Makoto said, "See? You admitted it. Considering that possibility, I specifically left you a gift to ease Inazuma's pain."
"Come. Before my final consciousness fades, take it."
"But the most important step must be completed by you yourself."
With that, Makoto's Electro light fell into Ei's hand—a crystal-clear seed.
Makoto's voice continued.
"The miracle tree that protects all people is still an unfamiliar existence unseen by anyone. Where it will take root and where it will sprout—all depends on the heart and dreams of the one who brings it into being."
Ei looked at the seed in her hand, then infused it with her own heart and dreams.
The seed fell. A great tree grew and bloomed at a visible speed. The consciousness space seemed to merge with the land. The scenery around them changed dramatically. In the blink of an eye, ages passed.
[Ei: This tree—it is the Sacred Sakura! But did it not suddenly appear in Inazuma five hundred years ago?]
[Yae Miko: Suddenly appear? In my memory, this tree has always existed. When was it planted?]
[Lumine: A seed from five hundred years in the future took root and sprouted five hundred years in the past. Did Ei wish for it to sprout five hundred years ago?]
[Ningguang: Perhaps Ei's heart and dream were to save Inazuma five hundred years ago. Because it appeared five hundred years ago, it precisely drove away the monsters and protected Inazuma.]
[Furina: Amazing, amazing! Dreams can cross time.]
"Eternity stretches time infinitely. Dreams make every moment shine brightly. The two illuminate each other. The Sacred Sakura is no longer confined by the heavenly principles, blooming forth from the darkness."
"Thus, the nightmare dissipates, and reality becomes complete. The future we both yearn for still lies ahead."
"Unfortunately, I cannot witness this, nor can I walk with you any longer."
The tree grew. The Sacred Sakura's petals reformed Makoto's Electro light.
"Ei, I am very happy now, because my final wish has also been fulfilled. Your naginata once shielded me from countless disasters. I have always felt that I owe you a debt."
Hearing the words "owe you," Ei shook her head helplessly.
"Though it is but a tiny repayment, after you wake, this Sacred Sakura will buy you time. See? It has served its purpose, has it not?"
"This time, it is truly goodbye, Ei..."
With that, Makoto dissolved into countless sakura petals, drifting away in the wind.
[Lumine: I was so caught up in the gossip that I forgot—this is a tearjerker livestream system, not a gossip channel.]
[Paimon: I really want to cry... Makoto was such a gentle, wise, and kind deity...]
[Navia: For a moment, I felt like my father and mother were still by my side. I called out their names loudly, but there was no response...]
[Furina: I was just here for the gossip, and suddenly I am being fed a knife...]
...
Video scene: Grand Narukami Shrine.
After hearing the story, Yae Miko concluded, "So Ei personally planted the Sacred Sakura tree in the consciousness space, yet it sprouted in the past..."
"No matter how you think about it, it is an unbelievable thing."
Ei thought for a moment, then looked at Miko and explained, "This is all thanks to Makoto's power. Her understanding of eternity runs deeper than mine."
"Eternity is a concept closely tied to time. Once you touch eternity, the concept of time becomes blurred."
Lumine added, "When I entered the space, I saw all kinds of wondrous scenes. Time was both moving forward and moving backward..."
Miko's mind was sparked by these words. "Time itself has no meaning and cannot be explained by common sense. So this is the turbulence I felt."
"Perhaps this is exactly why you were able to successfully return to this point in time."