NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 13: Chapter 13
The war between Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate Army was not long for the gods, only about two years.
But these two years were already quite long for ordinary people. There had been no less than a hundred large and small battles between the Shogunate Army and the resistance, and the number of people killed on both sides exceeded 10,000. The hatred between the two sides had almost reached a point of life and death.
In addition, Watatsumi Island had been oppressed by the Shogunate for a long time and had been blockaded. Even though the weapons of the Watatsumi Island resistance were not as good as those of the Shogunate Army, they fought fiercely with the support of a large number of powerful fighters, making them even more formidable than the Shogunate Army.
After all, in the view of the Watatsumi rebels, victory was not far away. The battlefield had moved from Yashiori Island to Nazuchi Beach. As long as they took one more step, they could reach Narukami Island and push the Shogunate Army back to their base camp.
However, only those with clear heads were not carried away by this false victory. In all of Watatsumi Island, the only person with such a clear mind was Sangonomiya Kokomi, the leader of Watatsumi Island, the living goddess, shrine maiden, and the strategist of the rebellion.
"It's over... the Raiden Shogun has been alerted," Kokomi looked up at the thunder that completely enveloped the sky, and the oppressive feeling that made the soul shiver in fear seemed to weigh down upon her.
What she feared the most had happened. Watatsumi Island was short of resources, and the land that could be cultivated was diminishing. The Raiden Shogun's "Sakoku Decree" and "Vision Hunt Decree" had brought the people of Watatsumi Island, who had barely survived by trading pearls with Liyue, to the brink of despair.
She had strongly opposed the idea of launching a war against the Shogunate, but the powerful factions on Watatsumi Island colluded with the Fatui to rally the people to declare war on the Shogunate without her consent. It was only when the Shogunate Army organized a large offensive, causing the resistance to fall back steadily, that the powerful factions remembered her as the goddess and shrine maiden. This almost made her laugh.
Only after the people pleaded with her did she reluctantly take command of the resistance. She had also thought of giving up, hoping that this would allow the voices of the people of Watatsumi Island to be heard. She tried her best to win on the battlefield and then negotiate with the Shogunate Army to obtain resources that could improve the living conditions of the people on Watatsumi Island. But all of this depended on Inazuma's god, the Raiden Shogun, not being alerted.
She was cautious with every step. After gaining an advantage on the battlefield, she negotiated with the Shogunate Army and retreated decisively to secure some benefits. The Shogunate Army knew that as long as they gave up some benefits, the rebels would retreat. Although it cost them a little face, the resources they surrendered were not theirs but taken from civilians, which they were more than willing to give up.
Thus, thanks to her leadership, the people of Watatsumi Island quickly improved their living conditions, and even the resistance's equipment improved. However, once the benefits were obtained, the powerful factions began to accuse her of showing weakness despite winning battles, saying that she was dishonoring those who died fighting. They even colluded with the Fatui to interfere in material affairs, constantly pushing the resistance to advance further, hoping to completely annihilate the Shogunate Army.
The war between the rebels and the Shogunate Army gradually spiraled out of control. To gain an advantage, even the sacred objects on Watatsumi Island that suppressed evil spirits were destroyed. When Kokomi heard the news, she was completely stunned.
Although she didn't know what those people were thinking, she was sure that the Fatui were behind it. Even though she knew, she had no evidence. In the end, the blame fell entirely on Watatsumi Island. The war was now out of control, and what she feared the most had come to pass—Inazuma's god, the Raiden Shogun, was alarmed.
Kokomi's heart was now filled with fear. She knew that the prerequisite for the rebels to fight against the Shogunate Army was that the Raiden Shogun remained uninvolved. Once she was alerted, the weapons of Watatsumi Island would be as useful as paper. If the Raiden Shogun intervened, not only would the people of Watatsumi Island be eradicated, but the entire island might disappear from the map of Inazuma.
Looking at the Musou no Hitotachi that had split Yashiori Island and the thunderstorm surrounding Inazuma's seas, Kokomi had no doubts about the power of the gods. It was foolish of those powerful people to think they could launch a war against the Inazuma Shogunate without divine protection.
If the Raiden Shogun sought accountability, Kokomi—the leader of Watatsumi Island, the shrine maiden of the Sangonomiya Shrine, and the strategist of the rebellion—would undoubtedly be the first to be sacrificed.
Kokomi watched as the thunder continued to fall from the sky over Nazuchi Beach, and her hands and feet felt cold. When faced with such world-ending lightning, could any of the soldiers fighting against the Shogunate Army at Nazuchi Beach survive?
---
*Rumble, rumble—*
The purple thunder of Nazuchi Beach fell from the sky onto the battlefield between the rebels and the Shogunate Army. The thunder made shallow pits on the beach but, unexpectedly, did not kill any soldiers. All the soldiers stopped fighting, stunned by the thunder.
The Shogunate soldiers looked up, ecstatic, at the thundering sky. *Thunder! It's the General! Is the General watching over us?*
As soldiers who only needed to follow orders, they did not have the complex thoughts of the powerful. They had only one belief for which they fought.
"The path is eternal, and the gods are everlasting."
"The path is eternal, and the gods are everlasting."
"The path is eternal, and the gods are everlasting," the fanatical soldiers chanted, raising their spears high, knowing that the gods they believed in were watching them.
"General! We have alerted you. This subordinate has neglected his duty." Kujou Sara, who led the Shogunate Army, quickly knelt down on one knee, looking up at the thundering sky with guilt.
"Subordinate, we will deal with the rebels immediately."
Kujou Sara thought that the rebels had advanced too close to Narukami Island, which had angered the General.
Compared with the Shogunate Army, who shouted, "The path is eternal, and the gods are everlasting," the resistance had lost their fighting spirit, filled with fear from the divine threat above. They had no strength left to resist and even dropped their weapons.
"General Gorou, the Raiden Shogun is here, what should we do?"
The panicked rebels looked to Gorou for guidance, hoping for a miracle.
*The Raiden Shogun is here! If you ask me, who should I ask?* Gorou thought, despairing. *Can we really fight against the Raiden Shogun?*
Just as Kujou Sara was about to command the Shogunate Army to attack and capture the leaders of the rebellion, a sultry female voice that should not have appeared on the battlefield echoed across the field.
"It's really lively here. I was just about to reach Narukami Island," Yae Miko said, walking with graceful steps, as if this were not a battlefield but a street lined with cherry blossoms. In her hand, she held a long purple sword brimming with divine power. The divine power exuded from the sword could crush anyone's heart.
Everyone knew that this was the Raiden Shogun's sword. No one doubted that, with one swing, they could all be drowned in thunder. Seeing Yae Miko holding the Raiden Shogun's sword was like seeing the Raiden Shogun herself.
The Shogunate soldiers raised their spears and shouted with fanaticism.
"The path is eternal, and the gods are everlasting."
The sound was deafening, even louder than the thunder. The rebels abandoned their armor and fled, and Gorou quickly followed, shouting, "Retreat! Retreat, retreat quickly!"
Yae Miko did not even glance at the fleeing rebels but looked at Kujou Sara sympathetically.
"Shogunate General Kujou Sara, you are truly unlucky," Yae Miko said. "Under the Raiden Shogun's order, those who have deceived and destabilized Inazuma must be brought to justice. The Kujou Clan, having colluded with the Fatui to bring harm to the people of Inazuma, is guilty of treason. All members of the Kujou Clan are to be detained and taken to Inazuma City."