[Sky City – The Moonlight Forest]
Night fell over the floating city.
Under the influence of the Spirit Gathering Array, the Moonlight Maples glowed with ethereal silver light. The leaves chimed softly, filtering the lunar essence into pure soul-nourishing energy.
Raiden Ei sat under a massive maple tree. Next to her sat the Raiden Shogun puppet. Both were meditating, absorbing the moonlight to repair the erosion on their souls.
In Teyvat, there were almost no treasures capable of healing the soul. This forest was a miracle.
Nearby, the Adepti and other group members also cultivated, but their absorption speed paled in comparison to the Electro Archon.
[Grand Narukami Shrine]
Su Han did not stay to cultivate. He had a more important task.
He flew to Mt. Yougou. The shrine was quiet; Yae Miko and the other shrine maidens were at the Sky City. Only Kano Nana was on duty.
"Lord Su Han?" she bowed nervously.
"Go rest, Nana. I need to be alone with the Tree."
"Yes, my Lord."
Su Han stood before the massive Sacred Sakura. Its fox-shaped crown glowed faintly in the night.
During the Sky Trace mission, Rosalyne had used Tenseiga to devour the Black Dragon King's soul. That soul—a millennium-old cultivator dragon—was a massive battery of spiritual energy.
"Let's see if this works."
Su Han drew Tenseiga.
He activated the Soul-Soul Fruit powers.
Hum.
A massive white orb of soul energy floated out of the blade. It pulsed with power.
"Eat up," Su Han whispered, guiding the soul into the Sacred Sakura.
The tree absorbed it greedily. The pink petals began to glow brighter. The ley lines under the mountain hummed.
Su Han waited.
The Sacred Sakura was more than a tree; it was the anchor of Raiden Makoto's consciousness. When she died in Khaenri'ah, she became the seed that grew into this tree to protect Inazuma from the filth of the Abyss. She was a living filter, constantly suffering to keep her nation safe.
One hour passed.
Nothing.
Su Han sighed. "Maybe it wasn't enough..."
Just as he turned to leave, the tree flashed.
A gentle, warm light enveloped him.
Whoosh.
Su Han felt a tug on his soul. He didn't resist.
[The Consciousness Realm]
He opened his eyes.
He was in a space filled with falling cherry blossoms. Above him, the Dragon Vein (which he had planted earlier) shone like a sun.
In the center of the flowers lay a woman.
She looked exactly like Raiden Ei, but her aura was completely different. Where Ei was sharp lightning, this woman was warm sunlight. She wore a white kimono, her expression peaceful.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
Raiden Makoto opened her eyes.
"Thank you," she said, her voice like a gentle breeze. "You worked hard to save me. Without that energy, my remaining fire would have gone out soon."
"You're awake?" Su Han smiled, relief washing over him.
"I am," Makoto sat up slowly. "My soul shattered in that war. I became the tree to purify the land. I was fading... until you started feeding me."
"So, the Black Dragon's soul helped?"
"Immensely," Makoto nodded. "It stabilized me. I am no longer dying. But..." she looked at her translucent hands. "Resurrecting me completely will be difficult. I am just ash and memory now. To bring me back is akin to creating a new Demon God."
"I like a challenge," Su Han grinned. "Besides, I already have Ei. I'm greedy. I want both sisters."
Makoto giggled, covering her mouth. "My, how honest. You want the set?"
"Absolutely. Do you know how much trouble I've had cleaning up Ei's messes? She can't cook, she can't govern, she just locks herself in a room and cries. I need the smart sister back."
Makoto laughed so hard she fell back into the flowers.
"Oh, poor Ei. She really is hopeless with administration, isn't she? I spoiled her too much. I handled the politics so she could focus on the sword. I never thought..." Her smile faded slightly. "I never thought leaving her alone would cause Inazuma so much pain."
"It's not your fault," Su Han said. "But now we're fixing it. Together."
Makoto looked at him with soft, grateful eyes. "If you had been there during the Cataclysm... perhaps things would have been different."
"Speaking of which," Su Han asked, "what really happened in Khaenri'ah?"
Makoto's expression darkened.
"Khaenri'ah..." she sighed. "They wanted to surpass the Gods. They didn't care about the cost. They tapped into the Abyss."
"Their machines—the Field Tillers—were marvels of engineering. But they used a core powered by Abyssal energy. The moment the Abyss surged, the machines were corrupted. They turned on their creators."
"Before the Seven even arrived, Khaenri'ah was already burning. Their own weapons were slaughtering them. The Abyss was spreading like a virus, threatening to consume all of Teyvat."
"We didn't destroy Khaenri'ah because we were jealous," Makoto said sadly. "We destroyed it to plug the hole. If we hadn't... the entire world would have become the Abyss."
"So, it was a containment breach," Su Han mused. "Like a zombie outbreak."
"Exactly. But the corruption was too strong. I... I couldn't withstand it."
She looked at Su Han. "You are different. You use technology, but you focus on livelihood, on prosperity. You don't try to break the world's laws just to prove you can. That is why I approve of you."
"Don't worry," Su Han stood up. "I'll keep gathering souls. I'll rebuild your body. Just wait a little longer."
"I will wait," Makoto smiled, fading back into the tree. "Take care of Ei for me."
[Real World]
Su Han opened his eyes. He was back at the shrine.
The Sacred Sakura glowed with renewed vitality.
"She's stabilized," Su Han whispered. "Now I just need more fuel."
He looked at the moon.
"Time to hunt some more demons."
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