After listening to Sangonomiya Kokomi's explanation, everyone felt a little more at ease.
"I didn't expect Enkanomiya to actually have such a research institute."
"The Traveler and I haven't explored Enkanomiya thoroughly enough!"
Lumine was also a bit regretful at this moment. When she explored other areas in the past, even the mint on the side of the road would be uprooted by her, but in the end, she missed such an important research institute in Enkanomiya. This was simply a great disgrace in her adventurer's career!
If not for the balance between the two worlds being broken, I'm afraid that research institute would have never seen the light of day again, and we would have missed such an important piece of research.
"But how could such important research have not been passed down? Otherwise, the people of Watatsumi Island wouldn't have had such a difficult life."
Hearing Kamisato Ayaka's sigh, Sangonomiya Kokomi also shook her head.
"I don't know what cause made the researchers give up on passing down this research back then. Yue's memories have recovered very little, and no relevant records have been passed down, so the truth cannot be known."
"Since there are no clues anyway, let's not think too much about it. After all, we've found the place now."
After hearing Paimon's words, everyone nodded one after another.
"Ayaka, the Dragon Blood Potion we brought this time has already been distributed, but the quantity is far from enough."
"Besides that, there are the people on Narukami Island. I'm afraid the Kamisato Clan will have to put in more effort there."
Sangonomiya Kokomi looked at Kamisato Ayaka and spoke.
"Yes, leave this matter to us."
Kamisato Ayaka nodded in agreement.
"By the way, I heard that Kujou Sara was imprisoned?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi suddenly spoke again, inquiring about Kujou Sara's situation.
"Kujou Sara was indeed imprisoned in the dungeon by the Kujou Clan rebels and the Fatui earlier, but we already rescued her not long ago. The rebellion has been suppressed, and she is currently in Inazuma City with Elder Brother, wrapping up the aftermath."
After saying this, Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but clench the hem of her skirt, trying her utmost not to lose her composure.
"Did the Raiden Shogun just let such a thing happen?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi sighed. She knew the temptation of resurrecting the dead was simply too great, but she never expected even Inazuma's god to fall for it.
Sangonomiya Kokomi had also wavered, but compared to the million people of Inazuma, she ultimately gave up on that faint glimmer of hope.
As the miko of the living god, she actually knew that God Orobashi had actively chosen death for the sake of the people of Watatsumi Island, and used the opportunity to weaken the warlike factions of Watatsumi Island to prevent it from falling apart.
As the Divine Priestess, Sangonomiya Kokomi decided to fulfill God Orobashi's will and do her utmost to save Inazuma.
"Maybe Ei sealed her heart and doesn't even know about this yet..."
Paimon spoke softly, knowing even she found such an explanation utterly flimsy.
Lumine sighed softly. Having entered the Plane of Euthymia to help Raiden Ei resolve her inner conflict, she was the one among everyone present who understood most clearly how deep the other's obsession ran. It was no surprise to her that the other would make such a choice.
After all, even Zhongli had wavered at the time.
Lumine could feel the hesitation in Zhongli's heart when he finally made his move. It was for this reason that he had not exerted his full strength; otherwise, he should have been able to barely hold back Persephone.
"The Almighty Shogun must have her own deep reasons for doing this," Kamisato Ayaka said slowly. She did not want to dwell on this matter too much.
Because Aoba's death was actually related to Raiden Ei's negligence, if she were to think too deeply about it, she would not be able to stop her inner convictions from wavering.
"Ayaka, you seem to be overwhelmed with grief and anger. Did something happen?"
Although Kamisato Ayaka hid it well, Sangonomiya Kokomi still keenly noticed the abnormality in her tone and asked softly.
Kamisato Ayaka simply shook her head and said nothing, her head bowed as she tightly grasped the Electro Element Vision at her waist.
Seeing this, Sangonomiya Kokomi's eyes flickered, and she already had a rough idea of what had happened, sighing inwardly.
She remembered that Kamisato Ayaka originally had a retainer named Aoba beside her, and it was Aoba who had stood by her side when Thoma came to deliver the message.
However, Kamisato Ayaka was alone now, meaning the other person must have met with an accident, and the Electro Element Vision in her hand was the one left behind by that Aoba.
What Sangonomiya Kokomi found a bit strange was that this Electro Element Vision still emitted a faint light, unlike other Visions, which would turn dull and lusterless after their owners passed away.
Still, Sangonomiya Kokomi did not dwell on this and instead spoke words of comfort.
"Ayaka, Thoma is also here. You will see him very soon."
"Mhm."
Hearing Sangonomiya Kokomi's words and learning that Thoma had not met with any accident, Kamisato Ayaka forced a faint smile to appear on her face.
"Kokomi, are Shinobu and Bull Chucker here too?"
Paimon asked from the side.
"Kujou Sara asked them to deliver the message to Watatsumi Island. You should have seen them by now, right?"
"They are also here, and they aren't injured."
Sangonomiya Kokomi spoke with a smile.
"Not only that, they also achieved a great feat, defeating countless enemies!"
"Huh?"
"This is bad. That Bull Chucker is definitely going to stand in front of us, laughing 'Hahaha' while boasting!"
Paimon said with a bitter expression, covering her ears as if she could already feel Arataki Itto's magical voice attacking her.
Seeing Paimon's vivid description, everyone couldn't help but chuckle.
"Right, Kokomi."
Paimon suddenly thought of something and spoke to Sangonomiya Kokomi again.
"Before us, did you see Arlecchino?"
"She's a Fatui Harbinger, a woman with a terrifying aura."
Mentioning Arlecchino, everyone couldn't help but recall the scene of her fighting earlier. She ended the battle in just a single instant, leaving a truly unforgettable impression.
Moreover, Lumine knew that the woman had even held back. If she fully unleashed her power, her strength would probably reach the level of a god.
In other words, the idea that only the top three Fatui Harbingers possessed god-level strength was actually inaccurate. At the very least, Arlecchino was an exception, she had simply hidden it too well.
"I haven't seen her."
Sangonomiya Kokomi saw the solemn expressions on everyone's faces, knew this person was extraordinary, and spoke in a deep voice.
"In fact, I have only just arrived here myself. Perhaps we should ask others."
As she spoke, Sangonomiya Kokomi also turned her gaze to Daphne, who shook her head and said,
"I haven't sensed any other powerful beings arriving either. Perhaps her aura is just very well hidden."
"However, her purpose is quite easy to guess. There are probably no other possibilities besides that one matter."
Hearing Daphne's words, Sangonomiya Kokomi nodded.
"From what you're saying, that woman named Arlecchino must be someone formidable. She has most likely already investigated the situation here and left."
"As for the enemies, we didn't encounter their main force on our way over. Since you came from Narukami Island, it is clear they are not there either. It seems they have gone to another island."
"Seirai Island!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance, and then Paimon shared her thoughts with the others.
"Seirai Island?"
Gorou lowered his head in thought. He had some memory of Seirai Island, especially that talking cat on the island.
"But there is no need for them to retreat so far, is there?"
Paimon said, feeling a bit puzzled. After all, whether it was the Shogunate or Watatsumi Island, both sides were completely at a disadvantage in the war against them. As a result, instead of pressing their advantage, the enemy had even fled to such a distant place.
"Could they have another objective?"
Hearing Paimon's words, Sangonomiya Kokomi showed a thoughtful expression.
After a moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi's face changed drastically.
"Oh no, they might have designs on the seal on Seirai Island!"
"They probably want to envelop all of Inazuma in a thunderstorm!"
"If they succeed, even with the Dragon Blood Potion, not many people in Inazuma would be able to survive in such an extreme environment!"
Before, Sangonomiya Kokomi hadn't considered this at all, and only now realized how perilous Inazuma's situation had become.
Everyone's expressions also turned grave after hearing Sangonomiya Kokomi's deduction, the joy of finding a way to save Inazuma vanishing from their hearts.
The enemy was trying to completely drive the people of Inazuma to a dead end!
"Lady Sangonomiya, wasn't the seal on Seirai Island already resealed by the Traveler and her group?"
Gorou spoke with a hint of urgency.
"That's correct, but with their methods, it won't be difficult for them to bring the thunderstorm back to the skies of Seirai Island and keep expanding it."
"We absolutely can't let them succeed!"
Paimon cried out.
"Let's go stop them quickly!"
After saying this, Paimon looked at Lumine, and Lumine nodded solemnly.
Indeed, if things really went as Sangonomiya Kokomi had described, once the enemy completed this step, Inazuma would be utterly destroyed.
At that time, the sea and air of Inazuma would be filled with raging Electro Element, and terrifying lightning would continuously strike from the sky. Even she would struggle to survive in such an environment, let alone the ordinary people of Inazuma.
Realizing this, everyone present knew that they could no longer delay any further and hurriedly arranged ships to prepare for the journey to Seirai Island.
-
Meanwhile, somewhere on Narukami Island.
Aether led the Abyss Monster army as they gradually emerged from the spatial portal. Soon, over a hundred of them had appeared, and more Abyss Monsters continued to pour out of the Abyss Channel, quickly occupying the entire hilltop.
Aether frowned as he felt the dense Hydro Element in the air and the incredibly moist soil, which made it seem as if Narukami Island had just been submerged in water.
In truth, he had already sensed that Lumine was no longer in danger, but he still brought the Abyss Monster army to Inazuma as originally planned. He wanted to know what exactly had happened in Inazuma that would put his sister in a momentary life-or-death crisis.
As a result, as soon as Aether arrived in Inazuma, he discovered something unusual.
Could it be that mysterious faction again?
Originally, Aether had not been very interested in the events taking place on Teyvat. He was confident that nothing could interfere with his upcoming plans.
However, he had actually suffered a defeat in Fontaine last time. Furthermore, he could no longer understand the current Fontaine Technology, not to mention that terrifying Energy Core.
Thinking that Fontaine might truly have some impact on the Abyss Order's plans, Aether began to investigate the events that had occurred in Fontaine recently. Then he discovered a deeply hidden mysterious faction.
For five hundred years, he had not heard a single word about that faction, which forced Aether to become vigilant.
Moreover, the power they had displayed grew more and more terrifying. If there was any existence that could still pose a huge threat to Lumine, it would probably only be a Numbered Member of that faction.
No matter what, he had to prioritize his sister's safety, otherwise his next plan would be completely meaningless.
However, Aether looked at the Abyss Monsters behind him. Although the expressions on their faces were incredibly respectful, it still couldn't change the fact that they were completely ignorant.
The vast majority of the Abyss Monsters were resurrected, with almost no memories. Their combat power couldn't even compare to before, being little more than cannon fodder.
The only thing that somewhat relieved Aether was that Ziyan, who served by his side, had decent strength, even being a bit stronger than his two older brothers.
This time, no matter what, he couldn't let the other party stay in Inazuma. Ziyan's entire family had been loyal to the end, to the point where even he felt embarrassed to casually abandon him.
"Prince, everyone has assembled."
At this moment, the spatial portal closed, and Ziyan respectfully came to Aether's side and reported.
"Hmm."
Aether nodded, and just as he was about to say something, the spatial portal behind him actually opened again.
Aether immediately frowned, and feeling the familiar aura from the Abyss Channel, he immediately raised his hand. Terrifying Elemental Power gathered in his palm, and he quickly blasted it toward the spatial portal.
The immense power immediately made the spatial portal extremely unstable. The spatial portal first expanded violently, then unleashed two powerful shockwaves in succession, sending the Abyss Monsters nearby tumbling all over the place.
Seeing this scene, Aether frowned again, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart.
Sure enough, these recently resurrected Abyss Monsters were simply too stupid. It seemed he would have to rely more on Ziyan to personally command and arrange them.
"Let's go."
Aether said in a low voice, then led the monster army to retreat into the distance.
The spatial portal's node had already been destroyed by Aether, but strangely, it still hadn't closed. However, this exit had already become extremely unstable, and the terrifying spacetime turbulence could be felt directly from the outside.
After some time passed, the chaos of the spatial portal gradually subsided, then slowly shrank.
However, two hands suddenly reached out, gripping the edge of the spatial portal and pulling violently. The spatial portal was torn open once again, and a slender figure stepped out from it.
It was a figure completely shrouded in a black shadow, with striking blond hair. A mask covered one-third of his right face, and his gaze was cold and indifferent.
Sensing the lingering aura in the air, he clenched his fist and then quickly released it. His figure then gradually vanished.