"Is that you… Divine Priestess, you've grown so much."
Beneath the lightning, the short-haired shrine maiden wearing a mask whispered with a tone of relief.
But she quickly corrected herself and bowed deeply towards the distance.
"Forgive me, Hanasato has overstepped."
Hanasato, in truth, was the Guuji, the extension of her memories and longings.
But the former refused to acknowledge it.
Presently, she was a vessel of accumulating malevolence, with no connection to the bloodline of the white fox.
Moreover, she was destined to fade away.
"..."
Hanasato raised her face, her short hair fluttering in the wind.
In her mind, she recalled the scene of her last departure from the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Remember to come back soon! When True Sister also returns, we'll play cards with Ei Sister!"
The gluttonous pink-haired fox waved goodbye, immersed in the joy of being able to eat fried tofu freely in the future.
The pink-haired fox didn't yet understand what the position of Grand Narukami Shrine Maiden truly entailed.
"..."
Makoto Raiden, Raiden Ei.
And everyone in Inazuma.
"Truly… happy times."
Hanasato murmured softly, slowly clenching her fist.
As long as, as long as the final ritual is completed.
By then, she would have fulfilled her final responsibility of protecting Inazuma's citizens and should truly depart.
Even if it meant annihilation of body and soul.
For hundreds of years, she had never wavered.
...
In the distance, the Divine Priestess lowered her eyes and sighed.
She hadn't expected the Guuji to appear in such a state upon their reunion.
Throughout the long years, you must have suffered greatly, ensnared by malevolence?
Heh, what a fool.
The pink-haired fox pursed her lips, contemplating how to tease the white-haired fox to entertain herself.
Once the latter revived and returned to the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"..."
Suddenly, the young lady fox's eyelashes trembled, and she looked towards Qin Yu beside her.
The distance between them had inadvertently shortened.
The Divine Priestess realized she had unconsciously avoided the possibility of failure.
The Guuji had been gone for a long time; could she truly be revived?
Could Qin Yu, the god who saved her, truly save the Guuji and Makoto Raiden once more?
Yae Miko didn't know.
What if Qin Yu was just joking with her?
Just like the fox lady behind the mask of the world, playing for amusement.
But soon, a hand reached out to her.
"Let's go, let's end this."
Qin Yu looked at the silent Divine Priestess and said softly.
It didn't matter, he would act.
"..."
The two looked at each other, silent for a long time.
Finally, it was the fox lady's ears that twitched playfully first.
Just like her rippling heart, no longer able to conceal itself.
Of course, she hadn't intended to conceal it.
"What, you want to hold my hand so soon?"
The fox lady showed a shallow smile, raised her hand to meet Qin Yu's palm, and gently clasped it.
She quite liked the warmth transmitted from Qin Yu's palm.
At the same time, Columbia and Lumine also drew closer.
"Is everyone ready?"
Qin Yu looked at the small hands overlapping and revealed a warm smile.
...
Soon, Qin Yu and the few ladies arrived at the Electro Hypostasis, the final location of the ritual.
"Hanasato, we're here!"
Paimon waved her hand, her voice spirited.
"Miss Hanasato, we meet again."
Lumine looked at the shrine maiden who had been waiting for a long time, her gaze complex.
She had a premonition about Hanasato's fate.
Could Qin Yu, who said he would save her, really achieve it?
"Destined one, thank you for coming here."
"And..."
Hanasato looked towards Qin Yu and was slightly startled.
Because he had been appraising her since a moment ago.
And… his gaze was very unusual.
It was as if he were looking at a fox about to be caught in a net.
"Yae Miko asked me to convey her regards to you."
Qin Yu glanced at Yae Miko, who was setting up a barrier in the distance, and Columbia, who was suppressing the Archon's resentments.
The mental strength of the two women was extremely powerful, and they could not easily approach Hanasato.
Of course, it would be different once they entered his… later.
"Is that so? Thank you, Lady Yae Miko."
Hanasato bowed slightly in thanks.
In the distance, the pink-haired fox rolled her eyes and did not accept.
Hanasato sighed softly, seemingly having anticipated this.
"Then, I will now open the Sakura Barrier, and you just need to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yu interrupted her.
"Before that, there's something I need you to cooperate with, Hanasato."
"...Or rather, Guuji."
As soon as he spoke, Qin Yu took a step forward and raised his hand towards the shrine maiden.
A golden light appeared in his palm.
The Net of the Four Directions.
"I don't understand what you intend to do."
Hanasato looked at the golden light that suddenly appeared and asked in confusion.
She knew Qin Yu meant no harm.
But what was this unsettling feeling of a fox about to be caught in a net?
"Whatever you intend to do, I will not resist after the ritual is complete."
Hanasato raised her face, "As long as I can bring Inazuma back..."
But the man before her shook his head.
"Do? Of course, it's to bring you home."
Qin Yu smiled. I see you don't understand at all.
Quickly cast aside those touching lines about life and death; he hated that the most.
Isn't it better for everyone to be reunited?
"Whoosh—"
The next moment, the golden light in Qin Yu's hand flared, condensing into a net.
It directly enveloped Hanasato.
"This is?"
Hanasato suddenly felt an inseparable connection established between her and Qin Yu.
And her weakened soul, polluted by malevolence, was stripped away by an unknown power.
"Plop."
She stumbled, but Qin Yu supported her.
【Ding, Contract Signed Successfully】
【Guuji has become your dear companion】
As the prompt in his mind sounded, Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Very good, he's tricked… no, saved one.
"My soul has returned to purity, why?"
Guuji exclaimed in surprise, raising her fair, unblemished hands.
Hanasato was like a sub-account of Guuji.
Now that the password for the main account was remembered, she was naturally the true Guuji.
Hanasato's memories would not vanish; they would become a part of Guuji.
She subconsciously reached out to touch Qin Yu.
Although it was a soul form, she could still feel the warmth emanating from him.
"?"
Qin Yu coughed lightly, and in front of the three women behind him, he gently pushed Guuji's hand away.
"...Forgive me, I had a long dream, and I'm still immersed in it upon waking."
Guuji looked towards the pink-haired fox in the distance.
"You slept for a very long time, Guuji."
Yae Miko walked over, glanced at Qin Yu, and then separated the two of them.
"Yae Miko, you've grown taller."
Guuji smiled, her aura still somewhat weak.
But it was evident that she was very happy.
"That's it?"
Yae Miko puffed out her chest and provocatively said.
The pink-haired fox's growth wasn't just this much.
The white-haired fox had always said she would surpass you.
"Heh… you're still the same competitive self."
Guuji leaned gently into Yae Miko's embrace and smiled.
"Yae Miko, I want to sleep for a while; I'll leave the ritual to you."
"Hmph, sleep then."
Yae Miko held Guuji, who was leaning on her shoulder, her gaze gentle.
She slowly closed her eyes, seemingly having put down the heavy burden in her heart.
The fox lady smiled with satisfaction, her smile breathtakingly beautiful.
Qin Yu, thank you.