With those words from him, Kitsune Saiguu's tense emotions instantly relaxed.
She had truly been afraid that he would no longer want her.
Fortunately, the man she had fallen in love with was someone worthy of her trust.
The two embraced for a long while.
Only then did they slowly separate.
Looking at Su Han, Kitsune Saiguu asked in confusion, "Then where is she now?"
If those memories were false,
then the real person had to exist somewhere.
Su Han had already prepared an answer.
"I used my eye technique to hypnotize her back then and extracted part of her memories. In the end, that was how you came into existence."
"As for the real Kitsune Saiguu, she's currently staying in the Underworld."
It was a world he had created himself, one that did not belong to Teyvat's system.
Therefore, it was free of karma.
Nor would the Heavenly Principles detect it.
"So that's the method you used. Are you planning to release her now?"
"Yes. Five hundred years have passed. It's time to open the gate to the Underworld."
Holding Kitsune Saiguu's hand, Su Han arrived at the foot of Mt. Yougou.
The nearby yokai thought a gathering was about to begin and excitedly gathered around.
Instead, one of the great figures waved a hand and split open space itself.
The terrifying aura of death frightened the little yokai so badly that they fled with their heads in their hands.
Sensing the aura of death, Takuno quickly rushed over.
"Su Han, what is this?"
"The Underworld. It's also my world."
A massive gate appeared beneath the daylight.
Above them was the dazzling sun.
Yet everyone present felt no warmth whatsoever. Instead, an icy aura continuously flowed out from the gate.
"The Underworld?"
Takuno had no idea what it was, but instinctively felt that it was something terrifying.
Still, with the clan leader present, it wasn't his place to speak.
All he could do was wait quietly.
A moment later, the gate stabilized.
Its enormous doors slowly opened.
Black mist poured out from within.
"Oh? You've finally decided to let me out?"
Kitsune Saiguu led a group of yokai as they slowly walked out.
Her noble and elegant bearing.
There was no doubt that she was the clan leader.
But Takuno was completely dumbfounded.
Then who was the one standing before him?
Before he could react,
a beautiful oni woman also slowly stepped out from inside.
She glanced up at the sunlight overhead and sighed.
"Five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye..."
Five hundred years ago,
she had been driven mad by the Abyss's corrupting power and had ultimately fallen into demonic corruption. Had Su Han not appeared, she would have long since been beyond redemption.
It was truly a life-saving kindness.
"W-Wait... You're... Lady Chiyo?"
Arataki Itto looked at her appearance and attire in utter disbelief.
During this period, Su Han had constantly promoted the heroic deeds of Inazuma's heroes.
As a fellow oni, Arataki Itto naturally recognized her.
But who could have imagined that a hero who should have died was still alive and standing right before him?
It was simply unbelievable.
"Hm?"
Hearing someone shouting so loudly, Chiyo naturally turned her gaze over.
When she saw a fellow oni, her eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh? Our race still has promising descendants. During these five hundred years in the Underworld, I was worried our clan had gone extinct. I was even planning to ask Su Han for a child after coming out."
"I didn't expect the oni to still have descendants, and such capable ones at that."
Hearing such explosive gossip, everyone wore different expressions.
Some were shocked.
Some were confused.
But most were simply stunned by how boldly she had spoken.
Openly declaring that she wanted someone to father her children was far too straightforward.
Ignoring all the strange looks, Su Han smiled at them.
"It's been a long time."
"Hehe, thanks. So I can move around freely now? I haven't seen Ei in such a long time. I want to surprise her. How about it?"
"No problem."
According to history, Chiyo had already died.
After five hundred years of nurturing, her aura had completely changed.
In the eyes of the Irminsul, this woman was merely an outsider bearing Chiyo's name.
Hearing that she could move freely, Chiyo happily departed.
Meanwhile, Kitsune Saiguu walked toward her present-day self and gently embraced her.
"I..."
"I'm sorry."
The real Kitsune Saiguu hugged her tightly.
Her words were filled with guilt.
Because Su Han had pitied her, he had sacrificed the other her and even woven an elaborate lie.
Perhaps, for herself, this had been a blessing.
But for the version that had sunk into the Abyss's black mire, it had been unbearably cruel.
"It was all my fault. If I had understood my own heart sooner, perhaps none of this would have happened."
"If I had realized my feelings earlier, Su Han wouldn't have had to worry so much."
"From now on, you will still be Kitsune Saiguu. You will still be the leader of the fox clan, just like Makoto and Ei."
"The two of us are the same as they are."
"As for my own name, it doesn't really matter anymore. If I must choose one, then call me Hanachirusato."
No matter what,
she had borne the calamity in her place.
What did it matter if she gave her the name?
Whether Kitsune Saiguu referred to herself or the other her, was there truly any difference?
In the end, it was only a name.
"But... is that really alright?"
The other Kitsune Saiguu gently pushed her away.
A fake was still a fake.
It could never become the real thing.
Hanachirusato shook her head.
"You are me, and I am you. We're as close as sisters. Why care about such empty titles? Besides, your strength has already surpassed mine."
Most importantly,
she and Su Han truly understood each other's hearts.
The flames of longing between them burned passionately.
Since they loved each other,
why should they give up?
Living openly and happily was exactly what she deserved after enduring five hundred years of suffering.
Seeing the genuine sincerity of her original self, the Kitsune Saiguu born from memories could no longer hold back her tears.
She wiped away her tears and accepted the proposal.
However, at that moment, Kitsune Saiguu glanced sideways at Su Han and huffed.
"The two of us are over here crying our eyes out, while someone else is getting all the benefits. What a lordly attitude. He gets to enjoy two beauties at once, and they're even the same person."
"Ahem... I really wasn't thinking about that back then."
Su Han hurriedly explained himself.
He had never considered something like that.
But looking at the two fox women, he figured it was best not to stay any longer.
"You two keep talking. I'm going to Liyue."
There just happened to be one of Mona's mirrors nearby, making travel extremely convenient.
Watching the man disappear,
both fox women wore helpless smiles.
Still, it was probably for the best that he had left.
Otherwise, they would only feel awkward.
The two sat together and chatted quietly.
When the original Hanachirusato learned that Su Han had a child on Watatsumi Island, she froze.
"What? He has a child? Does he know?"
"No."
Kitsune Saiguu gently shook her head.
Too many things had happened recently.
One incident after another had left no opportunity to tell him.
Actually, she had hinted at it some time ago.
But Su Han had probably forgotten.
"I see. Speaking of which, both the people of Watatsumi Island and Narukami Island died. After arriving in the Underworld, they regretted everything."
During this period,
she had witnessed everything in the world of the dead.
The two sides had fought fiercely because of manipulation.
Yet after their soldiers died and learned the truth, they were filled with regret.
But what good was regret now?
Their fate had already been sealed.
All they could do was remain in the Underworld and wait for another chance to return.
"There was nothing anyone could do. No one could see through everything that was happening. If anyone is to blame, it's fate itself."
The catastrophe of Khaenri'ah had been the source of it all.
Had they not caused trouble in the first place, even if the Doctor had come to interfere, they would have immediately seen through his schemes.
So the true root of everything still lay with Khaenri'ah.
When the nearby yokai heard this, they all clamored for revenge.
Hanachirusato merely glanced at them.
Everyone instantly fell silent.
"What are you all getting excited for? Look at your current strength. How many of you can actually fight the Abyss?"
"Besides, the people of Khaenri'ah have already been punished. But the true culprits have yet to meet their destruction."
Su Han had once said
that there were five sinners.
If they were not destroyed,
then it could not truly be called revenge.
Thus, the yokai trained even harder, determined to make those five sinners pay.
Liyue.
Su Han arrived at the manga shop.
Coincidentally, Lumine and Paimon had also just returned.
"Huh? Su Han, you're back? Why do you look so pale? Did something happen?"
Paimon noticed that his complexion looked poor and immediately placed a tiny hand against his forehead.
After comparing temperatures, she found nothing unusual.
Only then did the little one relax.
"It's nothing. A lot of things just happened. By the way, where did you two go before? I hadn't seen either of you for quite a while."
At the mention of that,
Paimon and Lumine exchanged glances before sighing together.
"It's a long story."
They had originally been exploring near the Chasm.
By chance, they encountered someone from Khaenri'ah there.
It was Dainsleif.
The two sides fought there.
He claimed that Liyue was oppressing the hilichurls.
Lumine naturally refused to accept that accusation.
After the battle broke out, the adepti also arrived.
Seeing the situation, Dainsleif could only retreat.
Since they had finally found a lead connected to the Abyss, Lumine naturally continued pursuing it.
That pursuit eventually took them all the way from Liyue to Mondstadt.
"That guy may have escaped, but he acted incredibly arrogant the whole time. Still, after everything we did, he finally accepted that Liyue actually treats the hilichurls pretty well."
"And he also wants to meet you, Su Han."
Hearing Paimon's explanation, Su Han let out a cold laugh.
"Where is he?"
"At an inn outside the city."
"Then let's go."
"Now?"
Paimon immediately sensed that something was wrong.
She worried that the two of them might start fighting.
Lumine, however, felt that they would eventually have to meet anyway.
It would be better to clear everything up now than allow even more misunderstandings to arise later.
Outside the city, at the inn.
Dainsleif was drinking while holding a manga in his hand.
He had only recently started reading them.
At first, he had looked down on them.
But after reading one, he discovered they were anything but ordinary.
Gradually, he had become a devoted fan.
This was already the sixth volume he had read.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Dainsleif sensed a powerful presence.
He quickly looked up and saw a handsome man watching him from afar.
Standing beside him were Lumine and Paimon.
"You're... Su Han?"
"That's right, sinner of Khaenri'ah. I heard you wanted to destroy my factory. So tell me, how are you planning to compensate me?"
Hearing Su Han's words, Paimon was instantly stunned.
Wait.
Wasn't something wrong here?
Weren't they supposed to meet and talk?
Why was he accusing him the moment they met?
That wasn't good at all.
Just as Paimon was about to speak,
Dainsleif sneered.
"So you're actually proud of enslaving the people of Khaenri'ah? Then let me see what you're capable of."
"Fine. I'll show you."
A cold light flashed through Su Han's eyes.
The inn beneath their feet instantly transformed into the Underworld.
Countless spirits had already appeared around them.
Among them were soldiers of the Millelith, the Yakshas, and many other fallen warriors.
Dainsleif's expression changed dramatically.
To his horror, after arriving in this place,
all of his power had completely ceased to function.
What was happening?
Why had things become like this?
This was also Lumine and Paimon's first time seeing such a place.
They were completely shocked.
"Su Han, where are we? Why are there so many ghosts?"
"Don't be afraid, Paimon. They should all be obeying Su Han's orders."
Compared to the nearly terrified Paimon, Lumine remained much calmer.
Although those spirits looked frightening,
they maintained perfect order.
Clearly, someone was commanding them.
And since Su Han had come here together with them,
only he could possess such terrifying power.
Being able to summon the world of the dead was simply horrifying.
Dainsleif was now trapped in an awkward position.
He had already spoken so confidently.
But how was he supposed to fight now?
If he surrendered immediately,
that would be far too humiliating.
"What happened?"
"Weren't you so proud?"
"Didn't you say you wanted revenge for Khaenri'ah?"
"Then open your eyes and take a good look. See whether there are any souls of Khaenri'ah inside this place."
Su Han snapped his fingers.
A group of shackled souls slowly emerged from the depths of the Underworld.
Their eyes bore icy blue cross-shaped pupils, the symbol of the people of Khaenri'ah.
Yet here in the Underworld,
they had become slaves.
No one knew how many years they had labored.
The moment Dainsleif saw this,
he could no longer contain himself.
"You demon!"
"Shut your mouth first."
The instant Su Han finished speaking,
Dainsleif lost the ability to speak.
He could only watch helplessly.
"Aren't the real demons the five people who stole power from beyond this world? Or are you claiming you never stole any yourself? Human lifespans have limits."
"And yet you've lived for five hundred years. Do you dare claim there's nothing wrong with you?"
Dainsleif possessed tremendous power.
He had also accepted power from beyond the world.
Otherwise,
how could he have lived for so long?
The people of Khaenri'ah were humans.
And humans had finite lifespans.
The fact that Dainsleif had lived this long was itself the greatest proof.
That also meant he was one of the sinners.
No matter how he tried to argue,
a sinner was still a sinner.
There was no point in discussing it any further.
Su Han had brought him here for only one reason.
To make this arrogant bastard recognize his own position before speaking again.