"Thoma, are you saying that Makoto was taken away by Kujou Sara at the statue of the thousand-armed and hundred-eyed god?"
"Then why did only the two of you return?"
Thoma was silent for a moment. If not for Raiden Makoto drawing Kujou Sara's attention, they likely wouldn't have been able to escape from the many Shogunate Army soldiers and Kujou Sara.
Moreover, what Raiden Makoto said wasn't without reason. If they had attacked the Tenryou Commission in front of Tenshukaku, wouldn't that have confirmed their intent to rebel?
"It's all my fault..."
He had truly been careless. How could he have said those things so loudly at the statue of the thousand-armed and hundred-eyed god?
"My Lady, Kujou Sara already knows that we helped those who lost their Vision to create fake Visions to deal with the Vision Hunt Decree."
Kujou Sara usually wouldn't be in that area at all. He didn't know why she had appeared under the statue of the thousand-armed and hundred-eyed god, and it seemed as though she had been following them for a long time.
"What do we do now?" Thoma said, somewhat flustered. "Makoto was taken away by Kujou Sara... She..."
"We must, of course, find a way to rescue her."
...
"Is this... not a prison cell?" Raiden Makoto had assumed Kujou Sara would take her to a cell, but the place they were in now looked like the Kujou Clan estate.
"Do you know what the consequences are for rebelling against the Shogun in Inazuma?" Kujou Sara's tone was cold, and there was a hint of ferocity in her pale golden eyes.
"In the past, Orobashi led the people of Watatsumi Island to rebel against the Shogun, and was cut in two by the Shogun on Yashiori Island."
"Can you withstand a single slash from the Shogun?" Kujou Sara's words seemed like a reprimand for Raiden Makoto, though it appeared she wasn't actually blaming her.
"Do you think I don't know about the Kamisato Clan secretly manufacturing fake Visions to deal with the Vision Hunt Decree?"
She had merely been turning a blind eye. After all, she had seen those who lost their Visions; she was not a heartless person.
"But you are in contact with that group of resistance on Watatsumi Island... If the Shogun finds out, you will surely die."
Kujou Sara didn't know why she was reprimanding Raiden Makoto. She should have taken her directly to see the Raiden Shogun, but to do so would undoubtedly mean the Raiden Shogun would execute Raiden Makoto with the Musou no Hitotachi.
Perhaps it was because Raiden Makoto's appearance was too similar to the Raiden Shogun's; she certainly did not agree with Raiden Makoto's views.
"Does she dare?" The corners of Raiden Makoto's mouth lifted slightly. Of course, the Raiden Shogun might truly dare to attack her, but Ei, her sister—would she dare? Raiden Makoto didn't realize that when she said this, there was a hint of "indulgence" in her tone.
"You said the Kujou Clan is colluding with the Fatui—is that true?" Kujou Sara didn't quite believe it, but why would Raiden Makoto lie to her for no reason?
"The Tenryou Commission led by the Kujou Clan and the Tenryou Commission led by the Hiiragi Clan are completely rotten from top to bottom. You are just a warrior, so it's normal that you don't know about those things."
"You are so loyal to the Raiden Shogun, so it is normal that they would do those things behind your back."
Raiden Makoto spoke so logically that Kujou Sara had to believe her. Furthermore, in recent times, her adoptive father, the head of the Kujou Clan, had indeed been conducting something in secret.
"I..." Kujou Sara was actually still unwilling to believe it. At least, before seeing evidence, she was unwilling to believe it.
Her adoptive father, the person who revered the Shogun, the person she once looked up to, the person who once taught her the heart of loyalty—could he actually betray the Shogunate, betray the Shogun?
She did not want to believe it.
"Until I have thoroughly investigated everything, I will not hand you over to the Shogun... If you have deceived me, I will make you pay the price." Kujou Sara's tone was cold, and her eyes looking at Raiden Makoto were indifferent.
"Very well, go and investigate."
The Yashiro Commission could not reach into the Kujou Clan, but Kujou Sara was different. If Kujou Sara wanted to investigate these matters, it should be much easier.
She knew, of course, that her words alone could not completely shake Kujou Sara, but they had already stirred something within her.
Kujou Sara was now suspicious, and that was enough.
Watching Kujou Sara leave, Raiden Makoto muttered to herself: "It seems those people from Watatsumi Island truly have other motives."
"Gorou and Kokomi are actually decent; they truly only wish to resist the Vision Hunt Decree. As for the others..."
"Could it be that Orobashi was also pushed by those people from Watatsumi Island? That it was forced to invade Inazuma? Even knowing it couldn't defeat the Raiden Shogun, it had to fight?"
"Unruly subjects, truly a bunch of unruly subjects."
"Looking at it that way, if Kokomi and Gorou don't start the war, they might be in danger."
Although Sangonomiya Kokomi was the Divine Priestess of Sangonomiya Shrine on Watatsumi Island, and Gorou was the general of the resistance, how could someone who had only recently succeeded to the position of priestess oppose the deep-rooted forces of Watatsumi Island?
Even Orobashi was swayed by them; how could Sangonomiya Kokomi resist?
Kujou Sara seemed to have brought her to the place where she lived; she wasn't entirely sure if it was the Kujou Clan estate.
"Miss Makoto, Lady Kujou Sara wants you to rest well and not wander around." As a crisp female voice drifted in, a maid walked in through the door.
"If you have any needs, please feel free to instruct us."
...
"It's all your fault, Thoma." Kamisato Ayaka looked angry. "If you hadn't been so careless and said those things in front of the statue of the thousand-armed and hundred-eyed god, we wouldn't have ended up in Kujou Sara's hands now."
"What if she hands Makoto over to the Raiden Shogun? Makoto is so frail, how could she face the Musou no Hitotachi?"
Thoma silently endured Kamisato Ayaka's reprimand. He had truly been careless; how could he have known that Kujou Sara was also there? But those were not excuses, and furthermore, they had actually abandoned Raiden Makoto and fled.
It could be said that they were also seriously at fault.
"That Kujou Sara is a general of the Shogunate Army and a devout believer in the Shogun. If she knows about what we have done, she won't even let us go." Kamisato Ayaka looked worried. "Now we must find out where she took Makoto."
"We must rescue Makoto... But the Kamisato Clan still cannot openly oppose the Shogunate Army, so you must be the one to step forward. I can find a helper for you."
"Me?" Lumine was stunned, but she quickly nodded. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Go to Naganohara Fireworks and find Yoimiya; she will help you." Kamisato Ayaka sighed. "I hope Makoto will be alright."
Through her deep interactions with Raiden Makoto, she became increasingly certain that Raiden Makoto was the close friend she had been waiting for.
"As for you, Thoma, do not go out recently; act according to the situation."
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