Reisen Riou's original plan was to ransom the jailed Khaenri'ahn spies—many noble heirs, per intel—for funds and supplies Inazuma needed. But after their audacious letter?
"Forget the Mora. Execute them," he ordered. "Fund the Final Watch to sweep Khaenri'ahns from Inazuma's underbelly. Deport all without proper papers; persuade even the legal ones to leave."
The Tenryou Commission's prison saw swift executions. Khaenri'ahn spies and their collaborators faced death or heavy fines, some joining the chopping block. The Kanjou Commission, with several vassals among the condemned, stayed silent. When Khaenri'ah's envoy tried protesting at Tenshukaku, Okuzumeshu guards tossed him out before he reached the gate. Narukami's decree was sacred—no one dared defy the Great Narukami. Even commoners and samurai sensed Khaenri'ah's offense, making life hell for their agents. Narukami Island caught the most spies, thanks to its dense One System, Ten Thousand Minds network, which sniffed out thoughts. Inazuma's ideologies—Ukiyo (commoners), Fuga (nobles), Skylight (elites and samurai)—were trackable. Unknown ideologies? Red flags.
Reisen's retaliation didn't stop there. Through the Final Watch's network, he alerted Liyue, Mondstadt, Snezhnaya, Natlan, and Fontaine to Khaenri'ahn activity in their ancient ruins. Sumeru? He wasn't worried. Their Akademiya handled archaeology, and the Red King's combat constructs rivaled Khaenri'ah's Tillers. As Khaenri'ahn brass once griped, Sumeru likely wanted to freeload off their strength.
Tsurumi Island
Khaenri'ahns regrouped, smuggling fresh manpower through covert channels. But grim news hit: their feud with Inazuma's Shogunate gutted their supply lines. Short-term restocking was impossible. The supply fleet urged Commander Lorrel to limit archaeology and scouting, relying on Tsurumi's fish to ease logistics.
"Are they serious?" Lorrel raged, nearly losing it. After the fleet left, he grudgingly announced rations: "Forward camp gets priority. Logistics camp gets bare minimum. Knights eat first; scholars, repair the archives."
Lorrel wasn't to blame. Over a year in Tsurumi's oppressive fog, with vanishings every few days and monthly madness, keeping his sanity was a feat. Worse was coming—and soon, he'd have no energy left to rage.
Reisen Riou's orders reached the Rock-Shadow-Thunderlight Brigade: eliminate the Khaenri'ahns, act freely. Their logistics camp would become Inazuma's. Bankaku Nisei, after a month of infiltration, had cozyed up to knights disgruntled with Khaenri'ah's policies and Lorrel's leadership. Tillers, without attack orders, ignored humanoids, letting Bankaku slip in and out.
The logistics camp was deathly still. Four Khaenri'ahn knights faced off. The forward camp's Lorrel had raided their stores, leaving scraps. Closer to the supply fleet, the logistics knights knew of Khaenri'ah's fallout with Inazuma—no aid was coming. Two knights, fed up with Lorrel and eager to defect to Inazuma, confronted their peers.
"We get wanting to leave," one loyalist said, "but our families are in Khaenri'ah. We can't."
"Khaenri'ah's a mess," a defector shot back. "Class-locked, talents sorted at birth, most slaving as alchemists for war machines. Nobles hog glory and power. They sent us to this cursed place. Two days ago, I heard Aisha—my wife—calling me home for dinner." His voice broke. "If Bor hadn't stopped me, I'd be fiend food. Now Lorrel's stripping our Tillers…"
The loyalists fell silent.
"Sounds like a good talk," Bankaku Nisei said, stepping through the tent flap.
Bor and his ally relaxed, but the loyalists gripped their sword sheaths.
"No need for that," Bankaku said, exuding icy killing intent. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be gone."
"A renowned knight-tier warrior," a loyalist muttered, releasing his blade. "Inazuma's been watching us."
"Exactly," Bankaku said. "Your camp's prime real estate. Without our caution, it'd be flattened. Oh, and you two defectors—Inazuma immigration's hit a snag."
"What's wrong?" Bor asked, tense.
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