Lin Mo looked at Istaroth's expectant expression and could only smile wryly as he nodded. "Alright, I'll stay with you for a while."
In the days that followed.
The two of them spent their time just as they had thousands of years ago.
Staying on Crab Island.
Listening to the sea breeze, playing the zither.
Listening to Lin Mo tell stories of another world.
Half a year passed by in the blink of an eye.
It was time for Lin Mo to leave.
"Parting again, is it?" Istaroth said, reluctant to let him go.
She hadn't had her fill of the zither music.
And the story of the little fox spirit hadn't even reached its grand finale.
Lin Mo looked down at his own translucent body and gave a bitter smile. "If you don't want me to go, there might not be a next time we meet~"
"Very well, then I'll see you to the border between life and death." "Mm."
Lin Mo nodded.
As he was leaving, he cast a worried glance toward the distant southeast.
Far out on the sea lay Inazuma.
Many things had happened over the past six months.
Just a few days prior, the Seven Archons had been summoned to Khaenri'ah, where they had deposed the nation's ruler.
At the same time, Khaenri'ah's war machines had launched a retaliatory assault across the entire continent, with Inazuma bearing the brunt of it.
If nothing unexpected happened, Inazuma was likely in the midst of a bitter struggle right now.
"What's wrong? Having second thoughts about moving on?"
Istaroth noticed Lin Mo's troubled mood and asked out of curiosity.
"Mm... just a little worried."
Lin Mo nodded.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Istaroth blinked, speaking as if it were only natural. "I've listened to your stories and your music—consider it payment~"
"Help, huh..."
Lin Mo fell into thought.
He knew that Istaroth was a powerful god.
But was he really going to ask Istaroth for help, to change the history of Teyvat from this point five hundred years ago?
Still...
The question only flickered through Lin Mo's mind for a moment.
Although his life as Sasayuri had been lived for a mission, making his home in Inazuma,
His feelings for the Raiden sisters,
For Saiguu, Chiyo, and the others—they were all genuine.
The war had already begun, and he didn't know how much could still be saved.
But Lin Mo didn't want to miss this chance.
So, Lin Mo withdrew his gaze from distant Inazuma.
He turned back to look at Istaroth.
"Istaroth, I hope you can help me save Inazuma from the dark erosion of Khaenri'ah."
"No problem! After I send you to the afterlife, I'll get right on it!"
...
Lin Mo wasn't entirely sure what happened after his reincarnation.
But everything in Teyvat returned to its normal course.
Raiden Makoto still perished in Khaenri'ah.
Chiyo vanished without a trace.
Saiguu's soul still returned to the earth.
But Lin Mo was certain that Istaroth had kept her promise.
Because his own memories had been rewritten!!
Inazuma now had a Sacred Sakura tree, taller even than Mt. Yougou, used to purify the filth.
This must have been the change Istaroth made for Inazuma.
As his thoughts drifted,
Lin Mo, along with Lumine and Paimon, accompanied Ei to the cave in front of Mt. Yougou.
At that moment, Ei turned to look at Lin Mo.
Her gaze was serious as she said, "The Shogun and I have a duel. You two can see me off here."
"The Shogun? What's wrong with her?"
Paimon asked curiously.
Ei shook her head and didn't explain.
Instead, she looked at Lin Mo and said calmly, "While I'm away, I'm entrusting Inazuma to you." "Mm, leave it to me." Lin Mo nodded.
He had a rough idea of what was about to happen.
If nothing went wrong,
Ei was probably trying to take back the divine body from the Shogun and resolve the hidden danger within it
Seeing Lin Mo's response, Ei turned to Lumine and Paimon, nodding faintly. "Take care." "Take... take care..."
Paimon was a little uneasy.
But Ei's presence was too overwhelming, so Paimon didn't dare ask more.
After watching Ei walk into the torii gate inside the cave, Paimon couldn't hold back anymore.
"Foreign Minister!"
"Is Ei really going to duel the Shogun? Why?"
"And also! In her current state, doesn't she need our help?"
A flurry of questions.
Clearly, Paimon was worried about Ei's safety.
And not just Paimon.
Lin Mo was worried too.
He knew that the Shogun seemed to have developed an independent will after the settings for eternity were altered.
A puppet that originally had no independent personality had gained one.
"This is going to be tough..."
Lin Mo frowned slightly.
"Should we tell everyone about this?" Paimon asked, tilting her head.
"Telling everyone... probably won't help, right?"
Lin Mo said uncertainly. "Because even I can't enter the space beyond that gate." "Oh, right!"
Paimon reminded him. "Why not go back to Liyue and ask Miko? Aren't they best friends? She should know how to get through that gate, right?"
"Speaking of which..."
Lin Mo seemed to think of something. As he spoke, he pulled out the omamori that Yae Miko had given him. "It seems I don't need to go back to Inazuma to contact her..."
"Huh? What's that?"
Paimon was very curious.
But in the next moment,
A beautiful woman crossed through the void and hugged Lin Mo tightly.
"Someone's so impatient~"
"It's only been a day, and you can't resist summoning me to your side?"
"Ah, this, this, this!"
Paimon was so startled she couldn't even form a proper sentence.
"Oh? There are others?" Miko was a little surprised.
Then she turned to stare at Lin Mo, her beautiful eyes filled with a mix of scrutiny and confusion.
She had thought Lin Mo would find a chance to be alone with her.
"We've run into a situation."
Lin Mo said, gesturing toward the torii gate. "Ei seems to be dueling the Shogun inside. We're worried, but I don't know how to get in, so I was hoping you could help."
"Oh? I knew this day would come~ I just didn't expect it so soon."
Yae Miko looked as if she understood everything.
"What's going on?" Lin Mo couldn't help but frown.
He wasn't the only one confused—Lumine and Paimon were too.
Seeing everyone's puzzled looks, Yae Miko explained the matter to them.
As Lin Mo had guessed, the Raiden Shogun had developed her own consciousness.
Dissatisfied with Ei's rejection of the concept of eternity,
She had challenged Ei to a duel for control of the divine body.
The victor would rule Inazuma.
The loser would step back into the shadows, becoming the shadow.
Just like Makoto and Ei back in the day—one in the light, one in the dark.
"Ah, what do we do now?!"
Paimon looked tense. "Ei's in a really bad state today~!"
"She'll win this duel. I believe in her." Lin Mo clenched his fists.
Though Ei's strength wasn't what it used to be,
With everyone's return, he believed she wouldn't give up easily.
Lin Mo looked confident.
But there was still a lingering worry in his eyes.
Seeing everyone so anxious, Yae Miko ventured, "How about I take you all in to cheer for my dear friend?"
"Ah, can we? Won't it disturb her?"
Paimon asked happily.
Yae Miko simply took Lin Mo's hand, answering with her actions instead of words.
The next moment, holding hands, they crossed the portal beneath the torii gate and arrived in a void-like space.
"Why are you all here?"
Ei's voice echoed in their minds.
"We know all about it! We're here to cheer you on!" Paimon clenched her little fists excitedly.
Lin Mo also smiled and nodded.
A flicker of emotion appeared in Ei's eyes as she looked at Lin Mo.
Then,
Ei turned her gaze to the Raiden Shogun, clad in her puppet armor.
"Since Sasayuri is here, then this,"
"This five-hundred-year-long duel can finally come to an end."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
They had only been apart for less than half an hour.
Just how grueling had this duel been?
Had Ei really been fighting the Shogun in this space for five hundred years?
"Oh? Have you made up your mind?" The Raiden Shogun held her naginata, her gaze stern.
The next moment, the long blade in Ei's hand erupted with a brilliant light.
"Thoughtless! Severance!!!"
With a sharp cry,
A bolt of lightning split heaven and earth!
Where the lightning passed, the Raiden Shogun immediately fell to one knee, weakened.
"I... have lost."
"As agreed, from today onward, I will stand behind you and become your shadow."
"Ah! Did she win!?" Paimon asked excitedly.
Ei nodded.
Just then,
An image suddenly appeared in the void.
In the image,
It showed Lin Mo in his soul form, speaking with Istaroth.
Then the scene shifted.
Istaroth found Raiden Makoto and handed her a seed.
The scene shifted again.
On the blackened soil of Inazuma, a towering Sacred Sakura rose from the ground.
The darkness that had been eroding/corrupting the entire land became the best nourishment for the giant Sacred Sakura.
At that moment,
Everyone finally understood the origin of the Sacred Sakura.
They finally knew that Inazuma had survived to this day because of a single request Lin Mo had made long ago.
Crossing time, traveling through past and future, Raiden Makoto had planted the seed of the Sacred Sakura beneath Mt. Yougou.
At that moment,
Ei turned to look at Lin Mo.
"So, even after you left back then, you were still protecting Inazuma."
"The reason Inazuma exists today is all because of you."
A rare tenderness appeared in her usually cold eyes.
Lin Mo smiled and nodded, raising his right hand toward Ei.
"From now on, let us walk together and turn Inazuma into a paradise on earth."
(The End)
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T/N:
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