"...Actually, I'm her younger brother."
Just as the Raiden Shogun hesitated whether to go out and strike down the one who had taken her Youko, Yun Xu, who was being held, explained with a touch of embarrassment, struggling but failing to wriggle out of the Raiden Shogun's arms.
But if he didn't speak up soon, she would tacitly assume he was Guuji Yae's son...
"Younger brother, huh... It's still hard to believe, but with such a unique bloodline within you, there's no other possibility in Inazuma besides the Hakushin Bloodline."
The Raiden Shogun nodded slightly; this made much more sense to her.
'So, she can sense the uniqueness of my bloodline? My sister must have also compared me to the Hakushin Bloodline like this...'
Hearing that the Raiden Shogun had sensed his bloodline, Yun Xu nodded in understanding.
After Yun Xu's explanation, the Raiden Shogun also came back to her senses and gently placed the white fox she had instinctively been holding back on the ground.
She used to hold Yae Miko like this before she took human form...
"But you, being of the Hakushin Bloodline, why would you steal a Vision that had been confiscated? Could it be at Guuji Yae's instigation?"
After putting Yun Xu down, the Raiden Shogun couldn't help but speculate.
She hadn't seen Yun Xu five hundred years ago, so in her opinion, Yun Xu's age should be relatively young.
How could such a young fox steal a Vision without reason?
"Ah, it has nothing to do with Guuji Yae; I just wanted to see a Vision..."
Yun Xu immediately explained to the Raiden Shogun.
Although he was startled by her at first, she didn't seem so frightening to a fox now.
"Enough. Go back to Guuji Yae now and tell her to see me tomorrow."
The Raiden Shogun didn't seem to entirely believe him, but she had no intention of making things difficult for Yun Xu; instead, she commanded him thus.
While she generally didn't interfere with what Yae Miko did, stealing a Vision from the Statue of the Omnipresent God was something she had to clarify...
"?"
Inside Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko, who was secretly having an extra meal while the shrine maidens were resting, almost choked on a mouthful of ramen when she heard Yun Xu.
"You mean... Ei is looking for me?"
"You little rascal, how did you sneak off to Tenshukaku after only one day? You didn't cause trouble and sell me out, did you?"
Quickly swallowing the ramen in her mouth, Yae Miko asked Yun Xu with a hint of exasperation.
She hadn't seen Ei in hundreds of years, and from Yun Xu's description, she knew those words must have come from Ei.
Because the Shogun would never call her Guuji Yae; she would only address her directly as Guuji Yae or Yae Miko.
But now it sounded like Ei was going to interrogate her...
"N-no, Guuji Yae, they guessed it themselves..."
Yun Xu explained with an innocent look; the 'they' he referred to included Kujou Sara in addition to the Raiden Shogun.
Simply because Yun Xu was also a fox, they both assumed he was related to Inazuma's most famous Youko.
"Oh, well, I won't blame you."
"But you have to help me, Guuji Yae; I don't want to be punished either..."
Yae Miko sighed, but quickly, her eyes twinkled, and she suddenly said to Yun Xu.
"Can I help in any way?"
Yun Xu scratched his head, a little unsure.
"Heh heh, tomorrow, I'll do your makeup in advance, and then I'll take you with me. If Ei tries to punish me, you just show yourself to distract her~"
As Yae Miko spoke, she couldn't help but lightly cover her mouth with the back of one hand, not wanting Yun Xu to see her smile.
"Ah?"
"...If it can help Guuji Yae."
Yun Xu was stunned for a moment, but in the end, he nodded and agreed...
The next morning, Lumine and Paimon emerged from the Serenitea Pot hidden among the greenery.
Stretching, Lumine walked to the side and reached into the grass.
"..."
"Oh no, the sun and moon cup Yun Xu gave me was picked up!"
Lumine, who hadn't fully woken up, exclaimed in surprise.
"When did he give it to you?"
Paimon, beside her, yawned and said, somewhat speechless.
"Right..."
Lumine regretfully withdrew her hand.
"It looks like Yun Xu went to do his own thing. Let's go eat, and after that, we'll go see the Shirasagi Himegimi's last wish."
Confirming that the sun and moon cup wasn't nearby, Lumine had no choice but to say this to Paimon.
"Yay~ Then Traveler, let's go quickly~"
Paimon, of course, had no objection to eating.
And so, the two went to enjoy Inazuma's special breakfast. Meanwhile, at Grand Narukami Shrine, Yun Xu, with Yae Miko's help, had his makeup reapplied.
Afterward, following Yae Miko's instructions, he transformed back into his white fox form.
"Let's go, little one. Let's go see Ei together."
Yae Miko stroked Yun Xu's head, then took him with her as she left Grand Narukami Shrine.
Although Ei calling her over was clearly for an interrogation, at least she was willing to see her.
For hundreds of years, ever since Ei entered the Plane of Euthymia, she hadn't even been willing to see her...
In her position, while she could freely enter Tenshukaku, she would always only see the Raiden Shogun's cold face, and going too often would lead to gossip from a certain Tenryou Commission official behind her back.
So for these past few centuries, she had been waiting for a turning point, and the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree had brought her one.
And not just one, but two different turning points.
One of them, naturally, was Yun Xu, who seemed to be of the Hakushin Bloodline.
Although she couldn't directly confirm Yun Xu's bloodline, the noble feeling within that bloodline was perceptible; even if it wasn't the Hakushin Bloodline, it was superior to it.
Besides, looking like it was enough.
"Speaking of which, is 'Ei,' whom Guuji Yae always calls, the Raiden Shogun's name?"
On the way from Grand Narukami Shrine to Inazuma City, Yun Xu suddenly asked curiously.
Before meeting the Raiden Shogun last night, he actually had no idea what kind of being the Raiden Shogun was.
"Yes and no. First, little one, you must know that 'Shogun' is actually a title. No matter who holds that position, they are called the Shogun, and 'Raiden' is Ei's surname."
"But the current Raiden Shogun is actually a name Ei gave to a puppet based on the position. The true Ei has hidden herself away in a mental space called the Plane of Euthymia and refuses to come out."
Yae Miko had no intention of hiding this from Yun Xu and explained it to him when he asked.
With the surname Raiden, coupled with the position of Inazuma's Shogun, Inazuma's Electro God has been called the Raiden Shogun since the Archon War, so most of the populace doesn't know that the Raiden Shogun has actually changed positions.
"A-a puppet?"
"Was what I saw yesterday a puppet?"
Hearing Yae Miko's words, Yun Xu's eyes widened in shock.
"It was at first, but later, the one talking to you was Ei."
Yae Miko explained simply again.
This also made Yun Xu understand why his impression of the Raiden Shogun felt different yesterday when he first met her compared to later...