The people of Inazuma felt the deepest connection, for this was their story.
They may not have known Kitsune Saiguu personally, but their ancestors surely did.
Now, like their ancestors, they too had come to know this fox, all falling under her 'charm.'
Look at this story. Was Khaenri'ah's catastrophe truly only Khaenri'ah's to bear?
Hanachirusato, as a monster, chose to sacrifice herself to save Inazuma, driven solely by the obsession born from Kitsune Saiguu's memories.
And Kitsune Saiguu herself had also sacrificed for Inazuma's salvation.
In other words, Kitsune Saiguu gave her life for Inazuma twice. How could the people of Inazuma not grieve for her?
It wasn't just the people of Inazuma; others deeply empathized as well, like Rosalyne.
Rosalyne, silent, burned the book to ashes, yet that line lingered in her mind: 'I hope that, even after your rampage, something beautiful can still remain.'
Wasn't that the same mindset she had when she became the Crimson Witch of Flame?
To preserve what she cherished, to ensure the land she loved endured, to protect beautiful things, she burned herself.
So, flames, if you can achieve this, take my body and will to burn.
So, flames, please consume everything… including the 'no longer beautiful' me.
Rosalyne couldn't recall her original mindset anymore; it was entirely forgotten.
Kitsune Saiguu infused her memories into the land she loved so dearly.
Rosalyne, however, chose to burn away her memories because they were no longer beautiful.
Though she couldn't remember, her heart ached. She didn't understand why she could empathize so deeply with Kitsune Saiguu or what this inexplicable emotion stirring in her heart was.
This feeling tormented her, seeming even more painful than the flames' burn—a sensation she hadn't felt even when reading her own story.
Rosalyne wiped her tears, staring at her tear-stained fingers in a daze. So, her tears hadn't run dry after all…
Flames… you still couldn't burn everything of mine.
Another Harbinger, Scaramouche, trembled at the lips, taking deep breaths to quell his emotions, but ultimately let out a stubborn huff to express his displeasure.
Electrifying the book to dust, Scaramouche wanted to blame it all on the Raiden Shogun's negligence! She wasn't in Inazuma at the critical moment.
But deep down, he knew the Shogun's decisions weren't inherently right or wrong. Not everyone could foresee the future like Lucian.
Still, shouldn't the Raiden Shogun bear the blame for Tatarasuna's issues? Back then, he risked everything to sail back to Narukami Island, pleading before Tenshukaku to see the Shogun, all to save his 'home.'
Yet the Shogun paid no heed to his pleas, never taking action to save Tatarasuna.
Disillusioned with gods, he chose to head to the furnace's core himself to resolve the 'nuclear leak.'
Wasn't this because Narukami neglected her duties, forcing her subordinates to bear more?
What Scaramouche didn't know was that the one he sought wasn't the Shogun. By then, Ei had already secluded herself with the puppet, and he was pleading with the emotionless 'sister.'
The puppet Shogun cared nothing for this, not even granting Scaramouche an audience. Ei didn't even know about Tatarasuna's plight.
In Scaramouche's eyes, Narukami had abandoned Tatarasuna, even Niwa had fled out of guilt.
The Shogunate abandoned Tatarasuna, his 'home,' and even his 'family' gave up on it, but he couldn't abandon it.
He didn't know this was the work of 'Dottore,' nor that Yae Miko was frantically dispatching people to address the issue.
But Scaramouche acted faster. After he resolved the problem, Yae Miko arrived but, seeing his heavy expression, chose not to disturb him, only returning the golden feather to him.
This led him to mistakenly believe the Grand Narukami Shrine had also abandoned Tatarasuna.
Speaking of which, Inazuma really wasn't a place for people. Narukami Island faced ley line corruption, Tatarasuna had a nuclear leak, Yashiori Island dealt with a demon god's remnants, Watatsumi Island faced sacred soilification, Tsurumi Island was plagued by the Thunderbird's lingering power, and Kannazuka was no better.
After all that chaos, not a single place in Inazuma was livable—pretty absurd, right?
Speaking of Inazuma, one can't help but mention Miss Fox. Yae Miko had read this story early and had already cried, but Miss Fox's crying face? She'd rather no one saw that.
In the story, her crying in Kitsune Saiguu's arms without showing her face was her own request. Whether she was bawling, only she and Kitsune Saiguu knew.
Besides Miss Fox, Arataki Itto was different from Scaramouche. He found this story deeply resonant.
Even the usually carefree Arataki Itto now had his eyes tightly shut, the red markings on his face seemingly blurred, though he refused to admit he cried.
People like Kitsune Saiguu were exactly whom Arataki Itto admired.
Living life freely and never shying away in critical moments.
Moreover, Arataki Itto dreamed of humans and youkai coexisting peacefully, something Kitsune Saiguu had truly achieved in her time.
"Boss," Kuki Shinobu called out, her tone unusually gentle, not stern.
She patted Arataki Itto's shoulder in comfort, though her own voice trembled.
"Hahahaha, this boss is fine! This boss wouldn't cry over something like this."
"It's just purging evil spirits. Leave it to this boss! If it comes to it, I'll keep purging, on and on, forever! If someone's always purging, nothing will go wrong, no need for sacrifices…"
"Leave it to this boss!" As Arataki Itto moved to stand, Kuki Shinobu held him back.
"Boss," Kuki Shinobu shook her head.
She knew Arataki Itto was that kind of person. He didn't want others to sacrifice, but he wasn't averse to sacrificing himself.
Yet Arataki Itto's sacrifices weren't driven by a mindset of sacrifice; he firmly believed he could do it, that he'd be fine.
"…" Arataki Itto fell silent. He knew he couldn't handle this alone.
All of Inazuma's evil spirits—how could one person clear them all?
Even if he did, it would only delay the Sacred Sakura's corruption. The 'Miasmic Tumor' wouldn't vanish. But removing the tumor would mean Hanachirusato's disappearance.
It's unsolvable!
"There's really no way? This boss isn't satisfied!" Arataki Itto waved his fist.
"Wait! Brother Lucian might have a way, right?" Arataki Itto suddenly thought.
Dora-Lucian, with all his fun gadgets and fascinating stories, might just have a solution!
In the Plane of Euthymia, Ei sat with her eyes closed, silent. Lucian, beside her, sneakily observed her, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Crying?"
Thunder rumbled briefly in the Plane of Euthymia, then faded.
Ei: "…"
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Character Voice · Lucian: About Raiden Ei · Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual
"Haha, the system already told me whether she cried or not, but hearing her admit it herself sure feels different, doesn't it?"