Kael felt his chest tighten.
This wasn't Ayaka anymore.
This was someone whose heart had already collapsed.
If this was only 90 Corruption Value, what would the real-world Ayaka be like at 99.9?
No wonder the System called it an emergency.
[Lumine flinched, taking two steps back at Ayaka's expression.]
[But the Traveler was resolute. She wouldn't change her stance.]
["No. This was the best choice. Inazuma needs the Raiden Shogun. Without her, vultures will circle and tear the nation apart. We'd become helpless prey."]
[Paimon puffed up angrily. "The Traveler worked so hard to fix things! How can you say that?!"]
["I don't care! Whatever happens to Inazuma, I…"]
["Kamisato Ayaka!"]
[Ayato cut her off with a furious shout.]
[He stepped forward, forcing his voice to stay calm as he addressed Lumine. "Forgive her, Traveler. Ayaka's been under immense stress. She didn't mean what she said. Please don't repeat any of this."]
[If her words spread, political chaos would erupt instantly. The Yashiro Commission's own princess showing no concern for the nation? Their enemies would tear them apart.]
[Lumine nodded. "I understand."]
[She and Paimon left immediately, sensing they were no longer welcome.]
[Once the Traveler was gone, Ayato turned to Ayaka, ready to scold her… but stopped.]
[Her face had gone completely blank. Her eyes were dull, emotionless — emptied of life.]
[Seeing her like that, Ayato couldn't muster a single harsh word. He could only sigh.]
["Ayaka… it's been so long. You have to learn to let it go…"]
[Ayaka let out a hollow laugh.]
[After Kael died, the only reason she kept going was vengeance.]
[Now even that purpose was gone.]
[Nothing held her up anymore.]
[Ayaka collapsed.]
[Ever since the Traveler left, she had been bedridden, unable to recover.]
[Ayato summoned every physician in Inazuma. None could cure her.]
["Lady Ayaka's body is healthy. She simply no longer wishes to live. Medicine won't help. She will only grow weaker."]
["Unless you free her from the knot in her heart and reignite her will to survive, nothing can be done."]
[Ayato understood exactly why this was happening. But he was powerless to fix it.]
[All he could do was watch her fade. Day after day, weaker and thinner.]
[Standing by her bedside, he choked out, "Do you really not want to see the sky clear again?"]
[Ayaka didn't react. Her gaze stayed fixed on the empty air above.]
[Rumors soon spread through Inazuma. The White Heron Princess would not survive the season.]
[All of Inazuma mourned the fall of the woman they admired.]
[System! When can I get there? Ayaka's going to die at this rate! If she dies, everything is over!]
[Possible vessels for Host consciousness transmission:
A seventy-year-old butler of the Kamisato Clan, currently close to death.
A servant of the Kamisato Clan who attempted to drown himself and was recently rescued.]
"System… you've got to be kidding me."
[Because this life simulation was initiated for Kamisato Ayaka, the Host cannot project consciousness into a body too far away from her.]
[Furthermore, the Host cannot project into someone who is healthy and fully conscious.]
…So the System offered him two options:
A dying seventy-year-old butler, or a servant who had just been pulled out of a river and was still unconscious.
"Those are my only choices? If I pick one now and a better vessel appears later, can I… switch?"
[…No.]
Of course not.
The System was footing the bill this time — using Attribute Points to support Sensory Mode all on its own.
No wonder it wouldn't allow a reroll. That stingy machine probably didn't want to waste more points.
[According to System calculations, the Host will have another opportunity before Ayaka's death. Please wait patiently.]
"…Fine."
Kael had just watched Ayaka edging toward death, and the panic still hadn't faded.
If the System said there would be another option, he could wait.
He really didn't want to revive in either of those terrible bodies.
["You may begin preparing Lady Ayaka's funeral arrangements."]
[The famed Inazuman physician closed his medicine box with a sigh.]
[Ayato's eyes were red as he grabbed the doctor's arm.]
["…Is there truly nothing else you can do?"]
["My answer remains the same. Only Lady Ayaka can save herself. If she has lost the will to live, no doctor can change the outcome."]
[Ayato slumped into a chair, watching the physician leave.]
[He whispered, "Ayaka… what am I supposed to do? Do you truly want me to throw away the Yashiro Commission's honor and kill the Raiden Shogun just to save you?"]
["If I did that, what would become of everyone in the Commission?"]
["My lord, the Traveler requests an audience."]
[A servant entered.]
[Ayato closed his eyes. "Very well."]
[He approached the main hall where Lumine and Paimon were waiting.]
[Paimon gasped the moment she saw him. "Ayato, what happened to you? You look awful, like you haven't slept at all—"]
[Ayato did not answer. He only looked at Lumine.]
["Traveler. What brings you here today?"]
[Ayato knew it wasn't the Traveler's fault that Ayaka had collapsed.]
[But he also couldn't ignore that the chain of events had started because of her actions.]
[He no longer knew how to face her.]
[Sensing his distance, Lumine's heart sank. She and Ayaka used to call each other friends.]
[Seeing Ayaka like this pained her deeply.]
["Ayato, we brought a gift. Maybe it can help her."]
[Paimon nudged her. "Lumine, hurry and take it out!"]
[Only now did Ayato notice the giant red-wrapped bundle behind Lumine — taller than she was.]
[She placed it on the floor and pulled away the cloth.]
[Ayato's eyes widened.]
["…Is that…"]
["We asked the Raiden Shogun to help us make a puppet. We never met the real Kael, but the Resistance described him. We based the puppet on their accounts. Does it look close?"]
A puppet?
So this was the "better opportunity" the System mentioned.
"System, can I project into this body?"
[Yes.]
Perfect.
This was the ideal vessel.
A puppet shaped almost exactly like him. It wouldn't feel strange at all.
Kael waited, watching the scene play out, preparing to jump in at the right moment.
[Paimon kept rambling enthusiastically.]
["We got the Raiden Shogun to set some routines inside it. Its personality and habits should match the real Kael pretty closely. It doesn't have consciousness yet, but once it runs its programs for a while, it'll develop one."]
[Ayato fell silent.]
[No matter how lifelike the puppet was, it wasn't truly Kael.]
[And Ayaka, of all people, would immediately sense the difference.]
[But he was out of options.]
[Whether it worked or not… he had to try.]
["Thank you. If this can save Ayaka, the Yashiro Commission will owe you a great debt."]
[Lumine pressed something on the puppet's chest, and its eyes opened slowly.]
[It lifted its gaze toward Ayato.]
["…Brother?"]