To Ei, her older sister was more important than her own life.
Back then, Ei had personally witnessed the death of Raiden Makoto.
At that moment,
she fell into deep despair, and her entire heart completely sealed itself away.
Raiden Ei had never expected that five hundred years later,
the long-deceased Kitsune Saiguu would actually appear before her once more.
And so, a bold idea was born.
Since Kitsune Saiguu could survive in such a strange way,
then perhaps her sister also had a chance to survive?
The moment this thought appeared,
Ei became unable to calm herself down. From yesterday until now, she had constantly been pondering the possibility of her sister surviving.
Times had changed.
Five hundred years had caused her to forget far too many details. Combined with the fact that Khaenri'ah had been continuously collapsing back then, even if something unusual had occurred, Ei had not been in the mood to pay attention.
After hearing this, Su Han fell silent.
Ei sensed that things were not looking good and immediately added:
"I don't care if my sister ends up following you like Kitsune Saiguu. As long as she can appear again, even if it costs me my body, I wouldn't care."
Su Han raised his head and met Ei's gaze.
Within her eyes, he saw panic and fear. This was perhaps Ei's only hope.
After all, Kitsune Saiguu truly had been revived.
But unfortunately,
reviving a god was never something simple.
Su Han gently shook his head.
Raiden Ei's hand instantly gripped the hem of her clothes. Before he could speak, she hurriedly said:
"Why is it impossible? Kitsune Saiguu already told me, you can travel through time!"
"As long as you return to the time when my sister was still alive, with your abilities, you would definitely be able to pursue her."
"And once you obtain that flame, wouldn't everything work out?"
Ei was unwilling to give up on reviving her sister just like that.
For five hundred years,
she had regretted it every single day.
Every dream she had was filled with despairing black rain.
Now that she had finally seen a glimmer of hope, there was no way she could abandon it.
Su Han comforted her:
"Don't get agitated first. What I meant earlier was simply that this method might not suit your sister."
"Calm down and let me finish speaking."
"The reason Kitsune Saiguu could revive is indeed partly thanks to my Flame of Longing, but more importantly, after her physical body dissipated, her spirit body accidentally absorbed the power of the Abyss!"
"That is the true reason she survived until today."
Relying solely on the Flame of Longing to persist for five hundred years was absolutely impossible.
After all, even the world of Fox Spirit Matchmaker could not accomplish something like that.
Raiden Ei frowned tightly, seemingly pondering the meaning behind his words.
After a long while, she raised her head. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she nearly begged:
"Su Han, can my sister truly not be revived?"
Under the dim candlelight,
Raiden Ei's face was deathly pale, her entire body seeming as though it could collapse at any moment.
The feeling of obtaining hope amidst despair, only to return once again to despair, was actually the cruelest torment of all.
Even the God of Thunder was no exception.
Seeing Ei this helpless for the first time, Su Han suddenly felt an inexplicable pain in his heart.
Before her subjects, she was the invincible Shogun.
Before her enemies, she was a god who severed all hope with a single slash.
Before her friends, she was a clumsy shadow dancer.
Before her sister, she was an obedient younger sibling.
But who knew that even gods could be so helpless?
"Isn't it just reviving a god?"
"I'm doing it!"
Su Han suddenly stood up and shouted loudly.
He possessed a system and was also a transmigrator.
So what exactly was he afraid of?
If he could not even help the people he cared about, then obtaining all this power would simply be too pathetic.
Raiden Ei was stunned by Su Han's sudden change in attitude. Her eyes were filled with surprise.
"Y-you… Didn't you just say my sister couldn't be revived?"
Su Han smiled and sat back down.
"Maybe you heard wrong earlier. I only said your sister can't revive through the Flame of Longing, but perhaps there are other methods."
"But you must promise me that you won't rush things or obsess over revival every single day."
"If you're willing, then I can make you a promise. If one day I truly gain the opportunity to revive your sister, I will spare no effort to accomplish it!"
His gaze was incredibly serious.
So this was the so-called oath of a man from manga?
Raiden Ei was deeply shaken by Su Han's promise.
In the past, she stood high above everyone else.
The only ones who could stand on equal footing with her were a few close friends around her.
But as times changed, there was no longer anyone capable of expressing such confidence before her.
This was also one of the reasons Ei gradually sealed away her heart.
There no longer existed anyone who could communicate with her as an equal.
Raiden Ei thought for a moment before extending her hand toward Su Han and saying with absolute seriousness:
"Since you're willing to work toward reviving my sister, then I cannot simply stand by and do nothing."
"From now on, no matter where you are or what happens to you…"
"As long as I'm capable of helping, I'll definitely give it my all!"
Su Han extended his hand, and the two of them clasped hands together.
They looked at each other and smiled.
Speaking in unison:
"Do your best!"
After confirming their cooperative relationship,
Su Han seriously asked about everything that had happened five hundred years ago.
However, Raiden Ei shook her head and said:
"There's very little I can tell you. When the disaster descended, I rushed to the battlefield with all my strength. I probably killed dozens of pitch-black demonic beasts before sensing that something had happened to my sister."
"So I headed toward Khaenri'ah."
"At that time, all I remember is that the sea was completely black, and every nation along the way was shrouded in darkness."
"By the time I arrived in Khaenri'ah, my sister was already on the verge of death."
After hearing this, Su Han felt a headache coming on. Rubbing his forehead, he asked:
"There's no additional information?"
Raiden Ei gently shook her head.
Because afterward, she had returned to Inazuma.
And after that, the disaster gradually retreated.
"Then it seems the information matches what I already know."
Su Han had originally wanted to start from Ei's side, but now it seemed like wishful thinking.
The currently known information was extremely limited.
Most of it came from the game itself.
"So in the end, I can only start from this angle?"
Su Han fell into thought.
Raiden Makoto's soul still existed. Right now, it was residing within the Sacred Sakura Tree, most likely still in a dormant state.
However, after maintaining purification for five hundred years, it was probably already nearing complete exhaustion.
That was precisely why Su Han had stayed temporarily at the Grand Narukami Shrine while not daring to explore further.
Because he feared disturbing Makoto's soul and causing it to completely shatter.
Then what if he approached the issue from another direction?
Since he could travel back five hundred years and even encounter Kitsune Saiguu, that meant he was naturally capable of coming into contact with Raiden Makoto. Could it really be possible that she had left behind no backup plans whatsoever?
After thinking things over repeatedly,
he still could not come up with an answer.
Instead, his head only hurt more and more.
Seeing the man deeply frowning in thought, Raiden Ei silently moved behind him and skillfully placed her hands upon his shoulders, once again beginning to massage him proactively.
A long while later,
the night grew deeper.
Su Han felt that there probably would not be any results today, so he turned toward Ei and said:
"I still can't figure anything out. Let's just rest for now."
"There are still many things to handle tomorrow."
Kneeling behind him, Ei gently nodded before asking:
"Will you go back to rest, or stay here?"
Su Han glanced at the darkness outside and felt that going back would waste too much time.
So he chose to stay.
That night,
he slept exceptionally soundly.
Meanwhile, Ei lay nearby, turned to the side, completely unable to fall asleep.
Inside the Sea of Consciousness,
two figures were fighting over control of the body.
"This violates the path of Eternity!"
"I'm sorry, but my sister is my true conviction. And the Eternity you were designed for is completely wrong!"
Raiden Ei held the Musou Isshin in her hand, refusing to retreat in the slightest.
The two soon clashed once again.
Massive thunder roared throughout the entire Sea of Consciousness.
Originally, they should have been evenly matched.
Yet unexpectedly, Ei steadily gained the upper hand.
Not only had Ei not expected this situation, even the Shogun had not expected it.
"My strength should be identical to the Shogun's, so why am I able to gain the advantage?"
After another lightning-filled clash,
surprise flashed through Ei's eyes.
She lowered her head to look at the weapon in her hand and suddenly understood the source of everything.
That day, when leaving the shrine,
right before departing,
Su Han had given her a gift.
[The Training Method for the Two Types of Haki]
For mortals, cultivation required time.
But for a martial god like Ei, mastering Haki was extremely simple.
"So this is the power capable of defeating the Shogun…"
Ei gradually began to understand why Su Han was so powerful.
Thus, during the battles afterward, she fought entirely while coating herself with Haki.
In less than half an hour,
control of the body once again returned to her.
Ei opened her eyes, pale violet light filling her pupils.
Back then, she always wanted to escape, wishing she could hide inside the Plane of Euthymia every single day.
But now, Ei wished she could control the body every day instead.
Such a change was entirely thanks to the man beside her who was currently sleeping soundly.
A trace of gentleness appeared on Ei's face. She hoped he would continue working hard, because then she would be able to see her sister again.
The next day.
Morning.
Inside Sangonomiya.
Sounds of vomiting continuously echoed out.
It lasted for a full five minutes before Sangonomiya Kokomi finally recovered.
A maidservant beside her handed over a handkerchief.
Noticing that a different person had come today, Sangonomiya Kokomi asked:
"Why didn't that little girl come today?"
"Reporting to my lady, Asakusa is feeling a little unwell today."
Under normal circumstances,
upon hearing this, Sangonomiya Kokomi would definitely visit personally.
But now, her own body was feeling unwell, and her pregnancy was already beginning to show.
Going outside would be very dangerous.
Sangonomiya Kokomi steadied her breathing and instructed the shrine maiden before her:
"Then later, send some eggs to Asakusa. The trade ships should be returning soon, so resources won't be lacking. Tell her to treat herself a little better."
The shrine maiden was immediately delighted upon hearing this, because she knew those eggs would most likely end up in her own hands.
So she sweetly agreed.
Afterward, the shrine maiden lit some incense.
The faint fragrance slightly eased the exhaustion on Sangonomiya Kokomi's face.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the door.
A moment later, a tall shrine maiden dressed in a blue gown entered.
She knelt on the floor with a panicked expression and said:
"My lady, a stranger has arrived outside. She insists on seeing you…"
Sangonomiya Kokomi raised an eyebrow. Looking at the nervous shrine maiden, she asked in confusion:
"Who exactly is it that has made you so flustered?"
The shrine maiden was named Canghe, one of the top figures within Sangonomiya Shrine.
Not only was her spiritual power extremely strong, she also frequently traveled to Enkanomiya.
Someone capable of making her nervous should definitely not be simple.
Upon hearing this, Canghe leaned closer and whispered:
"My lady, she claims to be Mr. Su Han's woman. She specifically came to visit you…"
Sangonomiya Kokomi instantly panicked as well.
The person she feared most right now was Su Han, yet the visitor turned out to be his woman.
Given Sangonomiya Kokomi's current state, how could she possibly dare meet her?
Wouldn't that basically expose her identity on the spot?
"Tell her that my health is unwell and I cannot receive guests."
"But my lady, her identity is rather special."
"What's so special about it?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi was confused. Could it be that the other party intended to force her way inside?
As a result, Canghe lowered her voice and said:
"She said… her name is Kitsune Saiguu."
The moment the name was spoken,
not only Sangonomiya Kokomi, but even the shrine maidens serving nearby were all startled.
Kitsune Saiguu.
That name was simply too famous throughout Inazuma.
It was basically like asking someone on Earth whether they recognized a world-famous celebrity.
Everyone knew it.
Sangonomiya Kokomi felt that this was too unbelievable and asked:
"Is it real?"
Kitsune Saiguu,
the strongest shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, wasn't she said to have died five hundred years ago?
Why had she suddenly come here?
And furthermore,
the moment she arrived, she declared herself Su Han's woman. What exactly was that supposed to mean?
Canghe did not answer the question. Instead, she pulled a letter from her sleeve.
"That lady said that once you read this, you'll understand."
The letter looked ordinary.
Yet it carried a certain powerful aura.
It was not dangerous,
but it was absolutely beyond anything Sangonomiya Kokomi could compare to.
She accepted the letter and opened it.
Inside was only a single sentence.
[The Su family bloodline cannot be left outside.]
Signed:
Kitsune Saiguu.
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