?The sunset bled over the horizon of the "Artificial Coastline," a secluded sanctuary hidden deep within the sea of trees. Venus hung in the sky, appearing twice its usual size, as a cloudless indigo curtain began to fall. Phoebe looked up, captivated by the hand-painted quality of the sky—a gradient so sharp and vibrant it felt like a landscape from Goa or Easter Island rendered in thick pastel.

  ?Silence reigned until the waning moon emerged, wedged between shifting clouds. Its light hit the seabed, but there was no water to catch the reflection. The artificial sea had long since completed its duty of cooling the viscous magma of the Earth's crust.

  ?"The second most important time of the year has arrived," Laili announced, her face flushing a vibrant rose. For a moment, Phoebe was struck by how human her blood seemed. "Amethyst, please—hold the Jade Doll up to the moonlight."

  ?"Understood," Amethyst replied.

  ?Clamo’s father, who had been playfully wrestling over a stone with his son, looked up. "The second? That implies there’s a 'first' most important moment, doesn't it?"

  ?"Of course," Laili smiled.

  ?As Amethyst lifted the doll—its core filled with the mysterious liquid known as 'Me'—it began to glow. It wasn't blinding like the sun; rather, it emitted a serene, blue-light radiance that reached across the dry seabed. It looked as if a cave of fluorite had been turned upside down and spread across the world.

  ?"Now, let go," Laili commanded.

  ?"Are you sure?" Amethyst hesitated, feeling the doll grow unnaturally light in her hands. Slowly, she opened her fingers.

  ?The doll didn't fall. It drifted upward, hovering exactly two meters high as if the heavens themselves were reaching down to hold it.

  ?"It’s like a balloon! Incredible!" Letty shouted, jumping to try and catch it.

  ?"It is the raw material for the ancient flight-stones," Laili explained, her true purpose finally coming into focus. "Just a liter of this pure 'Me' is enough to change everything."

  ?"Are you planning to stay until the 'first' magic hour to collect more resources?" the father asked, his suspicion resurfacing.

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  ?"I mean you no harm," Laili said softly. "I want you to invest in people, not resources. Resources deplete, but the right people—and the bonds between them—are infinite. This is July 2126. The world is at its most critical juncture. I wanted you to feel the texture of the air today, to remember that miracles exist even when the world says there is no hope."

  ?"Then tell us," the father conceded. "What is the first magic hour? Something we can use in our own century?"

  ?"Yes," Laili nodded. "The Great Bifurcation occurs on December 22, 2025, at 00:03. It centers on the nation that once sheltered our kin during the Interstellar Wars."

  ?"Which nation?"

  ?"Japan," Laili replied. "Over a thousand years ago, our ancestors fled their war-torn homes. They sent their children to Earth in escape pods. Most did not survive—not because of the atmosphere, but because they did not look like Homo sapiens. They were hunted. But in Japan, it was different. A princess descended into a bamboo grove, her fall cushioned by the stalks, and she was raised with love."

  ?"The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter..." Amethyst whispered. "Kaguya-hime was one of yours?"

  ?"Your insight is appreciated," Laili bowed. "The stories your mother told you before your 'mental cement' hardened have shaped you well."

  ?Laili explained that the liquid 'Me' acts like blood for machinery, capable of healing wounds or powering flight, but it only functions in the dark and responds to one thing: Consciousness.

  ?"Move to the right!" the father commanded the doll. It stayed perfectly still. "It’s broken. It won't budge."

  ?"Do you understand the feelings of the trees? The flowers? The person standing next to you?" Laili asked. "If you cannot read the rhythm of nature, you cannot pilot this."

  ?Amethyst thought of her mother’s stories about Noh and Kyogen theater, where plum blossoms speak. "It’s about dialogue with life, isn't it?"

  ?"Exactly," Laili encouraged. "Now, all of you—together."

  ?The group surrounded the doll.

  "Let’s make it circle the sea," the father suggested.

  "I’m in!" Letty cheered.

  "We can do this," Clamo whispered.

  ?Laili counted down: "Three, two, one...!"

  ?A sound emerged—not the roar of an engine, but the soothing bubble of a fresh spring. The doll surged with a brilliant teal and jade luster. It sliced through the air with the elegance of a Japanese blade, soaring across the horizon before snapping back to its original position with perfect precision.

  ?"Success!" Laili exulted.

  ?"If that small doll can fly like that," Telmi mused, "with enough of that liquid, you could move an entire planet."

  ?"You're sharper than you look, Telmi," Laili noted. "But remember why you came here: to bring 'Tora-emon' to life. This liquid is the Philosopher's Stone. Use it to build, not to conquer."

  ?As the stars grew brighter, Clamo noticed his ears turning red when Telmi whispered a joke to him. The weight of the future felt a little lighter.

  ?"Time is short," Laili reminded them. "Say your goodbyes to the Clamo of the future. Enjoy this day—it will never happen quite like this again."