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36: Lei : "I Didn't Cry or Make a Fuss!"
"They're back!"
Inside the castle tower, General Raiden opened his eyes. Kujo Sara, kneeling beside him, waited eagerly for the return of the three.
As she looked at Raiden, still held in Kamisato Ayaka's arms, her eyes were filled with envy. If only she could hold the little general in her arms for just one day. She would even be willing to trade some years of her life for that privilege.
At this moment, Kujo Sara still had no idea that the head of the Kujo family had been imprisoned. The general kept her around due to her loyalty and exceptional abilities—qualities that were scarce in Inazuma, where there were few people who could be trusted and relied upon.
Kamisato Ayaka gently lowered Raiden to the ground after carrying her for the entire day. She had been somewhat scared at first, but now that she put her down, she felt a slight reluctance.
"General, you're really terrible!" Raiden immediately scolded the general as soon as she returned to the castle tower.
A good program should be able to fix its own bugs, upgrade the system automatically, and improve itself—without needing her, the programmer, to do everything. After all, wasn't the whole point of creating the program to ease her burden? Instead, it only increased the pressure on her.
General Lei Dian looked at Raiden as she scolded herself, growing even more disdainful.
"Isn't it because you're not capable enough? Su Ran managed to improve me, it was his ability. What about you?"
The blame was quickly shifted onto Raiden herself.
"At the beginning, Baal entrusted Inazuma to you, and it was you who failed her expectations. How can you claim you have no responsibility?" the general added, delivering a final blow.
Raiden was stunned. She kneeled on the ground, looking lost. Her gaze fell on a large device behind the general—it was the dream machine that Su Ran had created in a single day. It carried the Heart of God and could irradiate Inazuma to the greatest extent, ensuring that everyone across the land would enter the dream. No one would be exempt.
"But as long as the machine is activated, eternity will come true! I'll create the Inazuma that you truly desire," Raiden muttered.
Su Ran watched Lei Dianying closely, curious to see if she would fully surrender to the dream. He had prepared a big surprise for her within that dream.
Kujo Sara couldn't help but question the attitude the young general had towards the Thunder General. Why did it sound so strange? It almost seemed like the young general hadn't been born from the Thunder General, but rather, it was the other way around.
What was the truth here?
Kujo Sara didn't fully understand. However, these two generals were the ones she had sworn to serve for life.
As for the dream of eternity, she didn't quite grasp it. She only knew that it was the dream the general had spoken of—one she intended to "grant her subjects."
"Are you tired, Ayaka?" Su Ran asked as he patted his thighs, kneeling on the ground. "Want to try it? This is a knee pillow."
Kujo Sara turned with a stern expression, glancing at the two of them. She saw Kamisato Ayaka hesitating.
With so many people around, was it really the right moment for this?
"My thighs are full of magic. If you sleep on them, you'll have a sweet dream," Su Ran repeated, preventing Ayaka from refusing any further.
After all, rejecting a request from the gods would be far too ungrateful.
Kamisato Ayaka, her face flushed with embarrassment, eventually gave in and rested her head on Su Ran's legs. However, just moments later, she felt a wave of drowsiness.
Within three breaths, Ayaka was asleep.
At the same time, Su Ran felt something shift on his shoulder. Kujo Sara, unable to resist the sleepiness, collapsed into a deep slumber as well.
The two had fallen asleep so suddenly, leaving Ying utterly confused.
"When Su Ran returns to the castle tower, that will be when the eternal dream begins," General Lei Dian explained in response to Ying's confusion.
"So soon?" Ying was surprised. They had just gone on a trip, and now the eternal dream would begin as soon as they returned?
She, a participant, hadn't been told anything about it.
"That's because you've made no contribution to this dream. You're excluded," the general added, to Ying's astonishment.
Lei Dianying's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean I have no contribution? Didn't I come up with the concept of eternity?"
It should have been the general who had no contribution! Lei Dianying was the one who had created the dream machine. Su Ran had provided the idea of eternity, but the rest of the work had been done by him alone. The general had contributed nothing but sitting idly in the castle tower.
"You and I are not on the same side," Lei Dianying said bluntly, rejecting any claim of unity between them.
"General… are you betraying me?" Ying asked, her voice trembling.
"This body was created by Su Ran, and my self-awareness was given by him too. So how could I betray him?" the general replied coldly.
She had no self before; she was simply a tool. Now that she had a self, she was entitled to choose her side.
"Xiaoying~ don't cry and make a fuss~," Su Ran said, gently trying to comfort Lei Dianying, who was visibly angry.
"I didn't cry or make a fuss!" Ying retorted, glaring at Su Ran, who had "stolen" her general.
"Oh, since you're not crying and making a fuss now, you can cry and make a fuss in your dreams," Su Ran teased, grinning.
If it weren't for Kamisato Ayaka resting on her thigh and Kujo Sara leaning on her shoulder, Su Ran would have burst into laughter.
"You think too much! I won't cry and make a fuss, no matter when or where," Ying shot back. "I'm not a child. How could I act like one?"
"Alright, alright," Su Ran said with a smile. "I hope you'll keep that resolve. As the god of Inazuma, you should protect your people. Now, get some rest. You'll find what you desire the most in your dreams."
Lei Dianying frowned, feeling suspicious.
Was there a trap in the dream?
Humph! She, Lei Dianying, had fought through the Demon God War for several years. She had never been afraid of anything except Su Ran's military power. Even if there were traps, what was she afraid of?