Ei looked at Chiyo in disbelief and couldn't help but ask, "Chiyo, is this true?"
Seeing that Miyashiro had already revealed her secret, Chiyo could not help but reproach him: "Miyashiro, why did you have to expose this? Wouldn't it have been better to just let me leave? That way, Ei wouldn't be too heartbroken over the departure of a friend who had once betrayed her."
"I was already a rebellious oni whose mind was corrupted by the corrosion of monsters five hundred years ago, turning my blade against the Shogun. My reputation was ruined after death; one more stain doesn't matter. A mere remnant of a soul like mine should always make way for those still living."
Upon hearing this, Ei immediately embraced Chiyo. Looking at her body, now covered in cracks, Ei realized that the cracks on Chiyo's current form were far more numerous than when she first arrived. She hadn't known at all. Thinking of this, a surge of emotion for Chiyo welled up within her, and she felt ashamed for her previous resentment toward her.
Seeing the look of guilt and heartache on Ei's face, Chiyo smiled and comforted her in return: "Ei, you already have Miyashiro as a new support; you no longer need my company. That puts my mind at ease. I had intended to keep hiding this from you and then slip away quietly, but it seems that plan won't work now."
"Ei, living like this is truly exhausting. Please, understand me and let me find release soon. Being able to fade away in your arms is already the greatest reward for me."
Ei had always thought that her tears had long since dried up five hundred years ago, after the events involving Makoto, Kitsune Saiguu, and Chiyo. But in reality, facing such a scene, even one as strong as Ei could not help it, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.
Seeing this, Chiyo said to Miyashiro: "Miyashiro, is it time to fulfill the promise you made to me?"
Miyashiro nodded and said: "That's right. I promised you earlier that I would let you find release after at most two more years. Now, the time has come to fulfill it. I'm sorry for letting you suffer for so many years."
Chiyo smiled and shook her head: "No need to apologize. In fact, I should thank you for allowing me to see this world with my own eyes again, to watch Inazuma thrive under your governance, and most importantly, to see Ei again and have the chance to make amends for my past mistakes."
"Although the descendants of the Mikoshi family in Inazuma City are not my direct bloodline, I have still left my legacy of techniques to them. If any talented individuals emerge among them, I hope Miyashiro and Ei can look after them."
"Also, regarding the oni clan of Inazuma, especially that guy Arataki Itto—over these years, I have taught him what I could. How much he can comprehend depends on his own ability. Although that guy isn't very bright, he at least has some aptitude in martial arts. I hope Kuki Shinobu can keep his nature in check."
"Finally, Miyashiro, you must take good care of Ei. Do not neglect her just because you have many women."
Listening to Chiyo's final words, Ei wanted to stop her many times. However, thinking of the pain she had endured all these years and her desperate pleas to be released, Ei didn't know how to intervene. She could only listen helplessly, her heart aching as if cut by a knife.
Chiyo rambled on like an old grandmother, saying whatever came to mind, but most of what she mentioned was her best friend, Ei.
Finally, whether she was tired of talking or had said everything she needed to say, Chiyo quieted down. Leaning in Ei's arms, she smiled, nodded silently at Miyashiro, and then closed her eyes.
Seeing this, Miyashiro began to weave hand signs. However, he was not using the Rat-Ox-Monkey-Tiger-Dragon-Boar signs to undo the Edo Tensei, but rather the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life!
As Miyashiro formally cast the technique, he felt a massive amount of Chakra within him, carrying a huge force of life, flowing away.
As for Chiyo, the target of the technique, rising white steam and white light began to appear on her body, as if she were truly about to break free from the constraints of the Edo Tensei and have her soul ascend to heaven.
Feeling the changes within herself, Chiyo smiled and murmured: "Is this what it feels like for the soul to be released? So warm, so comfortable. Death isn't such a terrifying thing after all!"
Seeing this scene, Ei could no longer hold back, and tears streamed from her eyes. However, she soon seemed to notice something wrong.
Chiyo's originally cracked shell gradually fell away, but inside, there was not a void, but skin as smooth and white as lard.
Seeing this, Ei instinctively touched it. It was incredibly delicate, soft, and supple, with no comparison to the previously stiff and rough body.
This strange phenomenon made Ei quickly shake Chiyo, who was smiling like a baby in her arms, and said with surprise: "Chiyo, Chiyo, look, look quickly!"
This action made Chiyo frown tightly. She couldn't help but open her eyes and say: "Ei, what are you doing? Wouldn't it be better to let me go peacefully? Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?"
As soon as Chiyo said this, a look of joy appeared on Ei's face. She hurriedly pressed various parts of Chiyo's body, and Chiyo also realized the anomaly in her own body at this moment: she actually had sensation. She could clearly feel the temperature of Ei's body and her various probes.
Looking at her fair skin, Chiyo pressed it in disbelief and found that she actually had a sense of touch. Chiyo stuck a finger into her mouth and bit it; she felt pain. Most importantly, warm blood slowly flowed out from the bitten finger.
Looking at the blood that still held its warmth, Chiyo tremblingly licked it. The unique taste of blood reached Chiyo's brain through her taste buds, and in an instant, Chiyo's eyes turned red.
More than seven years of living as a walking dead had almost made her forget the reality of this world. Now, feeling the beating heart within her, she realized that she seemed to have been reborn.
Looking at Ei, who was equally shocked and overjoyed, Chiyo suddenly twitched her nose slightly, then frowned and said: "Ei, why is there a fishy smell on you? No, the whole room seems to have this smell. What is this smell?"
Hearing this, Ei's initial joy instantly froze, and a blush suddenly appeared on her face. She and Miyashiro had just been having sex in this room, and the scent hadn't dissipated yet. Since Chiyo didn't have a sense of smell before, Ei hadn't cared about these things. She hadn't expected it to be so embarrassing now.
It was precisely this sentence from Chiyo that made Ei finally notice Miyashiro, who was pale on the side. Her expression changed instantly, and she hurriedly left Chiyo to support Miyashiro, asking anxiously: "Miyashiro, what's wrong with you?"
Miyashiro shook his head and smiled weakly: "It's nothing, just a bit of overexertion. The Samsara of Heavenly Life is worthy of being a forbidden technique that can reverse life and death; the price is truly high. But the result is worth it! Congratulations, Miss Chiyo, you have been reborn. I have fulfilled my promise to you."
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