Chapter 160. The Omnipresent God's Wheel
Looking at the messages in the chat group, a faint glimmer flickered through Futsu Mitama's eyes. Yae Miko's words had stirred a realization within him.
In the original events, the Traveler—Lumine—had drawn upon Devotion when fighting Raiden Ei and had ultimately prevailed.
Did that mean he needed to resonate with these voices as well? And if so… how?
The whispers continued to echo beside his ears. Futsu Mitama forced himself to calm down, focusing on understanding them rather than resisting.
But resonance was no simple matter.
Each voice carried a different wish.
Some prayed for fathers preparing to march to war.
Others begged the Raiden Shogun to bless a mother with a safe childbirth.
Young warriors swore pride in fighting for the Shogun.
Citizens longed for Inazuma to regain vitality instead of sinking deeper into lifeless stagnation.
Children questioned the meaning of the "eternity" their Archon pursued.
Though the wishes differed, they shared a single center—The Raiden Shogun.
She was Inazuma's deity. Naturally, all prayers flowed toward her. Without that shared faith, this power would not exist.
"Resonance—Should I command them, as the Shogun's retainer?"
The thought struck him suddenly.
Since Devotion revolved around the Raiden Shogun, could he, as her retainer, guide that power to fight on Inazuma's behalf?
No…not command.
Borrow. Borrow it in her name, for the sake of the nation.
As the thought formed, the previously intangible golden motes of Devotion began to stir.
They did not move toward him directly.
They moved toward the Chakra Desiderata.
Like conscious beings, the lights converged upon it and merged within.
A unique force surged into Futsu Mitama's body. The Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami in his hand shimmered, its edge gleaming with newfound sharpness.
"This…?!"
He stood frozen.
With a single shift in perspective, the Devotion had responded immediately, flowing through the Chakra Desiderata and empowering him.
Before he could fully process what was happening, the Chakra extended outward. A translucent violet halo manifested behind him.
The Omnipresent God's Wheel.
Though incomplete, it was undeniably real.
"Why?"
Yae Miko had said he would understand once he grasped it.
Yet now that he wielded it, confusion still clouded him.
Suddenly—
"Whoosh—!"
Raiden Ei attacked without warning, her blade flashing toward his neck.
Futsu Mitama reacted instinctively. Gripping the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, he met her strike head-on.
"Buzz—!"
The Omnipresent God's Wheel pulsed faintly.
An indescribable force coursed through him and into his blade.
"Boom—!"
Their swords collided, unleashing a shockwave far beyond the simplicity of the clash itself.
Raiden Ei remained unmoved.
Futsu Mitama staggered back several steps.
"Hmm. Good." Raiden Ei lowered her blade slightly, a trace of surprise in her voice. "You have mastered Devotion. It is rough, but you grasp the fundamentals."
She studied him carefully.
"You learned far too quickly. Even Yae Miko did not achieve this in so short a time."
She had expected a prolonged battle of attrition.
Instead, in less than a day, he had formed half of the Omnipresent God's Wheel.
A miracle.
She sheathed her Engulfing Lightning.
"This exceeds my expectations. And…your constitution is unusual. Devotion is not easily borne. Yet you show no signs of backlash."
Futsu Mitama tilted his head. He felt nothing amiss.
But the Wheel behind him had already begun to fade. The Devotion he gathered was too little; after a single exchange, it dissipated.
Raiden Ei observed him closely.
"Indeed…no side effects." A genuine smile appeared on her face—rare, unguarded, beautiful.
The sight stunned him. And immediately set off alarm bells in his mind. The last time she displayed such emotion had been before he was dragged into the abyss. If she was smiling like this now—
He was probably in trouble.
"Good. Very good." Her smile vanished as quickly as it came. "From today onward, you will walk Inazuma as an Eternal Guardian."
She continued calmly:
"I will instruct the Raiden Shogun to inform the people. The Tri-Commission will promote your name. If matters cannot be resolved by force, seek their intervention. If they can be resolved by force, you may act first and report later."
"Weekly guidance is no longer necessary. Once a month will suffice. More important than training is recognition. Devotion grows through the people's faith."
Futsu Mitama stood stunned.
Eternal Guardian.
Far more weighty than Shogun's Retainer.
Mondstadt upheld freedom. Liyue honored contracts. Inazuma pursued eternity. Sumeru sought wisdom. Fontaine sought Justice. Natlan sought War.
The Raiden Shogun herself bore the title of Eternal Guardian.
And now—So did he.
Raiden Ei regarded his expression.
"You were always valued by both myself and the Shogun. Though she is a puppet, she possesses her own will. If she acknowledges you, your potential is limitless."
She paused.
"And your resistance to Devotion alone qualifies you."
A faint smile touched her lips again before she suppressed it.
"Go. Gain experience. I look forward to seeing how strong you become."
She closed her eyes.
The Plane of Euthymia dissolved.
—
Futsu Mitama opened his eyes inside Tenshukaku.
Before him stood the emotionless Raiden Shogun. Her gaze was cold. Yet somehow—
He felt approval.
"You are very good," she said simply. Then she fell silent once more.
Everything necessary had already been spoken by Ei.
Futsu Mitama bowed and withdrew.
After he left, the Raiden Shogun slowly opened her eyes again and gazed toward the direction he had gone.
"This… is eternity."
—
Outside Tenshukaku, Futsu Mitama immediately headed home.
It was settled.
Next stop—the Resistance.
More than half a day had passed since forging the companion weapon and cultivating the Omnipresent God's Wheel.
Evening had fallen.
Yet Kokomi still had not awakened.
Was she truly undergoing some kind of transformation, just as the group had speculated?
And…Why did it feel like he had forgotten something?
Futsu Mitama always had the nagging sense that he had forgotten something—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp it. In the end, he shook his head and dismissed the thought.
There were more pressing matters.
Just as he stepped out of the Tenshukaku and prepared to return home, several figures came into view ahead of him.
"Hmm?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Kujou Takayuki was walking forward with a group of samurai whose presence was anything but ordinary.
Each of them bore a Vision—Pyro, Anemo, Hydro, Electro. Their auras were steady and refined, clearly veterans of real combat. Judging by their bearing alone, they were no weaker than the elite squad personally assembled by Kujou Sara.
That in itself was surprising.
Sara's unit represented the finest of the Tenryou Commission. Yet Takayuki had gathered comparable fighters under his own command. One of the middle-aged samurai among them even seemed capable of contending with Arataki Itto in his normal state.
So the Kujou Clan was not lacking in talent.
It was simply that such talent answered to Takayuki alone.
"It's you."
Kujou Takayuki's aged face darkened when he saw him.
"Yes, it's me." Futsu Mitama smiled faintly. "Does the Head of the Kujou Clan have any advice?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The samurai behind Takayuki exchanged glances. Few people in Inazuma dared speak to the head of the Tenryou Commission so casually. Takayuki was not known for patience. If he had been, the prisons of Inazuma might have stood half empty.
After a brief silence, Takayuki spoke.
"May I ask why you came to the Tenshukaku today?"
"To see the Raiden Shogun," Futsu Mitama replied lightly. "What else?"
The samurai stiffened.
Enter and leave the Tenshukaku at will?
That was the residence of the Raiden Shogun. Who exactly was this young man?
Takayuki's expression darkened further.
Of course he had known Futsu Mitama came to see the Shogun. What he wanted to ask was what had been discussed.
But that was not a question he could safely voice.
Though only a handful knew it, Futsu Mitama's identity was no trivial matter. If he held a status comparable to Guuji Yae, then even Takayuki could not touch him.
The heads of the Tri-Commission could be replaced.
There was only one Guuji Yae.
And now—though few were aware—there was also Futsu Mitama.
Takayuki had known for some time, yet he had never publicized it.
The reason was simple.
If Futsu Mitama were to marry into the Kujou Clan, Takayuki would personally ensure all of Inazuma knew his title. The clan's prestige would soar for centuries.
But Futsu Mitama belonged to the Yashiro Commission's sphere.
And Takayuki understood all too well what the Tenryou Commission had done to the Yashiro Commission. If the truth became public, influence would inevitably tilt toward the Kamisato Clan.
With Kamisato Ayato's methods, that outcome was almost guaranteed.
Thus, Takayuki had chosen silence.
"This old man overstepped."
He withdrew first.
The samurai behind him were stunned. The mere fact that Takayuki backed down voluntarily told them enough.
"Good that you know," Futsu Mitama replied calmly, already losing interest.
He intended to return home, brew the Narukami sake, and eventually send it off to that carefree bard, Venti.
What a pity. The war was accelerating ahead of schedule. He had originally intended to use the sake to strengthen the Resistance.
Now that seemed unlikely.
"Lord Futsu Mitama."
As he passed, Takayuki spoke without turning.
"Please convey my regards to Guuji Yae. And as for the Resistance—my Tenryou Commission will eradicate the rebels and uphold Inazuma's eternity."
The words were measured, but the intent was unmistakable.
Takayuki knew more than he let on. Through Fatui intelligence, he had pieced together fragments—Futsu Mitama returning to Inazuma with Yae Miko, their connection to the Resistance.
He framed it as duty.
The Tenryou Commission would crush the rebellion.
And he believed he could not lose.
He held righteousness.
He had the Fatui's contract.
And in the worst case—He could invoke the Raiden Shogun's authority.
"Oh."
Futsu Mitama did not even slow his pace.
Inazuma's present turmoil could not be blamed on the Kanjou Commission alone. The Tenryou Commission bore even heavier responsibility.
He had once heard Raiden Makoto's quiet judgment: had such a head of the Kujou Clan existed in her era, he would have been ordered to atone with his life.
Without another word, Futsu Mitama left. He did not look back.
Behind him, Kujou Takayuki's hands trembled faintly at his sides. When had he ever been ignored like this?
Not even Kamisato Ayato dared. Not even Yae Miko.
Only the Raiden Shogun treated him with such indifference.
And now this young man did the same.
"Good. Very good." Takayuki's voice turned cold. "We will settle this on the battlefield."
One of the stronger samurai stepped forward carefully.
"Lord Takayuki…who was he? How could he act so boldly?"
The man chose his words with precision—praise and criticism intertwined. In Inazuma, strength alone meant nothing. The Raiden Shogun stood at the pinnacle. Talent without backing led either to recruitment—or to becoming a wandering Nobushi.
Takayuki gave no answer.
He merely snorted and strode toward the Tenshukaku.
To reveal Futsu Mitama's identity would only destabilize his own camp.
At the gates stood the two familiar Okuzume.
"This old man requests an audience with the Raiden Shogun regarding the Resistance," Takayuki said evenly.
"The Raiden Shogun is not seeing anyone today. Please return, Lord Takayuki."
His brows furrowed.
"But I saw Futsu Mitama leaving just now. Could it be that he also—"
The other Okuzume soldier spoke calmly.
"The Raiden Shogun has instructed that when Lord Futsu Mitama arrives, he may enter without announcement."
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the samurai behind him.
Takayuki's heartbeat spiked—though his expression remained composed.
"I understand." He turned immediately. "I will return tomorrow."
He left without further protest.
The stronger samurai felt it clearly.
Something had shifted.
But he dismissed the thought.
Such matters were beyond someone like him.
As Takayuki's group disappeared into the distance, one Okuzume muttered quietly:
"He's just leaving?" The other shook his head. "I don't know."
The other Okuzume shook his head, unable to guess what had gotten into the head of the Tenryou Commission today.
But such matters had little to do with them. As long as the Raiden Shogun issued no orders, nothing concerned the Okuzume.
"Still…can he really win?" the more talkative guard muttered. "The Resistance isn't weak."
"Overall, they're outmatched—but Lady Sara was defeated. If even she couldn't secure victory, can Kujou Takayuki?"
"In politics, perhaps. But when it comes to commanding troops, Lady Kujou Sara surpasses him."
His companion nodded faintly.
"I don't know. He did once oversee the Shogunate Army."
A pause.
"But he's not as capable as Lady Sara. That much is certain."
"With enough soldiers—and the Fatui's support—victory may seem assured. Yet if something unexpected happens…he'll be the first to fall."
Their tone held little respect.
Publicly, they addressed him as "Lord Takayuki." Privately, they used his full name. Even if overheard, what could he do? He governed the Tenryou Commission—not the Okuzume.
They respected Kujou Sara because she had proven ability and integrity. And the fact that both Guuji Yae and Lord Futsu Mitama were on good terms with her spoke volumes.
As they continued their idle conversation, a strange tension settled over Inazuma City. Even ordinary residents could sense it. War was approaching, and uncertainty clung to the air like mist.
Guard duty left room for talk.
—
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama returned home and checked on the Narukami sake he had been brewing. Satisfied that everything was proceeding smoothly, he returned to his courtyard and opened the Chat Group.
He shared the news at once.
[Futsu Mitama: "Alright, I've left the Tenshukaku."]
[Yae Miko: "Huh? You left already? Wait—you succeeded? That fast?! Ei guided me for half a year back then!!! You're done already?!"]
[Albedo: "Guuji appears quite upset."]
[Klee: "Brother Futsu Mitama is amazing!!!"]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "Your talent remains as extraordinary as ever."]
[Yae Miko: "Forget it. I won't say more. Tell me—doesn't it feel wonderful? When you understand it, the power comes instantly."]
[Raiden Makoto: "That quickly? It seems you grasped the essence."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Not really. I only understand the basics of using Devotion. But it feels…strange. Inazuma's situation is what it is. Devotion hears the true voices of the people, doesn't it? So why would she responds like this?"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Perhaps in a few years, she will understand."]
[Venti: "Or perhaps not. Digging too deeply can be troublesome."]
[Guizhong: "Like reading chat logs from a year ago. Exhausting."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Devotion accumulates. Inazuma's faith spans thousands of years. The longer it endures, the stronger it becomes. During the Archon War, some gods conquered relentlessly for this very reason."]
[Yae Miko: "If you expect Devotion alone to make Ei realize Inazuma has changed— The nation would likely collapse before that happens."]
[Zhongli: "More importantly—after using Devotion, do you feel headaches? Weakness?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "No."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Sleepiness? Ringing in your ears?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "Neither."]
[Venti: "Ah, then a nosebleed?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "Is that supposed to be a side effect? Because I don't have any!"]
A sudden silence followed.
[Raiden Makoto: "!!!!"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "?!!!"]
[Zhongli: "This—"]
[Azhdaha: "Do you possess an Archon's bloodline?!"]
[Yae Miko: "Devotion is not Elemental Power. Mortals pay a price for wielding it."]
[Albedo: "Bearing the wishes of countless people requires an extraordinary body and spirit. Ordinary humans cannot withstand it."]
Futsu Mitama blinked at the screen.
[Futsu Mitama: "So that's why Ei and the Shogun looked at me that way—Have I transcended humanity now?"]
[Shenhe: "Congratulations."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Not surprising. You already seem beyond ordinary humans."]
[Venti: "As expected of my chosen future Anemo Archon!"]
[Azhdaha: "Nonsense! He's clearly Morax's successor!"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Visit Sumeru when you have time. I wish to meet my successor."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Stop trying to steal Inazuma's successor!!!"]
Then Makoto added:
[Raiden Makoto: "You should have finished forging your companion weapon by now, correct?"]
[Azhdaha: "Yes! I've been waiting for the livestream!"]
Futsu Mitama froze.
[Futsu Mitama: "…Ah~."]
He sent an image of the blade instead.
The Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami gleamed within the chat window—sleek, radiant, crackling faintly with Electro.
[Albedo: "A fine sword. Its structure is remarkable."]
[Zhongli: "Even through the image, one can sense its elemental resonance."]
[Shenhe: "The companion weapon is complete?"]
[Azhdaha: "Where is the livestream?"]
A beat of silence.
[Futsu Mitama: "I forgot."]
—
Outside the chat, Futsu Mitama covered his face.
He had truly forgotten.
Between refining his forging techniques, sparring with the Raiden Shogun simulation, brewing sake, gathering intelligence, and speaking with Kujou Sara and Raiden Ei beforehand—his attention had been fully consumed.
When he finally began forging, he poured everything into the process.
And neglected to start the group livestream.
"I need to compensate Azhdaha somehow…"
In the chat, Azhdaha had gone quiet—like someone whose long-awaited celebration had abruptly dissolved.
Futsu Mitama hurriedly promised that when the Tenryou Commission and the Fatui launched their full assault on the Resistance, he would absolutely start a livestream.
No excuses next time.
Azhdaha eventually replied that it was fine. Disappointed, yes—but still deeply interested in the blade.
Even during the Archon War, those capable of forging companion weapons had been exceedingly rare.
When his erosion subsided enough for him to leave his seal, he wished to see the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami in person.
Futsu Mitama agreed without hesitation.
Absolutely no problem.
This time—He would not forget.