Inside the room—
Kamisato Ayaka and Sangonomiya Kokomi had clearly entered full-on melon-eating mode.
Kujou Sara, meanwhile, just stared straight ahead, expression frozen like thunder had struck.
That's the Shogun. That is the Shogun.
Hadn't Su Xuan always written in the diary that he and the Shogun shared a deep bond?
Since when did the Raiden Shogun become Su Xuan's… servant?
"Su Xuan, don't listen to Miko's nonsense," Ei blurted, anxious. "Kokomi is here—she can testify for me."
"Sangonomiya Kokomi, tell him. I never said anything like that."
Kokomi nodded quickly. "Your Excellency, I've already explained the situation to Su Xuan in detail."
Yae Miko shot Kokomi a sideways look.
"And do you know what she was thinking in her heart?"
"Do you know what she told me after coming back?"
"Or that she had people searching for you, intending to drag you back by force?"
Ei: "?"
Kokomi's eyes widened. "Eh… I… don't know what happened after that."
"Yae Miko!" Ei shot to her feet, furious, violet light flashing in her eyes.
She'd been worried Kokomi would go babble nonsense to Su Xuan.
Yet in the end, it wasn't Kokomi who dug a pit for her—
It was the fox at her side.
You guard against thieves by day, and traitors at home by night.
Ei felt completely numb.
Su Xuan looked at the flustered, helpless Ei, then at Yae Miko—who was very obviously signaling him with her eyes.
He understood perfectly.
Yae Miko knew he wouldn't believe her story.
But she still wanted him to play along and let the little skit continue.
Her aim was obvious: to officially cement Su the pretty boy as Ei's "master."
Su Xuan rubbed his chin, thinking for a few seconds.
The reason Miko was doing this was probably simple.
She worried that someone as rigid as Ei would have a hard time winning Su Xuan's favor in the future.
If the Abyssal apocalypse really came one day, then no matter what form Ei's relationship with him took, Su Xuan wouldn't abandon her.
Even if, before the end, he really did leave Teyvat behind—
He'd take his "servant" with him.
In Yae Miko's eyes, making Ei formally acknowledge a master was the most reliable way to guarantee her safety.
"…Sigh." Su Xuan shook his head.
The quiet sigh made everyone in the room freeze.
Ei, who'd been about to demand an explanation from Yae Miko, panicked.
"Su Xuan, I really never said I'd hang Kokomi for three days and three nights—"
Su Xuan lifted a hand, signaling her to be quiet.
Then he stepped forward, drew Ei into his arms, and sat down with her held firmly against his chest.
"That's enough, Miko," he said.
"You can stop acting. Don't tease Ei anymore."
"I've never once treated Ei as a servant," he added. "And there's no need to define our relationship in such rigid master-servant terms."
"Our relationship was already made clear back on Yashiori Island."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Kokomi and Ayaka both perked up, ears practically standing.
"Ei, do you remember what we said on Yashiori Island?" Su Xuan asked with a smile.
Ei blinked, thought for scarcely two seconds, then replied calmly:
"You mean…"
"By day, Inazuma belongs to me. By night, I belong to you?"
Kujou Sara: "?"
Yae Miko froze for half a second.
Then she burst out laughing.
Of course it's you, Beelzebul. Only you would say something like that without batting an eye.
So Inazuma by day is yours—
And you, by night, are Su Xuan's.
And you still claim you aren't in some kind of… special relationship.
Yae Miko's foxlike eyes flashed with mischief.
She turned to Kokomi.
"So, Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, you came along this time. Do you have anything you want to say?"
"I'm talking about what Su Xuan just mentioned regarding Watatsumi Island."
Kokomi glanced at Su Xuan.
Seeing him nod, she slowly began to explain everything they'd discussed earlier.
In short—
She hoped Watatsumi Island could maintain its original autonomy.
The main reason was simple: in the hearts of the Watatsumi people, the god they revered was still the serpent god, Orobashi.
Kokomi worried that radicals might cause trouble if Inazuma took over direct governance too abruptly.
Better to let her continue leading Watatsumi's development.
However, as the acting Divine Priestess, she would regularly send written reports on Watatsumi's situation to Tenshukaku.
On top of that, she would fabricate "divine oracles" from Orobashi to guide the people—
Gradually nudging Watatsumi's political alignment toward Inazuma.
After listening, Yae Miko said thoughtfully:
"So from now on, you answer directly to Ei alone?"
Kokomi nodded. "As you say, Guuji-sama—outwardly, Watatsumi Island will still appear autonomous. But in reality, if Her Excellency issues an order, I will use my role as Divine Priestess to guide the people to follow it."
Yae Miko genuinely approved of this.
Just as Kokomi had said, the people of Watatsumi had always revered Orobashi.
If Inazuma stomped in and tried to rewrite their faith and governance in one go, radicals would inevitably start scheming in the shadows.
But with Kokomi as the bridge, the people would listen.
Right now, no one was more suited to lead Watatsumi than she was.
As for Kokomi's promise to completely follow Inazuma's lead—Yae Miko didn't doubt that at all.
After all, this entire framework had been suggested by this one man.
Yae Miko's gaze finally settled on Su Xuan. She cleared her throat and smiled.
"Actually, I don't quite agree with the private arrangement the two of you made."
"Look around."
She introduced the women in turn:
"Kujou Sara, general of the shogunate, current head of the Tenryou Commission."
"Kamisato Ayaka, the White Heron Princess, current head of the Yashiro Commission. Her brother, Kamisato Ayato, is now in charge of the Kanjou Commission."
"Sangonomiya Kokomi has returned to Inazuma's side and serves as Watatsumi Island's Divine Priestess."
"And then there's me, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Together, that means everyone here can represent the entirety of Inazuma's governing power."
"As for your desire to 'claim' our Narukami…"
"Perhaps you should ask whether the rest of us agree."
Kokomi: "Eh?"
Ayaka: "?"
Ayaka's mind went blank.
Hadn't Yae Miko told her earlier that they needed to build a gentle, comforting "paradise" for Su Xuan, so he would fall in love with this land and bring everyone a future?
How had things turned around in the blink of an eye?
Now it sounded like Yae Miko strongly objected to whatever deal existed between Su Xuan and Ei.
Kujou Sara, hearing this, went from being annoyed at Yae Miko to silently giving her a thumbs-up in her heart.
The Raiden Shogun was Inazuma's rightful ruler.
The eternal Narukami, her reign unshaken.
Even if Su Xuan was unlike any other being, to reduce the Shogun to a servant still felt wrong.
If he truly needed someone to serve him, Kujou Sara was willing to take that role in her stead.
But she hoped he wouldn't make things hard for Ei.
Ei's eyes trembled after hearing Yae Miko's speech. She opened her mouth to speak—
Only to be stopped by Su Xuan.
"So," he asked mildly, "what kind of explanation are you expecting from me?"
Even if he didn't fully understand what Yae Miko was plotting, he could still feel it:
This pink, scheming fox was up to something that would definitely "pit" Ei again.
"My meaning is simple," Yae Miko replied.
"As citizens of Inazuma, we absolutely won't allow our own god to become someone else's property."
Su Xuan clearly felt Ei's body tremble in his arms.
If he didn't hold her down, she might have already jumped to her feet.
What has gotten into Miko?
Is she deliberately provoking him?
Cold sweat ran down Ei's back.
"So what do you want?" Su Xuan asked, amused.
"Why, you have to defeat all of us here, of course…" Yae Miko raised a brow, sending Su Xuan a very deliberate look.
"We represent Inazuma's final line of defense."
"Defeat us—and then defeat the Shogun—and after that, you can do whatever you want."
Ayaka and Kokomi both stared, speechless.
Even Kujou Sara thought Yae Miko had gone mad.
Make them fight Su Xuan?
How many lives would that take?
"Su Xuan, don't pay her any mind. She's been acting strange lately," Ei said quickly.
"The urgent thing now is to restrain her and check whether her mind has been influenced by some outside force."
"She—"
But before she could finish, Su Xuan rose to his feet and looked straight at the smirking fox.
He took a slow, deep breath.
Damn. The pink fox really knows how to play.
This was practically forcing Su the pretty boy to roleplay as a villain invading Inazuma.
Conquer the city, defeat its leadership, and then "punish" the ruling class as he pleased.
Whether they were willing or not, once they were "defeated," they'd have to accept their fate.
And he had to admit—this was his first time trying out this kind of scenario.
"Gorgeous and brilliant Miss Fox," Su Xuan said, smiling, "I think you make some very good points."
"Ei is Inazuma's ruler. I really shouldn't casually declare that she's 'mine'."
"So then…"
The corners of his lips curled up.
A second later, Ayaka, Kujou Sara, and Yae Miko all felt their bodies seized by an invisible force.
Their arms folded behind their heads.
Their legs were pulled apart and suspended mid-air, as if they'd been captured and forced into a humiliating pose.
Ei: "?"
Telekinesis…
Her eyes were filled with shock.
She'd never expected Su Xuan to actually make a move on them.
"Su Xuan…" Ei began, but he cut her off with a cold bark:
"Quiet."
Good grief. It's just a game.
He hadn't expected the braided Shogun to treat the whole thing so seriously.
Ignoring Ei's fluster, Su Xuan turned to Kokomi with a cold smile.
"As for Watatsumi Island's Divine Priestess…"
Kokomi understood instantly.
She moved to the lower seat and knelt formally on the floor.
"Sangonomiya Kokomi, current Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, submits herself to your command."
"Tch. Traitor," Yae Miko muttered.
Ayaka, by contrast, was in full panic.
She genuinely couldn't tell if Su Xuan was truly angry, or just pretending.
Nor could she tell whether Yae Miko's performance was part of some grand plan, or just her own mischief.
The pure White Heron Princess felt her floating posture was unbearably shameful.
And when she thought about how she might soon be forced under Su Xuan's feet, unable to resist, her lips trembled uncontrollably.
"The last one," Su Xuan said softly, "is Inazuma's ruler, the Raiden Shogun, Baal—Beelzebul."
Hearing her name, Ei stood up in a rush, about to say something—
But Su Xuan's hand slid to the pale curve of her neck, holding her gently but firmly in place.
"Don't say anything."
He quickly signaled her with his eyes.
He knew what she wanted to say—that Yae Miko had been acting strangely, that this was all just stubborn fox mischief.
But since the game had already started, Su the pretty boy wasn't about to let Ei ruin the mood.
"If I recall, Tenshukaku is also the place where duels before the Shogun are held," he said.
"Here's my proposal, Inazuma's Narukami."
"Let's have a duel before the throne, right here and now."
"If you win, I'll let them go."
"But if you lose…"
Su Xuan reached out—
Then stopped, staring for a moment before asking suspiciously:
"Why are you already this prepared?"
Ei's cheeks flushed scarlet. "I… I don't know."
"Maybe it's because we haven't seen each other for so long. The moment you appeared in front of me, it just started trembling on its own."
Su Xuan: "…"
—
In the end, Yae Miko's little "game" with Su Xuan fizzled out thanks to Ei.
Su Xuan didn't blame her.
Games were games. Reality was reality.
You couldn't expect people to react exactly the same way to both.
But the game's failure didn't prevent Su Xuan from giving Ei her own personal dose of "punishment."
Back in the room in Tenshukaku—
Ayaka kept her head bowed, too embarrassed to lift her eyes.
Kokomi, on the other hand, seemed a bit more used to this kind of aftermath.
She would occasionally sneak a glance at what was happening in front of her.
Based on experience—
Once the "war" had started, it was only a matter of time.
Tonight, none of them would escape being drawn into battle. The only choice left was how they would fight.
Kujou Sara's expression was grave. She wanted to speak up but was stopped by a fierce glare from Yae Miko.
The fox walked over on slightly unsteady legs and crouched in front of Ei.
At this point, Ei's hands were pinned by Su Xuan. She had no strength to resist, no room to move—
She could only let Yae Miko gently pinch her chin.
"Tsk. Oh, Ei…"
"Look at you. Hair all loose, head lolling, barely able to sit upright. Do you still look like Inazuma's ruler to you?"
Ei was panting softly, eyes rolled half-up. Whether that was in protest or just… reaction, was hard to say.
Then, all of a sudden, she let out a sharp, involuntary cry that made Yae Miko jolt to her feet and stumble back two steps.
"Your Excellency!" Kujou Sara snapped her head up, worried. "Your Excellency!"
And then she froze.
In that instant, it was like a floodgate had burst.
Ei's power surged out of her in a torrent, then collapsed, leaving her utterly drained.
Her entire body slumped bonelessly to the floor.
So it can be this overwhelming…?
Yae Miko's pupils shrank.
She'd studied such things in books—but words on a page were nothing compared to watching the real scene unfold.
Her whole body trembled, a mix of fear and cold shock running down her spine.
"Heh… hehe…"
"In the end, we still lost," Yae Miko muttered, swallowing hard. "If you ask me…"
"From now on, we should give the Shogun's throne to someone else."
"And as for you—" she glanced at Ei, lying on the ground, "you can just be Su Xuan's exclusive energy conduit."
But just as the words left her lips, she felt a terrifying pressure gather behind her.
Before she could react, Su Xuan's arm slipped around her neck in a casual chokehold.
"I think, as Ei's retainer, Guuji-sama shouldn't be any less capable than she is."
"This 'energy conduit' business…"
His murmur brushed right past her ear, making Yae Miko both nervous and excited.
That tingling, electric sensation up her spine was almost unbearable.
"Beautiful and wise Miss Fox," Su Xuan said softly, "if you're going this far to entertain me, you must want something in return."
"You want me to put you on the Shogun's throne?"
Yae Miko forced a calm smile. "Not at all. Though if you insist…"
"What I really want to know is—will you ever leave Teyvat?"
Su Xuan released her, then lightly kicked at her calf.
Her legs gave out and she turned, dropping to her knees in front of him.
The moment her eyes met his, her heart hammered so hard it felt like it might burst.
"As for that," Su Xuan said, "it depends on how you behave."
"If I'm in a good enough mood—"
"Maybe I'll tell you more secrets."
"Including whether I'll leave this world or not."
And if she wanted those answers—
She'd have to earn them, with all the passion and devotion she could muster.
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