章節 32: Chapter 32 The 0.3 Seconds That Can Never Be Caught Up To

This letter had been written for some time.

It was given to Kamisato Ayaka when she last visited Seino at the Pillar General's mansion.

Seino said to give this letter to Ei after he was gone.

At that time, Seino still had more than half a year to live.

But unexpectedly, it was to be handed to Raiden Ei so soon.

Only at this moment did Ayaka finally feel the reality.

The great Pillar General Seino Raimei was truly gone.

He had left Inazuma forever.

"A letter?" Ei pushed open the hall doors. Her steps were a bit hurried, her wooden sandals stepping on the hydrangea bushes. Kamisato Ayaka waited quietly in the side room of the wing hall. At first, Ei's steps were hurried, but as she got closer, her pace slowed down, getting slower and slower, gradually coming to a stop.

What did Seino want to say?

Ei didn't know. In these hundred years, Seino had never written her a letter. The only letter was the 'resignation' that Ei had torn up last time.

Was he still angry with her? Had he forgiven her?

Her heart was hesitant. This wasn't like her.

She took a breath.

How pathetic.

Ei smiled self-mockingly and pushed open the door.

"He wouldn't even see me one last time, yet he's willing to leave me a letter?"

"Lady Shogun." Kamisato Ayaka pressed her lips together. Seeing the Raiden Shogun made her feel a bit nervous, but hearing Ei's seemingly resentful words, she relaxed. She bowed and curtsied.

"Lady Shogun, letters are interesting things."

"...Interesting?"

"I often exchange letters with friends. For me, the most interesting part isn't the content of the letter, but the person writing it," Ayaka said.

"Reading the letter, I can always imagine: where was he writing the letter? Was it at night, or during the day? Was there an ink-colored mountain behind him as he wrote, or a pale white cloud? What expression did he have while writing? Was he smiling? Was he looking forward to something? There's a saying that goes, 'To see the letter is to see the person.' When I read the letter, I'm reading the writer's mood. It's a wonderful thing."

"So many emotions are conveyed through the snow-white envelope and ink-colored characters. Across vast distances, people can share the same feelings. People will always reunite. Words have power. Even after thousands of miles, they can still touch our heartstrings at a certain moment."

"From then on, time flies, mountains are high and waters are long. This is eternal emotion."

Ayaka said softly.

"The Pillar General was willing to leave his last letter to you. The one he most wanted to see was you. The one he missed most was also you."

...

"Give me the letter."

"Then I'll take my leave."

Ayaka handed the letter to Ei, bowed, closed the door, and left.

Only Ei remained in the room. The moonlight had climbed to the treetops, the mottled shadows of pine and cypress crawling onto the desk. Ei opened the letter.

The paper had a faint smell of paint. One could see that the writer had sealed the letter with wax.

The letter wasn't long, but not short either. Every word was written very carefully.

Ei thought of Ayaka's words again. What expression did Seino Raimei have when writing this letter?

Was he smiling?

He liked to smoke. There were small ashes in the corner of the letter. He must have been smoking while writing this letter. He would stop and think for a while after writing a bit, so the ashes fell. He might have forgotten about the cigarette in his hand while writing.

By the time he finished the letter, the moon might have filled the western tower, and the cigarette in his hand would have burned out.

He would cough. Ei now knew his health wasn't good. He would cough after writing for a while. He might have been very tired, but his handwriting was very careful. He wrote the letter very seriously.

Ayaka was right. To see the letter is to see the person. Across thousands of mountains and rivers, people will always reunite.

Looking at the letter, Ei felt as if she could see that old man.

[Hello, Ei.

The Pillar General's mansion is lively. Winter has come. It snowed heavily last night, a layer accumulating on the eaves. Now, outside my window, plum blossoms have bloomed. They're very fragrant. I wanted to send you a few branches with the letter, but I feared by the time the letter arrived, the plum blossoms would have withered. I'm quite confident about my health. At least next year should be fine, by then the plum blossoms would have long withered.]

[What's the weather like on your side when you receive this letter? I think the New Year must have passed, and spring has come. That's nice. Spring is very beautiful. You should go out for walks more often. It's not good to always stay indoors. Walking is also great for your health.]

"Idiot... annoying mortal."

Ei lightly gripped the edge of the letter, her head lowered. "Spring hasn't come at all... Idiot, where's your confidence? Idiot, fool, spring hasn't come when the letter arrived. It's still snowing heavily outside now."

"You're weak and arrogant... You don't even have plum blossoms... You didn't even outlive the plum blossoms. You lost to the plum blossoms... Why did you have to lose?"

"The flowers haven't withered, but you're already gone."

[After I'm gone, you should eat more. Don't say strange things like 'food is harmful to practice'. You used to eat a lot... Don't eat too many sweets, have some meat occasionally. Meat tastes good, you must try it. By the way, my favorite is grilled sardines. You must try them.]

"It tastes awful," Ei said. "I've tried it."

"It tastes awful."

[When you get old, you talk a lot... Ah, I don't admit I'm old, I'm just naturally talkative, so I want to ramble on a bit more. It's cold in winter. I'm leaning against the stove while writing this letter. Is it warm on your side?]

"It's not warm."

[I don't know what I'm writing, just chatting about some nonsensical domestic matters. How could you possibly be cold? You're the Raiden Shogun.]

"It's not warm."

[When I first saw you, I thought you were so cool... So I thought, I want to stay by the side of such a cool woman. Looking back, that thought was quite funny. You were right, I'm just an ephemeral life. I know that. It's a fact.]

"Not cool."

[But even knowing this, I still decided to do it. Ephemeral, so be it. Isn't being ephemeral interesting too? Hey, I turned out to be quite amazing. Ephemeral year after year, I've been ephemeral for five hundred years.]

[But now I have to leave you.]

[I'm going to a place far away. Actually, you're not cool at all. You're very silly and reckless. You're not the great Raiden Shogun. Sometimes you're like a little girl. It's strange, but I just like you this way.]

[I have to leave you now. You need to keep going on well. The Pillar Army has a tradition: the living are responsible for burying the dead, remembering their names, and continuing on. I'm the last of the Pillar Army now. I hope you can remember my name.]

[A person's true death is when they are completely forgotten. If you can remember my name, if I can become a fleeting flash of lightning in your eternal life, then I'll be very happy.]

[Please don't forget me, because I will forget myself.]

[I'm a cowardly and incompetent person. I didn't come to see you because if I saw you, I wouldn't have the courage to leave.]

"Mortal."

Ei lowered her head. Something blocked her heart, her throat felt sour, emotions stagnated. She gritted her teeth. "My memory has always been poor... I've already forgotten. Tell me again... Five hundred years is so short, how is it enough for me to remember your name?"

[These hundred years, I've always wanted to come find you, but every time I reached the door, I turned back.]

[The letter is about to end, and the snow outside is about to stop. Are you still angry about that time? Don't be angry with me.]

[I'm sorry]

[I'm sorry, Ei, I couldn't come find you]

[If I can't see you again, good morning, good afternoon, and, good night]

[Please persist in your path]

[-- Respectfully, Seino Raimei.]

It was already the end of dusk.

The letter was finished. Ei lowered her head, feeling something wet in her eyes. She couldn't describe it.

Suddenly, Ei felt something and raised her head. She looked out the window, towards the distance.

The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles had descended.

In the distant horizon, at the boundary between dusk and nightfall, a flash of lightning.

Familiar lightning.

0.3 seconds of lightning.

In that direction, the direction of that ship.

She stood up, wanting to chase after it.

But missing is missing. A hundred years is missing, three days is missing, even a turn of the body is missing.

Even eternal time can't catch up to those 0.3 seconds.

Humans can never catch up to the lightning that flashes across the sky, because by the time they react, the lightning has already died, leaving only rolling thunder.

Only regret remains.

Tears finally slid down her cheeks, dropping onto the letter.

Rumble—

Rumble.