Chapter 163. Scaramouche's Second Phase!
The three factions began to move.
Watatsumi Island initiated its operation first, dispatching its main forces toward the front lines to begin what would become the final battle.
Kujou Takayuki's Shogunate Army also started advancing at daybreak, preparing to meet the Resistance on Yashiori Island.
At the same time, the Fatui—nominally allies of the Shogunate Army—quietly began their own covert operation.
All three sides were now in motion.
Yet none of this concerned Futsu Mitama.
After getting a short rest, he was calmly enjoying the long-awaited breakfast prepared by Aila while waiting for noon to arrive.
During this time, he did not participate in sparring sessions, nor did he attend any mobilization speeches or strategic discussions.
Those responsibilities belonged to Gorou and Kazuha.
His task was much simpler.
Deal with Scaramouche.
And stop the Fatui.
As for sparring, although he had agreed the previous day to exchange blows with Shenhe, he ultimately decided to postpone it.
After all, he would soon be heading to the Fatui factory to confront Scaramouche.
Shenhe showed no objection.
She simply said she could wait.
Before long, the elite troops from Watatsumi Island arrived on Yashiori Island.
At the same time, Futsu Mitama, Shenhe, and Aila prepared to depart.
"Be careful."
Gorou handed a signal flare to Futsu Mitama, speaking in the tone of someone who couldn't help but worry.
"If anything unexpected happens, fire this immediately. Remember that."
Although Gorou knew very well that Futsu Mitama possessed extraordinary strength, the battlefield was unpredictable. It was always better to prepare for the worst.
More importantly, Gorou trusted Sangonomiya Kokomi's judgment.
Lady Kokomi had personally warned that the Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche, was an extremely dangerous opponent.
At present, no one within the Resistance could defeat him.
Initially, Gorou had been skeptical.
With so many well-known fighters on their side, how could they possibly fail to defeat a single Fatui Harbinger?
If Sangonomiya Kokomi had not explicitly forbidden them from confronting Scaramouche before the main battle began, Gorou might have secretly led troops to challenge him already.
To prevent him from doing something reckless, Kazuha stepped forward and confirmed Kokomi's assessment.
Scaramouche was indeed extraordinarily powerful.
Kazuha admitted openly that he was no match for him.
If they fought seriously, he believed he would lose within a dozen exchanges.
During their brief clash in the past, he had already felt the terrifying pressure of Scaramouche's combat ability.
The opponent was overwhelmingly strong.
An enemy like that could not be defeated simply by relying on numbers.
After hearing Kazuha's words, Gorou finally understood the severity of the situation.
After all, aside from Sangonomiya Kokomi—who never used her Adeptus power in combat—Kazuha was currently the strongest fighter within the Resistance.
If even he said it was impossible, then it truly was.
Of course, that was before.
Now the circumstances had changed.
Futsu Mitama had returned.
There were also disciple of the Liyue Adeptus present.
And the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine—whose whereabouts remained unknown—might appear at any moment.
Together with Ailaa, whose strength had grown by an unknown degree, the group should be able to deal with Scaramouche.
"If necessary, fire the signal flare."
Kazuha also spoke to Futsu Mitama with a serious expression.
"We'll come immediately."
Having once fought alongside Futsu Mitama against Scaramouche, Kazuha still remembered that encounter vividly.
In only one or two moves, Scaramouche had shattered his weapon with his bare hands.
If Futsu Mitama had not intimidated the Harbinger at that moment, the best outcome would have been a desperate retreat.
The worst outcome—They might have been captured alive by the Fatui.
And if that had happened—after Sangonomiya Kokomi's disappearance—the Resistance would have had no future at all.
"Don't worry."
Futsu Mitama nodded reassuringly.
Looking at Gorou and Kazuha, he spoke with calm seriousness.
"I'll leave this battlefield to you. Kujou Sara isn't present, but that doesn't mean the Shogunate Army lacks capable fighters."
"Stay vigilant."
Gorou and Kazuha both nodded.
They were well aware of that.
Still, the opposing commander was Kujou Takayuki.
The old man had not personally commanded a battlefield in years. Although he was the head of the Kujou Clan and leader of the Tenryou Commission, those titles might intimidate others.
But to Gorou and Kazuha, they were far less daunting than Kujou Sara herself.
Even so, they would remain cautious. After all, their battlefield was the main front.
Futsu Mitama's confrontation with Scaramouche would be the second most critical battlefield.
As for Watatsumi Island—With Sangonomiya Kokomi overseeing it, there was little cause for concern.
"This does feel somewhat unusual," Gorou said thoughtfully.
"Normally, in a battle of this scale, Lady Kokomi would personally command the front lines. I didn't expect her to remain behind to guard the rear this time."
"That shows how much she trusts us."
His voice carried both emotion and determination. He would never betray Lady Kokomi's expectations.
"Perhaps it isn't so simple."
Kazuha spoke quietly, his expression thoughtful.
"The Divine Priestess may have discovered something important. That might be why she remained on Watatsumi Island. In a campaign of this magnitude, she would certainly be present unless something urgent required her attention."
Gorou nodded slowly.
"That makes sense. Lady Kokomi must be planning something… something extremely important."
"Important enough to influence the entire situation."
Hearing their discussion, however, the members of the Chat Group all showed rather complicated expressions.
Futsu Mitama himself hesitated slightly. There was simply no way he could tell them the truth.
The truth being that Sangonomiya Kokomi was currently asleep somewhere—no one knew exactly where.
Meanwhile, the person actually managing Watatsumi Island was Yae Miko. And at this very moment, Yae Miko was frantically tagging Sangonomiya Kokomi in the group chat.
She was repeatedly stating that most of the work had already been completed, and it was about time for Kokomi to wake up instead of pretending to sleep.
After all, although the immediate preparations were mostly finished, the war itself had only just begun. With both the Shogunate Army and the Fatui involved, the upcoming battles would become even more brutal.
For now, Yae Miko could finally breathe a little easier. But before long, she would undoubtedly become busy again.
Which was precisely why she wanted Sangonomiya Kokomi to wake up as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times Yae Miko tagged her in the chat—There was still no response.
Even so, Kokomi still showed no sign of responding. Albedo expressed sincere sympathy.
Yae Miko responded with an equally sincere "greeting."
"Well then, we're leaving."
Futsu Mitama quickly ended the topic. If the conversation continued, he might accidentally say something that would expose the truth to Gorou and Kazuha.
The two nodded and watched as Futsu Mitama, Ayra, and Shenhe departed into the distance.
"Now it's our turn," Gorou said seriously.
He looked toward the Shogunate Army's camp.
"Lady Kokomi is guarding the rear. Futsu Mitama and the others have gone to block the Fatui."
"What we must face now… is the Shogunate Army. We must end this battle quickly."
"We cannot disappoint Futsu Mitama or Lady Kokomi."
Without Kujou Sara, the Shogunate Army's overall strength would undoubtedly drop a level.
Compared with the other fronts, Gorou's battlefield was relatively easier.
Kuki Shinobu nodded. According to their intelligence, most Fatui forces were gathered within the factory.
Ailaa would likely not fight Scaramouche directly. Instead, she would intercept the Fatui elites.
With the Adeptus techniques she learned from Cloud Retainer, combined with the Mirrors Reflection of Tranquility, she could block numbers of enemies for a short time.
And with Futsu Mitama and Shenhe present—both capable of devastating large-scale attacks—any stray strike during their battle with Scaramouche could devastate the surrounding Fatui troops.
Even if those elites survived, they would likely be severely weakened. By the time they reached the front lines, they would hardly pose a serious threat.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama, Shenhe, and Aila quickly approached the Fatui factory.
Their speed was remarkable, and they soon arrived. The moment they did, Futsu Mitama started the Chat Group live stream. He had no intention of keeping the group waiting.
Messages instantly flooded the chat.
The conversation quickly descended into lively chaos.
At one point, an old recording surfaced—apparently containing Yae Miko's embarrassing past during a fight with Scaramouche.
Yae Miko immediately panicked in the chat.
"I bled for Inazuma! I contributed to Inazuma! Lady Makoto, delete that video immediately! The fox will die! The fox will really die!"
Seeing the lively chat, Futsu Mitama couldn't help smiling slightly.
But soon he became serious again.
The Fatui factory was right ahead. Facing both Scaramouche and a large number of Fatui elites, he had no room for carelessness.
Shenhe frowned faintly.
"It's too quiet."
Aila also looked around, her expression cautious.
Indeed, the surroundings were strangely silent. For a Fatui base, it was far too calm. Normally, guards would have already appeared to stop them. Yet now there was nothing.
The three of them instantly sensed something unusual.
"You've finally arrived, Futsu Mitama."
A familiar voice suddenly echoed. A bolt of purple lightning shot toward them.
Aila stepped forward instantly. With the sound of flowing water, her cold tachi left its sheath and cut through the lightning.
Shenhe turned toward the factory entrance. The attack had come from within.
"Oh?"
Scaramouche walked out slowly, as though strolling through his own garden. His gaze swept over the three of them.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This maid is weaker than the intelligence suggested."
"And…she's grown up?"
"If Dottore were here, he would probably be very pleased."
Aila said nothing.
Cold air spread from the blade in her hand.
Though misunderstood, she didn't bother explaining.
But being called weak—That irritated her slightly.
In the next instant—She pressed the pocket watch at her waist.
Her figure vanished.
The Mirrors Reflection of Tranquility activated.
The world in Ailaa's eyes transformed.
She stood upon the surface of a calm lake. Her aura surged several times over.
When she reappeared beside Scaramouche, her blade had already fallen.
Water and ice intertwined along the tachi. Talismans she had attached earlier flared with power.
The strike was terrifying.
"Oh?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Scaramouche's eyes.
But he didn't seem concerned. Lightning crackled in his hand as he threw a punch.
He might fear the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi.
But Aila's strike? Not enough.
Boom.
Their attacks collided. An elemental shockwave exploded outward.
Scaramouche stepped back several paces.
He glanced at the faint white mark on his hand with mild displeasure.
"It seems I underestimated you. You're quite impressive. But how long can you maintain that state?"
Aila retreated silently.
Her eyes showed a trace of disappointment. A full-power surprise attack had only pushed him back. She had relied on external power to unleash that Adeptus-level strike.
The result… still wasn't enough.
Returning to Futsu Mitama and Shenhe, she spoke calmly.
"His body is very hard."
Shenhe nodded.
"It's like striking a divine weapon. This battle will not be easy."
Futsu Mitama, however, looked unsurprised.
"That's normal."
Back then, even he had been unable to break Scaramouche's defenses. Only after stacking by Guuji and the Electro Archon Authority had he managed it.
Even the Raiden Shogun needed to be somewhat serious to sever one of Scaramouche's limbs.
Which showed just how terrifying the puppet's body truly was.
Futsu Mitama then looked toward the factory.
Something felt strange.
Scaramouche stood alone.
Where were the Fatui elites?
Normally, Fatui troops would appear first to exhaust their enemies before the Harbinger entered battle.
But now—The boss had appeared immediately. And the foot soldiers were nowhere to be seen.
Strange, very strange, what's going on?
"Are you confused?" Scaramouche looked at Futsu Mitama with a chuckle, his tone arrogant: "Indeed, anyone who sees this scene can't help but be confused."
"You want to know where my subordinates went, right? They've already gone to rendezvous with the Tenryou Commission. Now you have two choices."
"One, obediently fight me here."
"Two, we go to the center of the Resistance and Shogunate Army's battle and see whether you kill more people, or I kill fewer people."
Scaramouche showed a rather malicious smile because, no matter what, he wouldn't lose out.
On the contrary, Futsu Mitama, as a Raiden Shogun's Retainer, would be wary no matter who he attacked.
It seemed like a choice, but in reality, Futsu Mitama had no choice at all.
"You got me," Futsu Mitama gave Scaramouche a deep look. He hadn't expected the other party to have already guessed that he and his group would come looking for him.
But then again, the Fatui's intelligence network shouldn't be underestimated.
Even so, Futsu Mitama quickly asked, "Where's Dottore? He should be here too! I don't believe there's only one Fatui Harbinger in Inazuma."
Futsu Mitama's sudden question made Scaramouche slightly stunned, then he chuckled: "Dottore? You asked that fool Tartaglia for information about me and Dottore."
"And you even gave up her information. To be honest, you're very smart, but... why should I tell you? You guess, you guess if Dottore is in Inazuma. You guess if the Lady, who you almost killed, will come back for revenge."
Upon hearing these words, Futsu Mitama immediately drew the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami hanging at his waist, an Chakra Desiderata appeared behind him, and he teleported in front of Scaramouche.
"Are you a child?! Still guessing!!!!"
As these words fell, purple lightning flickered on the tip of the blade, and Futsu Mitama slashed at Scaramouche.
Scaramouche's expression became somewhat serious. He didn't choose to directly block Futsu Mitama's attack. Just over a month had passed.
The ant he could have easily crushed had become so powerful; he hadn't expected it.
But...what if he became stronger? An ant is always an ant!
"Zzzzzz—!!!!"
Terrifying lightning erupted from Scaramouche's body, purple lightning flickered in his eyes, and at this moment, the weather changed slightly.
"Boom—!!!"
Accompanied by a rumbling thunder, Scaramouche reached out his hand, and terrifying lightning condensed in his hand, colliding with Futsu Mitama's blade.
The two were in a stalemate for a moment, but a faint golden light flickered in Futsu Mitama's eyes.
"!"
Scaramouche, sensing something, instantly teleported away from his spot.
"Planet Befall!"
But Futsu Mitama wouldn't let Scaramouche leave so easily. This time, he didn't even pose; he directly used [Starfall].
A huge Planet Befall condensed and smashed towards Scaramouche, or rather, the factory behind him.
"Bang—!!!"
The huge Planet Befall landed on the factory behind Scaramouche, directly smashing it to smithereens.
"You—"
Scaramouche watched as the factory behind him was smashed. His expression seemed somewhat angry, clearly something was hidden inside that factory.
"Whoosh—!"
The next second, Shenhe suddenly appeared beside Scaramouche. She gripped calamity queller with one hand and held a talisman in the other.
"Manifest!" Shenhe lightly cried out, the talisman in her hand dissipated, and an ice puppet wielding a spear appeared behind her.
Shenhe and the ice puppet attacked together, preventing Scaramouche from speaking further.
Futsu Mitama also raised his sword, a Chakra Desiderata flashed, and he teleported to attack Scaramouche.
At this moment, even if Scaramouche had a temper, he became somewhat subdued, because Shenhe and Futsu Mitama's combined attack was not something an ordinary person could withstand.
At this moment, everyone in the group live stream was also discussing animatedly.
"[Futsu Mitama: "@ Aila, leave here and go to the front lines, in case the Fatui suddenly attack."]"
"[Kuki Shinobu: "The battle hasn't started here yet. Gorou and Kazuha are currently communicating with Kujou Takayuki, and there's no sign of the Fatui."]"
"[Aila: "Understood, Young Master. You and Senior Sister be careful."]"
"[Guizhong: "Is this a Fatui Harbinger? He looks quite strong. Facing the combined attack of Shenhe and Futsu Mitama, although he looks a bit disheveled, he still seems to have some strength left."]"
"[Albedo: "The Fatui Harbinger positions are ranked by strength. Scaramouche being ranked sixth means he is the sixth strongest Fatui Harbinger."]"
"[Yae Miko: "The little one should have no problem dealing with this menace, but—will the Fatui really go to the front lines?"]"
"[Raiden Makoto: "Miko, you need to be careful. Perhaps the Fatui's objective isn't the main battlefield."]"
"[Keqing: "Not the main battlefield? The Fatui allied with the Tenryou Commission precisely to eliminate the Resistance, didn't they? If they don't deal with the main force on the front lines, where else can they go?"]"
"[Maha Rukkhadevata: "They can go to Watatsumi Island. There's hardly anyone there, and the Fatui's goal might not be to eliminate the Resistance. Their true objective should be to obtain something, or rather... to achieve some goal."]"
"[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Although the Tenryou Commission and the Fatui have allied, the content of the alliance should be to jointly deal with the Resistance. In this light, the Fatui going to Watatsumi Island doesn't count as breaking the contract."]"
"[Kamisato Ayaka: "But if that's the case, how will the Fatui get there? On land, there must be guards. If the Fatui want to conquer Watatsumi Island, they would definitely expose their whereabouts if they went by land."]"
"[Azhdaha: "If land isn't an option, then only the sky and the sea are left."]"
"[Yae Miko: "The sea? If that's the case... then it's bad."]"
"[Futsu Mitama: "@ Aila, don't rush. First, see where the Fatui are attacking from."]"
"[Aila: "Yes, Young Master."]"
"[Kuki Shinobu: "I'll keep a close eye on things here. If the Fatui appear, I'll let you know."]"
"[Yae Miko: "I need to speed up the arrangement of formations. I don't know what the Fatui want to do now, but it's highly likely that I'll have to face a large number of Fatui next."]"
Looking at Yae Miko's words in the group live stream, Futsu Mitama frowned slightly, feeling that things were getting out of control.
It was highly possible that the Fatui weren't on the front lines but were instead attempting a sneak attack from the rear. If that were the case—
A single Yae Miko probably couldn't stop a large group of Fatui by herself. Unless Yae Miko was given enough time to prepare, but ever since arriving at Watatsumi Island, she was either on her way to work or already working.
Although she had made some preparations, she hadn't prepared that much!
The Fatui took an elite route. If they were to attack Watatsumi Island, their combat strength was probably calculated based on Yae Miko sending all of Watatsumi Island's stationed forces to the front lines.
At that time, the enemies Watatsumi Island would face would be an unknown number of Fatui. This situation was extremely critical. A sneak attack from the rear, no matter what, was an emergency that could shake the morale of the Resistance.
Furthermore, this familiar feeling of being schemed against made Futsu Mitama sense something, and he felt quite displeased.
"Let's finish this quickly," Futsu Mitama's expression was serious. He said this to Shenhe, deciding to quickly take down Scaramouche.
"Mm."
Shenhe also nodded. Without any hesitation, she pulled out another talisman.
"Heh! You two seem to have sensed something," Scaramouche looked at Futsu Mitama and Shenhe, his tone somewhat unfriendly: "But you two seem to be treating me like a weakling, which makes me very unhappy!"
"Boom—!!!"
Several purple lightning bolts with terrifying aura descended from the sky, striking at Futsu Mitama and Shenhe.
Shenhe dodged to the side, while Futsu Mitama secretly radiated purple lightning, and the Narukami at his hand emitted a rather terrifying aura.
At this moment, Futsu Mitama was like a being wielding the Electro Archon Authority. The purple lightning falling from the sky even stopped in mid-air, unable to advance further.
Control! This was absolute control!
Futsu Mitama, possessing a double share of Electro Archon Authority, had a certain degree of control over Inazuma, no—over all beings who used the Electro Element.
Scaramouche used his power to pull lightning from the sky, and Futsu Mitama could use the Narukami and the Electro Archon Authority within him to control this power.
"Whoosh—!!"
Futsu Mitama used the power of the Electro Archon Authority to redirect the lightning to attack Scaramouche. Scaramouche didn't choose to block it directly but instead condensed an Electro Element shield to block it. However, his expression became even uglier.
"Damn it! Damn it! You're damned!!!!!!"
Seeing the lightning he had summoned being used by Futsu Mitama against him, Scaramouche became exceptionally furious. He wished he could kill Futsu Mitama on the spot.
But now, with Futsu Mitama and Shenhe working together, even he couldn't take down Futsu Mitama in a short time.
"Damn it? What's damned?" Futsu Mitama ignored Scaramouche's anger. He gripped the Narukami in his hand and said seriously, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't be, because I'm in more of a hurry than you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Futsu Mitama swung the Narukami, and in an instant, a terrifying aura rose from his body.
Lightning jumped on the Narukami's blade, and divine pressure rose.
"!!!!!!!!"
Scaramouche seemed to have sensed something. His pupils slightly constricted, and he said in disbelief, "No, how is this possible?! How is this possible?! You!!! You fellow!!! You actually!!!"
Saying this, Scaramouche took a half-step back, purple lightning surging around him, seemingly intending to avoid this attack.
"Heavenly Edict!"
Shenhe threw out the talisman in her hand, and terrifying cold air erupted from it. The ice puppet holding a long spear also dissipated, merging into the talisman.
A freezing domain enveloped Futsu Mitama and Scaramouche, trapping both of them.
Several knife-sharp cold currents attacked Scaramouche. Within this domain, Shenhe could freely control everything.
Including temporarily sealing space, preventing Scaramouche from teleporting away.
"No thought, no delusion."
Futsu Mitama stared at Scaramouche, who was being attacked by the cold currents, and decisively swung his blade.
This was the ultimate mystery, the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi!
"Buzz—!!!!"
Terrifying purple lightning instantly dispelled the surrounding cold air, and a terrifying strike slashed towards Scaramouche.
"!!!!"
Scaramouche felt the danger. He gritted his teeth, and bone-chilling cold air and dazzling lightning erupted from his body.
"Boom—!!!"
Accompanied by a violent explosion, purple lightning illuminated the surroundings, causing Aila, who was observing the battle from afar and hadn't left yet, to instinctively close her eyes.
When Aira opened her eyes again, she saw Futsu Mitama and Shenhe standing together, somewhat out of breath, staring at the area enveloped in smoke.
Futsu Mitama used the power of Anemo Element to dispel the smoke.
Everyone could clearly see a huge crack on the ground, a crack carved by Futsu Mitama's Musou no Hitotachi.
Its scale was considerable, but the question was... where was Scaramouche?
"..." Shenhe gripped calamity queller. She looked at the crack and, without a word, wanted to jump down.
"Don't," Futsu Mitama immediately pulled Shenhe back. Was she always that brave?! Just charging in?!
Shenhe looked at Futsu Mitama with some confusion. At this moment, shouldn't they press the advantage? Why not go down?
The violent shockwave swept across the ground, scattering shattered stone and dust into the air. The earth trembled as cracks spread outward from the impact point like a spider's web, Electro sparks still flickering within the fractured soil.
Futsu Mitama and Shenhe had already retreated several steps, landing lightly on opposite sides of the broken ground. The force of the explosion stirred their clothes and hair, but neither of them showed any sign of panic.
Futsu Mitama narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the massive crater left behind. The remaining Electro energy within it continued to pulse violently, mixed with threads of chilling Cryo power that froze the surrounding soil into jagged frost.
"So it's not just a bluff," he murmured quietly.
That single strike contained power far beyond what he had displayed earlier. The combination of Electro and Cryo had produced an unstable yet terrifying destructive force.
Above them, Scaramouche hovered on the glowing Hand-Eye, looking down with clear disdain.
The luminous ring behind him slowly rotated, releasing waves of oppressive pressure that spread across the battlefield like an invisible tide. The air itself seemed heavier under that force.
Futsu Mitama exhaled slowly.
"Looks like he's serious now."
On the other side, Shenhe's gaze remained locked on Scaramouche without wavering. Her expression was calm, but the faint frost gathering around her fingertips revealed that she had already begun circulating her energy.
"The Cryo power…it isn't ordinary," she said quietly. "It feels similar to the aura of a god."
"That's because it is," Futsu Mitama replied.
He lifted his head slightly, meeting Scaramouche's hostile gaze directly.
"That's the authority of the Cryo Archon."
Shenhe's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing that.
Even she understood what that meant.
Authority granted by an Archon was not something ordinary mortals could withstand. Combined with the power originally given by Raiden Ei, Scaramouche's current form was no longer comparable to a normal Fatui Harbinger.
In other words, the opponent before them was something closer to a pseudo-divine existence.
Above them, Scaramouche slowly raised his hand again.
Several points of light gathered in the air around him, rapidly condensing into multiple Electro spears. Each one crackled with lightning while thin layers of frost crept across their surfaces.
The air filled with a dangerous humming sound.
Seeing this, Futsu Mitama let out a quiet sigh.
"Well… this is going to get troublesome."
But despite his words, there was no trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, a faint hint of excitement appeared.
He loosened his shoulders slightly and spoke without turning his head.
"Shenhe."
"Yes."
"Don't hold back."
A thin smile appeared on Futsu Mitama's lips.
"Looks like we'll have to beat phase two out of him first."
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