"Oh dear." Elysia put on a worried expression, tinged with melancholy. "Let me think, Sakura must be just dying to see me by now."
After all, they were old companions, and Elysia's eyes dimmed briefly, then brightened again.
It didn't matter. Her own state wasn't great either, so she had no time to pity Sakura's situation.
They were all just ghosts drifting through the modern era, old relics. There was no ship left in this new age to carry them.
Oh, except maybe for me, she thought.
Shiraha yawned, slouched in the back seat, and leaned gently against his Nee-chan, nuzzling her shoulder.
"Probably," he said, a little drowsy. "Sakura has a great impression of you."
When he thought about it, the very first time he'd interacted with Rin, he'd used his Nee-chan's name.
So in Sakura's eyes, Elysia was truly an "Origin superhuman", all-powerful, still worrying about the sisters even in this era.
Raven glanced at the rearview mirror. "Sovereign…"
She was addressing him. Elysia quickly straightened up, she did have a high status in some organization, even if she didn't fully understand how World Serpent had been passed down.
"Nee-chan says…" Shiraha added, "If you have something to say, delinquent senpai, just say it directly, no need to hesitate."
"We're all on the same side, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Put that way, even without acting as the Origin's successor, Shiraha seemed indispensable. Though "Nine Thousand Years" didn't sound great.
Raven looked at Shiraha, her tone a little more direct. "If you ask me, Shiraha, you're only ten. Isn't the Sovereign having you do some things a bit early?"
At least running away from home, casually using powers to create flower fields and romantic scenes…
Of course, there was nothing wrong with it, but Raven knew what Elysia looked like, that she was a normal older sister.
Elysia blinked, what did she mean?
She understood, but she wasn't going there.
Shiraha tilted his head as the car pulled up to the doctors' house.
He hopped out, turning back. "It's fine, senpai. You don't have to treat me like a kid. I've said this to Mobius-nee before, but I'll say it again."
He puffed out his chest, chin lifted. "Call me Big Shiraha."
Raven looked at the kid puffing out his chest and said nothing.
It was good that kids wanted to be strong, but that didn't mean adults could rest, or start thinking weird things.
Big Shiraha? Come back in seven or eight years.
The living room was full of people. Raven didn't come in, but just as she was about to hit the gas, her phone buzzed.
A message from Grey Serpent.
Sigh.
She got out with lifeless eyes, yes, she should stand with Sakura.
Before Welt could speak, Sakura asked softly, "Where's Elysia?"
One advantage of choosing Sakura was that she was one of the sharpest, besides the unreachable Aponia, she truly was the best at perception.
But she couldn't sense anything, no wonder even the First Herrscher thought Elysia was imaginary. No trace at all, how could anyone believe?
Elysia's face lit up with a smile, she knew it. Her good friend Sakura's first thought was about her.
Shiraha swung their joined hands. "Nee-chan's really happy right now, Sakura-nee's first reaction was to ask about her."
Then he looked at Welt, his expression obedient with a hint of apology. "Sorry, senpai, I snuck out alone last night."
Welt shook his head. "It's fine."
Even using his powers for that didn't matter, kids should be like that.
Even Welt used his powers for small things now and then, who could resist that kind of temptation?
The only thing that made Welt's heart ache was that Shiraha's romantic gestures were all directed at an invisible Elysia.
"It does matter." Sakura cut in, her voice losing its earlier softness.
She looked at Shiraha, more precisely, at the hand being held.
Loose fingers, palm facing up, not holding, but being held.
"Does Elysia have any way to communicate with us?"
Shiraha's voice was crisp. "I can be a messenger."
He liked that job too, even if it made him a copycat. So what if he was a copycat?
Sakura shook her head. She thought of Elysia's current state, without holding Shiraha, she couldn't interact with reality.
"I have paper and pen here. Shiraha, stay for a moment, I have some things to discuss with Elysia."
Using Shiraha as a messenger was convenient, but some things didn't need to involve him.
Elysia was full of anticipation, did the organization have a mission for her?
She could handle it! In this ordinary life, she needed something to look forward to.
Besides Shiraha, she welcomed anything that expected something of her.
Einstein hadn't come out, she'd intended to talk some sense into Shiraha, but when she saw Tesla and Welt, a wave of helplessness washed over her.
Forget it.
Elysia was brimming with excitement, but Sakura didn't hand her the notebook right away. She wrote something first.
After ten seconds or so, when the notebook reached Elysia, it had a single line:
"Elysia, everyone misses you."
I miss everyone too!
"Everyone wants to know, when can you visit the Elysian Realm?"
Sakura wanted to do something, but she couldn't even touch Elysia.
At this point, the only Flame-Chaser who might be able to help was Aponia.
Sakura sighed, she'd spent half the night making excuses for Elysia, and then today's photos came out.
The flowers, the sea, that sea of flowers, Elysia was still the same as ever. Brilliant, dazzling, always attracting attention, always creating romance…
"I'm planning to wait until Shiraha's a little older."
Elysia suddenly calmed down. She glanced at the drowsy Shiraha beside her.
With him this young, going to the Elysian Realm would just get her electrocuted. She wasn't stupid, she knew herself well.
Her friends in the Realm would smile on the surface while secretly plotting how to "correct" her.
Elysia wasn't wrong!
I see. The pure-hearted Sakura simply nodded. She looked at Shiraha. "If you're tired, Shiraha, you can go to your room. I can catch up with Elysia later."
Shiraha nodded crisply, perfect.
Staying up occasionally was fine, someone with a Stigmata could go days in high-stress situations.
But everyday life still made you tired.
Sakura didn't say a word, just watched as Shiraha's hand seemed to be held by someone.
"Teacher Welt, I'll head to my room now."
After saying his goodbyes, Shiraha rubbed his eyes as the door was pushed open by his Nee-chan.
Sakura remained silent, her smile fading as she narrowed her eyes.
She spoke softly. "Tell Grey Serpent to send me the Cleansing Seven Thunders. I might not have any other way to threaten Elysia."
Elysia really had changed.
She didn't even think it was strange to share a room with a child?
Sakura had never even shared a room with Rin once Rin was old enough for school.
Raven sighed. "Yes, yes!"
Welt, who had been about to get food, paused. "Cleansing Seven Thunders?"
The name sounded familiar, like something from an archaeological file.
Sakura explained simply. "The Third Divine Key, one of my former weapons."
Welt: ….
He realized he needed to reassess the value of this organization left behind by the Previous Era.
Exploring ancient ruins, and the Cleansing Seven Thunders, if Anti-Entropy changed its policies, they might even get access to methods for fusing Honkai beast genes.
Just then, a door opened upstairs. Mei rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Good morning, Uncle Welt."
Still rubbing her eyes, she started to push open Shiraha's door.
"Hold on, Mei, Shiraha didn't sleep at all last night. Let him rest for a bit."
Mei blinked and nodded.
Leaving Mei aside for now, Sakura glanced at the girl upstairs, then looked again.
She couldn't quite understand this civilization.
By noon,
When Shiraha woke up, his Nee-chan was leaning by the window, looking melancholic, her arm braced against the wall, forehead resting on it. Sunlight streamed in, falling on her without casting a shadow.
"Nee-chan?"
Elysia needed sleep too, though it was more like she chose to stop being awake.
This time, she jolted awake in a daze, she remembered that sleeping with a kid was illegal.
Her tone was helpless. "Shiraha, I think I've been misunderstood."
Shiraha didn't understand.
Elysia continued. "Sakura might think I'm into kids."
Shiraha was speechless.
The room fell quiet. Shiraha hopped off the bed. "It's fine, Nee-chan, mature stories aren't always popular, but no one hates the opening of a fairy tale."
"Compared to the polished versions of adults, colorful kids are much more appealing."
He reached out, his smile bright.
He had a practiced way of comforting himself and others.
Elysia blinked, then shook her head firmly. "No, no."
"Little Shiraha, don't treat yourself like a kid."
"The reason I'm doing this is because Little Shiraha is already an adult, so your Nee-chan isn't a pervert."
Shiraha's smile faltered for just a moment.
As expected of a Nee-chan worth learning from! In self-deception and self-comfort, she'd reached heights he couldn't match.
"Shiraha~" Elysia suddenly leaned in, their distance closed to zero, her head filling his entire view, her starry eyes all he could see.
"You'll stand by your Nee-chan, right?"
Elysia still didn't understand where things had gone wrong, her friends in the Realm were supposed to be her friends. Why would they ever stand against her?
Hadn't they all agreed to protect beauty together?
Shiraha blinked. "Of course, I'll stand by my Nee-chan."
No one else could give him power, but Elysia had awakened his potential.
Though hugging a big sister for too long might make him want a change now and then, that was wrong… just kidding.
Elysia still leaned by the window, playing melancholy. Shiraha was about to sit with her when she suddenly spoke. "You don't have to stay."
Shiraha: ?
"When you go down, Sakura might ask about me."
"Just say I'm too tired and still asleep." Elysia paused for a long moment, then added, "Also, say my condition is really bad, that flower sea took a lot out of me, so by the time I got back and talked to Sakura, I was already running on fumes."
She felt her image could still be saved. She had no qualms about teasing Mei and Kiana, mostly because those kids stood too close to Shiraha, the childhood-friend vibes were too strong.
If she didn't do something, it just felt wrong.
Shiraha understood immediately. "Leave it to me."
Lying was something he was best at though the Omnipotent One never lied.
He pushed the door open. The living room wasn't crowded, Sakura, Mei, and Kiana were squeezed together in front of a big screen, playing games.
Sakura, what are you doing?
The moment she heard the door, Sakura felt relieved. Playing games had been Mei's idea, she always tried to take care of everyone.
Sakura didn't feel right refusing when she looked at Mei's face.
She immediately asked what she cared about most. "Is Elysia awake yet?"
"Of course she's awake." Kiana answered without looking up, eyes fixed on the screen. "Shiraha and his imaginary friend always have the same schedule."
Shiraha quickly added, "Not yet, Nee-chan's condition has been pretty bad. The magic at the coast drained too much of her energy."
"She was already running on fumes when she was talking to you earlier."
He ran downstairs and saw the game, Road Rash.
At twelve or thirteen, it made sense to like more violent games.
Mei hadn't said a word, she was trying to win first, but why was Sakura so fast?
Little Mei clutched her head in despair, third place again!
When the game went to the results screen, she finally looked at Shiraha. He looked well-rested, and smelled faintly of flowers.
Sakura paused for a long moment. "So that scene really exhausted that much of her energy?"
She used all that energy just to impress a kid?
She pressed her forehead. "Do you two always sleep together?"
Shiraha thought for a moment, his expression unchanged. "Not really."
Kiana looked up, her sky-blue eyes full of confusion. "You don't? You two always sleep together, even your room decor is based on your imaginary friend's taste, all those stars… You can't tell me that's your taste?"
Sakura understood immediately, stars. She knew what the room looked like.
Elysia….
What can I even say to defend you?
How am I supposed to save your reputation?
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