Chapter 267: The Ceasefire
Cherry blossoms drifted through the air, fluttering down like a soft pink snowfall.
Beautiful. Graceful. Fleeting.
Petal after petal landed upon the sacred pond of Narukami Shrine, until the entire surface shimmered under a pale pink veil.
It was the kind of scene poets dreamed of.
But for the shrine maidens in charge of cleaning it up, it was a nightmare.
Originally, there had been fish in that pond—plump, lively things that Lady Guuji herself would sometimes visit to feed when she was in a good mood.
But ever since that Fatui Harbinger had come calling, the fish had mysteriously vanished.
More precisely, they'd been personally relocated by Lady Guuji Yae herself—moved all the way to the Tenshukaku's courtyard pond.
The shrine maidens had, of course, asked her why she'd go through so much trouble for something so trivial.
Lady Guuji had only been silent for a long while before letting out a quiet, helpless sigh.
"I just... don't want to see them come to harm."
When even she, the ever-knowing Yae Miko, couldn't divine those fishes' future fates—she understood.
If she left them there, they were doomed.
Better to move them than to let them end up as... someone's dinner.
. . .
Today, Narukami Shrine was unusually quiet.
Yae Miko was half-reclined beneath the eaves, her nine tails lazily fanned out behind her, allowing petals to rain softly upon her kimono.
Occasionally, her ears twitched, scattering a few blossoms away.
When a shrine maiden approached to sweep up the fallen petals, Yae Miko didn't even bother to move—maybe lifted a leg, just enough for them to pretend to clean.
Otherwise? Not a chance.
Before her rested a tray: a bottle of fine sake, a plate of fried tofu, and—most interestingly—a letter written in bold, untamed strokes.
A few petals had already drifted into the cup of sake, but rather than ruin it, the blossoms added a faint, floral fragrance.
Yae Miko took a sip, then let a sly smile curl her lips.
"Ahh... I see. So you're trying to set up a safety net, hmm?"
She popped a piece of tofu into her mouth, eyes glinting with amusement.
Delicious, yes—but even more satisfying was what the letter implied.
To make Takayuki withdraw his forces, Bai Luo was planning to pull every string he had—even flashing the full weight of his Harbinger status.
But that wasn't all.
He'd also asked for her help.
If Bai Luo's orders alone weren't enough—and Takayuki tried to hide behind excuses like "the Shogun would not approve"—then with Yae Miko in the picture, there'd be no room left to refuse.
"Maki."
"Lady Guuji."
A shrine maiden hurried over, bowing respectfully—her posture crisp and proper, the polar opposite of her lazy superior.
"Watch over the shrine. I'll be stepping out for a while."
"Yes, Lady Guuji."
. . .
That day, the political world of Inazuma was shaken.
First came the emissary from Snezhnaya—the Twelfth of the Fatui Harbingers—who paid a personal visit to the head of the Kujou Clan, Kujou Takayuki.
The two spent half a day closeted in the study, their conversation cloaked in secrecy.
No one knew what had been said.
Shortly after the Harbinger's departure, the Guuji of Narukami Shrine herself arrived to pay a visit.
And compared to her arrival, even the Harbinger's visit seemed almost routine.
Still, among the Three Commissions, it was the Kanjou Commission that felt the greatest unease.
After all, before visiting the Kujou Clan of the Tenryou Commission, the Harbinger had already paid a visit to the Yashiro Commission.
If his pattern continued... the Kanjou Commission was next.
Panicked but eager to please, Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Hiiragi Clan canceled every appointment, purified himself with daily baths, and burned incense in preparation for the Harbinger's arrival.
He even had a new set of formal robes made—just in case.
But seven days passed.
The incense burned to ash.
His skin was practically scrubbed raw from so much bathing.
And yet... the Harbinger never came.
Desperate, Hiiragi sent men into Inazuma City to investigate.
What they found was even more maddening—
The Harbinger had vanished again several days earlier.
Upon hearing that, Hiiragi Shinsuke nearly collapsed.
All that effort, all that waiting—for nothing.
The poor man very nearly fell ill from sheer frustration.
When the various noble houses of Inazuma heard the news, they all came to the same quiet conclusion.
Many of the smaller families that had once depended on the Hiiragi Clan began to distance themselves—and started cozying up to either the Tenryou Commission or the Yashiro Commission instead.
Aside from those whose roots were still anchored on Ritou, almost every other family had already abandoned the Hiiragis.
The Kanjou Commission was bleeding influence faster than anyone could have imagined.
And all of it… from one seemingly insignificant move by Bai Luo.
He had no idea that his casual maneuver had set off a political storm in Inazuma—weakening one of the Three Great Commissions in the process.
Then again… even if he did know, he probably wouldn't care.
Not everyone has the time—or the interest—to worry about whether the grass they just stepped on happened to be important.
. . .
Meanwhile, at the Kujou Encampment, chaos of a different sort brewed.
Because of Kujou Sara's command, the so-called "ceasefire" had already been violated dozens of times at Nazuchi Beach.
At first, under her sharp leadership, the Shogunate's forces had driven the resistance army into a corner.
They'd nearly been wiped out—if not for General Gorou's unyielding tactics, the entire resistance might have perished in the narrow ravines of the Musoujin Gorge.
But then, out of nowhere, shipments of supplies began arriving from Watatsumi Island—massive amounts of provisions and weapons.
With their morale rekindled, the resistance launched a counterattack, reclaiming one lost position after another.
The two sides were now locked in a tense stalemate, skirmishes breaking out daily.
Kujou Sara had already begun preparing for a decisive battle to end it all.
And then, a secret letter arrived.
From Kujou Takayuki himself.
"Cease all hostilities for five days."
Sara frowned, scanning the seal and the handwriting again and again.
If the messenger hadn't been a personal retainer of the family, she would have thought it a trick—a forged letter meant to confuse her.
She knew better than anyone how much her foster father wanted the resistance crushed.
So why—why now—would he order a ceasefire?
The courier quickly explained:
"Due to instability at the Mikage Furnace in Tatarasuna and the corruptive influence of the Thunder Sakura in Kannazuka, Lady Guuji Yae of the Grand Shrine has requested a team of shrine maidens to perform a purification. If a battle were to erupt now, she fears the shrine maidens may be attacked by the resistance."
Sara fell silent.
The Thunder Sakura.
To the people of Inazuma, the great Sacred Sakura was the embodiment of the Electro Archon's eternal grace—ever-blooming, never-fading.
And the Thunder Sakura of Kannazuka shared the same divine origin.
It, too, was imbued with the Shogun's power.
If what the letter said was true, then yes—this was something that could not be ignored.
Attacking shrine maidens during purification work would be unthinkable—a grave blasphemy.
Of course, under normal circumstances, no one would dare.
But the resistance army, still burning with resentment toward the Vision Hunt Decree… Would they restrain themselves?
That was another matter entirely.
Which meant… a temporary ceasefire might truly be necessary.
Sara nodded slowly.
"Understood. I will order our troops to fall back to Tatarasuna and provide protection for the shrine maidens during their purification rites."
Compared to the current battle's momentum, the Thunder Sakura—a symbol of the Shogun's power—was far more important in her eyes.
As long as she held the line at Kannazuka, all would be well.
After all, she'd pushed the enemy back before.
And if she had to, she could do it again.
That was Kujou Sara's unshakable confidence.
. . . . .
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