Chapter 165. The Awakening of Kokomi
"Sangonomiya-sama!"
Just as Sangonomiya Kokomi (Yae Miko) was pondering the situation, Shrine Maiden Ruko came running back, breathing heavily. She stopped in front of Kokomi and reported, "The residents have begun evacuating, but it will take some time."
"How long?" Sangonomiya Kokomi asked, still wearing her gentle smile, as if nothing in the world could disturb her composure.
Seeing that calm smile, Ruko visibly relaxed. She quickly replied, "About half an hour. Everyone should be able to fully withdraw within that time."
"During this period, the remaining soldiers on Watatsumi Island will use the cannons to deter the enemy ships. If we're lucky…"
Ruko clearly wanted to continue, but Kokomi raised a hand to stop her. Then she slowly pointed forward.
Ruko followed the direction of her finger—and immediately saw terrifying bolts of lightning descending from the sky, striking toward the Fatui ships.
"Th-This is…!" Ruko's eyes lit up with astonishment. Lightning from the heavens—had Lady Guuji, hidden somewhere in the shadows, finally taken action?
As expected of Sangonomiya-sama. Nothing could escape her foresight!
She had already anticipated the Fatui attack—and even the moment when Lady Guuji would need to intervene.
"You should retreat as well," Kokomi said gently. "I'm afraid I'll have to enter the battlefield myself. Tell the remaining soldiers to withdraw too."
Her voice remained soft, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"Why, Sangonomiya-sama?" Ruko looked confused and hurriedly protested. "You and Lady Guuji will surely still need manpower."
"Although the remaining soldiers are not especially strong, they are all prepared to sacrifice themselves for Watatsumi Island and the Resistance."
"I feel the same way. After staying by your side for so long, I should at least be able to deal with one or two Fatui, right?"
"And there are three ships approaching. There must be many Fatui elites aboard them. Please don't risk yourself just to protect us."
Ruko understood Kokomi well. She always appeared delicate, always smiling gently, but whenever a crisis emerged, she was the first to step forward.
Just like when she foresaw that many residents of Watatsumi Island would eventually starve because of the Sakoku Decree. It was precisely because of that prediction that the Resistance had come into being.
She personally managed the front lines, handling countless matters by herself. Sometimes Ruko could only sigh, feeling that Sangonomiya-sama worked far too hard, even neglecting to rest at her own secret base.
Now Kokomi intended to personally join the battle. Even though Ruko knew she was incredibly strong—indeed the strongest individual on Watatsumi Island—and even though Lady Guuji was also present, she still felt compelled to object.
At the very least, the soldiers should remain. Even if they were not powerful, they could still hold off a few Fatui enemies.
Kokomi glanced at Ruko. Judging from her aura, if she stayed, she would most likely be defeated by just one or two Fatui soldiers.
"There's no need," Kokomi (Yae) said calmly. "Your withdrawal is the greatest help you can give me."
She spoke sincerely. "If the Fatui land on the island and capture you, it will become very troublesome for me."
Ruko hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded helplessly. She bowed to Kokomi before quickly departing.
She understood. If she and the others were captured, Sangonomiya-sama and Lady Guuji would be forced into a difficult position.
Once Ruko had left, Yae Miko stopped pretending and revealed her true form.
Her gaze fell upon the three ships in the distance, currently being bombarded by lightning. Her expression was unusually calm. Yae Miko was famous for always smiling. If that smile disappeared, it meant the situation had truly become serious.
Because the lightning in the distance soon faded—and the three Fatui ships remained intact. A transparent protective barrier surrounded their hulls.
Such equipment was extremely rare. Even Beidou's Crux Fleet only possessed a similar shield on the Alcor, not on their other ships. Yet all three Fatui vessels were equipped with protective shields, and those shields could not be broken immediately.
Realizing this, Yae Miko understood that she would have to go all out.
If those ships continued approaching Watatsumi Island, the residents might not finish evacuating in time.
The Fatui's objective was obvious—they wanted to land on Watatsumi Island as quickly as possible.
And the more they tried to do so, the more Yae Miko had to stop them.
"Whoosh!"
Yae Miko drew out a talisman.
As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, inheritor of the Kitsune bloodline, and a close retainer—and friend—of the Raiden Shogun, she had learned countless arts.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that many of Inazuma's surviving ancient traditions were preserved in her hands.
If she encountered a worthy successor, she would gladly pass them down.
Unfortunately… Inazuma currently lacked such talent.
Whenever she thought about the abundance of geniuses in neighboring Liyue and Mondstadt, Yae Miko couldn't help feeling a mix of envy and irritation.
Both nations were governed by gods—yet Liyue had an astonishing number of outstanding talents.
And Mondstadt, a nation without direct divine rule, also produced remarkable individuals.
The contrast was truly frustrating.
But complaints were one thing. Yae Miko would still dedicate herself wholeheartedly to Inazuma.
Like now. For the future of the nation, she—a fox who was never particularly fond of combat—was personally stepping onto the battlefield.
As the talisman in her hand burned away, dark clouds rapidly gathered above Watatsumi Island. Purple lightning flashed within the storm.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Thunder rolled across the sky, carrying terrifying pressure. Below, the residents hiding in shelters stared upward in shock.
"Lady Guuji has taken action!"
"With Sangonomiya-sama and the mysterious Lady Guuji fighting, Watatsumi Island will surely be safe!"
"But we must send word to Lord Gorou. Those Fatui scoundrels actually dared to ambush Watatsumi Island!"
Even while discussing it excitedly, the soldiers and civilians continued moving toward the shelters in an orderly fashion, unwilling to disrupt Sangonomiya-sama's plans.
As the evacuation progressed smoothly, Yae Miko's assault intensified.
Lightning poured down from the storm clouds. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of bolts slammed into the Fatui ships.
"Don't think it's over so easily," Yae Miko murmured with a faintly alluring yet icy smile.
She formed several hand seals, and a gohei appeared in her hand. With a gentle wave of the ritual staff, a fox tail quietly emerged behind her.
"Boom—!"
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and smashed directly into one of the ships' protective shields.
The barrier shattered instantly. With the shield gone, Yae Miko immediately concentrated all her firepower on that vessel, intending to destroy it first.
Far away, aboard the Fatui ship whose barrier had been broken, chaos erupted.
Soldiers scrambled across the deck, dragging out equipment and preparing to endure the relentless lightning strikes.
"Damn it! Damn it!" a Harbinger's subordinate cursed furiously while staring up at the crackling storm. "This wasn't in the intelligence report!"
"They said Watatsumi Island only had Sangonomiya Kokomi! Then what the hell is this lightning?! Doesn't she have a Hydro Vision?! What kind of intelligence organization can't even get something this basic right?!"
Even while cursing, he pulled out a dozen glowing stones and inserted them into a machine. The protective shield had been destroyed and required time to absorb elemental energy before it could be restored.
Until then, the Fatui aboard the ship would have to survive the lightning with their own lives.
"Sir," a female Fatui agent said seriously as she approached him, "an attack of this scale can only be Yae Miko—the Raiden Shogun's retainer. It seems she didn't go to assist Lord Scaramouche after all. She remained on Watatsumi Island."
The subordinate glanced at her coldly.
"Do I look blind to you? In all of Inazuma, only Yae Miko, the Raiden Shogun, and that damn Futsu Mitama can unleash attacks like this."
"If it were the Shogun or Futsu Mitama, they'd probably just charge at us directly with their swords. Only she would attack like this—from the shadows."
His tone carried obvious disdain for Yae Miko, though his caution toward the Raiden Shogun and Futsu Mitama was unmistakable.
Someone who served a Harbinger naturally possessed extensive knowledge—and considerable strength himself.
The Raiden Shogun was beyond evaluation, standing on the same level as Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.
But Futsu Mitama was different. He generally defeated enemies through direct combat. Although he occasionally used tricks or schemes, most of the time he fought head-on.
Yae Miko, however, preferred indirect tactics, constantly striking from hidden angles. This made the Fatui extremely uncomfortable.
After all, how were they supposed to fight lightning falling from the sky? They couldn't disperse the storm clouds.
All they could do was endure.
"In that case… should we—"
The female agent glanced at the neighboring ship, clearly implying something.
"Shut up," the subordinate snapped coldly. "It's not time yet. Remember—everything proceeds according to plan, even if Yae Miko has appeared. As long as we force Sangonomiya Kokomi out before the Adeptus disciple and Futsu Mitama arrive, the mission will still succeed."
Just as he finished speaking, he abruptly dodged sideways.
"Boom—!"
A bolt of lightning struck exactly where he had been standing moments earlier, blasting a hole in the deck. The protective shield still needed time to recharge. Until then, no one aboard the ship was safe.
"All Geochanter—to the front!" He shouted immediately. "Use your Geo equipment to create a Crystallize Shield and block the lightning!"
Eight Geochanter stepped forward and slammed their staves into the deck.
"Buzz!"
A golden glow spread outward, forming a semicircular crystalline barrier that enveloped the ship.
"Sir," the female agent said anxiously, "this is only a temporary measure. The shield can last at most three minutes. If another attack of that magnitude strikes, it probably won't last even a few dozen seconds!"
"We must think of another solution."
The subordinate remained silent.
Of course he understood the situation. Even if it was only temporary, they had no choice but to endure.
Lord Harbinger was watching. Doing something—even if it failed—was better than standing there helplessly.
"Oh?"
From afar on Watatsumi Island, Yae Miko saw the crystalline barrier appear.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as another talisman formed in her hand.
With a soft chuckle, she said,
"Are they really not taking me seriously? Oh my… it seems I'm truly being underestimated."
Yae Miko tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying a teasing note. "I thought they would use something a little more creative. I didn't expect them to look down on me this much."
"If this is all they have, it won't be enough to stop my attacks."
With that, she flicked several talismans forward in quick succession. The charms burned away mid-air, dissolving into invisible streams of power that merged with the storm clouds above.
"Still—this feels a bit too monotonous."
She stroked her chin thoughtfully. Relying purely on talismans almost felt disrespectful toward the Fatui.
In truth, she was confident she could stall them for four or five hours if necessary. But ideally, she wanted to destroy the ships before they ever reached Watatsumi Island.
Forcing them to swim ashore would be far more amusing.
At the thought, Yae Miko lightly waved her hand.
Three Sesshou Sakura manifested on the ground, each flickering with faint Electro light.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
Purple energy pulsed through the Sesshou Sakura, streams of Electro power shooting upward into the clouds and feeding the storm.
The dark clouds above Watatsumi Island gradually turned a deep violet.
Although the Electro energy within them was still weaker than the Raiden Shogun's thunderstorm, the spectacle alone was already terrifying.
"Well then," Yae Miko murmured, licking her lips slightly, "let me test how much these three ships can really endure."
A trace of seriousness flashed across her eyes.
She was not naïve. A plan like this clearly wasn't Scaramouche's doing. If it had been his scheme, it would have been far cruder and more direct.
This plan deceived both sides.
The Tenryou Commission had been fooled.
The Resistance had also been fooled.
Everyone believed the Fatui and the Shogunate Army had joined forces to annihilate the Resistance. And given their combined strength, such a scenario was entirely plausible.
If both sides attacked together, even with external aid, the Resistance could never overcome the sheer disparity in numbers.
True, top-tier combat power could turn the tide of battle—but aside from Shenhe, who could act freely, neither Yae Miko nor Futsu Mitama could easily interfere.
Both of them represented the authority of the Electro Archon. A divine retainer attacking ordinary soldiers would create serious political consequences.
Of course, if they truly went all out, they could cut through the battlefield in moments and help the Resistance crush the Shogunate Army.
But doing so would leave enormous hidden dangers.
That outcome was something Raiden Makoto, Yae Miko, and Sangonomiya Kokomi all wished to avoid.
Thus they had chosen a gentler strategy: openly defeating the Shogunate forces, capturing their generals, and forcing a political resolution.
The Fatui's move, however, was far more vicious. Rather than assist the Shogunate Army on the main battlefield, they struck directly at Watatsumi Island. If they succeeded, the consequences would be devastating.
The Shogunate Army's morale would skyrocket.
The Resistance's morale would collapse.
In the resulting war of attrition, the Shogunate Army might suffer heavy losses—but the Resistance would be completely destroyed.
After all, even if the Shogunate Army lost troops, they still had Inazuma City and Ritou as logistical hubs.
But the Resistance? They would lose Watatsumi Island itself.
As for the Fatui—They would simply occupy the island and wait. Once the Shogunate Army finished crushing the Resistance, everything would be settled.
An insidious plan—one that left both sides bleeding while the Fatui remained largely untouched.
That was not the future Yae Miko wished to see. If Inazuma descended into such internal devastation, it would take decades to recover. So if possible, she intended to force the mastermind hiding within those ships to reveal themselves.
And if there was no mastermind? Even better.
She would simply sink all three ships.
"Rumble—!"
Violent lightning slammed down from the sky.
The Fatui's Geo shield endured the barrage for more than thirty seconds before finally shattering with a loud crack.
If Futsu Mitama were present, he would probably sigh again at how different reality was from the game. The in-game Yae Miko would have struggled to break a shield like that.
Once the Geo barrier collapsed, countless lightning bolts began striking the ship again, forcing grim expressions onto the faces of the Fatui soldiers.
Still, they did everything they could to block the attacks.
Some used elemental power.
Others simply threw themselves forward with their own bodies.
Their goal was simple: prevent the ship from being destroyed.
There were more than two hundred elite Fatui aboard, each capable of fighting ten opponents alone.
The lightning was fierce—but not impossible to resist. At worst, they would lose the ability to participate in the upcoming battle.
The other two ships endured similar attacks, though their shields remained intact. Their speed slowed slightly, but they continued advancing toward Watatsumi Island.
Seeing the island finally enter attack range, the commanders aboard those ships issued orders without hesitation.
"Fire! Destroy Watatsumi Island!"
"For the Harbinger!"
"For Her Majesty the Tsaritsa!"
"Our mission is to destroy Watatsumi Island and fulfill the contract signed with Kujou Takayuki!"
Cannons roared.
Shells rained down toward the outer buildings of Watatsumi Island.
From afar, Yae Miko noticed immediately. She redirected some of the lightning to intercept the barrage, destroying several shells mid-air.
But there were simply too many.
The lightning storm could not eliminate them all.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The shells never struck the buildings. Instead, they collided with a transparent barrier.
This was a defensive barrier Yae Miko had previously erected around Watatsumi Island. It could temporarily block attacks, though it served no other function.
And its defensive strength was limited—it had only been created casually during her spare time. After all, she had never expected the Fatui to deploy such a large force.
"Boom—!"
Realizing the enemy was about to reach the island, Yae Miko became fully serious. A colossal bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and struck the ship whose shield had already been destroyed.
The vessel split cleanly in two.
After that strike, even the purple storm clouds thinned slightly.
The shattered ship quickly sank.
Fatui soldiers plunged into the sea and began swimming toward Watatsumi Island.
They didn't attempt to board the other ships. Doing so would require lowering the shields, creating vulnerabilities.
As elite soldiers, they would never make such a mistake.
—
Inside the Chat Group:
"Yae Miko: @Aila, how much longer? I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. These Fatui turtle shells are ridiculously tough. I had to use two secret techniques just to destroy one ship!"
"Aila: Ten-plus minutes. Yashiori Island is still quite far from Watatsumi Island. That's my limit. Even with the speed talismans Master gave me and the bracelet Young Master forged, I can only shave off three minutes at most."
"Aila: But if I do that, my strength will drop significantly."
"Yae Miko: Maintain your current state. I have a bad feeling this isn't that simple. If little Kokomi were awake, things would be much easier for me."
"Raiden Makoto: How long can you hold them off, conservatively?"
"Yae Miko: If I personally join the battlefield, perhaps another thirty minutes. I underestimated the Fatui's will, they dare to use their own bodies to buy time. I bragged about holding them off for four or five hours, but clearly that won't happen."
"Yae Miko: I didn't prepare enough beforehand— sigh. I suppose I'm still not suited for combat."
"Maha Rukkhadevata: That's normal. Elite troops are troublesome in any era."
"Raiden Makoto: For now, Miko will have to push herself a little."
"Raiden Makoto: @Kuki Shinobu, how is the main battlefield?"
"Guizhong: How are the small gadgets I made earlier? I borrowed the materials from Cloud Retainer. She's collected quite a few interesting things lately. I made a couple more devices—do you still need them?"
"Kuki Shinobu: Thank you. I've identified several Shogunate generals with strong combat ability."
"Kuki Shinobu: If we capture them, victory will completely tilt to our side."
"Keqing: Wait… victory already?"
"Kamisato Ayaka: That seems impossible."
"Kamisato Ayaka: The battle just started, didn't it? According to earlier analysis, even without the Fatui, the Shogunate Army should be evenly matched with the Resistance."
"Albedo: How could victory appear so quickly?"
"Maha Rukkhadevata: Perhaps something unexpected occurred. Or the Shogunate Army underestimated them. Without being present, we can only speculate."
"Kuki Shinobu: The situation is a bit—complicated. I'll explain everything after the battle."
"Venti: Hehee~ I've been watching Futsu Mitama fight that Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche. Quite the spectacle. Has his strength increased again? His growth rate is beyond what I imagined."
"Azhdaha: Indeed. A month ago he wasn't even qualified to fight Scaramouche directly."
"Sangonomiya Kokomi: Ah~ That was a good sleep. Good morning everyone—what are you all discussing?"
"Sangonomiya Kokomi: @Yae Miko, thank you for your hard work. Next, let's…"
"Sangonomiya Kokomi: Eh? Wait—what was that explosion just now? Didn't I forbid soldiers from playing with Jumpy Dumpty?"
"Yae Miko: You're awake."
"Raiden Makoto: You're awake."
"Guizhong: You're awake."
"Venti: You're awake."
"Futsu Mitama: You're awake."
"Kamisato Ayaka: You're awake."
"Sangonomiya Kokomi: 0v0——What's happening outside? Did I sleep too long?"
"Yae Miko: Not long? You said you'd sleep one day. You slept almost in nine days! Do you know how I spent those days?! And now I'm facing a Fatui invasion. Hurry up and help!"
"Sangonomiya Kokomi: Wh-what?! Eight or nine days?! No wonder I smell strange—Wait—Fatui invading Watatsumi Island?! I'm coming out immediately!"
"Yae Miko: I'm on Watatsumi Island. Hurry."
"Zhongli: So you're awake now."
"Aila: Looks like I don't need to rush so much anymore."
—
Inside a secret resting base, Sangonomiya Kokomi quickly got out of bed.
Hearing the distant explosions, her expression turned tense. She didn't even care about the fact that she hadn't bathed for days. She rushed outside immediately.
The base was located not far from Watatsumi Island. Using Hydro elemental power, she stepped across the water currents she created, rapidly crossing the sea.
Before long, she saw Yae Miko standing on the shoreline. With just one glance, Kokomi could tell that Yae Miko's state resembled her own during extreme exhaustion.
"Yo~ You've finally arrived."
Sensing Kokomi's gaze, Yae Miko turned and offered an enchanting yet gentle smile.
The reason was simple. If someone forced you to work overtime for eight to nine days straight… and just when you thought you could rest, you were dragged into another crisis…
And then the colleague who slept through those eight to nine days suddenly showed up. Wouldn't you be annoyed?
"…"
Kokomi instantly realized she had indeed slept far too long. Though slightly embarrassed, she quickly regained her composure.
"What exactly is the situation? Can you explain?"
She glanced at the two remaining Fatui ships bombarding Watatsumi Island. She wanted to act immediately—but her habit was always to analyze before moving.
"Simply put," Yae Miko said calmly while watching the ships ahead, "you slept too long. According to the original plan, everything else went smoothly. Futsu Mitama and Shenhe engaged the Fatui Harbinger. Gorou, Kazuha, and Kuki Shinobu attacked the Shogunate Army directly."
"The only deviation—"
Yae Miko's gaze sharpened slightly.
"The Fatui never joined the frontline battle. Instead, they gathered all their elite forces and came straight for Watatsumi Island."
"As you can see," Yae Miko said calmly, her eyes still fixed on the approaching ships, "I'm doing everything I can to stop them. But they'll reach the shore in a few minutes. With the Fatui's elite strength, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold all of them off once they land."
Sangonomiya Kokomi's eyes flickered with a thoughtful light. She nodded slightly, already grasping the situation.
"Kujou Takayuki is playing with fire," she said softly with a sigh. "A prominent figure of the Kujou Clan—yet he's been thoroughly manipulated."
Yae Miko gave a faint shake of her head. "Weren't we manipulated as well? The whole situation caused such a commotion that everyone assumed the Fatui would fight alongside the Shogunate Army."
"But they chose a completely different route. To be honest, I considered this possibility before—but I didn't expect them to be this bold."
She paused briefly.
"Still… it's a low-risk, high-reward strategy. If they succeed—"
Her voice trailed off as she shook her head again. It was clear she felt she had underestimated the Fatui.
They had finally found a perfect opportunity.
If they assisted the Shogunate Army directly, the rewards would be limited. But if both the Shogunate Army and the Resistance exhausted themselves first—Then the Fatui could simply step in and claim everything.
Yae Miko had heard that Kujou Takayuki had even signed a contract with them. Did that fool never bother reading the terms carefully?
Now the Shogunate Army was in trouble—and so were they.
What an arrogant and overbearing fool.
"Indeed," Kokomi replied quietly. She hadn't expected this situation either. "Have the island's residents finished evacuating?"
Yae Miko nodded. Judging by the time that had passed, most of the civilians should already be gone.
"In that case—" Kokomi's expression hardened slightly. "let me teach these invaders a lesson."
A powerful aura suddenly radiated from her body as she looked toward the Fatui ships.
"How dare they step onto the land where our people have lived for generations."
"In the name of Orobashi no Mikoto… I grant you death."
As she spoke, the sea surrounding Watatsumi Island surged upward, forming the Ceremonial Garment around her body.
"Oh?" Yae Miko raised an eyebrow.
She immediately recognized that power. It belonged to Orobashi—the demon god slain by Raiden Ei long ago.
That ancient conflict had caused immense suffering to both sides before Orobashi's death ended the war. Raiden Ei had never pursued the matter further afterward. Still, Yae Miko had heard rumors that Kokomi could borrow some of Orobashi's strength.
What surprised her was how naturally Kokomi wielded it.
The power of a fallen demon god was not something ordinary humans could touch. Without the right constitution, using it would cause consequences similar to—or worse than—the backlash of a Delusion.
Yet Kokomi showed no sign of strain.
And something else bothered Yae Miko.
Was Kokomi always this strong?
Now her aura felt even greater than Yae Miko's own. Worse still, a faint instinctive warning stirred in her bloodline—as though the person before her had become some formidable existence.
As a descendant of an ancient fox lineage, Yae Miko's bloodline was among the most noble in Inazuma.
Apart from the gods themselves, even the other great yokai ranked below her. Yet her instincts now told her that Kokomi had somehow become something terrifying.
'I'll ask later,' Yae Miko thought. For now, the Fatui were the priority.
In fact, the stronger Kokomi was, the better.
Those ships were incredibly troublesome—especially their protective shields. Even Yae Miko needed time to destroy one.
Originally she hadn't intended to sink them at all. Destroying the ships wouldn't eliminate the soldiers—at most it would delay them.
But now, delaying them was exactly the point.
And with Kokomi awakened—and apparently strengthened during her long sleep—they finally had the advantage.
As Yae Miko watched, Kokomi stepped forward.
Each step caused the ocean below to rise and support her.
The currents moved like living creatures, carrying her forward under her command.
"I need to get closer," Kokomi explained. "The closer I am, the stronger the technique I'm about to use will become."
"And…I might be imagining things, but after borrowing Orobashi's power today, I feel stronger than before."
Yae Miko nodded calmly. "Leave those questions for later. Let's deal with the Fatui first."
Kokomi agreed.
Perhaps Orobashi's spirit itself felt anger in the unseen world, seeing Watatsumi Island under attack.
With that thought, Kokomi rode the surging water toward the Fatui fleet.
From a distance, however, the scene looked less like someone traveling—and more like a tsunami approaching.
The massive wave towered above the sea as it advanced.
"!!!"
The Fatui soldiers immediately froze in shock.
Did Sangonomiya Kokomi cause this?!
Their intelligence reports had mentioned she could borrow Orobashi's power—but nothing about this level of divine force.
If the wave struck, the ships might be swept completely out of the island's range.
"Hmph. It's only a wave."
A cold snort sounded.
The adjutant who had fallen into the water earlier leapt forward, icy energy spreading around him.
"I've followed three Harbingers," he declared proudly.
"I saw Lord Childe split a tidal wave with one spear."
"I witnessed Lady La Signora freeze the ocean itself."
"And Lord Scaramouche frighten Abyss monsters with a single glance."
"A mere wave like this? Watch me freeze it."
He sprinted across the water, frost forming beneath his feet. Soon he stood before the colossal wave, with the two Fatui ships behind him. Raising both hands, the Cryo Vision at his waist radiated intense cold.
"Freeze!"
A blast of freezing air surged forward.
The watching Fatui soldiers felt admiration rise in their hearts. Standing against such a wave required incredible courage.
Perhaps he truly could freeze it.
But the result stunned everyone.
The wave did not freeze. Instead, it continued forward with undiminished momentum. The adjutant's eyes widened—
And the next moment, he vanished beneath the crashing water. The towering wave swallowed him—and every Fatui soldier still struggling through the sea.
The two ships were not spared either.
"Don't panic!" the commanders shouted. "The shields are still active!"
These barriers had been designed personally by Dottore. Surely a simple wave couldn't break them.
Only an attack like Yae Miko's lightning could do that. And something of that magnitude couldn't be launched repeatedly—
At that exact moment, two colossal bolts of purple lightning fell from the storm clouds.
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
The thunder roared.
The shields shattered like glass.
And before the stunned Fatui could react, the tsunami slammed into the now-unprotected ships.
The vessels were crushed and swept away instantly.
High above the water, Sangonomiya Kokomi stood calmly, watching the scattered survivors drifting in the sea.
Yae Miko, observing from afar, did not relax.
She waited carefully, scanning for any hidden masters. If a Harbinger-level figure were truly present, they wouldn't remain idle after such destruction.
But after one minute… then two…
Nothing appeared.
Only broken ship fragments and scattered Fatui soldiers remained.
Seeing this, Kokomi raised a hand and summoned another wave, sweeping the remaining elites farther away.
On land they might have resisted.
But in the sea, they were helpless.
They could only consider themselves unlucky that Kokomi awakened at precisely this moment—and that her strength had grown so dramatically.
As the battle reached its conclusion, no further threats appeared.
Yae Miko finally relaxed slightly. Her fox tails faded as she gave a tired smile.
"Little Kokomi's strength has truly increased," she murmured. "Just like we discussed in the Chat Group."
"I'll have to ask her later what exactly happened… perhaps it was the condensed resin?"
She stretched lazily.
"After working this long, it's finally time to relax. With these ships destroyed, we've bought more time. Now we just wait for Ei to arrive and clean up the rest."
Meanwhile, Kokomi also believed the crisis had passed. She could not maintain the Ceremonial Garment for long, so she dismissed it. Without it she could no longer stand in the air, so she summoned a floating jellyfish beneath her feet.
From afar she waved to Yae Miko—and even tagged her in the Chat Group to confirm the situation was under control.
Yae Miko smiled and replied.
Then suddenly—Her eyes narrowed.
She swung her gohei forward and shouted sharply,
"Get out of the way!"
"BOOM!"
A bolt of purple lightning shot down from the sky toward Kokomi's back.
But a gloved hand caught the lightning mid-air.
"Pfft—"
Kokomi's pupils widened as she looked down.
A hand had pierced straight through her abdomen.
Why? How had she not sensed anyone approaching? Was the strength gap that large?
No… that wasn't it.
The attacker carried something that concealed their aura completely. Even now, she couldn't feel their presence.
"Hehehe… to strike accurately from such a distance… truly worthy of the Raiden Shogun's retainer, Yae Miko."
A deep male voice sounded behind her.
His appearance was almost identical to the one seen during Futsu Mitama's previous livestream of the Fatui Harbinger known as The Doctor.
Except—
This version looked far younger. The one before had seemed middle-aged. This one looked almost youthful.
"Sangonomiya Kokomi," the man said with a gentle smile, "I've long heard of you. I'm quite pleased that you came out on your own. Otherwise I would have needed to expend more effort."
His gaze lingered on her thoughtfully.
"However… something interesting seems to have happened to your body. I would love to study it."
He paused slightly.
"But for now—"
"the plan comes first."
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