"Eternity lets time stretch without limit."
"Dreams make every tick of the clock shine with brilliance."
"When the two merge, the Sacred Sakura shall break free of Heaven's constraints and bloom from the darkness."
"And so, the nightmare ends. Reality finds its perfection."
"The light we longed for lies ahead."
The seed of the Sacred Sakura sank into the river of time.
Far in the distant past, it fell upon Inazuma, took root atop Mount Yougou, and began to sprout.
The white-furred Hakushin foxes gathered from all around to guard the fragile sapling.
Time pressed forward, accelerating.
In the blink of an eye, centuries passed.
Within that river, the Sacred Sakura grew tall and mighty.
Inazuma was founded. The Grand Narukami Shrine was built.
Under the care of successive shrine maidens, the Sakura grew from sapling to sacred tree.
And in that instant, the current of time stilled again.
Past, present, and future overlapped—
The loop of time was now perfectly closed.
Petals danced through the air.
It was beautiful beyond words.
"Do you know, Ei," Makoto's voice sounded again—softer, warmer than before, "I'm happy now. My wish has come true."
"Your naginata once stood between me and countless disasters. I always felt I owed you a debt. This is my small repayment. Tell me—has it helped you?"
"...It has."
Ei pressed her lips together, expression faintly uneasy, then shook her head.
If… if Mr. Taro hadn't existed, would this moment have even been possible?
A small smile crossed her face. "See you soon, onee-sama."
Makoto chuckled lightly. "You—don't go scaring me like that again. I was truly frightened just now."
"Then maybe it's good to scare you once in a while." Ei smiled back. "But from now on, I'll listen to you again. You'll govern Inazuma, and I'll be—"
"Enough." Makoto cut her off with a gentle laugh. "My time is short. When I revive, I don't know if I'll even remember this. You'll have to remind me, little sister."
"Mm." Ei nodded deeply.
"See you soon, Ei."
"See you soon, Makoto."
As the words faded, the last trace of Makoto's will scattered like drifting petals.
"..."
Ei instinctively reached out, as if to grasp what was already gone. Then she turned quickly toward Taro.
"Sir… can we begin now?"
Her voice trembled with worry and fear.
Afraid this was a dream.
Afraid it was another deception.
Her sister had fooled her once before.
"Just a moment," Taro replied calmly, nodding to her, then turned toward Istaroth.
"Want to double-check?"
"If it's all confirmed, I'll proceed."
It had been quite the show, and Taro had gained plenty from it.
Had he known the harvest would be this rich, he could've helped for free. In fact, he might've volunteered.
The value of this single sequence equaled, if not surpassed, the corpse of the Nibelung Root that Ronova had gifted him earlier.
Guaranteed profit. Maybe even triple profit, depending on what came next.
Istaroth's mastery of time was undeniably brilliant.
Compared to her artistry, the so-called World Tree looked crude—a half-rotted stump next to an eternal clock.
"Timeline confirmed as fully closed," came Istaroth's serene voice. "Mr. Taro, you may act."
"Pity," Taro thought. "Seems she won't show off again."
Still, he brushed the thought aside and glanced around. "You're sure this place is stable enough?"
"Don't worry," Istaroth replied. "The loop is sealed. This space no longer connects to Teyvat's temporal stream."
So that's why he couldn't feel time moving anymore. She'd sliced the link herself the moment the work was done.
"Stingy one, aren't you?" he muttered. "Fine, I've gotten what I needed anyway. No loss."
"Then let's begin."
He spread his fingers and pressed lightly downward.
An intricate array of light bloomed underfoot, expanding in an instant until it filled the entire realm.
Chains of pure law erupted from the void, linking into a lattice.
And then—Taro's order descended.
Root Skill: End-God.
A resonant chime rolled through the air.
A higher existence descended—seizing control of Istaroth's domain outright.
Holy radiance flooded the void.
An infinite sea of stars emerged overhead.
Unheard chants and distant harps filled the vastness, washing the soul clean.
Reality turned.
Heaven Manifest.
This was Taro's world—a true, independent dimension.
Its name: Paradise Dimension.
"...Still lacking," he murmured. "Needs more work."
He studied the projection calmly. His class level wasn't maxed yet—only level one.
All he could summon was a projection of the Paradise Dimension.
Once his profession reached full mastery, he could manifest the entire world in reality.
He made a mental note: Form a team soon—grind experience.
After all, he really wanted to try hitting someone with an entire world.
Istaroth watched in silence.
Her sight was keen enough to recognize it instantly—a projection of a grand, independent world.
So this was his foundation… a true Lord of Worlds.
How fortunate she'd chosen diplomacy over confrontation.
Otherwise…
"I decree: Redemption."
At his words, the Paradise Dimension responded.
"God said: Let there be Salvation."
The heavens hummed.
The severed connection to time rekindled.
The river of time manifested inside a radiant hall.
A silver hand took shape and reached straight into the current.
"…You actually pulled Teyvat's time-stream out into the open?"
Even Istaroth felt her scalp tingle.
She wanted to stop him—but found no words.
She could only hope he wouldn't overdo it.
She quietly activated her own authority, eyes fixed on him.
Moments passed. Then—relief.
He wasn't breaking anything. Just retrieving someone.
Good. He didn't launch an attack.
Maybe… he couldn't yet.
If he ever gained the ability to strike directly into the river of time, she thought grimly, she'd surrender then and there.
That kind of being would be far too dangerous.
Thank you, Ronova, for the lesson, she thought.
(Ronova, somewhere distant: "Shut up!")
(End of Chapter)
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