"This is the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
Jun Mo Li looked up at this solemn and murderous statue. Faintly, he seemed to hear the wishes contained within the Visions embedded on the statue.
Lumine's reaction was even more obvious. She directly resonated with the Visions on the statue.
Jun Mo Li could only faintly sense them, but Lumine could clearly hear the wishes within the Visions.
——
Grand Narukami Shrine.
Yae Miko, who was playing Gomoku with Jun Bai, suddenly looked toward Inazuma City, then looked back at the board.
She placed a stone: "The last chess piece my plan was missing has appeared."
Jun Bai also knew who she was talking about.
The livestream screen on his side had been on the entire time. It was just that Yae Miko couldn't see it.
So Jun Bai naturally knew that Lumine had now arrived beneath the Statue of the Omnipresent God and could feel the wishes imprisoned within the statue.
Jun Bai cracked sunflower seeds while placing a stone and said: "Then when do you plan to meet her?"
"Go meet the Traveler."
Yae Miko picked up her bowl, picked up a piece of fried tofu and said: "You could even guess this?"
"She came to Inazuma from our Liyue."
"That's true ~"
Yae Miko swallowed the fried tofu in her mouth, connected four white stones in a row, and said: "I'll meet her when she's willing to lend a hand to Inazuma like you did."
"If she's unwilling to help, then even meeting her would be useless ~"
"I thought you would have me go persuade her."
"Lord Phoenix Emperor, your words have reminded me ~"
"If the Traveler doesn't cooperate, then please speak a few good words for me ~" Yae Miko used her beauty trap, throwing a seductive glance at Jun Bai.
Jun Bai avoided the kitsune's seductive glance without changing his expression, then used the same tone to say:
"It depends on the situation. If that person's method succeeds, then your plan won't be needed, and there won't be any need for the Traveler's help ~"
It was obvious that Yae Miko didn't want to hear this answer: "Then I wonder if Lord Phoenix Emperor could reveal that person's plan?"
"No."
Jun Bai placed a stone. The black stones connected in a line and ended the game.
Yae Miko began packing up the board without showing any disappointment, but there was a sly glint in her eyes.
Who knew what schemes this Guuji Yae was plotting again ~
Jun Bai was still watching the live broadcast.
Hmm? Originally Thoma's lines were given to Chimatsuri to say? I need to sit up properly to watch this!
——
Beneath the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
Chimatsuri looked up at this solemn statue embedded with countless people's wishes and muttered to himself: "Vision Hunt Decree..."
"Inazuma is the nation of eternity..."
"The eternity that remains unchanging for thousands of generations is the will of the Raiden Shogun who rules over Inazuma."
"For this, she relies on the Three Commissions to stabilize the regime, and relies on the Sakoku Decree that has remained unshaken for a hundred years to cut off Inazuma's communication with the outside world..."
"Inazuma maintains a static state, allowing time to flow past while only Inazuma stands majestically unmoving, until eternity."
"This is the eternity the Shogun believes in."
"I don't dare to rashly speculate on the Shogun's will, but the Vision Hunt Decree that seizes the people's Visions..."
"Exists to prevent variables from shaking eternity."
"Eternity requires no communication, so the Sakoku Decree was born from this. Eternity requires no variables, which is why the Vision Hunt Decree exists."
"As for the people's wishes, in the face of eternity, they are completely insignificant."
(In the original plot, these lines were spoken by Thoma.)
(It felt a bit light, so after making some slight changes, I let Kazuha's friend say them instead.)
(I think it would be more appropriate for a failed rebel to say these words.)
Shiba Kaoru turned to look at Chimatsuri.
His purple eyes with three spinning magatama could not see the expression beneath the mask.
"So that's why there are people who resist."
Thoma's expression remained unchanged. Lumine, Jun Mo Li, Yiya, and Paimon all looked at Chimatsuri's back.
Thoma thought Shiba Kaoru was talking about the resistance army, or perhaps the Kamisato Clan.
But only those who came from the Shiba Clan knew that he was talking about Chimatsuri — the first person to resist the Vision Hunt Decree.
[Chimatsuri's tone really makes one feel the same way.]
[This is the personal experience of the first person to wake up under the Vision Hunt Decree.]
[Gods turn a blind eye to the wishes of mortals, but there are always people who value their wishes more than their lives. Chimatsuri is a failure, but he deserves respect.]
[So this is where Second Brother changes his mind and decides to help the Kamisato Clan? What I mean is, the following plot has to involve resisting the Vision Hunt Decree for it to make sense, right?]
"..." Chimatsuri bowed and said, "I'm sorry, Young Highness. I misspoke."
"Be careful next time. I'll pretend I didn't hear it this time."
"The Shiba Clan is loyal to the Raiden Shogun. Don't say things like that again."
After Shiba Kaoru finished speaking, he looked at Jun Mo Li and asked: "Next we're going to the Kamisato Clan, right? Guest."
Jun Mo Li withdrew his gaze from Chimatsuri and nodded: "Sorry to trouble you to lead the way."
"It's no trouble."
Although it wasn't Thoma leading the way, having the head of the Shiba Clan lead them made the journey to the Kamisato Clan much smoother.
Kamisato Estate.
A group of servants stood at the entrance of the Kamisato Estate, respectfully welcoming the head of the Shiba Clan and Lumine's group.
Thoma, now back in his home territory, led the way for everyone and pushed open the gates of the Kamisato Clan:
"Welcome, everyone, to the Kamisato Clan."
Paimon looked around at the decorations inside the estate and said:
"So this is the Kamisato Clan's residence? It feels a bit worse than the Shiba Clan's. It's not as... exaggerated as I imagined?"
Yiya nodded.
[Yiya's approval]
[Three thousand years of accumulation can't be compared to a mere island nation! (chest puffed out.jpg)]
[The pride of Chinese-style culture. The only possible flaw might be that Chinese-style luxury goods are expensive.]
[Expensive is not a flaw of luxury goods. Shouldn't this be our flaw instead?]
[The person above killed a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred of their own!]
Thoma smiled: "The family head and the young lady prefer simpler decorations."
"Honored guests, please come this way. The young lady has been waiting for you for quite some time."
"I don't see anyone?" Lumine looked around but could only see vases and a folding screen surrounded by vases.
"Could she be behind the screen?" Paimon reasonably guessed.
However, the three experts — Jun Mo Li, Shiba Kaoru, and Chimatsuri — all shook their heads together, indicating that there was no one behind the screen.
"This folding screen is used by the Kamisato Clan when receiving guests normally. This has been the Yashiro Commission's tradition for a hundred years." A gentle female voice came from the end of the corridor.
"However, given the noble status of you honored guests, if we still received you this way, it would mean the Yashiro Commission has been poor hosts."
The voice grew closer from afar.
A young girl appeared before everyone.
Her snow-white long hair was tied into a high ponytail. Beneath her straight bangs were a pair of gray-blue eyes. Her side hair on both sides was tied up in topknots, and there was a teardrop mole at the corner of her left eye.
She wore a gradient blue haori and a deep blue pleated skirt printed with patterns of falling cherry blossoms and flowing water.
Her chest and abdomen were wrapped in a black cuirass, with connected skirt armor covering both sides of the skirt. There was also a blue-purple bow on her back.
The girl smiled slightly at everyone and bowed in greeting: "Kamisato Clan of the Yashiro Commission, Kamisato Ayaka, greets all honored guests."