After toying with her for a long while, Shajin finally withdrew his overwhelming pressure.
Yae Miko wasted no time. The moment that crushing weight was lifted, she seized the rare opportunity and activated her transformation technique.
However, she forgot one crucial detail—she was still being firmly held in Shajin's grasp. As a result, her newly reformed body suddenly collapsed right on top of him, pressing him down in a very compromising position.
Yae Miko: "…"
Shajin: "…"
The two fell into silence, the air growing undeniably awkward.
A playful smirk crept across Shajin's lips.
"Who would've thought our dear Guuji could be so forward~"
"But honestly, what I really want isn't your heart, Miko… I want the heart of the Raiden Shogun."
His voice was laced with teasing amusement.
Yae Miko flushed with embarrassment and irritation, but she quickly composed herself, lifting her body and standing up as if unaffected.
Yet the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
"Hmph, what a tasteless man. Eating from one bowl while eyeing another."
With a smooth kip-up, Shajin bounced to his feet and dusted off his back.
"Alright, Yae Miko. Enough teasing. The Electro Archon's Gnosis is with you, isn't it?"
Yae Miko casually tidied her disheveled hair.
"Heh, the fact that you're here means you've already confirmed it. Even if I deny it, it's pointless, isn't it?"
Shajin snapped his fingers.
"Exactly. I do enjoy talking with smart people."
Yae Miko walked to a nearby table and tossed what looked like a paperweight to him.
Shajin took it without a second thought and stored it directly into the space within his Vision.
His body was once again engulfed in golden radiance, just as it began to fade—
Yae Miko suddenly spoke.
"Will you help Inazuma?"
Shajin raised an eyebrow.
"I help? That might be a bit extreme~ and I'll need an equivalent price."
Yae Miko shook her head.
"Inazuma is already at its most extreme. As for your price… how about entertainment and fried tofu?"
Shajin chuckled.
"I'll consider it~"
With that, he vanished without a trace—as if he'd never been there.
Yae Miko stood alone by the window, resting her chin on one hand.
"Let's just hope he doesn't trade one disaster for another~"
...
"What?! Thoma's been captured?!"
Paimon gasped and covered her mouth in disbelief.
Kamisato Ayaka nodded grimly, her grip on the cloth bag tightening.
"I couldn't tell whether the rumor was true or not, so I rushed here to confirm it. But if Thoma isn't here at the agreed time… then it's likely true."
"And today… the Raiden Shogun is holding the 'Vision Hunt Ceremony' at the Statue of the Omnipresent God to mark the seizure of the one-hundredth Vision."
"And the owner of that one-hundredth Vision… the person about to be publicly punished… is probably Thoma."
Lumine stroked her chin in thought.
"So the 'ceremony' Thoma mentioned before, the one the Tenryou Commission was preparing… was actually the Vision Hunt Ceremony meant for him?"
Ayaka recalled it too.
"It must be. The Shogun and the Tenryou Commission intend to use the hundredth Vision Hunt Ceremony to showcase the so-called 'success' of the decree…"
"I can't let this happen. I have to save Thoma!"
Lumine grabbed Ayaka's shoulders firmly.
"Calm down, Ayaka. Don't forget—you are the Shirasagi Himegimi. You represent the Yashiro Commission!"
Paimon nodded in agreement.
"Yeah! If you go in person, it'll look like the Yashiro Commission is rebelling against the Raiden Shogun!"
"If that happens, even the ordinary people of the Yashiro Commission will be dragged into it…"
Kamisato Ayaka shook her head.
"There's no helping it… Time is running out. The ceremony's about to start. I can't abandon Thoma like this."
Lumine bit her lip.
"Then let me go—"
"How could I miss out on something this fun~? Sure, I'm done with work in Inazuma, but how can I resist when there's entertainment involved?"
Lumine turned in surprise toward the familiar voice.
"Shajin!"
Wearing his pink-lensed sunglasses, Shajin waved at them with a grin.
"Lumine, Paimon, long time no see~"
Ayaka gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"S-Shajin?!"
He gave her a small nod.
"Long time no see, Xiao Bai~"
Then he stepped forward and glanced toward the bag holding the two golden fish.
"You two haven't been causing Xiao Bai any trouble, have you?"
Xiaojin and Xiaoyin frantically shook their heads inside the water.
"No no! Absolutely not!!!"
Ayaka couldn't help but burst into laughter. The heavy tension from before melted away completely.
Paimon flitted joyfully through the air.
"Since Shajin's here, we've got nothing to worry about! Let's go save Thoma!"
Lumine nodded and grabbed Ayaka's hand as they dashed off.
Shajin blinked behind them and scratched his head.
"I mean, I could've just teleported us there… Eh, this way's not too slow either~"
...
At the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
Thoma knelt on the ground, hands bound behind him. Two shogunate soldiers stood at his sides.
Crowds of onlookers surrounded the plaza, whispering anxiously.
Inazuma's so-called "god," the Raiden Shogun, stood high above on the ceremonial platform.
She glanced at the ashen sky, her expression void of emotion as her eyes fixed on Thoma.
With a slight motion of her finger—
The Pyro Vision at Thoma's waist responded as if called, floating toward the Raiden Shogun.
"Not so fast!"
Lumine, now attuned to Electro, moved like lightning and intercepted the Vision midair.
Soldiers nearby immediately lunged forward, spears aiming at Lumine, but she knocked them out cold with lightning-forged magatama.
She took the chance to cut Thoma's bindings.
"You can use elemental power without a Vision?"
The Raiden Shogun descended slowly from the sky, stepping down on a path of Electro energy.
"You… are an exception."
"And exceptions… are the enemies of eternity."
"I will… entomb you within the Statue of the Omnipresent God!"
A thunderbolt crashed down from the heavens, striking the spot where Lumine and Thoma stood.
Boom!
A cloud of smoke erupted.
The crowd braced themselves, assuming the two had been reduced to ash.
But when the smoke cleared—there they stood, completely unharmed, encased within a radiant golden barrier of Geo energy.
"Heh, picking on the weak… That's low, puppet. Why don't you come play with me instead~?"
Shajin hovered in the air, looking down at the Raiden Shogun.
"How about it?"
_
Please support my patreon, patreon. com/TravelerDouluo
And get early access to my 60 advance chapters.