"When I arrived at the Kujou Encampment, he tried to attack me…"
"I understand. There's no need to say more about this," Kujou Sara interrupted.
Although she was adopted by the Kujou Clan, they had lived together for more than ten years, so it was impossible for her to have no reaction at all when he died just like that.
Kujou Sara commanded the army to withdraw from Nazuchi Beach and instead garrison at the junction of Tatarasuna and the beach.
…
On the other side, the resistance on Watatsumi Island had already retreated to Yashiori Island, and as soon as Sangonomiya Kokomi arrived, the entire army began to clamor.
They didn't understand why they had to retreat at such a strange time when they clearly had the advantage. Was it just because dark clouds gathered in the sky?
"Silence!" Sangonomiya Kokomi's gentle voice was like flowing water, soothing everyone's hearts and calming their agitated and depressed emotions.
"First, I have something to announce: the Vision Hunt Decree has ended. We no longer need to fight."
"I will negotiate with Shiki, the highest executive of the Shogunate, in three days. Those who had their Visions confiscated or had to hide from the Vision Hunt Decree, you can go home."
As soon as her words fell, it was like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, and the resistance below instantly erupted into an uproar.
"What? The Vision Hunt Decree has ended?"
"Does that mean the war can end?"
"We can go home?"
Although it was chaotic, most people seemed very happy.
After all, war was just a means for them to resist the Vision Hunt Decree. Now that the Vision Hunt Decree had ended, they naturally didn't want to fight anymore.
Moreover, the battlefield was not a good place. Besides being constantly terrified, there was also the possibility of losing one's life at any time.
And those warmongers clenched their fists. Now they were showing weakness, but when they disbanded, they would definitely protest to Sangonomiya Kokomi.
End this war? Of course, but not in this way!
"Alright, everyone, rest for a bit. It's a ceasefire now, no need to be so tense."
After speaking, Sangonomiya Kokomi returned to her tent. She needed to seriously consider the negotiation and the matter of the warmongers.
Sangonomiya Kokomi had met Shiki for the first time today, so her understanding of the girl was too one-sided.
Not understanding meant not knowing the other party's bottom line, so she wasn't sure how to secure the greatest benefits for Watatsumi Island in this negotiation.
As for the warmongers, these people were also a troublesome matter. They were all native-born Watatsumi Islanders, and her way of dealing with them would also affect others.
So how to handle them became a problem, and also, these people must be convinced. What if they caused trouble during the negotiation, wouldn't that reignite the war between the two sides?
Originally, they could have continued fighting, but now that was absolutely impossible. First, Watatsumi Island no longer had a legitimate reason, and because of the Vision Hunt Decree, the Tenryou Commission's attitude towards fighting was not very active, which was why they could gain the upper hand.
But what about now? Without a legitimate reason, how could Watatsumi Island alone fight against Inazuma's Shogunate?
They didn't have the numerical advantage, and the Shogunate would also show their proper attitude, not to mention there was someone who was suspected of being the Raiden Shogun's alt account.
That Shiki said she was a Side Attendant, but who knew the real situation?
In Sangonomiya Kokomi's eyes, the other party looked exactly like the Raiden Shogun's alt account. Perhaps the purpose of her arrival was to give her a warning.
"Sigh… troublesome!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi looked distressed, and just then, as she expected, that group of warmongers stood outside her tent, requesting an audience.
"Sangonomiya-sama, we have important matters to discuss!"
Listening to the voices outside, Sangonomiya Kokomi adjusted her demeanor, then said, "Come in and speak."
As her words fell, six soldiers entered the tent. They were representatives chosen by the warmongers, as the tent was only so big, and so many people couldn't all fit inside.
"Sangonomiya-sama, we cannot accept negotiations with the Shogunate. If we make peace like this, what about the brothers who died before? What does all the time we've spent fighting amount to?"
"Yes, yes, and besides, this is also the will of Watatsumi Omikami! We must acquire resource-rich land for Watatsumi Island!"
Everyone spoke at once, and Sangonomiya Kokomi's expression grew increasingly grim.
"Have you… not considered the consequences of continuing to fight?"
"What?"
"The Vision Hunt Decree has ended. If we continue to fight, Watatsumi Island will undoubtedly lose. Watatsumi Omikami does seek fertile land, but first, we must survive."
"If we all die, then there's nothing left, is there?"
"Watatsumi Omikami launched the Eastern Expedition, but what was the result? He died, beheaded by the mighty Raiden Shogun with a single strike. This war was impossible to win from the very beginning!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi said coldly. Her purpose in raising the resistance was never to defeat Inazuma, but to take Yashiori Island and then use the victory of a battle to gain an opportunity for negotiation.
To use Inazuma's current internal and external troubles to gain administrative rights over Yashiori Island, thereby allowing Watatsumi Island to also have land where food could be grown.
But the sudden appearance of the girl, with her divine presence, disrupted her plan. Forget winning a battle; whether they could even secure administrative rights over Yashiori Island was now a question.
Plans are always interconnected. Without the support of this victory, she simply couldn't secure Yashiori Island at the negotiating table.
She could only strive for some benefits for the people of Watatsumi Island, to rescue them from slow death.
"Then did our brothers die for nothing!?" a Watatsumi Island soldier questioned, "Isn't the other side just a woman who can summon lightning? There's strength in numbers, we just need to deal with her!"
"Even the smallest things, when gathered together, can unleash unexpected power. Isn't that the principle you taught us?"
"But when the difference between the two is too great, numbers become meaningless," Sangonomiya Kokomi said, shaking her head.
"If it were a hundred ordinary soldiers unafraid of death, they could use numbers to take down a Vision wielder of average strength."
"However, tens of thousands of people could not cause any substantial DMG to a god, because there is a fundamental difference between the two."
"Do you understand this principle? The Shogunate might be able to fight if they work together, but a god cannot be resisted."
"That girl was the warning Raiden Shogun gave us. If this continues, perhaps Watatsumi Island will see another Musoujin Gorge."
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!