Kokomi stared at Su Ran with unfocused eyes, her expression completely blank, and slowly shook her head.
At this point, what escape route could she possibly have left?
She didn't even dare hope to make it out of the Grand Narukami Shrine alive.
Little Kokomi, when facing the Raiden Shogun, had truly turned into an eel— completely limp.
When Raiden Ei noticed the shrine maiden before her, her gaze sharpened once more.
Even Kujou Sara, holding the tiny Raiden Shogun in her arms, could feel the sudden change in her aura.
She immediately sorted out the situation.
In the dream, the Resistance had personally torn up the peace agreement and marched against the Shogunate.
An act of blatant betrayal like that— even execution wouldn't have been unreasonable.
If Su Ran hadn't shown interest in Kokomi, Kujou Sara would already be calling in troops or personally arresting Sangonomiya Kokomi.
"Do you want me to list your crimes one by one?"
Kokomi shook her head again.
"At this point… would it even be possible to finish listing them?"
She knew very well that her chances of survival were slim.
Defeating the Raiden Shogun didn't mean she was safe.
As long as the Shogun still existed, she would always be the loser.
"Just the fact that the Resistance personally tore up the peace agreement is enough to justify erasing Watatsumi Island from existence."
Breaking one's word and violating a treaty—
No nation would tolerate that.
Inazuma might not be a land that worshiped contracts, but it would never condone such behavior.
"But… they had a reason!"
Hearing Su Ran imply that Watatsumi Island might be targeted, Kokomi panicked.
She could accept her own death.
But she could not watch Watatsumi be destroyed by the Raiden Shogun.
"It was because of the Shogun's arrangements that I was thrown into prison! In the eyes of the Resistance, it was the Shogunate that broke the peace agreement first!"
Kokomi argued firmly.
She could accept her personal tragedy.
But she would never accept Watatsumi suffering unjustly.
Watatsumi's resistance had indeed become reality—
But it wasn't without cause.
At most, they had been misled by false information.
They never intentionally tore up the agreement.
By all logic, the ignorant should not be punished as harshly.
"And the Resistance didn't cause any casualties. Even if punishment is necessary, it should be lenient."
The sheer scale of the movement meant they never even had the chance to cause real damage.
The Raiden Shogun appeared at the first sign of turmoil and suppressed them all at once.
No matter how serious the crime, it amounted to little more than unlawful assembly.
It did not deserve death.
Kokomi could accept divine judgment—
But not such an excessive sentence.
From the very beginning, Watatsumi had never intended to wage war against the Shogunate.
"However," Su Ran said calmly, "you shattered the dream. You shattered the eternity the Raiden Shogun pursued at all costs. Angering a god—how is that not a grave sin?"
"And it wasn't just you. The entire Watatsumi Island provoked Narukami's wrath."
Su Ran reached out and lifted Kokomi's chin with his finger, teasingly.
Their eyes met—her pearl-like gaze trembling slightly.
"Then… what price does the great lord require Kokomi to pay?"
Feeling the ticklish sensation at her chin, Kokomi resisted the urge to flinch.
Because she saw hope in Su Ran.
If the Raiden Shogun handled this matter, survival would be nearly impossible.
But if it was this Fatui Harbinger instead—
There might still be a chance.
Even if it meant feigning submission, she had no choice.
What she feared most was that he might be even more ruthless than the Shogun.
"You'll work for me for fifty years," Su Ran said lightly.
"I'll spare Watatsumi's people."
"Fifty… years?"
For a moment, Kokomi felt like she couldn't breathe.
Fifty years was far too long.
If she agreed, the rest of her life would belong to someone else.
But compared to Watatsumi's survival—
This price suddenly felt… acceptable.
"Why did you choose me, my lord?"
Kokomi truly didn't think she stood out.
Looks? Figure? Status?
None of them were remarkable.
In terms of beauty, there were the Shogun, the Shirasagi Princess, and Lady Guuji—
all obedient to him.
In terms of figure, she couldn't compare to any of them.
Kokomi's body was the kind where, when she looked down, she could see her toes—
no breathtaking curves to speak of.
Even she felt inferior.
As for status—
The supreme god of Inazuma herself obeyed him completely.
Was that not enough?
Then…
Was it her intelligence?
That was the only thing Kokomi truly had.
She might not be the smartest person present—
But she was unquestionably a strategist.
So… he chose her for her intellect?
Kokomi felt a spark of confidence return.
"Cough—then in your eyes, my lord, is the Shogun also a 'mediocre' person?"
Kokomi was startled by Su Ran's words, but her darker side stirred—she decided to sow discord.
After all, she was about to work for fifty years.
Her youth was practically being sentenced to death.
A little retaliation wasn't too much, was it?
"Otherwise?" Su Ran replied casually.
"A programmer who can't even fix her own code and needs me to patch it—if she's not mediocre, then am I?"
Raiden Ei didn't mind at all.
Mediocre or not—
she only cared about when Makoto and the others would return.
"Then… what should I call you in the future?"
Kokomi had effectively accepted Su Ran's offer.
"Call me Master."
"That's way too… embarrassing!"
Kokomi's small face flushed bright red.
Her mind involuntarily wandered to certain scenes.
"Didn't expect little Kokomi to have such a rich knowledge base," Su Ran said with a grin.
"So you know those things too, huh?"
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