"Sister!"
Perhaps before, Raiden Ei's heart had still been filled with hesitation, pain, and regret.
But after seeing that figure she had yearned for day and night, only excitement and joy remained in her heart.
Other matters were no longer important; as long as she could see Raiden Makoto again, she would be willing to give up everything.
Even if she became a sinner of the Teyvat continent, she would be more than happy to accept it.
As long as, as long as Raiden Makoto could be resurrected.
Raiden Ei couldn't help but step forward and tightly embrace the still somewhat confused figure in her arms. Raiden Makoto was initially startled by Raiden Ei's action, then gently stroked her head.
"Ei, did you do this?"
"Why have I returned from the Kingdom of Souls?"
"Did you find a way to resurrect me?"
Because Raiden Makoto had never experienced the state of a [Heroic Spirit], she did not understand the current situation.
Then Raiden Makoto looked at the others, and after seeing the extremely complex expressions on their faces, the confusion in her heart grew even stronger.
"Even you are here, Morax..."
Suddenly, Raiden Makoto felt a chill run down her spine. She immediately turned her head to look at Persephone not far away, a look of deep wariness appearing on her face.
So strong!
This power even far surpassed Zhongli's.
And at this moment, the soldiers below looked as if they were facing a crisis and were ready for battle, and they were not People of Inazuma.
Raiden Makoto immediately realized that a major problem had arisen in Inazuma, either facing the simultaneous attack of two countries, although this possibility was not very high.
The other possibility was that they were jointly expelling this terrifyingly powerful being she saw.
"Yae Miko? And... Kitsune Saiguu?!"
Suddenly, Raiden Makoto saw the two foxes crouched on the other person's shoulders, trying their best to lower their presence, and her voice was filled with shock.
Not only that, when Raiden Makoto saw Guizhong, saw the long-dead Skybracer, and the Guardian Yakshas, her heart became even more confused.
So chaotic, the situation is just too chaotic!
Is today the newly added Resurrection Day of the Teyvat continent?!
Raiden Makoto was already confused by the situation in front of her, but there was not much time to explain to her right now.
Raiden Ei wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, then looked at Raiden Makoto one last time with extreme reluctance, as if wanting to remember her appearance forever, and finally leaned in to Raiden Makoto's ear again, whispering softly.
"Sister, I'm sorry."
"I let down your expectations and didn't become a qualified god of Inazuma."
Before Raiden Makoto even had time to think about why Raiden Ei was saying this, the next second she felt a powerful force coming from her body, pushing her in the direction of Neuvillette.
Actually, Zhongli was even closer, but Raiden Ei did not choose him. Her attitude was already self-evident.
Even if they had made a similar choice, she still could not forgive Zhongli's betrayal.
If Zhongli had stated his position directly, he and Neuvillette would never have become allies, and a conflict would have even broken out between them. In the end, it was uncertain who would emerge victorious, and she would not have had to take such a desperate measure.
And Zhongli had obviously realized this as well, which was why he had remained silent all this time. He knew that with his current strength, he could not guarantee victory at all.
Zhongli's actions had shattered his own code of conduct, even making his identity as the God of Contracts a joke.
To be honest, Raiden Ei felt that Zhongli was simply not worthy of being the ultimate winner!
After witnessing this scene, Zhongli naturally understood Raiden Ei's current thoughts. His heart was filled with bitterness, but he did not regret it.
He had actually almost chosen to completely erase the souls of Guizhong and the others, just to prevent the same thing from happening again.
Hu Tao's suggestion had calmed him down, and at the same time, a flicker of doubt had arisen in his heart.
If Guizhong and the others had no hope of being resurrected, doing this would have been a desperate measure to prevent their souls from being manipulated by those with ulterior motives.
But the truth was that there was a great deal of hope, wasn't there? Was he really going to deceive himself and turn a blind eye?
Afterward, Zhongli pondered for two whole days before finally clarifying his own heart.
And unlike Raiden Ei, after he made a choice, he would ensure he could achieve his goal, which was why he only spoke his true thoughts at the very last moment.
Of course, all of this had actually been foreseen by Persephone, which was why she had revealed his identity as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant, cutting off his last line of retreat.
Guizhong felt the turmoil in Zhongli's heart at this moment and hurriedly tried to soothe him.
Actually, Guizhong did not want Zhongli to abandon so much in exchange for their resurrection, but everyone in Teyvat had the right to criticize Zhongli's actions, except for her.
Zhongli had paid such a heavy price for them, almost destroying his reputation of thousands of years in a single fell swoop. In this situation, how could she still bear to blame him?
Meanwhile, on the other side, Neuvillette hurriedly struck out a bolt of azure energy to hold back Raiden Makoto, and then simply explained to her.
"Lady Raiden Makoto, your sister is pledging her loyalty to Persephone (No. 3), who has severely disrupted the peace of Teyvat, just to resurrect you. We must stop her!"
Although Raiden Makoto still didn't quite understand the current situation and didn't know who Neuvillette was, since he was with Zhongli, he was obviously trustworthy.
With this in mind, Raiden Makoto and Neuvillette launched an attack one after the other, charging toward Raiden Ei.
"Heh, trying to get something for free is a shameful act."
Persephone spoke softly as she watched their movements.
Then, Persephone raised her hand and clenched it hard in their direction. Instantly, an endless and terrifying pressure bore down on their bodies, and Raiden Makoto couldn't help but show a look of pain on her face.
"Persephone!"
Raiden Ei called out anxiously.
"You should call me Lord!"
Persephone chuckled softly, then, as if swatting a fly, she swung her hand toward the two of them. In an instant, she whipped up a gale powerful enough to blow down mountains, sending Raiden Makoto and Neuvillette's bodies flying back thousands of meters before they could barely stop themselves.
A towering, grayish-white sword light shot up, aimed directly at Persephone high in the sky, but Persephone easily dodged the attack.
"The power is barely acceptable, but the accuracy and speed are still a bit lacking."
Persephone commented leisurely, then crossed the entire distance in a single step, arriving directly beside Raiden Ei and slowly placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Ei!"
Paimon cried out in alarm at the sight, and despair also filled the eyes of the others.
Things had actually begun to develop toward the worst-case scenario that no one had anticipated. The one who should have been their ally was now about to become their enemy.
"I have already fulfilled your wish, and now it is time for you to pay the price."
Raiden Ei did not resist Persephone's actions, but simply spoke a final, solemn warning to her.
"I am acting solely on my own will, but this body belongs to the Shogun, and I need to return it to her."
Hearing Raiden Ei's words, Persephone burst into laughter.
"So you were still playing this trick!"
"Heh, you have a little bit of cleverness, but not much."
"The broken body you are controlling now limits your strength anyway, and I have no intention of continuing to use her."
After speaking, Persephone's hand slowly slid down Raiden Ei's right arm to her hand, then tightened her grip on the Musou Isshin along with her, the very place where Raiden Ei's will resided.
"Planet Befall!"
Zhongli also found an opportunity to strike. He was equally unwilling to see Raiden Ei continue to make mistake after mistake, and the fact that her choice was heavily influenced by him weighed heavily on his heart.
At the same time, Lumine also charged toward Persephone with the Dull Blade in hand, her speed instantly surging as the Domain of Nihility expanded.
But it was already too late. Raiden Ei's eyes suddenly lost their focus, and her body fell limply to the ground, while the Musou Isshin in her hand remained suspended in mid-air, emitting a dazzling dark purple glow.
Immediately after, a purple silhouette gradually took shape, and Raiden Ei's body was reconstructed once again, though it appeared somewhat transparent, clearly revealing the veins beneath her skin.
However, what flowed through those veins was not blood, but a brilliant purple light.
"Welcome your rebirth."
Persephone finally threw a mass of golden light onto Raiden Ei's body, and soon, the terrifying aura on Raiden Ei's person rapidly subsided.
When Raiden Ei's closed eyes opened once more, the gaze she fixed on Persephone contained nothing but reverence.
"Lord Persephone."
As she spoke these words, there was not the slightest reluctance in Raiden Ei's heart.
Although Raiden Ei still retained her previous memories, Persephone had imprinted a brand of loyalty upon her soul.
From this moment on, all of Raiden Ei's actions would prioritize Persephone's interests above all else, placing even her dearest sister, Raiden Makoto, behind them.
"Good."
Persephone nodded and then continued.
"Now, go bring me victory."
Raiden Ei looked in the direction Persephone's finger pointed, where Lumine's figure was rapidly approaching.
Then, without hesitation, Raiden Ei transformed into a streak of purple light and charged at Lumine to kill. During her movement, a majestic Thunder Armor gradually materialized on her body, appearing dark purple in its entirety, looking eerie and brimming with danger.
Lumine's expression shifted instantly as she saw Raiden Ei swinging her sword to kill, then she confronted her enemy head-on and began a fierce battle.
Raiden Ei's current strength terrified Lumine and others, and since Lumine's internal reservations prevented her from fully unleashing her power, she fell into a clear state of decline.
"Traveler!"
Paimon shouted in worry to Lumine's side, while Raiden Makoto spoke with a pained expression.
"This shouldn't be happening. Although Ei often acts without much thought, it's impossible for her to have defected to the enemy!"
Raiden Makoto completely failed to understand the situation, and seeing her own younger sister fighting Lumine made her feel utterly self-reproaching and sad.
At this moment, the huge meteorite in the sky had completely buried Persephone's body, its massive shadow enveloping her.
Seeing this, the two foxes on Persephone's person, Yae Miko and Kitsune Saiguu, both felt panic in their hearts. They wanted to seek refuge elsewhere but dared not take the initiative without Persephone's orders.
It must be said that watching the battle from such a close perspective was truly exceptionally thrilling!
Only at the very last moment did Persephone lift her hand, clench her fist, and throw a punch.
A golden torrent was punched out by Persephone, then collided with the meteorite.
In an instant, the meteorite paused in the sky for a moment, finally being blown into countless fragments that fell toward the ground like rain.
"It seems you can't wait to officially start this war!"
Persephone slowly lowered her hand, and against the backdrop of the falling debris, her figure seemed like an invincible god!
"I have also been looking forward to this war for a long time. Since you are all so eager, I will now formally announce."
"The war has begun!"
At this moment, an incomparably excited smile appeared on Persephone's face, and the flames of fighting spirit emerged in her eyes. The aura on her body became even deeper and more terrifying, and the immense pressure made everyone present a bit breathless.
Suddenly, in front of everyone, Persephone raised her hand again and then put up three fingers.
"Countdown, three..."
Just as Persephone counted down to "two," an incomparably dazzling golden light erupted from her body, dyeing the area within a hundred miles in a layer of brilliant gold. The shockwave formed by the power swept away like a raging storm.
At this moment, the original sun had been blocked by thick thunderclouds, and Persephone seemed to have become a new sun! A golden sun!
Although everyone did not know what Persephone wanted to do, a strong chill welled up in their hearts at this moment, and then without daring to hesitate, they immediately attacked Persephone.
Terrifying Elemental Power was unleashed to its fullest, and countless fireballs poured toward Persephone.
In an instant, the position where Persephone stood was enveloped in terrible flames, and the continuous booming sounds echoed through heaven and earth.
However, the strangeness in the surroundings did not stop, and even gradually became more obvious.
Observing carefully, one could find that when all the attacks were still several meters away from Persephone, they seemed to have encountered a terrible impact and were all destroyed!
"Gorou, call Daphne!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi shouted to Gorou, because the situation was so urgent that she even forgot she should call him Hina.
And facing the shocked and even collapsing gazes cast by everyone, Gorou had no time to consider his own social death and immediately called Daphne's name in his heart.
The next second, a clear change occurred in Gorou's eyes, and the control of the body returned to Daphne's hands.
"Everyone, don't panic! Let me give you all some buffs!"
After Daphne finished speaking, the familiar routine began.
"Blessing of Life..."
However, just after Daphne cast a few buffs, her expression suddenly changed, and she spoke to the others.
"It's too late!"
"Everyone, focus on protecting yourselves!"
As Daphne spoke, she cast a few last defensive buffs on everyone, leaving them with no choice but to resign themselves to fate.
Snap
Persephone finally uttered the last word. With the crisp sound of a snap, a golden light instantly flooded their vision. Everyone felt themselves enveloped by a powerful force, their bodies soaring as if into the clouds, and their consciousnesses gradually fading.
Moments later, when they could finally see their surroundings again, a building that should never have appeared before them left everyone stunned. After a long pause, their hearts filled with sheer terror.
They were staring at the towering Tenshukaku!
PS: Let me explain a bit. The main characters being resurrected are all real people. It was explained before that the protagonist's primary source of points comes from important plot characters, so resurrecting characters with high popularity aligns with his own interests, essentially acting as an investment. Another reason is the psychological desire to compensate after causing them harm.