Makoto did not understand how Lora herself had returned to life. To her, reviving a god was an act fraught with unimaginable risk, and she tried her utmost to dissuade her.
Lora only smiled.
"You just have to trust me, Makoto."
"Trust you…" Makoto murmured faintly. "I remember the last time we gathered. I trusted you then—and somehow ended up being plied with wine by the Anemo Archon. I slept for days after I returned."
"Ahem… That was an accident." Lora cleared her throat, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Anyway, this is Neuvillette—the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. With him here, bringing you back won't be a problem."
At the mention of his title, Makoto hesitated.
"The Hydro Dragon Sovereign… Why would he—"
"The world has changed more than you realize," Lora said gently, cutting her off. "I'll explain everything later."
She turned slightly.
"Ready, Neuvillette?"
"At any time." He inclined his head.
Lora raised both hands, spreading them wide.
The consciousness space trembled as her power surged outward.
Azure light shimmered in her eyes. The faint blue in her hair began to glow. The vast divine authority of the God of Hydro unfurled without restraint.
From the depths of the space itself, she drew out streams of flowing essence—each thread carrying fragments of Makoto's lingering awareness.
Blue currents laced with flickers of violet gathered before her, flowing into the luminous sphere that cradled what remained of Makoto's consciousness.
Then she passed control of the water-bound awareness to Neuvillette, freeing her hands.
From her palms, pure Primordial Sea water began to spill forth.
The instant the pink-tinged, blue-hued waters appeared, the very fabric of the space shifted.
With unwavering focus, she guided the waters, shaping them into the outline of a human form.
What she intended to create was no ordinary body.
It was a vessel fit for a god.
"Neuvillette—now."
Without hesitation, he poured his power into the forming shape.
The strength of two Primordial Sea hearts converged, surging into the nascent body with overwhelming force. Even Ei and the Shogun could only watch in stunned silence.
It was their first time witnessing life shaped directly from the Primordial Sea.
Gradually, the waters took shape.
A figure emerged—strikingly similar to Ei.
Makoto's form.
With steady control, Lora guided the sphere of consciousness forward.
When vessel and awareness met, lightning ignited within.
Violet arcs flickered beneath translucent skin as the newly formed body trembled with awakening power.
Lora and Neuvillette lowered their hands and stepped back.
They could assist in the shaping—but the final convergence belonged to Makoto alone.
"Now we wait," Lora said quietly. "The last step is hers."
"…Sister." Ei's voice tightened. Her gaze never left the lightning-wreathed figure.
The crackling gradually softened.
The storm receded.
Silence fell.
Ei stepped forward, her voice barely steady.
"Sister?"
For a breathless moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
Gentle. Clear. Warm.
A soft smile curved her lips.
"Hello. I am Raiden Makoto."
Lora exhaled, long and slow, tension leaving her shoulders. She nudged Neuvillette lightly with her elbow.
"Not bad at all. We make a pretty good team."
"You led the act of creation," he replied evenly. "I merely supported it."
"Sister!"
Ei crossed the distance in an instant and threw her arms around her.
Makoto embraced her without hesitation, fingers threading gently through her hair.
"I never thought I would hold you again like this."
The Shogun stood silently nearby.
Makoto looked up and extended a hand toward her.
"Shogun. Come here."
"…Me?" She hesitated—but stepped forward regardless.
Makoto reached up and gently rested a hand atop her head.
"You've carried a heavy burden."
"…It was the purpose of this body." For a brief instant, something unfamiliar flickered across her expression—then her composure returned.
Makoto smiled.
"I know how difficult my sister can be. Without you, Inazuma would have suffered far more."
A quiet pause followed.
"Thank you," the Shogun said at last.
Makoto's smile widened slightly.
"Then call me Auntie."
The Shogun: "…?"
"Let's leave the 'Auntie' discussion for later," Lora said lightly, though her gaze remained intent. "Try calling lightning."
"Lightning?" Makoto lifted her hand.
Violet light gathered instantly in her palm, thunder humming softly within it.
The air itself seemed to recognize her.
Seeing this, Lora finally allowed herself to relax.
"Good. No instability."
Gods were elemental beings—manifestations of authority shaped by forces older than nations.
Once, Lora herself had borne such authority through a fragment not her own, layered atop the heart of the Primordial Sea.
But this time was different.
Neither she nor Neuvillette had invoked any fragment of Phanes. No external authority had been borrowed. No ancient shard had been forced into place.
What stood before them was something else entirely.
A god born from this world alone.
The Primordial Sea—source of life—and its sovereign will had shaped the vessel. And in doing so, they had acknowledged Makoto's claim to Electro.
For a fleeting moment, Lora almost felt guilty.
The Electro Dragon Sovereign might have had something to say about it.
But he had long since vanished.
Chasing him down would have been far too troublesome.
She brushed the thought aside.
"Well then," she said lightly, clapping her hands once. "Looks like we're done here."
"Wait," Makoto said softly. "There is one more thing I must do."
From within her sleeve, she withdrew a small seed, glowing faintly with a blush of pink light.
"What is that…?" Ei asked, puzzled.
Makoto smiled gently.
"The seed of the Sacred Sakura."
Ei's eyes widened slightly.
"When you suddenly took upon yourself the burden of Inazuma," Makoto continued, "you must have felt alone… uncertain. I knew that."
Her fingers curled lightly around the seed.
"So I offered a prayer to Time itself… and was granted this."
The soft pink glow pulsed faintly.
"It will take root in the past," she said, her voice calm and certain. "And in doing so, it will grant you the time you need."
Ei stood still, absorbing her words.
The seed shimmered—small, fragile… yet carrying the weight of centuries.
Makoto looked at her sister with quiet warmth.
"No matter how much time passes, you were never meant to walk it alone."
For a moment, even the consciousness space felt still.