Gorou explained in detail to Shao Yun the reason behind the explosion at Tatarasuna.
The explanation was exactly the same as what Sangonomiya Kokomi had said, placing the entire blame squarely on the Fatui.
After listening, Shao Yun gave a slight nod and then spoke.
"So, the explosion at Tatarasuna happened because I successfully captured Kujou Encampment and cut off the Fatui's escape route by sea from Yashiori Island."
"Driven to desperation, those damned bastards decided to go all in, destroying the Mikage Furnace to cover their retreat from Inazuma?"
Gorou nodded again, his tone brimming with hatred as he responded.
"Exactly! I never imagined the Fatui could be so deranged, to the point of blowing up the Mikage Furnace just to distract us and escape amidst the chaos."
Shao Yun furrowed his brows, lightly stroking his chin as he muttered to himself in a low voice.
'So that's how it was. After taking Kujou Encampment, I completely forgot about those bastards.'
Shao Yun felt a pang of regret. Back then, he was so focused on killing the Raiden Shogun that he had neglected those Fatui rats entirely.
Seeing this, Gorou mistakenly thought Shao Yun was blaming himself, and quickly offered comfort.
"Mister Shao Yun, please don't blame yourself. On the battlefield, victory and defeat are both part of a soldier's lot."
"Also, at Kujou Encampment, I've already sent people to collect the remains of the fallen soldiers and had them properly buried."
At the mention of Kujou Encampment, Shao Yun's brows furrowed again, as the image of the explosion's aftermath involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
"Right… I remember there was a kind merchant there, Miss Kiyoko… did she survive?"
Though they had only met a few times, Shao Yun had remembered her as someone quite decent.
When Gorou heard the name "Kiyoko," he slowly lowered his head.
There was no need to say more—Miss Kiyoko, the kind and warm-hearted merchant, had sadly perished in the explosion at Kujou Encampment.
Shao Yun let out a helpless sigh, lamenting softly.
'Sigh… Sometimes things really do happen like this. She just happened to be there when the Fatui bombed Tatarasuna… what a shame…'
Gorou seemed unwilling to linger in such a sorrowful mood, so he swiftly changed the topic.
"By the way, Mister Shao Yun, do you know where Lumine and Miss Paimon are?"
"I haven't seen them at all since they came out of Enkanomiya."
When Shao Yun heard Gorou mention Lumine and Paimon, a trace of bitterness surfaced on his face.
He couldn't exactly say they had a falling out—that kind of domestic matter wasn't something to bring up.
After thinking for a moment, he replied in a low tone.
"They… they went adventuring."
"They don't like bringing me along when they go adventuring, so I just stayed in Inazuma City waiting for them to come back."
Gorou nodded slightly, indicating his understanding, and replied gently.
"I see…"
"Oh, right. Mister Shao Yun, if you have time, would you be willing to return to Watatsumi Island?"
Shao Yun was slightly taken aback.
"What's going on? Is there trouble at Watatsumi again?"
By all accounts, the corruption had been resolved, and the food crisis alleviated. Things should be stable. What could possibly require his return?
Gorou scratched his head and chuckled.
"Haha, you know how it is. You're our great hero on Watatsumi Island."
"The soldiers of the Resistance told everyone about how you led the island to victory. The people really want to see you."
Upon hearing that, Shao Yun realized it was something like a celebration quest from Sangonomiya Kokomi.
He rubbed his chin and deflected the idea.
"If I have the time, I'll go back. But right now, I need to wait for Lumine to return from her adventure."
His objective had already been accomplished. Attending some celebration didn't seem all that meaningful anymore.
After finishing, Shao Yun slowly turned his head, his gaze falling upon Kujou Sara's coffin, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, then turned to Gorou and said quietly.
"I've finished my mourning. There's nothing more for me here. I'll be leaving now."
"Gorou, what about you? Will you stay to continue the mourning, or…"
Gorou also turned his gaze to Kujou Sara's coffin. After a brief silence, he replied.
"Mister Shao Yun, I'll leave with you. I've also completed my mourning."
"Let's consider it sending off a worthy opponent… one last time."
After a moment's thought, Shao Yun made a suggestion.
"In that case, why don't we find a place to eat and unwind a bit?"
"My treat. How about I take you to Uyuu Restaurant? The food there is quite something."
Upon hearing that, Gorou's furry tail twitched ever so slightly. He nodded cheerfully.
"Then I'll gladly accept, Mister Shao Yun. I won't refuse such kindness!"
With that, the two walked side by side out of the Tenryou Commission headquarters.
…
At that moment, in the courtyard, Kuki Shinobu was quietly consoling the grief-stricken Arataki Itto.
When Shao Yun emerged, Arataki Itto's eyes locked tightly onto him, but surprisingly, he didn't act out impulsively like before.
Clearly, Kuki Shinobu's efforts to calm him had some effect.
Even so, it was easy to imagine that the rage and resentment buried deep within Arataki Itto's heart wouldn't vanish so easily.
Perhaps only time could slowly mend the wounds of his soul.
Or… it might forever haunt him as a nightmare. As for his future—only time would tell.
…
Shao Yun and Gorou walked out of the Tenryou Commission together, strolling leisurely through the bustling town streets.
All along the way, Shao Yun enthusiastically described the mouth-watering dishes at Uyuu Restaurant.
He vividly depicted the unique flavors and textures of the exquisite cuisine, stirring Gorou's longing—it had been a while since he last had a good meal…
Just as the two were about to reach Uyuu Restaurant, suddenly, two familiar figures appeared ahead of them.
Sangonomiya Kokomi and Yae Miko were walking toward them slowly.
Gorou immediately recognized Kokomi, and a wave of uncontrollable excitement rose in his heart.
He waved joyfully and called out.
"Sangonomiya-sama!"
At this moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi's face beamed with the joy of victory.
When she saw Shao Yun and Gorou, her radiant smile grew even brighter and more charming.
She lifted her hand lightly and responded in a gentle voice.
"Gorou, Shao Yun, what a coincidence! I just finished a delightful conversation with Guuji Yae."
Shao Yun quickly stepped forward, his gaze first settling on Kokomi's cheerful face, then shifting to Yae Miko's calm and serene expression beside her.
He gave a polite nod and asked curiously.
"You both look to be in great spirits. I take it your conversation went well?"
However, at that very moment, Yae Miko couldn't help but recall her earlier conversation with Kokomi.
Though she maintained a composed exterior, she felt as if she had swallowed a fly—an inexplicable sense of disgust rising within her.
Kokomi smiled and replied lightly.
"We had a pleasant talk. We reached agreements on many points."
"Once the Tatarasuna cleansing is complete, we'll officially sign the peace agreement."
"The Vision Hunt Decree and Sakoku Decree will be formally abolished. Inazuma will finally know peace."
Shao Yun nodded at the good news, but another issue soon came to mind.
"That's great to hear. But once peace returns to Inazuma… what do you plan to do about the Fatui?"
"After all, they've meddled in Inazuma's internal affairs and even bombed Tatarasuna."
"It's no exaggeration to say that the Fatui were a major catalyst behind many of the disasters Inazuma endured."
Sure, flies don't bite unbroken eggs is a bit of a rogue saying, but Beelzebul… she was no fragile target.
Two out of the three Commissions fell to Fatui influence and enacted the Fatui-backed Sakoku Decree. Beelzebul, as the final decision-maker—she had to bear a significant portion of that responsibility.
There was no regret in Shao Yun's voice about killing the Raiden Shogun. He wasn't about to speak kindly of her now that she was dead.
At the same time, out of basic decency, he didn't insult her either. After all, she was already gone—killed by his own hand.
Yae Miko, hearing this, felt some relief. Kokomi hadn't lied; she had indeed placed all the blame squarely on the Fatui.
That heavy stone in her heart finally settled.
After a bit of thought, a spark flashed in Yae Miko's mind as she recalled how Mondstadt and Liyue had handled similar matters.
Mimicking their approach, she responded.
"I intend to designate the Fatui as a criminal organization. Any 'Fatui' found in Inazuma will be punished without exception—killed on sight!"
"Other than standard trade, all official relations between Inazuma and Snezhnaya will be cut off."
Upon hearing that, Shao Yun showed a trace of helplessness.
"So, Inazuma also plans to follow Mondstadt and Liyue, branding the Fatui as a so-called criminal group? How… unoriginal."
This was the third time he had heard the same solution. Their responses were getting a bit too uniform.
Yae Miko figured that if they were going to dump all the blame on the Fatui and clear themselves, they had to see it through.
She feigned calmness and spread her hands with a helpless smile.
"This is already the next best option short of declaring war. Inazuma cannot afford a direct conflict with Snezhnaya right now."
"Inazuma needs to recover its strength. Stirring up war now would only worsen the people's lives."
Shao Yun casually nodded in acknowledgment, then suddenly changed the subject.
"Then what about me? How do you plan to deal with my situation?"
The question gave Yae Miko an instant headache.
After all, Shao Yun had killed the Raiden Shogun—a fact she could never truly let go of.
Now, faced with this thorny issue, she could only suppress the pain deep within and respond with a bitter smile, rubbing her forehead.
"Mister Shao Yun, as things stand, the best course of action is… 'cold resolution.'"
Shao Yun, seeing her obvious reluctance, curved his lips into a faint smile.
"If you truly wish to avenge the Raiden Shogun, I'm willing to fight you."
"But on one condition: your target must be me—and only me."
The implication was clear: if you go after Lumine or Paimon, you'll really see what "Only Death is Eternal" means.
Yae Miko slowly lowered the hand resting on her forehead. Her lips curled into a bitter smile, and she sighed softly.
"If this were a few days ago, I might've done just that—fought you, then followed to meet Ei."
As she spoke, her hand unconsciously reached up to caress her pale neck, her voice softening.
"But now, the duty of guarding Inazuma has fallen on my shoulders. I… I can't bring myself to abandon it to join her just yet…"
After quietly listening to her words, Shao Yun nodded deeply in agreement. She was now bound by responsibility.
With the Raiden Shogun gone, Yae Miko had placed "Inazuma," her second most important treasure, in her heart.
Shao Yun sincerely offered his blessing.
"May Inazuma prosper under your careful governance."
At the very least, don't let foreign forces turn it into a sieve again.
Yae Miko accepted his well-wishes with a gentle smile.
"I'll do my best…"
At that moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi, seeing that everything that needed to be said had been said, turned to Gorou and asked.
"Gorou, I have some matters that need attention. I could use your help. Are you free now?"
Hearing that, Gorou, as a subordinate, naturally intended to agree—but Shao Yun had invited him to eat.
For a moment, he found himself caught in a dilemma, his face showing a trace of awkwardness.
"Sangonomiya-sama, I…"
Shao Yun noticed and gently patted Gorou on the shoulder, speaking calmly.
"It's fine. Don't worry about me—go ahead. We'll have another chance."
Hearing this, Gorou revealed a simple, honest smile. He scratched his head a bit sheepishly and responded.
"In that case, I'll take my leave first."
With that, Gorou followed Sangonomiya Kokomi and departed with her.
And notably, Yae Miko also left alongside Kokomi. The three of them vanished together from view.