Kokomi looked up, her pinkish-blue eyes reflecting the faint shimmer of the 'proof of oathful sight' and King's calm face.
"Lord King, Watatsumi Island has nothing left..."
"Only this remains, along with our loyalty."
"I, Sangonomiya Kokomi, in the name of the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, hereby—"
She held the 'proof of oathful sight' high once more, her voice piercing the sea breeze as she declared firmly:
"To you, King, Guardian of Fontaine, I offer Watatsumi Island's 'token of contract' and our loyalty!"
"I hope you can grant the people of Watatsumi Island a glimmer of hope!"
As her voice fell, there was dead silence on the deck.
Only the 'proof of oathful sight' in her palm quietly emitted an ancient and sorrowful light, as if recounting all the joys, sorrows, and oaths of a forgotten kingdom.
Paimon forgot to cry, staring blankly at the beautiful little object.
Lumine held her breath.
Raiden Ei's face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Yae Miko's expression was incredibly complex; she knew Kokomi was placing all of Watatsumi Island on the gambling table in a massive gamble.
Gambling that Inazuma wouldn't dare hold them accountable, and gambling on the mercy of this Guardian of Fontaine.
Kamisato Ayato's mind raced with calculations.
If this succeeded, the impact on Inazuma would be unprecedented; he had to adjust his original plans immediately.
King looked at Sangonomiya Kokomi kneeling on the deck and sighed silently in his heart.
Furina's handwriting, filled with coquettishness and expectation, appeared before his eyes.
["Don't stay in Inazuma for too long... I'll be waiting for your return. Yours, Furina."]
He had planned to return immediately, but now... forget it.
Since he knew about the tragic state of Watatsumi Island, he couldn't just ignore it.
"I understand."
King stood up from the lounge chair, walked over to Kokomi, leaned down, and took the 'proof of oathful sight' from her hand.
It felt warm and slightly cool to the touch. The specks of light within the blue gemstone seemed to sense something, and their flow quickened slightly.
"Food, we have."
King's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Clorinde, immediately allocate the first batch of emergency food and medicine from the aid supplies and fill the cargo hold of 'justice'."
"Lynette, notify the other ships in the fleet to set aside half of their capacity to load subsequent supplies."
"We," he looked toward the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, "are going to Watatsumi Island."
"Yes!" Clorinde and Lynette took the order without hesitation and immediately turned to make arrangements.
Raiden Ei's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained standing silently.
She watched King take the token belonging to Orobashi and saw the tears welling in Kokomi's eyes.
She suddenly realized that she, the deity of Inazuma, felt like an outsider at this moment.
Yae Miko watched the scene with a complex gaze, her feelings difficult to describe.
Watatsumi Island had reached this point after all.
Kamisato Ayato immediately stepped forward, his tone respectful and quick: "Lord King, the routes to Watatsumi Island are complex and filled with hidden reefs, making it difficult for ordinary ships to navigate. Please allow me to dispatch sailors and guides familiar with the route to lead the fleet."
"Thank you for your hard work." King nodded.
"Kokomi..." Lumine walked to Kokomi's side, who was still kneeling on the ground, and gently helped her up.
Kokomi's body trembled slightly, and she was a bit unsteady on her feet—the result of the sudden exhaustion that followed extreme tension.
"Thank you... thank you, Traveler." Kokomi's voice choked as she tightly held Lumine's hand, then looked up at King. "Thank you, Lord King... Watatsumi Island... will never forget this kindness!"
"Stop crying." King casually tucked the 'proof of oathful sight' into his trench coat pocket and said plainly, "First, tell me about the specific situation on Watatsumi Island."
...The massive 'justice' set sail again, escorted by several Fontaine warships, heading toward the legendary island held aloft by Orobashi... The voyage was not long.
When the silhouette of Watatsumi Island finally appeared in their field of vision, everyone on the deck fell silent.
Rather than an island, it was more like a combination of a massive coral reef and fragmented land. Its terrain was unique, yet its colors were dull and lifeless.
The pier was empty, save for a few old fishing boats that looked ready to fall apart, docked crookedly and covered in moss.
There were no welcoming crowds, no noise—only a deathly silence.
The fleet slowly docked.
Stepping onto the pier and onto the damp, coarse coral sand, an even more intense and unsettling atmosphere washed over them.
Led by a squad of emaciated Watatsumi Army soldiers, the group walked toward the interior of the island.
On both sides of the road, people could occasionally be seen huddled in the shadows of simple coral houses.
Most were in rags, sitting or lying quietly, their reactions to this suddenly appearing, imposing foreign group terrifyingly sluggish.
Only a few children, with large but hollow and lifeless eyes, looked over with a mix of curiosity and fear.
They were too thin—so thin that their cheekbones protruded, their eye sockets were sunken, their skin clung tightly to their bones, and their ribs were clearly visible. Their spindly arms and legs looked as if they would break with a gentle snap.
Young girls wore old, faded clothes covered in patches that hung loosely on them. There were no curves to speak of, not even a hint of healthy flesh; they were as thin as walking skeletons.
Paimon clutched Lumine's hair tightly, burying her small face in it, not daring to look anymore as she sobbed quietly: "How did it become like this? It wasn't like this before... Kokomi, everyone..."
Lumine pursed her lips tightly, her fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white.
She remembered that while Watatsumi Island wasn't wealthy before, people had light in their eyes, hope, and the courage to fight for their beliefs.
But now... Raiden Ei walked step by step, her purple eyes slowly scanning everything along the way.
Her hand unconsciously pressed against her chest. Her puppet body had no heart, yet it felt waves of dull, phantom pain.
Her people... in corners she couldn't see, were silently enduring such suffering.
Yae Miko had long since dropped her playful demeanor, her fox ears drooping and her gaze solemn.
She began to regret why she hadn't inquired about the situation on Watatsumi Island.
Kamisato Ayato's brow was furrowed as he quickly calculated how many supplies needed to be squeezed out to support Watatsumi Island.
And how to establish a supply line at the minimum cost.
King walked at the very front of this silent group, his face expressionless, but his eyes deeper than usual.
What they saw along the way was shocking.
Hardly any crops could be seen in the fields, only scattered weeds struggling on the barren land.
Despair, like a thick fog, shrouded the island.
Finally, they arrived at the relatively open plaza in front of Sangonomiya Shrine.
The crowd gathered here was slightly larger, mostly consisting of the elderly, women, and children.
Seeing Lady Kokomi return with a group of extraordinary-looking strangers, the crowd stirred slightly, but they barely had the strength even to watch, merely looking on with numbness.
A young mother holding an infant had a child whose cries were as weak as a kitten's; she herself had sunken eyes and cracked lips.
An old man leaned against a coral pillar, looking at the sky with vacant eyes, still clutching half a dark, unidentifiable root in his hand.
Sangonomiya Kokomi stopped, turned around, and faced King, as well as her suffering people.
She took a deep breath, using all her strength, and her voice rang across the plaza:
"Everyone of Watatsumi Island!"
"This is Lord King, the Guardian from Fontaine!"
"He has brought us food, and he has brought us medicine!"
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