes to take the offensive."
"So that's how it is! Did Dad also take the offensive with Mom Kika back then?"
"Hmph, hmph, take a guess~
"I'm not guessing! If you won't tell me, then don't! Hmph!"
Elysia snorted angrily, then suddenly turned her head, pointed at herself blankly, and said.
"Dad… did you just call me thick-skinned?"
"Nope! It's just that Elysia's chubby little face is so fleshy and feels great to the touch~
_Ryn held Elysia's chubby face in both hands, happily kneading it up and down._
Besides being cute, chubby cheeks are, of course, great hand warmers~
「Elysia_face_squish.jpg」
(Ehehe, the author didn't save this picture and can't find it now. If any readers have it, feel free to share it.)
———————————————
———————————————
Ryn and Elysia had already traveled around the globe once. Although they didn't find the Eternal Elysium at the world's end, the journey of life was still ongoing!
Neither Ryn nor Elysia had any intention of stopping their journey, so they prepared to continue forward in search of their future direction.
Sakura and Rin, like Kalpas, were just passersby on Elysia's journey. Although they left a deep impression, she wouldn't stay for them forever.
A meeting is but a fleeting dream. If fate allows, we shall meet again. If not, it was but a chance encounter, with no further entanglement in this life.
After Sakura and Rin resolved their conflict and came out, Ryn and Elysia bid them farewell, preparing to leave.