In the story, the Traveler brought up what Hanachirusato had said earlier: 'If Kitsune Saiguu had someone like the Traveler by her side.'
If that were the case, perhaps Kitsune Saiguu wouldn't have died. But Hanachirusato couldn't help but 'selfishly' think:
["'If, if that were true, I wouldn't have been born by inheriting her memories in this way, nor would I have met you in the end.'"]
After her birth, she was utterly lost. As her memories awakened, she understood her duty. From the very beginning, Hanachirusato was meant to face her demise.
That's why, despite wanting to see her 'old friends,' she never dared to show herself.
In the final moments of her 'life,' she was glad it was the Traveler she met.
The Traveler was Teyvat's social butterfly, and Paimon was a bundle of joy. Being with them made Hanachirusato happy, giving her a piece of emotion and memory that was truly her own.
Yes, this was indeed her final moment. Hanachirusato had made it clear that once the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual was complete, she too would be eradicated.
Now, the readers' suspended hearts finally sank. They'd predicted it correctly, so why weren't they happy? Come on, smile a little.
Reading a book should be done with a smile.
The readers were heartbroken, but in the story, Hanachirusato had found peace.
Ioroi was still alive and didn't hold a grudge against Kitsune Saiguu.
The descendants of old friends like Konda, Domon, and Inagi were still around.
The Narukami Shrine now had a new immortal fox guarding it—what a relief. Perhaps Inazuma no longer needed her, a person long gone?
The only two things that upset Hanachirusato were, first, the loss of the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual texts.
Second, the artifact Kitsune Saiguu gifted to the Hiiragi family had been damaged, though it had now become the Memory Lens in the Traveler's hands—a happy ending that brought her some comfort.
She wasn't sure if these emotions belonged to 'Hanachirusato' or 'Kitsune Saiguu.'
The two were supposed to be the same person, but due to Hanachirusato's identity, her memories were muddled, and she couldn't fully accept herself.
At the story's end, Hanachirusato shared a piece of advice with the Traveler and Paimon.
["'Do not be swayed, do not waver, and always walk the path you believe in.'"]
This advice, originally given by Kitsune Saiguu to Ei, was now passed from Hanachirusato to Lumine.
Seeing this, Ei's pupils constricted. She had just been thinking of this very phrase, and now it appeared in the book.
Reading this at such a moment, even with Ei's stoic nature, she could barely hold back her emotions.
Hold it together—at least don't cry in front of Lucian, right?
[Hanachirusato continued: "This was the final advice 'Kitsune Saiguu' gave to her before their final parting."]
The 'her' Hanachirusato referred to was none other than the Raiden Shogun.
["Though I don't feel qualified to claim the 'Hakushin bloodline' for myself, I believe that if 'Kitsune Saiguu' herself were still here, she would surely bless you without hesitation."]
["I hope her advice—"]
She suddenly corrected herself.
["No, my advice, can shield you in the future from a few lies and a measure of malice."]
Hanachirusato seemed to have made up her mind. At least in this moment, when it came to her feelings for the Traveler, 'Hanachirusato's' emotions took precedence.
[Hanachirusato said with a smile: "Then, as an exchange… please let me be selfish one last time."]
Hanachirusato's selfishness was to draw on Kitsune Saiguu's memories, recalling a particularly fitting short poem.
Unlike the one she gave to Kamuna Harunosuke, this time it was:
["'Parting from you, I know not when we'll meet again, like morning dew that vanishes in an instant.'"]
Life is like morning dew, vanishing quickly (drying up, like dew evaporated by the sun).
So cherish every encounter, every moment of companionship, every fleeting glance.
Because once parted, you don't know when you'll meet again—even Zhongli couldn't wait for that 'someday.'
Ei had closed her eyes. She felt that if she kept reading, little pearls would fall.
Without Lucian's appearance, even with 'eternity,' she could never have waited for that 'someday.'
[Hanachirusato looked at the Traveler and Paimon with a gentle tone: "Thank you. Farewell, it was a pleasure to meet you both… Lady Lumine, Lady Paimon."]
[She then looked up at the crevice, as if taking one last glance at Inazuma's sky.]
["'A thousand branches, ten thousand veins, purge the calamity.'"]
["'…Hereby, I declare its purification.'"]
Hanachirusato gradually faded. In her final moments, looking at Lumine and Paimon, the expression behind her mask was probably a smile, right?
She vanished with a gentle smile, leaving behind only her fox mask. No one knew if she shed tears in the end.
Hanachirusato took off her mask, so Paimon could no longer call her the 'Masked Shrine Maiden.'
Ei knew her heart was crying. So this was what Lucian meant by 'all the monsters have been purified.'
But Ei didn't want to shed tears in front of Lucian, so though her heart wept, she gritted her teeth and held back every drop.
Lucian, please, let me smack you just once!
My super brain is telling me it's time to use my super muscles!
Hanachirusato was gone, and readers thought the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual story ended here, leaving only melancholy in their hearts.
The sadness wasn't too intense, as most readers didn't know much about Kitsune Saiguu.
But to everyone's surprise, the book's story wasn't over. At the end, after turning the page, the light novel shifted into a long manga segment.
It opened with a close-up of Hanachirusato's mask, accompanied by a line:
'Thinking of that girl's unparalleled beauty, I can't help but want to cover my current form with a mask…'
Just how beautiful was that girl?
The scene showed a pathway by a torii gate, where a child holding a water balloon was crying with his head down. Around him were passersby, but no one paid him any mind.
The child, head lowered, could only see the feet of the crowd, with no one stopping before him.
This image captured the child's helplessness and fear at that moment.
The next panel shifted to the child's perspective. Among the passing feet, a pair appeared—wearing white socks and stepping in geta sandals.
Despite staring intently, he hadn't noticed them. When had the owner of those feet appeared?
The boy looked up, and the scene became a close-up of a stunning face—a beautiful woman with fox-like eyes, the close-up highlighting the beauty of her brows and the fox-like charm in her expression.
In the next panel, she took the boy's hand.
The beautiful woman's smile was radiant, her white fur gleaming as if emitting light under the sun.
Hanachirusato's story was over, but what followed was Kitsune Saiguu's story.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Raiden Ei: About Lucian, Part Two
"I'm very grateful to him, but once I've repaid my debt, I'll give him a good slash!"