Check out my new translation!
***
On the other side, the resistance forces stationed at the southern battery of the Kujou Encampment were watching everything unfold.
They clearly witnessed the Shogunate soldiers fleeing in panic from the encampment.
When they saw Shao Yun riding back on horseback, Teppei excitedly led everyone in a charge toward him.
Seeing the resistance fighters rushing over, Shao Yun broke into a pleased smile. He dismounted and opened his arms, ready to embrace their warm welcome.
The resistance fighters surged forward like a tide, lifting Shao Yun high into the air amid cheers that rang out in waves.
Taking advantage of the moment, Shao Yun shouted loudly, "Do you all remember our next target?"
Everyone responded in unison.
"Narukami Island!"
Once the cheering subsided, they finally set Shao Yun back down.
Immediately after, Shao Yun turned to Teppei and patted him on the shoulder.
"Now, Teppei, lead everyone to clean up the corpses and transport the grain back to Watatsumi Island!"
Teppei nodded and promptly called the others to head into the corpse-strewn Kujou Encampment.
...
By dawn, the air was thick with the smell of burning corpses.
Some resistance soldiers found quicklime in the warehouse and began disinfecting the ground around the Kujou Encampment.
Everyone in the resistance had worked tirelessly through the night, burning the bodies of the Shogunate troops and hauling supplies.
Thanks to several large ships left behind by the enemy, the task of transporting grain became significantly easier.
Shao Yun stood on the eastern side of the encampment, watching both the busy resistance soldiers and the bloated corpses of Shogunate soldiers that had begun floating on the sea near Narukami Island.
Just then, a girl's angry voice rang out behind him.
"Shao Yun!"
At the sound of the familiar voice, Shao Yun turned around in shock and asked in surprise, "Lumine?"
Lumine stormed toward him, furious. Paimon clung to her arm, anxiously pleading, "Lumine, don't be mad! Just talk to Shao Yun nicely, okay?"
Seeing Lumine's furious expression, Shao Yun felt a sudden jolt in his chest. His mind raced as he tried to recall everything he'd done recently, hoping to figure out what exactly had provoked her anger.
However, before he could make sense of it, Lumine had already marched right up to him.
As soon as they were face-to-face, Lumine stomped hard on Shao Yun's foot and demanded furiously:
"Why didn't you tell me Beidou was here?!"
Hearing this, Shao Yun inwardly cursed. This is bad… real bad.
Still, he forced a smile despite the pain and tried to change the subject, cautiously asking, "Lumine, what did Kokomi talk to you about yesterday?"
But this time, Lumine didn't let herself be distracted. She stomped even harder on his foot and pressed on, "Don't change the subject! First you brought me to Watatsumi Island, then you gave them all this strategic advice. What exactly are you planning? Tell me!"
Shao Yun stubbornly insisted, "I'm not planning anything. I just wanted you to get some rest on Watatsumi Island. Now I'm only helping them get through their food crisis."
Lumine was infuriated by this response. She shoved him hard and shouted, "Tell me the truth!"
But Shao Yun held his ground and repeated, "That is the truth!"
Just then, Teppei rushed over, dropping the shovel in his hand.
Sensing the tension between them, he quickly tried to mediate. "Lumine, I don't know what happened between you and Shao Yun, but please try to calm down, okay? There are a lot of resistance soldiers around here..."
Lumine glanced at Teppei, then at the surrounding fighters, before finally locking eyes with Shao Yun again.
She held back the anger and anxiety welling inside her and said, "Fine. Shao Yun, let's talk in private."
With that, she grabbed his hand tightly and pulled him out of the Kujou Encampment.
Seeing this, Paimon gave Teppei an apologetic smile and quickly followed after them.
...
Outside the Kujou Encampment, the rising sun bathed the land in golden light, casting their long shadows on the ground.
Lumine clutched the front of Shao Yun's coat, eyes glistening with tears, her teeth clenched tightly.
"Shao Yun, tell me—what are you really thinking?" Her voice trembled, like a frightened little rabbit.
Shao Yun didn't understand why Lumine was so upset, but he sensed she was afraid.
He quickly tried to comfort her. "Lumine, don't be so sensitive. I really don't know what you're talking about. Did something happen that made you misunderstand?"
Lumine sniffled and tried to hold back her tears, but they continued to flow.
"Yesterday, I found out you were appointed as a general of Watatsumi Island by Kokomi, and that you led an attack on the Shogunate to seize grain. That alone already made me uneasy. Then last night, I had a nightmare..."
Her voice grew heavier with emotion—clearly, the dream had left a deep scar.
"I dreamt that the sky turned deep red, as if soaked in blood. Torrents of rain fell from above, and every drop was blood."
"All of Inazuma City was engulfed in fire. Houses, streets, bridges—everything was burning. Everyone was hanging from the eaves, their bodies swinging in the air, their eyes wide open, their faces frozen in terror."
"I followed a narrow path, and somehow I ended up in front of Tenshukaku. There, at the gates, stood a towering figure without a head—riding a flaming, blood-red horse."
"That eerie man held a blood-drenched long blade in one hand; in the other, he carried two severed heads—yours and the Raiden Shogun's! I screamed in horror and woke up."
Lumine wiped her tears, sniffled again, and with a voice choked with sobs, continued, "This morning, I met Beidou and Kazuha."
"Beidou said she met you over a week ago, the same day we arrived at the resistance camp on Yashiori Island. But you never told me. That's not like you. Combined with my nightmare… I'm scared."
Finishing her story, Lumine closed her eyes and hugged herself, trembling slightly as she spoke. "I'm scared now. I feel like you're planning something..."
Shao Yun listened, then glanced over at Paimon with a complicated expression. Paimon quickly nodded and said in a small, nervous voice, "It's true. Lumine suddenly screamed this morning and woke me up. She was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe..."
"Then we went out to meet Kokomi, and right as we stepped out, we bumped into Beidou and Kazuha. Everything else happened just like Lumine said..."
Shao Yun remained silent for a moment, then slowly reached out and pulled Lumine into a tight embrace to console her.
"Lumine, don't worry. It was just a dream. Don't let it cloud your thoughts and judgment."
He gently patted her back, trying to calm her.
But Lumine suddenly broke free from his arms, eyes brimming with tears, and cried out, "But I'm afraid it will come true!"
Seeing this, Shao Yun reached out and gently cupped her cheek, locking eyes with her and solemnly vowed:
"I swear—your dream will not come true! Trust me. Taking the Kujou Encampment was only to solve Watatsumi Island's food crisis."
Hearing this, Lumine took a deep breath and slowly nodded, showing that she was willing to believe him.
"Alright. But promise me—everything you're doing is for the sake of Watatsumi Island's food crisis. Once Paimon and I finish what Kokomi asked of us, we'll sail back to Liyue aboard Beidou's Alcor, then prepare to head to the next nation."
Shao Yun gripped Lumine's hand tightly and answered with firm resolve, "Alright. I promise."
...
After calming Lumine, Shao Yun stood silently in place, watching as she and Paimon walked away.
But soon after they left, his expression turned somber.
He lowered his gaze to his left hand—at some point, his index and middle fingers had remained crossed.