Chapter 161. Rendezvous
Soon, three more days slipped by, and the atmosphere within Inazuma City grew increasingly tense.
Only two days remained before the Tenryou Commission and the Resistance would clash in open war. In truth, although the official declaration stated that the battle would begin in two days, the Shogunate Army under the Tenryou Commission had already begun its mobilization that very morning.
Under the command of Kujou Takayuki and numerous generals, the vast Shogunate forces marched steadily toward Kujou Encampment, a strategic position near the front lines.
With so many troops departing at once, the once-bustling streets of Inazuma City gradually fell into an unusual quiet.
As for Futsu Mitama, he had no intention of lingering in the city any longer. There was no further intelligence left to gather, and remaining here served little purpose. It would be better to return to the Resistance as soon as possible and make preparations for the battle that was about to unfold.
Originally, he had planned to depart within the next two days. However, the group had become rather curious about the Narukami sake.
Even Albedo and Zhongli showed interest in tasting a sake said to enhance one's physique while also increasing resistance to the Electro element. Because of this, Futsu Mitama stayed in Inazuma City for an additional day. Once the Narukami sake was successfully brewed, he promptly shared it with everyone in the group.
The remaining portion was carefully packed away and stored within the group files.
Yes—encrypted files.
As long as Venti was never granted administrator privileges, the sake certainly wouldn't vanish without a trace.
Meanwhile, another matter caused no small amount of concern.
Three more days had passed, and Sangonomiya Kokomi had now been asleep for a full seven days—yet she still had not awakened.
Even tagging her in the group produced no response, leaving Yae Miko grumbling in frustration, looking as though she might resign on the spot.
Didn't she say she would only sleep for one night?!
Kokomi was being completely unreasonable! And to make matters worse, Yae Miko couldn't even locate where she had gone to sleep.
If it weren't for the war looming just ahead—and the fact that many affairs had already been simplified—Yae Miko felt she might truly be worked to death.
Yet as the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, Sangonomiya Kokomi had to appear at a time like this to rally the soldiers' morale.
Yae Miko was pressed for time, but there was little she could do. In the current situation, the only option was to continue impersonating [Sangonomiya Kokomi] and personally head to the front lines to encourage the Resistance forces.
With her formidable illusion techniques, the likelihood of being exposed was virtually nonexistent. After all, she had lived for over five hundred years. In matters such as these, unless some ancient master were to rise from the grave, few could rival her expertise.
Furthermore, within the Chat Group, Yae Miko and Sangonomiya Kokomi had spoken many times. They had also met privately on several occasions, allowing Yae Miko to observe Kokomi's appearance and mannerisms in great detail.
By now, she could replicate them almost perfectly.
Even those closest to Sangonomiya Kokomi would struggle to notice anything unusual—unless they spent a long time interacting with Yae Miko herself.
And even if someone did notice a small inconsistency after prolonged contact, they would most likely assume that Sangonomiya Kokomi was merely fatigued.
At present, Yae Miko found herself in an extremely awkward position.
But there was no other choice.
The great war that would determine the future of Inazuma was about to begin. Abandoning her responsibilities at such a critical moment was simply unthinkable. If she truly did so, the Resistance might very well lose any chance of turning the tide.
And as the war drew near, the Resistance forces stationed along the front lines finally stopped maintaining their previous restraint.
Without hesitation, they began rooting out every hidden Fatui stronghold one by one.
They had even launched a surprise assault against the Shogunate Army's forward line. With the aid of numerous newly joined powerhouses—and the cooperation of traitors hidden within the Shogunate ranks—the attack struck with unexpected force.
Caught off guard, the Shogunate Army was compelled to retreat ten kilometres before hastily re-establishing their camp, not daring to act rashly for the time being.
—
That same night, Futsu Mitama departed from Inazuma City and began his journey back to the Resistance. At his speed, the return would take only a few hours.
"The final battle is finally about to begin."
Murmuring to himself, Futsu Mitama did not even bid farewell to Kujou Sara. Instead, he simply used teleportation and left Inazuma City behind, his gaze fixed firmly ahead.
Originally, he had estimated that this conflict would drag on for at least a year before fully erupting.
Yet Kujou Takayuki's attempt to court the Fatui had severely damaged the Tenryou Commission's reputation. Coupled with Yae Miko's influence, the Resistance had gradually gained greater public support.
At the very least, more than half of Inazuma now believed that the Tenryou Commission had become rebellious, while the Resistance stood as a righteous force working for the welfare of the nation.
Thinking about it, Futsu Mitama could not help but feel somewhat helpless.
How had things developed to this point?
Everything had moved far too quickly. In less than a month, Inazuma had descended into such chaos. To be honest, the situation gave him the constant impression that the Fatui's plan had begun prematurely. Yet even now, with war about to erupt, there was still no news from the Fatui. Their outposts had been wiped out one after another, but the Fatui themselves showed almost no reaction.
It was as if the loss of those outposts meant nothing at all.
Everyone had simply withdrawn to that factory.
If not for Sangonomiya Kokomi's instructions before she went to sleep—specifically ordering that the Resistance not be provoked too severely—and with Scaramouche never personally making a move, combined with the fact that Futsu Mitama, the Resistance's primary combat force, had been absent…
A delicate balance had been maintained between both sides.
But now, with war about to begin, that balance was clearly on the verge of collapsing.
"Was it Scaramouche…or Dottore? Or perhaps Signora who orchestrated all of this?"
As he traveled, Futsu Mitama continued to ponder the matter. Several Fatui Harbingers had interfered in the turmoil surrounding Inazuma. According to the intelligence Tartaglia had once shared, Dottore had conducted certain activities in Inazuma several hundred years ago.
Later, Scaramouche had appeared in the nation and played a role in the downfall of the Raiden Gokaden.
And after that, Signora had come to Inazuma with the intention of obtaining the Gnosis.
Under such circumstances, Futsu Mitama found it impossible to believe that the Fatui were not involved in the current chaos.
The troubling question was this: aside from Scaramouche, which Harbinger might also be interfering?
That was what worried him the most.
He hoped he was simply overthinking things—that this was merely Scaramouche colluding with the Tenryou Commission in an attempt to force both him and Yae Miko into returning.
If that was not the case—Then he would have no choice but to reveal his trump card.
Raiden Ei.
He did not particularly care if such a move appeared somewhat despicable. After all, even dealing with an unknown Scaramouche alone would already be troublesome; especially how hard his body was. As a puppet created to govern the nation, Ei gave him near perfect materials to the point equal to some demon gods body. It just in his creation, Ei realized he also had a mind and heart of his own and then she kinda neglected him.
If two Fatui Harbingers were cooperating, the situation would become an enormous problem.
While contemplating these matters, Futsu Mitama continued rushing toward Yashiori Island.
Once he confirmed Sangonomiya Kokomi's condition, he intended to probe the Fatui's strength directly. In any case, with war imminent, eliminating—or at least crippling—Scaramouche in advance would be a perfectly reasonable move.
It was already late at night.
Along the way, Futsu Mitama noticed that the Shogunate Army was still marching.
They had set out in the morning and had yet to reach their destination, continuing their advance without pause.
Watching the soldiers march day and night, a trace of doubt flickered in Futsu Mitama's eyes.
Had Kujou Takayuki truly not allowed them any rest?
They had been marching the entire day, yet he still refused to halt the advance. Was he planning to push them all the way to the front lines before letting them recover?
Was he not concerned that the moment they arrived, the Resistance might launch an assault and wipe them out?
Although somewhat puzzled, Futsu Mitama merely spared them a brief glance before decisively accelerating.
His priority was to reunite with the Resistance first.
"Swish—!!"
His figure transformed into a streak of purple lightning and vanished from his original position.
—
Yashiori Island — Resistance Headquarters.
Inside a command tent, the key figures of the Resistance had already gathered.
Gorou, Kazuha, Aila, Kuki Shinobu, and Shenhe.
These five could be considered the core figures—or perhaps the primary combat strength—of the current Resistance.
They had gathered to discuss the next course of action.
In truth, while it was called a discussion, the actual deliberation mainly fell upon Kuki Shinobu and Gorou. They were the ones responsible for handling the serious strategic matters.
Major front-line affairs were managed by the two of them, while Kazuha and Aila occasionally offered perspectives of their own.
As for Shenhe…she simply listened.
She did not truly understand such matters. Listening was possible, but participating in the discussion was not. After all, she genuinely could not grasp these complicated strategies. If asked to destroy a Fatui outpost alone, she would find that far easier than sitting through such discussions.
"What are you discussing? Sounds lively."
At that moment, Futsu Mitama walked in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Glancing around at everyone, he chuckled lightly.
"I had just reached the outside of the tent and could already hear your discussion."
Hearing the familiar voice, Gorou instinctively turned his head. The moment he recognized the newcomer, his eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh?! Futsu Mitama, you're back!"
"Come, come! You must've had a tiring journey! I knew you would return from Inazuma City today, but I didn't expect you to arrive this early."
As he spoke, Gorou quickly stepped forward to greet him, his joy practically visible from the way his tail wagged.
However, someone moved even faster.
It was Aila.
She immediately rushed forward and arrived beside Futsu Mitama, quietly positioning herself behind him. As a professional maid, the moment she saw her young master return, it was only natural for her to stand at his side.
Seeing her hurry over, Futsu Mitama smiled faintly and reached out to gently pat her head.
"…"
Kazuha remained silent.
His gaze rested on the sword hanging at Futsu Mitama's waist—Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami.
A subtle glimmer flickered in his eyes.
As a descendant of the Raiden Gokaden, he could clearly sense that the blade was extraordinary.
Exceptionally extraordinary.
If possible, Kazuha would have liked to observe the sword more closely.
But doing so would be rather rude. In Inazuma, a warrior's blade was considered their second life. Requesting to examine it required paying an appropriate price.
"You've grown stronger."
Shenhe, on the other hand, simply spoke her thoughts without hesitation. Looking at Futsu Mitama seriously, she said,
"After this discussion, let's spar."
"Senior Sister, Young Master is very tired and needs to rest."
Aila rejected Shenhe's request immediately on Futsu Mitama's behalf.
After all, traveling from Inazuma City to near Yashiori Island in such a short time would surely exhaust anyone. At a moment like this, he should rest—not spar.
"Alright."
Shenhe did not object. Whether they sparred today or tomorrow made little difference to her.
"Then let's sit down first and finish discussing the matter."
Kuki Shinobu sighed softly, sounding somewhat helpless.
Futsu Mitama's timing had truly been impeccable. They had just reached the most intense part of their discussion.
"Oh, right. Let's finish the discussion first."
Gorou also realized this belatedly and returned to his seat.
Futsu Mitama, meanwhile, very naturally took the seat Aila had just vacated.
Originally, Aila had been seated between Kuki Shinobu and Shenhe. Now he sat between the two women instead.
Neither Shenhe nor Kuki Shinobu showed any objection.
Aila quietly took a position behind Futsu Mitama, her expression calm as ever.
"Futsu Mitama, since you just arrived, let me explain what we were discussing."
Looking at him, Gorou spoke directly.
"We were debating whether to deal with the Fatui on Yashiori Island before the Tenryou Commission arrives. No matter what, those Fatui are still a threat. If we ignore them, the situation could become very dangerous."
"I propose overwhelming them with our forces before the Tenryou Commission reaches the front!"
As he spoke, Gorou suddenly pulled out a large pile of brocade pouches. After glancing through them briefly, he said earnestly,
"According to Lady Kokomi, this is called catching them off guard—attacking when they least expect it!"
Seeing the pile of brocade pouches, everyone's expressions remained calm.
After spending several days together, they had already grown used to Gorou suddenly producing large quantities of such pouches.
Futsu Mitama, seeing this scene for the first time, wore a rather subtle expression.
For a moment, he wasn't quite sure what to say.
"I object."
Kuki Shinobu spoke calmly.
"The Fatui are not as simple as they appear. We've wiped out many of their outposts, and it may seem easy. But in reality, that success came from surprise attacks—and because we have many powerful individuals on our side."
"Aila and Shenhe, in particular, played crucial roles as top-tier combatants. But if we intend to attack the factory directly…it will not be so simple."
After Aila, Kuki Shinobu, and Shenhe temporarily joined the Resistance as generals, their first action had been to deal with the Fatui outposts. Yet those outposts were not limited to the three obvious ones.
After clearing them out, Kuki Shinobu discovered several additional hidden Fatui positions scattered across Yashiori Island.
Their purpose remained unclear.
However, anything related to the Fatui inevitably meant trouble. Attacking them had therefore been the most reasonable decision.
During the days when Futsu Mitama was still in Inazuma City, Kuki Shinobu and the others briefly discussed the matter and decisively chose to eradicate those outposts.
Now, most of the Fatui's presence on Yashiori Island had been eliminated. But that did not mean the Resistance possessed the strength to destroy the true Fatui stronghold.
The Fatui forces stationed at the factory were elites. And among them was a Fatui Harbinger.
That was no simple enemy.
At the very least, before Futsu Mitama's return, launching such an operation would have been an extremely dangerous undertaking for the Resistance.
"It won't be easy."
Gorou nodded in agreement, speaking very seriously.
"But the Tenryou Commission's army is advancing in great numbers. Once they fully arrive—"
"And if the Fatui cooperate with them, we'll be attacked from both front and rear. We can't afford to take that risk. The future of Inazuma rests in our hands."
Due to Sangonomiya Kokomi's repeated explanations, Gorou had already come to regard the Resistance as the hope for saving Inazuma. He even occasionally muttered to himself that once this crisis was resolved, the Raiden Shogun would surely reward Watatsumi Island greatly.
Hearing such words, several people who had originally come from Inazuma City could only smile helplessly. After all, if the Resistance truly defeated the Tenryou Commission…would that not be equivalent to slapping the Shogun in the face?
When that time came, their merits and faults would likely offset each other. Of course, once Inazuma eventually stabilized, Watatsumi Island would likely receive many benefits. But those benefits would almost certainly come from the Three Commissions—not directly from the Shogun herself.
"Gorou is right."
Futsu Mitama nodded.
Seeing the slightly puzzled look in Kuki Shinobu's eyes, he explained calmly,
"The Fatui problem does need to be resolved. But the number of strong opponents in that factory no longer matters. Tomorrow, Shenhe, Aila, and I will go together to scout the situation."
"If their strength proves overwhelming, we'll withdraw early."
"But if there aren't many strong individuals inside—and only Scaramouche is present—"
At this point, a cold glint flashed in Futsu Mitama's eyes.
The rest hardly needed to be said.
They would simply strike first.
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