Chapter 151. Unlucky! The Storm Strikes!
Two full days slipped by like a quiet dream upon the sea.
Futsu Mitama stood at the bow of the Alcor, sleeves stirring in the wind he himself commanded. The Anemo Archon Authority flowed steadily through him, not violently, not ostentatiously—just enough to guide the currents and fill the sails with a constant, gentle force.
The Anemo Gnosis remained half-awakened, like a star veiled by thin clouds.
And the ocean…was silent. Too silent.
No sea beasts rose from the depths. No sudden squalls tore at the mast. Not even drifting wreckage crossed their path. The voyage was so smooth it felt almost unreal—like the stillness before a calamity.
Even Beidou frowned.
She had sailed these waters for years. Safe routes still carried risk. Rogue currents, wandering monsters, territorial leviathans—something always happened. That was precisely why merchants sought out The Crux Fleet. Safety at sea was never absolute.
Yet now?
Nothing. Not even a ripple of hostility.
Yae Miko, however, found it entirely unsurprising. She leaned against the railing, watching the horizon lazily.
"Do you think sea beasts are fools?" she said softly. "Many of their ancestors survived the Archon War. Some carry diluted traces of divine blood."
Even if the Anemo Archon was the so called the weakest among The Seven, authority was authority. The wind sweeping across the sea did not merely push sails—it carried a signature.
A memory. A dominion.
To mortal ears, it was only a breeze. To ancient creatures of the deep, it was a warning. The power of an Archon was not measured by public reputation.
It was etched into the bones of the world. Thus, the beasts did not approach.
It was much like the thunderstorm released by the Raiden Shogun—most creatures, unless maddened or suicidally stubborn, would never charge headlong into such might.
Try it, and die.
With the sea cleared and the wind perpetually at their backs, the Alcor cut through the waters like a blade through silk.
Beidou crossed her arms and laughed.
"At this rate, we'll reach Inazuma in three days."
Faster than their journey to Liyue. She cast another look at Futsu Mitama—this time without concealment. Admiration gleamed openly in her eyes.
"Mitama no Anchan," she said with a grin, "you're a terrifyingly useful talent. With you aboard, I could probably sail into those so-called forbidden waters and come back smiling."
She stepped closer.
"How about this? I don't need you full-time. Just let your name sit on The Crux's roster. When you want adventure, you come find me."
It was half a joke. Half entirely serious.
Futsu Mitama let out a helpless chuckle.
"As a friend, I agree," he said. "Especially after you taught Aila your unique technique."
Tidecaller was not something one shared lightly.
"That kind of favor? No problem." He paused, eyes drifting toward the distant east. "But I have too many matters at hand."
Inazuma's Resistance teetered under strain. Liyue's undercurrents had not fully settled. And in Sumeru—Maha Rukkhadevata's request lingered quietly in the background.
Even without that request, he would have gone eventually. Once his strength reached the threshold of a weak Archon, Sumeru would become unavoidable. Because there was one name already carved into his path.
Il Dottore.
Futsu Mitama had already crossed him once. And Dottore was not the type to forget.
Aila.
Black Aila.
They were variables Il Dottore would never tolerate. Since enmity was confirmed—Then better to resolve it at the root.
If possible, Futsu Mitama intended to extinguish that threat before it could grow fangs. The wind continued to blow.
Calm.
Steady.
Yet beneath that calm, destiny coiled like a dragon in slumber.
Inazuma awaited them.
It had been the same in Mondstadt.
Futsu Mitama had hoped—truly hoped—that La Signora would step outside Mondstadt's city walls and meet him in open ground.
He had left openings. Obvious ones.
Moments of "solo action." Opportunities to settle everything cleanly. Yet she never took the bait. She remained within the city, cautious to the point of suffocation. When had she become so careful?
The thought still left a trace of regret in his heart. Now, aboard the Alcor, things were very different.
Beidou was in high spirits after securing his informal agreement. She laughed loudly, saying there was no rush; she too was entangled in her own affairs and couldn't simply abandon everything for adventure.
Evening descended in molten gold across the sea.
Dinner was…unexpected.
A massive sea beast had approached earlier—not attacking out of hunger or territorial instinct, but charging straight toward the Alcor as if intending to smash it apart. Yet halfway through, it felt the wind.
The Anemo authority.
It hesitated. It turned. It attempted to retreat.
Unfortunately for it, the timing was poor.
It was almost dinner.
Beidou and Aila moved together—thunder and blade in seamless coordination—and the beast fell beneath their combined strike.
Now its enormous body was neatly portioned across the galley tables, enough to feed the entire crew generously.
"Cheers!" Beidou clinked cups and drank deeply, laughter ringing across the deck. "Tomorrow, we part ways."
Her gaze landed on Aila, unmistakably approving.
"In just two days, you've grasped the fundamentals of Tidecaller. That kind of talent…the Adeptus truly have good eyes."
Aila lowered her gaze slightly. She knew her growth was real—but it was Beidou's meticulous instruction that refined it.
Not everyone could learn like her young master. Some people could simply watch, reflect, and replicate. Others needed patient tempering.
Yae Miko picked up a slice of roasted fish and smiled faintly.
"Tomorrow, we'll reach Inazuma."
She sighed lightly.
"When I left for Liyue, I drifted nearly ten days at sea. A once-in-a-century storm."
There was unmistakable annoyance in her tone.
Had that storm not delayed her, she would have reached Mondstadt far sooner.
Instead, fate twisted perversely—she arrived in Liyue just as Futsu Mitama announced he was returning. And Albedo's smug little remarks afterward—
Yae Miko narrowed her eyes slightly. That alchemist was petty. Extremely petty.
Beidou chuckled. "I heard about that storm. You were unlucky."
She shrugged.
"Even if I—or Mitama no Anchan—had been there, facing nature at full force, we'd only barely maintain forward progress."
Shenhe calmly continued eating her fish. Futsu Mitama had told her fish wouldn't make her fat. So she ate without restraint.
Then she spoke evenly, "Not necessarily. Futsu Mitama may have the strength to contend with nature."
The deck fell briefly quiet. Through the Chat Group, Shenhe already knew more than she outwardly showed.
Raiden's retainer.
Geo successor.
Designated next Anemo Archon.
The Anemo Gnosis.
A Gnosis was not a trinket. It was the crystallization of authority after the Archon War. Yet Venti had entrusted it to him.
That trust…was astonishing.
Beidou misunderstood completely and laughed.
"Of course, he can. If something goes wrong, he can summon the Raiden Shogun to split the storm in half."
She spoke as though that were entirely reasonable.
Shenhe chose silence. Kuki Shinobu shifted the topic.
"We'll reach Watatsumi Island tomorrow morning. Do you have plans?"
The Resistance stood at a fragile balance.
Sangonomiya Kokomi remained on Watatsumi Island, coordinating everything. The main forces gathered on Yashiori Island. The Tenryou Commission was mobilizing, recruiting civilian fighters—though their arrogance ensured many drifted toward the Resistance instead.
The Resistance's slogan was carefully worded. They did not seek war. They sought attention. They sought the Shogun's gaze upon present-day Inazuma.
Lift the Sakoku Decree.
Lift the Vision Hunt Decree.
For Inazuma's future.
Meanwhile, the Tenryou Commission treated recruits as expendable vanguards. Anyone with a functioning mind could compare the two sides. Which was why Kokomi had not slept in days—screening recruits, guarding against infiltrators.
Yae Miko looked at Futsu Mitama with a teasing smile.
"I have matters to handle. But I want to hear your arrangement first."
He rolled his eyes slightly. She knew perfectly well.
"I don't have many plans," he said while peeling a shrimp methodically. "First, let Kokomi rest."
He continued evenly.
"Yae Miko, you'll temporarily take over the Resistance's affairs."
Her expression froze for a fraction of a second. She knew Kokomi's capability intimately.
If someone like her was reduced to eating condensed resin to stay awake, then stepping into that position was no light burden.
But realistically?
Only she and Kuki Shinobu possessed the administrative versatility required.
Futsu Mitama certainly did not. Aila required training. Shenhe managing logistics would likely dissolve the Resistance within a week.
Yae Miko said nothing.
He continued.
"Aila, Kuki Shinobu, and Shenhe will investigate the Fatui."
The air grew sharper.
"Kujou Takayuki has formally invited them to assist in suppressing the Resistance. The Tenryou Commission will shield them."
"If you encounter them directly, capture or eliminate. If you find a stationing point, record it first."
Kuki Shinobu nodded calmly.
"It will also serve as field training."
Aila and Shenhe gave no objections.
"What about you?" Yae Miko asked.
"Me?" He smiled faintly. "I return to Inazuma City and receive the Shogun's guidance."
The implication was obvious. If he did not report promptly, consequences would be—unpredictable.
Yae Miko resumed eating.
Yes. That was unavoidable.
At that moment, the first mate rushed in.
"This is bad."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Sea monsters?" Shenhe's hand moved toward her polearm.
The first mate shook his head.
"A storm. A very large one."
Beidou stood immediately.
"I'll see."
Futsu Mitama followed. When they stepped onto the deck, the sea had already changed.
The wind had reversed. Powerful gusts struck from the front, waves rising in resistance. The crew held formation skillfully—but this was only the beginning.
Ahead, thunderclouds towered. Lightning stitched across the sky.
"Boom—!!!"
Thunder rolled like a war drum. Dark clouds swallowed the horizon. Heavy rain threatened to descend in sheets. This was no minor squall. This was a full-scale oceanic storm. Beidou's expression hardened.
"This situation…is bad."
The wind howled. The Alcor pressed forward against mounting resistance. And somewhere within the roaring sky—Something felt…deliberate.
The sea had never been gentle—but this time, it changed its face too quickly.
Dark clouds rolled across the horizon like a living curtain drawn over the heavens. Lightning coiled within them, restless and hungry. The air grew heavy, pressing against the lungs, and even the seasoned sailors aboard the Crux Fleet fell silent.
Far ahead, beyond the prow of the Alcor, the ocean writhed beneath a brewing calamity.
—
"How bad is it?" Futsu Mitama asked.
He had not sailed often. Yet the sight before him was painfully familiar—like the typhoons of a distant life, where the sky and sea conspired to erase the world.
Beidou did not look away from the storm.
"If nothing unexpected happens, it will reach us in half an hour."
Her voice remained steady, but her eyes sharpened.
"And judging by its scale—this is a once-in-a-century Thunderstorm."
Lightning split the sky again, illuminating the vast wall of churning clouds.
"Of course," she added dryly, "it's also possible some terrifying existence stirred it up. This sea hasn't been peaceful lately."
She exhaled faintly.
"To be blocked at the very end—our luck truly is something."
—
A soft laugh drifted across the deck.
"What's there to fear?"
All eyes turned.
Yae Miko stood beneath the dimming sky, sleeves fluttering in the rising wind. Even with thunder rumbling above, she looked utterly unbothered.
"I am Lady Yae Miko," she declared lightly, "blessed with both wisdom and beauty."
She tilted her head.
"A mere Thunderstorm cannot trouble me."
Futsu Mitama blinked. Aila blinked. Kuki Shinobu blinked.
Shenhe remained expressionless.
After all—she had not witnessed Yae Miko nearly losing her composure in the group chat when stranded at sea days prior.
—
Yae Miko: If this wretched ocean delays me any longer, I will personally walk across it.
Kuki Shinobu: Lady Guuji…that is not feasible.
Aila: The current depth averages several thousand meters.
Yae Miko: Details.
Futsu Mitama: Please don't.
Yae Miko: If only I were better at sustained flight…
Kuki Shinobu: Please conserve your strength.
Yae Miko: Hmph. If I knew the sea this poorly, I would've brought a shrine boat.
—
And yet now—
"Oh?" Beidou raised a brow. "You have a solution?"
"Naturally." Yae Miko smiled. "If we combine our strength, dispersing the Thunderstorm is not impossible."
She gestured lightly.
"The little one and Shenhe possess considerable power. Aila and Shinobu can assist with Talismans. As for me—"
She placed a hand at her cheek.
"I will provide refined guidance." Shenhe calmly produced over a dozen Talismans.
"If necessary," she said quietly, "I can freeze the sea."
There was no boast in her tone—only fact.
Aila and Shinobu nodded. With proper coordination, their talisman arts could amplify elemental disruption.
It was possible.
Perhaps.
—
Futsu Mitama, however, shook his head.
"There is no need to waste stamina."
The wind tugged at his sleeves as he retrieved a familiar object—the exit permit granted by the Raiden Shogun herself.
Yae Miko narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You intend to summon her?"
"There are still two days before the appointed seven," he replied calmly. "We must conserve strength. If the storm proves greater than expected, we expend too much."
He looked ahead.
"Better to resolve it immediately."
Yae Miko said nothing more.
Beidou watched with keen interest.
She had seen this before—the impossible obedience of lightning.
—
Futsu Mitama activated the Electro Archon Authority.
The sky answered.
"Rumble—!!!"
Dark clouds surged inward, swallowing the Alcor in violet brilliance. Electro particles gathered, thick and suffocating, as if the sea itself had begun to kneel.
Then—
She appeared. A figure woven from pure lightning descended above the ship.
Not flesh.
Not blood.
But divine authority condensed into form.
The deck fell silent.
Though she spoke not a word, both Yae Miko and Futsu Mitama felt it—the consciousness behind the figure had descended.
A question.
Why?
"Lady Shogun," Futsu Mitama said clearly. "A Thunderstorm blocks our path."
The purple figure inclined her head slightly.
Understood.
Space trembled.
"Rip—!!"
A giant tachi of lightning formed within her grasp, its edge shimmering with absolute judgment.
She raised it.
No flourish. No declaration. Only a single motion.
"Swish—!!!"
The strike descended.
Light swallowed the world.
Even seasoned sailors instinctively shut their eyes. But Futsu Mitama and the others watched. They watched as that slash cleaved sky from sea.
—
"Boom—!!!"
The oppressive clouds vanished. The roaring winds ceased. The dark curtain of storm dispersed as though it had never existed.
Silence fell.
Then—
"ROAR—!!!!"
A distant, anguished cry echoed across the horizon.
Not thunder. Not wind.
Something else. Something that had hidden behind the storm. Understanding dawned across the deck.
The Thunderstorm had not been natural. Some sea-bound existence had summoned it. And with a single distant slash, it had been struck down.
Unlucky.
To provoke the Electro Archon without knowing.
Above the Alcor, the lightning figure faded. Her task complete.
The sea returned to calm. Only scattered violet sparks lingered in the air—like fleeting remnants of divinity.
Yae Miko folded her sleeves, smiling faintly.
"Well," she said softly, "that was efficient."
Beidou exhaled.
"Remind me never to anger your Shogun."
The path to Inazuma lay open once more.
And beneath the restored sky, the Alcor sailed forward.