Chapter 145

Arlecchino: "Calm down, calm down..."

Nahida: "I'm going to cry, Lumine."

Lumine: "Ah, this... stay composed..."

【Mythical Thunder Shrine.】

【The beautiful face of Yaoyao was covered with a layer of gloom.】

【She could not imagine the war between the rebels and the Shogunate forces had reached such an extreme level.】

【Even Kujou Sara of the Tenryou Commission had perished.】

【Moreover, the rebels' deaths were mostly caused by bodily abnormalities resulting from the use of something called the Evil Eye.】

【Yet despite this, that group of rebels remained obsessively fixated on the Evil Eye.】

【"Sigh..."】

【Yaoyao sighed deeply.】

【Even as the head priestess of the Mythical Thunder Shrine, she was powerless to change anything.】

【Go find Raiden Shogun?】

【As Raiden Shogun's childhood confidante, Yaoyao knew well that the Raiden Shogun before the people was merely a puppet created by Ei.】

【Actual governing power in Inazuma had been placed in the hands of the Three Commissions.】

【To truly restore Inazuma to normal, either convince the still-internal Ei, or gain control over the Three Commissions.】

【"It seems the Tenryou Commission and the Kantei Commission have certainly accepted benefits from the Fatui."】

【"Otherwise, how could those bastards act so recklessly on Inazuma's soil?"】

【Yaoyao gazed deeply into the distance.】

【The Evil Eye issue has completely paralyzed the Kujou Island.】

【The battles with the Shogunate forces have nearly reached their end.】

【Moreover, the Tenryou Commission and the Kantei Commission have recently become much more cautious, hardly daring to show their faces.】

【They must have realized events had spiraled beyond their expectations, and now fear acting further, lest they be caught with incriminating evidence and be utterly ruined.】

【"Damn the Fatui—these bastards are like vermin, always slipping in when other nations are in turmoil."】

【Complaints aside.】

【But facing Inazuma as it stands now.】

【Yaoyao must find a way to turn this around.】

【"Since the moment we stepped onto the steps of the Mythical Thunder Shrine, we felt the head priestess's fury toward the Fatui."】

【A voice at the door immediately caught Yaoyao's attention.】

【Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she watched warily the man and woman appearing before her.】

【From their attire, they appeared to be Fatui Executives.】

【"Fatui?"】

【"Executives?"】

【Yaoyao shook her head with a bitter smile, her expression darkening instantly: "You truly dare show yourselves."】

【"If the General encounters you, you'll surely suffer."】

【The appearance of Su Bai and the Lady took Yaoyao completely by surprise.】

【She had calculated every possibility—but never imagined the Fatui Executives would suddenly appear before her.】

【"Don't speak words that harm our harmony—we've come today to make a deal with the head priestess."】

【"Deal?" Yaoyao suppressed her rage: "I have no interest in forming ties with your Fatui from Snezhnaya."】

【"Also, don't make me uncover evidence of your Evil Eye operations in Inazuma—this would be a matter of grave international consequence."】

【"The Raiden Shogun's might is no mere rumor."】

【Her hatred was real.】

【Snezhnaya's influence spans all seven nations; everyone understands the Fatui's treachery.】

【Yet, for the sake of stable peace, nations generally avoid direct confrontation with Fatui Executives without concrete evidence.】

【"If you have nothing else, I hope you'll leave Inazuma as soon as possible."】

【"The General's temper isn't like other gods—if she kills you in a fit of rage, don't blame me for not warning you."】

【"Oh dear..."】

【Yaoyao sighed deeply, easing the turmoil in her heart.】

【But Su Bai smiled.】

【He casually pulled out several letters.】

【"Here are the letters of communication between our Fatui and the Tenryou and Kantei Commissions."】

【"They prove these commissions accepted our benefits and aided us in stirring chaos in Inazuma."】

【The Lady: "???"】

【Upon hearing this, the Lady's pupils contracted sharply.】

【She stared incredulously at Su Bai beside her.】

【Has the knight lost his mind?】

【Why would he openly hand over all the evidence?】

【Isn't this behavior deliberately revealing the Fatui's crimes in Inazuma?】

【"Hmm?"】

【Seeing the letters proving communication between the Tenryou and Kantei Commissions and the Fatui, Yaoyao's indifferent expression softened.】

【Then she let out a fake laugh: "Hehehe, how amusing."】

【"I was just thinking about how to gather evidence of your Fatui stirring up trouble in Inazuma—and here you are, walking right into my hands?"】

【"Not necessarily," Su Bai replied with a smile. "None of these letters mention the construction or promotion of the Electro Eye."】

【"What they do show most clearly is that the Tenshukaku and Kantei Bureau cooperated with us for our benefit."】

【"If the outcome of that cooperation harmed Inazuma, then you hold proof of their betrayal."】

【"As for how you choose to use this evidence to force them to act—that's entirely your own decision."】

Live stream.

Zhong Li: "For Inazuma today, with the Three Boards in charge, having leverage over the other two boards is no bad thing for the Kamisato."

Tianquan Ningguang: "Indeed. Two of the Three Boards are doing nothing but profiting from Inazuma's chaos. If the Shrine Maiden could seize their weaknesses and make them compliant, Inazuma would soon regain stability."

Jean: "Having leverage over an opponent versus having none makes a world of difference in controlling them. Mr. Su Bai's offer is precisely what Kamisato Ayaka currently needs most."

Kamisato Ayaka: "Heh. So I'm being held by the throat?"

Shinri Ayaka: "Um… being held by Mr. Su Bai isn't exactly shameful."

Diluc: "It's mainly because the Three Boards of Inazuma are so disobedient, and General Lei Dianying turns a blind eye. Without control over them, many operations will be blocked."

Kamisato Ayaka: "Shadow, do you see my predicament? I'm stretched too thin."

Lei Dianying: "I apologize, Ayaka. I've made you suffer."

Paimon: "But Su Bai is so brazen—he told Ayaka outright that the Electro Eyes were made by us, promoted by us, but sorry, you've got no real proof, so you can't touch us."

Kamisato Ayaka: "Hmph! Bad man."

Su Bai: "..."

【Kamisato Ayaka said nothing.】

【Su Bai felt no surprise.】

【After a brief pause, Su Bai smiled: "What I need to trade with you is the Electro King's Divine Core."】

【"To exchange something useless to you for the chance to unify Inazuma—I imagine you wouldn't be losing out."】

【Hearing the words "Divine Core."】

【Kamisato Ayaka's expression darkened.】

【She wondered silently: Where did he learn the Electro King's Divine Core was in her possession?】

【Of course, only Su Bai himself knew how complex his calculations had been to deduce how to obtain the Thunder God's Divine Core.】

【He ran countless simulations of extracting the Divine Core from Lei Dianying—only to discover she was merely a puppet.】

【The real Lei Dianying had long since severed her connection and locked herself away.】

【But since Lei Dianying created the Electro King, her Divine Core had left her body and remained unlocated.】