Spiritrun Arena

Tokyo's autumnal equinox arrived quietly. Grandma Chizuru stood in the courtyard, gazing up at the maple forest behind the house—where Yuekui had placed the first maple lantern in her palm on an autumn night three hundred years ago. Now maple leaves blazed red, like crumpled sunset clouds, scattering over bluestone paths and into the twelve carp lanterns hanging from the eaves.

"This year's maples are brighter than ever." She turned smiling, holding a bamboo basket. "Yuekui said in a dream we'd 'hang lanterns' together today."

When the basket opened, a warm fragrance filled the room. Twelve maple lanterns lay spread out, each with time-worn paintings: an armored general (Yuekui), a double-bunned girl (Chizuru), an aproned woman (young Su Qinghuan)… The last lantern's surface was blank, painted with only half a star, its edge traced in gold powder with the characters "同心" (Shared Heart).

A wooden frame was set up under the Spirit Pattern Tree. Sakura propped her tablet on a maple branch, projecting scenes from three hundred years ago: Yuekui and Chizuru crouching by the creek, one teaching maple lantern weaving, the other chasing maple leaves; young Su Qinghuan running over with sweet wine rice balls, cherry-blossom hairpin shining; sixteen-year-old Lin Ye carrying injured Yuekui through rain, murmuring "Little Peach, don't be afraid"…

"Our autumns have long been strung through time." Asagao smiled, holding a tea cup. Her spirit pattern core resonated with maple leaves, light patterns weaving tiny red maple motifs on the cup's edge. "Like these maple leaves—each holds past winds, yet all fall together into this present autumn."

Little Peach was tying a maple leaf garland around Coalball's neck, her murder of crows helping from her shoulders. Suddenly, the flower-winged crow flew up, fetching a special maple leaf—stardust clung to it, identical to the star in Grandma Chizuru's bamboo basket.

"It's Yuekui!" Sakura pointed at the screen. In the spatial spirit pattern projection, Yuekui emerged from the maple forest. She wore a crimson kimono, cherry-blossom hairpin in her hair, armor replaced by sheer gauze, stardust meteorite bracelet glowing warm gold. To everyone's delight, a double-pigtailed girl shadowed her—Little Peach.

"Yuekui!" Little Peach shrieked, dashing forward, but Sakura held her back.

"Wait." Grandma Chizuru took out a sugar painting. "Yuekui said you must 'see' for yourself."

Yuekui's figure sharpened. She knelt by the wooden frame, fingertips brushing Little Peach's hair: "Three hundred years ago, I always said 'when the war ends', but in the autumn after, I couldn't even see a whole maple leaf." Her gaze swept over them. "Until you came, I realized—reunion isn't 'waited' for; it's held in the present."

Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core warmed. He took the stardust meteorite fragment (given by Grandma Chizuru that morning), which resonated with Yuekui's bracelet to form a complete star map. Each star in the map corresponded to a "Reunion Knot": Su Qinghuan's rice balls, Asagao's scarves, Jiu's crows, Grandma Chizuru's sugar paintings… At the center, Lin Ye and Little Peach stood hand-in-hand.

"I've been part of your 'now' all along." Yuekui smiled at Little Peach. "Your maple lanterns, your sweet soup, Coalball's collar… Each mends the 'reunion' I couldn't finish three hundred years ago."

Little Peach's tears fell on maple leaves. She recalled Yuekui's dream words: "The brightest star belongs to the most precious 'now'." Now she understood—Yuekui had never left, only become every warmth, every heartbeat, every love-wrapped "now".

At dusk, they sat under the Spirit Pattern Tree watching sunset. As Yuekui's figure faded, she tossed the twelve maple lanterns into the air. Stars from the lanterns fell, melting into everyone's cores—this time, Lin Ye's core gained Little Peach's laughter, Su Qinghuan's heard Coalball's purrs, Asagao's felt scarf-knitting clumsiness, Grandma Chizuru's saw sugar painting gold dust…

"This is…" Su Li touched her warm core. "Our 'Reunion Knots' stored in eternity by General Yuekui."

Late at night, Lin Ye sat alone on Tokyo Tower's deck. The Reverse Scale Core hovered over his knees, starlight flowing with today's scenes: Spirit Pattern Tree dancing with maple leaves and stars, Yuekui's phantom smile, Little Peach raising a maple lantern shouting "Sister Yuekui".

"Captain." Little Peach's voice came from the stairs. Wrapped in his new scarf, holding Coalball, maple leaves in her hair from play, she said: "Grandma Chizuru says Yuekui's maple lanterns shine extra bright tonight."

Lin Ye looked at her sunset-lit face, recalling that stormy night three hundred years ago when he'd carried injured Yuekui, murmuring "Little Peach, don't be afraid". Now he held Little Peach, standing on autumn night wind, thinking: Yuekui, look—we're all safe.

Wind swept the tower, lifting a maple leaf that floated afar, landing on a healed soul's shoulder—it was Yuekui, and every "Reunion Knot" once wrapped in love.

In a warmer corner, Coalball pawed at Grandma Chizuru's new maple leaf cakes, Sakura and Jiu organized today's spirit pattern core memories, Su Qinghuan cooked sweet wine rice balls in the kitchen, Asagao knitted new scarves for the crows…

Autumn continued, now stained with eternal warmth.