"Ei! What time do you think it is, and you're still here reflecting?!"
Yae Miko was practically going crazy, her face a mess of tears and snot, her usually meticulously maintained image of an elegant Guuji shattered to pieces.
She lunged forward, death-gripping Ei's arm as if clutching at a final life-saving straw, or as if trying to drag away an obstinate stone. "Let's go! I'm begging you! Stop acting like some tragic hero! Staying alive is more important than anything! If Inazuma is gone, you can rebuild it, but if you're gone, everything is truly lost!"
She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, her fox ears drooping listlessly:
"What will I do if you die?"
"Am I supposed to die with you?"
Raiden Ei looked at the fox lady's tear-streaked face.
The corners of her rosy lips twitched slightly upward.
"Thank you, Miko."
"I'm sorry, Miko."
Before her voice had even faded, her figure had already vanished.
And then... BOOM—!!!
The incredibly heavy, massive gates of Tenshukaku violently exploded outward!
Shattered wood splinters, metal fragments, and masonry shot out like a torrential rain, filling the air with dust!
"Lord King, be careful!"
A white figure lunged out from the crowd at a speed exceeding his usual limits, letting out an indistinct roar full of a desire to show off.
He faced the largest piece—a door panel whistling toward him, still wreathed in faint lightning—without dodging, and threw both fists forward!
"Hah—!!!"
Arataki Itto put his entire body's strength into it, his fists slamming solidly into the door panel!
Bang!
The door panel was sent flying at an angle by his brute strength, crashing into a nearby pillar and shattering into even more pieces.
However, the residual Electro power belonging to the Raiden Shogun on the door also surged into his arms through his fists.
Zzzzt—!!!
Blinding flashes of electricity exploded on his arms, and the air was instantly filled with the smell of charred flesh.
The sleeves on both of Arataki Itto's arms turned to ash, and his exposed skin became charred black; one could even see the reddened flesh beneath.
The intense pain made the veins on his temples throb, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
But he gritted his teeth, stiffened his neck, and forced back a groan of pain, though his body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
He turned around and flashed a brilliant smile to those behind him, squeezing words through the gaps in his teeth:
"My... my Lord... the door is open..."
The dust settled slightly.
Raiden Ei stood atop the ruins, blade in hand.
The musou isshin in her hand pointed diagonally toward the ground.
Purple lightning coursed along the blade, emitting a violent hum.
She walked forward step by step with a steady pace. With every step she took, the Electro element surrounding her grew denser, and the air began to charge, letting out sharp crackles.
Her long purple hair moved without wind, and tiny arcs of electricity danced at the tips.
"I know of you, King, the Great Guardian of Fontaine."
"You have crossed the vast oceans to grace Inazuma with your presence. For what purpose?"
King met her gaze and also took a few steps forward, putting some distance between himself and the crowd.
The hem of his blue trench coat brushed lightly as he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly:
"Accountability."
The word was concise, direct, and heavy as a thousand tons.
"Accountability?" Raiden Ei's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "For what?"
"Merchants under the Inazuma Kanjou Commission smuggled crystallized bone marrow contaminated by the 'tatarigami' grudge into Fontaine, endangering the safety of Fontaine's citizens. The evidence is conclusive."
"Fontaine negotiated according to the law, but Inazuma's reply not only lacked any sincere apology but instead threatened us with 'military means'."
"I have come this time to ask the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma—"
"Is such atrocious behavior the official stance of Inazuma?"
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