"My Lord! I'm very familiar with the way to the Tenryou Commission!"
Arataki Itto squeezed past Hiiragi Sarutobi with a "whoosh."
His white spiky hair was held high, and his crimson oni horns dazzled in the setting sun.
Rubbing his hands together, his face was piled with an excessively eager smile, his waist bent so far he looked like a shrimp:
"There isn't a single street or alley in Inazuma City that I, Arataki Itto, don't know!"
"Taking shortcuts, avoiding prying eyes, crawling through dog holes... ah, no, I mean taking the quick path!"
"I guarantee it'll be fast and reliable!"
"Please follow me this way, My Lord...!"
A vein throbbed on Kuki Shinobu's forehead. She endured and endured, but finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward and delivered a kick with her wooden geta right to Arataki Itto's backside.
Thump!
"Ouch!" Arataki Itto clutched his stinging rear and lunged forward a few steps, looking back innocently. "A-Nin, why'd you kick me?"
"You're asking me why I kicked you?!" Kuki Shinobu roared, her purple eyes filled with the despair of 'how did I end up following this kind of boss.' "We are following Lord King to handle Official business! We're going to purge evil! Do you have any idea what you look like, bowing and scraping, rushing to lead the way?"
"What do I look like?" Arataki Itto asked blankly.
"Like a traitor in a stage play!"
Kuki Shinobu gritted her teeth:
"We are on the side of justice!"
"Can't you show a bit of the integrity of a righteous person?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Arataki Itto realized, quickly straightening his back. However, that fawning "please praise me" smile couldn't be retracted instantly, resulting in a comically distorted expression. "I get it, I get it! I need the air of a big shot, right!"
He cleared his throat, tried to stiffen his face, and clasped his hands behind his back, attempting a majestic posture, but it only made him look more foolish.
King glanced at him and almost couldn't hold back a laugh.
Calming his emotions, he gave a slight wave to Hiiragi Sarutobi: "Lead the way."
"Yes."
Hiiragi Sarutobi bowed and took the lead out of the estate.
Arataki Itto hurriedly scurried to King's side and rear, wanting to act as a guard like Clorinde, but not knowing what pose to strike, his hands and feet felt awkward and out of place.
Paimon had finished the small cake and flew back to Lumine's side, whispering, "Why is Itto acting so weird... he was always silly before, but not this..."
"Thirsty." Lumine summarized accurately with a deadpan expression.
"Exactly!" Paimon nodded vigorously.
Zhongli followed slowly, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains in the courtyard, sighing inwardly.
Asura's methods, Bodhisattva's heart?
Perhaps neither.
Causing such a massive disturbance.
Only heaven knows what the final outcome of this will be... The Tenryou Commission's estate was even more majestic and imposing than the Kanjou Commission's.
High walls, strict sentry posts, and samurai in uniform Doumaru armor stood with swords drawn, their eyes sharp.
The air was thick with a killing intent.
Beneath that intent, undercurrents were also surging.
The Clan Head, Kujou Kamaji, was mediocre in ability and mild in temperament. Though not evil, he lacked the power to rectify the entrenched factions and long-standing abuses within the Commission.
After the Sakoku Decree was lifted, the Tenryou Commission had to deal with new pressures like diplomacy and coastal defense on one hand. On the other, it was no secret that various levels of generals were colluding with local families, Ronin groups, and even the remaining Fatui forces for profit.
Two guards in Doumaru armor with long swords at their waists stood with chests out, their eyes scanning the surroundings like hawks.
Even in the evening, they stood straight with serious expressions, as if possessing the courage of ten thousand men.
At least on the surface.
However, when the figure of that man appeared.
The pupils of the two guards suddenly contracted.
It was a tall man in a blue trench coat, with messy black hair and a fierce countenance.
And the moment this man appeared—
Thump.
That heartbeat, which seemed to strike directly at the soul, rang out once more!
The guards' bodies stiffened, their pupils dilating to the limit.
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