"You know that Harbinger?"
Lumine was still staring blankly at the spot where the Scaramouche had disappeared, her mind filled with confusion.
"I do. He's the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers, the Scaramouche. I met him back in Liyue."
"But why did he run away?" Lumine looked toward Raiden Makoto. "Was he afraid of you?"
"Mhm. Ei and I are Twin Archons after all, and we look very similar. He likely mistook me for Ei," Raiden Makoto said thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on the direction where the Scaramouche had vanished, lost in contemplation.
The Scaramouche definitely had a connection to Ei. If she didn't know that Ei had been staying in the Plane of Euthymia and that the Raiden Shogun was a puppet acting according to a program, she might have even mistaken the Scaramouche for her sister's son.
The scent on the Scaramouche's body related to her sister... "Teppei... Teppei? Are you alright!" Lumine quickly turned to look at Teppei, who was currently sitting on the ground exhausted, his face covered in grime just like Lumine's.
"I'm fine..."
"If possible, I can still fight!" Teppei used his spear to prop himself up from the ground. He gently stroked the Vision on his chest and murmured to himself, "Partner, thank you for helping me just now."
"Our first battle..."
Raiden Makoto looked at Teppei, who possessed such firm conviction, and nodded. It wasn't in vain that she had made an exception to grant Teppei a Vision, though it would be better if he bragged a bit less.
However, in the next moment, Teppei lay directly back down on the ground. Fortunately, it was a sandy beach, so he wasn't hurt.
"Lumine, hurry and take him back."
"Mhm."
After watching Lumine send Teppei back to the resistance camp, Raiden Makoto turned her gaze toward where the Scaramouche had disappeared.
"Kokomi, you should know by now that there are too many selfish people on Watatsumi Island, right? Those people from the Fatui have lost their humanity, yet they actually dared to cooperate with the Fatui."
"evil eyes grant power by overdrawing one's life force. In order to make the resistance fight the Shogunate and stall for time, they used every means at their disposal, employing all sorts of tactics."
"The Vision Hunt Decree also appeared with the Fatui pushing things from behind the scenes. Of course, to a certain extent, Ei also bears some responsibility."
"I will take you to see Ei eventually; you can ask her yourself then."
When Raiden Makoto finished speaking, Sangonomiya Kokomi looked completely lost and at a loss. How could she meet Ei? Sangonomiya Kokomi knew that the 'Ei' Raiden Makoto referred to was the current Electro Archon, the Raiden Shogun.
Orobashi was the one slain by that Electro Archon. If she really dared to ask those questions in front of the Raiden Shogun... she feared the Raiden Shogun would cut her down with a single strike.
"I am indeed not a qualified leader..."
Under her very nose, people within Watatsumi Island had colluded with the Fatui, and the Fatui had even completely penetrated the resistance. She and Gorou could not escape responsibility.
Under her leadership, Watatsumi Island had indeed become much more peaceful, but it didn't mean the lives of the people had improved; they were even still living in dire straits.
"Sister, the Sakoku Decree in Inazuma is still ongoing, and it's difficult for ships from the outer seas to reach Inazuma. So, could their evil eyes be produced locally in Inazuma?" Sangonomiya Kokomi was pure-hearted, but she wasn't stupid.
"Mhm."
"Narukami Island is garrisoned by the Shogunate Army, and Watatsumi Island is too small, with most of it under your eyes. Therefore, the place where they manufacture evil eyes should be Yashiori Island."
"Mhm."
"Yashiori Island has always been the place where the Shogunate mines Crystal Marrow. It's managed by the Kanjou Commission, and we in the Tenryou Commission also have a small garrison there. Grand Narukami? How about I lead the Tenryou Commission's men to thoroughly investigate Yashiori Island?" Kujou Sara stepped forward, her face filled with reverence and determination.
She wanted to fight for the Grand Narukami!
"You may... but with your strength, if you encounter the Scaramouche..." She had seen the battle between the Scaramouche and Lumine just now. Lumine was no match for the Scaramouche at all, though she wasn't completely without the power to fight back.
If Lumine and Kujou Sara went together, at least there would be no danger to their lives.
"You can go to Yashiori Island with Lumine to investigate the source of the evil eyes." Raiden Makoto looked thoughtfully at the place where the Scaramouche had disappeared; that direction seemed to be exactly where Yashiori Island was located.
"Yes!" Kujou Sara was somewhat excited. She could finally perform a great service for the Grand Narukami, and she also utterly loathed that group of Fatui now.
"Let's head back first, Kokomi." Raiden Makoto rubbed Kokomi's small head. "It's also time to thoroughly deal with those forces on Watatsumi Island who have ulterior motives."
She roughly knew how to arrange things next.
"It's not difficult to solve the problem of the Vision Hunt Decree now, and that's not the key point anyway. The resistance can be completely disbanded. After all, the Shogunate Army all follow Kujou Sara's orders. Now that she is no longer enforcing the Vision Hunt Decree, the decree exists in name only."
"Keep a portion of the elite troops. For now, we still need to fight, but the enemy is no longer the Shogunate, but the Fatui."
"Mhm..."
"I understand, Sister." Sangonomiya Kokomi nodded; she wanted to learn well from Raiden Makoto.
"Let's go, let's head back first and see if Gorou has confiscated all the evil eyes within the resistance."
"Mhm."
...Meanwhile, in a certain dark place.
"Damn it... why was she there? What on earth is the Signora doing? The Raiden Shogun reached Watatsumi Island, and yet there was no word of it." The Scaramouche's expression was somewhat twisted. "I will definitely make you realize that I can also..."
"Curse it!"
"Lord Scaramouche, Lady Signora has a message to deliver." As a Fatui member walked over cautiously, he presented a letter to the Scaramouche.
In the eyes of his subordinates, the Scaramouche was a complete psychopath who didn't care about their lives at all. Thus, when the twisted expression appeared on the Scaramouche's face, he didn't dare to step forward.
Only when the twisted expression on the Scaramouche's face completely vanished did he dare to step forward and present the letter. He saw a hint of violence in the Scaramouche's eyes.
"The next time we meet, I won't let you off!" the Scaramouche said through gritted teeth.
"Dismissed."
"Yes..." After the Fatui member cautiously withdrew, the Scaramouche slowly opened the letter.
As he read the letter, the Scaramouche's face, which had returned to normal, once again showed a twisted expression.
"Rosalyne, who do you think you are? We are both Harbingers; you think you're worthy of commanding me?"
But then, the Scaramouche's expression changed again.
"The Raiden Shogun is still in Tenshukaku? Then who is she?" A hint of doubt appeared in the Scaramouche's eyes. As he completely set the letter down, a look of shock and suspicion surfaced in his gaze.
Could she be like him? A failed product?
"No matter who you are, anyone who blocks my path—I will definitely cut you down!"
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