Lumine pressed her lips together.
So, this whole war was stirred up by the Fatui?
"Sigh—"
Yae Miko stretched lazily, reclining on a nearby lounge chair with feline grace.
"Raiden Ei, the true Electro Archon, secluded herself in a dimension called the Plane of Euthymia to escape 'erosion'… and for other reasons."
"If we want to end this farce, we'll have to find her. But even I, her familiar, find it nearly impossible to meet her. So how could you mortals possibly stand a chance~"
"Who's stronger, that Raiden Shogun or our boss?"
"Er, I can't say for sure. It's not like they've ever fought—how would I know?"
"What about compared to our boss's boss?"
"Oh, that's easy—our boss's boss is definitely stronger!"
Yae Miko: "?"
Lumine: "?"
Paimon: "?"
Paimon's eyes widened in horror as she pointed a trembling finger at the bag Ayaka held, stammering, "Th-th-the fish… are talking!"
Yae Miko gracefully stepped forward, bent down, and reached out with a delicate finger to poke the bag, her voice playful and curious.
"You two little ones… What are your names?"
"Hey! Fox! Get your hands off me, you hear?!"
One of the goldfish glared at her, puffing up angrily.
"Yeah, who even are you?" the other fish chimed in.
Yae Miko's smile froze. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, a flicker of menace flashing within them.
Ayaka hurriedly moved the bag aside and scolded, "Kogane! Shirogane! That's no way to speak! Apologize to the Guuji at once!"
The two goldfish—or rather, Kogane and Shirogane—exchanged guilty glances. Like children caught misbehaving, they lowered their heads and mumbled,
"Sorry, Lady Guuji…"
Ayaka bowed deeply as well. "My apologies, Lady Guuji. They're still a bit unruly… please forgive them."
Yae Miko waved it off with a gentle smile. "It's alright. Kids will be kids. But Ayaka, where did you find these two goldfish?"
Ayaka blinked, slightly surprised. "A friend gave them to me. They were ordinary goldfish at first, but somehow gained sentience and turned into youkai. That's actually the second reason I came to see you."
Yae Miko's playful smile faded, her gaze sharpening with sudden intensity as she stared straight into Ayaka's soul.
"Little Ayaka… What does this 'friend' of yours look like? Describe him in detail."
Ayaka tilted her head, startled by the sudden change in tone, and tried her best to recall.
"He's about the same height as my brother, has golden hair, and usually wears a fur-lined coat. Sometimes, he wears these pink sunglasses. But what stood out the most were his eyes—violet on the outer ring, blue inside. Very beautiful."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance.
That's definitely Shajin, right?!
But neither of them said it aloud.
Lumine gave Paimon a subtle shake of the head, signaling her to keep quiet.
Paimon nodded in understanding.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Your friend's quite something. Enlightening fish into spirits isn't something just anyone can pull off~"
Yae Miko seemed about to continue, but then her expression shifted. That familiar, mischievous smile crept back onto her lips.
"It's getting late. I'm feeling a bit tired, so I'll head back for some rest. I'll be watching your next moves with great interest~"
Ayaka nodded obediently, her eyes glowing with resolve.
"Yes. For the people of Inazuma, we will do everything in our power."
With that, she turned and left.
…
Once the trio had gone, the Grand Narukami Shrine returned to silence.
Yae Miko walked back to her room without a word.
"If you're already here, there's no need to lurk in the shadows, is there?" Her voice was soft, calm, but carried an undeniable authority.
"I wasn't expecting the Guuji to choose her own bedroom as the meeting place."
Golden sparks flared in the center of the room, and a figure emerged from the light. His voice was deep and magnetic, like a whisper from the abyss.
"Golden hair, iconic eyes… I'm not as naïve as that little girl from the Kamisato Clan. From Liyue's so-called Gambling Saint, Shajin… or should I say—Fatui's Twelfth Harbinger: The Gambler, Adventurine."
Yae Miko's gaze sharpened like a blade, locking onto the man before her.
Shajin clapped slowly, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
"As expected of the Guuji of Narukami Shrine. Even with Inazuma under lockdown, you've managed to gather this much intel."
He casually picked up a light novel from the nearby table and flipped through it.
"You flatter me. Being praised by the Gambler, slayer of three archon-level beings, is almost enough to make me blush~"
But that same playful attitude of Yae Miko's only made Shajin feel more irritated.
"Well then, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
Shajin shrugged.
"You already know."
He raised a finger and pointed at his own chest.
"Obviously, I'm here for this."
Yae Miko cupped her cheeks dramatically.
"Oh my, getting straight to the point? My heart isn't so easily won, you know~"
Shajin's eyes narrowed. One of his fingers twitched.
In that instant, a terrifying pressure erupted—not outward, but inward—locking Yae Miko in place.
Her back was instantly soaked in cold sweat. But what neither of them expected… was that she couldn't maintain her human form.
With a flash, she reverted to her true body.
Shajin's gaze turned complicated as he slowly approached, reaching out to grasp her by the scruff of the neck.
Yae Miko's eyes flew wide open in shame and fury, a glint of murderous intent flickering in them.
She had always been the one in control. When had anyone ever dared treat her like this—especially in the literal, physical sense?!
But Shajin ignored her glare. Instead, he curiously examined the fox in his hand.
Her fur was mostly a soft, pink hue, with streaks of snowy white. One slender tail swayed gently, exuding a mysterious and seductive charm—no doubt the natural allure of her kind.
Shajin studied every detail with the precision of a collector examining a priceless artifact.
His fingers brushed through her silky fur, absorbing the warmth and smoothness of her body.
Yae Miko's heart burned with rage and humiliation. She had never imagined such a scenario.
She struggled, but Shajin's strength far exceeded her expectations. Escape was impossible.
All she could do was glare at him furiously…
But Shajin paid her no mind, completely absorbed in analyzing the fox in his grasp.
_
Please support my patreon, patreon. com/TravelerDouluo
And get early access to my 60 advance chapters.