On the other side of Inazuma, on Watatsumi Island.
The island still appeared barren and desolate, but thanks to Shao Yun's successful conquest of Kujou Encampment and the seizure of a large cache of military supplies, the situation had clearly improved.
Even though the land remained infertile and incapable of yielding sufficient food, Watatsumi Island was no longer caught in the grips of a severe food crisis.
Though the explosion at Tatarasuna had been quite serious, the distance was considerable, and for the time being, its effects had yet to reach Watatsumi Island. Still, it was only a matter of time.
Overall, a relatively peaceful atmosphere was still maintained here.
At that very moment, in front of Sangonomiya Shrine, Lumine and Paimon had successfully retrieved the precious Bloodbranch Coral.
They had also completed the thrilling "Three Realms Gateway Offering" together with the shrine maiden Atsuko from Enkanomiya.
Everyone had worked together to eliminate the major threat Enjou had buried within Enkanomiya. Everything seemed to be heading in a hopeful direction.
Right now, Sangonomiya Kokomi was happily conversing with Lumine and Paimon, who had just returned from Enkanomiya, about everything that had happened below.
Their discussion touched upon the mysterious shrine maiden Atsuko and the long-standing history of Watatsumi Island.
Just as the three were chatting and laughing, Paimon suddenly slapped her forehead, her face filled with surprise as she exclaimed, "Oh no! We were so caught up in chatting, we almost forgot something super important!"
With a radiant smile on her face, Paimon looked at Lumine.
Lumine understood her intent and pulled out the incredibly precious Bloodbranch Coral from her pocket.
Paimon cheered joyfully, "Kokomi, look! We brought the Bloodbranch Coral back successfully!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi carefully accepted the Bloodbranch Coral, known to be the most important item in the Watatsumi Goryou Matsuri Ritual. As she gazed at it, a flood of emotions welled up in her heart.
She knew all too well that if not for Lumine and Paimon risking their lives to retrieve it, Watatsumi Island would have long since fallen into a doomed state.
Therefore, filled with gratitude, she sincerely said, "Thank you both so much! Without your help, Watatsumi Island would have been completely destroyed."
Indeed, while the supplies delivered from Kujou Encampment could temporarily ease the crisis, they could not sustain the island forever.
If Watatsumi Island remained trapped in the "holy soil" dilemma, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Upon hearing mention of the island's current situation, Paimon grew visibly anxious and asked eagerly, "So, Kokomi, how is Watatsumi Island doing now?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi handed the Bloodbranch Coral to Tsuyuko beside her, then let out a deep sigh, replying with a hint of heaviness in her tone, "Hmm... how should I put it? It's a mix of good and bad."
"The good news is that Mr. Shao Yun delivered a large amount of food, which has temporarily resolved our food crisis. As for the rest, things remain pretty much the same."
Paimon, relieved to hear that the islanders weren't starving, clapped her tiny chest and exhaled a long breath. "Whew... that's great! As long as no one's going hungry!"
Lumine, standing beside her, smiled faintly at Paimon's relieved expression, but her face quickly turned serious.
Turning her head toward Sangonomiya Kokomi, she asked softly, "By the way, Kokomi, is there any new development in the war between Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate?"
Ever since she and Paimon had gone to Enkanomiya and dealt with the myriad of problems caused by the Abyss Order with Atsuko's help, her thoughts had never left the events unfolding on the surface.
Sangonomiya Kokomi gently closed her eyes and lightly stroked her chin with her right hand, falling into deep thought.
After a while, she slowly opened her eyes and replied, "Well... I've actually been thinking about that a lot."
"Thanks to Mr. Shao Yun's help, we managed to capture Kujou Encampment. This has given us a significant advantage diplomatically."
"I don't wish to escalate the war any further. After all, it has already caused immense suffering among the people of Inazuma."
"That's why my initial plan for now is to negotiate with the Shogunate. If peace can be achieved, that would, of course, be the best outcome."
Kokomi had no desire to clash head-on with the Shogunate army anymore. The current military gains had already exceeded her expectations.
Following the principle of 'quitting while ahead,' she planned to initiate peace talks in a few days—first to end the Vision Hunt Decree, then the war, followed by the resumption of trade, and finally, the lifting of the isolation policy.
Take things one step at a time, one issue at a time.
As she finished speaking, Sangonomiya Kokomi slowly opened her eyes again.
Then, she revealed the most uncertain factor in the entire plan—one that had long weighed heavily on her mind.
"However, the most crucial matter right now is the Raiden Shogun's attitude. If she insists on enforcing the Vision Hunt Decree, then this war... sigh..."
With that final sigh, a deep look of worry appeared on Kokomi's face.
Clearly, if the Raiden Shogun stubbornly refused to change her stance, then any talk of peace would be nothing more than an illusion.
Still, with Shao Yun holding the line, Watatsumi Island probably wouldn't lose.
But amidst the chaos of war, Inazuma's future remained deeply concerning.
Thinking of this, Kokomi couldn't help but let out another long sigh.
Seeing Kokomi's troubled and pained expression, Paimon felt concerned and said, "Kokomi..."
She seemed like she wanted to comfort her but didn't know how.
At that moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi took a deep breath and forced a smile before replying, "Don't worry about it. You've both done more than enough for Watatsumi Island. Please go get some rest."
After thinking for a moment, Lumine suggested, "How about this? Paimon and I will return to Narukami Island and speak with Yae Miko."
"When we left Inazuma City, she said she'd try to help the Raiden Shogun come out of the Plane of Euthymia. It's been a while—maybe there's been some progress?"
Paimon, hearing Lumine mention what had happened at the Chinju Forest teahouse, began nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.
"Yeah, yeah! It's been ages—maybe Miko has something new to share."
Sangonomiya Kokomi was taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly asked with a puzzled look, "Hmm? Wait, but I clearly remember you saying that you were planning to leave Inazuma with Shao Yun."
She distinctly recalled that, before Lumine and Paimon went to Enkanomiya, they had said once the sacred soil issue was resolved, they would leave with Shao Yun on Beidou's ship bound for Liyue.
At this, Paimon scratched her head and muttered softly.
"Uh… well, that was the plan at first, but we've grown so close to everyone here… Leaving just like that feels kind of wrong."
Lumine quickly followed up, explaining, "And then there's the matter of Shao Yun... If the Raiden Shogun doesn't give him a proper explanation, that would be too unfair to him."
Initially, Lumine had been intent on taking Shao Yun away from Inazuma as soon as possible. But after their time in Enkanomiya, a ripple had stirred in her heart.
She knew how deeply Shao Yun cared for her, and leaving just like that would make her feel she owed him something.
Lumine now had a new plan: to enlist Yae Miko's help in coaxing the Raiden Shogun out of the Plane of Euthymia...
Then, to resolve all the challenges Inazuma faced with full force.
Once everything settled, she wanted the Raiden Shogun to apologize to Shao Yun in person—sincerely and earnestly.
And if Shao Yun still wasn't satisfied, she would use every means possible to soothe him. Surely then, everything in Inazuma would be resolved.
Just thinking about how to comfort Shao Yun made Lumine blush uncontrollably.
But what Lumine didn't expect was that, while she was still contemplating how to take care of Shao Yun...
He had already taken the initiative and put an end to the Raiden Shogun.
After learning of this, and after hearing Lumine and Paimon explain everything, Kokomi slowly shared a plan she had once carefully devised.
"So that's how it is... Actually, I might have an idea. Though it's quite risky, if we can get Yae Miko's full support, the chances of success will greatly increase!"
Lumine's curiosity was instantly piqued. "What kind of plan?"
She stared at Kokomi with wide eyes, eager for an unexpected answer.
Sangonomiya Kokomi, her expression solemn, laid out the shocking strategy from the original plan in full detail.
General Gorou would personally lead an elite squad to launch a surprise raid on Tenshukaku, directly pressuring the Raiden Shogun to yield.
However, she was well aware this was a highly dangerous and bold plan. Without reliable allies on the inside, success was impossible.
Upon hearing the plan, Lumine nodded and said, "Hmm... if only Yae Miko would help us."
One word followed another, and just like that, the bold plan was finalized.
Thus, Lumine decisively resolved to return to Narukami Island with Paimon to meet with Lady Yae Miko.
If Miko agreed, then they could strike from within and without, bringing an end to this prolonged war in one decisive move.
Of course, if Yae Miko had a better idea, all the better.
And so, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Lumine, and Paimon quickly reached a consensus and drafted a detailed action plan. At the same time, they agreed to keep it a secret from Shao Yun.
Once the discussion ended, Kokomi let out a long breath of relief, her voice full of hope.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly! I believe it won't be long before Inazuma regains its former peace and serenity."
Lumine nodded in agreement. "Yes, no time to waste. I'll head off now and pass on this plan to Yae Miko!"
Just then, the sound of urgent and loud footsteps came echoing toward them, accompanied by a man's excited shout.
"Lady Sangonomiya! Great news! Great news!"
The three turned their heads and saw Todoroki running toward them, beaming with joy.
Seeing Todoroki so elated, Kokomi asked, "Todoroki, what's happened to make you so happy?"
Because he had come running, Todoroki bent over, panting heavily, unable to reply immediately.
After catching his breath, he straightened up, his face glowing with joy, and said to Kokomi:
"The terrifying thunderstorm offshore from Inazuma has miraculously vanished! This is fantastic! We no longer have to risk working in those exhausted fishing zones. We can finally fish in farther seas again!"
Previously, due to the isolation policy, the waters around Watatsumi Island became dangerous with just a slight venture offshore, entering a storm-ridden zone.
This storm not only endangered fishermen's lives, but the inability to fish in distant waters had led to a rapid depletion of local resources.
Now, with the storm gone, it was a monumental boon to the fishermen of Watatsumi Island.
However, upon hearing this, Kokomi froze. Her large, beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
She lost her composure and blurted, "W-What!"
Seeing this, Todoroki thought she hadn't heard clearly and loudly repeated, even more excitedly:
"I'm saying, the offshore thunderstorm has completely disappeared! From now on, we can go out to sea without worry!"
"And we don't have to risk our lives smuggling to other islands anymore. We can easily reach Liyue, Sumeru, and Mondstadt to buy all kinds of goods!"
Kokomi furrowed her brow, murmuring in confusion.
"Strange... the storm off Inazuma's coast is gone?"
Paimon whispered under her breath.
"Could it be that the Raiden Shogun suddenly changed her mind and decided to lift the isolation policy?"
Lumine shook her head gently and replied, "That's highly unlikely..."
Paimon scratched her head in confusion and asked, "Then how do we explain the storm disappearing?"
Meanwhile, after a thorough conversation and repeated confirmation with Todoroki, Kokomi finally nodded and said firmly:
"I understand. But don't let anyone go out fishing just yet. I'll send people to fully investigate the matter before we make any decisions."
What if this was a trap by the Raiden Shogun? Lure the people of Watatsumi to the open sea, then...
Though it was hard to imagine the Raiden Shogun resorting to such petty tricks, one could never be too careful!
Kokomi then turned to Lumine and Paimon, gently urging, "Lumine, Paimon, you should go rest first. As for our plan, let's start tomorrow."
But Lumine shook her head and replied, "No need. Paimon and I will head to Narukami Island right away. See you later, Kokomi."
Kokomi was surprised to hear they were setting off immediately and quickly tried to stop them.
"That won't do, Lumine. Paimon. You've both been so busy for so long—you should rest. Rushing off to find Yae Miko now seems a bit too much, doesn't it?"
After all, the two had worked tirelessly in Enkanomiya. They really should get some rest and recover their strength first.