With Akashi Kojiro's contribution, the Resistance's military expenses were temporarily resolved. With West Factory's strong support, the Resistance began extensively recruiting soldiers on Yashiori Island and Watatsumi Island, offering generous benefits—a monthly salary of up to 50,000 Mora and substantial compensation for casualties. Many who couldn't find work were tempted. For the vast majority of Inazumans, a job with a monthly salary of 50,000 Mora was undoubtedly a highly coveted position, incredibly appealing. In Fudé Port, only a few highly skilled Head Carpenters could earn that much. Consequently, people flooded the recruitment offices, completely overcrowding them.
After strict screening, Kaedehara Kazuha finally enlisted four hundred new recruits. Merged with the one hundred volunteers who had previously joined, they formed a five-hundred-strong Resistance army. Next, West Factory operatives would provide this Resistance with military training for a period, forging them into a modernized force.
...
Half a month passed. The anxiously waiting Kujou Takayuki finally sensed something was wrong. He immediately ordered a search of Akashi Kojiro's residence. The result infuriated him greatly—Akashi Kojiro's family had all left, leaving only a few servants guarding the empty house. By now, he had realized that Akashi Kojiro had embezzled his one hundred million Mora and gone to Fudé Port to enjoy life. This one hundred million Mora was supposed to be for the Shogunate Army's military expenses!
Kujou Takayuki quickly ordered men to pursue Akashi Kojiro in Fudé Port. However, all this was destined to be in vain. As soon as his pursuit team disembarked from the passenger ship, they were intercepted by West Factory operatives and "invited" for tea.
To re-raise military funds, Kujou Takayuki shamelessly requested a loan from Hiiragi Shinsuke again, but was met with Hiiragi Shinsuke's firm refusal. Faced with this predicament, Kujou Takayuki was forced to resort to extreme measures. He ordered additional taxes to be levied on the people of Inazuma City, collecting taxes for three years in advance in one go. This measure immediately triggered strong resentment and resistance from the people. Unable to bear such a heavy burden, they flocked to Tenshukaku to protest.
The Shogunate Army brutally suppressed the people's protest. The leaders of the few commoners were executed on the spot under the fabricated charge of "violating eternal justice." This protest was ultimately suppressed bloodily.
Kujou Sara, who witnessed the entire protest and suppression scene, had reached the limit of her endurance. She stormed into the Tenryou Commission headquarters filled with anger, confronting Kujou Takayuki directly. She questioned him sharply, "Lord Kujou Takayuki, is everything you have done truly in line with the Shogun's Eternal Justice?"
"Of course," Kujou Takayuki coldly glanced at her and replied disdainfully, "Everything I have done is to uphold Your Excellency's Eternal Justice. If you have objections to this, we can certainly go before the Shogun and debate it, letting Your Excellency make the final decision."
Kujou Sara knew that the possibility of winning a debate before the Shogun was slim, but she still held a last glimmer of hope for the Raiden Shogun. Therefore, she resolutely decided to accept the challenge of this debate before the Shogun. But this decision was not without cost. If she failed in the debate before the Shogun, she would have to unconditionally obey all of Kujou Takayuki's orders, without any defiance.
A day later, the audience before the Shogun was convened again as scheduled. Kujou Sara stood in the center of Tenshukaku, stating the current plight and suffering of the Inazuman people. Then, with sincere words, she requested the Raiden Shogun to leave Tenshukaku and personally see the true living conditions of the people. However, her request was met with combined refutation from Kujou Takayuki, Hiiragi Shinsuke, and Kamisato Ayato. They used harsh words to vehemently criticize Kujou Sara's statements.
"Under Your Excellency's Eternal Justice, our people are clearly living happy and stable lives," Kujou Takayuki said sternly. "How, in your words, does it become a scene of people being unable to make a living?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke also followed suit, righteously accusing, "Those few troublesome civilians, for their personal gain, openly obstructed the implementation of Your Excellency's Eternal Justice. Should they not receive the punishment they deserve?"
Kamisato Ayato even declared in a tone of righteous indignation, "Kujou Sara, you cannot completely deny the Raiden Shogun's Eternal Justice just because of the misfortune of a few individuals!"
The three of them seemed to have grasped some mysterious keyword, constantly invoking "Eternal Justice," becoming the most loyal defenders of Eternal Justice, standing on the moral high ground to criticize and refute Kujou Sara's statements. At this moment, Kujou Sara felt that the scene before her was utterly absurd.
She lost this debate before the Shogun again, and this time, she lost even more thoroughly than before. The Raiden Shogun even sharply commented that she simply didn't understand Eternal Justice. This sentence was like a heavy hammer, shattering the last bit of hope in her heart. Kujou Sara's heart was instantly pierced by the cold wind, becoming icy and rigid.
...
A month later, on a bright morning. Lin Yide sat in a convertible car, heading to the opening ceremony of the new property development, "Fudé Garden." Midway through the drive, he suddenly felt an inexplicable chill on the back of his head. Experience told him that "experience points" had come knocking again. Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately activated his four layers of elemental shields. Each layer glowed with a different color, like four protective circles tightly surrounding him.
In that instant, a silver cone flew rapidly from behind like a meteor, arriving in the blink of an eye. The silver cone, just at the critical moment before penetrating the last elemental shield, was steadily blocked by the black sword Lin Yide wielded in time. Dottore's segment, the attacker, witnessed this scene and roared angrily, "Why can this guy always avoid my assassinations!" His voice revealed a deep sense of frustration.
Immediately following, a fierce battle erupted. This was the seventh time Lin Yide had "farmed" a Dottore segment. He had a thorough understanding of Dottore's moves and tactics. Even without the assistance of Thunderclap and Kaedehara Kazuha, he could handle it with ease, soloing it without taking damage.
Just ten minutes later, Dottore's segment dissipated reluctantly under Lin Yide's black sword. After this battle, the system only rewarded 1600 Experience Points. Following this decreasing trend, Lin Yide estimated that the reward for the next defeat might only be 800 points.