Sorry for the delay, between me getting sick for a whole week and Itto's arrival to Genshin taking all my free time to level him and Gorou, I barely had time to advance on the chapter. But I wanted to get it out before Christmas, as busy times are ahead again, so here it is.
Hope you enjoy, as always.
The sight which greeted Arataki Itto's arrival to the makeshift hideout was not a pleasant one. The mermaid-like existence draped in azure robes was lying on the floor, bloodied and disheveled, covering a trembling child under her. Her attire was showing signs of having been burned, eroded by a powerful electrical surge as would one guess after the massive, thunderous sound that tore the heavens asunder earlier.
It seemed like she was beaten while protecting a little boy: even as she passed out from the brutal assault she endured, her position assumed prior to the attack didn't change one iota. As a flickering star in the dark of night, struggling to retain its brilliance under the cosmic influences, Sangonomiya Kokomi's life was hanging by a thread.
This only heightened Itto's anger to new levels, refueling his drive to fight once again despite him coming out of a battle. This was his sense of duty, his pride as a red oni, kicking in. To leave this unpunished would scar him for life after witnessing this... even more so when he heard the few words that followed.
"Big bro... Itto...?"
"?!"
His amber colored eyes widening, the one calling to him is instantly recognized as Daisuke, whom he considers family. He often comes here to find him and play with him when he finds a new insect to fight his ones with. Odds of bad timing had Daisuke unwillingly involved in the evil plans of the Kairagi and Nobushi hanging around his usual place lately, which ended up with the boy captured.
"I'll come for you, Daisuke! Don't move...! Actually, it'd be brave of you if you could pressure the miss' wounds with her cloth! You can do that for me, aight?"
Encouraging the youth to take courage and save a life, with his ever reassuring voice brimming with confidence, Itto bets on the kindness his little brother by proxy often shows, to take over fear.
"Y-Yeah...! Count on me!" Bravely answers the child, fighting as much as he can against his instincts telling him not to move, applying pressure to the wound bleeding the most.
"Good boy. I'll be quick."
Other children are gathered under a porch of a rudimentary wooden settlement, all clumped together and shaking, certainly scared of the individual standing there, his back facing them.
The leader, Hajime, finally speaks.
"It will be quick alright, but not with the outcome you have in mind. Lowly oni scum... I'm disgusted people like you can do as they please on our lands!"
Raising an eyebrow, Itto appears surprised such people prejudiced against his kind still existed.
"Oi, I've been damn accommodating to humans as the oath my ancestors swore upon dictates. If all ya gotta say for your defense amounts both to this and the victims behind you, my departed predecessors as my witness, I'll bring justice to your wrongdoings right about this second!"
"Too bad, I'm about to bring a certain reign to a close! I You've no idea what I have in hand, kehehe..."
The head Kairagi laughs arrogantly, awfully confident in his boasting of dethroning the most powerful being of the country and one of Teyvat's Gods to boot.
"Oh I do. I've seen it through... a certain mind. If ya think those pitiful toys ya've been playin' with are gonna do sumthin' to Her, ya're sorely mistaken, dumb ass."
The white haired man retorts with just as much assurance in his claim, completely convinced that those Delusions wouldn't be able to do anything against the almighty storm that is known as the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, slayer of Gods, and centuries old entity.
"Why don't I give you a taste of what my toy can do to you?"
In a split second, enough to barely bat an eye, the one named Hajime appears right in his face, katana in hand, ready to slice his enemy in half. Behind him, a trail of lightning is traced on the ground and in its aftermath, the delayed, cracking sounds of electricity resounds.
"Wha-"
SLASH!
An injury instantly erupts from the slashed portion of his body, his upper torso mildly sliced as he instinctively backed away, albeit too late to avoid the blade's virulent swing. A gush of sanguine effusion manifests, the rogue samurai earning Itto's pained cry at the same time.
"Owww! Sneaky bastard..."
"In this state, I'm way ahead of you and closer to fighting a God. This was designed to stand up to this sham of a Shogun, not to merely defeat bugs like you!"
His attitude only aggravates Itto's fury, reminding him of the days of his youth when even the one who took care of him, which their detractors dubbed Granny Oni, was suffering insults just for accepting him.
"I'm sick of ya already, piss off! THIS IS MY TERRITORY AND YA AIN'T TURNING IT INTO A CRIMSON BATTLEFIELD!" Roars the red oni, letting his wild side take over once more, which further increases the tax on his body functions.
A reddish aura evaporates from himself, a phenomenon which already occurred during his bout with Kujou Sara. The problem is, after consecutive uses, it drains him of most of his vitality in doing so; the effectiveness of his boosted physical abilities are drastically reduced the more he uses it in a day, worse, its backlashes are growing heavier. But his instincts definitely overshadowed his reason, none of that mattered to him in this moment. He has only one focus, and it's defeating the one before him who made children and maiden alike, suffer.
"Come, beast. I'll tame you like the animal you are!" Taunts Hajime, readying his Electro-enhanced weapon.
"HERE I COME!"
Rushing ahead with massive speed, Itto manages to be on par with the Delusion attuned adversary, reacting way better to his brutal swings than in his initial state. While nowhere near the velocity he displayed against the General of the Tenryou, it at least permitted him to be standing on the same stage.
"TAKE THAT, AND THIS, AND THAT AS WELL!"
By three consecutive attacks, Itto did try to put the bluntness of his club against the skull of the samurai, to no avail. Without much effort, everything was parried and lead to a counterattack he could hardly defend against. One of the three counters hit its mark, just below his rib cage, earning him another mark on his pale skin.
"Is that all your inhuman heritage, which you're so proud of, is able to bring? What a disappointment. You're not as scary as my men thought you were."
The odds may be evened out in terms of physical prowess but Hajime's mind still raced calmly, steadily flowing as the course of a river deep in the mountains would. Quickly, dangerously but inevitably rushing down to sea levels. Itto's, on the other hand, was utter chaos. Everything was jumbled in his head, the offense Sara suffered from his subordinates, the cute lady who protected his little brother, laying in her own blood, the children cowering in fear behind his enemy, his own wounded body and pride... the only priority his thoughts gathered to was to defeat Hajime, but no clear pattern to victory, no strategy were allowed to surface in his head.
"AAAAAAAAARGH!"
Defense not on his schedule, Itto relentlessly attacks, leaving himself open at numerous occasions in doing so. Swirling his spiked club around, in almost what would look like a dance of some war god of eld, the red horned man does not let go of the storm of violence he unleashes. The urgency of the situation, especially when it comes to the unconscious woman, pressures him to quicken the pace ever so slightly, after every move. A slippery slope which, undoubtedly, leads to a fatal downfall. An outcome he couldn't see... or willingly ignored.
Under the intensity of his last blow, Itto falls head first to the ground after Hajime sidesteps his assault, trips him with his dominant leg and assumes a towering position over him. Katana in hand, the Kairagi smiles.
"I'll take your life now, with this final swing! Witness the thunder which will defeat a God! May your body melt away from its force, and create the shadow in which our rebellion may shine!"
An immense amount of Electro energy profusely gather to his risen blade, pointing to the skies. The impact on the weather is such that actual thunderclouds birth from nowhere, above their heads. A rumbling sound can be heard, as if the storms of Seirai Island were given life on their location. With a high-pitched tonality, his blade vibrates violently, engulfed in electricity of peak voltages.
"DIE!"
Not the club of justice but the sword of thunderous, reckless abandon was about to strike down Arataki Itto for a deathly blow.
As if Heaven's gaze set upon this foolery, a gigantic eye formed right in the center of the blackened clouds which were just created a few seconds ago. It instantly dissipated them, lightning strikes raining down on the one who was the source of the alteration.
"GAAaaAaafRghghhhh!"
A divine womanly figure, slender but bountiful at the same time, floats in the skies. Her palm in front of her, resulting from a downward motion, seems to be the gesture which ignited the cataclysmic blast. Hajime several meters under, still stands. His Delusion soaked up most of the damage, a crack showing on the surface, but the ronin is still shocked, speechless by the thunder strike.
"You've threatened the peace of Inazuma with your twisted ambition, even going as far as to use power that may reach our throne, our country's very sky. Would you really expect us not to intervene? No matter how much She yearns for meditation and reevaluation, in Her chambers... Her eye is ever watchful of what She governs over. In light of this, and per Her will, was I put to the task of removing such threat."
The exalted, sanctified voice ringing out from above renders the endeavors of the wicked, vile being beneath, null. In an instant, his entire plan was laid bare for Her to see and ordained to be void in every capacity. Landing next to Itto, it was none other than the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma.
"Heh... ehehe... who would have thought... I would get to be in the presence of her Majesty one day...! Such favors are usually curried... through extraordinary measures..."
Itto manages to say that, not without a hint of sarcasm, looking up to her as he kneels to the ground. From his many exertions, he's currently too weak to stand again. From up close, the man with a white mane is able to admire her unequivocal, regal and dignified beauty. Regardless of one's tastes, mortals were bound to admit she inspires respect and awe. With that fresh feeling seeping through him, does he reconsider what prompts his former rival to revere her so.
'I see. This is who... no... rather what, ya consider worth dedicating your life for.'
The aura emanating from her was no joke. It almost beckons him to worship. To him, it was like she was releasing a primitive, raw scent in which he wanted to drown in. Shaking his head vividly, he retains his senses however.
"Please... help the children an' the pretty miss back there..."
His plea was heartfelt, a prayer to the Goddess which happened to appear next to him like a fated sign of providence in their times of need.
"You need not fret, oni. I thank you for fighting in Our stead. We shall administer justice and save our people rapidly."
Slowly walking towards the corrupt Kairagi, the Shogun trods the path of inbound oblivion for the reign's would-be betrayer.
The targeted enemy has recovered from the shock, laughing maniacally.
"Finally! I get to remove you from your seat, SHOGUUUUUUUN!" He roars, drawing more and more energy from his damaged Delusion, a dark shade enveloping his body.
"Hush, sinner. We shall not suffer any one more word from your warped existence."
Hajime brandishes the Delusion towards her, as if it were a talisman to ward against spirits.
"The Fatui made this, with in mind the idea to diminish your influence over this element! We tested it earlier against your precious pawn and she was left a useless bitch on the ground! I will have you KNEEL!"
The Delusion regains in brilliance, projecting its influence in front of it and aimed at the eminent being in sight.
An immediate resonance takes effect between the two of them, but not the one its owner wanted. A veritable horde of eye shaped forms are brought to life, circling around him.
"A minor inconvenience. I feel the disturbance you want to inflict upon Us, but such aching feelings are but a daily occurrence to Her. It shall not disrupt Our command over the element, nor our will to enact your punishment."
Losing all rationale, her adversary throws the gem away, running at her with no other intention than maiming her with his blade. The group of eyes stays around him as he moves, never leaving their supernatural field of view.
"Truly, that's enough. It is time for you to be put to rest and repent in the afterlife. Inazuma has suffered enough of your presence."
With this final declaration, does the curtain fall. In a deafeningly loud crash of thunder bursting from each eye, the murderer is smitten by divine order. His whole body made a conduct for electricity by sheer voltage output, his skin burns, his skull is paralyzed and his organs dissolve. An explosion of blood is hurled towards the ground. An ultimate showcasing of the fleeting spark of life, depicted with this wine colored fluid and tainting the forest's soil like the red stroke of a brush against a white canvas.
An off-putting odor in the air, Hajime meets his end in front of the one he swore to defeat even if it was the last thing he would do. All of the suffering his family endured because of Her... he would be the one to remove her, surely...!
A foolish, short-lived dream, maintained at the expense of other people's suffering and through Fatui manipulations.
The blood instantly dries up in a deep brown hue, the puddle left from his armor a grim reminder that the Shogun's judgement was as brutal and absolute as it ever was. A potential weakness born from the recent defeat at the hands of the Traveler was nowhere to be seen. She remains strong and true. The belief that Inazuma's peace should be a concept to strive for is ever present in Her mind.
As the battle was hurried to its conclusion, a squad of Sangonomiya's army arrives, with Gorou spearheading the group. While the soldiers panic at the sight of their former archenemy, the animal eared general instantly rushes over to his Priestess' side.
"MEDICS! RIGHT NOW!" He shouts, letting an animal growl escape his throat at the end of his order, angry at the world at large that this could happen to his beloved leader.
Her status is alarming and she must be treated as soon as possible. All of Gorou's focus is gathered towards her well-being, ignoring entirely the presence of the Shogun or Itto for that matter.
"Big bro! Are you alright?!"
Daisuke, who had left Kokomi in capable hands now, finally could reunite with Itto, clinging to him with worry.
"I'm fine, dun' worry. I've seen worse, y'know...! Keheheh..."
The adult oni tries to play it off, not wanting to scare the kid any further. The other children who hid under the porch were taken care of by the rest of the Resistance, finally released from the clutches of fear.
"Almighty Shogun...! I-I apologize...!"
A familiar voice echoes in Itto's ears, accompanied by heavy huffing. Sara joins the location, exhausted and beaten as she was, bringing herself closer to them not without difficulty. Holding her right arm, her steps are hindered by utter fatigue: all of the muscles in her body screamed for rest, pain assaulting every fiber of her being after using so much of her genes' heritage earlier.
"General." Mentions the Shogun before asking a question.
"How did you end up in such a state?"
She spares no pity, staring at the Kujou adopted daughter with a blank look.
"Oi, dear Shogun. This is... private matters, don't butt in aight?"
Itto is the one to interrupt, before the recipient could answer. A rude behavior, assuredly.
"I wish to talk to Our subordinate, oni. Every matter of this country is of concern to Us, even what its denizens think private. Now stay quiet for a while."
Applying the palm of her hand to the top of his head, she makes him sit straight by force. One couldn't be blamed if they were to think it looked like a master telling its dog to sit through that gesture.
"Grmbllbll..." Pouts Itto, looking away in embarrassment as Daisuke bursts laughing.
Sara smirks, enjoying the sight of Her magnificence putting this wild beast to its rightful place. But her behavior promptly regains solemnity as she has yet to answer Her question.
"I had engaged in battle with the man next to you... and was defeated, I'm ashamed to report. I wasn't able to stop the evildoer after that. I will submit to any punishment you see fit."
The winged woman kneels before her, hanging her head down in shame, waiting for the next words from her Lord.
"It's a wonder why you fought each other when such a menace was before the both of you. We shall have an audience. You are to come to Inazuma city, to the Tenshukaku. This will be discussed then."
Issuing a convocation, the Raiden Shogun turns away from them.
"Tomorrow evening. Also, General, make sure the Priestess of Watatsumi is properly compensated for her protecting our children, once she has been brought back to her feet once more. We should not be indebted. Whatever her demands are, they shall be met. Please do tell her that my abode is hers to visit anytime she wishes to speak on those demands."
With those words, her Excellency leaves the premises, descending the mountain by mortal means rather than taking to the skies as she arrived.
Itto and Sara's eyes meet as she leaves, their mind still puzzled by her order.
"That we'd be reunited so soon... I'd think the Gods are playin' tricks on me..." Mumbles Itto, scratching the back of his head as he remembers his last words to Sara before coming here.
"Shut it... Arataki Itto." Exasperated, Sara cannot spare many words to her irritating enemy of the day.
"That's refreshing, not being called names, insulted. Ya remember my name after all."
"Don't let it go to your head... it's only a name, of course I can remember that. Anyone could after the number of missives you sent them."
"Hehe!" Bashfully laughs the manly gang leader, looking away
"Don't be blushing at that, you idiot! I'm not complimenting you!" Angrily replies the tengu, almost forgetting the pain she feels in her aching body.
"Aye, aye! Well I gotta see the kid back home, just see the pretty miss is saved for me, won't ya? I didn't even get to talk with her or exchange our names. See ya tomorrow in the city then~"
Struggling to get back up, he is nevertheless able to do so, at long last. Taking Daisuke by the hand, he proceeds to take the same route the Shogun had just taken.
"Bye, Sara!" He adds, with a wave of his hand in the air, his back turned to her while walking.
"..."
It's only after the fog has completely dissimulated their silhouettes that Kujou Sara speaks.
"Stop calling me by my first name... stupid..."
Closing her eyes, a semblance of a smile could be seen on her usually stern features. But it was nothing but an ephemeral moment, as she goes back to check on the Sangonomiya head. There was more to do before she could think of her appointment with Inazuma's Excellency and the audacious, charismatic and oddly bewitching numbskull plaguing her thoughts recently.
I wish you all a merry Christmas in advance, and good holidays.
May these few days bring us joy in these trying times.
Much love to you & your families.