The Traveler and her party left. Shiki planned to clear the pollution from Seirai Island today.
At the same time, a miko wearing a mask and carrying a naginata arrived at the dilapidated Asase Shrine.
The Asase Shrine, though old, was very clean, and combined with the playful actions of the cats, it had a harmonious beauty.
"Meow, Akane, you're back, Akane!"
A black cat walked out of the shrine. It was astonishing that she could speak human language, though talking animals were not uncommon on this continent of Teyvat.
"I've told you how many times, I'm not Akane."
The miko with the blue naginata on her back shook her head, her words full of helplessness.
This black cat was named Neko, the Guuji of the Asase Shrine. Kitsune Saiguu had held him back then, and it was due to the special nature of the Guuji position that he could live for a very long time. He was now Five hundred years old.
Since parting with Shiki, Hana Sanri had been wandering all over Inazuma. The Asase Shrine on Seirai Island was one of the places he frequently visited, as there weren't many places that still retained the scenery from Five hundred years ago.
But somewhat unexpectedly, the little black cat he had held back then had actually survived the great explosion and lived until now.
Although Hana Sanri had not experienced the Seirai Island explosion, he knew about the obvious Lei storm just by asking around.
Through various storybooks and stage plays, Hana Sanri roughly understood what had happened, and combined with the partial memories of Kitsune Saiguu he possessed, he became aware of the process.
And the Akane in Neko's mouth was Asase Hibiki, who came from Seirai Island back then.
In Kitsune Saiguu's memories, Asase Hibiki was a gentle girl, but compared to gentle, the word timid was more suitable for her.
She always seemed to passively accept things, never taking the initiative, even when facing her beloved.
But what Hana Sanri hadn't expected was that the timid Asase Hibiki would actually undo the great barrier that had held Seirai Island for a thousand years.
If Hana Sanri couldn't discern the abnormality of Seirai Island, then he would have wasted Kitsune Saiguu's memories. Fortunately, he was possessing a weapon, so the excessive electro element on Seirai Island would not affect him at all.
As for why the Asase Shrine survived the great explosion, the reason was simple: see that half-broken cherry tree? That was the reason.
The barrier back then was originally set up by her... no, by Kitsune Saiguu and Raiden Makoto together. This cherry tree was formed by Raiden Makoto's power, used to protect the Asase Shrine.
The cherry tree withstood the impact of the explosion for the Asase Shrine, but other places were not so lucky. The entire island, except for the Asase Shrine, was turned into an inferno.
"Meow~ Akane is a miko, you are also a miko, and you have the same familiarity as Akane, so you are Akane meow~"
"..."
What kind of logic is this? I'm a miko, so I'm Asase Hibiki? Then Shiki can also use Raiden Makoto's power, so is she Raiden Makoto?
Alright, Hana Sanri shouldn't expect a cat to have good logic.
As for the familiarity... perhaps it's because Kitsune Saiguu held him...
Hana Sanri looked up at the sky. The Lei storm that had surrounded Seirai Island was gone, and the great barrier had been restored yesterday evening. From the familiar power, Hana Sanri knew without looking that all of this was done by Shiki.
'In just over half a year, she has already grown to a level comparable to the former Shogun?'
Whether it was the Lei storm comparable in scale to Seirai Island, or the three long, thin golden lines stretching across the sky, they all indicated the girl's power.
'No, I should say she's even stronger than the former Shogun; she wasn't skilled in martial arts.'
But the latter was no worse than Raiden Makoto in governance, and the girl's power would only grow stronger in the future. In a sense, she was a person who combined the advantages of both the Raiden sisters.
Powerful martial arts and excellent principles of governance.
"Akane, what do you think happened yesterday? That huge, huge dark cloud in the sky, which had been there since you left, actually disappeared."
"That was the Shogun acting, and I'm not Akane. You can call me Hana Sanri."
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