flstandardbreds Chapter 115 Maple Leaf and His Friend
Chapter 115 Maple Leaf and His Friend
Gradually, the sky darkened completely, and soon thunder began to rumble in the gloomy sky, followed by terrifying bolts of lightning appearing near the castle tower.
“It looks like Sora has already clashed with Shadow.” Shin said, looking at the strange phenomenon in the sky. “I’m leaving the rest to you. To make sure I can hold out until I’m really needed, I’m going back to sleep now.”
After saying that, Zhen's body swayed, and then Mei, the original owner of this body, regained control of it. Not long after, Yae no Miko, who sensed through the protective amulet that Sora had been pulled into the Pure Land of One Heart, turned around and walked into the Narukami Shrine, signaling Mei to follow.
Arriving at the Divine Cherry Tree, Yae no Miko looked at Mei behind her and said, "Later I will use magic to pass through the Pure Land of Ten Thousand Minds that Sora carries, but that is ultimately an inner world. Unless she herself gives permission, only consciousness can be allowed to go there. Miss Mei, I will entrust my body to your care at that time."
After speaking, Yae no Miko began preparations for the ceremony, which drew to a close as time passed. A pink light emanated from Yae no Miko, which then coalesced into a single point and flew towards the distant castle tower.
After the light left Yae no Miko's body, Yae no Miko's body fell backward uncontrollably. Mei, who was prepared, quickly stepped forward and caught Yae no Miko's body. Perhaps because her consciousness had left her body, the transformation magic on Yae no Miko's body lost control. Under Mei's gaze, Yae no Miko transformed back into the form of a pink fox.
Mei had to admit that Yae no Miko was incredibly cute in this state. Her petite frame lacked the aura of her human form, and considering that Yae no Miko wouldn't like others seeing her like this, Mei, after confirming that no one was around, carried Yae no Miko back to her room.
After sitting cross-legged, Mei gently placed Yae no Miko on her lap and stroked her fur with the same caressing technique she remembered from Makoto.
Just then, Kiana, who had completed her mission, entered the room through the portal. She immediately saw Mei stroking the pink fox on her lap with a gentleness she had never seen before, whose eyes were closed as if it had fallen asleep.
"Mei, what's wrong with you...?"
"Shh! The Divine Child has gone to carry out the final step of the plan. Let's be quiet and wait for her to return!"
When Mei saw that it was Kiana who had come, she quickly told her to be quiet. Although Yae no Miko had dismissed the other priestesses before the ceremony, judging by the time, those priestesses should have already returned to their respective posts.
Because Yae no Miko usually appears in human form, if the other priestesses were to discover that her true form is actually such an adorable fox, all the authority she has built up over the years would vanish.
This is why Yae no Miko specifically instructed Mei to take good care of her body before leaving. After all, as a great demon, she still had her own pride. It was a small matter if her true form was discovered, but it would be a big deal if her dignity was lost.
Kiana naturally understood Mei's meaning, and casually found a place to sit down without asking any more questions. Feeling extremely bored, she took out her phone and started playing games, but since there was no cell phone signal in Teyvat, she could only play offline games without an internet connection.
Of course, the phone was also put on silent to ensure that it wouldn't be discovered by the other shrine maidens.
For a moment, Kiana felt like she was back in the past, secretly playing on her phone. Fu Hua and Bronya, on the other hand, were secretly protecting the rebels to ensure their safe withdrawal. To prevent Yae no Miko's plan from failing, General Raiden, upon emerging, swiftly suppressed all the rebels who had reached the castle tower with a single strike.
Fortunately, the plan succeeded. As the dark clouds that had hung over Inazuma Castle dissipated, General Raiden returned alone to the castle tower, no longer pursuing the matter of the rebels. All the rebels present were initially stunned, but then erupted in deafening shouts.
The sound was so loud that it could be faintly heard even at Narukami Shrine. At the same time, Yae no Miko, who was lying on Mei's lap, also woke up. She first leaped to the ground, and with a flash of light, Yae no Miko's familiar appearance reappeared in front of Mei and the others.
"Did it work?" Kiana asked.
"Success! The Eye Hunting Order will likely be lifted soon, and the holders of the God Eyes in Inazuma will no longer need to live in fear. The God Eyes embedded in the Thousand Hands Hundred Eyes Statue will be returned to their owners one by one."
Kiana frowned as she looked at the tasks that were still marked as incomplete on the task panel.
"Is it only the Eye Hunting Order that's in effect? What about the Isolation Order?"
Yae no Miko naturally realized what Kiana meant: "No rush. According to Kage, the Eye Hunting Order will be revoked first, and the Seclusion Order will be lifted after she comes up with another path to eternity."
After listening to Yae no Miko's words, Kiana sighed deeply. The mission's incompleteness meant that Inazuma's transformation was far from over, and might even have only just begun. It seemed they would have to stay in Inazuma for a while longer.
As Yae no Miko had predicted, shortly after the battle, Kage lifted the Eye Hunting Order and returned all the Eyes of God. However, the seclusion order remained in effect, though it had at least partially restored its openness to the outside world compared to before.
This allowed foreign merchants who were stranded on remote islands to finally return to their homeland as they wished, and also resulted in charges against the Kujo and Hiiragi families.
News of the Kujo and Hiiragi families' secret collusion with the Fools to deceive the Shogun spread quickly, and all the smaller families that had been affiliated with them severed ties with the Kujo and Hiiragi families. Suddenly, undercurrents surged within the families belonging to the Tenryō and Kanjō Magistrates; everyone knew that the Kujo and Hiiragi families were no longer as powerful as they had become, and were no longer favored by the Shogun.
Everyone wanted to take their place, but since General Raiden had not officially announced the punishment for the Kujo and Hiiragi families, those families with ulterior motives had no choice but to put aside their thoughts and wait for an opportunity to come.
With the end of the Eye Hunt Order, Inazuma enjoyed a semblance of peace. Kaedehara Manyo was finally able to walk openly on the streets of Inazuma, but he still had one thing to do.
As he strolled along the beach, he finally stopped in front of a tombstone. This was a cenotaph he had made for his friend. After all, an ordinary person's body would have long since turned to ashes under the general's supreme blade, so naturally no remains would be left for others to collect.
Looking at his friend's name on the tombstone, Kaedehara Manba was overwhelmed with emotion. He had countless things he wanted to say, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single one. After a long silence, a small white cat emerged from the nearby bushes.
Kaedehara Manba recognized the cat; it was a kitten he had adopted when he was homeless with a friend. The kitten seemed to recognize the person in front of it as well, meowing affectionately as it approached.
Kaedehara Manyo crouched down and gently stroked the kitten's head, then scratched his chin before finally picking it up and placing it on his shoulder.
After cuddling with the kitten for a while, Kaedehara Manyo put the kitten down, then took out a flask of sake, two sake dishes, and a dim, lifeless Eye of God from his backpack.
He placed one of the wine dishes and the Eye of God before his friend's grave, and then sat down cross-legged. With the sound of wine falling into the dishes, he filled both dishes and began to recount his experiences up to this point.
"...And so, it was your Eye of God that helped me at the crucial moment, saving my newly acquainted friend. This was the first and last time your Eye of God lit up after your death. Now that the Eye Hunt has ended, I have fulfilled your wish. From now on, I plan to travel all over the continent of Teyvat. I will return and tell you about my experiences along the way. I hope you won't find me long-winded. This cup of wine is for you. I hope you are happy in the afterlife."
After saying this, Kaedehara Manyo drank the wine in his hand in one gulp, then picked up the wine dish that was on the ground and poured all the wine in it onto his friend's grave.
After a quick packing, Maple Leaf set off, leaving behind only the white cat that refused to leave and the Eye of God that would never be lit again.