[Feudal Era – Forward Operating Base]
"Not so fast," Su Han said, stopping Kagome as she prepared to leave. "There is one more thing you need to do before you can bring your family over."
"What is it?" Kagome tilted her head. She couldn't imagine what a VIP like him would need from a middle schooler.
Su Han smiled. "I need the soul inside your body."
"!!!"
Kagome's face drained of color. "Y-You're going to kill me?!"
Su Han burst out laughing. "Don't be dramatic. I just need to separate the dormant soul of Kikyo from your own. It's a completely safe procedure. You won't feel a thing... mostly."
Kagome patted her chest, letting out a long breath. "Please don't word it like a horror movie villain! If it's just separating a soul... I trust you."
She knew Su Han was practically a god. He had resurrected Lady Saiguu; a simple soul extraction should be child's play for him.
Su Han turned his gaze to the bound and terrified Urasue.
"Ogress," he said, his voice dropping to a freezing register. "You know where Kikyo's grave is. You will forge a body for her. Use this."
He tossed a small pouch to the floor. Inside was a pinch of Five-Colored Divine Mud—the legendary clay used by the Goddess Nuwa to create humanity.
Meeting Su Han's gaze, Urasue felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"Y-Yes, my Lord!" she squeaked.
She didn't know who this man was, but her survival instincts screamed that he could erase her with a single thought.
A squad of soldiers escorted Urasue to the graveyard to gather the ashes and soil. When the ogress opened the pouch and saw the glowing, rainbow-colored mud, her jaw dropped.
Such pure life energy! If I use this, the body won't be a fragile clay doll. It will be perfect flesh and blood!
She didn't dare steal it. She quickly set up her kiln and began the process.
"Excuse me," Urasue whispered to a guard. "Who exactly is that man?"
"Lord Su Han is the husband of the Almighty Raiden Shogun," the guard said proudly.
Urasue almost fainted. The husband of a God?! No wonder his eyes were so terrifying!
[One Hour Later]
The kiln opened. A perfect, unblemished clay shell lay inside.
Su Han entered the room. He dismissed the guards, leaving only himself, Kagome, and Urasue.
"It is time," Su Han said, looking at Kagome.
He activated the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Kagome shuddered. She felt a strange, dizzying pull from deep within her chest. It wasn't painful, but it felt like a heavy weight was being slowly dragged out of her.
A minute later, a glowing, translucent white orb floated out of Kagome's chest.
Urasue watched in shock. He extracted the soul without killing the host? What kind of divine magic is this?!
Kagome slumped forward, panting heavily. She felt incredibly weak.
"Don't worry," Su Han caught her, pressing a glowing Soul Crystal into her hand. "The extraction took some of your stamina. Absorb this crystal, and you'll be stronger than before."
Kagome nodded weakly, closing her eyes to meditate and absorb the energy.
Su Han then turned to the clay shell. He tapped it with his finger.
Crack.
The shell broke away, revealing the flawless, naked body of a beautiful woman. Thanks to the Five-Colored Divine Mud, her skin was soft and warm, pulsing with life.
"Put the soul in," Su Han commanded.
He guided the soul orb into the body's chest.
"Now, Ogress. Do your thing."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Urasue swung her scythe and began chanting the resurrection spell.
A minute passed.
The woman's chest began to rise and fall. Blood flowed through her veins. Her eyelids fluttered.
Urasue immediately bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. She was smart enough to know that staring at the naked body of the Lord's new project was a good way to lose her head.
Su Han watched closely. He had purified the resentment from Kikyo's soul before inserting it. He wanted to see who would wake up: the vengeful spirit, or the noble priestess.
The woman's eyes opened.
They were blank at first, then flashed with a momentary confusion, before settling into a deep, calm pool of dark brown.
Kikyo slowly sat up.
She looked at the meditating Kagome, then at Su Han. She didn't seem to care that she was completely naked. Her modesty was secondary to her analytical mind.
"Who are you?" Her voice was cold, clear, and serene. "And where am I?"
"I am Su Han, from the world of Teyvat. You are in Kaede's village. I resurrected you."
Kikyo looked down at her hands. She flexed her fingers. She felt a heartbeat. She felt warmth.
"This is not a puppet of grave soil," she murmured, genuine shock bleeding into her stoic expression. "I am... truly alive. How?"
"I used some divine materials," Su Han shrugged. "Consider it a reward for all the good you did in your past life. And a signing bonus."
"A signing bonus?"
"I brought you back to work for me," Su Han smiled. "I need competent people in Inazuma. I'm not a villain, don't worry. I save people. I'll have someone bring you clothes. We can talk later."
He turned and left the room, giving her privacy.
[Later That Day]
Baiwen arrived with a set of traditional red and white Miko robes.
As she helped Kikyo dress, Baiwen briefed her on who Su Han was: The uncrowned king of Liyue, the brother of the Anemo Archon, and the husband of the Electro Archon.
A man who stands above Gods, Kikyo thought, tying her red ribbon. Why would someone so powerful need me?
She stepped outside.
"Sister!"
An old woman with an eyepatch ran toward her, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.
"Kaede?" Kikyo's eyes widened. The last time she saw her sister, Kaede was just a little girl. Now, she was an old crone. Time was a cruel master.
Kikyo hugged her weeping sister.
Kagome, now fully recovered, joined them. The three women sat together for hours, exchanging stories. Kaede and Kagome filled Kikyo in on everything: Naraku's betrayal, Inuyasha's sealing, the shattering of the Shikon Jewel, and the arrival of the Teyvat army.
Kikyo listened in silence.
The Warring States era had brought her nothing but pain, betrayal, and a tragic death. She had died protecting the jewel, only to be dragged back into the mess.
But now... she had a perfect body. She was free of the jewel's curse. She owed her life to a man who ruled a paradise across dimensions.
"Kaede," Kikyo said softly, looking at the portal glowing in the distance. "I think... my time in this world is truly over."
"Sister?"
"I have shed my past," Kikyo stood up, her eyes filled with a new, quiet resolve. "I will go to Teyvat. I will serve Lord Su Han. It is time I lived a life for myself."
Inazuma had just gained a legendary protector.