When Kujou Sara withdrew, she received a report from the rear and finally understood why the Raiden Shogun was so furious.
Upon hearing of the heavy casualties caused by the enemy's surprise attack in the rear, Kujou Sara's heart clenched completely.
So many soldiers had already died on the battlefield, and now even the innocent civilians in the rear could not be spared.
Kujou Sara even began to blame herself; if she had not diverted so many troops, the enemy would never have been able to advance into Inazuma City so easily to massacre and destroy it at will.
Of course, if she hadn't done so, the battlefield would have been completely dominated by the enemy.
And the reason Kujou Sara dared to do this was because the Raiden Shogun herself was personally stationed in Inazuma City!
No one knew why the Raiden Shogun had not personally taken action to kill the enemy this time, something Kujou Sara couldn't figure out no matter what.
Looking at those soldiers who had already been beaten into despair, Kujou Sara realized she could no longer let this go on and immediately went to see Yae Miko.
"Lady Guuji, as the Almighty Shogun's subordinate, do you know why the Almighty Shogun is hesitating to personally intervene?"
After hearing Kujou Sara's question, Yae Miko looked at her for a long time without speaking, a faint and elusive trace of a bitter smile hanging on her face.
After a long while, before Kujou Sara's patience ran out, Yae Miko finally spoke to her.
"What are the current casualty statistics?"
"So far, approximately 30,000 soldiers have fallen, and the number of wounded is nearly 100,000."
Speaking to this point, although she had already known before, Kujou Sara's chest still felt a dull pain.
"As for the civilians in the rear, there are approximately 10,000 unfortunate victims, and over 10,000 injured."
Each number was so shocking. Kujou Sara hoped to see sadness, anger, or disbelief on Yae Miko's face, but there was none.
Yae Miko was much calmer than she had imagined, almost as if she had already predicted it.
"I understand. I will go back and talk to her. For now, let the soldiers garrison here and await orders."
After hearing Yae Miko's words, Kujou Sara should have been completely at ease. After all, the other party was the deity's subordinate, and having Yae Miko talk to Raiden Ei would be the most appropriate.
However, Kujou Sara found that she could not calm her mind no matter what, as if she had overlooked something.
"Lady Guuji, I will return with you!"
For some reason, Kujou Sara spoke up suddenly after Yae Miko had already turned and taken several steps away.
Upon hearing her words, Yae Miko turned around with a faint smile, as if she were considering something.
Finally, Yae Miko nodded and spoke to Kujou Sara.
"Very well. It is indeed necessary to give you some chances and attempts."
"Let us go. With your Tengu bloodline, perhaps you can fight for some opportunities."
Hearing Yae Miko's words, Kujou Sara could no longer hold back and asked.
"Lady Guuji, do you perhaps know why the Almighty Shogun refuses to act."
"Heh heh."
Yae Miko chuckled twice, then turned around and continued walking outward, without any intention of answering Kujou Sara.
Kujou Sara's expression was somewhat heavy. After thinking for a moment, she immediately caught up with Yae Miko's figure, following her back to Inazuma City.
At this moment, of course, the two of them saw the white mourning ribbons lining the streets and the weeping pedestrians, and couldn't help but be stunned.
How could this be the sight of only ten thousand people having died? This would have to be over one hundred thousand dead, wouldn't it?!
Kujou Sara had thought that someone was delivering false intelligence, but after she asked and learned the reason behind the matter, she finally understood why this scene had appeared.
The "Big Pigeon" was dead.
At first, Kujou Sara truly thought a pigeon had died, completely missing the other person's meaning, after all, she was not very fond of light novels.
However, after she inquired further, she learned that "Big Pigeon" was merely the pen name of a young man.
"Big Pigeon" had created one brilliant light novel after another, revered by countless people as the God who governed novels in ancient times, and he had an unimaginably large number of fans across the entire continent of Teyvat.
However, because he had kept his identity well hidden before, no one knew his true identity, and by the time everyone learned who he was for the first time, it was already an eternal farewell.
After learning this news, Yae Miko recalled the cute little fellow she had teased a few days ago, only to realize that now she could only see him in a photograph, and she fell into silence once again.
"No, is he really dead? I don't believe it, Big Pigeon, please come back quickly, you still have so many plot holes to fill!"
"Oh no, I was just reading the most exciting part, Big Pigeon, how can we live without you!"
"Big Pigeon, I have already burned your novels for you, you must come into my dreams and tell me the sequel after you've written it down!"
"Big Pigeon, wait for this old man, this old man is already ninety-three years old and has lived long enough, without you, this old man's life has no joy at all, let this old man go with you!"
-
At this moment, Inazuma City was plunged into infinite grief. Those who didn't know the truth might have thought that something had happened to the Raiden Shogun.
"Sigh, what a pity."
Yae Miko sighed softly, then spoke to Kujou Sara beside her.
"Go on, aren't you trying to see the Shogun?"
"Although I don't think you'll be able to see her, if you want to try, then go ahead."
After leaving these words, Yae Miko directly turned and left.
Looking at Yae Miko's receding figure, it was obvious that she must know something, but Yae Miko refused to say it. Kujou Sara had no other choice but to go to Tenshukaku to request an audience with the Raiden Shogun.
The final result was just as Yae Miko had said. The Raiden Shogun rejected her request for a meeting. In fact, the Raiden Shogun rejected everyone's request for a meeting.
Looking at the dense black clouds above Tenshukaku, Kujou Sara ultimately did not have the resolve to force her way into Tenshukaku.
Afterward, her hopes having been dashed, Kujou Sara finally went to the Kamisato Clan to inquire about the situation and met the person involved, Kamisato Ayaka.
Kujou Sara immediately asked Kamisato Ayaka about the situation at the time, learning more details.
"Miss Kamisato, are you saying those people specifically chose to strike when the head of the Kamisato Clan was away?"
"Do you mean you suspect someone in the Kamisato Clan betrayed us?"
After hearing Kujou Sara's words, Kamisato Ayaka frowned and slowly spoke.
"This is just a thought of mine. After all, the timing of their appearance was just too coincidental."
"However, very few people knew about my older brother being away. I can't imagine who would have leaked the news."
"Aoba, what do you think?"
Hearing Kamisato Ayaka's question, Aoba, who was kneeling beside her, immediately spoke with certainty.
"Milady, I believe it's impossible for there to be a spy. I've gotten along with everyone for so long, and I know each of their personalities and characters. I believe none of them could possibly betray us!"
After hearing Aoba's words, Kamisato Ayaka sighed softly.
"When did I ever want to suspect others? But we can't completely rule out this possibility. We need to take precautions early."
"If someone truly betrayed us, I have been with the Kamisato Clan for the shortest amount of time, so I should be the first one suspected."
As soon as Aoba finished speaking, Kamisato Ayaka immediately and anxiously replied.
"Aoba, don't say that. You are almost always by my side, and in the end, it was your plan that stalled for time and ultimately significantly reduced the casualties. You are the person least likely to betray us!"
"I believe in you!"
Hearing these words, Aoba's eyes filled with tears.
"So it turns out the person the people of Inazuma City praised is indeed Mr. Aoba. You really helped us out this time."
After hearing Kamisato Ayaka's words, Kujou Sara finally remembered the information she had gathered earlier. She looked at Aoba with a gaze full of gratitude and respect.
If it hadn't been for him, the casualties in Inazuma City this time would have at least doubled.
"Miss Kamisato is right. How could a person like Mr. Aoba be a traitor?"
"As for the others, I can help investigate."
Hearing Kujou Sara's words, Kamisato Ayaka nodded in thanks.
"I will have to trouble you with that then."
-
Meanwhile, at the Grand Narukami Shrine on Mt. Yougou, Yae Miko received a letter from Ganyu of Liyue.
After Yae Miko finished reading the contents of the letter, a strange expression appeared on her face.
"Big Sister Ganyu, your letter came at the perfect time!"
Yae Miko remarked. In fact, the letter detailed recent events in Liyue, especially emphasizing the two Numbered Members who had appeared within its borders. After reading the letter, Yae Miko finally understood the cause of the anomalies that had been occurring in Inazuma recently.
Of course, none of this was the main point. The most important thing was that Yae Miko could now request aid through this letter. This was even a case where Liyue was actively offering help, so there was no need to worry about owing them a favor.
"No. 3 Persephone, even Rex Lapis couldn't do anything about her. If such an existence were to arrive in Inazuma... Hiss!"
"Call for backup, we must call for backup!"
"We need Sister Ganyu to bring more people to Inazuma to help!"
Whether No. 3 Persephone was actually in Inazuma didn't matter. It was enough to simply paint Inazuma's current situation in the worst possible light.
Another crucial point was that the enemy had indeed successfully resurrected a god.
"So the God of Dust, Guizhong, has actually returned to this world."
To be honest, Yae Miko was quite impressed by Zhongli. Even in such a situation, he could still maintain basic rationality, which was no easy feat.
If the one who had been resurrected was Raiden Makoto, Yae Miko guessed that Raiden Ei would completely lose her mind.
"In fact, it's almost there. Ei just hasn't confirmed the final detail. If this news were brought to her, she should be able to make her choice immediately."
Yae Miko shook her head. In truth, the reason Raiden Ei had delayed taking action was simple: even if resurrecting a god could be successful, it would require a considerable price.
The enemy's ultimate goal seemed to be resurrecting the God Orobashi, and for this purpose, they had caused a massive amount of slaughter in Inazuma.
From the description in the letter, the lives of those people were merely sacrifices.
So the question was, if Raiden Ei took action, she could indeed resolve this matter very easily, but what would happen after it was solved?
If Raiden Ei wanted to resurrect Raiden Makoto at that time, she would have only two paths to choose from.
The first path was to wield her sword against the people of Inazuma; the second path was to wield her sword against the people of other nations. Either choice would completely betray Raiden Ei's true intentions.
Therefore, Raiden Ei ultimately made her decision: she suppressed the Raiden Shogun to prevent her from acting, allowing events to proceed unchecked until the moment the enemy was about to succeed, at which point she would seize the results and resurrect Raiden Makoto.
Yae Miko knew that as long as the sacrifice wasn't unbearably large, Raiden Ei would choose to resurrect Raiden Makoto without hesitation. That was why she allowed events to unfold, letting her subordinates freely take action.
If only things were truly this simple. Yae Miko's greatest fear was that Raiden Ei would completely lose her calm and judgment over this matter and be led by the nose by the enemy.
With her own power, she couldn't be of much help to Raiden Ei, but she could call for reinforcements.
When more people from Inazuma arrived, they would have a stronger foundation to stand on.
Thinking of this, Yae Miko found a quiet place and began to write a letter.
[ Dear Sister Ganyu... ]
In the letter, Yae Miko poured out her woes, describing Inazuma as being on the brink of complete annihilation without reinforcements. After finishing, Yae Miko set down her pen, reread it, and nodded in satisfaction.
She was certain that given Sister Ganyu's warm heart, she would definitely be unable to sit still after reading such a letter and would bring people to help as quickly as possible!
If No. 3 truly was in Inazuma, that would be very bad news. Even if Persephone didn't take action herself, her subordinates would already be enough to give Inazuma a real headache.
Therefore, calling for reinforcements was especially important!
After Yae Miko had someone send the letter out and mark it as "Express," she returned to the Grand Narukami Shrine to prepare for a short rest.
She had almost stayed at the front lines permanently this time; it had scared this fox to death!
Next time, she would never again casually wander around in front of those monsters from the past. It gave her no sense of security at all!
Yae Miko felt she would need at least three days to recover from the shock she had suffered this time. Thus, she directly gave her subordinate shrine maidens a three-day holiday and completely closed the Grand Narukami Shrine, no longer accepting visitors.
The shrine maidens were extremely puzzled by Lady Guuji's behavior, but in the end, they didn't say much in front of her and obediently left the mountain.
After all, their Lady Guuji had a rather wicked temperament!
Of course, on the way down the mountain, the shrine maidens completely let loose, curiously discussing the reason for Lady Guuji's actions.
"Why does Lady Guuji suddenly want to seal off the Grand Narukami Shrine after returning from her trip?"
"Could it be because of what happened in Inazuma City, so she's telling us to go back and offer prayers?"
"But it seems none of our family or friends were involved in the incident, right?"
-
As the miko walked down the mountain, they chatted among themselves. Halfway down, they spotted a young woman also dressed as a miko, with short white hair and a mask, slowly walking toward the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Sister, there's no need to go up. Lady Guuji has closed the Grand Narukami Shrine and given us a three-day holiday."
Hearing this, the woman seemed to glance at them, but she quickly returned her gaze to the path ahead, ignoring their words as she continued up Mt. Yougou.
After passing her, the miko stopped and stared at her receding figure, asking each other in confusion.
"By the way, does anyone recognize her?"
"I don't!"
"I don't think I've ever seen her before!"
As the miko spoke up one by one, the sense of strangeness in their hearts grew stronger.
Although they weren't all the miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine, as many were on rotating shifts, they still worked in the same place. They should have at least some vague impression of her, especially since her behavior was so strange.
"By the way, could we have seen a ghost?"
"You... You shouldn't scare people like that!"
Hearing these words, some of the miko's faces immediately turned pale with fear.
"I didn't mean that kind of ghost. Haven't you heard the rumors lately? People who died in the past are reportedly reappearing in Inazuma City, coming back to life in this world."
"Do you think that sister just now might be one of them? A miko who used to serve at the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Isn't that too diligent? To come back to the Grand Narukami Shrine to continue working the moment she was resurrected?!"
Hearing this, the miko all cast admiring glances toward the figure that was about to vanish.
As expected of a senior from the past. Her level of professionalism is worth learning from!
To think we're always wishing for the end of our shift while we're at work. How shameful!
Look at her. Even after finally being resurrected, she wants to go back to work at the Grand Narukami Shrine. That's true dedication!
"By the way, did you see her? She seemed to have fox-like ears."
"Did she? I didn't notice."
-
Meanwhile, Yae Miko heard footsteps approaching from a short distance away and, assuming the miko had simply forgotten something, didn't pay it any mind.
However, when she clearly saw the figure appearing at the Grand Narukami Shrine, her elegant brows furrowed.
"Who are you?"
Yae Miko's memory was excellent; there was no miko of the current batch who matched the person before her.
Yet, for some reason, she felt an intense sense of familiarity.
Yae Miko's heart sank. This familiarity was precisely what she feared most right now, as it meant the other person was likely from the past.
"You've actually brought the fight to my doorstep? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
"I advise you to leave immediately. I am several times stronger right here."
Yae Miko wasn't bluffing. If she tapped into the power of the Sacred Sakura Tree, she could indeed unleash several times her strength. But doing so would place a heavy burden on the tree, which was a crucial object for suppressing evil spirits. If its power was drained too much, serious problems could easily arise. Therefore, Yae Miko would not use the tree's power unless absolutely necessary.
"Tsk, I never expected the little one from back then to become such a formidable figure on her own."
Hearing the person's voice, Yae Miko's body jolted violently, and an expression of disbelief washed over her face.
At that moment, the other person slowly removed the mask from their face, and the familiar features struck Yae Miko's heart with unimaginable force.
"You are... Lady Kitsune Saiguu!"
Yae Miko's fox eyes widened sharply, filled with shock, joy, and profound reverence.
"Long time no see, Miko. I've returned."
Kitsune Saiguu smiled faintly and greeted Yae Miko.
Seeing this smile, Yae Miko immediately defected. No matter which side the other person stood on, she would follow them from now on.
Ei, I'll be the first to surrender. As the backbone of Inazuma, you should hold out a little longer...