"I was careless..."
He was careless!
Thoma's heart was filled with panic. He had been so focused on talking to Lumine and Paimon that he forgot they were currently in front of Tenshukaku. That was territory under the jurisdiction of the Tenryou Commission, and there were many Shogunate Samurai around.
Lumine looked at the fierce expression on Kujou Sara's face and immediately went on high alert, drawing her weapon.
"Don't fight. If we fight, won't that just confirm our intent to rebel?"
"Kujou Sara, if I told you that the one currently ruling Inazuma isn't the true Electro Archon, but a puppet, would you believe me?"
"And your Kujou Clan has been secretly colluding with the Fatui. Along with the Kanjou Commission, you've been reporting false information and causing the Raiden Shogun to issue the Vision Hunt Decree."
"The Kujou Clan's motives are self-evident, but the Fatui's true goal is that Gnosis!"
Kujou Sara didn't know what a Gnosis was, but Makoto's words exploded in her mind.
"How could the Shogun be a puppet? Stop talking nonsense!" Kujou Sara's tone was fierce as she glared at Makoto. "I have followed the Shogun's footsteps since childhood; how could I not know..."
"But in fact, the Raiden Shogun is indeed a puppet—a puppet created by the Electro Archon to achieve eternity. If you don't believe me, you can go ask Yae Miko."
"I believe you would trust the Head Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine, who is closely related to the Electro Archon."
Makoto's words sent Kujou Sara's mind into a mess, because she had personally seen Makoto depart for the Grand Narukami Shrine, and she had surely met Yae Miko.
"You..." Just as Kujou Sara was distracted, Makoto exchanged a look with Thoma, signaling that he could escape with Lumine.
Understanding the signal, Thoma immediately charged downward with Lumine. Just as Makoto was about to slip away, Kujou Sara snapped back to her senses and directly intercepted her.
"Thoma, take Lumine and go back first, don't worry about me." Makoto knew she probably wouldn't be able to escape, but her stalling had already sent Thoma and Lumine off, which was enough.
As more and more Shogunate Samurai gathered around Kujou Sara, they completely surrounded Makoto.
"Lady Kujou, should we take her down?" Those Shogunate Samurai who guarded Tenshukaku had also seen the Raiden Shogun before. Makoto and the Raiden Shogun were so similar that it made their hearts stir with emotion.
But they knew that the girl before them was only a Lady who looked like the Raiden Shogun, not the Raiden Shogun herself.
Kujou Sara stared at Makoto, and Makoto caught a flicker of doubt in Kujou Sara's eyes.
She knew that because of what she had said, Kujou Sara had begun to doubt.
"You can..." Just as Makoto was about to continue, Kujou Sara suddenly gave a cold order: "All of you, stand down!"
"Yes!" As those dozen or so Shogunate Samurai withdrew, only Kujou Sara and Makoto remained beneath the statue of the thousand-armed and hundred-eyed god.
Kujou Sara's eyes still held a hint of hostility as she looked at Makoto, but they were mostly filled with testing.
"Is what you said... true?" Makoto's words had already shaken her convictions. Sometimes she herself was confused as to why the Raiden Shogun would issue such heartless orders. She wasn't unaware that under the Vision Hunt Decree, those who lost their Visions lived in great pain, almost wishing for death.
She was also somewhat moved, but she had to do it; she could not disobey the Raiden Shogun's orders.
But that was the Raiden Shogun she had followed all her life. She had to work tirelessly for the Shogun's 'eternity'.
"Whether you believe it or not, you can go ask Yae Miko." After ensuring her own safety, Makoto breathed a sigh of relief.
Kujou Sara probably wouldn't harm her.
She had long since stopped blaming Ei. She could also understand why Ei had isolated herself. Wasn't her sister always like a child who never grew up? And everything in Inazuma today was because of the Raiden Shogun, not Ei.
She knew why Ei had closed herself off. It might be to escape, but on the other hand, wasn't it also to avoid erosion?
Ei didn't misunderstand "eternity"; it was just that having lost too much, she had become completely obsessed.
She was slowly beginning to understand.
Ei must have been waiting for her all this time, right?
Ei must have been looking forward to that moment all this time.
Ei, that day is no longer far off.
And now, before Ei emerged from the "Plane of Euthymia," she would completely clear away all obstacles in Inazuma for Ei.
She wasn't good at fighting, but that didn't mean she wasn't good at planning, nor did it mean she couldn't fight.
Her past enemies were Gods and the Abyss. Her current enemies were merely internal corruption and the Fatui. She could fight.
Lumine, Kamisato Ayaka, even Sangonomiya Kokomi of Watatsumi Island, or the Kujou Sara before her—all could become aids in her clearing of Inazuma's obstacles.
In the past, it was always Ei fighting and protecting her. Now, she would also "fight" on the front lines to protect Ei.
As Makoto thought this, some of the blurred images in her mind began to become clear.
The shadow that had always been chasing behind her back also became clearer and clearer. It was her younger sister, who looked exactly like her.
"Ei, if one day I am no longer here, you should protect Inazuma well."
"Sister, haven't we always fought together? We will always be together."
Those images flashed through Makoto's mind one by one. Makoto murmured softly, "Sister, you have always been the one protecting me. Now, I am protecting you too."
"We will be together forever, but not at this moment—rather, in eternity." Makoto's soft murmuring and dazed state left Kujou Sara somewhat confused.
"Sister?" The fierce look on Kujou Sara's face had diminished significantly, and her expression toward Makoto softened a bit. "You have a sister?"
"Yes."
"Sara, what you do is to follow in the Raiden Shogun's footsteps and to protect Inazuma. What I do is also to protect Inazuma. We share the same ideals and pursuits, don't we?"
Makoto's smile fell into Kujou Sara's eyes. That gentle smile and gentle tone made her feel a bit lost.
She followed the Shogun and did what she did—wasn't it precisely to protect Inazuma? To protect the nation she loved.
"Yes, but you should also know that the people of Watatsumi Island have been restless since ancient times... They are merely using the Vision Hunt Decree. Their true goal is to resist the Shogunate and seize Inazuma's land."
But in the next moment, Kujou Sara snapped back to her senses. Why was she saying so much to Makoto? Had she completely accepted Makoto?
"You, come with me." Kujou Sara looked at Makoto with a cold face. "The Kamisato Clan is in contact with the resistance, secretly violating the Vision Hunt Decree..."
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!