Back in the preparation space, Caesar's lips twitched.
No matter how she thought about it, she could never have imagined her elimination would be so absurd—it was caused by Bronya missing her shot.
Walking up to Valerius, she slapped his shoulder. "Go back and have a talk with Bronya. She should just give up on firearms for the rest of her life."
"Don't talk nonsense." Valerius nearly burst out laughing. "My Bronya's marksmanship is excellent—second only to mine."
"Excellent? Then how did she accidentally shoot me?"
"A perfect shot to the forehead. Tell me, was that accurate or not?"
"Get lost."
Caesar was speechless. What kind of accuracy was that?
Not bothering with this guy who only knew how to laugh at her, she went off to rest. She needed to recover her energy before facing the punishment later—after all, she lasted even less time than Sushang.
"Next."
Acheron stepped forward and came to Valerius's side.
"Buying anything?"
"Three points. Pills."
Although Acheron was a Self-Annihilator, she wasn't as reckless as Caesar. She still chose to prepare.
"Alright."
Handing her three pills, Valerius opened the passage.
A gray, hazy space unfolded before her.
Torii gates stood all around, and in the open space at the center, the triple tomoe of thunder unmistakably declared what this place was.
Inazuma—The Plane of Euthymia.
At that moment, Raiden Ei floated in midair, eyes closed, deep in meditation.
[Yae Miko: Oh? The Plane of Euthymia! This is interesting.]
[Raiden Ei: Why am I here? Am I about to be affected?]
[Yunli: So this is the Plane of Euthymia? Why does it look like this?]
She had heard that Raiden Ei stayed here for five hundred years and imagined some kind of paradise. Seeing it now, she was completely disappointed.
[Kamisato Ayaka: To think the Shogun's inner world is so desolate…]
[Yoimiya: Ah… so the Shogun stayed here for five hundred years?]
[Kuki Shinobu: It is rather barren.]
[Raiden Ei: I remain here in pursuit of eternity. I do not require scenery.]
[Kujou Sara: The Shogun is right. We are grateful for her five hundred years of dedication.]
[Yae Miko: What dedication? Don't just make things up.]
[Raiden Ei: It is simply what I should do.]
See? There are people who understand me.
[Seele: Why does this feel just like those Silvermane Guards earlier?]
[Valerius: There's still a difference.]
[Seele: What difference?]
[Valerius: The Silvermane Guards were just blindly flattering, but Sara genuinely means it.]
[Sparkle: Got it. As long as you praise the Shogun, we're basically sisters from another mother. Interesting~~~]
[Sampo: Found a new target, huh?]
Inside the space.
After waiting for a long time and seeing no one come to explain the rules, Acheron felt puzzled.
"Do I have to retrieve it myself?"
Her gaze fell on Raiden Ei at the center, and she walked over.
Sure enough, there was a note tucked at Ei's waist.
"…Take it myself?"
After observing Ei for a moment and confirming she showed no reaction, Acheron reached out and took the note.
[Narukami Island has fallen to Watatsumi Island. Tenshukaku is the final stronghold. The Electro Archon has fallen into slumber. You will act in place of Raiden Ei and issue commands through the Raiden Shogun. If the Raiden Shogun is infected, Raiden Ei will also be infected.]
[1: Find the remnants of the Kamisato Clan. Their rituals can slow the Shogun's corruption.]
[2: The Grand Narukami Shrine is still resisting. It must be supported.]
[3: Within the Kujou Clan, only Kujou Sara can be trusted. Preserving her is beneficial for future actions.]
[4: The Raiden Shogun cannot leave Tenshukaku but can act remotely. Each action increases corruption.]
[5: Sayu moves swiftly. She can be used to deliver intelligence, but ensure she gets enough sleep.]
[6: The Arataki Gang can be recruited, but use them with caution.]
[7: Kaedehara Kazuha has extensive connections. Find him to bring the Crux Fleet to your side.]
[8: There is a Fatui spy within Watatsumi Island. Eliminating them will greatly reduce the corruption there.]
After reading all the rules, Acheron was filled with question marks.
So she was supposed to stay here and command the Raiden Shogun?
And if the Shogun was corrupted, Raiden Ei would be as well?
Glancing at Ei floating nearby, Acheron had a feeling that if Ei became infected, she would probably kill her instantly.
Just as she was thinking, she suddenly realized she was connected to the Raiden Shogun inside Tenshukaku.
She could freely command the Shogun's actions.
And she could see through the Shogun's eyes.
"…Very well. Let's begin."
Imitating Ei, she sat down and closed her eyes.
At the same time, the Raiden Shogun within Tenshukaku opened her eyes.
[Yae Miko: As expected, Inazuma has been completely ruined by Ei.]
[Kamisato Ayaka: Uh…]
[Kujou Sara: For Inazuma, I will follow the Shogun and restore order.]
[Raiden Ei: Hmph. If Watatsumi dares to come, I'll cut them down with a single strike.]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: It's a game… this is just a game.]
She felt like coughing blood. How had she become the invader? That idiot Electro Archon wouldn't actually come at her with a sword, would she?
But thinking about how she had already pushed into Narukami Island and reduced the Shogun to a single stronghold, she felt a bit proud.
That had to be worth at least five energy points!
[Gorou: Wait… could it be that Watatsumi Island is the one infected in this scenario?]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: …That makes this a lot less pleasant.]
[Sushang: Wow~~~ so unfair! Why does Miss Acheron get to stay there without experiencing any of the creepy stuff?]
[Caesar: Exactly… she even gets subordinates?]
The two eliminated players were indignant. They had gone through fear and pain—why did she get it so easy?
[Valerius: Impressive. This completely avoids Miss Acheron's biggest weakness.]
[Sunday: Oh? She has a weakness? Let's hear it.]
[Valerius: She has no sense of direction.]
[Bronya: You're not exactly in a position to say that.]
[Sparkle: Is that a common trait among the strong?]
Inside the space.
Through the Raiden Shogun's vision, Acheron saw several people standing nearby.
Kujou Takayuki, head of the Tenryou Commission, Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Kanjou Commission, and Kujou Sara.
"What is the current situation?"
Kujou Sara stepped forward. "Your Excellency, the enemy forces are overwhelming. Tenshukaku is already surrounded. We do not yet know the full situation outside."
Acheron nodded. It matched the rules.
Remembering that only Kujou Sara could be trusted, her gaze shifted to Kujou Takayuki.
"Kujou Takayuki, you will command the samurai to defend Tenshukaku. Hiiragi Shinsuke, immediately compile all available personnel and resources within Tenshukaku for me."
Though somewhat stiff, Acheron had experienced battlefields before. She began issuing orders without hesitation.
"Uh… Your Excellency, defending Tenshukaku has always been Sara's responsibility."
"I have other tasks for Sara."
"This…"
"What? The head of the Tenryou Commission can't handle even this much?"
"…Understood."
Seeing the cold glint in the Raiden Shogun's eyes, Kujou Takayuki quickly complied. If he said anything more, he might lose his head.
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