News of Inazuma City’s fall arrived on wings of ash drifting across the sky.
The vast plains of Narukami, once blooming with cherry blossoms, now stood charred and blackened, their scorched trunks reaching toward the firmament like fingers of despair. The sky was torn apart by banners of the Tokugawa army, their ferocious family crests looming over the conquered land. The air reeked of gunpowder, blood, and a deeper sorrow—the sorrow of a fallen god.
Aether carried Yae Miko on his back, fleeing desperately through the broken streets. Every heavy breath seared his throat. The weight on his back was unnervingly light. The cunning, worldly miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine, who always wore a teasing smile, now felt like a tattered feather, her faint breath brushing his neck. Her elegant shrine maiden robes were soaked in dark red blood; her once-brilliant eyes were tightly shut, and only the occasional furrow of her brow in pain proved she still lived.
“Hold on, Miko…” Aether’s voice was hoarse, nearly drowned out by the shouts of battle and the thunder of collapsing buildings. “We’re almost to Ritou. Once we get there, we’ll be safe…”
He dared not stop, nor glance back at the Tenshukaku being devoured by flames. Where was Ei? The Shogun who wielded thunder—where could she be now? The thought gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, yet he carried a heavier duty and could not turn back.
Ritou’s docks lay just ahead, but the scene was scarcely better than the battlefield. A dense crowd pressed against the piers, their cries, calls, and ship horns weaving a symphony of despair. Exhausted Shogunate soldiers maintained what little order remained, their armor dented, blades blunted, yet their eyes unyielding. Children were pushed onto swaying decks; elders looked back at their homeland, tears streaming down their faces.
“Aether! Over here!”
A familiar voice cut through the noise. Aether turned to see Thoma standing behind the makeshift outer defenses at the pier. His bright red hair was dulled by smoke and dust, his usually warm face hardened with resolve. The spear in his grip still dripped blood, and several fallen Tokugawa ashigaru lay at his feet.
Aether stumbled toward him. “Thoma! Miko she—”
Thoma’s gaze flicked quickly over Yae Miko’s pale face, pain flashing in his eyes before being replaced by fiercer determination. “Hurry aboard! The last cargo ship is leaving soon—it’ll take you to Liyue!” He gestured to two nearby soldiers. “You two, escort the Traveler and the Grand Shrine Priestess to the ship!”
“Come with us, Thoma!” Aether grabbed his arm, urgent.
Thoma shook his head and pulled free, forcing a familiar, reassuring smile—yet this time, it carried unshakable finality. “I can’t, Aether. Look at this. If no one stays to hold them off, the Tokugawa pursuers will flood the docks in an instant. None of these ships… will make it out.”
He pointed behind him. Out at sea, ships of all sizes hoisted their sails, fleeing desperately for the open ocean. They were Inazuma’s last embers.
“I have to buy them time.” Thoma’s voice was calm but unwavering. His gaze passed over Aether, toward the land that raised him, now dying. “This is my home. It is my final duty—as an Inazuman, as part of the Yashiro Commission.”
Aether tried to speak, but Thoma shoved him hard, nearly knocking him off balance. “Go! Keep the Priestess safe. Tell our friends in Liyue—the storm is coming!”
Two soldiers lifted Aether and pushed him roughly toward the waiting cargo ship. The last thing Aether saw was Thoma’s back as he turned back to the defenses, standing tall and firm like a pine, rooted between the pier and the oncoming army—a wall that would not be broken. His red hairband fluttered violently in the wind, thick with salt and smoke, like a flame that refused to die.
With a creak that made teeth ache, the cargo ship slowly pulled away from the dock. Aether carefully laid Yae Miko in a relatively dry corner of the hold, propping her up with whatever burlap he could find. He had just stood and rushed to the rail when the sight of Ritou froze his blood.
A black tide of Tokugawa soldiers surged onto the pier, their swords glinting coldly. Before that tide stood only one lone figure.
Thoma swung his spear, his movements still swift and precise, like a dance performed at a festival—except every step brought death. The tip sliced through the air, spraying arcs of blood; enemies fell screaming one after another. A circle of bodies quickly piled around him, temporarily halting the advance.
But there were too many. Endless.
A stray arrow pierced his shoulder. His movements faltered for a moment. Then several spears struck him from all sides. From the ship, Aether clearly saw Thoma’s body convulse violently.
For a moment, time stood still.
Thoma lifted his head. His gaze seemed to cross the distance, meeting Aether’s for an instant. There was no fear, no pain—only quiet relief, and a faint regret that he would not live to see the cherry blossoms bloom again. His lips moved soundlessly, yet Aether heard the unspoken vow as if it were shouted:
“I leave it to you…”
With his last strength, he hurled his spear forward, piercing an officer’s chest. In the next moment, more blades fell upon him.
That bright flash of red, at last, flickered and died in the gray tide.
“No—!” Aether’s scream was torn apart by the sea wind, vanishing into the vast ocean. He gripped the rail so tightly his nails nearly dug into the wood, tears blurring his vision. Ritou shrank into the distance, until it became a single dark spot amid the fire, disappearing beneath the waves.
The fleet sailed for days in heavy grief. Yae Miko’s condition wavered; she stirred briefly now and then, only to slip back into unconsciousness. Aether stayed by her side without rest, moistening her cracked lips with water and tending to wounds that healed slowly, tainted by an ominous energy. Every time she curled in pain, Aether’s hatred for the Tokugawa deepened.
When the towering Jade Chamber and bustling Liyue Harbor finally appeared on the horizon, the survivors aboard erupted in sobbing cheers. But Aether’s heart felt heavy. He brought not peaceful greetings, but a warning of war.
The cargo ship docked slowly. Liyue’s Millelith immediately moved to maintain order and settle the Inazuman refugees. Before the ship had even fully stopped, Aether lifted the barely breathing Yae Miko, leaped off the deck, and shouted frantically in a ragged voice:
“Doctor! Someone get a doctor! Mr. Baizhu! Qiqi! Where are they?!”
His cries caused a commotion. Soon several apothecaries from Bubu Pharmacy arrived, their expressions turning grave at the sight of Yae Miko’s injuries. They quickly fetched a stretcher and lifted her gently.
“Her wounds are critical. A strange corrosive energy inside her is blocking recovery,” the lead apothecary said quickly. “We must take her to Bubu Pharmacy at once, for Mr. Baizhu to treat her.”
Aether followed closely, walking fast while speaking urgently to the approaching representatives of the Liyue Qixing and Millelith generals.
“I am the Traveler Aether! Inazuma… Inazuma has completely fallen! The Tokugawa army’s strength far exceeds expectations—they wield power that can harm gods! Thoma… Thoma sacrificed himself to cover our escape! The Tokugawa’s next target will be Liyue!”
His words exploded like thunder across the docks. Color drained from everyone’s faces.
“What? Inazuma… has fallen?”
“Power that can harm a god?”
“The Tokugawa army…”
Aether looked around at the shocked, disbelieving faces, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his strength for the entire harbor to hear:
“Soldiers of the Millelith, people of Liyue! I am the Traveler Aether! Behind me are the last survivors from Inazuma! The Tokugawa forces that seized their homes now lick their claws like ravenous wolves. Their fleets may already be sailing. Their next target… is Liyue Harbor, beneath our feet!”
He pointed to the shaken, ragged Inazuman refugees on the pier, to Yae Miko on the stretcher—once a symbol of Inazuma’s divine authority, now clinging to life.
“Look at them! This is the suffering war brings! Thoma, a fine warrior of the Yashiro Commission, stayed alone at Ritou to buy time for the women and children, fighting until his last breath, until his blood ran dry! The time he bought with his life is not for us to breathe and fear!”
Aether’s voice rose, sharp and steady, forged in battle:
“He gave his life so we could warn you! So Liyue—the city of contracts and commerce, the land once protected by the Geo Archon—may prepare! The Tokugawa ambition will not end at Inazuma. Their dark tide will crash against these shores!”
He drew his sword, its blade glinting coldly in Liyue’s bright sunlight, pointing toward the sky.
“Thoma’s sacrifice, and the sacrifices of countless Inazuman warriors, must not be in vain! Liyue’s mountains and rivers will not be trampled! Liyue’s people will not be bullied! Take up your weapons, strengthen your walls, and tell every enemy who dares invade—”
Flames of vengeance and unyielding will burned in Aether’s eyes as he roared the final words:
“Liyue is here! We are here! If you want our home, you will step over our corpses first!”
The docks fell into brief silence. Then a suppressed, overwhelming force erupted like a storm.
“Defend Liyue with our lives!”
“Avenge our Inazuman kin!”
“Mountains unyielding, cliffs unshakable!”
Roars shook the heavens, spreading from the pier throughout Liyue Harbor. Millelith soldiers stamped their spears against stone, the clanging metal like war drums. Merchants closed their shops and hauled out long-stored weapons. Laborers dropped their tools and rushed to defensive positions. The entire harbor stirred like a slumbering war beast, roused by Aether’s bloody warning, baring its fangs.
Ningguang stood at the edge of the Jade Chamber, gazing down at the boiling harbor, her eyes sharp as eagles. She turned slightly to her secretary.
“Activate all emergency protocols. Issue the highest wartime order. In the name of the Qixing, send warnings and calls for aid to Mondstadt, Snezhnaya… every nation we can reach.”
“Yes, Lady Ningguang!”
Aether stood amid the surging crowd, watching Liyue mobilize at once. The immense hollow in his chest—from Thoma’s death and Inazuma’s fall—faded slightly, filled with firm resolve. The battle was far from over. It would only grow more brutal.
He glanced one last time toward Inazuma, whispering silently:
“Rest easy, Thoma. We have heard your call.”
Then he turned and ran without hesitation toward Bubu Pharmacy. He had to keep Miko alive. After that, he would stand with Liyue, on this new battlefield, to face the coming storm named Tokugawa.
稻妻城陷落的消息，是随着漫天飘落的灰烬一同传来的。
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昔日樱花盛放的鸣神大野，如今只剩下燃烧后的焦黑树干，如同指向苍穹的绝望手指。天空被德川军的旗帜撕裂，那狰狞的家纹俯瞰着这片被征服的土地。空气里混杂着硝烟、血腥和一种更深沉的、属于神陨的哀伤。
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空背着八重神子，在残破的街道间亡命奔逃。每一声沉重的呼吸都灼烧着他的喉咙。背上的重量轻得让他心慌，那总是带着狡黠微笑，戏弄尘世的鸣神大社宫司，此刻像一片破碎的羽毛，气息微弱地拂过他的颈侧。她华丽的巫女服被暗红色的血迹浸透，原本流光溢彩的眼眸紧闭着，只有偶尔因痛苦而蹙起的眉头，证明她还活着。
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“坚持住，神子……”空的声音沙哑，几乎被四周传来的喊杀声和建筑物倒塌的轰鸣淹没，“我们就快到离岛了，到了那里就安全了……”
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他不敢停下脚步，甚至不敢回头多看一眼那片被烈焰吞噬的天守阁。影呢？那位执掌雷霆的将军，如今又在何方？这个念头像毒蛇一样啃噬着他的心，但他背负着另一份沉重的责任，无法回头。
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离岛的码头近在眼前，景象却比战场好不了多少。黑压压的人群挤在栈桥上，哭喊声、呼唤声、船只启航的汽笛声交织成一片绝望的交响。疲惫不堪的幕府军士兵维持着最后的秩序，他们的盔甲破损，刀刃卷刃，眼神却依旧坚定。孩子们被大人推上摇晃的甲板，老人们回望故土，老泪纵横。
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“空！这边！”
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一个熟悉的声音穿透嘈杂。空循声望去，只见托马站在码头最外围的临时防御工事后，他那头鲜艳的红发被烟尘染得灰暗，原本总是洋溢着热情的脸上此刻只有坚毅。他手中紧握的长枪枪尖还在滴血，脚下躺着几具德川足轻的尸体。
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空踉跄着冲过去。“托马！神子她……”
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托马的目光在八重神子苍白的脸上迅速扫过，眼中闪过一丝痛楚，随即被更强烈的决绝取代。“快上船！最后一艘货船马上就要离港，它能带你们去璃月！”他指挥着身边两名士兵，“你们，护送旅行者和宫司大人上船！”
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“一起走，托马！”空抓住他的手臂，急切地喊道。
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托马摇了摇头，用力挣脱开空的手，他的嘴角扯出一个惯常的、令人安心的笑容，但此刻这笑容里却带着不容置疑的诀别。“不行，空。你看这局面，如果没人留下断后，德川军的追兵瞬间就会冲垮码头。这些船……一艘也走不了。”
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他指向身后，海面上，大大小小的船只正张满帆，拼命驶向远海。那是稻妻最后的火种。
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“我必须为他们争取时间。”托马的声音平静却斩钉截铁，他的目光越过空，望向那片生养他的、正在死去的土地，“这是我的家。是我作为稻妻人，作为社奉行的一份子，最后的职责。”
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空还想说什么，但托马已经猛地推了他一把，力道之大，让他几乎站立不稳。“走！照顾好宫司大人，告诉璃月的朋友，风暴就要来了！”
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两名士兵架起空，不由分说地将他推向那艘等待启航的货船。空最后看到的，是托马转身走向防御工事的背影，那背影挺拔如松，牢牢钉在码头与追兵之间，仿佛一堵不可逾越的高墙。红色的发带在带着海腥味和硝烟的风中，猎猎飞舞，像一团不肯熄灭的火焰。
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货船在令人牙酸的嘎吱声中，缓缓驶离码头。空将八重神子小心地安置在相对干燥的货舱角落，用找到的麻布勉强垫在她身下。他刚直起身冲到船舷边，离岛的景象便让他浑身血液几乎冻结。
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黑压压的德川军如同潮水般涌上了码头，他们手中的刀剑反射着冰冷的光。而在那片潮水之前，只剩下一个孤零零的身影。
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托马舞动着长枪，他的动作依旧迅猛而精准，如同在祭典上表演的舞蹈，只是这舞蹈的每一步都伴随着死亡。枪尖划破空气，带起一蓬蓬血花，不断有敌人哀嚎着倒下。他周围很快堆积起一圈尸体，竟暂时阻遏了敌军的攻势。
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但敌人太多了，无穷无尽。
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一支冷箭穿透了他的肩膀，他的动作微微一滞。紧接着，数把长枪从不同角度刺入他的身体。空在船上，清晰地看到托马的身体剧烈地颤抖了一下。
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那一刻，时间仿佛凝滞。
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托马抬起头，目光似乎穿透了遥远的距离，与船上的空短暂交汇。他没有恐惧，没有痛苦，只有一种如释重负的平静，和一丝未能亲眼看到樱花再度盛开的遗憾。他的嘴唇动了动，没有声音，但空仿佛听到了那句无声的嘱托：
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“交给你们了……”
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然后，他用尽最后的力气，将手中的长枪猛地投掷出去，贯穿了一名军官的胸膛。下一秒，更多的刀剑落在了他的身上。
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那抹鲜艳的红色，终于在那片灰暗的潮水中，熄灭了。
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“不——！”空的嘶吼被海风撕碎，消散在茫茫大海上。他死死抓住船舷，指甲几乎要嵌进木头里，泪水模糊了视线。离岛在他的眼中越来越小，最终化作战火上的一颗黑点，消失在海平面之下。
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船队在压抑的悲愤中航行了数日。八重神子的状况时好时坏，偶尔会短暂地苏醒，但很快又陷入昏迷。空寸步不离地守着她，用清水湿润她干裂的嘴唇，处理她身上那些看似缓慢愈合、实则萦绕着不祥能量的伤口。每一次看到她因痛苦而蜷缩，空对德川的恨意便加深一分。
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当高耸的群玉阁和繁忙的璃月港轮廓终于出现在视野中时，船上劫后余生的人们爆发出混杂着哭泣的欢呼。但空的心却沉甸甸的，他带来的不是和平的问候，而是战争的警讯。
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货船缓缓靠岸，璃月的千岩军迅速上前维持秩序，安排稻妻难民。空不等船停稳，便一把抱起气息奄奄的八重神子，纵身跃下甲板，用嘶哑的声音疯狂呼喊：
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“医生！快找医生！白术先生！七七！在哪里？！”
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他的呼喊引起了骚动。很快，几位穿着不卜庐服饰的药师赶了过来，看到八重神子的伤势，脸色都变得凝重。他们迅速找来担架，小心翼翼地将她抬起。
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“她伤势极重，体内有一种奇特的侵蚀性能量在阻碍恢复，”为首的药师快速说道，“我们必须立刻带她去不卜庐，请白术先生出手。”
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空紧紧跟着担架，一边疾走，一边对围上来的璃月七星代表和千岩军将领急促地说道：“我是旅行者空！稻妻……稻妻已经全面陷落！德川军的兵力远超预估，他们拥有能伤及神明的力量！托马……托马为了掩护我们撤离，牺牲了……德川的下一个目标，一定是璃月！”
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他的话语如同惊雷，在码头上炸响。众人脸上瞬间褪去了血色。
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“你说什么？稻妻……陷落了？”
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“能伤及神明的力量？”
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“德川军……”
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空环视着眼前一张张震惊而难以置信的脸，深吸一口气，用尽全身力气，让声音传遍整个码头：
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“千岩军的兄弟们，璃月的所有同胞！我是旅行者空！我身后这些，是从稻妻逃出来的最后一批同胞！而夺取了他们家园的德川大军，此刻正像贪婪的饿狼，舔舐着爪牙，他们的战舰或许已经扬帆，他们的铁蹄下一个目标，就是我们脚下的璃月港！”
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他指向码头上那些惊魂未定、衣衫褴褛的稻妻难民，指向担架上那位象征着稻妻神权、如今却生死不明的八重神子。
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“看看他们！这就是战争带来的苦难！托马，社奉行的优秀战士，为了给妇孺争取登船的时间，独自留在离岛，战至最后一刻，流尽了最后一滴血！他用生命为我们换来的时间，不是让我们用来喘息和恐惧的！”
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空的声音高昂起来，带着一种穿越战火磨砺出的铿锵：
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“他是为了让我们能来得及警告你们！让璃月——这座契约与商业之城，岩王帝君曾经守护的土地，能做好准备！德川的野心不会止步于稻妻，他们的黑色浪潮必将拍向这片海岸！”
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他猛地抽出佩剑，剑锋在璃月明亮的阳光下闪烁着寒光，直指苍穹：
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMGGowWF9X
“托马和无数稻妻战士的牺牲，不能白费！璃月的山川河流不容践踏！璃月的人民不容欺凌！拿起你们的武器，加固你们的城防，告诉每一个胆敢来犯的敌人——”
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空的眼中燃烧着复仇的火焰和坚定的意志，他几乎是咆哮着喊出最后的话语：
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKVmzEtBUt
“璃月，就在这里！我们，就在这里！想要夺取我们的家园，就先从我们的尸体上踏过去！”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWI5EqRXRN
码头上陷入了短暂的死寂，随即，一股压抑到极致后的磅礴力量轰然爆发。
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH0WkNPOPh
“誓死守卫璃月！”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IQE3ImwdI
“为稻妻的同胞报仇！”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOE0cuzuAe
“千岩牢固，重嶂不移！”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWq6xrWG9J
怒吼声如同山呼海啸，从码头开始，迅速蔓延至整个璃月港。千岩军士兵用力顿着手中的长枪，金属与石板的撞击声汇成铿锵的战鼓；商人们关闭了店铺，扛出了封存已久的兵刃；工人们扔下了工具，奔向指定的防御岗位。整个港口仿佛一台沉睡的战争巨兽，在空带来的血与火的警讯中，骤然苏醒，露出了它锋利的獠牙。
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bUp34VEwz
凝光站在群玉阁的边缘，俯瞰着下方沸腾的港口，眼神锐利如鹰。她微微侧头，对身后的秘书吩咐：“立刻启动所有应急方案，发布最高战备令。同时，以七星的名义，向蒙德、至冬……所有能联系上的国度发出预警和求援。”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFchS8DSD4K
“是，凝光大人！”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlG0yY12kc
空站在汹涌的人潮中，看着迅速动员起来的璃月，心中那因托马牺牲和稻妻陷落而带来的巨大空洞，似乎被一种坚定的力量稍稍填满。战斗远未结束，甚至可能更加惨烈。
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlq8JDVSKMW
他最后望了一眼稻妻的方向，在心中默念：
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WCV6fgAYc
“托马，安息吧。你的牺牲，我们收到了。”
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpXqwlXVK2
然后，他转身，毫不犹豫地奔向不卜庐的方向。他必须确保神子活下去，然后，他将与璃月并肩，在这片新的战场上，迎击那即将到来的、名为德川的风暴。
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