Spiritrun Arena

When early summer in Tokyo, wrapped in cicada songs, drifted into Grandma Chizuru's courtyard, the mountain stream behind the house was swollen with spring tides. Clear water overflowed bluestone slabs, lapped at hydrangea clusters on the bank, and seeped into the twelve carp lanterns hanging under the veranda—cherry blossom patterns on the lanterns blurred in the water, like spilled pink paint, livelier than usual.

"This year's fireflies came early." Grandma Chizuru squatted by the stream, scooping up fireflies with a bamboo sieve and tucking them into a wicker firefly cage. "Yuekui said in a dream we'd 'light up the night' together." Around her wrist hung the cherry blossom string Little Peach had woven last night, hiding half a stardust meteorite in its knot, glowing with cool warmth.

A bamboo mat was spread under the Spirit Pattern Tree. Sakura propped her tablet on a branch, projecting scenes from three hundred years ago: Yuekui and Chizuru crouching by the stream, one drawing fireflies in sand with a twig, the other stuffing fireflies into a lantern with gauze; young Su Qinghuan running over with sweet wine rice balls, her cherry-blossom hairpin shining; sixteen-year-old Lin Ye carrying injured Yuekui through darkness, murmuring "Little Peach, don't be afraid"...

"Our summers have long been strung through time." Asagao smiled, holding a tea cup. Her spirit pattern core resonated with fireflies, light patterns weaving tiny starlight on the cup's edge. "Like these fireflies—each holds past winds, yet all gather into this present summer."

Little Peach was tying a firefly garland around Coalball's neck, her crows helping from her shoulders. Suddenly, the flower-winged crow flew up, fetching a special firefly—its body glowed pale gold, identical to those in Grandma Chizuru's cage.

"It's Yuekui!" Sakura pointed at the screen. In the spatial spirit pattern projection, Yuekui emerged from the stream. She wore a light blue yukata, a cherry-blossom hairpin in her hair, armor replaced by sheer silk, her stardust meteorite bracelet glowing warm gold. Most delightfully, 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 bamboo mat, fingertips brushing Little Peach's hair: "Three hundred years ago, I always said 'when the war ends', but in the summer after, I couldn't even see a whole firefly." 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 suddenly. He took out the stardust fragment (Grandma Chizuru had slipped it to him that morning), which resonated with Yuekui's bracelet to form a complete star map in mid-air. Each star matched 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 plopped into the stream. She recalled Yuekui's dream words: "The brightest star belongs to the most precious 'now'." Now she understood—Yuekui had never left; she'd become every warmth, every heartbeat, every "now" wrapped in love.

At dusk, they sat under the Spirit Pattern Tree watching sunset. Yuekui's figure faded, but before vanishing, she released twelve fireflies into the air. Stars within them 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 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 the day's scenes: the Spirit Pattern Tree dancing with fireflies and stars, Yuekui's smiling phantom, Little Peach holding the firefly cage and shouting "Sister Yuekui".

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

Lin Ye looked at her sunset-lit face, suddenly remembering that summer 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 summer wind, thinking, Yuekui, look—we're all doing well.

Wind swept the tower, carrying a wisp of firefly light 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 firefly-shaped cakes, Sakura and Jiu organized the day's spirit pattern core memories, Su Qinghuan cooked a second pot of sweet wine rice balls in the kitchen, and Asagao knitted new scarves for the crows...

Summer continued, but it already carried the warmth of eternity.