(TL/N: Sorry for the late update.)
"No."
"How is this possible?"
"She should already be dead."
Yae Miko's voice trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Five hundred years ago, she had personally witnessed the other party vanish into the black mire.
The scenes from that time were still unforgettable.
But who was the person in front of her now?
Although she had no tail and lacked the traits of the fox clan,
those golden eyes were something Yae Miko would never forget in her lifetime.
There was no mistake.
This person was the former Grand Narukami Shrine's Guuji, Lady Saiguu.
Yae Miko's emotions surged. Tears streamed uncontrollably as she cried out, "My lady."
Bang.
A puff of smoke appeared.
Yae Miko vanished.
In her place was an extremely adorable pink-furred little fox.
The little fox pushed off the ground with her hind legs, stretching out her paws as if a child had seen her mother, and pounced forward.
Looking at the little fox rushing toward her,
although Saiguu did not remember who she was, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
It seemed she should not let her pounce over.
Otherwise, her hair would become messy.
Just as Yae Miko was about to succeed,
a jade-like hand grasped the back of her neck.
"Do not make trouble."
That familiar feeling.
That familiar voice.
There was no mistake.
This was Lady Saiguu.
"Wuu wuu wuu..."
Ignoring Su Han's presence, Yae Miko cried even harder, releasing all the grievances she had accumulated over five hundred years.
Saiguu showed a helpless expression and sighed softly. She held the fox in her arms while gently stroking her head with the other hand.
Strangely enough,
the Yae Miko who had been making such a fuss just moments ago
quietly fell asleep.
It was also Su Han's first time seeing Yae Miko's fox form. He could not help but step forward and pinch her ears.
He had to admit,
they were fluffy and felt incredibly good.
"Who is she? Why do I feel a sense of familiarity?"
While Su Han was playing with the fox, Saiguu's words made him freeze.
Su Han asked in confusion, "You do not recognize Miko?"
Saiguu gently shook her head. Looking softly at the little fox in her arms, she sighed, "My current memories are very few. There are only two things I remember: the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, and your name. Everything else is gone."
"Not even a slight impression?"
"There is some sense of familiarity, but not much."
Saiguu's words confirmed his guess.
Her current condition was most likely the result of the Abyss's influence.
As for why she still remembered him, Su Han suspected it was due to the effect of the "Flame of Longing."
In the original case of Hanachirusato, everything had been forgotten, with only one thing left in her heart: saving Inazuma.
He wondered how she was doing now.
After a moment of silence, Su Han asked, "How is your body now?"
"Thanks to the red thread within me, I can probably last about two more years. But if I carry out the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, how long I can last will depend on fate. You can sense it as well. The reason I am still alive now is largely due to the power of the Abyss."
Saiguu did not hide anything and calmly told him about her condition.
The little fox in her arms twitched her ears at this moment.
"Two years..." Su Han murmured, then asked again, "Then how long can the ritual be delayed at most?"
Hearing this, Saiguu smiled faintly. Looking at the man with tightly furrowed brows, she advised, "Do not waste your effort. If the filth is not purified soon, the land of Inazuma will also be affected. You would not want me to become someone who breaks her promise, would you?"
Her era had already ended.
In the chaotic darkness,
she had lost consciousness multiple times, forgotten herself multiple times, and for long periods, she had not even known the passage of time.
But whenever she fell into despair, the red thread within her would begin to pulse.
It was precisely because of this that Saiguu was able to maintain a relatively complete soul instead of fragmented memories.
Of course, this was also closely tied to her wishes.
Before her death, Saiguu had two obsessions.
The first was to protect Inazuma.
The second was to see Su Han again and tell him her feelings.
Now, the second wish had been fulfilled.
Her only remaining wish was to restore Inazuma to normal.
If the price of continuing to live was that all of Inazuma would suffer, then she would rather die.
Looking at Saiguu in her current state, how could Su Han not understand what she was thinking? He immediately tried to dispel such a dangerous thought.
"I understand what you mean, but you seem not to know my abilities, or perhaps you have forgotten."
"Hmm?"
Saiguu looked at him with confusion. This was something she truly did not know.
Seeing this, Su Han said proudly, "Let me explain. My father is an otherworldly god, so he possesses many treasures from other worlds. Not to mention purifying ley lines, even bringing you back to life would not be a problem."
Since Saiguu did not understand his power, Su Han elaborated on it in detail.
He even gave examples.
For instance, the red thread connecting the two of them was a power from beyond this world.
Saiguu suddenly understood. "So that is how it is."
Although she had forgotten many things, a power capable of resisting the Abyss was certainly not ordinary.
If it came from beyond this world, then it made sense.
"So, can you give me some time now?"
"Yes. But I am sorry, I cannot help you."
Saiguu showed an apologetic expression.
She did not want Su Han to struggle alone.
But unfortunately, her body was too weak. Let alone fighting, even her waking hours each day were limited.
Su Han shook his head. "No. The fact that you can live well is already the greatest comfort to me."
Saiguu was slightly stunned.
Fragments of forgotten memories surfaced in her mind.
It seemed he had once said the same thing to her.
That day was when the disaster had erupted.
Su Han had faced countless calamity beasts. Though already covered in wounds, he still fought desperately.
Saiguu remembered urging him to rest.
But Su Han had stubbornly replied, "I hope you can live well. That is the greatest comfort to me."
This man.
Even after five hundred years, he was still so gentle.
Saiguu came back to her senses and suddenly recalled something. Her expression changed as she hurriedly asked, "By the way, how did you escape five hundred years ago? I remember you were also swallowed by the black mire."
As soon as those words were spoken,
Su Han did not know how to answer.
After all, he had not yet traveled through time back then.
But telling the truth now would likely make her worry.
So Su Han forced a smile and said, "Haha... I have a special treasure, but the side effect is a long slumber. That is why you are able to see me today."
"I see. As long as you are safe, that is all that matters."
Saiguu immediately felt relieved.
But the fox in her arms clearly knew that Su Han was lying.
He had only recently awakened his power.
So there was no such thing as "sleeping for five hundred years."
Yae Miko felt puzzled. If he had not slept for five hundred years, then how had he fallen in love with her lady?
Suddenly, she thought of time travel.
Wait.
If that were the case,
then Su Han in the future would...
At this thought, Yae Miko suddenly opened her eyes. Just as she was about to say something,
she saw Su Han raise a finger to his lips.
"Shh."
Yae Miko looked up and realized that Lady Saiguu, who was holding her, had already fallen asleep from exhaustion.
She jumped out of her arms.
As she landed,
the little fox transformed back into a beautiful woman.
Su Han said in a low voice, "Let us talk outside."
"Understood."
The two walked out of the cave.
Yae Miko looked at him with a strange expression. After a long while, she sighed, "I do not even know how to address you anymore."
The husband of the head of the Hakushin Clan.
Should she call him "uncle"?
This was getting amusing. Her generation had suddenly dropped.
From now on, forget joking around, she would not even dare to refuse Su Han's orders.
After all, in Yae Miko's eyes, Saiguu was like both a teacher and a mother.
Su Han shook his head. "We can keep our own way of addressing each other. As for my situation, please keep it a secret."
"Do not worry, I will not tell anyone. But you must also pay attention to your safety. After all, Lady Saiguu devoted her entire life to Inazuma. I do not want her to be saddened. And those women close to you as well."
If Su Han were to die in Inazuma,
Yae Miko did not dare to imagine what would happen.
If one were to call it the end of the world, it would not be an exaggeration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapters every 200 Power Stone!
10, 20, 30 Advanced chapters in my Patr(e)on!
patr(e)on.com/hollyrisk