Chapter 24: Chapter 24: She and Her
???!!!
"Wow! What...what is this??" Yae Miko stared in shock at Teiyu's lower body. "Ei...what's going on?"
Yae Miko was so startled that she stammered. Although she was inexperienced, curiosity had led her to learn some information about the human world: "A child...there's no way it could be that big from 'sources of information'!"
"..."
Ei's face turned as red as a tomato, almost hot enough to cook an egg. She was both embarrassed and regretful: "I'm sorry, I failed... I haven't made a puppet in a long time... The situation was urgent, and I couldn't control the energy input... I didn't mean for it to turn out this way..."
"I..." Yae Miko was dumbfounded, only reacting after a long moment: "Well, there's nothing we can do to change it now..."
"Let's just consider it the price of saving his life."
"That seems to be the only way." Ei nodded vigorously, needing to think this way to feel better.
She's an incredibly stubborn person; otherwise, she wouldn't have hidden herself in the Pure Land, escaping from herself after her sister's passing.
Without telling even Yae Miko, her familiar, someone like this would need someone to help her untangle her heart. Otherwise, she might hide away for eternity, sinking deeper into self-blame and regret, ultimately taking a path of no return.
Yae Miko knew her character all too well, so she thought of a somewhat ridiculous way to comfort her.
"Oh, by the way! This is a jade pendant that was found on that child's body. Ei, do you know who it belongs to?"
Yae Miko remembered when they first met Teiyu, and the shrine maidens helped him change his clothes. They had found a jade pendant on him.
With a small wave of her paw, the little white jade pendant slowly floated out from the void.
As the Thunder God, Ei was knowledgeable and might know the child's origins.
"Hmm, this is...?" Ei took the jade pendant with her delicate hands and examined it carefully.
"Judging by the material, it seems to come from Liyue." She frowned slightly. "I can't be sure, but it's possible this child is from Liyue."
"Even you...don't know..."
For some reason, Yae Miko felt a bit relieved. If Teiyu knew about his origins, would he choose to leave?
Deep down, Yae Miko didn't want Teiyu to leave her side.
"Perhaps...if Morax were here, with her vast knowledge, she might be able to uncover this child's origins."
"Mm." Yae Miko responded softly, knowing full well.
Morax, the "Empress of Rock," ruler of Liyue, and one of the Seven Archons!
Not only did Morax have many divine duties, but she was also highly skilled in combat.
Even Ei, who specialized in warfare, had much praise for Morax's martial prowess.
After chatting for a while longer, they turned the conversation back to Teiyu's divine power. After some discussion, they decided to keep it a secret from him.
After all, Teiyu was still just a child, and they worried that if he gained the power of a strong person, he wouldn't have the mindset that should come with it.
One special "example" was enough.
Ei sealed Teiyu's recent memories and his divine power, making him an ordinary person again.
"This way, it might be what's best for you." Yae Miko returned to her human form, silently watching over Teiyu, once again becoming the dignified High Priestess Yae Miko.
...
"Phew...all done."
Ei stopped the complex hand signs, standing breathlessly in place, almost stumbling.
She had expended far too much energy today. Constantly consuming her essence, even as a deity, she was nearing her limit.
"Ei, are you okay?" Yae Miko asked, concerned, as she supported Ei.
"Phew...I'm fine."
"Just need to sit down and rest for a bit."
She sat down, assuming a lotus position to restore her energy.
Yae Miko, now feeling a bit bored, sat beside Ei. She was mostly fine now, as Ei had directly used her essence to heal her injuries, which had mostly healed.
"Shinko...who exactly was the person that hurt you?" After resting and feeling her strength return, Ei asked the question that had been on her mind
.
"..."
"It was Kamo Harunosuke..."
"So, it was him..." Ei realized, hearing the name reminded her of the figure she used to play cards with frequently. She didn't know much about Harunosuke, only that he was a friend, but it still made her think of him.
"..."
"Kamo Harunosuke seems to have learned Liyue's immortal arts and created a technique that allows him to cycle between life and death."
Yae Miko recalled the spell that Harunosuke had cast, still feeling a bit frightened.
"This spell is extremely strange, with a powerful corrosive force, no less potent than the immortal arts that Sister Ganyu once taught me. I was caught off guard and fell into his trap!!!"
Remembering how Harunosuke had laughed maniacally as he detonated the "Rebirth Seal," Yae Miko gritted her teeth in anger.
As the familiar of the Thunder God, when had she ever suffered such a setback? She had almost lost her life—this was a debt she would definitely repay!
"Shinko~~ I want you to turn back into that form you were in earlier," Ei said, playfully pouting as she saw Yae Miko preparing to leave.
"Umu, do you have some issue with me in this form?" Yae Miko stopped in her tracks, pouting as she looked at Ei.
"Please~~!" She wasn't good at pouting; this was the best she could manage.
But today, she really wanted Yae Miko's comfort.
"You're impossible...just for a little while, okay?" Yae Miko, seeing Ei so weak, felt a little guilty.
[Oh well, just for a bit. It's to comfort Ei, after all, since she's my god.]
"Pop!!" With a soft sound, Yae Miko reverted to her small pink fox form.
"Shinko, I love you the most!!!"
She hadn't cuddled with a fox in hundreds of years, and now Ei's long-suppressed craving had returned with a vengeance.
"Uwu, so cute! Shinko, you're so cute! So fluffy, so cute!"
Ei grabbed Yae Miko's little body, hugging her tightly and rubbing her cheeks against her.
"..."
Yae Miko frowned, looking displeased. Sometimes she really couldn't understand why everyone loved her fox form so much—Ei, even her sister, too.
"Okay! Let me go, that's enough!!"
"Just a little longer, just a bit~~~"
"Ah, no, I don't want to anymore!!! Ugh...I regret it!!"
After some more playful moments, Ei reluctantly let go of Yae Miko and placed her on the ground.
"Pop!!"
The white mist dispersed, and Yae Miko returned to her human form. Her clothes were disheveled, and she was panting heavily, the large ornament on her head tilted and about to fall off. Her alluring face was as red as a sunset, and a fluffy pink tail peeked out from under her shrine maiden skirt, wagging from side to side. She looked incredibly cute.
"Honestly... didn't we agree... it would just be for a moment?" Yae Miko's face, usually so composed, now showed a rare hint of shyness as she grumbled, "Ei, you really... played with my tail!"
"Hehe, Miko's little tail is so soft~" Ei's purple eyes, bright like flowing water, reflected a nostalgic expression as she gently squeezed her hand, still reminiscing about the soft sensation. "Miko, why don't you let your tail show more often? It's so fluffy and cute~~"
"Hmph! That's because I don't want others to see it!" Yae Miko pouted slightly and quickly used a spell to retract her fluffy tail, once again assuming the dignified and elegant posture of the Grand Shrine Maiden.
Yae Miko had her reasons for not letting others touch her tail. For one, a fox's tail is a sensitive organ, and she wouldn't allow anyone to touch it lightly unless they were very close to her. On the other hand, as the Grand Shrine Maiden, she often had to interact with humans and perform rituals. If she were to show her tail all the time, it might ruin the serious atmosphere and make others take her less seriously.
"Alright." Ei, seeing Yae Miko's rare temper, decided not to tease her further.
"Oh, but you used to let me touch it when we were young~~"
"..."
Yae Miko pretended not to hear Ei's words as she walked over to Teiyu and picked him up. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Oh dear, aren't you going to give your child a hug, Ei?"
!!!
Ei's usually composed face immediately showed a flustered expression as she stammered, "N-no, there's no need... I'm not ready... to face this child..."
"Are you sure? This little one... carries our bloodline... our ch-il-d~!" Yae Miko, holding Teiyu, showed her usual cunning and slyness, drawing out her words as she looked at Ei.
"Hmph, daring to tease me~~ When all along, Ei has been my 'plaything,' hasn't she?" Yae Miko continued her playful teasing. "Since it's decided that I'll be the one raising this child for now, you might not see him for a while~~"
"I..." A mixture of hesitation and longing appeared on Ei's face.
As Inazuma's revered Thunder God, Ei had always maintained an image of great dignity and power. Who would have thought that the noble Thunder God would have a child!
If the people of Inazuma knew, they would surely be shocked.
The Thunder God has a child! Even if you asked the most outlandish manga studio on Hanamizaka to come up with a plot, they wouldn't dare to make something this wild!
Yet the reality was undeniable! Ei, still a maiden, had "given birth" to a child!!
"I..."
Ei found herself unconsciously standing beside Teiyu, a soft smile appearing on her face.
"This...is my...child."
Ei bent down, her gentle hand softly caressing little Teiyu's chubby cheek.
The unmistakable bond of blood flowing through them was real and undeniable.
The soft feel of the child's skin reached her fingertips.
At that moment, the motherly glow on Ei's face blended perfectly with her valiant Valkyrie aura.
"Click!!" Yae Miko secretly took out a camera and snapped a picture of the heartwarming scene.
"This is interesting~~ Ei~"
"This photo is definitely going to bring me some fun someday~~" Yae Miko smiled mischievously, like a fox that had just stolen a hen.
But she was so beautiful and captivating that even her sly smile only added to her charm.
Some people just have it all! Even being cheeky looks good on them!!
"Miko, what are you doing?"
Ei, lost in the joy of being a new mother, finally realized what Yae Miko was up to and asked, "Miko, what is that? Why does it shine?"
[Bad fox bullying a sheltered girl who hasn't seen the world.]
Yae Miko smiled sweetly and dodged the question: "Oh, just a little gadget that recently came out, nothing important, nothing important!"
For a fox as sly as her, lying was as natural as drinking water.
She quickly changed the subject: "Shogun, would you like to take a look at the child too?"
She extended her hand toward the Shogun puppet, who had been quietly observing everything. "You can come over and touch him too."
"Oh, I completely forgot about the Shogun!" Ei realized, gently taking the puppet's hand. "Come and see, Shogun. This is your child too!"
"My...child..." The Shogun puppet took little Teiyu from Yae Miko, holding him with a wooden expression.
"You should hold him like this." Ei guided the Shogun puppet in adjusting her grip, indicating how to make Teiyu more comfortable.
"...."
The Shogun puppet awkwardly adjusted her hold. Although she could handle a sword and defeat enemies with ease, holding a child was clearly beyond her skill set. She gazed at Teiyu's peaceful sleeping face and gently brushed away his little hand that was grabbing at her soft arm.
"Click!!" "Click!!"
The camera's flash went off repeatedly, lighting up the Pure Land as if it were broad daylight.
Yae Miko had transformed into an "Eastern journalist," snapping photos from all angles with her camera, even doing splits to get the perfect shot.
"..." The Shogun puppet couldn't help but retreat silently, trying to avoid the flashing lights.
"Uh... this is... well... you could say he's your little brother..." Ei's face was filled with awkwardness as she spoke.
"Brother... child...."
As a puppet, she could sense more than Ei or Yae Miko...
A sense of kinship radiated from Teiyu's small body, prompting her to lower her head and gently press a kiss on his tiny cheek.
——
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