Spiritrun Arena

When Tokyo's first snow carried plum fragrance into Grandma Chizuru's courtyard, the plum trees on the back hill bloomed vigorously. Pink-white petals bent the branches, like scattered clouds crumpled and strewn across the boughs, their sweet, cool scent permeating even the wind.

"This year's plums bloomed early." Grandma Chizuru tiptoed to adjust the copper bell on the eaves, a few strands of silver hair lifted by the wind. "Yuekui said in a dream we'd 'light the plums' together today."

The twelve carp lanterns hanging under the veranda suddenly swayed gently. Ripples of light spread across the central lantern's surface, reflecting a scene from three hundred years ago—in the snow of Locking Dragon Abyss, Yuekui wore a plain white kimono, a cherry-blossom hairpin in her hair, crouching under a plum tree with Chizuru. Her armor replaced by sheer gauze, stardust meteorite bracelet glowing warm gold, a bamboo basket on her lap held freshly picked plum blossoms.

"A'kui, this plum branch is crooked." Young Chizuru laughed, pointing at the tree. "Like the arrow you missed last time."

"Nonsense." Yuekui's ears flushed slightly. "The wind was too strong..."

The scene sharpened. Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core burned at his waist, starlight climbing the plum branches along light patterns, freezing the snow, plums, laughter, and tears of three hundred years into the present courtyard.

A wooden frame was set up under the Spirit Pattern Tree. Sakura adjusted projections on her tablet, Jiu's crows brought gold powder to dust the plum branches; Su Li used spatial spirit patterns to cast images of Locking Dragon Abyss three hundred years ago onto the ground—creeks, campfires, and wounded envoys materialized. Asagao sat beside Little Peach, teaching her to gild the tips of plum lantern petals: "Draw wave patterns here, like scales on General Yuekui's armor."

"Captain, why doesn't this lantern have a name?" Little Peach held up the last blank lantern to Lin Ye.

Lin Ye stared at Yuekui's phantom in the lantern, recalling her words from a dream: "The brightest star belongs to the most precious 'now'." He pulled a stardust meteorite fragment from his pocket—given by Grandma Chizuru that morning, said to be the last fragment of Yuekui's consciousness when she sealed the pollution.

"It's called 'New Life'." He inlaid the fragment into the lantern. "Because all 'reunions' take root in every 'now'."

At dusk, the twelve plum lanterns lit up one by one. Warm yellow light filtered through their painted patterns, casting twelve shadows on the ground: Yuekui's armor reflecting campfire, Chizuru's sugar painting fluttering in the wind, Su Qinghuan's apron stained with rice ball sweetness, Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core glowing in harmony with Yuekui's spirit pattern core... The central shadow was brightest, showing Lin Ye and Little Peach hand-in-hand—Little Peach holding a plum lantern, Coalball perched on her shoulder, tail brushing the star on the lantern.

"Turns out lanterns really can hold time." Grandma Chizuru smiled, touching the lantern tassel, her tear mole gilded by light. "I used to think reunion meant returning to the past, but now I see..." She looked at Little Peach's shadow. "Reunion is someone willing to make every today a yesterday worth remembering."

As Yuekui's figure emerged from the plum grove, the snow fell denser. 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 joy, 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 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 winter after, I couldn't even see a whole plum blossom." 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 burned. He took out the stardust fragment, which resonated with Yuekui's bracelet to form a complete star map. Each star 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 firefly 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 the plum blossoms. She remembered 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".

As dusk deepened, they sat under the Spirit Pattern Tree watching the snow. Yuekui's figure faded, but before vanishing, she tossed the twelve plum lanterns into the air. Stars from the lanterns fell, merging into everyone's cores—this time, Lin Ye's core held Little Peach's laughter, Su Qinghuan's echoed Coalball's purrs, Asagao's felt the clumsiness of scarf-knitting, Grandma Chizuru's sparkled with sugar painting gold dust...

"This is..." Su Li touched her burning spirit pattern core. "Our 'Reunion Knots' stored in eternity by General Yuekui."

Late at night, Lin Ye sat alone on Tokyo Tower's observation deck. His Reverse Scale Core hovered on his lap, starlight flowing with today's scenes: the Spirit Pattern Tree dancing with plum blossoms and stars, Yuekui's smiling phantom, Little Peach holding a plum lantern and shouting "Sister Yuekui".

"Captain." Little Peach's voice came from the stairs. Wrapped in his new scarf, holding Coalball, plum petals in her hair from their earlier play, she said, "Grandma Chizuru says Yuekui's plum lanterns are especially bright this year."

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

Wind swept the tower, lifting a plum petal that drifted far away, landing on a healed soul's shoulder—it was Yuekui, and every "Reunion Knot" ever wrapped in love.

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

The snow still fell, but it already carried the warmth of spring.