"Ayaka—what happened?"
Three figures appeared out of thin air, startling Kamisato Ayaka into a defensive stance.
The chilling aura she was about to release froze midair when she recognized the arrivals—Nagami, Lumine, and Paimon.
"This is bad! The recommendation process was almost done, but on my way here, I heard someone say Thoma's been arrested by the Tenryou Commission!"
There was no time to be surprised by their mysterious entrance.
Ayaka anxiously scanned the tearoom, her tone tight with worry.
"I couldn't confirm whether it was true, so I ran straight here. We were supposed to meet at this tea house… But he's not here. That means the rumor is probably true!"
Her voice trembled slightly. "The Raiden Shogun is holding the Vision Hunt Ceremony in front of the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed Statue—this time for the one-hundredth Vision."
Paimon blinked. "Wait, don't tell me this was Thoma's idea of helping us meet the Raiden Shogun—"
Without saying a word, Nagami flicked Paimon square on the forehead.
"Yaaah! That hurts!"
A red mark instantly bloomed on her pale forehead as she squealed in pain, eyes welling with tears.
She turned toward Nagami with puffed cheeks, grinding her tiny teeth in outrage.
'Whose bad influence rubbed off on that mouth of his!?'
Without thinking, Lumine reached over and pinched Paimon's soft cheeks, stretching them outward.
"Try speaking like a normal person, maybe?"
"The Shogun and the Tenryou Commission are probably using this ceremony to show off the 'success' of the Vision Hunt Decree," Ayaka continued, her tone urgent. "It won't take long before it starts. Thoma…"
Her expression tightened.
Ayaka's eyes were filled with determination and fear. "No. I have to save him!"
"Calm down, Ayaka." Nagami gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not just representing yourself—you're representing your whole clan and the Commission.
Think about the others who work under you. You don't want them to suffer because of your actions, right?"
"But… there's no time. The ceremony could start any moment. Thoma—"
Before being her retainer, Thoma was one of her dearest friends.
Yet Nagami's words weren't wrong. If she defied the Shogun openly as the Kamisato heiress, the consequences could be catastrophic.
"Leave this to me," Nagami said, snapping his fingers with a sharp click.
A confident smile spread across his face. "I'll bring Thoma back."
"But—"
"No buts." His tone softened. "Ayaka, we're friends, aren't we? When friends are in trouble, you can lean on me. That's what I'm here for."
With a steady grin, he took her slender hand and gently eased open her trembling fist.
Lumine subtly stepped back to lower her presence, not wanting to disturb the moment between them.
As for Thoma? Please.
With Nagami around, even if Thoma lost his Vision, he could probably make him a new one from scratch.
Ayaka lifted her gaze to meet his, biting her lip as hesitation and trust flickered in her eyes.
"You said it yourself—we're short on time," Nagami reminded her, patting her shoulder before turning toward the door. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."
"…All right," she whispered. "I'll wait for you to come back safely."
As his silhouette disappeared down the hall, the tension on Ayaka's face eased, her eyes glimmering faintly with hope—like a reflection of blue light shining through mist.
Once they were out of sight, Lumine reached out her small hand toward Nagami.
Paimon, watching this unfold, froze midair, her face twisting into pure confusion.
'What in the world is going on here!?'
'Does Lumine have some kind of strange new kink or something!?'
"Paimon, are you just gonna float there, or are you coming?" Lumine called back, snapping her out of it.
Why did she suddenly look so dazed? Did Nagami flick her too hard earlier?
No, couldn't be—he didn't hit that hard!
Shaking her head, Lumine grabbed Paimon's tiny arm and stepped through a dark, swirling rift that had silently opened before them.
———————————————————————
A colossal statue loomed ahead—its divine figure seated upon a throne, majestic and cold.
Dozens upon dozens of slender, spectral arms fanned out behind it like wings, each hand clutching a glittering jewel.
Every one of those gems was a Vision.
The Statue of the Thousand Arms and Hundred Eyes.
And today, it would truly live up to its name.
The one-hundredth Vision was about to be enshrined.
Thunder cracked across the heavens, the sky seething with storm clouds.
From the heart of the storm came the measured click of heels upon stone.
A tall, graceful woman stepped forth from the void—her every movement both regal and terrifyingly precise.
Her long violet hair was tied into a braid that draped behind her, and intricate golden patterns adorned her kimono.
The open shoulders revealed just enough of her pale, perfect skin to make the contrast with her dark lace stockings all the more striking.
Her face was a portrait of divine beauty—cold, poised, untouchable.
Her amethyst eyes glowed faintly with lightning, carrying the weight of godhood.
'She's so… majestic. Yes, majestic! Definitely not the other word I was thinking.'
If she lifted her kimono's hem with that same expression—
Yeah, nobody would survive that sight.
When the Shogun appeared, the gathered crowd erupted into hushed murmurs.
In the center of the ceremonial ground, Thoma was bound at the wrists and ankles, forced to kneel before the statue.
Two Tenryou samurai stood guard beside him, gripping their weapons.
The Raiden Shogun regarded him from above, her gaze sharp and unreadable.
Slowly, she raised a pale hand.
Lightning flashed in her eyes, and the Vision at Thoma's waist tore free, drawn toward her like a magnet.
But then—something impossible happened.
The air shimmered like cracked glass.
A thin fracture opened in space, and Thoma's Vision vanished into it—only to reappear behind him, snapping right back to his belt.
"...Hm?"
Even the Shogun blinked, momentarily stunned.
"What's going on!?"
"Who did that!?"
"Who dares interrupt the Shogun's sacred ceremony!?"
Shouts of outrage filled the courtyard as the guards took defensive stances, scanning their surroundings.
The Raiden Shogun frowned slightly, sensing something.
Her eyes turned toward a single point in space—then unleashed a surge of violet lightning at it.
The current flooded the air, but it met no resistance, dissipating into nothing.
Her expression darkened.
Then, with quiet suspicion, she looked down toward the space in front of Thoma—
where the rift began to open again.
From that swirling void stepped a dark-haired young man and a golden-haired girl.
And trailing behind them, a certain floating "emergency food" gawked at the sight in awe.