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At this moment, the scene fell into complete silence; no one dared to speak. Futsu Mitama's refusal truly shocked everyone. Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayato both looked at him in disbelief.
It was understandable: no one should refuse such an offer. Refusing the Tenryou Commission was one thing—but refusing the Okuzume and the Raiden Shogun's personal guidance—this was an opportunity only a handful of people in all of Teyvat could ever hope to receive.
Yet Futsu Mitama refused. This stunned everyone, including those watching in the Group Live feed.
[Azhdaha: "He actually refused. Unexpected indeed. She may be a puppet, but she is the Raiden Shogun. Her instruction surpasses the legacy Baal uploaded."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Mhm, I'm just a weak little girl. How could I compare to Ei and the puppet she created?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Still—has Ei grown stronger? Has her power advanced further in 500 years???"]
[Raiden Makoto: "To call the legacy I left 500 years ago 'crude'—Hmph"]
[Albedo: "Speculating on an Archon's strength is beyond us. However, from the Shogun's attitude, she seems very pleased with the Group Leader."]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "More than pleased—she clearly values him highly, even calling him a guardian of eternity. If word of this spread, Inazuma would erupt in shock."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Futsu Mitama indeed has the qualifications. He alone managed to learn Lady Makoto's 'Transcendence: Baleful Omen' and 'Raiden Style · Martial Arts.' The rest of us—"]
[Aila: "I tried learning them too, but aside from some insights, I couldn't succeed."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Don't force it. Even the most gifted warriors 500 years ago ended up like Aila when trying to learn Ei's arts."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Futsu Mitama is simply more suited to this path. The rest of you have your own strengths."]
[Albedo: "Indeed. Everyone has their own talents. There is no need to compare excessively."]
[Azhdaha: "If an Archon's legacy were that easy to learn, the world would have plunged into chaos long ago."]
[Kokomi: "True… but Futsu Mitama's talent is truly exceptional. Eh? The Shogun has spoken!"]
As the discussion continued in the live feed, the Raiden Shogun recovered from her frozen state.
She looked at Futsu Mitama with clear disbelief, her lips slightly parted.
"You refuse? You intend to remain a brewer and a blacksmith?"
It was unbelievable. Since her creation, she had only ever given commands to be obeyed.
Even those who opposed her did so only in the shadows—they never refused her openly. And the offer she gave him was entirely beneficial. One nod, and he could rise above all, gaining prestige, authority, and tremendous freedom.
Yet he refused.
The Raiden Shogun couldn't comprehend it. She even wanted Ei to help her think. And so, she dragged Raiden Ei out of meditation in the Plane of Euthymia. After understanding the situation, Raiden Ei also looked at Futsu Mitama with curiosity. What was this boy thinking?
"Mm." Futsu Mitama nodded solemnly. "Martial arts, to me, are merely for self-defense. Your eternity, Shogun, is my eternity as well."
He seemed to touch upon a key word. The Raiden Shogun paused, then asked calmly, "Then speak. What is your understanding of eternity?"
Inside the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei watched silently. She herself had only a vague understanding of eternity—she merely wanted Inazuma to remain unchanged, frozen in time, so she would lose nothing more.
And now, someone claimed to share her view. She was curious.
Futsu Mitama met the Shogun's gaze and said, "Your eternity is to preserve Inazuma without change."
"My eternity is alike—to maintain a peaceful, unchanging life. If I join the Tenryou Commission or the Okuzume, people will flock to me and disrupt my peace. Even if it is your command, Shogun, I must refuse. Because it violates my eternity."
The Raiden Shogun froze again. Even Ayato and Yae Miko stared with astonishment. These two cunning foxes could not guess what he was thinking, but he had truly abandoned a path that would have brought him fame across Inazuma. Was this conviction the real him?
Kuki Shinobu remained silent, but even she was shocked.
Inside the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei nodded with faint approval. Her heart—which she had tightly sealed for centuries—softened slightly. Someone understood her eternity. Someone agreed with her.
Her long-held unease quietly loosened. Raiden Ei then spoke, "Shogun, do not force him to join any commission. Let him come to Tenshukaku once a week for instruction."
The Raiden Shogun nodded. Yae Miko looked disappointed. Ayato was delighted. Kuki Shinobu finally relaxed. And Futsu Mitama silently celebrated—his preparations had worked.
He had long foreseen that a confrontation with the Raiden Shogun was inevitable. And he had already prepared the key word that could disarm her: eternity.
Unless she had declared him a "variable of eternity" and struck him immediately, this strategy was foolproof. If he joined a commission now, how could he ever retire peacefully in Liyue or Mondstadt? He would be monitored the moment he arrived.
Thus, he could only decline.
"I retract my previous order," the Raiden Shogun said. "You need not join any commission. Simply visit Tenshukaku weekly for my guidance. I respect your eternity. But your strength is also a pillar of eternity."
She left him no room to refuse. A sweep of her hand, lightning cracked open space, and she vanished.
Futsu Mitama stood frozen.
What?! Once a week at Tenshukaku?! Are you becoming the weekly boss?!
Before he could complain further, it was already too late.
"Congratulations, little one," Yae Miko said with a bright smile. "To be valued by the Shogun to this degree—your future is limitless."
"As the Electro Archon's familiar, I should get along well with you. Here, a small gift. Don't refuse."
She stuffed a brocade pouch into his arms and, without lingering, dispelled her fox power and disappeared like lightning—likely already returning to work per the Shogun's instructions.
"Eh?! Wait!! Why is everyone running away so fast?!" Futsu Mitama looked at the brocade pouch—and at Scaramouche's dismembered limbs. "And the Shogun just left everything behind?!"
He knew these limbs were trouble. Giving them to the Shogun would be fine. But if he kept them, the Fatui would hunt him down for sure.
"Perhaps… the Shogun intends to entrust them to you," Kamisato Ayato said with a laugh as he walked over. "To think you've changed so much since that night—"
Indeed, Ayato had only truly met him once, shortly after his arrival in Inazuma. The festival was the second time. This was their third official meeting.
"All thanks to the Shogun," Futsu Mitama replied, putting away the brocade pouch. He knew part of Yae Miko's consciousness was sealed within it—likely hoping to contact Raiden Ei one day. But it also served as a lifesaving trump card, so he gladly accepted.
"Yes. We should thank her," Ayato said. Her word would reshape the Kanjou Commission. The Hiiragi–Kujou alliance was broken. The Yashiro Commission finally had breathing room.
"I shall take my leave. There is much to handle." Ayato bowed lightly.
"Take care, Lord Ayato," Futsu Mitama said. He had no intention of keeping him longer.
After Ayato left, Kuki Shinobu walked over.
"Do you remember our original goal?" she asked helplessly.
"To find the merchant from the Yashiro Commission and gather information against the Hiiragi Clan," Futsu Mitama replied.
Their initial plan was simple—look for clues, gather dirt, let Ayato use it politically. Instead, Scaramouche appeared, the Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko intervened, the Hiiragi Clan's samurai betrayed their master, and everything escalated until both the Fatui and the Hiiragi Clan were effectively crippled.
A minor errand had turned into a sweeping upheaval.