"Can't the Thunderbird's resentment be fully severed?" Reisen Riou asked, popping a Tricolor Dango into his mouth.
"No," Raiden Ei replied. "My slashes destroy most fiends, but the Thunder Manifestation, born of the Thunderbird's wrath, is different. Its resentment is stubborn—I can only cut a fraction. It's nearly endless, regenerating in the ley lines."
"Like on Seirai Island," she continued, "where a massive ley line barrier seals it. That's the right approach."
"Indeed," Reisen Riou nodded. "It even lets us harness the Thunder Manifestation's power. Seirai's Electro materials are top-tier."
"What're you discussing?" Raiden Makoto appeared behind Ei, snatching the last dango as Ei turned.
"Tsurumi's situation," Reisen Riou said, pulling more pastries from his Vision's storage. "The Thunderbird's undying resentment—we're brainstorming ways to handle the Thunder Manifestation."
"Tsurumi's a mess," Makoto sighed, sitting. "Its ley lines are a thin veneer; most energy's fog now. Even Celestia can't fix it. They say Tsurumi's time and space are warped. Solving it means entering that distorted realm, facing a peak Thunderbird. No one's done it."
Reisen Riou gaped. No wonder Inazuma left Tsurumi alone—ley lines and fiends were just the start.
They munched pastries, then headed to Yae Saiguu's for fun, kids in tow.
"Talismans are great, but recharging them's a slog," Bankaku Nisei groaned, swapping an empty talisman from Gensei Jirou and channeling energy into it while maintaining the Stealth Barrier. Tsurumi's weak ley lines slowed the Statue of the Seven's recharge, stretching a two-day task to half a month.
The delay wasn't wasted—the Rock-Shadow-Thunderlight Brigade used the Stealth Barrier to assassinate several Khaenri'ahn knights, leaving their camp paranoid. But a slip-up—obvious katana marks and unhandled corpses—tipped Khaenri'ahns off to Inazuma's intelligence network. Traces of raided supplies didn't help. Now, knights patrolled for human threats alongside monsters and fiends, tightening security.
The Khaenri'ahn logistics camp near the Statue of the Seven remained untouchable. Watched by Narukami's gaze and a hub for supplies and reinforcements, it was off-limits. The Skylight-aligned Brigade would opt for honorable combat if they struck there, not sabotage.
"Finally charged," Bankaku muttered, eyeing the Khaenri'ahn camp below. They respected the Statue, cleaning it after borrowing its power to fend off monsters. Ungrateful borrowers would've been cut down without Reisen's orders. Bankaku bowed to the Statue and headed back.
Unseen, Khaenri'ahn cleaners arrived soon after. "I envy god-blessed nations," one griped. "No wars, no beasts, just sunshine and critters. Khaenri'ah's all machines, machines, machines."
"Careful," another warned. "Tillers might snitch to Internal Affairs."
"The higher-ups are improving Khaenri'ah. Bionic beasts are done—our own 'animals' soon."
"Still machines." The knight paused, spotting Bankaku's prayer marks. "Someone was here. Inazuma ninjas?"
"Pretend we didn't see," his partner said. "It's the forward camp's problem, not ours. Good thing we're sidelined here."
"Who'd expect an archaeology dig to be this deadly? Only one busted Heavy Unit left."
They cleaned the Statue, mimicking Inazuma's prayers, and erased Bankaku's traces before leaving.
From a tree, Bankaku dropped his Mistveil Technique and Stealth Barrier. "Interesting," he mused, stroking his chin. "Khaenri'ah's not united. These logistics folks—could we sway them? Need Lord Reisen's input to verify their sincerity." He reactivated his concealment, tailing the duo into their camp. They grumbled with other logistics knights and scholars, then resumed routine tasks.
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