Grand Narukami Shrine. The mountain wind, carrying the crispness of early autumn, penetrated the silence of Mt. Yougou and blew gently. The lush branches and leaves of the Sacred Sakura tree swayed in the morning breeze, making a rustling sound.
In a tastefully arranged and tidy room, Raiden Ei slowly opened her eyes on the bed. Her eyes, at first, were a little hazy, then gradually became clear. As her consciousness fully returned, the memories of the previous battle flooded into her mind. She tried to sit up, but found her body abnormally weak, as if all her strength had been drained away.
Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and Yae Miko elegantly walked in. "Ei, it's all over. Rest well," she gently comforted Raiden Ei lying on the bed. Raiden Ei couldn't manage to get up after all. She said messily but determinedly, "No, my Eternal Justice has not yet been realized. I cannot fall here."
Upon hearing this, Yae Miko's expression instantly became cold and serious. "Ei, the eternity you seek will only bring deep disaster to the people of Inazuma."
Despite her weakness, Raiden Ei still firmly defended her beliefs. "On the path to eternity, these sacrifices are necessary, they are all worth it."
"Worth it?" Yae Miko scoffed, and asked in return, "Then, even if all the people of Inazuma are sacrificed and Inazuma City becomes a dead, empty city, is this what you call worth it?"
Yae Miko's questioning was like a sharp sword, piercing directly into Raiden Ei's heart. Faced with the severe questioning of the person she trusted most, Raiden Ei's heart began to waver. She murmured to herself, with a hint of confusion and bewilderment, "How could this happen?"
Yae Miko's expression softened slightly. She shared the theory she had learned from Lin Yide. "Inazuma, as an island nation, has limited self-sufficiency in resources. When the population grows to a certain extent, resources must be exchanged with the outside world to ensure its survival and development. If this exchange is forcibly cut off, civil unrest and war will inevitably break out within the country due to the struggle for limited resources. Furthermore, most of Inazuma's resources are in the hands of the nobility. If society stagnates, ordinary people will suffer even crueler exploitation."
Raiden Ei was confused by what she heard, but she felt that what Yae Miko said made a lot of sense. However, she still held onto her stance. "I have personally witnessed countries that ran at full speed turn into ruins under divine punishment. Only by pursuing eternity can such disasters be avoided."
Yae Miko sighed lightly. "I truly don't understand why Raiden Makoto chose to entrust Inazuma to you, this blockhead. Clearly, I am the more suitable candidate to be the Shogun." She paused slightly, then continued with a rhetorical question. "Do you think Morax is foolish? What about Barbatos? And what about Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Focalors? None of them chose this kind of extreme method you've taken to protect their countries. Why are you so stubbornly insistent on this path?"
Raiden Ei was at a loss for words for a moment. Yae Miko didn't give her much time to think. She immediately continued, "Look at neighboring Liyue. Since the Khaenri'ah cataclysm, they have never stopped moving forward. Today, Liyue Harbor is prosperous and flourishing, and the people live in peace and contentment. Its prosperity far exceeds Inazuma by ten times. Then there's Fontaine. They are fully dedicated to technological development. Half a year ago, a single volley from the cannons on a Fontaine battleship easily destroyed the entire Kujou Encampment. If Fontaine had designs on Inazuma, Inazuma would probably no longer exist."
Raiden Ei was silent. She had to admit that what Yae Miko said was very correct. Her face turned pale as paper, and she murmured, "Could it be that... I was really wrong?" The belief she had held for so long seemed to begin to waver at this moment, gradually collapsing.
Yae Miko felt quite distressed watching her like this. She gently comforted her, "You rest well and recover. When you are better, I will take you to a place. When you get there, perhaps you will understand where exactly you were wrong."
...
In early autumn, the sky was high and the air was crisp. The people of Inazuma City looked at the collapsed houses before them, their weary eyes revealing confusion and helplessness about life. Just then, Resistance soldiers, carrying bags of grain labeled "Fudé Port Aid," visited every household one by one. The people watched this scene in surprise, unable to believe their eyes. They had originally thought the Resistance would take the opportunity to extort and blackmail them, but they never expected them to actually bring life-saving grain.
When the people genuinely held the grain in their hands, only then did they confirm that all of this was not a fleeting dream. This unexpected aid was like the warm sun of early autumn, warming their hearts and rekindling the sparks of hope for their lives.
Several days later, the former Yashiro Commissioner, Kamisato Ayato, made a formal announcement to the people of Inazuma. "The Raiden Shogun has officially abdicated, stepping down from her position as Shogun, but will continue to bless the people of Inazuma as a deity. The Shogunate is completely dissolved. The three Commissions will no longer exist. A new cabinet will replace the Shogunate, and Kamisato Ayato will become the first Prime Minister. Inazuma will henceforth become a democratic nation, and the nobility will cease to exist."
When this news reached the ears of the people, they were first shocked, then fell into endless ecstasy. Following this, as the first Prime Minister, Kamisato Ayato issued three decrees in succession:
One: Completely abolish the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree.
Two: Return the taxes recently levied by the Shogunate on the people.
Three: Inazuma will be Fontaine's most loyal partner.
As soon as these three decrees were issued, the already joyful people became even more ecstatic. They sang and danced in the streets, the atmosphere of celebration permeating every corner.
Kujou Sara watched this scene, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She realized that she had been wandering on the wrong path all along. She sighed softly and turned to walk out of Inazuma City. Her figure appeared desolate and lonely.
Just before she was about to step out of Inazuma City, the figure of Kaedehara Kazuha unexpectedly appeared in her sight. He was standing quietly in front, seemingly waiting for her. "Kujou Sara, Inazuma still needs you," Kaedehara Kazuha walked up to her and said solemnly.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Kujou Sara's face. "But, what can someone as foolishly loyal as me possibly do?"
Kaedehara Kazuha said seriously, "Kujou Sara, from now on, the Resistance will be under your command."
Kujou Sara's eyes widened in astonishment. "Why do you trust me so much?"
"Because you are a true warrior who adheres to your own principles," Kaedehara Kazuha replied.
Kujou Sara couldn't help but ask, "Then why won't you continue to command the Resistance?"
Kaedehara Kazuha's gaze drifted into the distance, deep and profound. "Once upon a time, my ideal was to travel the world, as free as the wind. And now, I wish even more to follow the footsteps of that esteemed person and change this world."