The future shown in that vision—
was it the "standard future" if Istaroth never intervened?
All of Inazuma falls. A dead land.
Only Raiden Ei remains, hollow and alone.
Judged by ordinary causality, that possibility would in fact be the most likely and the most "normal."
If, from the very start, Istaroth had not come… if Makoto had not secretly cooperated with her… then the one who went to Khaenri'ah to suppress the Abyssal calamity would certainly have been Makoto. The consequences need no elaboration. Raiden Ei would most likely not have survived either.
Did anyone think the Abyssal disaster of Khaenri'ah was easy to quell?
It did not stay inside Khaenri'ah.
It swept across the whole of Teyvat.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, Asmoday, was grievously wounded in the opening clash.
Rukkhadevata sought to purge Irminsul of Abyssal invasion—
and, to block an Abyssal ingress into Teyvat, she ultimately sacrificed herself. From that sacrifice, Nahida was born.
The Raiden Shogun who went to Khaenri'ah died on the field.
Barbatos was tainted by the Abyss and fell into long sleep.
The Cryo Archon was transformed by war.
The Pyro Archon did not die, but was left seriously injured and did not return to the Sacred Flame.
The battle of Khaenri'ah led directly to a tally like this:
among the Seven, three dead, three maimed, and one whose erosion worsened.
Adding Ei to the frontline would not have changed that ending. Nice idea. Not realistic.
If Inazuma had not had Istaroth lending a hand, there would be no Inazuma left to speak of.
No wonder Makoto was so urgent.
If this not-yet-closed timeline were cut and discarded, today's Inazuma would be overwritten by a larger, heavier current of time—forced back to what "should have" happened. And the shock would spread across all of Teyvat. It would not be Inazuma alone that suffered. Pull one hair, and the whole body moves.
"Listen, Ei. This is my only request as your onee-sama.
Don't let this happen. Please?"
Faced with that plea, with the "future" displayed before their eyes, Raiden Ei wavered. Her breath grew tight.
Sister or Inazuma. Choose one.
Choose the former—and Inazuma becomes a grave.
Choose the latter—and her sister cannot return.
Both are things she holds dear. And the vision crushing her eyes now will become fact if she chooses wrongly.
Does it have to be me… or nothing at all?
After a long moment of panic, Ei forced herself calm and stared at Taro.
Istaroth and Ronova are both Celestia's rulers.
If Mr. Taro could force back the Ruler of Death… then perhaps—
"Sir… is there a way to save both?"
Her voice trembled despite herself.
"There is," Taro nodded, smiling. "A contract already binds you and me. You've paid the price. If I had no solution, I'd be smashing my own signboard."
He would not have agreed otherwise. He never promises what he cannot do.
The simplest plan was: let Makoto complete her pact with Istaroth and close the loop. After that, Taro would bring Makoto back.
Teyvat has its own laws and fate.
But do not forget—Taro is a Descender.
His fate is not bound to Teyvat's, and he carries another set of rules. When Istaroth's timeline closes, he can graft in a separate track using himself as the node, bypassing Teyvat's constraints with his own rule-set.
Both sides receive what they want. The work gets done. Nothing is delayed.
And he had backup plans. Two of them.
If the first failed, move to the spares—two outside rules, one inside. Either way, there were methods to retrieve a person.
"Truly?"
Ei's eyes lit at once, worries pressed down.
"Truly," Taro said. "I only need your cooperation."
"Say the word," Ei answered at once. "If it's for onee-sama, I'll do it."
"Wait."
Ei relaxed, but Makoto grew more anxious.
"Ei, you're being disobedient," Makoto chided. "This matter—"
"Onee-sama," Ei cut in, "listen to me. Mr. Taro is a Descender. He can revive the dead. Even the Ruler of Death, Ronova, yielded before him. This time… please listen to me."
A Descender? The power to bring back the dead? Even Ronova compromised?
Makoto froze, then caught up. "Mr. Taro… is what she said true? You have a way to avoid cutting this timeline?"
Makoto knew her sister's temperament. Ei would not lie about something like this. And "Descenders" existed—rare, but real. More, if what Ei said was right… this man had already crossed blades with Ronova and forced her back, even earning tacit acknowledgment. That was… surprising.
That Ei wanted to revive her, Makoto could understand.
But how?
"This part, you can't settle with me," Taro said. "We need Istaroth present. Can you call her?"
He did not answer Makoto's questions directly. Because none of it would avoid the final step—dealing with the Time Archon. However he arranged it, the line touched Teyvat's time, and Istaroth would notice. If she didn't, she wouldn't be Istaroth.
Makoto fell silent. She wanted to, but lacked the means.
"No need," Taro said, looking past them. "She's here."
A thin scattering of white radiance blossomed in the distance—silent. None but Taro sensed it in the instant it appeared.
The next heartbeat, two pairs of eyes and one waking will turned as one, focusing on that faint glow.
"Come on then," Taro's mouth curved. "Let's talk about how we're going to do this. The person—I intend to bring back. That's non-negotiable. Everything else we can discuss. If you like, you can even put a seal on it… Time Archon."
The pale light trembled—like a quiet laugh in a windless hall.
And Istaroth arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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