"Resurrect… resurrect the True?"
Yae Miko gripped Lumine's hand, trembling with excitement.
"Can it really be done?"
"No way! Since there are already things like the Undying Totem, resurrection… that world can definitely resurrect an Archon, right?"
"Lumine—tell me!"
Across her long life, Yae Miko had only a few moments of losing control like this. The first was when Kitsune Saiguu died; the second was when the True passed away. And this time… it was about resurrection.
Her greatest dream wasn't more fried tofu or even being the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine. If she could, Yae Miko would gladly stay forever curled on the True's shoulder, buried in Saiguu's lap — that little fox who hadn't even learned to shape-shift.
She loved fried tofu because it was the first food Kitsune Saiguu and the True had brought her — the only tangible memento she had left to cherish them.
Seeing Yae Miko so moved, Lumine nodded slightly and spoke softly,
"That's right. That world can resurrect Archons."
"This has been confirmed."
"Liyue has already resurrected many Adepti."
"Skybracer, Minghai, Tongque, Yingda…"
"Liyue is preparing to resurrect even more, and they're even planning to bring back the Archons of old!"
"Resurrection in that world isn't such an impossible thing!"
"If Ayaka or I were to die now, we could be brought back in that world," Lumine said.
Yae Miko stared at her, dazed. After a long moment she murmured,
"They've already resurrected people…?"
Ayaka nodded too.
"That's a feature of that world."
"To resurrect someone there, two prerequisites exist. Either you've already entered that world and left something of yourself there — a mark of presence. In that case, even if you die, you can be restored."
"Or you bring fragments of the departed soul or pieces of their consciousness from outside — anything tied to the departed being's root can be used with a Resurrection Totem to bring them back."
"And when someone is resurrected, their power returns to peak as well."
Ayaka paused, then looked toward Yae Miko.
"Yae-dono, as an Archon the True must have left behind shards of consciousness. If we can find them and bring them into that world, Makoto can be resurrected."
"Then, if Makoto herself tells the Ei about this, it should work, right?"
Yae Miko drew a long breath and forced herself calm. Gradually a joy she could no longer hide showed on her face.
"Don't underestimate a little sister's obsession over her sister!" she said.
"If the True is resurrected, not only will the chaos in Inazuma be solved — if she herself speaks, Lumine could even cut her way up to the Sky Island with a blade in hand!"
"Getting Makoto back… that would be unbelievably difficult and the chance of success low."
"But if it's real… if the Ei senses her sister's presence—"
"Once Makoto is resurrected," Yae Miko said firmly, "Ei will immediately return the title of Raiden Shogun to her. With Makoto's personality and methods, Inazuma will return to its former glory in the shortest possible time."
"She could even cooperate with the other three nations and help Inazuma quickly catch up with them."
"As long as Makoto returns, everything can be solved instantly!"
At those words, Lumine and Ayaka exchanged glances — both saw the same spark of joy in each other's eyes.
"In that case," Lumine said, "let's act as soon as possible! By the way, Miko, do you know where Makoto's soul fragment is?"
Paimon blinked curiously, and Miko chuckled softly, nodding.
"Makoto's fragment of consciousness, hmm… there are only two possibilities. Either it's with Ei — or…" She smiled slyly, "far away yet right before our eyes!"
Yae Miko stood and led Lumine and Ayaka toward the cliffside of the Grand Narukami Shrine. She pointed into the fog-covered distance — toward a secluded corner of Mt. Yougou — where faint traces of lightning flickered in the mist.
Her gaze softened, tinged with sorrow.
"Five hundred years ago, Ei went to the battlefield of Khaenri'ah and found only Makoto's corpse."
"After returning, she came here — to Mt. Yougou — and no one knew what she did."
"But thinking about it now…"
Yae Miko paused, then declared resolutely,
"Ei sealed Makoto's consciousness realm here."
"Her consciousness realm… that would be Makoto's essence, right?" Lumine asked.
"Of course," Lumine answered her own question with a grin. "If that doesn't count as her essence, then there's nothing else that could be used as a medium for resurrection!"
"So next, we just need to retrieve Makoto's consciousness realm, right?"
Yae Miko smiled bitterly and shook her head.
"It's not that easy…"
"This is, after all, something of Makoto's — do you think Ei wouldn't have sealed it?"
"Even though I'm her familiar, I can't break through her seal."
"Besides, once we disturb Makoto's consciousness realm, both Ei and the Shogun will sense it."
"When that happens, they'll definitely come for us."
"I can protect myself," Miko added with a teasing grin, "that stubborn tsundere wouldn't dare harm me — but as for little Ayaka and you two…"
She laughed playfully. "Well, I can't promise anything."
"How could you say that!" Lumine puffed her cheeks in mock anger.
"We're doing this to bring her sister back! Can't we just talk it out?"
"If talking worked, we wouldn't need to go through all this trouble," Miko replied with a chuckle, then waved her hand lightly before her tone turned serious again.
"All right, jokes aside — just knowing resurrection is possible is already enough to be satisfied."
"From here on, we can take our time setting things in motion. Ayaka, have your brother spread word around Inazuma City — rumors that Liyue has mastered the art of resurrecting Archons and Adepti."
"I'll personally pay Kujou Sara a visit and have her pass some hints along to the Shogun's side."
"Trust me — once Ei hears that Liyue has learned how to resurrect gods and their familiars, she'll be more anxious than any of you."
"If everything goes smoothly… within a month, Ei won't be able to sit still anymore."
A month…