Hummm~
"Ugh!!" ×3
The spatial gate leading back to the outside world suddenly split open and "spat" the three of them out. The inertia was overwhelming for a moment. Kokomi hurriedly let a glow of azure water shimmer across her body, adjusting her balance midair and floating steadily. Just as she was about to land, she saw Ayaka flying straight toward her face without any warning.
"!"
She immediately spread her arms—
Bump~
—And caught her squarely in her embrace, forcibly stopping her momentum. In the process, however, she herself was dragged down and fell to the ground. At least the rescue had been timely. Otherwise, Ayaka might have slammed straight into the stone wall behind them.
Whoosh!
Pandora was not nearly as disheveled as Ayaka. Like Kokomi, she floated in the air and descended slowly. After landing, she instinctively walked over to the two of them and crouched down to look at them.
"Are you two all right?" she asked.
"Mm... I suppose we're fine."
Kokomi nodded helplessly. She then looked down at the ice-blue girl lying limply in her arms.
"Miss Kamisato? Are you hurt anywhere?"
She deliberately lifted the arm holding Ayaka and bounced her upper body slightly, causing her to wobble back and forth like a doll for a moment.
"Mm... I already... don't feel like speaking."
Ayaka slumped against Kokomi's thigh, her voice utterly drained, as though she might collapse onto the ground like a dried fish at any second.
How she wished everything that had just happened was only a dream—even a nightmare would do. If only she could wake up and see the Shogun standing before her as usual, unharmed, as though nothing had ever happened.
But she knew it was not a dream.
It had truly happened.
Those memories were still vivid in her mind, leaving her spirit fragile and shaken.
"What should we do now?"
Pandora reached out and wiped the thin layer of sweat from Ayaka's forehead, then instinctively looked toward Kokomi, who was holding her.
"Regardless, just as Lady Ei instructed before, we should go find Lady Yae first. Perhaps she'll have an idea."
Kokomi met Pandora's gaze after glancing at the silent, dejected girl in her arms and voiced her thoughts.
"Mm, that's the only way. Um... Miss Kamisato?"
Seeing that Ayaka still hadn't moved, Pandora tilted her head worriedly and looked at her face. But Ayaka's eyes were hidden beneath her bangs, and with her head lowered, nothing could be seen clearly. Pandora did not pry further for fear of being impolite.
"Miss Kamisato? Are you all right?"
Kokomi also sensed something off and lowered her head to look at the silent girl in her arms.
"May I... borrow your chest for a moment?"
Ayaka clutched at Kokomi's sleeve as though suppressing something on the verge of breaking, her voice trembling.
"...? Miss Kamisato... Mm."
Kokomi froze briefly, then understood. Her expression softened as she nodded.
Pat...
Ayaka buried her face directly into Kokomi's chest, gripping her as her shoulders began to tremble. Soon, she broke down completely, crying without regard for her appearance.
"Wuu—(sob)"
Her body shook violently with heartfelt sobs. All the anxiety and pressure she had forcibly suppressed until now finally shattered the limits of her endurance and poured out all at once.
The elegant Shirasagi Himegimi had lost all her composure. In its place was the raw, unguarded vulnerability of her heart and muffled, desperate weeping.
Kokomi could feel the slender body in her arms trembling incessantly. Yet no one present minded—nor would anyone mock or look down on her. Their hearts felt the same. Kokomi understood Ayaka's emotions all too well. She knew better than anyone how much courage it took to suppress such unease.
She had walked that path herself.
"It's all right now. Don't cry. Everything will pass."
Her voice was gentle as she comforted Ayaka, her hand softly stroking her back.
Several minutes passed before Ayaka finally cried herself out.
"Haa... Miss Sangonomiya, could you help me up a little?"
Ayaka lifted her tear-streaked face to meet Kokomi's eyes. Her expression was awkward, faintly flushed with embarrassment.
"Mm... of course."
Kokomi didn't think much of it and supported her arm to help her stand, stretching her calf slightly in the process.
"Mm~ ah—slowly."
A sharp pain shot through Ayaka's calf, and she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Kokomi paused and asked carefully.
"I... I got a cramp///. Just help me walk for a bit."
Blushing, Ayaka turned her gaze aside and explained shyly.
How the tables had turned. Earlier, she had been supporting Kokomi. Now it was her turn.
Haa... this is so hard~! Just after crying, and now a cramp.
Pandora came over to help as well, gently adjusting Ayaka's leg so she could stand. With the two supporting her, they slowly left the cavern and descended to the foot of the mountain before making their way up the steps toward the summit of Mt. Yougou.
...
"Haa—! That girl is still as headstrong as ever. Hasn't changed at all, has she?"
After listening to their account, Yae placed the light novel she had been holding—without having read a single word—face-down on the tatami. She propped her cheek against the low table, looking utterly weary.
"I truly did not expect Lady Ei to make such a decision. And for the Shogun to become like that..."
Hanachirusato covered her lips with her sleeve, clearly astonished.
"Haa... those two ancestors never give me a moment's peace."
Yae sighed repeatedly. What had she done to deserve this?
"We tried to stop Lady Ei at the time, but... she didn't give us any chance to speak. We were simply too useless."
Ayaka lowered her gaze in self-reproach.
"Mother... must have already made up her mind by then."
Pandora stared at the dark night in the distance, murmuring softly.
"...The little one is right. Even if you had spoken, I doubt she would have listened. She has always been that stubborn. If she weren't, the Vision Hunt Decree would have ended long ago."
Yae shrugged as though accustomed to it. Yet the exhaustion and helplessness in her tone were unmistakable. Even she, who was closest to Ei, could hardly persuade her.
"We cannot simply sit and wait. Since Lady Ei asked us to tell you everything, she must have anticipated that you would devise some countermeasure. Isn't that right, Lady Yae?"
Kokomi looked straight at the pink-haired shrine maiden before her, her voice steady and resolute.
"Hehe... As expected of the strategist of Watatsumi Island. To see through even that—perhaps I should look at you in a new light."
Yae smiled faintly, a deep gleam flickering in her eyes.
"..."
Kokomi held her gaze without speaking.
"Haa... Very well. Come with me."
Yae responded to their stares and stood up, slipping on her shoes before stepping out of the room. Hanachirusato followed behind her to the sacred cherry tree enshrined outside. The towering tree shed crimson petals endlessly, and parts of its bark shimmered faintly with a pale azure divine glow.
Including Ayaka, the three followed them down the steps and stood before the sacred sakura, watching the shrine maiden's back. They knew she had a plan.
"Ei wants to entrust Inazuma to humanity and face this endless battle alone..."
Yae reached up and placed her hand against the sacred tree trunk before turning to the girls standing before her.
"As I said before, she is rigid and extreme, acting purely on her own will. To put it simply, she's impulsive—and her methods are always drastic. Without sufficient strength, they can never succeed. That is indeed her style. The Ei I know."
She folded her arms lightly and glanced at the bright moon overhead.
"And precisely because of that, I cannot help worrying about her. I understand her feelings—she has lost far too much. For the Shogun, she would do anything. And as her familiar, I refuse to let the family she has now be torn apart by fate once more."
"Mm—"
She paused there, lowering her eyes and resting her chin in thought while the others watched in silence.
"As for a solution... there is one. Though it may be a bit cunning."
A sly smile curved her lips.
"Please, Lady Yae, tell us."
Ayaka stepped forward eagerly. She could tell Yae truly had an idea.
"To outsiders, a consciousness space is something very abstract. Fortunately, as her familiar, I can sense her location to some extent."
Yae placed her hands lightly on her hips, looking rather pleased. Even her fluffy fox ears twitched adorably.
"..." ×3
The three exchanged glances and smiled faintly.
"In other words, while I cannot pinpoint its exact coordinates in space, I can send you back to her side."
Earlier, Ei had briefly explained the meaning of the Plane of Euthymia to them—a heartscape belonging solely to her and the Shogun, a place that existed outside reality and could only be opened or closed by the two of them. So they understood what Yae meant by calling it abstract.
None of them were foolish—on the contrary, all three were sharp-minded.
"So, will you return? Even though... you were unable to do anything before them?"
Yae asked deliberately, as though testing their resolve.
The three of them exchanged another determined look...
Then stepped forward together and spoke to her in unison...
"Even if our strength is insignificant, we are not so cold as to let Lady Ei shoulder everything alone."
Ayaka spoke first.
"Haa... It seems you've truly made up your minds. Very good... I rather like that attitude. Ei is fortunate to have subjects like you."
Hummm~
The pink-haired shrine maiden lifted her staff and tapped a certain part of the Sacred Sakura's trunk. In the next instant, the familiar spatial gate manifested before them once more, and that familiar aura drifted out from within.
"Inside, it's as chaotic as a raging current. If you force your way in, you might be swept away by a massive wave and lose yourselves entirely within a rift of time, you know?"
She offered them a warning.
"Mm... we understand."
Kokomi nodded firmly. Not a trace of fear could be seen in their eyes.
"There's one more thing. This passage can only accommodate two people. A third would destabilize it and greatly increase the chance of getting lost. You three will have to choose two."
Yae reminded them.
They looked at one another before Pandora spoke up.
"I'll stay here. I'll leave it to you two."
She was perceptive. She knew who mattered more to the Shogun, so she withdrew voluntarily.
"Mm." ×2
The two nodded in tacit understanding.
"Very well. Go on then. As I said, be extremely careful inside. Do not lose your direction."
Yae flicked her staff lightly and stepped aside, leaving the path open for the two girls before her, waiting for them to move.
"...!"
Ayaka stepped forward first. Then she turned back and extended her hand toward Kokomi.
"Miss Sangonomiya... come with me."
A smile passed between them, one that required no explanation.
"..."
Kokomi looked at her slender hand, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes. She took Ayaka's hand lightly and spoke in her clear voice.
"Yes... for our Shogun—and for Lady Ei."
Her fingers tightened around Ayaka's.
"When you enter, recite your shared wish together in your hearts. If you truly hold the same wish, you will arrive at the place it points to."
Yae reminded them once more.
Hand in hand, standing side by side, the two exchanged a determined glance and nodded. Then, without hesitation, they stepped into the spatial gate before them, their figures vanishing beneath the Sacred Sakura.
"...Haa. You must all return safely."
Watching their departing silhouettes, Yae lifted her gaze to the drifting crimson petals and murmured softly.
"Do not worry, Lady Guuji. They will return."
Hanachirusato reassured her.
"Haa... let us hope so. Come, you two. Back inside—let's have some tea."
Yae turned and walked down the steps with her staff in hand, passing by Hanachirusato and Pandora as she spoke.
"No sake?"
Hanachirusato asked in confusion.
"No. Sometimes, tea is better."
She was in no mood for wine now. Nor for light novels.
...
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted within the Plane of Euthymia.
Bang! ×N
Deafening impacts rang out in rapid succession, each strike shaking the space itself and blasting dust from the ground.
Bang!
Ei raised her blade to block the Shogun's slash, deflecting it aside before transforming into lightning and flashing behind her in a swift iaido strike.
"Thunderclap!!"
Crackle!
Boom!!
A streak of lightning carved a blade-mark through space itself. After being struck, the Shogun's body twisted stiffly like a puppet jerked by invisible strings before finally coming to a halt.
"Haa!"
Tap, tap...
Ei stepped back several paces, steadying her breathing. Before she could fully regain her stance, the halted puppet reactivated. The wound on her body vanished instantly. In a flash, she appeared before Ei and, before Ei could react, drove a kick into her abdomen.
"Mm!"
The heavy blow nearly shattered her ribs—no, they were likely already broken. A muffled groan escaped her as her body was sent flying, rolling several meters across the ground before finally stopping.
The Shogun lowered her raised leg and looked down coldly at the fallen woman.
"Cough... mm... haa..."
Ei slowly opened her blurred eyes while lying on the ground. She shifted slightly—searing pain flared in her abdomen. Even so, she clenched her teeth and endured it, pushing herself upright with one hand until she knelt on one knee.
"Cough..."
A dark cough left her lips, and a drop of crimson slipped from the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away with the back of her hand before loosening her sash to glance at her abdomen. A large bruise had already formed, streaked with faint lines of blood beneath the skin. Her clothes had been dirtied from scraping across the ground, and even her thigh-high stockings now bore visible dust and slight tears.
Haa... This is the first time in years she has dealt me such a heavy blow. It seems she has grown as well.
Tap... tap...
The figure before her began walking toward her once more, naginata poised to strike. Yet as she took another step, her body suddenly stiffened.
Crackle...
A flicker of unstable violet light flashed in her eyes. In that instant, the once emotionless face returned to what it had been.
"...?"
For a moment, the Shogun seemed confused. When she saw the naginata in her own hand and the injured Ei before her, her face turned pale. She staggered back several steps, shaking her head.
"...Shogun? Is that you?"
Seeing that familiar expression, Ei abandoned all caution. Ignoring her pain, she rose and walked toward her.
"No... don't!"
The Shogun retreated in fear.
Tap, tap!
Ei quickly closed the distance and forcibly pulled her into an embrace, pressing her tightly against her chest.
"It's all right... Don't dwell on it. This wasn't your doing. I injured myself carelessly. It's not your fault."
As though she already knew what the Shogun intended to say, she soothed her first.
"..."
The Shogun buried her face against Ei's neck. Tears fell onto her skin, cool against the warmth.
"It's all right. Don't be afraid... Mother is here. Nothing will happen."
Ei continued to comfort her.
"Ei... shut me down. Please... While I'm still conscious, hurry and—otherwise you... and Inazuma will..."
"It's all right. I will bring you home. Trust me, will you? Shogun... you and Inazuma—I will not abandon either of you. I want you both. Do you understand?"
Ei's voice turned firm.
"..."
The Shogun fell silent.
"My daughter, my home... and my nation—I want them all. I will not relinquish a single one. That is the way of Raiden Ei."
"Shogun... do not ask me to shut you down again. You... are my eternity. Even if I must fight you—fight her—for five hundred years, I will still bring you home to reunite with those who love you."
At those words, the Shogun closed her eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks, yet a faint, relieved smile curved her lips.
"...How greedy."
"Yes. I am that greedy. So do not leave me, all right?"
Ei smiled faintly in return.
"...Mm. I will... try not to."