Inside the small tavern, the young lady of the Kamisato Clan, Kamisato Ayaka—known as the Shirasagi Himegimi—sat with a gentle smile directed at Futsu Mitama. That smile alone brightened the dim interior. This was their second meeting since the one at the Kamisato Estate.
"It truly isn't easy to meet you, Futsu Mitama-san."
Ayaka pursed her lips, chuckling softly. Seeing the surprise on his face, she immediately understood what he was thinking and continued with a faint smile, "I came here at my brother's request."
"When you sent Kazuha away from the city, something happened"
Ayaka then explained what had transpired within the Tenshukaku. To her, the Raiden Shogun's sudden order was intriguing, yet somewhat puzzling.
Why did her brother place such importance on Futsu Mitama? They shouldn't even know each other. Within the Kamisato Clan, other than Thoma, only she and Futsu Mitama had ever interacted with him. Still, her brother always had deeper considerations—so Ayaka simply stored the doubt in her heart without dwelling further.
"You mean—the Raiden Shogun said that if I encounter Scaramouche, I can call her name?" Futsu Mitama's expression twisted subtly. On one hand, he understood what was going on.
On the other, he was struggling not to laugh—because with this arrangement, as long as he wasn't instantly killed by Scaramouche, he could shout for Raiden Ei little sister, the Raiden Shogun herself, to come deal with her rebellious sibling.
"Yes." Ayaka nodded, a trace of concern in her tone. "But my brother could only describe Scaramouche verbally."
"He wears clothing resembling a kabuki performer, an ichimegasa with a kumadori mask fixed at the front. His attire consists of a black short-sleeved top with furisode and shorts. His eyes and hair are both purple."
Although the description was simple, Ayaka remembered it clearly—this being called Scaramouche was dangerous enough that the Raiden Shogun needed to intervene personally.
"It's fine. The Raiden Shogun will act." Futsu Mitama finally failed to suppress his laughter. Looking at Ayaka, he said, "I know who he is. Scaramouche—the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers."
"When we were escorting Kazuha to join the Resistance, we saw Kokomi's forces clashing with the Shogunate Army."
"The Shogunate Army suffered a heavy loss. Kujou Sara and the others stayed behind to cover the retreat. The Fatui and Scaramouche then emerged, intending to wipe out those soldiers and frame the Resistance."
He simplified the events, ending with the detail that Scaramouche fled because he sensed the presence of a certain person, which prompted his hasty retreat. Hearing this, both Thoma and Ayaka looked thoughtful—as if imagining that Scaramouche had sensed the Raiden Shogun's imminent arrival and escaped.
That also explained why the Raiden Shogun summoned the heads of the Three Commissions yesterday and ordered them to find Scaramouche.
"However— your presence on Ritou. Did something happen to the Hiiragi Clan?"
Futsu Mitama looked at Ayaka and Thoma curiously. He didn't believe they came all the way here just to relay that information. And they shouldn't have known he would come here; only Kuki Shinobu had an inkling of his movements.
"This—" Ayaka revealed a helpless expression, sighing. "Actually, we were entrusted by someone. There is a subordinate of the Kamisato Clan on Ritou—a fabric merchant."
"?????" ×3 Futsu Mitama, Aila, and Kuki Shinobu all wore similarly puzzled expressions.
"What's wrong?" Ayaka asked, confused by their reactions. "Did I say something strange?"
"No, go on." Futsu Mitama waved a hand, face odd but still signalling for her to continue. They were shocked because they had heard earlier that a fabric merchant had lost his goods to the Resistance and nearly gotten into trouble.
They now strongly suspected that this merchant was a subordinate of the Yashiro Commission—and had been targeted by the Hiiragi Clan.
"Yesterday, that merchant suddenly lost contact with Thoma," Ayaka continued. "Given Inazuma's current situation, Thoma infiltrated his home to investigate, but found the entire family missing."
Thoma reported the case, hoping the Kanjou Commission would handle it. Ritou was, after all, their jurisdiction—Yashiro Commission members couldn't intervene without authorization. But a whole day had passed with no response, as if nothing had happened. Feeling helpless, Thoma sought Ayaka's instructions.
Thus, Ayaka personally came to Ritou and, through Thoma, sought out Kuki Shinobu for information. Unexpectedly, Shinobu knew Futsu Mitama—leading to their present gathering.
"Eliminating dissidents, then? The Hiiragi Clan wants to use the Fatui to consolidate their hold here."
Upon hearing her explanation, the first thought that surfaced in Futsu Mitama's mind was that the Hiiragi Clan planned to use the Fatui to dispose of opponents. Although they were the uncontested rulers of Ritou now, other commissions still had people here. The Hiiragi Clan seemed intent on driving them out or eliminating them entirely.
All blame would be shifted onto the Fatui. The Hiiragi Clan's hands remained clean. If everything went smoothly, Ritou would truly become theirs alone—unless the Raiden Shogun directly intervened.
"Yes, I think so too. That's why I left the Kamisato Estate—to see if I could save that merchant."
Ayaka was no fool. Whatever Futsu Mitama deduced, she had already considered. But above political power, she prioritized the merchant's safety. Lives came first.
A thought flashed through Futsu Mitama's mind. He turned to Ayaka and said, "I might be able to lure the Fatui out of hiding, and from them, find where they're keeping the merchant."
Ayaka's eyes brightened. Leaning closer, she asked eagerly, "How?"
"Simply put, the bait is— me." Futsu Mitama pointed at himself.
"Eh?" Ayaka blinked, then quickly shook her head in rejection. "No, that's too dangerous."
She knew he had offended the Hiiragi Clan due to the International Chamber of Commerce incident—and had been kidnapped by Nobushi and the Fatui because of it. Without the Guuji's intervention, he might never have returned.
"It's fine. If you hadn't brought this information, I might have stayed cautious of Scaramouche. But now—"
Futsu Mitama smiled kindly. At this moment, he practically wanted to run into Scaramouche. Wasn't that guy supposed to be bold?
If he dared show his face—Futsu Mitama dared to yell the Raiden Shogun's name loud enough to drag her out of the Tenshukaku. Let her come capture him personally.
Among the Fatui, only the Harbinger-level threats remained meaningful to Futsu Mitama now. Ordinary soldiers? Unless there were dozens—he barely cared.
"Hmm?"
Just as Futsu Mitama was about to elaborate on the plan, he suddenly froze. Kuki Shinobu and Aila also widened their eyes in disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Ayaka asked, puzzled—until a moment later, she too heard it.
Her pupils narrowed. She covered her mouth in astonishment.
At this moment, in the Chat Group—
[Group Announcement: Group Level LV1 has been upgraded to LV2.]
[Group Announcement: Gift function (personal-group) unlocked. Ping Location function unlocked. Sign-in rewards enhanced. Partial Group Leader permissions released.]
[Group Announcement: Ding!!!]
[Welcome * * * * * to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group]
[Welcome * * * * * to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group]
[Welcome * * * * * to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group]
[Raiden Makoto: "Hmm?! Why did the group level increase the moment I signed in today?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Eh?! Three new people joined?!"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "It actually upgraded? The daily sign-in experience was real???"]
[Futsu Mitama: "!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!"]
[Aila: "It took two and a half years, but it finally leveled up from LV1 to LV2."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Welcome, everyone. I am the Group Leader. Newcomers, tap the settings in the upper-left to change your names, or you won't be able to speak."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Welcome everyone. I am not the Group Leader. Newcomers, change your names from the settings in the upper-left."]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "This— what is this? How am I sending messages with my mind? @Futsu Mitama @Aila @Kuki Shinobu"]
[Albedo: "Interesting. It can even pull my consciousness here."]
[Azhdaha: "A Chat Group? It broke Morax's seal to pull my consciousness in."]
[Azhdaha: "@Raiden Makoto, Baal, you're here too?"
Futsu Mitama took a deep breath. The group level increased, new members joined; his permissions expanded—everything came at once. For a moment, it felt unreal. And right when the upgrade happened, he unmistakably felt a surge in strength.
Before this, taking on Scaramouche alone would have been impossible; he would have needed Kazuha and Aila beside him just to keep pace. But now, he could stand toe-to-toe with Scaramouche by himself.
Well—lasting a few exchanges still counted as fighting. Just like how Kazuha survived a strike from the Raiden Shogun, Futsu Mitama now felt he could endure dozens of Scaramouche's blows in his normal state. Even if Scaramouche went all out, he was confident he could hold on.
As he was adjusting to this newfound power, he casually instructed the newcomers to change their names— and froze when the names appeared.
Kamisato Ayaka also stared ahead, still wearing that surprised expression.
But as expected of the Shirasagi Himegimi, she regained composure quickly. Even if she had never witnessed anything like this before, she still offered a gentle, elegant smile. She even shot Futsu Mitama a playful wink, as though she had just stumbled onto one of his secrets.
"…"
Only Thoma felt something was—off. There were five people here, yet he alone felt strangely out of place, as if he shouldn't be here at all. But after exchanging that silent understanding, Futsu Mitama and Kamisato Ayaka both turned back to the Chat Group.
Inside, the new members were already interacting.
[Albedo: "Interesting. It can actually pull my consciousness here."]
[Azhdaha: "Chat Group? What is this? It can even break through Morax's seal and pull my consciousness here."]
[Azhdaha: "@Raiden Makoto, Baal, you're here as well?"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Baal? Isn't Raiden Makoto your name?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "This name— I feel like I've heard it before."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Yes, I am here too, but I didn't expect you to join as well. Truly unexpected."]
[Azhdaha: "But shouldn't you have died in that battle 500 years ago? How can your consciousness be here?"]
[Albedo: "Baal—? That name— You're the Raiden Shogun?!"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Ah! That's right!!! The Raiden Shogun! The Almighty Narukami Ogosho! Her name was Baal!!!"]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "!!!!!!!!!"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "No way"]
Outside the Chat Group, Futsu Mitama only shrugged. He had kept Raiden Makoto's identity a secret out of respect for her wishes. If she wanted people to know she was the original Raiden Shogun, she would eventually say it herself. And truly—nobody in modern Inazuma, aside from Scaramouche and Yae Miko, knew that the Raiden Shogun had long been replaced. But none of that mattered.
Azhdaha had revealed her name immediately. Understandable, though. He and Morax had fought side-by-side after the Archon War and attended meetings with the original Seven. Knowing Raiden Makoto was natural.
And compared to "Raiden Makoto," the name "Baal" was widely recorded in Inazuma.
The truth was out.
Aila maintained her usual calm, though a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes. The identity didn't matter—only the realization that a genuine Raiden Shogun would, of course, possess things like "Transcendence: Baleful Omen" and "Raiden Style · Martial Arts."
"So that's how it is…" Kuki Shinobu murmured. Suddenly, everything made sense to her.
All her previous deductions had flaws—how could a retainer act so casually toward the Raiden Shogun unless something was fundamentally different?
If Raiden Makoto was the original Shogun, the contradictions vanished.
She typed again:
[Kuki Shinobu: "Um— if you are the Raiden Shogun, then who is the current Shogun?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Don't use honorifics. This is exactly why I never revealed my identity before."]
[Azhdaha: "Did I say something I shouldn't have?"]
[Albedo: "…"]
[Futsu Mitama: "There's no hiding it now. You're the original Raiden Shogun."]
[Raiden Makoto: "As expected, Group Leader, you already knew. But it's not as simple as publicly stating it. Five hundred years ago, during the Cataclysm that engulfed all of Teyvat—you're all familiar with that event, correct?"]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "Yes. History calls it Inazuma's darkest era…"]
She recited the records calmly: Chiyo swallowed by darkness, Saiguu dying in battle, the Sacred Sakura suppressing the corruption…
[Raiden Makoto: "Exactly. Five hundred years ago, I participated in another war and died there. But my consciousness didn't vanish—only fell into a long slumber. After joining this Chat Group, my mind awakened again."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Once I understood the current state of Inazuma, naturally, I wanted to help change it. And to give Ei a lesson."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "(Terrified) The original Raiden Shogun is supporting the Resistance— Should I feel honored or scared?"]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "This is too shocking— I feel faint…"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Thoma is still here. Don't let your expressions change."]
[Azhdaha: "Now that you mention it— it's true. My main body remained sealed, and my consciousness was originally muddled. Yet now I feel strangely clear."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Isn't that a good thing? If Morax knew, he would be pleased."]
[Azhdaha: "Hahaha! He's not here—how could he be pleased?"]
And from there, the Chat Group turned into a conversation between two ancient beings, discussing things far beyond anyone else's understanding. Even Futsu Mitama could only grasp fragments—like how the Anemo Archon truly excelled at drinking and slacking off.
Eventually, Kamisato Ayaka closed the interface with a conflicted breath. She turned to Thoma.
"Thoma." He straightened instantly.
"Please return and inform my brother. Tell him our next course of action. He may need to coordinate with the Shuumatsuban."
Thoma blinked, momentarily confused by the sudden instruction—but quickly bowed.
"I understand, my lady. I will report to the head of the clan immediately."
He left at once. Ayaka exhaled softly once he was gone. Then she turned back to Futsu Mitama, offering an apologetic but earnest smile.
"Futsu Mitama… could you explain to me what a Chat Group truly is?"
Her composure remained, but the bewilderment in her eyes was unmistakable. Futsu Mitama nodded, and patiently began to explain. With his explanation—and with Aila and Kuki Shinobu supplementing—Ayaka finally understood what she had been dragged into.
Originally, it was just an unusual chat space. But with Raiden Makoto's identity revealed, this "ordinary" group was nothing of the sort. And after learning about the Resistance, Ayaka's expression only grew stranger.
The original Raiden Shogun joining forces with the Resistance to oppose the current Raiden Shogun— Wasn't this the most paradoxical rebellion imaginable?
But she also understood why Raiden Makoto chose this path. Ayaka had only read about the Inazuma of centuries past—Makoto had lived it. No wonder she wished to restore the nation to what it once was.