"I can't... fall here just yet..."
"My brothers... are still counting on me..."
Even before Paimon and Lumine drew close, they could already hear the anguished yet resolute mutterings of this soldier's lingering soul.
At that moment, Paimon cautiously asked from the side, " What happened here? Can you tell us?
"
" Who are you!? How did you get here?
"
The soldier turned his head, his gaze heavy with vigilance, and urged them anxiously, " Run, quickly! The beasts will come back.
If they set their sights on you, you won't be able to escape! "
As he spoke, the soldier clenched his fist against his chest with unwavering resolve, his eyes firm. " You two, just focus on getting away safely.
We... will absolutely protect Inazuma until the very last moment! "
" Protect Inazuma... until the very last moment... "
Paimon tilted her head in confusion, curiosity piqued. " Did something... happen in Inazuma?
"
" You... you actually don't know!? "
The soldier's ghost looked utterly bewildered, but he still spoke with grave seriousness. " Inazuma is now shrouded in darkness!
Beasts are everywhere, and there are even more terrifying monsters! They have no feelings—they only devour everything in sight! "
" Every trace of our existence as humans will be consumed by them... "
...
" But... there's nothing around here. "
Paimon spread her little hands in confusion.
" It's not time yet. "
The soldier's remnant shook his head, urging them again with growing urgency. " But they will come back!
Go now! There's no time! "
" The Shogun is gone now, and Lady Guuji is gone too. All we can rely on is ourselves.
"
" I don't know how much longer we can hold out. "
" But... if we give up hope, then we truly have nothing left. "
To Lin Mo and Ei, watching this scene unfold was unbearably heartbreaking.
This samurai's spirit from ages past, even in his final moments, even knowing he was marching to his death, still held an unshakable resolve to defend Inazuma.
Ei could no longer bear to watch.
She stepped forward, walking beside Lumine, and spoke to the soldier's lingering soul. " There's no need to panic.
I am here. "
" Sh... Shogun!?
You've returned! "
The soldier cried out in joyful surprise.
The next moment, he pressed his palms together and pleaded with Ei, " I beg you, Lady Shogun! Please help us!
Save Inazuma! Without your divine lightning, there's no way to dispel this darkness. At this rate, all of Inazuma will become food for the beasts!
"
Ei looked at his anxious expression and spoke to comfort him. " Calm down.
That war... is already over. "
" Over!? "
The soldier's eyes were filled with disbelief. " What... what are you saying, Shogun?
"
Ei turned her gaze to the side and said calmly, " Look around you. The grass is lush, the wind is gentle.
"
" This is no different from the peaceful Inazuma you remember. There are no monsters.
Nothing here threatens your life. "
" Huh... "
The soldier's spirit was still confused.
" But... just now... those things were still nearby... "
The more the soldier spoke, the more unstable his emotions became. " Just a moment ago, I saw my comrades' bodies being torn apart!
"
" Hey, calm down~"
Paimon said anxiously, " It's all over now~"
" Ah... "
The soldier's ghost looked lost and dazed.
The next moment, he looked at Ei, a sense of relief washing over him. " I understand.
It was you, Lady Shogun, who saved Inazuma, wasn't it? "
" Choosing to believe in the Shogun was the right decision after all... As long as the Shogun is here, Inazuma will endure forever...
"
As he spoke these words.
The soldier's spirit lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly. " Thank you, Lady Shogun...
Thank you... Thank you... "
There was a clear sob in the soldier's voice.
It carried the pent-up anguish and sense of grievance of a child who had bravely faced danger alone at home, finally seeing their parents return.
Accompanied by the soldier's heartfelt gratitude.
His body gradually dissolved into a wisp of white smoke, quietly dispersing.
At that moment, this heroic soul, who had sworn to defend his homeland, finally had his wish fulfilled.
Watching this scene.
Everyone fell silent.
Though the hero had fulfilled his long-cherished wish and his soul was finally at peace.
That conversation just now had made everyone feel the despair the soldiers faced during the disaster back then, and the unwavering courage they showed in protecting their homeland in the face of that despair.
At that moment, Lin Mo spoke calmly.
" If I'm not mistaken... "
" What we just witnessed was a memory lingering in the land. "
As he spoke, Lin Mo looked up toward the roots of the Sacred Sakura and explained, " The Sacred Sakura can purify and absorb the filth from the ley lines. After being attacked by Rifthounds, the filth leaked out through the cracks in the trunk and condensed into a physical form.
"
" If the filth is strong enough,"
"the entity it forms will be highly aggressive. "
" But if the filth has already been purified, it will manifest in the form of memories. "
" Purified filth dissipates quickly and will then merge back into the ley lines. "
" In other words, they can't exist for very long. "
" So that means... "
Paimon suddenly understood, confirming, " The memories of those who passed away are all appearing right now? "
" That's right. "
Lin Mo nodded. " That soldier was one of the countless who sacrificed themselves.
What he spoke of was the disaster that struck Inazuma five hundred years ago. "
" But... how do you know all this, Foreign Envoy? "
Paimon's face was full of confusion. " I remember you said you weren't involved in that disaster...
That around the same time, you were the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, fighting against the corrupted Durin, right~"
Paimon's question immediately reminded Ei.
She turned her gaze to Lin Mo's face, her expression filled with confusion.
Because the Sacred Sakura's ability to purify the filth of the ley lines had only begun after that disaster five hundred years ago. Why did Lin Mo know just as much about it as she did?
--------
T/N:
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