The atmosphere at the scene grew strangely tense. The Fatui stared at their Harbinger—Lord Scaramouche—who was now radiating pure fear, retreating step by step. Because he blocked their view, none of the agents could see what lay within the slowly opening spatial rift.
But Sangonomiya Kokomi and Aila knew very well what resided inside.
The Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder—the Raiden Shogun.
A god, An Archon. The sovereign of Inazuma, The Electro Archon.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "He actually used that technique!!! Futsu Mitama is fully activating Transcendence: Baleful Omen."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Is the enemy that terrifying?! Damn it, I should've gone with them."]
[Raiden Makoto: "For the Group Leader to use that move at full strength. so Scaramouche is truly that formidable. But in that case—"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Ugh, forget it. The plan won't go smoothly anymore."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Plan?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "If 'Her Excellency the Shogun' steps out and demands to know who taught the Group Leader this technique, say it was me. That way, he won't be punished."]
[Raiden Makoto: "But remember—only if it's Her Excellency the Shogun who emerges from that rift. If she appears in any other form, do NOT mention my existence, or things will go terribly wrong."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Eh?!!!"]
Kokomi was utterly confused. For a moment, she questioned whether Raiden Makoto was truly a mere familiar of the Shogun. She seemed to understand "her" far too well. Even as a Divine Priestess—a familiar of a god herself—Kokomi only knew of Orobashi through fading records.
Yet Raiden Makoto seemed to possess knowledge, insight, and even techniques belonging to the Raiden Shogun herself, as though she had spoken with her far more deeply than anyone else.
But Kokomi had no time to dwell on her suspicions.
The scene continued to unfold. Scaramouche stared at the widening rift, pupils trembling, body instinctively backing away, as though ready to flee outright.
Futsu Mitama watched him try to run and cursed internally. He had never struggled this much to open the Plane of Euthymia. Why was it so impossibly difficult this time, even after pouring in all surrounding Electro energy?
His original plan had been simple: fully open the Plane of Euthymia, toss Scaramouche inside, then immediately escape with Aila, Kazuha, and Kokomi.
Now, everything was stuck.
To buy time—and to force Raiden Ei inside the Plane of Euthymia to notice what was happening—Futsu Mitama shouted loudly:
"Are you scared?!"
"Weren't you the one who claimed even gods can't control your destiny?! Why so silent now?!!!"
Scaramouche, despite wanting nothing but to run, twisted his face into a furious snarl.
"You wretched mortal!!! How dare you talk to me like that?!"
"I'll kill you!!! I'll crush your bones!!! YOU DARE— YOU DARE—!"
Yet even as he raged, his body continued inching backward. Inside the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei opened her eyes slightly, frowning.
Why was her quiet domain suddenly noisy?
She had assumed Guuji Yae was trying to sneak in again and had already reinforced the Plane's defenses. No one but herself and the Shogun should have been able to open it.
But then she saw the rift—wide open.
And outside, a young man in a straw hat stared at her in panic.
"…"
Raiden Ei looked at him with chilling calm. A faint trace of recognition flashed across her eyes.
"Kunikuzushi?"
"!!!!!!"
At that moment, Scaramouche's fear erupted. Not the puppet— The true Electro Archon stood before him. She knew his name. She remembered his existence.
There was no joy. Only terror. She might seal him away again.
He had to run. At any cost. He turned to flee. His entire being screamed at him to escape, or everything he had built would be rejected once more.
Raiden Ei watched him, bewildered. Why was he here? Why had the power inside him been activated?
Her confusion faded, replaced by her usual cold dignity. A spear of thunder materialized in her hand. The Omnipresent God manifested behind her.
Divine pressure fell across Inazuma.
Whether she understood the situation or not, she had to detain him and question him.
Outside, thunderclouds thickened.
"Rumble—!!!"
The thunderclap rang across the entire archipelago. High within Tenshukaku, the Raiden Shogun also opened her eyes and gazed toward the sky. Scaramouche felt a grip tighten around his entire being—unyielding, suffocating.
He transformed into a bolt of lightning, fleeing at unimaginable speed. Raiden Ei reached out to stop him. In Inazuma, no one escaped her gaze.
But just as she was about to act—
"Whoosh—!!"
The spatial rift slammed shut, restoring the Plane of Euthymia's silence.
"…"
Raiden Ei paused. For a fleeting moment, she had wanted to step outside and retrieve Kunikuzushi.
But she stopped herself. Leaving the Plane of Euthymia was harmful to eternity. Miko would sense it.
And if she met her—
Raiden Ei closed her eyes. She wasn't ready.
"Sigh."
No one knew what her sigh meant. She didn't know who had unleashed Kunikuzushi's power.
His strength came from her, so opening the Plane temporarily was possible for him.
But he'd been arguing with someone. Who? Why had he sounded furious?
Only by stepping outside could she learn the truth. But she refused. And so, the Plane fell silent once more.
Outside, the Fatui stared blankly at the distant streak of lightning.
Their Harbinger—ran? And so fast they couldn't even see him?
As expected of a Harbinger even his escape surpassed them.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
Futsu Mitama collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. No one knew what he had gone through.
Just opening the Plane of Euthymia had drained him to a degree he had never experienced—not even on the day he transmigrated.
He was utterly exhausted. If he'd known it would consume this much energy, he would've rather fought Scaramouche outright.
"Are you alright?" Kazuha hurried over to support him.
Aila rushed in as well, anxiously reaching for him. Kokomi placed her hand on his back, instantly assessing his state.
"He's extremely weak. He needs immediate rest."
Seeing this, the Fatui prepared to strike—
But hurried footsteps sounded from behind. Kujou Sara arrived with the elite Shogunate troops.
They returned to a scene of Fatui, Sangonomiya Kokomi, three masked individuals—
And a battlefield of fallen Shogunate soldiers. This scene came as a complete shock to Kujou Sara and the other Shogunate generals. They had just shaken off the Resistance's pursuit and planned to regroup with the main force.
But they never expected this—Shogunate soldiers sprawled across the ground, their conditions unknown. Who did it?
All the generals immediately fixed their gaze on Sangonomiya Kokomi.
At this moment, Kokomi stood at the highest point, ceremonial robes fluttering, her presence entirely unlike before.
"It's her!"
"The Resistance leader!"
"The Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island — Sangonomiya Kokomi!"
Several generals' eyes reddened with fury, ready to rush forward and seize her.
"Wait!!!"
Kujou Sara's voice cut through their agitation. She surveyed the scene with a sharp, steady gaze.
"Look carefully. Judging from the scene, Sangonomiya Kokomi and her subordinates appear to be protecting our people."
The generals had assumed Kokomi's appearance meant an ambush meant to wipe out the Shogunate troops. But Kujou Sara didn't think so. If the Resistance wanted to annihilate them, why not ambush outside the canyon, where retreat would be impossible?
Back when she stayed behind to cover her troops, Kujou Sara had already suspected that this Resistance force represented nearly all of Watatsumi Island. She regretted failing to defeat them, but she knew further fighting would've been meaningless, so she retreated—only to find this sight before her.
The moment Kujou Sara and the Shogunate generals arrived, the Fatui immediately pulled back.
Their Harbinger had already fled; if they stayed, they would likely face attacks from both Kokomi and Kujou Sara. Kazuha and Aila noticed the Fatui retreat but didn't pursue. Futsu Mitama was too weak, and chasing them risked provoking a sudden Shogunate attack.
Kokomi extended her Hydro power, restoring Futsu Mitama's nearly depleted energy. Watching Kujou Sara approach, she smiled faintly. "As expected of you, Kujou Sara. Truly perceptive."
"I thought you'd simply charge at us without hesitation."
Despite her light tone, Kokomi remained outwardly calm. Futsu Mitama couldn't fight, Kazuha lacked a sword, and Aila certainly couldn't fend off Kujou Sara and her entire unit by herself.
If they rushed now, things would turn dire instantly.
"I did consider it," Kujou Sara said, "but I'm more interested in what happened here."
She and her troops were battered as well. Staying behind to cover the retreat came at a price, and the Resistance had not been without capable fighters. Kujou Sara remained wary; Kokomi could still summon reinforcements. And unlike before, the ground here was filled with "corpses" of Shogunate soldiers—none able to rise and fight.
"The Fatui," Kokomi answered, face solemn. "They acted disguised as the Resistance. Their Harbinger—Scaramouche—is extremely powerful. If my friend hadn't intervened—"
"Your entire unit would likely have been killed, and the blame pinned on us."
She clarified the situation while steadily guiding Futsu Mitama backward, clearly preparing to withdraw.
Some generals grew agitated. A burly man with an Electro Vision stepped forward, glaring.
"Who knows if you're telling the truth! Rebels are rebels—we should capture you first!"
He lunged—
But Kujou Sara's hand pressed down firmly on his shoulder. Her tone was icy."What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I—Lady Kujou Sara, I—" Seeing her expression, his face stiffened. With a tug from a comrade, he backed down.
"I understand," Kujou Sara said. "Then, may I ask you to leave?"
She no longer wished to fight. It wasn't fear—it was practicality. The priority now was rescuing the fallen soldiers. And with rain looming, a soaked unit meant sickness, collapse, and withdrawal from the front line entirely.
"That's only natural." Kokomi smiled gently; she too had no desire to continue fighting.
Before departing, she met Kujou Sara's eyes seriously.
"Our goal remains ending the Vision Hunt Decree and presenting the people's voice to the Shogun. We bear no intention of rebellion."
"Because Resistance is the voice of the people. I only ignited this flame—otherwise it would have been crushed into something far more twisted."
With that, Kokomi ended the discussion and left with Futsu Mitama, Kazuha, and Aila. Kujou Sara watched them go, then instructed her generals to check the soldiers on the ground—to confirm how many had survived and, once conscious, ask what truly happened.
She believed this wasn't a Resistance ambush but a Fatui attack. But for certainty, the witnesses themselves were needed.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama was finally recovering.
"That was close." He exhaled, glancing at Kokomi with relief. "As expected of a T0-tier healer—your healing really is incredible. I thought I'd need hours to recover."
"What is a T0-tier healer?" Kokomi tilted her head. But seeing him recover, she softly added, "And thank you for your help. Otherwise, the Fatui's scheme would have succeeded. That Harbinger—"
Even from afar, she could feel how terrifying he was. If Scaramouche descended upon Watatsumi Island, how could she possibly stop him? Would she let her soldiers line up to die? Keep Gorou stationed forever? But being frightened away by the Shogun was a blessing. He likely wouldn't return soon.
"My training is still lacking." Aila spoke quietly. Supporting Futsu Mitama, she stared straight ahead, voice resolute. "If I were stronger, Young Master wouldn't have ended up like this."
Kazuha remained silent, holding the unfamiliar tachi he'd taken from the Shogunate troops. His closest friend died under an Electro flash. Days later, the sword he'd carried for so long also turned to ash in an Electro flash.
Was he fated to be incompatible with lightning? The maid had been right—he was still too weak. If he had been stronger, tragedy could have been averted.
"Let's work hard together." Futsu Mitama agreed. He had always tried to avoid trouble… but now trouble sought him out. Better to grow stronger and crush trouble outright.
Scaramouche had come for him, the Hiiragi Clan was hostile, and the Kujou Clan aligned with them. His future looked grim—unless he improved quickly.
"Would you like to rest at our Resistance Camp?" Kokomi offered gently. "There is more than enough space."
According to the plan, Kazuha was to remain with the Resistance, while Futsu Mitama and Aila would return to Ritou to meet Kuki Shinobu and secure an alibi. But now, Futsu Mitama was far too weak. He needed rest before moving on.
"Thank you for the trouble," he said.
Kazuha bowed slightly in thanks as well, and Aila offered a quiet nod.
"No need for formality." Kokomi smiled warmly. They were friends, and they had helped her thwart the Fatui. Offering shelter was natural.
Led by Kokomi, they soon reached the Resistance Camp. The moment she stepped inside, a crowd rushed over with bright, eager faces.
"Sangonomiya-sama!!!"
"She's back!!"
"Eh? Who are those people with her? Never seen them."
"Idiot! They must be part of Lady Sangonomiya's secret unit. Look at those oni masks—definitely elite fighters!"
"As expected of Lady Sangonomiya! Always five steps ahead!!!"
"Yes! Because of her, we defeated the once invincible Shogunate Army!"
Cheers surrounded her from all sides. Kokomi soothed the excited soldiers, then led Futsu Mitama and the others into her tent.