18 Naganohara Fireworks Show(2)
When Jason had arrived at the meeting place, a field with a huge tree in the middle, it was empty except for Sara.
He sat down and greeted her.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, General Sara. Where are the rest? I don't see Akane and the others."
"A-hem. Military matters must be kept strictly confidential from outsiders. So I told them to leave us alone."
"Oh. I was certain I had already gone through all the relevant documents already. Did I miss something? If it's about our Army's next movement - the Navy Fleet is expected to arrive at the harbor in a few hours time to transport the soldiers. "
"No … I just …"
The general's voice trailed off, her fingers twiddling with each other.
What was up with Sara? It was really strange to see the usually confident, cold general acting in such a weird and hesitant manner. The atmosphere had turned quite awkward and Jason decided to change the topic.
He looked on at the bustling streets and lights in front of them. "This view … is breathtaking. The size of Inazuma City is really huge."
"Inazuma City used to be much smaller. Many of the population from the smaller villages migrated here as a result of the Great Cataclysm and have stayed here since."
"Great Cataclysm?"
The Tengu General's eyes blinked in surprise. "You don't know about it?"
"Well … I spent most of my time in the forest."
"The disaster happened 500 years ago. Back then, monsters raged unchecked and even the seas turned black. As a result, many citizens fled towards Inazuma City then as it was where the Raiden Shogun resided; hence the safest place to be. It was a terrible period."
He kept quiet. All this while Jason had thought of the Electro Archon as an invincible being. It seemed that even as powerful as she was, dealing with the Cataclysm was something difficult for her too.
"Inazuma's military was severely weakened. Too many people died. The Almighty Shogun lost people very dear to her during then."
"You're really knowledgeable about Inazuma's history … and about the Raiden Shogun's past too."
Sara turned her head away, visibly flustered. "O-of course! I'm someone from the Kujou Clan. It is only expected that I learn extensively about our nation and Her Excellency's past." she glanced over at him. "Whenever I visit the Grand Narukami Shrine to pray, I do get the chance to chat with their Head Priestess, Yae Miko, she knows surprisingly a lot about the Almighty Shogun's history."
Jason's eyes widened in surprise. He did not expect that the owner of the Yae Publishing House was also actually the Head Priestess of the Narukami Shrine.
"So what happened afterwards?"
"The Almighty Shogun went missing for a brief period and the situation deteriorated rapidly; countless lives and vast swathes of land taken over by the invading monsters. Thankfully, She returned, and called forth the Divine Thunder across all of Inazuma to whittle down the monsters. The Narukami Ogosho then set forth with the Shogunate Army and quelled the disaster with the help of the Sacred Sakura. It was then when the Cataclysm had ended, the Raiden Shogun issued a Divine Proclamation - promising all the citizens of Inazuma a never changing eternity." she said. "I do not always fully grasp the meaning of her words, but this is her decision and I trust her."
"Unchanging Eternity … huh. I wonder what it means …"
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Kokomi saw the light at the end of the alleyway.
She had been feeling depressed and wished she could just return to her secret hideout in Watatsumi Island to recover. The unexpected defeat she suffered at the hands of a shogunate soldier had resulted in the greatest energy deduction she experienced in a long time.
If that had been a real battle, she would surely have lost - it was an idea unthinkable to Kokomi. Her forte was the Art of War, focused on victory - hitting the enemy hard while minimizing casualties. When the civil war started, she had expected the Inazuma Bakufu to pose a stiff challenge. The Shogun's generals she met so far however have proved surprisingly inept.
Yet, she was always careful not to be overconfident. As Teyvat's Art of War had taught her - encroaching upon the heart of an enemy's territory could cause sleeping dragons to stir. She didn't have a complete picture of the true military prowess wielded by the Shogunate.
After taking a few more steps; Gorou's figure, clad in a cloak, came into view,
The general bowed. "How was your trip?"
Kokomi boarded the small boat and shook her head. "I did get the book which I came for. With this, predicting the weather conditions accurately for the next few years will not be an issue. But I actually lost to someone in chess …"
"That must surely be because you held back, there's no way anyone can defeat our Divine Priestess! She is the Goddess of Victory!"
Kokomi cheeks began to heat up. "L-lets go. The Inazuma Navy's Third Fleet should be here soon. It'll be difficult to sneak out through the waters once they arrive. I need you to join up with the secret strike force as soon as possible."
"At once, your Excell-"
"Oh Gorou, I told you already. Stop calling me that when we're alone."
The general scratched the back of his neck. "My bad. It's become a habit."
She looked at Tenshukaku's silhouette in the distance as the boat rowed away from the shore.
"I have also identified the landing points our forces can take should we one day reach the doorsteps of the capital, along with a layout of the palace's outer premises from our agents. But the inner sanctum is something only the Shogun's close confidants and personal guards would be familiar with. It's too difficult."
"Amazing! To think you've already thought that far ahead ..."
Kokomi confidently replied. "To obtain victory. You must plan for victory."
"Such wise words as always! I will bear them to heart." Gorou thumped his chest, then continued to row the oars. "With this, when we one day are able to assault the palace; our success is assured!"
"It's not that straightforward. The only way into Tenshukaku is through a single bridge - Narukami's Ascent. If we penetrate deep enough into the palace we'll also have to eventually face the Okuzumeshuu, the select few elite guards that serve the Electro Deity; rumours say that two of the five Sword Saints are part of it. There is also the mysterious Shuumatsuban whose strength we know nothing next to …"
But the worst of all was that they would definitely have to confront the Electro Archon if they attacked the Tenshukaku. It was a being so strong that even their mighty God Orobashi was killed by her. Kokomi did have a plan to deal with the Raiden Shogun, but she couldn't afford even a single misstep.
Still, the intentions of the Shogun had puzzled her. She had read from the history books the gracious way the Raiden Shogun had treated the families of the defeated clans during the Unification Wars, and how she had even allowed the people in Watatsumi Island to continue worshipping Orobashi despite their defeat to the Shogunate forces during the Great Conflict.
That was akin to blatant heresy in the eyes of the Shogun retainers, as the Electro Archon was considered then by many as the only one true god worthy of worship across Inazuma. Besides, the defeated should have no rights to speak off. Yet the Raiden Shogun agreed to the request made by the Divine Priestess then, allowing her people on the island to continue worshipping Orobashi.
Kokomi couldn't understand why Inazuma's Ruler was so adamant now on enacting the Vision Hunt Decree in spite of the civil war it has caused; and the enormous amount of casualties thus far. What caused her to be suddenly so indifferent to the suffering of the people and to rob them of their ambitions? Did something happen that caused her personality to change so drastically?
The voice of explosions drew her attention, and she turned to see a sky blanketed with colors and light.
Gorou's eyes sparkled. "The Naganohara Fireworks Show! I haven't seen one in a long time."
"It's beautiful … just like the aspirations and dreams of people." Kokomi placed a hand to her chest. "They must be protected no matter the cost."
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Meanwhile, atop the highest point of Tenshukaku.
A lonely figure, her long purple braided hair fluttering in the wind, watched the symbol of Electro Mitsudomoe that formed from the fireworks display.
(1.4k words)
A/N: I will be doing a rewrite of the first several chapters(to different extents) because of lore issues regarding the teleport waypoint and other matters before releasing new chapters. I sincerely apologise for that. Aside from the teleport points; Inazuma's lore, especially pre traveller arrival, is really complicated and difficult to write … I'll do my best to keep it as accurate as I can and expand on certain parts while I continue the story.
