"…" Raiden Ei awkwardly responded to Akio's kiss. She only knew that if this made him happy, he wouldn't leave Inazuma.
After a long while, their lips parted. Akio looked at Ei, who was slightly out of breath, and smiled. "Ei, you've already promised me that if I revive Makoto, you'll be my woman. Consider this a down payment on that promise."
"I won't leave Inazuma. This is just a temporary separation. Miko, you're here, so how could I leave you?" Akio leaned closer to Ei's ear and whispered, "I haven't even had a taste of the Raiden Shogun yet."
"…" Ei lowered her head. Was he still planning to leave?
"Miko knows that my power isn't complete. Saiguu isn't an Archon, so reviving her was easy for me," Akio explained. "But Makoto is an Archon. With my current power over life and death, it's still difficult to perfectly revive her."
"This trip to Liyue is partly to enjoy the scenery of another nation, and partly to quietly reflect on how to fully restore my power over life and death," Akio said, gently lifting Ei's face and gazing into her amethyst-like eyes. "When I return, if all goes well, I can directly revive Makoto."
"That's right, Ei. Let Akio go out and relax," Yae Miko chimed in. "Who knows? If he's in a good mood, his powers might fully recover, and the revival process could speed up."
"I say, if Akio wants to go, let him," Kitsune Saiguu added. "Liyue is a nation ruled by the Geo Archon, the land of contracts. It's good for him to experience it. Besides, we can use this time to focus on preparing the divine coronation ceremony."
"Akio being enshrined as a god of Inazuma is the most important event. We can't afford to be careless or hasty," Saiguu said.
"Then… alright," Ei finally relented, reassured by Akio's promise and the encouragement of her friends. She knew it wasn't right to keep him bound, but she was still afraid he might leave.
"Don't worry," Akio said, thinking for a moment. He opened his palm, and four golden diamond-shaped crystals, each the size of a hand, appeared.
Three of the crystals floated toward the three women. Akio explained, "These are manifestations of my spatial power, directly connected to my Imaginary Space. With these as a medium, we can communicate even if I'm in Liyue."
To demonstrate, Akio walked outside.
"Hello? Hello?" Yae Miko's crystal lit up, and Akio's voice came through. "Miko, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Miko replied, her eyes sparkling with interest. This was far more intriguing than the protective charms.
"Call me!" Ei pushed forward, clearly unhappy that Akio had called Miko first.
"Alright, alright," Akio's affectionate voice came through, and Ei's crystal lit up.
After testing the crystals, Akio walked back inside.
"How do we initiate a call with you?" Miko asked curiously.
"These crystals are linked through my Imaginary Space, acting as anchors. We can all communicate with each other," Akio explained. "I've already stored each of your auras in them. Just focus your consciousness on the crystal and select the aura of the person you want to call."
"That's amazing!" Miko said with a grin. This was incredibly convenient!
Ei was delighted. With the communication crystal and Akio's assurance, she invited the three of them to stay for lunch.
"My, my, Ei, you still have such a sweet tooth," Miko teased, noticing the array of desserts on the table.
Ei nodded without refuting. She turned to Saiguu and said softly, "Saiguu… I want to taste your desserts again. It's been five hundred years… I've almost forgotten the flavor."
Hearing the faint note of longing and nostalgia in Ei's voice, Saiguu's eyes reddened slightly. She nodded and said, "Alright, wait a moment. I'll make some for you."
Centuries ago, before the calamity, they had often gathered under the cherry blossoms to play games and cards. Ei was always the one who lost, so she practiced diligently until she finally won. The prize was Saiguu's handmade desserts.
Saiguu's expression grew distant as she remembered the sweet smile Ei had shown back then, a rare sight from the usually stoic girl. But now… those days were gone.
Saiguu's heart ached for Ei. Those who didn't understand her criticized her mistakes and irresponsibility, but they didn't know the immense pain she had endured.
Five hundred years of isolation had made her cold and distant, turning a girl who once only cared about martial arts into a god who, though not perfect, shouldered the weight of an entire nation.
Saiguu stood up and headed to Ei's private kitchen to prepare the desserts from their past.
Soon, Saiguu returned with a plate of desserts.
Ei picked up a piece. It was as delicate as she remembered. She took a bite, savoring the flavor. It was exactly the same as it had been centuries ago.
But alongside the sweetness, Ei suddenly tasted a hint of bitterness. She reached up and touched her face—it was wet. She was crying.
Since Makoto's death, since Saiguu and the others had vanished from her life, since she had retreated into the Plane of Euthymia, Ei couldn't remember the last time she had shed tears.
Tears… they truly were a bitter taste.
To everyone else, the Raiden Shogun was an untouchable figure, but here in Tenshukaku, she was crying. No one would dare to imagine that even a god could weep.
Saiguu gently pulled Ei into her arms, patting her back comfortingly. "It's alright. Everything will pass. Akio has the power to change all of this. He revived me, and he'll surely fix all your regrets too."
"It's just… these past five hundred years, you've suffered so much… I'm sorry you had to bear it all alone," Saiguu whispered.
"It's fine… it's fine…" Ei's tears flowed uncontrollably, falling like broken strings of pearls.
Even the thunder of the heavens could weep with sorrow at loss.
Akio watched the scene in silence. Only by truly coming to Inazuma could he understand the depth of Ei's suffering.
Yet, despite it all, she had chosen to shoulder the burden, resolutely protecting this nation even after losing everything.
Unlike some fools who, after claiming to have been betrayed three times, went on a rampage, slaughtering the innocent and twisting their own minds.
If the suffering Ei endured were inflicted on him, wouldn't he have gone mad and destroyed all of Inazuma?