Paimon's small head was being pressed firmly against Lumine's chest, her hands still tightly covering Paimon's ears.
The little fellow struggled a few times, protesting vaguely: "Wuu... Lumine, let go of Paimon! What's going on? I can't see or hear anything. Is the fight over? Who won? Is King okay?"
Lumine did not answer, only gently patting Paimon's back, her amber eyes gazing at the scene with a complex expression, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
King noticed Paimon's noise and turned his head toward her.
Lumine looked up, meeting those calm, rippleless eyes.
She opened her mouth, words of intercession rolling in her throat several times, but she didn't know if she should speak.
Ultimately, Lumine shook her head and said nothing, only giving King a brilliant smile.
King looked at her, then glanced at the purple figure over there still trembling slightly in Yae Miko's tight embrace, as if he understood something.
He also said nothing, only giving Lumine a slight nod.
Then, King stepped forward and walked up to Raiden Ei.
"Clang!"
With a soft sound, King flipped his wrist, reversing musou isshin and plunging the blade tip downward into the ground in front of Raiden Ei.
The blade trembled slightly, emitting a faint hum, like a weary bird returning to its nest.
Raiden Ei's body shook slightly, and she slowly lifted her face from between her knees. Beneath her tear-stained lashes, her purple eyes stared blankly at the hilt within reach, then looked up at King in a daze.
King didn't look at her again, but instead turned to Yae Miko, who was still holding Raiden Ei and was also somewhat dazed. His voice was calm and rippleless, yet carried an unquestionable tone:
"You, come with me."
Having said that, he turned and walked straight toward a still-intact side room deep within Tenshukaku.
"Ah? Me?"
Yae Miko pointed at herself, her beautiful face filled with astonishment and being caught off guard.
She looked at Ei, who was still dropping "little pearls" in her arms, then at King's uncompromising back, her mind unable to process it for a moment.
This... what's the situation?
Shouldn't he have called for Ei?
You won, you're the boss.
But whether you want to negotiate terms, demand compensation, or even carve out territory, you should be talking to Ei!
Why call me?
While she was in a daze, a quiet figure had already silently arrived by her side.
It was Lynette.
This cat-eared maid miss wore a stoic expression, but her movements were crisp and efficient.
She reached out her hands and gently "took over" Raiden Ei from Yae Miko's arms.
"Lady Miko, Lord King requests your presence."
Lynette's pale purple cat-like eyes looked at her calmly, her voice carrying a faint hint of threat.
"The God of Thunder will be looked after by me for the time being."
Yae Miko felt her arms become empty, the warmth and weight vanishing simultaneously.
She looked at Ei, who was being supported by Lynette with hollow eyes staring at musou isshin, then at King's back as he disappeared into the side room, and her heart inexplicably panicked.
A terrible trope, one she had seen countless times in the best-selling light novels of Yae Publishing House, suddenly popped uncontrollably into her mind—
A powerful enemy attacks, the incompetent Raiden Shogun, the beautiful and moving Kitsune Guuji summoned alone... do I even need to think about what happens next?!!
The powerful leader of the victorious side takes a fancy to a beautiful and noble woman of the losing side, thus summoning her alone, ostensibly for a talk, but in reality—
Indescribable things!
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