Chapter 301: Powerless to Resist

Inazuma Island, Fujitou Fort.

A youth with dog ears and a fluffy tail hurried to the main tent, and upon seeing a woman in blue shrine maiden attire, he immediately shouted in alarm: "Lady Sangonomiya, it's terrible—our informants have all been killed by the shogunate army, and they've even sent their corpses back."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Sangonomiya Kokomi, who had been reading, sprang to her feet in shock and rushed outside to look.

Just as Gorou had said.

Now the entire Watatsumi Island camp is filled with the sounds of panic—soldiers rushing back and forth, some with anxious expressions, others grim-faced, all hurrying toward the entrance of the Fujitou Fort camp.

As the current living god shrine maiden of Watatsumi Island, Sangonomiya Kokomi could not possibly remain seated here; accompanied by Gorou, she made her way to the tent entrance at the fastest possible speed.

Still not having approached.

The noisy shouts of the Watatsumi Island soldiers reached Sangonomiya Kokomi's ears.

"Why did that shogunate army send a pile of corpses over here?!"

"They're just trying to intimidate us! Damn it, I said the people of Narukami are as shameless as their god, but you wouldn't believe me!"

"Those damned dogs of the shogunate—are they telling us they don't want to negotiate anymore, that they want to fight us to the bitter end?"

"Then let's fight! Who's afraid of them?"

In the Watatsumi Island army, besides the original islanders, there are many from other islands that originally belonged to Narukami but refused to submit to shogunate exploitation.

Whether they are followers of Orobas from Watatsumi Island or defectors from other islands, their hostility toward the shogunate army is extremely severe.

Thus, when the argument with the shogunate army broke out.

The call to abandon negotiations and fight to the death against the shogunate army swept through the entire camp in an instant.

Until the voice rang out: "Lady Sangonomiya has arrived."

The Watatsumi Island soldiers waving weapons and shouting immediately fell silent, glancing sheepishly at Sangonomiya Kokomi, who showed no anger but carried an imposing presence as she approached.

However, Sangonomiya Kokomi did not blame these soldiers for stirring up morale; instead, she first went to examine the corpses on the ground, confirmed they were indeed the scouts sent by Watatsumi Island, and then rose to address the soldiers gathered around her: "Everyone, the matter is not yet settled—please remain calm and do not act rashly. Wait until I negotiate tomorrow with that shogunate general, clarify the full circumstances, and then I will give you a proper explanation."

Sangonomiya Kokomi still holds considerable authority on Watatsumi Island.

With just a few words, she calmed the restless soldiers, and under Gorou's command, they returned to their assigned posts.

As for those corpses on the ground.

Gorou arranged for someone to take them to where they needed to go.

Having done that.

Gorou then returned once more to Sangonomiya Kokomi's main tent.

Unlike before.

This time, what Gorou saw was a Sangonomiya Kokomi with furrowed brows and a solemn expression—utterly unlike her usual confident self, who had never shown anything beyond confusion, making her seem like a completely different person.

After all, Sangonomiya Kokomi is not merely a shrine maiden.

She is also a soldier of the Watatsumi Island army, regarded as someone with flawless strategy, and additionally, she is the current supreme leader of Watatsumi Island, responsible not only for military affairs but also for governance, commerce, diplomacy, supervision, and every other domain.

And due to her outstanding governance.

This once-criticized young living god shrine maiden has now become the spiritual pillar of the entire Watatsumi Island.

"Rest assured, with Lady Sangonomiya here."

This phrase has become a common saying among the Watatsumi Island populace.

Yet it is precisely this leader, who single-handedly manages all affairs of Watatsumi Island and has never yielded even in the face of the shogunate army's aggressive pressure, who now shows this confused and troubled expression—prompting Gorou to stiffen and ask: "Lady Sangonomiya, are you troubled by the shogunate army's actions?"

"Hmm."

Sangonomiya Kokomi nodded, then let out a heavy sigh.

Having long held high office, she cannot reveal her emotions even when she feels them.

Especially now, in this state.

Only before Gorou, her absolute confidant, does she feel safe enough to reveal her true self.

And only before Gorou does Sangonomiya Kokomi speak of what is troubling her.

"The shogunate army is likely truly intent on breaking relations—they no longer wish to negotiate with us."

This statement.

Instantly caused Gorou's face to change color, his pupils constricting as he asked: "Are they still intending to keep fighting?"

The situation on Watatsumi Island.

Is best understood by those in high positions like Gorou and Sangonomiya Kokomi.

Supplies are scarce, weapons are lacking, and there is no deity comparable to the Raiden Shogun.

One could say that aside from those Watatsumi Islanders with unyielding spirits, everything else falls far short compared to the shogunate army.

Previously, they could still rely on the support of the Fatui and covert aid from the Inazuma Three Commissioners to continue their struggle against the shogunate army.

Especially the Visions provided by the Fatui.

Though harmful to the human body, they are indeed effective for boosting combat power.

Moreover, Visions do not cause rapid physical deterioration in everyone who uses them; those who once possessed a Vision, had it taken by the Raiden Shogun, and then used a Vision, can not only unleash greater combat strength but also show minimal physical impact from the Vision.

Originally, if the Raiden Shogun had not intervened.

With this situation, Watatsumi Island would still have been able to continue its struggle against the shogunate army.

But unfortunately.

The Raiden Shogun still took action.

Although her target is no longer the Watatsumi Island army, her display of divine power on Tatarasuna Island—where she unleashed that single thoughtless sword—has already caused many soldiers who witnessed it to completely lose their will to fight.

This is also why negotiations between Watatsumi Island and the shogunate army were moved forward.

And even until now.

According to Gorou's investigation, about half of the soldiers in the Watatsumi Island army still do not wish to fight the shogunate army any longer.

Not everyone has the courage to face lightning directly.

To make matters worse.

With the ceasefire and peace talks underway, many foreigners who had originally left their homes to come to Watatsumi Island and join the resistance have also begun to think of leaving Watatsumi Island and returning to their hometowns.

In other words.

With such low morale and the support of the Three Commissions and the Fatui severed, Watatsumi Island no longer has the strength to fight the shogunate army.

Those words meant to comfort the soldiers in the camp.

Were really just comfort.

Whether it's Sangonomiya Kokomi or Gorou, what they want is to reach a peace agreement as soon as possible, and if Watatsumi Island could have a piece of land to cultivate, that would be best; if the shogunate is truly unwilling to give them land, then there's nothing that can be done.

But the reality is.

The shogunate army has put forward extremely unreasonable conditions.

If we accept their conditions, it would mean that Watatsumi Island would truly become a vassal of Inazuma from now on, and even under generations of cultural education, Watatsumi Island's heritage would eventually be completely severed, and Inazuma would have no more Watatsumi lineage.

This is a condition Sangonomiya Kokomi cannot accept.

Moreover, whoever accepts this condition will be forever nailed to the pillar of shame, and will be cursed by the residents of Watatsumi Island for generations.

If it weren't for the fact that the Three Commissions feared exposure of their secret funding of Watatsumi Island, which would provoke the Shogun's thunderous wrath, they would not have been secretly obstructing the progress of Kujo Sara's negotiations all along. Once the shogunate's great general brings out the Raiden Shogun to pressure them, Sangonomiya Kokomi truly cannot think of how to withstand such pressure. Although she knows deep down this situation cannot last long.

But when the shogunate army truly tore face and showed an attitude of not preparing to continue wasting time with her, Sangonomiya Kokomi found herself ultimately still confused.

"They probably also don't want to fight, they just want us to accept their conditions quickly."

Sangonomiya Kokomi said with a troubled expression: "Is the shogunate army also experiencing internal strife?"

"No news yet."

Gorou shook his head: "Just now they loudly threw those few corpses at our camp gate, left without saying a word, and when our soldiers wanted an explanation, they ignored us."

"Go inquire."

"If the people from the Three Commissions over there have been driven away or punished by them, come back and tell me."

Sangonomiya Kokomi, vexed and agitated, waved her hand, letting Gorou temporarily go out to gather information.

After the tent regained its quiet.

She could no longer hold on, burying her head in her arms and whispering: "Great Watatsumi Omikami, please tell your followers, what should I do?"

At that moment.

A calm voice sounded in her ear.

"Your Great Watatsumi Omikami will not answer you."

"But I can answer this question for you."

"Surrender, there is no other way out."

The sudden unfamiliar voice made Sangonomiya Kokomi jump up, her expression wary as she looked toward the figure that had suddenly appeared in the tent.

"Who are you?"

As she asked this, Sangonomiya Kokomi's heart skipped a beat.

She recognized who it was.

Although she hadn't seen the face clearly that day, from the build, isn't this the person who fought someone on Tatarasuna and was nearly punished by the Raiden Shogun?

Sangonomiya Kokomi has a good memory.

The build of the person before her matches that of the person from that day.

'Was he subdued by the Raiden Shogun?'

As Sangonomiya Kokomi speculated in her heart.

She heard Luo De introduce himself: "I am a consultant invited by Yae Miko, here to inform you that you had better accept the shogunate army's conditions quickly, otherwise the next one to come here might be that Raiden Shogun herself."

"——!"

Here it comes!

Sangonomiya Kokomi, who had long anticipated this, caught her breath, and after a long while, said with a slightly trembling voice: "Our Watatsumi Island was verbally promised autonomy by the Electro Archon; you shogunate have no right to deprive us of our autonomy!"

"Did the Raiden Shogun verbally permit you to slaughter the residents of Tatarasuna at will?"

Luo De raised his eyebrows slightly, his voice still calm.

The resentment of Orobashi has already been successfully sealed back, but Tatarasuna remains uninhabited, let alone people from other islands—even the original residents who fled Tatarasuna dare not return.

And the Raiden Shogun's strike.

Has also brought two extremely difficult-to-traverse great canyons to Tatarasuna.

The overflowing high-concentration Electro elemental energy makes it difficult even for holders of Electro Visions to approach.

It can be said that the entire island's transportation has been completely destroyed by these two strikes.

Under these circumstances.

Even if Tatarasuna were to be rebuilt, it would be fraught with difficulty, and likely would not recover its population for ten or eight years.

From an outward appearance.

The cause of all this is certainly the Raiden Shogun's unrestrained sword strikes.

But if we investigate further.

This certainly also stems from the people of Watatsumi Island destroying the seal on Orobashi's sacred object, causing the entire island to fall under the ravaging of the Archon's resentment.

However.

In the face of Luo De's accusatory tone, Sangonomiya Kokomi still has something to say: "The one who proposed destroying the sacred object was an undercover agent of the Fatui, our soldiers were also deceived by them, and our uprising in rebellion was also due to the Raiden Shogun's tyranny. Moreover, Tatarasuna becoming what it is today was also the Raiden Shogun's doing. To sum up, these matters are entirely the fault of outsiders unrelated to us and your Raiden Shogun, yet you insist on blaming us and forcing us to submit against the Raiden Shogun's promise—do you not fear the Electro Archon's reproach?"

Sangonomiya Kokomi's three sentences never leave 'your Electro Archon'.

The intention is very clear.

Namely, to blame the destruction of Tatarasuna entirely on the shogunate side.

Even if the uprising on Watatsumi Island was suppressed, she had managed to whitewash it into something resembling a just cause.

In short.

The matter of the Archon's resentment should be handled by the Fatui, while the Watatsumi Island affair is the Shogunate's responsibility—Watatsumi Island will absolutely not take the blame for these black marks, and she firmly refuses to accept the terms the Shogunate has proposed.

However, no matter how she defended Watatsumi Island, Luo De's expression remained unchanged.

Until she finished her final sentence.

Luo De spoke: "Miss Sangonomiya, I did not come here to negotiate terms with you—I came to inform you."

"."

These words left Sangonomiya Kokomi utterly speechless; the carefully prepared arguments she had rehearsed vanished from her mind, and for a moment she could not find a single suitable reply.

The two fell into silent eye contact for a long time.

Only then did Sangonomiya Kokomi bite her lip and say: "Even if Watatsumi Island bleeds its last drop, it will never submit to you."

"Oh—"

Luo De gave a casual reply, then turned and walked toward the door.

But after he had taken only two steps, he heard Sangonomiya Kokomi's voice again from behind.

"What is it? Still more business?"

Luo De halted, turned his head, and said: "You just said you wanted a fish-dead-net-broken outcome, didn't you? I'm sending this message back to them so they can prepare to move in tomorrow."

"Please wait a moment."

Luo De's indifferent tone made Sangonomiya Kokomi tremble uncontrollably.

She had no doubt.

If Luo De walked out that door today, the Shogunate army would come tomorrow to slaughter the island.

Knowing she could not resist, the Shogunate's representative hesitated for a long while before finally saying: "Tomorrow I will return to Narukami Island to renegotiate the details with Yae Miko."

"Good, I'll have her wait for you."

Luo De's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, and in an instant he vanished from Sangonomiya Kokomi's sight.

The moment his figure disappeared,

Sangonomiya Kokomi collapsed helplessly into her chair—she who had always prided herself on flawless foresight finally experienced what it meant to be utterly powerless.

(End of Chapter)