Kael stayed with Ayaka through lunch, then helped her walk slowly around the courtyard.
When he noticed the faint weariness settling over her features, he immediately guided her back to her room to rest.
Ayaka's body still hadn't fully recovered. Even a bit of gentle activity left her completely out of stamina.
She lay on the bed with her eyes half-closed, already drifting toward sleep.
But her hand refused to let go of Kael's.
Kael brushed a gentle hand across her cheek. "Go to sleep. I'll stay here."
"Mm…"
Hearing his voice, Ayaka relaxed and slipped into slumber.
Only after he was certain she was fully asleep did Kael carefully slide his hand free.
The moment he opened the door, he found Ayato already standing outside.
"Kael, you're going with the Traveler to meet the Raiden Shogun?"
"Yes. I'll be back soon."
Ayato's expression tightened. "No. I'm coming with you. As the head of the Yashiro Commission, I'm qualified to request an audience with the Raiden Shogun."
The way Kamisato Kael died at the Raiden Shogun's hands was still a deep wound in Ayato's heart.
He refused to watch another brother walk toward danger.
Seeing Ayato's unwavering expression, Kael nodded.
"Alright."
---
When Paimon and the Traveler saw Kael and Ayato approach together, they exchanged a look.
They'd already heard the full story of Kael, including how he died.
It was obvious Ayato didn't feel comfortable letting Kael visit the Raiden Shogun alone.
But the reason was understandable, so neither Paimon nor Lumine said anything. They simply led the two of them to the gates of the Tenshukaku.
Just as they were about to head inside, a voice drifted from the side.
"I'm here."
The Raiden Shogun stepped out from beneath a sakura tree, stopping them in their tracks.
"Ah—you're…" Paimon flew right up to her face, staring with open curiosity.
Seeing the gentle look in the Shogun's eyes, Paimon's expression lit up. "You're the real Raiden Shogun, right? You came out of the Plane of Euthymia?"
The Raiden Shogun gave a small nod.
Paimon continued, "But why aren't you waiting inside the Tenshukaku?"
The Shogun's gaze drifted toward Kael. "I thought… you wouldn't want to see me there."
After all, Kamisato Kael had been executed right in front of the Shogun's throne.
"Ah…" Paimon blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected the Raiden Shogun to be this considerate. "That… makes sense."
The Raiden Shogun stepped closer to Kael, studying his body from head to toe.
"I've never heard of a puppet becoming possessed by a wandering soul before, but it isn't impossible."
"When I created the first puppet, I modeled it as a vessel for divinity. If it can contain a god, it can naturally contain a new soul."
"But this body you're using—I built it like a normal puppet. I left out many characteristics humans should have."
"I asked you here today to help refine those functions."
Kael nodded. "Thank you, Raiden Shogun."
"Come with me."
The Raiden Shogun led Kael into the Plane of Euthymia.
Paimon leaned close to Lumine, whispering, "This has to be her way of showing she feels guilty, right? She wants to fix what she's done?"
Lumine nodded. "That's what it looks like to me."
Ayato finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
---
Inside the Plane of Euthymia.
The Raiden Shogun traced her fingers along Kael's body, following the intricate patterns until she found the core. A soft violet glow rose from her palm as she reached inside and began the repairs.
She was close enough that Kael could smell her cool, clean scent drifting around him…
But Kael felt nothing toward the stern Archon before him. He was far more interested in his surroundings.
A dark, enclosed space stretched around him, oppressive and solemn. One look into the depths felt like staring into an abyss, enough to stir a primal sense of fear.
"Since you were already a key figure in the Yashiro Commission, why did you join the Resistance?"
The Raiden Shogun's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Kael recalled the events from his life simulation and answered, "Back then, the three Commissions were just extensions of the Raiden Shogun's will. Even the Yashiro Commission couldn't stay uninvolved."
"But the system the Commissions enforced was wrong. The people of Inazuma were suffering."
He wasn't just saying the system was flawed—he was criticizing the Shogun's own decrees.
The Raiden Shogun clearly hadn't expected such blunt words. She paused, then murmured, "But even if they weren't happy… isn't that still better than dying?"
"Do you truly know what kind of life Inazuma's people lived? Disasters, tragedies—Inazuma has been drowning in suffering for years. On top of that, the oppressive decrees made survival itself a luxury. Forget eternity—they couldn't even live."
"And when the people had to choose… didn't my actions already show the answer?"
In that simulated life, he'd sacrificed everything to resist the Raiden Shogun. That choice represented the will of the entire Resistance.
The Shogun lowered her gaze and withdrew her hand from Kael's body.
"I've finished adjusting your functions."
She met his eyes, her expression clear and resolute.
"I can't change what's already happened. But I understand your thoughts now."
"I'll reconsider Inazuma's future. I'll show you—and everyone in Inazuma—what true eternity really means."
Kael offered her a faint smile and nodded.
"We'll be watching."