After the sakoku decree, Inazuma directly cut off the trade route with Watatsumi Island. Now, Watatsumi Island's grain was entirely smuggled in.
As for where it was bought... Hehe, in this world, if you look for it, there's nothing you can't find.
Some merchants wouldn't care if it violated the law; as long as there was money, anything could be sold.
...
"How many Visions have been confiscated so far?" Kujou Sara asked a Hatamoto in the Tenryou Commission's training ground.
"Reporting to Kujou, after our efforts this afternoon, we have confiscated nineteen Visions."
"Why only nineteen?" Kujou Sara frowned slightly. Visions, though rare, shouldn't be that scarce.
"Kujou, a Vision often represents a person's wish. Confiscating a Vision is stripping that person of their wish; no one wants to hand it over."
"These nineteen were only confiscated under semi-threats from our brothers."
The Hatamoto's face showed some shame. He felt he had failed General Yu and the General's trust, having collected so few in so long, and some were even fakes.
After picking and choosing, the already small number of Visions became even fewer.
"Hmm, I understand. This isn't your fault. Visions are not something ordinary people can contend with. Later, compile a roster of those with Visions for me. I will personally go to each one to collect them!"
The General's command was Kujou Sara's mission, no matter what its content.
Even if it meant her Vision would eventually be taken, Kujou Sara would not utter a single complaint. She had already made her resolve.
Since Visions were bestowed by the Archons, it was only natural for the Archons to reclaim them.
A few more days passed. Thoma and his group of three began to build their own influence in Ritou, while Shiki arrived on Yashiori Island.
By this time, she had already crossed Nazuchi Beach. Along the way, there were many Ronin who came to trouble her, but they all ended up as corpses.
"Sure enough, the gloomy weather in the game was entirely due to the destruction of the warding stones." The sky above Yashiori Island was clear and cloudless, Shiki couldn't help but think.
As a Archon, Raiden Ei might not be good at governing, but having experienced the Archon War, she definitely knew how significant the impact of a Archon's death was.
When everything was over, she set up four warding stones on Yashiori Island to suppress the remnants of the Archon.
A straight gorge stretched as far as the eye could see. This peculiar sight was certainly not formed by nature, but by the divine punishment unleashed by the Raiden Shogun.
The moment Musou no Hitotachi fell, Orobas's life was extinguished, and the terrifying electro element contained within it still retained its power five hundred years later.
The image in the Waypoint reappeared. Shiki seemed to see the white-scaled great serpent roaring at the thunderstorm that year, and the ice-cold Raiden Shogun.
"Archons…"
Shiki sighed at the power of the Archons. Some sights still needed to be seen in person; the shock they brought was completely beyond what the Ley Line could display.
The Celestial Archons, each Archon possessed the ability to change the landscape. On Earth, they would be walking nuclear bombs.
Barbatos flattened mountains, throwing the excess into the sea to create the Golden Apple Archipelago; Morax's descending stone spears formed the thousand-meter-high Guyun Stone Forest; Beelzebul split a great rift with one slash, and the violent electro element had not dissipated after five hundred years.
However, Shiki's purpose in coming to Yashiori Island this time was to activate the Waypoint. After all, the situation still needed the Vision Hunt Decree to further ferment; there was nothing to find even if she looked now.
It was better to activate all the Waypoints first, and then wait until the Watatsumi Island resistance and the Shogunate started fighting before she investigated the situation on Yashiori Island.
The Fatui certainly wanted to fish in troubled waters in this war, and wasn't she also here to catch fish?
However, although Yashiori Island was slightly smaller than Narukami Island, it was not much different. Coupled with the Musoujin Gorge, a great rift nearly fifty meters wide, and Orobas's bones, it would still take some time to light up all the Waypoints.
Accompanied by the golden Thunder Sphere that lit up in the mountains, Shiki began to bounce back and forth on Orobas's corpse. Coincidentally, her Thunder Sphere's maximum sensing range was exactly fifty meters, meaning she could freely traverse both sides of the Musoujin Gorge.
Although there were only two Waypoints in the north, it was still much more convenient.
As evening approached, Shiki finally lit up the last Waypoint on Yashiori Island. Having walked all day, Shiki was preparing to go back and rest well. However, just after she left Yashiori Island, one fast boat after another departed from Watatsumi Island.
The war had begun.
At 9 PM on April 26th, Watatsumi Island launched a night raid on the Shogunate's military camp on Yashiori Island, taking control of the territory west of Crimsonwood Village.
The next day...
"What!? Yashiori Island is gone?" Kujou Sara asked in disbelief.
"More accurately, half of it. The soldiers stationed on Yashiori Island have established a defensive line relying on Crimsonwood Village. Watatsumi Island is coming with great force, and we must provide support as soon as possible." A Hatamoto said.
"I know that, but the Vision Hunt Decree cannot stop. Here's what we'll do: I'll lead a force to the front line, and you'll stay behind with three hundred soldiers to lead the confiscation of Visions. I originally thought I'd go personally."
Kujou Sara quickly made a decision, and Kujou Takayuki felt it was a good opportunity when he heard the news.
"Masahito, Watatsumi Island has declared war on us. Tomorrow, you will go to the front line. Bring back a glorious victory for me."
In his opinion, Watatsumi Island was just a rabble, and besides, with the invincible Raiden Shogun, what trouble could the other side stir up?
Kujou Takayuki wished this war would last longer, so he could gain more benefits from it.
"I understand." Kujou Masahito nodded, and beside him, Hanaya, who was already married, showed a hint of worry in her eyes.
Although it was a marriage arranged by their parents, Kujou Masahito was genuinely good to her. He would try his best to grant her requests, except for that photo album he brought back from Ogura Shop.
Hanaya had never seen the person in the photos, but the temperament and appearance she displayed made her somewhat jealous, and it was precisely this jealousy that made her fall completely in love with Kujou Masahito.
More accurately, she wanted to possess Kujou Masahito. She didn't want her husband to constantly think of another woman in his heart. It was fine when they were just boyfriend and girlfriend, but they were married now, weren't they?
Otherwise, what was she? A substitute in a marriage?
Watatsumi Island launched a war. When Shiki heard this news, her heart was calm, because she already knew all of this.
But war was good. It meant her actions could begin.
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