Yes, Lady Funina!

Kujo Takayuki knew his adopted daughter very well. Her loyalty to the shogun was even greater than his own, to the point of blind devotion. How could Kujo Sara, who was so loyal, embarrass the shogun in this situation?

Someone else must be behind this!

The image of Yae no Miko immediately popped into Kujo Takayuki's mind. Although there was some stereotype involved, there was no doubt that among everyone present, only Yae no Miko was capable of causing trouble and had the courage to do so.

As it turned out, Kujo Takayuki was right, but not entirely. Yae no Miko was indeed among those causing trouble, but there were more than just Yae no Miko, including Kujo Sara, whom Kujo Takayuki thought was the least likely to cause trouble.

The Eye of God was taken by Kujo Sara.

While Raiden General and Kujo Takayuki were investigating who had taken the Eye of God, Kujo Sara also stepped forward.

However, what she held in her hand was not the Eye of God that she had taken away, but her own Eye of God.

“General, I took that Eye of God. If you insist on continuing the Eye Hunting Ceremony, then use my Eye of God.”

Kujo Takayuki could hardly believe his ears. He pointed at his adopted daughter and scolded, "Kujo Sara, do you know what you're saying?"

Interfering with the Hunting Eye Ceremony is a grave sin that hinders Inazuma's eternal life, while provoking the Shogun is... a capital offense.

Kujo Sara's theft of the Eye of God and her public provocation of the Shogun mean that even though she has made great contributions to the Shogunate army, she cannot escape unscathed.

“I know exactly what I’m doing, patriarch.” Kujo Sara’s eyes were firm, unwavering.

"But Master... Lord Xiaoxing, do you know what you are doing?"

Looking at Kujo Sara, Kujo thought the other woman seemed to have lost her mind.

"What am I doing? I'm participating in the General's Eye Hunting Ceremony!"

"No, you are working for the fools, you are pushing the Tenryo Magistrate into the abyss, you are disregarding the safety of the Inazuma people and the shogunate soldiers!" Kujo Sara clenched her fists and shouted back, facing Kujo Takayuki's murderous gaze.

"I……"

“I have already read the letter that the Fools wrote to the Magistrate’s Office and the memorial you wrote to the Shogun.”

"Hmph, utter nonsense. How could the Fools write to me? As for the official document, who gave you it? Do you know that intercepting official documents is a serious crime?"

Kujo Takayuki could not possibly admit to colluding with the Fools in front of everyone, especially Raiden-shogun.

As for the official documents... He couldn't deny that the documents bore his official seal, but as long as he insisted that the documents in Kujo Sara's possession were of dubious origin and showed signs of alteration, it would be impossible to find fault with him.

The only thing that worried Kujo Takayuki was the matter of the resistance; what if the shogun found out about it...

Knowing this shouldn't be a big deal. Things have already come to this point, and it's obviously too late for the general to back out now. Moreover, given the general's strength, it would be much faster to personally take action and eliminate the rebels.

Thinking of this, Kujo Takayuki regained his composure and, without waiting for Kujo Sara's reply, summoned the shogunate soldiers.

"Guards, take Kujo Saro away and keep a close watch on him."

As soon as the words were spoken, the shogunate soldiers present looked at each other, but not one of them stepped forward to carry out the Nine Articles Commissioner's orders.

After all, Kujo Takayuki, who had always been his superior in the rear, clearly had more confidence in frontline leaders like Kujo Sara, who set an example and took the lead.

It can be said that in terms of prestige within the military, ten Kyoukos could not compare to Kujo Saro.

This official, aside from his high rank and fondness for power plays, is actually nothing special.

Just then, Yae no Miko, who had been watching the battle from the sidelines for a long time, spoke up at the opportune moment.

"Is Kujō Magistrate so eager to silence people?"

"The most urgent matter now is to hold the Hunting Eye Ceremony. What are you planning to do, Yae no Miko? The General is still here!" Kujo Takayuki frowned. Although he maintained basic civility in his speech, everyone present could see that Kujo Takayuki and Yae no Miko were on the verge of a complete falling out.

What surprised everyone even more was that Yae no Miko was able to turn Kujo Sara against him. After all, everyone present knew Kujo Sara's personality. To put it nicely, it was loyalty; to put it bluntly, it was blind loyalty!

Kujo Sara was almost completely obedient to the orders of the Raiden General; it could be said that no one present was more loyal to the Raiden General than Kujo Sara.

"I think even the Shogun must be wondering why Kujo Sara would do something so 'unwise' right now?"

"Yae no Kami, isn't it all your doing!" Kujo Takayuki trembled with anger. Anyone with eyes could see that Kujo Sara's unusual behavior was definitely related to the fox demon in front of him.

"Kujo Takayuki, when you speak... you need to provide evidence." The charming fox eyes of Yae no longer held any smile; her vertical pupils shimmered with a captivating purple light.

No matter how high his official rank was, Kujo Takayuki was still just a mortal. When facing a great demon like Yae no Miko, he was as weak as a child.

“You…” Kujo Takayuki was stunned. He suddenly had a feeling that if he dared to say another word, he would be met with the thunderous wrath of Yae no Miko.

This woman is really daring to lay a hand on me in front of General Thunder!

Realizing this, Kujo Takayuki immediately dared not provoke the crazy woman anymore, because he himself was not sure whether Raiden General could withstand Yae no Miko's attack.

Although he had complete confidence in the Thunder General's strength, that confidence was limited to the Thunder General's attacks. According to verifiable historical records, the general's defense seemed to be less than ideal.

—It seems she can't protect anything.

General Raiden ignored their argument and focused her gaze on Kujo Sara.

"go on."

"General..." Kujo Takayuki seemed to want to say something more.

General Raiden merely glanced at Kujo Takayuki, and Kujo felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, obediently tucking his tail between his legs like an old dog and remaining silent.

"General, are you aware of the resistance on Hai'o Island?"

"Rebel army?" General Thunder asked in confusion. What rebel army?

Upon seeing this, Kujo Sara knew that the official documents given to her by Yae no Miko and the letters from the Fools were genuine.

The head of the family... no, Kujo Takayuki truly [deceived the emperor's ears], sacrificing the interests of a hundred families for the selfishness of his own.

Kujo Sara took a deep breath and reported to General Raiden in detail everything that had happened in the past week.

When she heard about the 'turmoil', General Raiden frowned and showed an expression for the first time, but she remained expressionless after that, including when Kujo Sara reported to her the number of casualties among the soldiers at the front.

It's as if those strings of cold numbers are just numbers.

"Kujo Takayuki, is this true?" After listening to Kujo Sara's report, General Raiden turned to ask Kujo Takayuki.

“I’m sorry, General, it was just a small rebellion. I… the Heavenly Commander can suppress it quickly. There’s really no need to bother you.”

“Any unrest is a destabilizing factor, and these are ‘eternal’ enemies. As for what you concealed, I will deal with you after I have dealt with the rebels.”

"Sigh, is this all there is to it?" Yae no Miko sighed, and then decided to play her last trump card.

"Richard, it's your turn."

Volume 1: Chapter 139 Shadow, You're Not Suitable for Lying

Upon hearing Yae no Miko's words, General Raiden paused in his hand, which was reaching for Kujo Saro's Eye of God, and looked at Richard with a probing gaze.

“I remember you should be Fontaine’s envoy,” General Raiden said. “Does Fontaine also intend to interfere in Inazuma’s internal affairs?”

“My actions only represent my personal opinion… Of course, I know that even if I say that, the General will still blame Fontaine.” Richard, dressed in a well-fitting Fontaine nobleman’s robes, looked at that face that, though a century later, remained familiar.

Unfortunately, the person behind that face is not the one I knew.

But it doesn't matter, we can just drag out the old acquaintances later.

"It seems that Shadow didn't input any memories of you into the General. He's quite possessive." Even in such a tense situation, Yae no Miko still had the mood to tease Richard.

However, General Thunder on the other side also made a move. Lightning crackled around her, her lilac eyes gleamed, and she slowly drew the [Dream of One Heart] from her chest. As the blade fully materialized, a purple pillar of light shot into the sky, and with a chilling aura, she slowly spoke:

"Yae no Miko, do you also want to hinder the progress of the Eye Hunt Order? Do you... also want to become an eternal enemy?"

"I am the priest of the shrine, how could I be an enemy of eternity? The only one who is truly an enemy of eternity... has always been you, General."

Despite the Thunder General's imposing aura, Yae no Miko's expression remained unchanged, as if the opponent's tangible pressure did not exist.

What a joke! With Richard around, how could a little Narukami like you possibly mess with me?

You should know that Richard's martial arts skills were personally taught by your creator. It wasn't so much meticulous instruction as a complete imparting of knowledge.

Moreover, Richard has not been idle during these past hundred years. Yae no Kamiko is certain that Richard's strength has improved significantly compared to a hundred years ago.

However, a hundred years ago, Richard was able to fight Shadow to a standstill. Although neither of them was really fighting, Shadow himself admitted that he had nothing left to teach Richard in terms of martial arts.

According to Alice, that old... nice guy, Richard was still a child at that time, not even a teenager, and he hadn't even developed one percent of his abilities.

Now, a hundred years have passed, and Alice has said that Richard is only one step away from becoming the "complete form." Even the Eightfold Divine Child cannot imagine how terrifying his strength must be. Therefore, she really cannot think of any reason why General Thunder could win.

Now, Richard would probably have to be subdued by that guy even if Shadow came.

With her thoughts racing, the Eightfold Divine Child moved gracefully, shielding Richard in front of her.

"It's up to you now. Go and take out General Thunder!"

Richard glanced back at Yae no Kamiko with a somewhat speechless expression, and just as Richard turned his head, Raiden General moved.

Sneak attack!

No, this wasn't a sneak attack. General Thunder didn't use his full power when he came up; he simply slashed out with his sword to test Richard and remind him that this wasn't child's play or a turn-based game. Before him stood the Thunder God who ruled Inazuma. Take this seriously.

Although this was just a casual slash from the Thunder General's sword, the power it contained was enough to defeat most of Inazuma's swordsmen. If there were any unskilled individuals, they might even perish on the spot from this one strike.

Richard, however, simply waved his hand, and the sword's edge was neutralized and neutralized as it flew through the air.

The onlookers, who had retreated a hundred meters away, stared wide-eyed and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Some people who didn't understand what was happening asked those around them, "What happened? How did they start fighting in the blink of an eye?"

Those around him, who were also onlookers, obviously didn't understand why the envoy from Fontaine was fighting with the general, but did it matter?

Let's watch the show first.

Neither the onlookers nor Takayuki Kujo, who was at the center of the battlefield, doubted the possibility of Raiden General losing. They felt that the only suspense in this contest was how long Richard could last.

As General Thunder ascended into the sky, the sword he held, "Dream of One Heart," began to be wrapped with countless lightning bolts. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the sky, and a Thunderous Eye of Evil unfolded in the void.

"This is the 'Unthinking Strike'! The general actually used this strike directly, so it seems there's no suspense left."

"Won't this strike affect diplomacy between the two countries?"

"What are you thinking? We've already closed our borders, so does it even matter whether it has any impact or not?"

"Too……"

The onlookers watched as they backed away, pushing the group from a hundred meters to a thousand meters while the Thunder General charged up, to avoid any possibility of accidental injury.

Although they all had great faith in the general's martial arts skills and his control over the power of his own moves, there's always a chance of something going wrong.

If you get caught in the aftershocks, it won't just be a few bruises; it will most likely turn into patches all over the place.

When Kujo Takayuki, who was in the middle of the battlefield, saw Raiden General use this move directly, the fanaticism in his eyes was almost overflowing.

"Ahhh... This is the [Unthinking Slash], how dazzling, how beautiful... how deadly!!!"

This morbid fervor was as if he wanted to test the sharpness of Richard's blade at any moment.

Of course, this was just talk. After all, if he tried it, he would die. With his old and frail body, Kujo Takayuki probably wouldn't even be qualified to be pieced together. He would be turned into dust under the thunder's might.

"General..." Kujo Sara wanted to step forward to dissuade him, but was pulled back by Yae no Miko.

Kujo Sara couldn't help but feel a little confused. If she remembered correctly, Mr. Richard should be Yae no Miko's sweetheart, right?

Are you just going to watch your sweetheart go to their death?

Facing the full power of the "Unthinking Slash" head-on is no different from suicide.

You should know that Musou Shinja was created by this very slash.

Perhaps considering that the power of this blade was too great and might affect the Thousand-Handed Hundred-Eyed Statue beside him and the distant Inazuma Castle, General Raiden did not launch an attack directly, but instead deployed his domain before the lightning blade fell.

The surrounding air made a sound like shattering glass, and a desolate scene unfolded behind General Thunder, enveloping Richard and General Thunder.

After the area was fully expanded, the ground was no longer the paving stones in front of the general's mansion. Instead, there was a huge stone slab, and a dilapidated torii gate stood crookedly on the edge of the stone slab.

"No thought...severance!"

As the cold voice fell, the strike, seemingly imbued with divine might, descended, carrying the force to destroy everything as it slashed towards Richard.

To General Thunder's bewilderment, Richard made no defensive move whatsoever, simply extending his right index and middle fingers.

'He wouldn't be thinking of catching my knife with two fingers, would he?'

Even the Thunder General, as his opponent, couldn't help but feel utterly absurd at this moment. Was this guy risking his life to show off?

The kind of person who's handsome and then dies.

As the blade fell, General Raiden did not feel the sensation of the blade cutting through flesh. The feeling transmitted from the blade to General Raiden's hand was like a stone sinking into the sea, profound yet without leaving a trace.

"This is!" General Thunder looked astonished as Richard caught her knife with just two fingers.

However, if that were all, General Thunder wouldn't be so surprised. What puzzled her was that she clearly felt her knife soften the moment it touched Richard.

Yes, there is no more fitting word than 'soft'.

What should have been a sharp blade, capable of cutting through everything, suddenly became harmless the moment it met Richard.