Griseo's expression remained calm as Lumine attacked. The only difference was that her palette now held three colors of paint. With a wave of her hand, the knight's sword was dyed red, yellow, and blue, and it slammed into the ground with tremendous force.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed, sending dust and debris flying.
Huff, huff, huff… Lumine gasped heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her elemental energy and stamina were nearly depleted.
In that last elemental burst, Lumine had poured almost all of her geo energy into the attack. If it weren't for the wind energy sustaining her, she might have collapsed from exhaustion.
"I surrender! I can't fight anymore!" Seeing Griseo still standing there unfazed, Lumine sheathed her sword and plopped down on the ground, not caring about her appearance.
Dust clung to her white dress, making her look even more disheveled.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Traveler has conceded! The winner is clear—let's congratulate Princess Griseo!" Liben shouted, pointing the microphone toward Griseo.
"Princess Griseo!" "Princess Griseo!" "Princess Griseo!" "…"
---
By noon, the sun was blazing overhead.
Kujou Sara stood under the scorching sun, her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the ship approaching the shore.
Beside her was the head of the welcoming delegation, Kamisato Ayaka, the Shirasagi Himegimi
Seeing Kujou Sara's serious expression, Ayaka seemed to recall something. She stepped forward and said, "General Kujou."
"Hmm?" Kujou Sara was surprised by Ayaka's sudden address. She lowered her arms and let them hang naturally at her sides.
"Miss Kamisato, is there something you need?"
"Well…" Ayaka hesitated, the words on the tip of her tongue refusing to come out.
"Miss Ayaka, we are colleagues, and you are in charge of this reception. If you have something to say, please speak directly. There's no need to beat around the bush," Kujou Sara said, shaking her head. She disliked indirect communication, finding it unnecessarily convoluted.
"Then I'll be direct. General Kujou, no matter who steps off the ship from Watatsumi Island, please remain calm and avoid doing anything that could jeopardize the peace talks," Ayaka advised earnestly. After all, she knew that Yun Fan, the man who had once kidnapped Kujou Sara, was among the guests. If the general lost her temper and ordered his arrest, the peace talks would be over before they began.
"There's no need to remind me of such trivial matters. I know what I'm doing," Kujou Sara replied dismissively. While the Kamisato heiress had many virtues, her understanding of political matters was still somewhat shallow.
As a seasoned general who had weathered countless battles, Kujou Sara had long mastered the art of keeping her emotions in check. How could she lose her composure over something so minor?
As Kujou Sara pondered this, the ship from Watatsumi Island approached the shore. Under the guidance of the Shogunate soldiers, it slowly docked at the pier.
"Finally, they're here. Let's see what this so-called Immortal Phoenix is all about."
Kujou Sara focused her gaze on the ship's cabin, waiting for the Watatsumi representatives to emerge. However, the first person to step out was a silver-haired young man she both recognized and despised.
Yes, the first to emerge was none other than Yun Fan. He looked down from the ship, scanning the area. When his eyes landed on the Shogunate representatives, a look of delight crossed his face.
"Miss Ayaka, I'm here," Yun Fan waved at Ayaka, then jumped down from the deck, landing steadily on the pier.
"Mr. Yun Fan, it's been a while. Welcome to Narukami Island," Ayaka greeted with a smile, shaking Yun Fan's hand.
"It has been a while, Miss Ayaka," Yun Fan replied cheerfully, returning the smile.
However, as they exchanged pleasantries, a cold voice interrupted them.
"Mr. Yun Fan, is it? Do you remember me?" The two turned toward the source of the voice and saw Kujou Sara, her face dark with anger.
Her expression was stormy, and a sharp killing intent radiated from her, as if she might transform into a demon at any moment.
"General Kujou, calm down, please!"
Seeing the situation turning sour, Ayaka quickly tried to soothe Kujou Sara. If the general acted rashly now, the peace talks would be ruined beyond repair.
Huff—huff—
Hearing Ayaka's words, Kujou Sara took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. She asked again, as if to confirm, "I ask you, was it you who kidnapped me that day?"
Yun Fan looked 'shocked' and shook his head, then countered, "General Kujou, what are you talking about?"
"It wasn't you? You're not Scaramouche?"
"General Kujou, you must be joking. I am the Immortal Phoenix. I don't know any Scaramouche. Besides, who would name themselves something as ridiculous as 'Thunder Cannon'?"