Raiden Makoto: Forgive Me, Sister… Your Elder Sister Has Decided to Strike First!
To witness the raw essence of the world
It was an experience so overwhelming that the two adventurers could not even think.
The fear pierced straight through their minds, shattering every defense they had.
If they could still control their bodies, Stanley was certain Hans would have wet himself on the spot.
Compared to the two humans, the sea beast was even more confused.
Despite its limited intelligence, it instinctively felt a bone-deep terror and dread.
Forget eating the two men
If it could move, it would dive into the deepest trench of the ocean and never return.
Perhaps an instant passed.
Or perhaps a year.
When Stanley finally clawed back a fragment of rationality, he witnessed something even more shocking.
From within the pitch-black Abyssal fissure…
two silhouettes stepped out.
As they emerged, the shattered space around them began to repair itself,
and the terrifying void gradually faded from sight.
Stanley and Hans realized their bodies were moving again the paralysis lifting little by little.
They had no time to feel relieved.
Because the two figures walking toward them
Were beyond anything they had ever seen.
A beautiful young man with an otherworldly, almost demonic allure
Deep, arcane sigils flickering within his eyes, too divine to gaze upon directly.
Beside him walked a tall woman with long purple hair braided into a thick rope,
her elegance soft yet carrying an unconcealed majesty that made the heart instinctively bow.
Raiden Makoto.
"Finally out," the young man murmured casually.
"No idea how long we were in there."
Stanley and Hans dared not breathe loudly, much less reply.
Anyone capable of appearing in a place like this
might not be human at all.
Better to remain silent and await judgment.
Then something even more horrifying happened.
The moment the sea beast regained control of its body, it turned tail and tried diving straight back into the abyssal depths.
It didn't want food anymore
It wanted escape.
But just as it moved
Stanley saw the young man glance at it.
That was all.
A single glance.
No incantations.
No gestures.
And the monstrous creature froze.
Then
it began fracturing, its flesh splitting open from within.
From the cracks bloomed countless pure white flowers, beautiful and immaculate flowers that should never wither.
The faster the petals opened,
the faster the beast withered.
When the final bloom unfurled,
a shrill, despairing howl echoed through the sea
and the creature collapsed inward, drained until nothing remained.
The blossoms swayed gently in the air
and then dissolved into ash.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
And that beauty chilled Stanley to the bone.
Finally, the young man seemed to notice the two of them.
"Oh? What a coincidence. The moment we cut our way out, we run right into people."
He glanced around, noting that the scenery was nothing like what they remembered,
then his aura shifted
from awe-inspiring divinity to approachable calm.
He asked politely:
"May I ask what year is it? And where exactly are we?"
The two adventurers dared not hesitate.
They told him everything they knew, answered every question, leaving out nothing.
A full quarter hour passed before the conversation ended.
Stanley could tell—the man named Luo Li seemed quite satisfied.
Likewise, the two adventurers learned a little about their saviors.
The young man was Luo Li.
The soft-spoken yet terrifyingly powerful woman was named Makoto.
After hearing the explanations, Luo Li exhaled softly.
So, nearly five hundred years had passed since he and Makoto fell into the Abyss.
The moonlit fields of Khaenri'ah
Had long since sunken into the Ashen Sea.
He wondered how much the world had changed.
But fate was strange:
The first person he encountered upon returning was none other than Stanley,
the future "legendary adventurer" of Mondstadt
whom he had just saved from certain death.
Sensing that the two adventurers were still uneasy, Luo Li smiled reassuringly.
"Don't be afraid. We were exploring a domain and got trapped for… well, over a decade by our count.
We only just managed to escape.
We won't harm you."
Stanley finally relaxed.
If they intended to kill them,
they would not be explaining anything.
After calming down, Stanley sincerely offered:
"You two seem unfamiliar with these waters.
It's not much, but if you don't mind
please take our boat and let us bring you out of here."
A chance to cling to a god-tier thigh
he wouldn't miss it.
Luo Li turned to Makoto for her opinion.
The centuries had left no trace on her.
She was still breathtaking, still serene, still impossible to look away from.
Makoto nodded gently.
"Then we will trouble you."
"No trouble at all! Really!"
Stanley laughed heartily as he righted the overturned boat.
Then, curiosity flickering in his eyes, he asked tentatively:
"Um… forgive my boldness, but… what is the relationship between you two?"
They had grown close enough to ask.
Makoto glanced at Luo Li, then smiled
a soft curve of her lips, warm and mischievous.
"I am his wife.
We are currently traveling together."
Luo Li froze.
He had not expected her to say that.
Before he could speak, Makoto leaned close
her warm breath brushing his ear.
"Having an official identity makes it easier to earn trust, does it not?"
Such a perfect excuse
Luo Li accepted it proudly.
Five hundred years, and she still hadn't disappointed him.
Seeing the faint blush of surprise and joy on his face,
Makoto's lips curled into a small, satisfied smile.
She whispered so only he could hear:
"Forgive me, sister.
Your elder sister cannot afford to keep hiding anymore
I must strike first."