Looking at the newcomer, Futsu Mitama hesitated for a moment. He hadn't expected Scaramouche to appear here. Was this operation so important that even a Harbinger was deployed? Or had he merely passed by?
While Futsu Mitama was stunned, Kazuha's expression turned solemn, and Aila instinctively stepped forward to shield him. Sangonomiya Kokomi locked her gaze onto Scaramouche, her expression utterly grave.
This power overwhelming in every aspect. It felt like they weren't even on the same level.
Kazuha gripped his tachi tightly. This opponent might be the most terrifying enemy he had ever faced.
He was merely standing there, yet the pressure felt nearly insurmountable.
"A gift? You call this a gift?" Sangonomiya Kokomi frowned, eyes sharp on Scaramouche. "You slander the Resistance, twist our intentions, and force us into a life-and-death struggle with the Shogunate Army."
As she spoke, she tagged Futsu Mitama and Aila in the Chat Group:
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "@Futsu Mitama, @Aila, this person he is terrifying. A Fatui Harbinger?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "I'll talk to stall him. You three are too close. Fall back—now."]
[Raiden Makoto: "A Harbinger already? We predicted involvement, but are they monitoring the very first operations?"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "??? I just went to Ritou and it's already that chaotic?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "That's Scaramouche. Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers. Strong, arrogant, conceited. Basically: an overgrown brat."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "No wonder he keeps talking about mortals and gifts. That explains the attitude."]
[Futsu Mitama: "He's a divine creation. His mind works a bit differently. He believes even gods won't interfere with his destiny. So he looks down on everyone."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Divine creation?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Eh?"]
Outside the Chat Group—
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Scaramouche laughed as if hearing the funniest joke in the world. He looked at Kokomi with chilling amusement.
"The gift is simple. You were already destined to fight the Shogunate Army. Since that is inevitable why not cooperate with us?"
His eyes flashed violet. He lifted a hand. Thunder roared. The sky darkened, and torrents of purple lightning crashed down upon the Shogunate soldiers. Kokomi's pupils tightened. In that instant, she understood why Futsu Mitama called him a divine creation who viewed mortals with contempt.
To ordinary people, this display was indistinguishable from a god's wrath.
"Blessing of the Deep Sea!"
Kokomi summoned her Ceremonial Garment, her aura transforming instantly. As the Divine Priestess, she could wield divine power—though the god she worshipped had long fallen, remnants of that divinity still lingered. She never expected that, as the leader of the Resistance, she would one day protect the Shogunate Army. But she had no choice. If they died here, everything would collapse.
Illusory streams of water manifested, forming translucent shells over the Shogunate soldiers and Futsu Mitama's group.
Lightning crashed. The soldiers collapsed unconscious, alive but injured.
"So strong—" Kazuha muttered, shaken. Even with Kokomi's protection, Scaramouche had downed the entire Shogunate unit with a single casual strike. Aila's expression darkened. Even at her fullest, she doubted she could match him. This was no KAilagi-level foe. This man was a monster.
Futsu Mitama stared at Scaramouche, considering whether unleashing "Transcendence: Baleful Omen" at point-blank range could yeet him straight into the Plane of Euthymia for a motherly re-education session.
Tempting. But doing so would expose him directly to Raiden Ei. Not ideal.
"You're not bad. I meant to kill them." Scaramouche glanced at the unconscious soldiers, nodding in faint approval. "For a slapdash defense to block most of my strike—you may be proud."
Fatui soldiers arrived, gazes filled with worship. Their Lord had wiped out a troop with one attack. This was the power of a Harbinger.
"My Lord—" The Debt Collector who had been sent flying earlier bowed and pointed at the three masked figures. "The one with the purple oni mask— he is strong."
"Strong?" Scaramouche scoffed. "He's strong because you're weak. He doesn't even have a Vision. A minor character."
His gaze lingered for a moment, puzzled—how did Futsu Mitama use Electro without a Vision?
But he dismissed the thought immediately. Without a Vision, he wasn't worth a second glance.
"Capture them." Scaramouche ordered lazily. "Four left. If you can't handle this, go back to Snezhnaya. I don't need dead weight."
The Fatui moved the moment Scaramouche finished speaking. Heavy footfalls thudded across the scorched ground as they closed in, their gazes cold and hostile. The air tightened; even without an order to kill, their momentum alone made the intent unmistakable.
With Scaramouche's command, the Fatui launched their assault without hesitation. Their earlier strikes had been somewhat muted—after all, they'd still been disguising themselves as Resistance members. But now that the Harbinger had dealt with the Shogunate troops, there was no longer any need for restraint.
Their remaining opponents were simply Sangonomiya Kokomi and three masked figures. They had to finish this quickly. Kujou Sara or other Shogunate generals could return at any moment.
"End it fast." Scaramouche repeated coldly.
The Fatui surged forward. The Electrohammer and Anemoboxer Vanguards charged head-on, while the Hydrogunner and Cryogunner moved in from the flanks.
Behind them, the Electro and Cryo Cicin Mages raised their lamps with shrill laughter, summoning swarms of Cicins to descend upon the trio.
Three Debt Collectors melted into the shadows, ready to strike from blind spots the moment an opening appeared. The Pyroslinger and Geochanter took their positions in the rear—one setting up a firing line, the other preparing support.
This was the Fatui's true combat formation. Their strength in organized battle was already formidable; when all that power was concentrated, no one could take them lightly. Kazuha frowned as he witnessed the entire formation lock onto them.
"Should we retreat? There's still time if we move now."
Alone, he could survive—he had an Anemo Vision, and escaping pursuers was nothing new.
But Futsu Mitama and Aila were different. They had taken him in. He could not simply abandon them to die. Futsu Mitama briefly looked at the fallen Shogunate soldiers on the ground, then at Kazuha. After a moment of quiet resolve, he muttered:
"No need. If that guy steps in, create an opening for me. I'll give him something unexpected."
He had come to this world seeking a quiet life—no conflicts, no entanglements, simply tending his own small patch of peace. But trouble had found him again and again. And now, if he watched these soldiers be butchered before him—when he could intervene—he knew he would never accept it.
If Scaramouche insisted on forcing their hand— then he would respond in full.
Kazuha immediately understood. A complicated expression crossed his face, but he still smiled softly.
"Alright."
Aila said nothing. Whatever her Young Master chose; she would support without hesitation. He had saved her life; that debt would never be forgotten.
"Then, let's make this a grand fight."
Lightning cracked across Futsu Mitama's skin as he lifted his gaze to meet the incoming Fatui. For the first time in a long while, something fierce stirred inside him.
"Boom—!!!"
A bolt of purple lightning struck the ground beside them. The Fatui halted, startled—momentarily thinking it a premature attack from the Harbinger.
"It wasn't me," Scaramouche snapped, displeased at their hesitation. But even as he denied it, his eyes narrowed sharply at Futsu Mitama.
Who was this man?
How could he manipulate Electro without a Vision?
And more importantly—why did this power unsettle him?
Crackling arcs of electricity snapped around Futsu Mitama as he burst forward, becoming a streak of violet light. His tachi, shaped from raw Electro, glowed fiercely. Lightning surged behind his eyes.
"Windwalk."
Kazuha followed a heartbeat later, though even he was a step behind.
The Electrohammer Vanguards swung their hammers down to intercept.
"Too slow."
In a flash of purple, their hammers split cleanly in half before the blow even landed. Elemental weapons—shattered instantly. The Vanguards were stunned. The Anemoboxers rushed in, raising layered Anemo shields.
"Far too many openings."
Wind blades carved through the shields instantly as Kazuha's tachi swept across. Gunfire rang out. Pyro-charged bullets screamed toward them—but a volley of Hydro knives intercepted them midair, evaporating into white steam.
Aila had broken through to the rear line. In her hand gleamed a broken silver pocket watch—its brief enhancement already fading.
"One minute. Clean the battlefield."
She dismissed the watch and summoned a Hydro scythe. Calm, poised, unshakably loyal, she whispered:
"As a maid I must not let my master be troubled."
The Cryo and Electro Cicin Mages cackled, summoning more Cicins. Aila cleaved them down effortlessly and launched herself forward like a cannonball. The Geochanter Bracer slammed his staff to raise a Geo barrier, but—
"Clang!"
The barrier shattered instantly under her strike. The Mages fled before she could finish them.
A Debt Collector materialized behind her, blade descending—but Aila turned, blocked, and kicked him flying before she could complete the kill. A bolt of lightning forced her to retreat—the hidden Electro Cicin Mage had struck.
"Tch… rude." Aila muttered, realizing this group wasn't like the scattered enemies of her past. She had underestimated them.
Meanwhile, the Fatui were shaken. All their coordinated attacks—blocked. All their ambushes—countered. These three unknown individuals were crushing them. On the main field, Futsu Mitama and Kazuha had already dismantled their vanguard. The aiding Cicin Mage and two Debt Collectors were also being overwhelmed.
Sangonomiya Kokomi watched in stunned silence.
This Fatui unit was strong—well-trained, coordinated, capable of full military engagements. Even Watatsumi's combined forces would struggle, and victory would come at terrible cost. Yet here—three people were forcing them back.
And if things continued— they would win.
But Kokomi did not relax. Her gaze stayed fixed on Scaramouche. He was the true threat here. Scaramouche, watching the chaos unfold, finally smiled.
"Impressive! That such talent exists in this backwater nation."
His smile twisted.
"Disgusting."
And with that, he vanished. Kokomi's expression changed instantly.
"He's moving—everyone, be careful!"
Before she could provide support, Kazuha sensed the shift. He leapt upward, Anemo swirling around him.
"Good instincts. But too slow."
Scaramouche appeared before him, palm crackling with violet lightning. Kazuha struck first, wind surging around his blade.
"Boom—!!!"
Electro and Anemo detonated on impact. The ground split open. Shockwaves blasted fallen soldiers and Fatui alike into the air. Kokomi scrambled to catch the Shogunate soldiers with water barriers before they fell to their deaths.
Scaramouche tightened his grip on Kazuha's tachi—immovably.
"Trying to pull it free?" he sneered. "Allow me."
Lightning surged along his arm. Kazuha felt a lethal threat and instantly released the blade, using the Anemo to hurl himself backward.
"Boom!!!"
A violent burst of purple lightning erupted from Scaramouche, shattering Kazuha's katana in an instant. The blade dissolved into fragments of light within the storm.
"This is the gap between us," Scaramouche said, lifting his pale hand and blowing on it dismissively, as if brushing off dust. His gaze slid toward Kazuha, who had already retreated far away, expression tight. "Without a weapon, how will a samurai like you fight?"
"…"
Kazuha frowned. He could, of course, use his Anemo Vision to forge a temporary blade—but its quality was nowhere near the weapons crafted by Futsu Mitama or Aila. They each had their strengths, and Kazuha knew full well that he wasn't skilled at creating weapons from elemental power.
Now, with no sword in hand, he truly stood at a disadvantage.
"Leave the rest to me."
Futsu Mitama placed a hand on Kazuha's shoulder.
"He's extremely strong," Kazuha warned. Standing beside him with calm resolve, he said, "I'll retrieve a weapon from the Shogunate soldiers. Then we fight together."
"If we join forces, we might be able to match him."
From their brief exchange earlier, Kazuha could tell this Fatui Harbinger was overwhelmingly powerful—but not completely unreachable. At the very least, with Futsu Mitama beside him, a stalemate didn't feel impossible.
"No need. This isn't even his strongest state." Futsu Mitama shook his head. He knew Scaramouche far too well. This was only the base form. Signora and Childe both had second phases. Scaramouche, ranked Sixth, was stronger than either of them.
Before transmigrating, the story even told he would become a god in Sumeru. Whether a true god or merely a false one empowered by a Gnosis, it didn't matter—he wasn't an opponent they could defeat head-on at this point.
"Oh? So you really are smarter than that one." Scaramouche's gaze fixed on Futsu Mitama. Though surprised that he knew about additional forms, he let out a low, malicious chuckle. "Not bad. I appreciate that."
"Perhaps killing you now would be wasteful. Why not join the Fatui? I'll give you even greater power."
He had instantly recognized Futsu Mitama as the core of the group. And although he didn't know why someone without a Vision could manipulate Electro so freely, he didn't care. Unlike the Dottore, Scaramouche wasn't interested in dissecting secrets—only in using them. The choice he offered was simple: side with him and live, or die here with the Shogunate forces.
"My choice? Honestly, it's very simple."
Futsu Mitama looked at him calmly. Beneath the demon mask, his eyes flickered with purple light.
"I'll bring you to someone—and she will decide your life or death."
"Huh?"
Scaramouche froze for half a heartbeat, then suddenly burst into wild laughter. One hand covered his face, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in centuries.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
He laughed uncontrollably, as though the idea itself was absurd beyond reason.
"Decide my life or death?! I thought you were smart, but you're just another fool."
He dropped his hand, expression turning glacial.
"No one decides my fate. Not even gods. They fear my destiny—they don't dare touch it."
His voice sank, cold and final.
"Forget it. I'm done with you. Go die."
The moment the words fell, Scaramouche vanished from sight again, slipping into space itself. Futsu Mitama's eyes narrowed—not with fear, but envy. They could always appear and disappear instantly. He wanted that ability too.
"Be careful!!!" Kazuha warned sharply. During their exchange, he had managed to retrieve a rather unwieldy sword from nearby Shogunate soldiers.
Earlier, Scaramouche had used the same movement to ambush him—forcing him to counterattack, which then allowed Scaramouche to destroy his blade.
"Mm." Futsu Mitama replied quietly. "I know. But you, Aila, and Kokomi—step back. I'm not sure what will happen next."
He had already considered it thoroughly. There was no persuading someone like Scaramouche—raised without love, twisted by Inazuma, and scavenged by the Fatui. A direct fight, even with Kazuha and Kokomi supporting him, would only end in Scaramouche fleeing and harboring an irreversible grudge.
And with the Fatui and the Commissions tied together again, that would lead to trouble he didn't need. Since he knew the path ahead, there was nothing left to hesitate about.
"Buzz—!!!"
Space rippled. Scaramouche reappeared beside him, lightning exploding from his hand—aimed directly at Futsu Mitama.
"Be careful!"
Kokomi instantly reacted, summoning a Hydro barrier to shield him. Not far away, Aila clutched the pocket watch tightly, tension clear in her eyes.
"Useless! Useless! Useless!!! You lowly mortal!!!" Scaramouche screamed, already imagining Futsu Mitama being obliterated by the strike.
But Futsu Mitama only smiled. Purple lightning surged in his eyes.
"Buzz—!!!"
Behind him—an eye formed from pure Electro hung in the air.
"!!!!!!"
The instant Scaramouche saw it, his pupils shrank violently. He had seen that shape before.
This… this was—
Impossible.
His lightning vanished. His body instinctively pulled back.
A deep, primal fear surged through him. How could this man know that ability? This was something only that puppet—and her—could wield.
"Ah, so you do recognize it." Futsu Mitama raised his hand. "Transcendence: Baleful Omen."
A bolt of purple lightning tore through the air. Where it passed, a thin crack appeared—then slowly pried itself open, like an eye forcing itself awake. Futsu Mitama poured every ounce of surrounding elemental energy and his stored power into the rift, trying to widen it—trying to engulf Scaramouche completely.
But sweat beaded on his forehead almost immediately. Why was this space so hard to open?!
"Rumble—!!!"
Thunderclouds swallowed the sky. Purple lightning writhed inside them. Within the widening rift, Scaramouche saw a figure. A figure he could never forget.
The one he most longed to see—
And the one he most dreaded to face.
She sat there, meditating still. Yet as if sensing the disturbance, her long-closed eyes— began to open.