Chapter 89
Minamoto no Raikō burst into tears. She was no longer the dignified general; she had returned to being the carefree sixteen-year-old girl who didn't have to think about anything.
The last fox tail, meant to Fate Alteration, also broke off.
Hebe forcibly locked Minamoto no Raikō's fragmented fate within her own body.
The progress of conquering the Lostbelt has reached its limit, Hebe's five senses are rapidly fading away.
But she can still say a few words.
She reached out and embraced Minamoto no Raikō's neck.
Tears Minamoto no Raikō's face, wetting the girl's long, flaxen hair.
She couldn't understand why Hebe, as a fox spirit, was always helping civilization and order.
She couldn't understand why Hebe would willingly make such heavy sacrifices, and more than once.
"This is truly goodbye, Raikou," Hebe said softly. "Open your arms, embrace this country that belongs to you, and welcome everything that belongs to you."
Her body was swept away by the gale and could never be found in any way again.
"Teacher, I'm sorry—Teacher! I haven't had a chance to say sorry to you yet!"
Minamoto no Raikō screamed as she crawled across the ground with her mutilated limbs, long trails of blood trailing from her not-yet-fully-healed wounds.
Her consciousness was fading, Hebe felt incredibly relaxed and at ease, but she still couldn't leave.
With her last breath, she made her final wish in this Lostbelt: to be delivered to Miss A-Long's side.
As Miss A-Long, carrying the capital city of the heavens on her back, flew towards the vast Pacific Ocean, Hebe's voice suddenly rang in her ears.
"Miss A-Long".
"Hmm, is Fox leaving again?" The last dragon in the world flapped its wings vigorously. "It's alright, A-Long will always wait for Fox to come back."
"Because A-Long is a very sensible and obedient dragon! He remembers everything A-Long says very well!"
Hebe remained silent.
She sighed softly and spoke in Miss A-Long's ear, "Miss A-Long, once this city can float stably..."
"Come to Blankog Island in Albion, I'll be waiting for you there."
[Current Lostbelt progress: 100%]
[The Legend of the Far Eastern Fox Spirits: The Sword of Divine Circulation] has ended, and [The Knower] has logged out.
Miss A-Long did not respond. Tears, as bright as diamonds, rolled down Alon's cheeks, reflecting a magnificent color in the sunlight.
She flapped her wings with all her might and flew very, very high.
Minamoto no Raikō exerted all her strength to crawl out of the inner chamber of the Flower Palace. She hadn't used her own legs for a very long time, so much so that when the light reflected from the sea of clouds fell into her eyes, her limbs felt weak.
The dragon still held its head high, dragging Kyoto City into the distant sky. She seemed to have no energy to spare, as if she wanted to fly to the ends of the earth.
Minamoto no Raikō tilted his head back.
She didn't even realize she was feeling sad until a surge of emotions welled up inside her, until she felt the rain running down her body.
She thought of Hebe's face and felt that her teacher was like a sea under the moonlight, quiet and vast. But when she reached out to touch her, there was only a hazy darkness.
What made Minamoto no Raikō feel incredibly distant was not the long period of time, but the series of irreversible events.
Minamoto no Raikō staggered as he tried to stand up, but instead fell back to the ground.
She tried several times but failed each time.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why does the teacher save me again and again?"
"Isn't the teacher a fox? Why does she insist on going against her own destiny?"
This is certainly not a problem for Hebe.
The scenery in the mountains is certainly beautiful, but it's too desolate. After all, she prefers a prosperous and civilized society.
But Tamamo-no-Mae no longer exists; only Miss A-Long's voice can be heard on the wind.
"It's probably because the fox is too fond of humans."
Minamoto no Raikō looked up, and the world seemed to turn upside down before her eyes; black turned into pale, and white turned into darkness.
What meaning does anything in this world have? Her eyes were open, but she could see nothing.
A thick fog appeared before her eyes, only to vanish abruptly. It struck without warning, like a thief catching her off guard, leaving everything in its wake soaked in its wake.
Minamoto no Raikō recalled that when he was sixteen, he saw a beautiful large fox in the sunlight in a dark courtyard.
Hebe poured her life into hers, and from that moment on, she became a tributary in Hebe's life.
Minamoto no Raikō almost had a delusion; she felt as if she were about to immerse herself in the blissful forgetfulness of the past, yet her fingertips touched an iron-like boundary. But nightmares have no boundaries.
Her body trembled violently as if struck by lightning, squeezing out cold, hissing sounds from between her teeth and bones.
The history of the world continues: the sun will rise, of course, and it always will rise.
Whether it's the circulation of blood or the movement of planets.
She hugged her own shoulders in solitude.
So, my teacher once loved me. She thought greedily and selfishly to herself.
The feeling of love is more like a sword cutting open one's chest.
Minamoto no Raikō stood up shakily and placed her hand on the half-collapsed wall.
Thus, the city, which was about to fall, was stabilized once again. An immense force lifted it up, guiding the celestial capital away from Miss A-Long's fiery clouds.
Miss A-Long- Long looked at Minamoto no Raikō.
She saw endless loneliness and desolation in the latter.
Minamoto no Raikō smiled, "Your teacher said something to you, right?"
She raised her chin, revealing her slender yet supple neck.
"Go, go find the teacher!"
Minamoto no Raikō called out to Miss A-Long, "O Dragon, fly higher and farther!"
Miss A-Long looked at Minamoto no Raikō: "And what about you? What are you going to do?"
Minamoto no Raikō replied in a broken yet stubborn voice, "This memory is enough for me."
There is still much to be done, enough to fill many lonely moments.
She knew that if she followed Miss A-Long, she would definitely be able to find clues about her teacher—but she didn't want her teacher to see her ugly appearance again.
After all, the teacher entrusted this country to him.
The heavenly capital flew back towards the Higashi, riding the blazing sunlight, bidding farewell to the last dragon in the world.
Volume 30: Blanckug Thirty Days
136 is the settlement number again.
"Settlement in progress."
"Current Lostbelt the Far East Fox Spirit - The Sword of the Gods' Path. Current progress: 100%."
Achievement: Retrograde Canal - You have returned from history three times, and the truth of the secret history is revealed before your eyes. "There is still one principle that has not been revealed, and besides that, there is another principle waiting to be born."
A Farewell from the Age of Gods —You brought a complete end to the chaotic world overrun by demons and monsters, making the Heian period truly deserving of its name. "She just especially, especially liked humans."
Traveling with the Dragon – You will travel alongside the last dragon in the world. The legend of the fox and the dragon is still talked about in the Higashi.
"There is a great fox named Tamamo. She has nine tails and possesses divine powers. She controls the fate of heaven and calms the winds and waves. Calling her name brings abundance."
"A divine dragon emerges from the mountains. It experiences spring and summer, and passes through autumn and winter. It carries the western capital and crosses the eastern sea. It departs from the mortal world, and its life is boundless."
The Founder of the Way of the Sword —you ingeniously imparted the system of swordsmanship, allowing the origins of swordsmanship to be connected with more than a thousand years of history in your hands. "We swordsmen seek the truth from top to bottom."
Heavenly Fox —under the Cup Principle, you have pioneered a new path. From now on, more people will be able to follow the path you have trod and ascend on the Path of Ascension. "The fox has nine tails, and its power reaches the heavens."
The transmission of the Dharma—you use the Heart Sutra as a vehicle to transmit the orthodox Path of Ascension in the Higashi. "Without Tamamo-no-Mae, we would still be kneeling in the mud, eating our food."
Power Struggle —You have fully driven the operation of Power Struggle, witnessed how it works, and been able to apply its principles. "Power Struggle is the engine that runs the world, the spark that ignites all things."
Mutual Learning —you have taught many people who have influenced the history of the Higashi, and they have also taught you a great deal about history and about life. "Therefore, a teacher is not necessarily more virtuous than his student, nor is a student necessarily inferior to his teacher."
Sword's Pressure on Kyoto —You have completely defeated all the major sword styles of an era, or won the hearts of the representatives of those styles. "A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests, a single sword's light chills fourteen provinces."
Extinguishing Fires —whether it's the Shimabara fire that has been burning for three hundred years, the chaotic fire that destroyed the entire city of Kyoto, or the war that ignited the whole world, you extinguish them all with your might.
"A flame can burn for different reasons, but of all fires, the one that burns for change is the most intense."
Fearless Tears —you will correct the misplaced history, preventing countless tragedies from happening. "Thus, you will correct all things and phenomena."
Opening the Country —you appointed the right successor, ended the chaos of the late Edo period, and opened the gates of the Higashi. "Hello, world."
Abundance—your faith blossomed throughout the entire Higashi. Legend has it that in the days when Tamamo-no-Mae walked the mortal world, one could even find shade beneath the tall rice paddies. "Fallen leaves carry a message: it was an era of abundance."
The Wish-Granting Machine —Even after the Ritual of the Full Moon was abandoned, the legend of the fox spirit who could grant wishes remained captivating. "Ah, the beautiful fox spirit, the fox spirit who could grant everyone's wishes..."
The Shogunate Creator —you casually mentioned your ideas about the shogunate, and through Minamoto no Raikō's efforts, they were brought to fruition. "You spoke jokingly, without the speaker's intention, but the listener took it as an ideal and devoted his life to practicing it."
Contending with Destiny —you have averted certain death more than once. "She danced a whirling dance with the flames, and with fate as well."
The Bloodstained Holy Grail —You have reached the third stage of the Path of Ascension, completed your work, and sacrificed it to redeem someone. Therefore, the Holy Grail rejoices. "What is full as a lake or sea, what is seen as cinnabar?"
Liberation Heaven —a nation born of strife, which, under your witness, finally reconciles with the conflict. "If not for protection, the sword's existence would be meaningless."
Overall rating: EX.
Commentary: The fox spirit has traversed everyone's dreams, and the Higashi follows in her footsteps. A thousand years of obsession and strife have finally come to an end. Behold, miracles are unfolding across the land of the Higashi.
"Thanks to your efforts, another lost secret history has been proven and incorporated into the annals of history."
"—We all salute you, [The Knower]."
"Rewards are being distributed."
"Basic reward: Heavenly Fox Tail - It can no longer be divided into nine tails, but when you wear it, you can use "Foxfire";
The foxfire here is merely a flame capable of burning spiritual energy; it has no other special effects.
The Heavenly Fox Ear can no longer be used as a mark, but when you wear them, you can use "Transformation".
The change here is limited to itself; the current record is "foxification".
Attention! When you wear both the "Tail of the Heavenly Fox" and the "Heavenly Fox Ear" at the same time, you will be considered as the second stage of the "Heavenly Fox" path - Daytime, and "Foxfire" and "Transformation" will be temporarily upgraded to marks!
If you are in the Higashi, you will be regarded as the third rank of the "Heavenly Fox" path - Twilight! In the "Concealed" state, your fox tail and fox ears will be ignored by others, but your physical form will still exist.
The God of Fated Bonds – When you fulfill someone else's wish, you will also receive a portion of the return they wished for; this return will not be received immediately, but will take no more than seven days.
The Great Talisman of Abundance —The priests of Inari Grand Shrine need to undergo a "registering" ceremony to be qualified to draw talismans, but you now have this power;
Hint! Certain special characters possessing power can enhance the effectiveness of talismans.
The Forge – a gift from the Celestial Flint – allows you to designate a location to place an "Activated Forge". You can obtain one random product from it for free each day, or you can put in raw materials to make it automatically forge.
Note! The "Activated Forge" can only be operated in the present world environment!
Omamori – You can now create Omamori to counteract curses such as "curse killing," "instant death," and "amulet."
Cola – a blessing from the Holy Grail, allowing you to designate a space on your person from which you can take out a 330ml can of Iced Cola every hour, with a random flavor;
Pain relief – You can use a spell gesture and incantation to relieve a targeted person from pain;
The incantation is "Pain, pain, fly away," and the casting posture is not limited.
The Envoy's Prayer —a reward from the Scar Father, allowing you to invoke a dead target, whose rank is no higher than "Twilight," to fight for you with a single syllable;
Water Walking – a gift from pearls, where you can walk on water as you please;
Open Sesame —a blessing from the gatekeeper, you can open a closed door with a spell;
The spell is "Sesame, sesame, open the door."
Rank A Special Reward: [Eternal Abundance of a Thousand Grains]—From the Higashi, revealing a corner of abundance.