How long had she been in this world already?
About...a year?
Perhaps only less than an hour had passed in Teyvat, or even less. Yet here, an entire year had already gone by. Of course, that year was time she had truly lived through in full.
When she had first arrived, faced with such an..."advanced" world? Or perhaps simply a world with its own unique characteristics. Maybe both...this kind of world, this kind of city, had left her somewhat at a loss. She had even felt a trace of helplessness. She did not know whether Ei would feel the same way if their positions were reversed, but regardless...she herself certainly had.
This world...was vast. Vast beyond measure. Just like Teyvat, it possessed many different nations and races of people. It was wondrous, even more exaggerated than anything she had ever encountered before.
For the first time, she truly understood the feeling of "traveling to another world." It was such a strange and marvelous experience. Compared to before, she felt even more excited, dreamlike perhaps...or maybe it was simply curiosity toward the unknown mixed with anxiety...even vigilance.
She knew that this side of herself was immature, almost childlike. She could not compare to her mother, Ei, at all. But she did not care. Perhaps this was the real her.
And so, hugging her knees while sitting beside the floor-to-ceiling window, she absentmindedly gazed at the city streets outside, washed in bleak moonlight. A trace of absent-mindedness surfaced in her eyes as she slowly rested her forehead against the glass, feeling its icy chill. It calmed her thoughts slightly.
"..."
She came back to herself and raised her eyes toward the clock on the wall.
It was around two in the morning.
The streets below had already fallen silent. Almost no apartment windows still emitted light.
Everyone was asleep by now, right?
Was she the only one still awake?
"...You're back so late."
Staring at the constantly ticking clock, she could not help murmuring softly.
Was Inori's work really this time-consuming?
Whoosh whoosh~
She hugged her knees tighter again, curling herself up beside the window while staring at the moonlight outside.
At the moment, she wore only a thin layer of loungewear. A light purple long-sleeved pajama top and matching pajama pants covered her body. Her smooth violet hair was left completely untied, cascading naturally down her back with a graceful and gentle beauty.
"So sleepy..."
She could feel her body's sleepiness gradually taking effect again.
But she did not want to sleep alone.
Recently, whenever she slept by herself, she would have nightmares. Dreams of how she once was inside the Plane of Euthymia. Dreams where she hurt the people around her.
Those dreams made her heart ache.
Because of that, she no longer dared sleep alone.
Afterward, Ei had already abolished Inazuma's Sakoku Decree, so now her mother was buried beneath endless duties and had no time to accompany her anymore.
Yes.
This time, she had come to this world alone.
Entirely alone.
No...perhaps saying she was completely alone was not entirely accurate.
Makoto was still there.
Inside the space within her heart.
A mother who would never reveal herself.
Honestly...she did feel lonely.
But she did not choose to return home.
Instead, she continued staying here because one year ago, she had met someone.
The pink-haired girl who had allowed her to stay here.
Inori Yuzuriha...
At first, she had found it strange. Why would a girl like that so easily allow a complete stranger to move into her home?
Now, however, she understood.
Perhaps...Inori was just as lonely as she was.
Over the past year, the two of them had gotten along extremely well.
Inori was the sort of girl who normally showed very little expression. She rarely displayed the emotions in her heart, somewhat similar to how Mio used to be.
But compared to her former self, Inori was far softer.
And somewhat airheaded.
Perhaps that was only at the beginning.
As they became increasingly close, Inori eventually revealed her first genuine smile to her.
After that, her expressions gradually became richer.
She smiled more often.
Her tone of voice began carrying warmth.
Her voice itself was heavenly.
Gentle and pleasing to the ear, like falling snow.
Sometimes, she would even sing.
Mio raised her eyes toward the distant moonlight as these thoughts drifted through her mind.
After all, the people around her had always been this unique.
But no matter what, she understood one thing.
Living together like this represented trust between them.
Perhaps companionship as well.
To Mio herself, this was an unfamiliar world.
But for Inori Yuzuriha, perhaps this was also an "unfamiliar" world in its own way.
Meanwhile, in the alley outside the apartment building...
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
"Haa...haa..."
At this moment, Inori leaned weakly against the wall, breathing heavily.
Blood had already spread extensively from her arm, staining everything red.
Her face was pale.
Cold sweat covered her forehead.
She knew she had already lost too much blood.
After glancing around the alley and confirming there was no one nearby, she staggered across the street once more and arrived at the apartment staircase.
Just as she was about to head upstairs, she suddenly remembered something and stopped.
"..."
She lowered her gaze toward the arm that was still bleeding.
Then, with a rip, she tore off part of her skirt fabric and tightly wrapped it around the wound.
A crude temporary bandage.
At the very least, it would stop blood from dripping across the stairs.
Only then did she continue climbing upward.
Stumbling slightly, she leaned against the door to her home.
The light above the doorway had already gone out.
Only deep darkness and moonlit shadows hidden beneath the eaves surrounded her.
Slowly, she slipped a hand into her pocket and took out her key card.
Supporting herself against the wall, she pressed the card against the scanner.
Beep—
Click!
The lock light turned green.
The door automatically opened.
"Haa..."
She hurriedly steadied her breathing again before picking up the robot in her arms and forcing herself upright against the wall.
She tried her best to appear normal as she entered the apartment.
Inside the room, Mio subconsciously turned toward the entrance upon hearing the door open.
A familiar figure stepped into the foyer directly across from the floor-to-ceiling window.
The figure closed the door while holding something in her arms and slowly walked across the floor toward the living room.
From the way she moved, she had not even changed out of her shoes.
"...Inori? Is that you?"
Mio released her knees and slowly stood barefoot upon the floor, her fair and delicate feet stepping softly across the ground as she approached.
"..."
The figure in the darkness staggered toward her.
The more Mio watched, the more wrong something felt.
She immediately quickened her pace.
"Inori? What's wrong?"
Her voice grew noticeably more urgent.
"...Mio..."
Looking toward the figure approaching her through blurred vision, Inori subconsciously revealed a weak smile beneath the moonlight.
Then—
Clatter!
The robot in her hands fell directly onto the floor.
Her legs suddenly gave out.
She collapsed forward straight into Mio's arms.
"!"
Mio reacted instantly and caught her.
The impact forced Mio herself backward as well, but she managed to brace herself against the floor in time, sitting down while supporting the girl whose body had already grown frighteningly cold.
"...Inori?"
She softly called out to her.
But there was no response.
Mio suddenly noticed that the hand supporting Inori's arm felt strangely wet.
As though covered in something.
A terrible feeling immediately rose in her chest.
She hurriedly turned on the living room lights.
Only then did she clearly see Inori's condition.
Her face was deathly pale.
Her hair was damp and disheveled.
Leaving aside the revealing outfit that exposed her stomach and looked almost embarrassingly indecent...
The most serious issue was the wound on her arm.
Even though it had been wrapped in cloth, thick blood was still soaking through heavily.
"Sorry...Mio...I...came back...late."
Growing increasingly faint, Inori spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, weakly apologizing to her.
"Don't talk for now..."
Mio interrupted her.
She lifted the girl's body into her arms and carried her straight into the bedroom, carefully laying her down upon the bed.
Looking at the filthy state of the clothes she wore, Mio immediately began undoing them.
Although the outfit looked strange, it was surprisingly easy to remove. At least, she managed it on her first attempt.
She casually draped the revealing dress over the nearby chair before removing the sock-boots from Inori's legs, exposing those delicate feet already drenched in sweat.
After briefly wiping away the sweat covering the girl's body, Mio climbed onto the bed and carefully unwrapped the bloodstained cloth around her arm.
A horrifying wound already showing signs of infection was revealed beneath.
"Mmgh~!"
Inori let out a muffled groan beneath the blanket.
It was obviously extremely painful.
Fresh cold sweat immediately appeared upon her forehead once more.
"It's infected..."
Mio gently wiped around the edge of the wound with a handkerchief as she softly informed her.
"Mm...I know."
Inori lightly pursed her lips and answered quietly.
"Just wait until I'm done...then I'll scold you properly."
Mio complained softly before stepping down from the bed and retrieving a bottle of iodine from the first aid kit.
"Mm..."
Inori obediently nodded.
The next moment, a handkerchief appeared before her eyes.
"Bite this..."
Mio instructed.
"Ahhmm~"
Inori obediently bit down on the cloth and subconsciously shut her eyes.
Even before it started, her brows were already tightly furrowed.
"Ready?"
Inori nodded.
Mio poured iodine onto a sterilized cotton pad and pressed it directly against the wound.
"Mmphmm—!!!!!"
The next second, a muffled cry of pain escaped the girl.
Her body curled slightly as her free hand tightly gripped the bedsheets.
Even her toes curled against the mattress.
After several long minutes of cleaning the wound, Mio finally removed the cotton.
The wound had now been disinfected.
Only then could she proceed to the next step.
"Inori, bear with it a little longer..."
Mio set the iodine aside.
A glowing emblem carrying the mark of Karma appeared upon her palm as she softly warned the girl.
"Mm..."
Covered in cold sweat, Inori slowly nodded.
It was obvious she was already close to losing consciousness from exhaustion.
Bzzzt~
The next moment, Mio directly pressed the glowing Karma mark against the girl's wound.
"Mmgh~! Aahhh—!!"
Inori could no longer keep the handkerchief clenched between her teeth.
She cried out directly.
Moments later, however, her consciousness became hazy.
The pain had already passed its peak.
Which meant the wound was beginning to heal.
"Haa...haa...thank you...Mio."
Inori softly thanked her.
"Before thanking me, don't you think you should explain yourself first?"
While kneeling beside the bed and continuing to heal the wound, Mio glanced at her with clear dissatisfaction.
"..."
Inori remained silent.
"Inori Yuzuriha."
Mio deliberately lowered her voice.
"...Work injury. I accidentally...got hurt while singing..."
The girl immediately answered.
"...Haa. All this time, I watched you leave frequently and come back home using your so-called idol activities as an excuse to brush me off. Occasionally you'd return with tiny injuries too. I chose to ignore it because I knew this world had dangerous undercurrents hidden beneath the surface. If you wanted to keep secrets, I could understand that. But...after seeing you come home like this tonight, I think my decision back then was wrong."
While healing the girl lying upon the bed, Mio spoke with obvious heartache.
"...Mio, I..."
"What kind of work leaves you in this condition? Tell me."
She asked directly.
"..."
Inori still did not answer.
"Inori..."
"...?"
The girl subconsciously looked toward her.
Normally expressionless, her face was now filled with complicated emotions.
Her cherry-red eyes shimmered faintly with moisture, reflecting Mio's figure within them.
"I'm getting angry..."
Mio glared at her with restrained irritation.
"...Don't be angry."
Inori softly tried to comfort her.
Her voice trembled slightly, as though she were on the verge of tears.
"Then tell me."
Mio insisted.
"Funeral Parlor."
"..."
Mio lightly pursed her lips.
The name that came from the girl's mouth was one she recognized.
A name she often heard mentioned on television.
"I'm...a member of Funeral Parlor."
Inori's lips trembled as she finally forced herself to say it.
"Funeral Parlor...the resistance group?"
Mio frowned.
"Mm...sorry, Mio...for hiding it from you all this time. I'm part of the resistance."
Inori finally confessed everything.
"Haa...why would you...join them?"
Mio asked in confusion.
"...The leader of Funeral Parlor, Gai Tsutsugami, was once my benefactor. The name 'Inori Yuzuriha' was also given to me by him. It's the meaning behind my existence. That place is also where a monster like me belongs. I need to repay him."
Inori quietly explained.
"...Who said you're a monster?"
Mio asked.
"...It's the truth, Mio."
Inori answered.
"No. You're not. At least, not in my eyes. And who decided that place is the only place where you belong? Could it be...that this place isn't one too?"
Mio gently touched the girl's sweat-covered forehead and carefully wiped it once more.
"..."
Inori silently looked at her.
Her soft lips parted slightly, yet no words came out.
"What is this place to you?"
Mio softly asked.
"Home..."
Inori answered without hesitation.
"Whose home?"
Mio continued.
"Our...home."
The girl replied once more.
"In a sense, I'm also a monster myself. So...this is your place to belong as well. Even if you think of yourself as a monster, even if you're willing to devote yourself to that man, you still need to cherish yourself when it matters. Because there are people who will worry about you."
Mio smiled gently at her while softly stroking her forehead.
"Mio..."
"Call me Shogun."
Hearing the girl softly speak her name, Mio raised her eyes and gently corrected her.
"...Mio~ I'll call you Mio."
Rarely, Inori deliberately teased her a little.
Even her normally emotionless face revealed a beautiful smile.
Perhaps even the members of Funeral Parlor who spent time beside her had never seen such an expression before.
"Haa...honestly..."
Mio eventually gave in.
Forget it.
After all, Raiden Mio was still one of her names.
Even though Kokomi had come up with it afterward.
But she really liked the name.
Partly because Kokomi had given it to her.
And partly because it gave her a stronger sense of identity.
As though she stood beside both her mothers, Raiden Ei and Raiden Makoto.
A true member of the Raiden family.
"Mio..."
"Mm?"
Mio came back to herself and looked toward her.
"...You know, the very first time I met you, I thought you were special. Like someone who didn't belong to this world. Later, I learned that you truly weren't from here. For the first time in my life, I felt like maybe I'd found someone like myself. I didn't feel as lonely anymore. It was like I had gained a companion. Someone...similar to me."
"That feeling was very special. I even wrote a song to commemorate it, and I sang it for you. Every night while you slept, I would sing for you. Hehe...you would fall asleep very quickly every time, and it made me so happy. It felt like...I was needed too."
"...///"
As Inori spoke, Mio's face gradually flushed an adorable shade of red.
Her beautiful feet, tucked beneath her hips, unconsciously rubbed together.
Even so, she endured her embarrassment and quietly listened.
"Maybe you're right...I don't belong only to Funeral Parlor anymore. Nor do I belong solely to Gai. I belong to you—"
Inori slowly covered the back of Mio's hand with her own, speaking softly in that heavenly gentle voice of hers.
But before she could finish, Mio pressed a finger against her lips.
"That's not right..."
Mio softly corrected her.
"...?"
The girl looked confused.
"You don't belong to me. You belong to yourself. I can't use that to bind you. No one can. Understand, Inori?"
Mio emphasized seriously.
Those words caused Inori to momentarily lose focus.
Because throughout her short life, almost no one had ever said something like that to her before...
"I belong to..."
"Yourself."
Mio finished the sentence for her while gently pressing a fingertip against the girl's chest.
A quiet reminder.
"I belong to...myself."
Inori slowly raised a hand to cover her own heart.
Her beautiful cherry-red eyes now carried a slightly entranced look, as though she were carefully absorbing those words.
"Mm...don't live inside someone else's life. Live your own life instead."
"Mio...mm...I understand now..."
Thank you... Mio.