Chapter 144. Interrupt!
Raiden Ei had to make a trip to the Abyss to collect some materials. Futsu Mitama had long grown tired of handling these miscellaneous tasks.
Without a word, he declared he would go along, taking the opportunity to escape!
Furthermore, when Futsu Mitama was in the Abyss, he was hunted by some individuals, and this was a good chance to go back and see them.
For example, the Abyss Order, and also Lumine's brother—Aether.
Futsu Mitama vividly remembered when the Abyss Order kidnapped him into the Abyss. If he went down to the Abyss with Raiden Ei this time, he would definitely greet them if the opportunity arose.
Maha Rukkhadevata did not object because she also felt that Futsu Mitama shouldn't be overworked. He had spent three months in Sumeru handling so many miscellaneous affairs.
And he handled everything so meticulously, which already greatly surprised Maha Rukkhadevata.
Now that Sumeru's overall direction was stable, even if Futsu Mitama left temporarily, nothing would go wrong.
Moreover, if anything were to happen, wasn't Aila still there? A Demon God of such power to hold the fort.
No matter what unexpected event occurred, she could handle it. If an unimaginable emergency arose, Nahida could also temporarily emerge from the Irminsul.
Her current strength was not comparable to three months ago.
With two Demon God-level powers, any unexpected event could be dealt with. If even they couldn't handle it, then Futsu Mitama's presence would be useless.
"I'm leaving this to you all! I have something to do, so I'll be going first!"
Futsu Mitama said, taking out the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, opening a portal on the spot, and directly stepping into it.
Clearly, Futsu Mitama was impatient to leave this accursed office!
Three months!!! A full three months!!! Who knew how he got through it!
Every day, he had to face a mountain of documents!!! He had to review all of them, then distribute them to Shinobu, Kokomi, and others.
And if the situation was particularly severe, he, as the Acting Dendro Archon, had to personally resolve it.
Although in these three months, there were only three instances where the situation was severe enough to require Futsu Mitama's personal intervention.
But now, Futsu Mitama could finally temporarily stop managing so many things, leave Sumeru, and go to the Abyss to relax properly.
"Eh?!"
Layla showed a rather shocked expression, watching Futsu Mitama suddenly leave. Without the Chat Group, she naturally didn't know what had happened.
Futsu Mitama's action instantly invigorated her, dispelling her drowsiness.
"Don't worry."
At this moment, Kokomi comforted Layla, saying,
"Futsu Mitama had something to do, which is why he left. Let's finish today's tasks."
Shinobu also added, looking at Layla,
"Yes, Futsu Mitama's sudden departure definitely means he has something important to do. You shouldn't be surprised, because he is the next Raiden Shogun and the Acting Dendro Archon."
Layla nodded, a little confused, but seeing everyone's 'used to it' expressions, she calmed down.
Yes, isn't this normal?
Futsu Mitama was the next Archon, and had been personally designated as the Acting Dendro Archon by Maha Rukkhadevata and Lesser Lord Kusanali.
His sudden departure must be for something important, not because there were too many things to do and he ran off to slack.
Thinking this, Layla continued working. A surge of determination began to build within her. If someone like Futsu Mitama was so busy—
She couldn't stay drowsy like this!!! Come on!! Layla! You can do it!!!
With this self-motivation, Layla's mental state improved significantly, and her work efficiency also increased greatly.
Aila and Black Aila, on the other hand, worked very calmly, communicating telepathically.
[Black Aila: "Where did Young Master go? I don't have the Chat Group, so I don't know what happened."]
[Aila: "He was too tired from work, so he went to the Abyss with the Raiden Shogun, Beelzebub, also known as Raiden Ei, to relax."]
[Black Aila: "Hmm, okay, then it's fine."]
[Aila: "We're still not working hard enough. As maids, we let Young Master get tired. Besides needing to improve our strength, we also need to quickly improve in this aspect."]
[Black Aila: "Indeed, as expected of me. Let's work hard together."]
And so, Aila and Black Aila also started to work harder.
(I want this kind of helper)
—
Leaving the matters in Sumeru aside for now, after Futsu Mitama entered the teleportation space using the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, he rushed towards Inazuma.
By traveling at full speed, it took him less than an hour to arrive in Inazuma from Sumeru City.
Futsu Mitama went directly inside the Tenshukaku. The long-awaited relaxation made him sigh with emotion.
"Inazuma is truly good. I don't have to worry about anything here."
Being the Acting Dendro Archon in Sumeru was a terrible job; not only did he have to do a lot of things, but he also had to consider various factors, which was truly headache-inducing.
Inazuma was better. If anything happened, he could just ask Yae Miko and Raiden Makoto, and they could solve everything.
"Oh my, oh my~ You're back~"
Not long after Futsu Mitama arrived inside the Tenshukaku, a teasing voice came from the side. Yae Miko walked out, looking at Futsu Mitama with a smile.
"Isn't this the Acting Dendro Archon from Sumeru? How does it feel to be back in Inazuma? Do you feel a long-lost sense of freedom?"
Futsu Mitama's face drooped. He looked at Yae Miko and said helplessly,
"Don't tease me. Don't you know how troublesome it is to handle those things? Honestly, if I didn't have people assisting me, I think I would really collapse facing such a huge mess in Sumeru."
Within three months, Futsu Mitama finally understood why Kokomi and Yae Miko were so overwhelmed and frantic when dealing with the Resistance's affairs.
No matter how capable one person was, it was impossible to handle everything smoothly and perfectly.
Even a powerful Demon God, facing such a huge mess, couldn't possibly solve problems by brute force, could she?
So Futsu Mitama finally understood why Kokomi worked so hard, shouldering all aspects of the Resistance's affairs alone.
Yae Miko, taking over Kokomi's burden, was so busy that she constantly complained, wishing she could drag Kokomi out of bed and make her work!
Seeing Futsu Mitama say that, Yae Miko's smile deepened.
She sighed. "It wasn't easy~ Little one, you finally understand our struggles."
"I went through the same thing back then. You're so much better off than I was, at least you can openly use so many talented people. Back then, Inazuma didn't have that many talented people for me to use. I could only slowly train and discover talent, and even had to personally handle some matters."
At this point, Yae Miko couldn't help but complain. Raiden Ei's retreat into the Plane of Euthymia was too sudden. She wasn't prepared for anything, and her comfortable environment was instantly shattered. As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she still had relatively naive thoughts at that time.
For example, Raiden Ei must have had a deeper meaning in doing so, and Inazuma should be governed by Inazumans themselves.
But after a period of time, seeing Inazuma gradually fall into chaos, Yae Miko directly discarded these naive ideas.
Raiden Ei's actions had no deeper meaning; SHE WAS SIMPLY SECLUDING HERSELF, A LITTLE GIRL UNWILLING TO ACCEPT REALITY!!!!
If Inazuma were truly left to Inazumans to handle everything, it would only get worse, and talented individuals would be fiercely suppressed.
The great clans, who once valued honor above all else, began to prioritize their own and their families' interests under the corrosion of time.
So, later, Yae Miko interfered with everything in Inazuma, both overtly and covertly. Before Raiden Ei emerged, she wanted to keep Inazuma in a stable state.
It was only after experiencing all this that Yae Miko understood what a huge mess Futsu Mitama had taken over in Sumeru.
But as the saying goes, since Futsu Mitama was going to be the next Raiden Shogun, he definitely needed to take over some things in advance, at least to understand what he needed to do after taking that position.
He couldn't possibly be like Ei, who, after becoming the Raiden Shogun, aside from being a mascot and a deterrent force, spent all her other time in the Tenshukaku and the Plane of Euthymia.
Leaving everything to herself and the Tri-Commission, again? She, the esteemed Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine! Had been working for 500 years! It was time for her to relax.
Therefore, when Raiden Makoto said she agreed to Futsu Mitama becoming the Acting Dendro Archon, Yae Miko agreed with both hands, both feet, and her tails.
"You've worked too hard."
Futsu Mitama looked at Yae Miko with some pity. He naturally understood the situation Inazuma faced under Yae Miko.
500 years ago, Inazuma was definitely the darkest period in its history. First, the entire Inazuma was devastated by the Abyssal Tide.
Later, all the capable powerhouses died in the Abyssal Tide. The only survivor was corrupted and later drew his blade against Raiden Ei.
This action directly caused Raiden Ei to become reclusive on the spot. Later, she created Kunikuzushi and the Shogun, then directly retreated into the Plane of Euthymia, no longer caring about Inazuma's affairs.
What followed were hundreds of years of hard days for Yae Miko, slowly cleaning up the mess.
At that time, Yae Miko probably truly had few people she could rely on. She used her own methods and her status as a Raiden Shogun's Retainer to slowly pull Inazuma back.
Yae Miko also poured out her grievances, beginning to recount the things she had experienced in the past.
She now found Futsu Mitama more and more pleasing to the eye. Previously, it was because of his high potential, strong power, and good personality. Now, it was because she had a common topic with him. Both were people who had been through the rain, so their conversations naturally had more depth than before.
But soon, Futsu Mitama changed the topic and began to inquire about Kunikuzushi's subsequent situation.
Because he was too busy in Sumeru, Futsu Mitama did not participate in Kunikuzushi's trial, but it was said that on the day of the trial—
Kunikuzushi suffered a lot because of his role in nearly destroying the Raiden Gokaden, his interference in Inazuman internal affairs, and his past identity as a Fatui Harbinger.
The people of Inazuma cursed him, intending to throw rotten eggs, withered leaves, and other things at him.
But all of this was stopped by the Shogunate Army led by Kujou Sara.
The reason was simple: from any perspective, Kunikuzushi was a puppet created by Raiden Ei.
In a sense, he was Raiden Ei's private property. Even if he committed many mistakes, he could not be insulted by ordinary people.
This was why Kujou Sara sent people to stop the citizens from throwing rotten eggs and withered leaves.
However, Kujou Sara also expressed anger at everything Kunikuzushi had done, because she truly couldn't understand why someone with such a noble status would fall to such a state.
"Once a beauty, why become a thief?"
This was Kujou Sara's most sincere thought. The person clearly possessed such a noble status, yet he went to Snezhnaya to become a Fatui Harbinger.
He even tried to destroy the Raiden Gokaden and interfered with Inazuma's internal affairs, causing the people of Inazuma to suffer during that period.
Later, as the trial began, everyone learned about everything that had happened to Kunikuzushi and understood why he had gone down such a dark path.
Everything that happened to him was influenced by The Second Seat of Harbinger, Il Dottore. He was like a fool, manipulated in the palm of someone's hand.
When this news was made public, the anger of the Inazuman people towards Kunikuzushi lessened somewhat, but it still remained.
He was a pitiful person, true, but the things he did were from his own will. Was someone forcing him to do them?
Clearly not. So, the Inazuman people who watched the trial still had a very, very negative attitude towards Kunikuzushi.
At the end of the trial, Yae Miko naturally appeared, stating that Kunikuzushi would atone for his sins in Inazuma, and his memories and powers would be sealed.
From that day on, Kunikuzushi would no longer be Kunikuzushi; he would reclaim his old name given by his best friend—Kabukimono.
Under this name, he would begin his atonement. Once all his sins were atoned for, the Shogun would announce his final fate.
Futsu Mitama hadn't seen Kunikuzushi's trial live, and honestly felt a bit regretful, but there was nothing he could do.
That was the busiest time in Sumeru; he himself was swamped, so he definitely had no time to watch the trial.
Of course, through Yae Miko's live broadcast, he had indirectly participated in the event.
"Him, you ask?"
Seeing Futsu Mitama inquire about Kunikuzushi, or rather, Kabukimono, Yae Miko chuckled.
"He's like a blank slate now, no longer foul-mouthed. That boy from the Kaedehara Clan, is accompanying him on his journey as his bodyguard and fellow traveler. The two seem to have become good friends, which I find somewhat surprising."
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Futsu Mitama's eyes. The boy from the Kaedehara Clan? Was she referring to Kazuha?
He and Kunikuzushi became friends? That was truly surprising, considering Kazuha's ancestor and Kunikuzushi were good friends.
Kunikuzushi was willing to give up his freedom and will to kill Dottore, largely because his friend had died tragically at Dottore's hands.
His friend's fervent heart protected him during the disaster, yet he, influenced by Dottore's words, discarded his friend's heart.
Futsu Mitama didn't know what Kunikuzushi was thinking at that time, but from seeing his memories, the seal placed on him was almost forcibly broken, which showed how intense his emotional fluctuations were then.
"You seem very surprised."
Yae Miko said with a chuckle, seeing Futsu Mitama's rather surprised expression.
"This was something that boy from the Kaedehara Clan came to me to request himself. He still seemed quite puzzled about the decline of his family back then. After learning that Kunikuzushi was the former mastermind, he volunteered to supervise and protect him."
"Since someone is taking over this job for me, I'm naturally happy to hand it over."
Futsu Mitama's expression was a bit subtle after hearing Yae Miko's words. He knew that Raiden Ei had entrusted the matter to Yae Miko when they were in the Tenshukaku.
He didn't expect Yae Miko to immediately hand the task over to Kazuha. For the past three months, she probably didn't do anything other than basic supervision.
However, having a nearly amnesiac Kunikuzushi act together with Kazuha, in a sense, wasn't that a recreation of what happened back then?
It's just that compared to back then, Kunikuzushi, or rather Kunikuzushi, is in a much better situation now.
Kazuha is protecting him, which basically guarantees his safety within Inazuma; his combat power there is considered top-tier.
Well, "top-tier" here refers to those stronger than Yae Miko, specifically on the level of Kuki Shinobu.
Furthermore, Kazuha has a very good personality. Even if he knew how terrible Kunikuzushi's past actions were, he would understand that it was all related to the Fatui.
Thus, he wouldn't be overly hostile towards him; he would decide his attitude based on Kunikuzushi's actions after losing his memory.
From Yae Miko's expression now, it seems Kazuha and Kunikuzushi are getting along quite well, otherwise she wouldn't show such an expression.
"Aren't you curious?"
Yae Miko saw Futsu Mitama wasn't pressing for details. She blinked and couldn't help but ask.
"Aren't you curious about what the Kaedehara Clan boy and that troublemaker went through?"
To be honest, Yae Miko threw out this news hoping to see a curious expression on Futsu Mitama's face, prompting him to ask her about it.
As it turned out, Futsu Mitama was curious, but he didn't ask!
"What did they go through?"
Futsu Mitama couldn't help but chuckle when Yae Miko said this, naturally seeing her unique desire to share.
As Futsu Mitama spoke, Yae Miko's interest piqued. She was just about to say something when—
A spatial rift suddenly opened beside Futsu Mitama, and Raiden Ei appeared within it. She said in a serious tone,
"Let's go, Futsu Mitama. We're going to the Abyss to collect materials. I just found a rift leading to the Abyss; we don't have to forcefully shatter space to get there anymore."
Before Futsu Mitama could answer, Raiden Ei reached out and pulled him over directly, then the spatial rift closed.
This left Yae Miko, who was about to speak her mind freely, utterly stunned.
"..."
Yae Miko looked at the quiet Tenshukaku and the vanished Futsu Mitama and Raiden Ei. She gritted her teeth and said,
"Alright, alright, Ei, you actually interrupted me!!!"
"From now on, I won't send you any of your desserts or light novels!!!!!"
Saying this, Yae Miko angrily prepared to leave the Tenshukaku, then she had a change of heart.
With Futsu Mitama and Raiden Ei's strength, they probably wouldn't take long to return from the Abyss. Then she could continue her conversation with Futsu Mitama about this matter.
Thinking this, Yae Miko silently walked back. Then she saw the spot where the Shogun often sat.
"Hmph, now I'm Raiden Shogun too!"
Yae Miko plopped down directly in the Shogun's usual seat, expressing her displeasure.
Of course, no one could see her like this now~