"Ye, Neuvillette—just you two wait!!"
In the office of the Supreme Bishop at the Grand Cathedral, Furina sat upon the highest seat, her body trembling with rage as she glared at the mountain of documents piled on the desk before her.
The incident began after Furina and Ye returned from Liyue. Having spent the entire Lantern Rite on edge, Furina had finally breathed a sigh of relief upon arriving back in Fontaine—only for something to happen the very next day that made her laugh so hard she forgot all about her previous anxiety.
Neuvillette had taken a vacation.
After leaving Furina a note, he had immediately set off with a group of Melusines for some leisure time. As for the duties of the Chief Justice? Under his orders, they were all redirected to the Grand Cathedral of the Supreme Bishop—meaning they were all dumped onto Ye.
After centuries of being bullied, the Chief Justice of Fontaine had finally, for the first time, wised up and launched a counterattack against the Supreme Bishop.
When Furina found out, she nearly cried tears of joy. Without hesitation, she approved Neuvillette's leave and even sent him a letter telling him to relax and enjoy his trip for a few more months. Our esteemed Chief Justice has been working nonstop for over four hundred years—what's wrong with taking a few months off?
Question 1: Absolutely nothing!
—And now, on the third day, Ye had suddenly left a note saying he had "urgent business in Inazuma" before vanishing without a trace.
Furina had rushed over in a panic, and now, staring at the towering stack of documents awaiting her attention, she could only grit her teeth in frustration.
Approve his leave? Approve my—
Huff…!
I'm a refined young lady. I don't curse.
Furina drew a big cross over Ye's leave request and promptly tucked it away.
You like vacations so much? Fine, I'll let you have one! The Supreme Bishop abandoning his post without the Hydro Archon's permission—such a grave offense deserves a month-long "vacation" in the Fortress of Meropide!!
"Someone! Inform Wriothesley at once! Remove Ye's private storage room in Meropide—since when do prisoners get such luxuries? If Wriothesley doesn't understand what a prisoner's life should be like, I'll let him and Ye 'relax' together as inmates!!"
"Oh, and send another letter to Neuvillette. Tell him to hurry back—say the judges have been terrorized by the Fatui."
Achoo—!
The sneeze echoed in Ye's mind. For no reason at all, he could tell someone was cursing him behind his back.
Who could it be? Ah, whatever. It doesn't matter. Ye wasn't the petty type. Let them curse—a few harsh words won't kill me.
And so, after only a brief moment of distraction, he refocused his attention, gazing into the distance at a group of people—and god.
Ye was waiting for the right moment to intervene.
This was something he had planned for a long time. After all, if he didn't want Ei trying to kill him on sight every time they met, he'd better hurry up and bring Makoto back to life.
Life is hard. A man's gotta think about keeping his head attached to his shoulders!
"I... still don't really understand what just happened... but it feels so sad, so hopeless..."
Hearing Paimon's words, Ei suppressed her sorrow and softly explained:
"If I had to guess, what we just witnessed was likely the lingering memory of a warrior imprinted upon this land."
"The Sacred Sakura has the power to absorb and purify the impurities within the ley lines."
"After being attacked by the Riftwolves, the corruption leaked through the fissures in the tree's trunk, taking physical form."
"If the corruption is severe, the resulting entity will possess strong aggression."
"If the corruption has already been purified, it manifests as memories instead."
"Purified corruption disperses quickly, soon returning to the ley lines."
"In other words, they cannot remain in this world for long."
Lumine nodded thoughtfully. "So that's how it is..."
Paimon finally understood. "Wait, so does that mean the memories of all those who've passed away are appearing right now?"
Ei gave a faint nod. "Yes. That soldier was one of countless sacrifices. What he spoke of... was the catastrophe that befell Inazuma five hundred years ago."
Lumine hesitated before asking, "He mentioned that Lady Saiguu wasn't there..."
She knew exactly who Lady Saiguu was—in fact, she was all too familiar with her. During her time in Inazuma, traces of the kitsune's presence were everywhere, leaving Lumine with no shortage of questions.
Ei pressed her lips together.
"Yes. At that time, Inazuma faced multiple crises."
"Some originated within our borders... others came from a fallen kingdom—Khaenri'ah."
"The disaster in Inazuma weighed heavily on my mind. If left unchecked, the calamity could have spread across all of Teyvat."
"My friend, Lady Saiguu, assured me that she would rally all available forces to defend Inazuma in my stead, freeing me to act without hesitation."
"...Though neither of us spoke it aloud, we both knew—the path ahead was fraught with peril."
She knew. Lady Saiguu knew. And Makoto... knew as well.
Ei understood why Makoto had gone to Khaenri'ah alone—because she wanted Ei, the stronger warrior, to remain and protect Inazuma. Ei also knew Inazuma needed her... but how could she, or Lady Saiguu, ever stand by and let Makoto walk to her death alone?
Ei closed her eyes briefly.
Unaware of the turmoil in Ei's heart, Paimon continued questioning, "Huh... so when the disaster struck Khaenri'ah, Inazuma was also under attack?"
"Precisely. Countless monsters suddenly emerged across Inazuma. Lady Saiguu... gave her life to protect the people."
Ei's voice was barely above a whisper.
"I never saw her again. Yet I choose to believe that, until her last breath, she kept her promise to me. Even so... the devastation in Inazuma far exceeded my expectations. Those tragedies left deep scars upon this land... and upon my heart."
Finally noticing Ei's somber mood, Paimon looked at her with sympathy. "Ei..."
Lumine, however, narrowed her eyes and pressed further, reopening Ei's wounds: "Is this the 'loss' Yae Miko spoke of?"
Ei nodded, laying bare her heart. "Yes. For the longest time, I could not face the pain of 'loss.' No matter my strength—even if I could slay evil gods and purge monsters—I could never conquer time. I could never keep those I cherished by my side."
As she spoke, Ei shut her eyes once more and let out a long, heavy sigh.
Then... her expression firmed, and she opened her eyes again, revealing the same unwavering resolve.
"However, after clashing with the 'wishes' of humanity, I've reflected deeply—I can no longer remain fixated on the past."
A faint smile touched Lumine's lips. "So you've let go of the past?"
"During my travels with you through Inazuma, I witnessed the nation's progress over the centuries—and the boundless potential of its people. It surpassed all my expectations."
"Moving forward brings 'loss'... but it also brings 'encounters.'"
"That soldier we saw—he endured countless 'losses,' yet he still chose to fight for the future."
"The sacrifices of that era... the future they desperately fought for, the vision they held in their hearts—perhaps it was not the 'eternity' I had envisioned."
"As the god of Inazuma, it is time I answered their hopes."
Ei turned her gaze to where the soldier had vanished, her voice calm yet resolute.
"To all the warriors who once bled upon this land—your radiant souls have become one with the soil. I will not forget your sacrifices."