Lumine and Paimon had gone out to clear their minds. Shao Yun understood that killing the Raiden Shogun had been too sudden, too much for Lumine to accept right away. Letting her get some fresh air and calm down would be for the best.
In Shao Yun's eyes, this was just another small detour in Lumine and Paimon's long journey of adventures—nothing more. He believed she simply needed some time to process it all, and that once she had, things would return to normal.
And so, Shao Yun spent an entire night alone at Tenshukaku.
At dawn the next day, he began aimlessly wandering around Inazuma City.
As for where to rest, he didn't mind. After all, Tenshukaku was spacious enough—any room could do for the night.
The Okuzumeshuu were all dead, the Raiden Shogun was gone, and Tenshukaku—her former residence—had become a half-home for Shao Yun.
While Lumine and Paimon were away, Yae Miko led the shrine maidens of the Grand Narukami Shrine in conducting the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual.
Meanwhile, on Watatsumi Island, Sangonomiya Kokomi had successfully completed the Watatsumi Goryou Matsuri Ritual and immediately led the shrine maidens to Yashiori Island to deal with the leaking divine energy of the gods.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of both sides, the dark violet skies that had once enveloped Yashiori Island and Narukami Island began to fade, giving way to the clear blue of old.
However, the entire region of Tatarasuna—and by extension, Kannazuka—remained tightly wrapped in that same mysterious, ominous violet sky.
The land of Tatarasuna continued to suffer the erosion of divine power. All plant life had withered away.
It would take years of nurturing and repair before the area could flourish again.
Fortunately, Shao Yun hadn't burned down Inazuma City. And with the Kamisato Clan and the shrine maidens of the Grand Narukami Shrine promoting safety and reassurance, the citizens who had fled the city gradually let go of their fears and returned home.
With the Raiden Shogun's death, the Vision Hunt Decree had lost all purpose.
The Kamisato Clan began assigning personnel to handle a specific matter: returning the Visions embedded in the Statue of the Omnipresent God to their rightful owners.
At the same time, the long-raging thunderstorm over the seas outside Inazuma had quietly vanished.
This was cause for celebration among Ritou's merchants, who could now import all kinds of goods with greater ease.
By contrast, the Kanjou Commission had fallen into utter disarray since the fall of the Hiiragi Clan. The remaining families remained locked in a bitter power struggle, scheming and infighting among themselves.
They had once tried to intimidate Hiiragi Chisato with letters claiming control over the Kanjou Commission—but it had been nothing more than bluffing.
Even now, the commission had yet to consolidate. The various factions were tearing each other apart like a pack of wild dogs.
The Kanjou Commission was all but paralyzed—and had no capacity to "manage" the merchants of Ritou anymore.
With no interference from the commission, the merchants of Ritou were living quite comfortably now.
…
Today marked the seventh day since Lumine and Paimon left for their break.
On this peaceful morning, sunlight trickled through the thin clouds and fell gently upon Narukami Island, bringing with it a warm and gentle aura.
Who would've guessed that just days ago, this very island had seemed like the end of the world?
That morning, Shao Yun made his way to the Adventurers' Guild's reception desk—despite Lumine asking him not to seek her or Paimon out.
But his worry and longing had built up beyond control. He had to at least find out where they were.
There, Miss Katheryne stood, full of energy and ready for the day.
But as a bio-automaton from Snezhnaya, she didn't need rest like ordinary people.
She neatly organized the stack of blank commission forms on her desk, preparing for a new day of work.
Just then, she happened to look up—and her gaze met Shao Yun's as he approached.
She blinked in surprise, then quickly gathered the remaining forms and placed them into a drawer.
Standing with her usual elegance and a polite smile on her face, she greeted him softly.
"Ad astra abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. How may I assist you today?"
Shao Yun scratched his head awkwardly and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "Miss Katheryne… I wanted to ask about Lumine and Paimon. Do you know where they are now?"
Even though he had promised Lumine not to come looking for them, it had been so long without word—he couldn't help but worry.
Katheryne thoughtfully touched her chin, then began searching the drawers as she spoke.
"Oh? Lumine and Paimon, you say? Let me see if there are any commission records involving them..."
After about half a minute, she pulled out a form and smiled with pleasant surprise.
"Found it!"
She handed the commission form to Shao Yun and said, "Here it is. Six days ago, the two of them accepted a commission from a pair of adventurers. Their destination was Seirai Island."
Shao Yun quickly took the form and looked it over.
So, the two of them had headed to Seirai Island.
He mused inwardly—perhaps they had started the world quest "Seirai Stormchasers." If so, they were likely encountering the adorable cats at Asase Shrine.
That didn't sound bad at all. Spending time with those soft, fluffy companions was no doubt a delightful and effective way to unwind.
With that thought, Shao Yun let out a long sigh. The weight on his heart finally began to lift.
He returned the commission form to Katheryne and smiled.
"Ah, that's great to hear. You can have the form back."
Katheryne filed it away and then, as if remembering something, pulled out several other commission slips marked "Subjugation" and eagerly presented them.
"By the way, your timing is perfect! We've received several commissions to eliminate Nobushi and Kairagi. I have a feeling these might suit your skills~"
Shao Yun glanced at the forms and gently shook his head, declining.
"No, I just came to ask about Lumine and Paimon. I'm not looking to take on any commissions."
He simply didn't have the mindset for tasks like that right now. Truth be told, he'd always preferred chatting with Katheryne to actually taking on commissions...
Katheryne nodded, not pushing the matter.
She tucked the forms away and offered a sincere farewell.
"Understood. I wish you a safe journey through this world full of unknowns and challenges."
Shao Yun tipped his hat with practiced grace and replied softly.
"Let's hope so."
Now that he knew Lumine and Paimon were adventuring on Seirai Island, most of his worries faded. He sincerely hoped the two of them could relax and enjoy themselves...
Just then, his gaze wandered—only to fall upon Kamisato Ayaka approaching from a distance, with visible dark circles under her eyes and an exhausted expression.
Since the Raiden Shogun's death, the Kamisato Clan had been overwhelmed with cleanup work.
They had to take over the Tenryou Commission's duties—eliminating Nobushi and Kairagi, and comforting families of fallen Shogunate soldiers.
Ayaka hadn't slept in two nights.
Shao Yun was about to greet her, but before he could speak, Ayaka stepped forward and approached him first.
She gave a small bow and spoke in a weary voice.
"Mr. Shao Yun… Lady Yae Miko wishes to see you. She's waiting at the Yae Publishing House's tearoom."
Seeing how exhausted Ayaka looked, Shao Yun quickly nodded.
"Understood. Thank you for letting me know."
Then, he added kindly.
"Also, take care of yourself. You've got dark circles under your eyes."
Ayaka touched her eyelid and shook her head lightly, as if unconcerned, though she still looked incredibly tired.
"It's fine, just..."
She seemed like she wanted to say something more, but ultimately left it unsaid.
In the end, she gave another slight bow.
"I have other duties to attend to. I'll take my leave now."
Shao Yun watched her hurry away and sighed helplessly.
She clearly couldn't come to terms with him killing the Raiden Shogun. After all, that was her nation's god…
Still, there was nothing to be done. The moment she struck Lumine, her fate had been sealed. Shao Yun had no regrets about killing Baal.
…
When Shao Yun opened the doors to the tearoom, the soft sound of wind chimes rang through the air.
Stepping inside, his gaze was immediately drawn to the sight before him.
There sat Yae Miko, quiet and still, her beautiful, foxlike ears drooping slightly, revealing a kind of wordless worry.
Shao Yun cleared his throat gently to announce his presence, then asked in a soft voice:
"You wanted to see me?"
Hearing his voice, Yae Miko turned her head slightly. Her tired yet enchanting eyes met his, and she sighed lightly, her tone tinged with faint melancholy.
"I just wanted someone to talk to about everything that's happened lately. And thinking about it… you're probably the only one in all of Inazuma who could truly listen to me right now."
Lumine and Paimon were on Seirai Island. The Kamisato Clan and shrine maidens were technically subordinates—it wouldn't feel right.
That only left Shao Yun.
Seeing this, Shao Yun didn't refuse. He gave a nod.
"Alright. Let's hear it."