On the churning sea, several Waveriders were slicing through the waves at incredible speed, almost as if flying skimmed across the water's surface.
This was the squad Kujou Sara had dispatched to Watatsumi Island. Eager to quickly confirm the identities of those Watatsumi Army soldiers on Yashiori Island, they wished they could have flown there immediately.
Not long after they had set off, they suddenly noticed wooden planks and debris floating on the sea, and immediately slowed down.
Obviously, judging by the amount of wreckage drifting on the water, a major accident had occurred ahead. It was highly likely that several ships had sunk, and they had been attacked.
Seeing this, the captain of the reconnaissance squad made a decisive command for all the Waveriders to take a detour to Watatsumi Island, yet they were still a step too slow.
In the next second, in front of them, dozens of warships were speeding toward them with a murderous aura. Once they had closed to a certain distance, the cannon muzzles installed on the ships began ruthlessly spitting fire.
There was no negotiation, no blustering displays of power; upon meeting, they used lethal means without hesitation.
After seeing this scene, the souls of the people on the Waveriders all flew out of their bodies in terror.
"Damn it, it's the Nobushi!"
"They are coming straight for us! This is a conspiracy targeted at us!"
"Watatsumi Island has actually collaborated with the Nobushi! We must report this to Lord Kujou Sara!"
Boom Boom Boom
Following a series of explosions, very quickly, besides the sound of rain and the sea, all other sounds on the ocean returned to silence.
-
On Nazuchi Beach, shortly after Kujou Sara organized the Vision wielders to maintain an Elemental Shield together, the Kamuijima Cannon on Kannazuka fell silent.
Just when everyone present thought everything was finally over, a shell containing terrifying power slammed brutally into the Elemental Shield. The immense impact caused the shield's glow to flicker several times, leaving everyone with their hearts in their throats. Fortunately, it did not break under the shell's assault.
After some time passed, another shell landed in the garrison's position.
After this happened twice more, even the densest of them realized the enemy was toying with them all. Yet, they could only seethe in extreme fury for a while, powerless to do anything else.
The Vision wielders were exhausted in both body and mind, but they dared not lower the Elemental Shield for a single moment.
"Everyone, hold on just a little longer! Lord Kujou Sara has already taken the elite forces to deal with the enemy over there. We can expect a result soon!"
"You said the exact same thing five minutes ago! I'm about to break!"
"Just hold on a little longer..."
At this point, they had no choice but to keep holding on.
Although a long time had passed since the Kamuijima Cannon had last fired, they had no way of knowing if the enemy had retreated.
To be honest, many of those present were already terrified. This was the most frustrating battle they had ever fought.
Not only had the Watatsumi Army suddenly become so fierce, but after finally resting after a long day of fighting, they were ambushed from behind. The attack came from the direction of the Kamuijima Cannon, where the garrison was supposed to be heavily fortified. This made many of them curse out loud.
"Are the soldiers stationed over there a bunch of useless idiots? They couldn't even guard a single cannon?!"
Seeing the newly added hundred corpses and hundreds of wounded, everyone felt both angry and terrified.
In fact, this Shogunate Army led by Kujou Sara was already considered elite, but they still couldn't handle such a bizarre war. They had barely seen the enemy, yet they had already suffered such heavy casualties. Many even harbored thoughts of retreating, while others were desperate to raise their weapons and vent their inner frustration immediately.
"Those cowardly Watatsumi Army soldiers, they only know how to hide and sneak around. Why don't they come out and fight me head-on!"
"Damn it, you jinxed us! They're really here!"
Seeing the figures clad in Watatsumi Army uniforms streaming down a reverse slope, the Shogunate Army immediately fell into disarray.
With the Kamuijima Cannon in the rear ready to fire at any moment and the Watatsumi Army appearing in front, several times more ferocious than before, the Shogunate Army felt a sense of despair regarding the outcome of this war.
Just then, a signal flare was launched in the distance. Seeing this, the Shogunate Army regained their composure, for they knew this was the signal from Kujou Sara.
"Great! Lord Kujou Sara has successfully taken over that area!"
"Brothers, grip your weapons and face the enemy together! Let's slaughter these bastards all the way back to their homeland!"
"Kill!"
The Shogunate Army's morale soared. In a very short time, they reformed their ranks and clashed with the attacking Watatsumi Army.
At the site where the signal had been fired, Kujou Sara stared at the countless corpses strewn across the ground, her eyes blazing with fury.
She never imagined that her rear would be ambushed.
Worst of all, the enemy had already retreated before she arrived, and they had even destroyed the Kamuijima Cannon on their way out.
Shame, this was simply an immense shame!
Just as Kujou Sara was preparing to lead her troops in pursuit, she discovered that the garrison at Nazuchi Beach had also been attacked by the Watatsumi Army. The feeling of being attacked from both front and rear caused Kujou Sara's knuckles to turn white as she clenched her fist, her eyes flickering with shifting emotions and struggle.
In the end, to minimize casualties, Kujou Sara abandoned the pursuit of the squad that had previously retreated. She merely sent men to check on the garrison in the rear before immediately returning to reinforce them.
And then, she faced one of the few major defeats she had suffered since taking command of the army!
Just as the previous intelligence had indicated, the Watatsumi Army soldiers appearing before them were all incredibly fierce, and they did not bleed after being wounded, fighting without fear of death!
Before the situation could be fully understood, to avoid further expanding the casualties, Kujou Sara finally issued the order to retreat.
On the other side, Watatsumi Island.
"Not good, the Shogunate Army has invaded Watatsumi Island!"
"Surrender, I surrender, you Shogunate Army must treat prisoners of war well... Ah!"
"Quick, quickly go notify Lord Gorou and Divine Priestess Sangonomiya!"
"Captain, you should hurry and leave too!"
"No, I cannot leave. They are even attacking the unarmed civilians. I will fight them to the death!"
"No, Captain!"
"Go, quickly!"
-
A young Watatsumi soldier watched his veteran captain, who had led him for a year, die a brutal death under the Shogunate Army's spears. Wiping the blood and tears from his face, he fled desperately toward the distance.
As he ran, the Shogunate Army fired countless arrows in his direction. However, perhaps his luck was just too good, as only one or two arrows grazed his body, and he successfully escaped.
Shortly after, he reported what had happened on the coast of Watatsumi Island. Yet, when he saw the army marching rapidly on the road with solemn expressions, he immediately realized the situation was not so simple.
Sure enough, after a quick inquiry, he learned that the Shogunate Army had actually landed at a full thirteen locations!
When he heard this news, he felt as if the sky had fallen.
If even he felt this way, let alone Sangonomiya Kokomi at this moment.
Originally, Sangonomiya Kokomi had hoped to stall for a little more time to investigate the truth, but the opponent had no intention of giving her any time to do so.
Although Watatsumi Island was being besieged by a large number of Shogunate Army troops this time, Sangonomiya Kokomi knew that Kujou Sara's absence meant this plan could never have been devised by her!
What made Sangonomiya Kokomi's heart even heavier was that the Shogunate Army besieging Watatsumi Island this time had combat strength that was simply ridiculously strong!
Although the Shogunate Army had undergone rigorous militarized training and their combat strength on the frontal battlefield was much higher than that of the Watatsumi Army, the gap was not so exaggerated.
After just one encounter, Sangonomiya Kokomi had already heard "victory reports coming frequently" from various places.
Fortunately, the news about the Shogunate Army's sneak attack on the garrison had spread, and those soldiers who had previously laid down their armor to return to the fields also secretly took out their weapons and polished them at home.
Because of her previous words, many people were also prepared to fight, and they were also mentally prepared for the battle to fall into a disadvantageous situation, otherwise the casualties this time would probably increase quite a bit.
In the end, Sangonomiya Kokomi changed her strategy and let the officers and soldiers of Watatsumi Island focus on delaying, trying their best to cover the civilians of Watatsumi Island as they entered the inland for refuge.
It was precisely at this time that Sangonomiya Kokomi used her power as the [ Divine Priestess ], directing the seawater to rise into the sky, forming a huge natural barrier on Watatsumi Island.
Only in this way was the opponent's movement slightly halted.
Fortunately, the development of Enkanomiya had already yielded some results, and Sangonomiya Kokomi had arranged for all the refugees to temporarily reside there, so no major problems would arise for the time being.
"Gorou, you have fought that army. Are they truly the Shogunate Army?"
Hearing Sangonomiya Kokomi's question, a look of hesitation appeared on Gorou's face as he stood before her.
"Based on my past experience fighting the Shogunate Army, those people are indeed the Shogunate Army."
"However, there is one point that is quite strange. Those people do not bleed even when injured, and they are very difficult to kill. Even if their hearts or even their heads are pierced, they still retain a certain level of combat strength for a period of time."
After hearing Gorou's words, Sangonomiya Kokomi's expression became even more solemn. She remained lost in thought for a long time before Gorou couldn't help but speak again.
"Divine Priestess Sangonomiya, the appearance of this Shogunate Army is so sudden, I'm afraid the men we sent out earlier all..."
Hearing these words, Sangonomiya Kokomi sighed softly. How could she not know what he was talking about?
Thinking of the soldiers who had died so far, Sangonomiya Kokomi couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness and self-reproach in her heart.
"I can only hope the Kamisato Clan receives the message."
"The squad deliberately took a long detour; they shouldn't have been discovered."
"But it's also possible that the mastermind behind all this has prepared a very meticulous plan."
At this point, Sangonomiya Kokomi paused, then continued speaking.
"We also need to be prepared for two possibilities. Since they have fought their way to our doorstep, we absolutely cannot let them leave easily."
"With my power, I can hold out for three days, but passive defense is very unfavorable. We need to strike first."
"Gorou, gather some intelligence on these people first, calm the soldiers' emotions, and prepare to counterattack tomorrow morning."
"At that time, I will open several exits to facilitate our soldiers' actions, then retreat before the enemy's reinforcements arrive."
At this moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi's gaze turned exceptionally cold.
Although she disliked war, she was not the type to keep quiet when someone stepped all over her.
Whether this army was the Shogunate Army or not, she would thoroughly devour them.
Sensing Sangonomiya Kokomi's determination, Gorou hastily replied.
"Yes, Divine Priestess Sangonomiya, I will pass down this order immediately!"
-
Snezhnaya, Zapolyarny Palace.
"The Jester" Pierro had convened another Harbinger meeting due to the news released by Fontaine.
However, this time, even fewer Harbingers attended than before.
Seeing this scene, Pierro felt a stifling pressure in his chest.
"Tartaglia is still in Fontaine, injured and unable to return. Rosalyne is dead. Sandrone was caught red-handed while sneaking out. Scaramouche betrayed us. Even Dottore's whereabouts are unknown."
"How long has the plan even been underway? The Fatui are already so short-handed."
"The Gnosis collection work has also been hindered, with three Gnoses still not brought back. Is this how you serve Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?!"
After Pierro's harsh words, the expressions of the Harbingers present showed no significant change. "The Damselette" Columbina, who was lying on the table, simply rolled over and continued to sleep soundly.
"Capitano, what is the progress of the Gnosis recovery on your end?"
Seeing that his words had little effect, Pierro directly called him out by name.
"It's almost complete."
"You said that last time, too." "It's true this time."
...
The Jester took a deep breath, then turned his gaze to "The Knave" Arlecchino, who was clearly absentminded.
"Arlecchino, you've done an excellent job. Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's reward will be issued soon."
"Fontaine is your area of operation, so you should be familiar with it. I'll leave the matter with Sandrone to you this time."
"Also, tell Tartaglia to hurry back. His vacation ended long ago, and the Fatui don't keep idle people. There's a lot of work waiting for him."
Arlecchino did not answer immediately. After a moment of serious thought, she nodded.
She did indeed need to go back to Fontaine to handle some matters.
Though Fontaine wasn't very welcoming to her right now, she could return in the capacity of a diplomat.
Having temporarily resolved one matter, the Jester nodded. He first glanced at Columbina, who was fast asleep on the table, his eye twitching slightly. Then, he looked past her directly at "The Regrator" Pantalone.
"Pantalone, go to Sumeru and bring back the two Gnoses there."
Just as the Jester finished speaking, the smile on Pantalone's face remained unchanged as he declined.
"The Northland Bank has several major deals right now, and I can't get away."
"Because of the previous reparations from Liyue, the Northland Bank's liquid capital is already severely short. Now, we also have to redeem Sandrone. If I leave now, I'm afraid the Northland Bank will be screwed."
Hearing Pantalone use the Northland Bank as an excuse, the Jester was very helpless but also didn't know what to say.
"I will take charge of negotiating this matter as well."
Arlecchino took the initiative to take this matter upon herself.
"It just so happens that Fontaine and Sumeru are also relatively close, and I have also stayed in Sumeru for a period of time, so I am relatively familiar with it."
"Alright, then it's decided."
After hearing Arlecchino's words, the Jester was naturally fine with it and immediately agreed. He was even a bit afraid that Arlecchino would regret it, so he ended the meeting in a hurry and left shortly after.
And that afternoon, Arlecchino boarded a ship and went to Fontaine.
Fontaine, she was back again!