According to the Heavenly Principles' command, Orobashi had to lead all the warriors of Watatsumi Island in a full-scale invasion of Inazuma and die at the hands of the newly ascended Raiden Shogun. To ensure that no one would suspect the true nature of this invasion or question Orobashi's death, the war had to be fought with Watatsumi Island's full strength. Every able warrior had to be brought to the battlefield—including Higashiyama-Ō, the shrine maidens Kumoromo and Amefuri, and all the shrine maidens of the present shrine. All of them had to go to war with Orobashi.
But in Orobashi's eyes, these people were the future of Watatsumi Island. Seeing them die on the battlefield would be even more painful than his own death. That was why he hesitated.
If he did not fight this war, all of Enkanomiya and the newly born Watatsumi Island would be destroyed. Everyone would die. If he did fight, innocent warriors and shrine maidens would die alongside him on the battlefield.
He did not want to choose, but he had to. That was why he had asked Higashiyama-Ō, "What if the island we are invading is far more powerful than we are? Would you still join this war?"
Higashiyama-Ō answered without hesitation, "Whoever Lord Orobashi tells me to fight, I will fight. I will fight alongside Lord Orobashi."
Orobashi said, "Then we fight."
A war that had to be fought. A war that was destined to fail.
After all the people of Enkanomiya had been moved to Watatsumi Island, building houses, farming the land, and gradually finding stability, Orobashi finally made an announcement.
"War. Watatsumi Island needs more land and more resources. Warriors, take up your weapons. Cross the sea with me and claim more resources."
To avoid suspicion and to make it clear that this was a real war and not a joke, Orobashi fabricated a lie. They needed more land. They needed more resources.
To be honest, the people who had just emerged from Enkanomiya and set foot on Watatsumi Island were already happy. They did not want war. They wanted to live in peace.
But Orobashi was their god. He had defeated the Bathysmal Vishaps for them, overthrown the Children of the Sun for them, created Watatsumi Island for them, and brought them happiness. So if Orobashi said they were going to war, no one objected.
Though the shrine maidens Kumoromo and Amefuri had many questions and hesitated, since Orobashi had decided and everyone had agreed, their objections would not have changed anything. So they remained silent.
Then Orobashi announced, "Mobilize the full strength of Watatsumi Island. Begin building ships. Ten days from now, we will land on Yashiori Island. From then on, that will be our home."
He spoke loudly. No one noticed that as he spoke, his body trembled slightly, and his voice shook. But he forced his expression to remain calm, afraid of being found out, afraid of involving more innocent people.
For this war, Orobashi gathered timber and personally led his people in building ships, working day and night. In just ten days, they had built three great warships.
On the eve of the war, Orobashi called all the people of Watatsumi Island before him. For the island's stability, he ordered the shrine maidens Amefuri and Kumoromo, as well as Higashiyama-Ō, to stay behind and guard the island. All other warriors were to board the ships.
Hearing this, Higashiyama-Ō was stunned. He had never expected Lord Orobashi to ask him to stay home. No. He wanted to fight alongside Lord Orobashi.
"Lord Orobashi, I want to go to war with you. I want to help you conquer Yashiori Island. I will follow you to the death."
He knelt before Orobashi, begging to be allowed to fight. But he did not know that this was not a war to conquer Yashiori Island. It was a death march to atone for the Heavenly Principles. Orobashi had once been a god of Inazuma. He knew the strength of Inazuma's army and the Raiden sisters very well. The chances of survival in this war were nearly zero. He did not want this human boy who had followed him for so many years to die before his eyes. So he decided to leave Higashiyama-Ō on Watatsumi Island.
"That is an order. Higashiyama-Ō, are you going to defy me?"
As an order given in the name of Watatsumi Omikami, no one on Watatsumi Island dared to disobey.
Hearing Orobashi's rebuke, Higashiyama-Ō said nothing. He only knelt and bowed his head to the ground, striking it against the earth to show his determination.
But Orobashi would rather see Higashiyama-Ō bloody his own forehead than let him die alongside him.
He turned away, no longer looking at the kneeling boy, and gave the order. Warriors, board the ships. Set sail.
And so, most of the warriors and able-bodied men of Watatsumi Island, under Lord Orobashi's command, boarded the warships with their weapons. They raised their sails and set a course for Yashiori Island.
But no one noticed—or perhaps Orobashi, weighed down by his thoughts, did not notice—that as the warriors boarded, Higashiyama-Ō, still kneeling, slipped aboard with his weapon. The shrine maidens Kumoromo and Amefuri, the two women Orobashi had saved, also snuck onto the ship.
Lord Orobashi had given so much for them. This time, they would fight for him. Whatever the purpose of this war, whoever the enemy, they would fight for Orobashi.
It was only when they were halfway across the sea that Orobashi discovered Higashiyama-Ō, Amefuri, and Kumoromo on board. He sighed.
He had wanted them to be the future of Watatsumi Island. He had not expected them to follow him anyway.
With no other choice, on the eve of battle, Orobashi addressed all those who had come with him.
"All warriors of Watatsumi Island, in the name of Watatsumi Omikami, the god of Enkanomiya, I declare my final command."
"The moment you see me fall, this war is lost. All surviving warriors are to abandon the fight and retreat the entire army."
Once Orobashi fell, the purpose of this war would be fulfilled. He did not want to see all his warriors die on Yashiori Island. He wanted to leave them a path to survival.