Lightning Rod

When Shikanoin Heizou mentioned going to the Kamisato Estate, Shinobu had assumed that their new client had already thought up of a way to find an audience with the head of the Kamisato Clan considering the confidence he was oozing since earlier, but her annoyance couldn't be made clearer when it was proven otherwise when she asked the detective, only for him to simply shrug in a carefree manner, stating that simply approaching the entrance would be more than sufficient.

There were so many things wrong with that statement that she could write down a list of them if the need ever arises, but she held her tongue since the supposed detective was their current client, one that their leader thought would be a good idea for the Arataki Gang to lend their hand to.

When Itto comes back in the future, she was going to grill that oni for every little detail in the thought bubble of his called a brain until he gave an explanation how he came to such a reckless conclusion.

For now, she was going to keep an eye on Heizou as they 'help' him with his request, as well as making sure the other members of the gang didn't get caught up too deep in this matter…or at least more than they already were.

One little mistake could lead the Arataki Gang into a punishment harsher than being simply put into jail for noise pollution.

"Halt! Who are you and what is your business here on the Kamisato Estate?" The guard at the entrance stated upon noticing their presence.

Without an ounce of hesitation, their client simply smiled as he addressed the man, "Of course, I am Shikanoin Heizou, a Doushin of the Tenryou Commission. As for why I'm here, it would be due to an important task I was just given by a superior of mine requiring the presence of Lord Kamisato. If it's not too much trouble, can I request an audience with him?"

"Then you can simply relay the message here, and I will convey it to Lord Kamisato later," the guard said simply.

"Unfortunately, my superior deemed it important enough that it had to be told directly, so it's required for this lowly Doujin to meet with him," Heizou said in an exasperated tone, one Shinobu could tell was slightly exaggerated for the purpose of fooling the guard.

"...what about the riff-raff behind you? I can clearly see they aren't in any way affiliated with the Tenryou Commission, so why are they here with you, officer?" the guard asked, suspicion clearly evident judging by his expression.

The trio beside her squirmed underneath the weight of his glare, while she showed a courtesy of respect by bowing slightly to the man, which made the man relent his scrutinizing eyes as Heizou spoke once more.

"They're with me because I heard that they were acquainted with Lord Kamisato, so I was hoping that their presence would help speed up the process, so to speak."

The guard couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the idea, "Them? As if Lord Kamisato would ever—"

"Let them in, Hirano. I had forgotten to inform you that we would be having a representative coming from the Tenryou Commission coming today, though I certainly did not expect the associates of a friend of mine to accompany him as well," another man chimed in, a tone that anyone would have equated with elegance, yet underneath it lied a tone of authority.

They were few individuals that held such characteristics, but considering the location they were at, Shinobu already knew who this person was without even taking a single glance at them.

There behind the guard stood Kamisato Ayato, the current head of the Kamisato Clan, as well as the commissioner of the Yashiro Commission. His dignified poise as apparent as every other times her eyes had taken a glimpse of his appearance.

In the presence of the head of the Kamisato clan, the guard immediately bowed to the man in a hurry, clearly not expecting his sudden arrival. With a simple gesture from the commissioner himself, the guard quickly went back to his post, leaving them alone with the master of the house.

"How fortunate it is that the head of the Kamisato Clan just so happened to witness what was going on outside his estate," Heizou said cheerfully, proceeding onward as if it was an everyday occurrence.

The Kamisato Head merely smiled in return, "Indeed, if it were any other day, I'm sure we would be unable to meet like this, officer Shikanoin."

A silent stare down transpired between the two of them, something Shinobu quickly picked up on in regards to the hidden meaning that were behind both of their words.

Essentially, they were prodding each other for information, both sides trying to one up another in the conversation.

Well, she wouldn't have that, for she had already experienced that enough already in her past occupation, "Excuse our forwardness, Lord Kamisato…but as my client had entailed, would this be a suitable time for us to have a private meeting with you?"

The man stopped his exchange as he observed her for a moment, "Ah yes…you would be Kuki Shinobu, if I recall correctly. Itto has spoken of you on several occasions, and from the way he described, I can see why he thinks of you so highly."

She seriously needed to hear how the two of them met, because she couldn't see a connection between Itto and Ayato even now that the person in question was in front of her.

The head of the Kamisato Clan then took a glance at the trio behind her, smiling at them without a hint of cautiousness that was present before, of which the three surprisingly reciprocated.

"Very well, I see no reason to reject your request. After all, I too am curious to hear what our Doushin has to say so much that he would so brazenly approach me in broad daylight."

Heizou was undeterred in the face of such blatant suspicion, "Thank you for your time, Lord Kamisato."

"...That is yet to be seen, Officer Shikanoin."

Without any further words to say left, the Kamisato head beckoned them to follow him inside. Despite the forthcoming nature and welcoming words the commissioner of the Yashiro Commission had exhibited, Shinobu still felt a slight chill at the back of her neck, as if the slightest mistake would cost them their necks.

The feeling didn't subside after they entered into the Kamisato Estate.

"Pardon the inquiry, Officer Shikanoin. It would appear that my hearing is off, because I might have mistaken your words earlier. Would you mind repeating what you just told me?" Kamisato Ayato said, his tone even despite the incredulous face he was showing Heizou.

It was the expected response, seeing what he just explained to him was not only incredulous, but borderline fantastical to even fathom to anyone who had lived in Inazuma their entire life. Still, the way the Kamisato head reacted…it did not seem like the man dismissed what he just said either.

"What did you mean when you said the entire Tri-Commission will become unstable in a day's time?" Shinobu cut in, finally deciding to take part in the conversation ever since they had entered the room.

Realizing her forwardness, she quickly bowed towards the commissioner apologetically but Kamisato Ayato extending an open palm as he spoke, "By all means, Miss Shinobu, anyone here is just as much as welcome to join into the conversation, there is no need for pleasantries for the discussion we're having. Besides, I believe we are past that at this point now, haven't we Officer Shikanoin?"

"I heard from a certain rebellious organization that you've once aided them in their efforts, right Lord Kamisato?" Heizou asked, though both Ayato and he knew the answer to the inquiry.

"...what a novel idea, but I'm afraid you have heard wrong, Officer Shikanoin. If I were to have aided them once as you have said, would it not be tantamount to treason in the eyes of the Tri-Commission, even more so with my position in mind?" Ayato replied coolly, not a hint of emotion showing through his neutral mask of expression.

If Heizou didn't have any experience as a detective, then he would have never picked up the meaning behind the man's words, "Is that so, then my deepest apologies for the assumption, Lord Kamisato. It's just that I was hoping that the party that had aided such troublemakers wouldn't mind extending their help once again, or at least… take advantage of the chaos that was about to ensue."

"Take advantage, you say?"

The moment those words were uttered, Heizou could tell from the twitch in his left knuckle that the commissioner's interest was at an all time high, presumably because of the many possibilities that could be conjured up from such a scenario.

Now all he needed to do was—

The young Doushin found his thoughts abruptly interrupted as he realized the sudden pair of eyes that were on him at this moment, their stare so judging that if Shinobu still had her Vision, he felt that he might have been electrocuted from the glare alone.

"Heizou. Explain thoroughly this time, and don't just ignore me and go on like it's normal, got it? With the way you're just waving off details the Arataki Gang wouldn't even be able to lend you a hand for whatever you tried to if you end up imprisoned for these ridiculous statements," Shinobu stated in an authoritative manner, leaving no room for him to doubt that it was a demand rather than a request.

Heizou blinked, actually caught off guard by Shinobu's assertiveness. He had to admit, Itto certainly knew how to pick a good second in command.

"It is exactly as I said, but if I were to elaborate a bit more…the Shogun will be preoccupied by other matters when the time comes. Most of all, she will not be present within the grounds of Tenshukaku as she will be forced to deal with the situation at hand."

The revelation left them all speechless, as even the famed head of the Kamisato Clan had lost his neutral expression as it was now replaced with one of surprise.

Befitting his role as the commissioner, the man quickly reel in his shock as he broke the silence, "It would not be exaggeration to say that none of us here have ever seen the Shogun present herself outside of Tenshukaku. What makes you so sure that this 'disorder' of yours will occur tomorrow?"

"Simple, because when the opposition of Eternity is standing right in front of her, how else would she react? There are many things we don't know about the Archon, even today…but we all know that anything or anyone stands in her pursuit of Eternity will be immediately dealt with the utmost urgency."

Heizou let the words hang over them, without a single word of rebuttal from anyone that was present within the word since they knew that he was correct in his assessment of their Archon.

"But that's insane. If the news of rebels fighting against the enactment of the Vision Hunt Decree couldn't bring the Shogun out, then nothing short of a conflict between Archons themselves would be able to do it."

He didn't disagree with Shinobu's reasoning. Rather, his opinion completely aligned with hers if it weren't for one known factor, "I agree, but there is a certain someone that is now on their side, a person who all of us, barring the commissioner here know the identity of. I'm sure if their return were to be known to the Shogun, then even she would find it a necessity to confront them personally.

"You're talking about Goku right!?"

"He got beat by the Shogun and he still wants a round two? That's almost the boss's level of cool…"

"Guys, don't you remember we're not even supposed to be talking about him in front of Mister Ayato!?"

Out of the Arataki Gang, it was only Shinobu who kept her thoughts to herself, only reacting to the trio's antics with a light slap to her face, clearly exasperated by them exposing the truth so easily.

"This Goku…is he perhaps related to the incident that occurred at Tenshukaku just several weeks ago?"

The way the Kamisato head worded it gave off the impression that he knew of the incident more than just the broad strokes, though not necessarily the finer details that transpired that day.

"Who knows? He might or might not have been the one who faced the Shogun in a battle as well, resulting in the appearance of the Musou no Hitotachi that day," Heizou stated blatantly yet vaguely at the same time.

He found no need to elaborate on the event any more than he had, because the details that were already provided should have more than suffice for the head of the Kamisato Clan to infer a conclusion on his own.

"I see…if this person is as exactly as you say he is. What was your original request to the party that had aided the troublemakers that you were speaking of?"

Heizou smiled, before taking out a simple note and handing it over to the commissioner.

As Ayato received it into his hands, he flipped it around, inspecting it over and over before uttering a question, "A letter?"

Heizou shrugged, acting nonchalant, "Feel free to read it yourself if you want to. As for what I was planning, I was hoping that the related party would help me send this letter to the Shogun…without being noticed of course."

The commissioner obliged wordlessly as he carefully unfolded the letter before reading the content in its entirety.

As the head of the Kamisato Clan continued his reading, Heizou felt the sudden glare that was coming his way once again, only this time Shinobu's eyes were making a promise that ensured he would spill the details later instead of bringing it up now like before.

How frightening, yet reliable in another sense.

"Since you have failed to contact this unknown party, I would suggest you leave this letter in my hands, lest you find being imprisoned a fun pastime you want to indulge in," Ayato advised, having just finished going through the content of the letter.

At a glance, the situation should be absolutely terrible for Heizou. Not only did he fail in fulfilling Sangonomiya's request, but he was also risking a chance of being captured and stripped of his position as an officer of the Tenryou Commission.

Even with all these repercussions hanging over him, Heizou merely nodded with complete composure, "Of course I wouldn't mind. It's much better than the alternative of me being cooped up in a cell room at the Tenryou Commission, so I must thank you for your thoughtfulness and consideration, Lord Kamisato."

Ayato chuckled, "It's only natural, we wouldn't want your colleagues to have a misunderstanding now, do we?"

"Yes, it certainly would be a catastrophe, no doubt. Then, we shall dismiss ourselves since we've already imposed enough of your time as it is, Lord Kamisato," Heizou stated as he stood up, confusing the trio of the Arataki Gang who clearly had no idea what had just transpired.

The head of the Kamisato Clan showed no movement in stopping him. In fact, he seemed rather pleased with the current development.

"Very well. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, I thank you for the information that you've provided, Officer Shikanoin."

Heizou merely bowed slightly at the man in response.

As the others begin to leave the room, with Heizou at the door alongside a still silent Shinobu behind. Kamisato Ayato spoke once more, his eyes directed specifically at the detective.

"If you don't mind indulging my curiosity, Officer Shikanoin. What compelled you to lend a hand to such an ambitious organization?"

Heizou returned Ayato's gaze, his mind going through a myriad of thoughts on the kind of answer he wanted to give, ranging from leaving silently without answering to obfuscating the truth to avoid being implicated more than what had already been told.

…but he changed his mind as soon as he saw Shinobu's expression.

The way she was staring at him told him that not only was she anticipating his answer, but also to reach a conclusion of some kind once he did so…an answer that presumably decided whether or not he could be trusted.

Well, that wouldn't do. If this was his one shot of gaining trust with her, then he supposed there was no need to waste the opportunity.

"What do I gain from this, you say? Hmm…if I were to put it in words, I just simply believe that sins that have been festered over time need to be purged."

"Sin? You mean of those who have done wrong, or are you suggesting that the Tri-Commission itself has been compromised?" Ayato asked as he looked questioningly at the detective.

Heizou shook his head, "I would never dare, but even if they were, those are merely the symptoms. What I'm after are the causes…in order to do that, I would need the Tri-Commission to be in a state of chaos for me to look into its internal affairs. While I am technically helping a rebellious group of people, it only just so happens that their intention aligns with what I'm trying to achieve."

Then the young Doushin nodded to himself, a genuine smile now adorned upon his lips, "That, and the recent friends I made gave me just the push to involve myself in this matter, unlike before. However, if an unknown party were to investigate the internal affairs of the Tenryou Commission along with me, I wouldn't reject the good will either."

It was the honest truth, one that Heizou had never often divulged to others before, which was expected given his work as a detective, especially so considering his recent run in with a Fatui spy, but at the same time, the recent experience with his new associates also taught him that simply idling wouldn't do either.

Really, how could he have forgotten the very reason he received his Vision in the first place?

"...Thank you for the honesty, Officer Shikanoin. Who knows, perhaps what you're hoping for might just happen after all."

Heizou agreed, "I would hope so, having a vision of such a scenario is a nice thought, I'll say."

With that, the door closed, leaving Heizou outside, along with the abnormally quiet Shinobu who had not said a word even now, her eyes indicating that she was mulling over something, most probably of the conversation he just had with the head of the Kamisato Clan.

Truthfully, it wasn't a must-have requirement to receive Kamisato Ayato's help, whether it be in the matter of the delivery of the letter to the Shogun or the investigation into the Tri-Commission, but it certainly increased their chances in causing the future 'disorder' to occur.

"What you said just now… was it all true?" Shinobu said, her voice lower than usual.

Heizou nodded, "It is, Miss Kuki. After all, I don't see the point of hiding my intentions if I were to acquire the commissioner's help. "

"It's Shinobu. If we're going to work together, then courtesy is unneeded, Officer Shikanoin," the deputy leader of the Arataki Gang stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Work together? Whatever do you mean?" Heizou drawled on, acting oblivious.

Shinobu elbowed him lightly in the shoulder, "Knock it off. I already figured it out, you want the Arataki Gang to help you when you're looking into the internal affairs of the Tri-Commission, right?"

Perceptive, and all without him needing to say it outright. No doubt working together would be fruitful once the investigation began.

Heizou let out a chuckle, "Seems you got me. Here I was thinking I wouldn't get my Mora's worth out of this request."

"We haven't talked about the payment yet, something I'm sure we can clear up after the job is done," Shinobu stated.

"It is as you say, Mi-Shinobu. I think it would be quite a pleasure to work together with you, alongside with the other three of the Arataki Gang."

"I'm not. Just what in the world am I getting myself into?" Shinobu said aloud, complaining about the situation she had gotten themselves into.

Heizou could only laugh at the response, before gazing into the sky as they walked towards where the rest of the Arataki Gang members were at.

He had no clue what tomorrow might entail for the land of Eternity, but he could only wish those who were brave enough to face the Shogun luck in their endeavours, in particular to a certain martial artist who was intending to face her head on.

Now, he needed to prepare for his own battle that was about to come.

Sangonomiya Kokomi stood at the front of the crowd that had gathered around the training ground, most of them chattering among one another, some excited at what was going on while a few did not hold much expectation for what was about to ensue. Regardless, they were all her for one singular purpose.

To bear witness to a battle that was most unusual.

What made it unusual was not the venue nor the circumstances behind the battle. Rather, it was the participants that had the members of the Resistance curious, especially the newcomer that they just now was informed and introduced as not only a new member of the Resistance, but also a captain of a newly formed platoon.

Across one end of the field was Son Goku, his demeanour as carefree as ever as he stretched both his arms and legs, a grin accompanying him as he looked towards his opponents with a certain amount of eagerness that only he could exude.

At the other side was Kaedahara Kazuha, the lone samurai who had been travelling along the Alcor led by Captain Beidou ever since the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted. While he was as calm as ever, even a novice like her could tell there was a quiet spirit that was slowly building up as the spar came ever closer, showing that the last heir of the Kaedahara Clan would not underestimate his sparring partner no matter what.

Beside Kazuha was General Gorou, who had been requested by Kazuha to join him in this sparring session the moment their meeting had ended. Considering the topic they had discussed in said meeting, Gorou was naturally curious of her claim as he agreed to Kazuha's request.

Now, the general was stringing his bow steadily, a routine she had seen him done numerous times in the past. The only difference this time was him side-eying Goku, most likely evaluating the martial artist in question…

Which was even more prominent now that she had declared and emphasized Goku's role in the upcoming battle against the Shogun's Army.

The spar that was about to occur was not simply to test out Goku's new weapon that had been made by Kazuha, but also to prove to every member of the Resistance that Goku was indeed their best chance in fighting against the Shogun.

Naturally, the person in question had no clue on proving the second objective, because informing him would be pointless since she could easily tell that Goku didn't care too much about others' perception of him.

Besides, she too was invested in seeing Goku's strength for herself.

Despite recent events that she had experienced, Kokomi had never seen Goku's combat prowess in action, the closest being the technique he showed when she was within his inner world.

Though she had never seen herself as some sort of battle junkie, there was just something in Goku that she wanted to witness for herself…

…Because deep down, she wanted reassurance that the path they were partaking in wasn't the wrong one not only to her and the rest of the Resistance, but to Goku as well.

"You guys ready?" Goku asked rather straightforwardly as he held the Kitain Cross Spear confidently, its tip pointing the middle between both Kazuha and Gorou.

Before the two could give him a response, someone else beat them to the punch, "Hold your horses, Son. I'm supposed to be the one refereeing here!"

Goku blinked in confusion until he turned his head around, seemingly only now taking note of the man that was standing in the middle of the field.

"Sorry sorry, I got a bit excited there," Goku remarked as he scratched the right side of his cheek.

The man merely let out a gruff before holding his right arm up high in the air…

"Begin!"

The moment the words were uttered, Goku had immediately vanished from the spot, leaving clouds of dust in his wake, almost like he had never been there at all.

It didn't apply only to that moment either, as dust quickly began to gather at the location that Gorou and Kazuha were standing on, accompanied by the banging of cold steel against one another.

Despite the excitement that could be had over the ensuing battle, the feeling was dulled, seeing that none of the onlookers were able to see what was going on. Seconds passed, yet the battlefield remained obscured as the dust only continued to thicken further and further as time went on.

Having observed the situation not only on the training ground, but also on the genuine befuddlement that was adorned on each and every one of the members of the Resistance, she decided to at the battle with another point of view…

Specifically, through the lens of one Son Goku.

Kokomi wasn't quite expecting to use this ability so soon again, but given the situation, it was an ideal time and place for her to practice with it once more.

After all, this new link she shared with Goku was crucial in the upcoming battle with the Shogun, as it was needed to get a grasp of Goku's situation at any given moment, whether it be in a winning battle…or a losing one.

So, in a way this sparring session was a form of training for her as well. Kokomi understood that her body couldn't be described as one of a warrior, as she forsook the way of combat by engrossing herself in the world of books instead. While it trained her mind, it did not train her body. Still, now that she had this link with Goku, then the least she could do was train her eyes and concentration, so that it would become second nature to her, so much so that even someone as feeble as her could follow along and understand what was happening in a battle of high intensity.

Thus, Kokomi closed both eyes in quiet silence, as the others continued to cry out in frustration at the battle, with one oni in particular being the most vocal about it.

It wasn't like using her other ability to observe the person wanted to see from afar using merely a puddle of water. Instead, it was completely shifting one's perspective to the eyes of another person.

Or in the only suitable candidate, Goku's eyes.

As the blank scene before her changed into something more describable, her senses were assaulted by the flurry of motion that was happening before her.

In a single second, a number of motions had been executed, ranging between Goku swinging his spear in multiple directions while Kazuha was forced to react by parrying them defensively.

Kokomi tried to recapture the feeling she had when Goku was fighting the Maguu Kenki, and gradually the discomfort began to disappear until she was able to properly see what was going on.

Now that she had somewhat familiarized herself, Kokomi noticed that Gorou, who had been standing a few feet away from the ongoing clash, was pulling the string of his bow, most likely in preparation to shoot Goku in a blindspot while the young martial artist was preoccupied with the samurai.

Her thoughts were proven correct as she saw what came next.

It was like an out of nowhere hurricane as an arrow suddenly appeared right before Goku's eyes, just a mere breath away from hitting him in the forehead, but just as quickly as the arrow appeared, its disappearance from Goku's field of vision was just as comparable.

The speed of which he showcased from his eyes alone was astounding, for in one single move Goku had already moved away from Kazuha and was now in front of Gorou, who only realized his sudden arrival a second later before Goku swung the end of his spear towards his opponent, of which the young general was able to respond in time by holding his bow up to his shoulder as it took the brunt of the hit, flinging him away and into the air.

Like flowing water, Goku did not stop his motion after hitting Gorou, but followed up his swing in a wide arc until it hit a blade that was coming upon him from behind.

Kazuha's grip visibly tightened as the young samurai tried to press forward with the downward slash, but Goku simply negated his attempt with the extended swing, pushing Kazuha away without much trouble.

The pressure that came from such a wide sweep of his weapon caused the dust surrounding them to disperse, exposing them to the darkened sky that continued to cry even now.

Once the dust settled, the onlookers cried out in surprise at what they were seeing, with their general standing on one knee and Kazuha whose expression did not befit the calm yet serene person that had come to know of.

Kokomi did not know what Goku had said next, but she didn't need to as she could tell that whatever he had uttered brought a lot of distraught to those who had been watching the fight from the side.

On the contrary, his two opponents merely responded in kind as they leapt towards him from both sides, their Visions both flaring brightly just as they were about to clash with Goku.

Although Kokomi could not see it from her own perspective, she had a pretty good inkling that Goku was grinning wildly at what he was witnessing at the moment.

Goku moved his body to the side as a sharp wind lightly grazed his left cheek, courtesy of one Kaedahara Kazuha now utilizing his Vision, as well as swinging his sword in a style that reminded Goku of the Shogun's own swordsmanship.

Honestly, it wasn't a complete recreation of it, but having fought Raiden, he could see that the style that Raiden employed served as the foundation, whereby the swordsmanship Kazuha displayed was a branch of it, though one that seemed to be tailor-made for someone of Kazuha's stature.

In response, Goku twirled his spear in a circular motion, doubling the strength of his swing to counteract his opponent's elemental attacks, which proved to be the right decision as he successfully parried each and every one of Kazuha's strikes.

By deflecting the hits from Kazuha, Goku was able to create a wider space between him and Kazuha, who was now finding it harder to pierce through his defense thanks to the length of his spear.

However, all of his efforts were about to be overturned from his opponents' next move.

Goku jumped lightly into the air as an arrow landed on the spot he was on, only for him to be surprised by the sudden eruption that burst out from the ground as chunks of solid came hurtling at him.

With a spin of his spear, the young martial artist redirected the sudden projectile elsewhere…only for his eyes to be greeted by Kazuha, who was already in mid-air with his sword ready to be unsheathed at just a moment's notice.

Having felt the pull of compressed air that emanated from Kazuha's weapon, Goku knew that there would be no point in trying to evade the samurai in a direct conflict, nor would he be able to given the limited options he had in the air.

As Kazuha swung his blade sideways, Goku returned fire with a hard kick to the edge of the blade.

The many onlookers who were able to take a glimpse at the scene believed it was a terrible decision on his part, but was soon proven wrong as Goku's foot had not been splattered in blood at the initial contact, but contending with the anemo infused blade with such ease.

Goku wasn't quite done either, as he turned his focus to the other opponent on the field.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Gorou stared directly towards him from below, his bow and arrow at the ready, with the young general's eyes clearly trained on him as the only target in this fight. In a blink of an eye, the arrow was then fired from his bow, its tip coated in a strange yellowish glow.

Goku didn't know what element it was, but he was more than sure that the shot was similar to one that caused the ground to explode just now.

With one of his legs preoccupied, Gorou probably assumed that he would try to deflect the arrow like he did before, as Goku saw the young general readying another arrow to shoot him with…

Only for him to drop the spear in his hands instead.

It was a move that baffled not only Gorou, but even Kazuha who had seen it all up close, so much so that Kazuha's hold over his blade faltered for a brief moment.

Capitalizing on the chance, Goku swung his other leg immediately, offsetting Kazuha's balance as he was able to successfully push the blade to another direction, alongside the samurai who was holding on to it.

With Kazuha out of the way, Goku spun the unheld spear around with a light kick, before sending a roundhouse kick precisely the moment the spear was positioned right where he wanted it to be, with the tip of the spear at the front.

Needless to say, the Kitain Cross Spear was launched in direct opposition with Gorou's arrow.

When the two projectiles clashed with another in the air, the intensity that was created was so great that both projectiles were momentarily suspended in the air, with neither backing down as a dome of air pressure was created from the resulting impact.

While some wondered which side would win out in the clash, none of it mattered to Goku because he had already achieved what he had set out to do with the maneuver.

After Goku landed back on the ground, both projectiles then slid off one another, with his spear landing neatly beside the spot Gorou was standing, and the arrow flying over his head, having missed its target entirely.

"You guys are pretty good. Man, I gotta say I have no idea how you're able to work together so well," Goku complimented honestly.

Now that he thought about it, Goku had never truly worked together with someone in a fight before until the battle he had with Kazuha against that giant scorpion. Even then, they weren't exactly cooperating instinctively either, seeing that he had needed to instruct Kazuha before they were to coordinate any sort of attack.

Here, Kazuha and Gorou were able to work together almost seamlessly, like they had done this song and dance for so many times already that it had become second nature to them.

It was sort of surprising if he had to be honest, which made him in awe at the two of them.

All this time he had never thought much of it before, but upon seeing the teamwork that was being displayed, Goku couldn't help but be just a tiny envious, wondering if he too would be able to find someone like that one day.

Kazuha, who was back on the ground before Goku was the one who decided to respond, "We thank you for the compliment, but we could say the same for you as well Goku. Truthfully, I had not expected you would be able to escape that difficult position just now."

"Well, you guys didn't give me a lot of choices there," Goku answered simply.

Gorou was the one who stepped forward next, "Indeed…I can see why Her Excellency picked you to be the sole member of our newest unit."

Goku scratched the back of his head in confusion, "She did? Guess I gotta talk to her about that later. All I know is I'm planning on fighting Raiden head on with everything I got."

"But can you win? It would all be pointless if all you did was fight her!" Gorou almost shouted, which caught Goku by surprise.

Despite the sound of the ongoing rain, Goku could hear noise coming from the crowd who was watching the battle, probably agreeing to what Gorou had just said.

To that, he only had one answer.

"Don't know," he replied confidently for all to see.

"Don't know? How could you not know? Her Excellency placed her trust in you for the upcoming battle. The entire plan hinges on whether you're able to defeat the Raiden Shogun in combat!" Gorou yelled out, his emotions bared for all to see.

Rather than elaborating his point, Goku thought of something else instead, "Give me everything you got, then I'll tell ya!"

Gorou gritted his teeth in frustration, while Kazuha was the one among the two of them who was able to calm the young general down with a knowing look.

"If that is what will bring my friend the answer is seeking, then I see no reason why we should not oblige, do you Gorou?" Kazuha said, his question directed towards the young general who was still conflicted about the whole arrangement.

Gorou took a deep breath, before facing Kazuha as well as Goku, "Alright. However, I wish to see you at your full strength as well, Son Goku. Maybe then I'll understand why out of all the people in the world did Her Excellency entrusted you with such a task, despite knowing that you've lost once against the Shogun."

Goku gave no verbal acknowledgement as his body shifted into a more fitting position for battle.

With no further words to share, the battle continued on with Kazuha being the first to make a move.

With a single slash of his blade, a wave of anemo energy swept across the field, before finally swirling in a giant circle around the young samurai, with the droplets of water being absorbed into the gust of wind.

As the gentle swirl of wind continued to linger, Gorou began executing something Goku never thought he would do.

Instead of carefully considering the wind and turbulence that was stirring up the field when shooting his arrows, the young general opted instead to rapidly fire them into the large swirl of wind, with each one being flung and wrapped into its embrace, following its circular motion.

It wasn't just a few that were suddenly flying in a large circle either. At the beginning, there was only one arrow that was flying around, but it took only several seconds after that ten had appeared in the air…and it was only increasing by the second.

Goku didn't know where or how those arrows came to be, but he didn't have time to question it as Kazuha had leapt towards him with renewed determination, his sword once again at the forefront.

Seeing that he was empty-handed, and his lost spear slowly shaking in the ground indicating that it was about to take off due to the large swirl of wind meant that he would be without a weapon.

Well, he had already tested his new weapon enough that it shouldn't hinder him in the upcoming battle, and Gorou did want him to hold nothing back. That's not even considering Kazuha, who looked to be giving it everything he had as well…

Yeah, guess there's no more need to test out the spear any further.

With a twist of both of his wrist, wind beckoned and gathered around them as his right fist swung towards Kazuha's blade, strong winds bouncing off one another at the clash.

The moment did not last, as the wind coming from Goku beckoned to devour Kazuha's as it intensified, to the point Goku was able to overpower Kazuha's swing, causing his blade to be swung sideways due to his own wind being repelled.

Still, it did not deter the young samurai as he continued on with his assault, from horizontal and vertical slashes, to quick and continuous strikes in a single instance to try and throw off his pace. Yet, no matter how skilled or precise the strikes were, Goku was able to foresee them all the same.

There was a consequence of doing so however, as most of his focus had been on Kazuha instead of Gorou. The moment Kazuha abruptly backed away from the fight, only then did Goku figured out what their plan was.

As he looked up to what was going on Goku was honestly impressed. After all, who would have thought that in just the span of a few minutes, hundreds of arrows were now circling about right above them?

However, even with that many arrows present Goku wasn't particularly worried, but the martial artist had a feeling that the two knew this, so what exactly—

Goku's question was answered as Kazuha swung his blade in a wide swing, his Vision flaring once more to command the large swirl of wind to suddenly speed up in its rotation.

Not even after five seconds it had sped up, the wind changed its trajectory as it brought the arrows flying toward him instead.

It was like a torrent of water coming down onto him, threatening to drown him in sheer numbers as nothing but arrows filled his sight.

There was one object that stuck out however, which was that of his spear that had somehow been pulled into Kazuha's wind, now being at the front and center within the storm of arrows.

It was certainly one way of testing out the weapon's effectiveness, that was for sure.

Despite the high number of arrows raining down upon him, Goku had already thought up a countermeasure, that being a blast of pressurized ki coming from his right arm.

Usually, a technique such as this should have worked. As impressive as the quantities of arrows that were being fired at him…there were still just mere arrows, albeit one strengthened by Kazuha's Vision but the martial artist knew that one hit would be enough to disperse a good portion of them.

He would have been right, if not for one small little change that was about to occur.

Following a yellowish glow emanating from Gorou, the tips of each arrow were also alighted with the same hue just moments before the blast coming from Goku came into contact.

The air shook slightly, but the arrows remained steadfast in its trajectory as the pressure coming from the ki attack disappeared into nothingness.

Seeing what just occurred, Goku remained resolute in his approach as he simply let out another blast of ki pressure from his left fist.

"Hah!"

The second shot fared no better, but Goku wasn't done just yet.

In fact, he was only getting started.

Three, four, ten…the shots quickly ramped up as Goku continuously and swiftly punched into the air, his punches creating countless pressurized air blasts.

He had never tried throwing ki around this recklessly before, because it was generally not worth the effort. A single push of his ki from his hands was not stronger than a full on punch with his ki amplifying it, as a technique like this was meant for situations that required a bit of distance between him and his opponent.

Like the situation he was in, because the alternative of punching them straight on wouldn't work as the rest of the arrows would have him head on by the time he knocked out a few of them.

Now, all he needed to do was to simply let loose while at the same time, controlling his ki so that it didn't lose form when it flew into the air.

As a result of the increasing number of shockwaves being sent, the hail of arrows had slowed down considerably in its descent. Now, the two opposing forces were clashing with one another, with only the arrows making slight progress on their target…

Which was exactly what Goku wanted.

The moment his very own spear was but a moment away from stabbing him, Goku pulled back his right arm at that instance, before unleashing a straight punch towards it.

As his punch connected, the accumulated pressure around him exploded, causing everything around the vicinity to be caught in its wake, including all of the arrows that were about to hit their target.

Huge clouds of dust formed as the ground around him burst into pieces, with the martial artist at the one spot where none of the arrows fell on due to the magnitude of the explosion that had shook the air.

With the sounds of explosion continuing as the arrows fell onto the ground, resulting in his opponents being unable to see him clearly due to the dust obscuring his figure, Goku opted for his next move as he grabbed the spear that had landed right beside him.

It was a maneuver that had succeeded once and also failed once on him, but he felt it should work out somehow, despite the conditions here not being the best for it.

With a kick of his feet, Goku began moving forward in a zig-zag pattern, but to anyone looking from the outside, it would have appeared as if he had disappeared, with only the sounds of footsteps being heard, accompanied by the soft drop of rain.

To both Kazuha and Gorou however, they took only but a few seconds to realize what was going on thanks to their enhanced senses.

A fact that Goku was going to use to his own advantage.

Goku stomped at the puddles of water laying around the training ground, leaving them to burst forth like a fountain as he continued moving around the area, which had become more noticeable due to the cracks that had been made from Gorou's attack just now.

Alongside that, Goku had also purposely slowed down just enough for them to be able to see his silhouette for a split second each time he moved from one side to another. It wasn't just the sound of splashing water that was distracting them either, but also the amount of visual noise that filled their eyes, between the droplets of water splashing about and his ever so fleeting figure causing them to second-guess what they were seeing.

Sometimes, having too good of senses was more detrimental than it was beneficial.

"Right here!" Goku yelled out, causing the two to turn towards him instinctively as he reappeared before them.

Goku immediately threw the spear towards them, something the two expected him to do judging from their reactions. The moment both Kazuha and Gorou backed away in opposite directions, Goku capitalized on the chance to speed up his movement.

By the time they had realized what was going on, Goku had already snuck behind Gorou, who was still a few feet off the guard, having just jumped to evade the Kitain Cross Spear.

It was only when the young general had been kicked from the back that Gorou realized what just transpired. At that point however, it was already too late to stop as the young general was forcibly pushed towards Kazuha, who only now noticed having heard the abrupt sound that was heading towards him, but even the samurai wasn't able to evade in time.

As the two crashed onto one another, Goku leapt as fast as his legs could carry them while taking a hold of the flying spear, before jumping once again towards the spot they were about to fall on.

By the time they were about to stand up, Goku was already pointing the spear at them, grinning, "Hehe, guess it's my win then huh?"

Then, something inexplicable occur; his spear was suddenly imbued with anemo energy, something that confused the martial artist seeing that he had no recollection of Kazuha setting up such a thing, but it disappeared just as quickly did it appear, for the anemo energy was then absorbed into the spear, which only further served to confuse Goku.

Seeing the expression on his face, Kazuha merely smile as he begun explaining, "This spear has a unique attribute, that being the ability to absorb a small amount of elemental energy, and considering that it was carried around by my technique earlier, it only made sense that it occur, though I'm not quite sure why the effect only took place afterwards and not immediately."

It was a neat detail that he didn't know, but ultimately Goku couldn't see much use out of it considering he couldn't control elemental energy like other Vision wielders can. He can replicate it using his ki, but ultimately, it was still just his ki that was causing it to happen.

"Also, yes…I concede Goku, the victory is yours," Kazuha stated as he stood up once more.

With Gorou having not said anything of note yet, both him and Kazuha merely stare at the young general, who was presumably in some sort of deep thought given how hard he was concentrating.

Finally noticing the gazes on him, Gorou's ears perked up as he let out an embarrassed cough, "I agree. There's no room for argument that you have indeed won, Son."

"Well, you guys sure didn't make it easy for me," Goku admitted aloud.

"I find that hard to believe seeing that we were unable to hit you directly even once during the spar, or perhaps it was due to my inadequacy as a swordsman that led to this outcome," Kazuha reasoned.

When it looked like Gorou was going to step in to argue against the samurai, Goku was the one who decided to explain, "The way you handle the sword ain't bad Kazuha. Heck, I say it wouldn't lose to Raiden either, that's for sure."

The way the two looked at him in disbelief after saying those words, which Goku didn't understand. After all, it wasn't like he wasn't being truthful on the matter.

"That is too high of a praise, Goku. How could I, a mere vagabond who had fled his country, be able to compare to the almighty Shogun? Even if they were, then how is it that my blade was unable to reach you, no matter what I tried?" Kazuha asked, his voice sounding lost for the first time since Goku met him.

"What you're lacking ain't your swordsmanship Kazuha, it's something else," Goku answered as he crossed both arms across his chest.

"...What would that be, if I may be so bold to ask?"

Goku gave a serious expression, "The weight of your blade is too light."

"Too…light?" Kazuha repeated slowly, processing what he was just told.

"Yup, it felt like you weren't giving your all just now," Goku stated out plainly.

This clearly befuddled Kazuha, "I would have to disagree, because if I were to do anything else other than giving it my everything, then it would be nothing short of making a mockery of your spirit as a fighter."

Goku didn't know about all that stuff, but there was one thing he did know, "Sorry Kazuha, but I don't believe it. It felt more like you were thinking too much about other things when we were fighting just now. If I were to compare the two of you, then Gorou's arrows at the end definitely hit harder than anything you've thrown at me in our fight."

"How could you say that? I know Kazuha, and he's far from what you describe as weak," Gorou spoke up, defending the honour of his friend.

"I ain't saying he's weak. All I'm saying is that he can go way higher than he can right now, that's all."

"Then if you were to compare the weight of my blade against the Shogun's, how would it fare?"
"Kazuha…" Gorou said, worried for the young samurai.

Goku recalled back to the sword that Raiden had pulled out at the end of their battle, humming, "Hmm, if you two go at it, then your sword's definitely breaking at the first hit."

"Of course it would, the Shogun's strength alone would be—"

Gorou was about to continue criticizing, but was cut short as Goku continued, "I'm not talking about physical strength. Of course she beats Kazuha if we compare power, but right now we're just comparing the weight, even then Kazuha still loses."

There was a resounding silence after that, that was until Kazuha broke the unusual atmosphere, "I've never quite asked you Goku, but the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi, what did it felt like when you were struck by it?"

There was a complicated expression coming from Kazuha, one the martial artist had never seen before, "Kinda empty, if I had to be honest, but at the same time, it was the heaviest attack I've ever experienced in my life, like there was nothing that was going to stop her from giving everything she had into that one hit."

Quiet emptiness was one way to describe Raiden's blade, but there was something else, something that he had not told anyone yet because the strange feeling was fleeting yet distinct, one that he might have simply imagined because he was at death's door.

The only way he would get an answer to that question was to simply fight her again, and at this point, it was an inevitability, not a possibility.

"Then why are you so eager and nonchalant about facing the Shogun then? If everything you said is true, and if you are uncertain of the outcome ...how would I be able to trust someone who will be responsible for all the lives that are going to fight on your behalf? For what, a battle that is all but certain to be lost and spell the end for all of us!?"

Gorou was spilling out his grievances, one that the young general had evidently been holding in ever since Kokomi told them about Goku's role in the upcoming battle.

Despite the outburst, Goku didn't even try to placate Gorou's anger by reassuring the young general that he would no doubt win, or lie that he was just joking around.

He simply elaborated, "Even now, I still don't know whether or not I could beat her. Sure, I've learned a bunch of stuff ever since I got here but I got the feeling she hadn't shown everything to me just yet."

"Then H-Her Excellency made a mistake," Gorou admitted, almost choking down the words as if they were blasphemous to say.

"Maybe, but as I am now, I don't think Raiden can beat me using the same technique again either," Goku stated with absolute certainty.

"Goku, are you telling me that the Musou no Hitotachi would no longer work on you?" Kazuha asked, surprised at the revelation he just gave them.

"Yup, so don't count me out just yet," Goku declared as he gave them both a wide smile.

Despite his proclamation, it was clear even to him that the two weren't entirely convinced yet, even more so for Gorou who had been skeptical of him from the very beginning.

Even so, Goku noticed a subtle change in Gorou's eyes as the general faced him, "...I can't completely put my trust in you, So-Goku, but for now, seeing as you haven't disprove Her Excellency's claim of your strength just yet, you are our best chance against the fight with the Shogun."

Goku merely gave him the widest grin as Gorou looked away, feeling awkward after such a confrontation, with Kazuha at the side looking pleased at the development.

The young samurai wasn't the only one either, as another person walked into the scene, though looking more weary than he remembered.

"Judging from your expression, I gathered you are satisfied now, Gorou?" Kokomi asked, approaching them now that the fight was over.

The panic that was seen on Gorou's face was apparent, "Your Excellency, you must have heard everything, apologies for quest—"

Kokomi shook her head, "It's fine, General Gorou. In fact, I'm rather glad."

One of his ears drooped upon hearing her words, "You are?"

"Yes. If you had simply heed along with my words so thoughtlessly then you're just nothing more than a puppet. A puppet isn't something that I want for a general, or what I'm trying to say is you're already doing well as you are, Gorou," Kokomi said sincerely

"But then—"

Kokomi did not let it end there, "Which is why every one of us needs to be of one mind in the upcoming battle. It is no exaggeration to say whether we win or lose, it will be the final one regardless."

The uncertainty that Gorou showed earlier before slowly dissipated, now replaced with simple acceptance, "...I understand, Your Excellency. I'll do my best to ensure that our next campaign is a successful one."

Kokomi looked towards Kazuha, the latter giving a light chuckle upon noticing, "Indeed, you can count on my aid when the time arrives. It would give me no end of distraught if I were to miss out on the end of this civil war."

Kokomi gave them a thankful nod, before her attention settled on Goku.

"Now then, please excuse the both of us as I have something to discuss with the newest captain of Akai Maou," Kokomi said politely.

Both Kazuha and Gorou agreed without any sort of resistance, leaving Goku the only one not in the know on what was going on. Moreover, he wasn't quite sure on how to feel in regards to the nickname that Kokomi just gave him, given how silly it sounded to him.

All was still within the halls of Tenshukaku, as a lone figure laid still within the many halls that presided the place, unbothered and unchanged of the many happenings that had occurred within the land of Eternity.

Even when the sound of footsteps approached, it was not enough to elicit a response from Raiden, who had deemed it unnecessary once she recognised the identity of her newest visitor.

Just like the disturbance earlier with an unknown entity, she had already accessed the situation and came to the realization that it had no relation with the pursuit of eternity.

Thus, she simply sat there quietly as Guuji Yae came into view.

"No response as always, I see. Here I thought it would be different after the one hundredth visit," Yae voiced out in mock exasperation.

It was precisely one hundred and eight, but she saw no need to correct the miko.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I talk to myself, do you? It would certainly be a nice change of pace to talk to myself without so many eyes on me."

There were many reasons why she shouldn't be here, but again, Raiden saw no need to openly acknowledge her existence.

As long as it didn't interfere with the pursuit of eternity, then everything else was of no consequence.

"You know, I was just thinking today was an excellent day for a walk from my beautiful Narukami Shrine to the musty old halls of Tenshukaku. Color my surprise when I found a small letter placed on the floor just after I entered," Yae said, as she began walking around Raiden.

The Shogun did not know where this was going, nor did she particularly care as her eyes remained unopened.

"Either way, I was curious about the contents. After all, it's not everyday that anyone would dare infiltrate Tenshukaku, risking the wrath of their Archon just to send a simple letter, yet here it is laying around proving otherwise. With such a rare event, one would think it would be a shame if it weren't read, wouldn't you agree?" Yae then shook her head before continuing, "Too bad that whoever sent it forgot to take account of one significant fact; their Raiden Shogun would never take heed of anything that occurs, lest it has to with Eternity, correct?"

She remained unresponsive to Yae's question, as she continued focusing on matters that were truly important.

"Well, would you respond if I were to say that this letter directly interferes with the very thing you've been pursuing?"

Now, this warranted attention.

"Explain, Guuji Yae."

"She speaks, and here I thought you were going to continue acting like a mute," Yae said sarcastically, though the tone was more playful than annoyance.

"I will not repeat myself. No matter what your attempt may be, you will not enter the Plane of Euthymia," Raiden stated, her tone even, yet authoritative at the same time.

"...I know that. As for the letter, it says here that your enemy of Eternity wants a rematch, andto prove that it's them, they're going to be attacking Inazuma City one minute before midnight," she stated plainly.

She held out an open hand, prompting Yae to hand it over, of which the miko obliged, albeit somewhat playfully as she did so in a painfully slow manner.

After scanning the content, it was exactly as what the miko had described.

"So, what will you do about it? Is there really someone out there brave enough to challenge you again after facing you in a battle?" the Guuji asked curiously.

"It matters little whether it's true or otherwise, all who threaten Inazuma must be dealt with immediately."

It was the goal that she had been made for, and even now it held true.

"Of course…of course, then you wouldn't mind if I join in waiting out for this supposed attack, do you? Because you're not the only one who cares about the wellbeing of our nation, after all."

"Do as you please," Raiden stated curtly.

With that, she walked off towards the main door, followed by Yae who followed suit, their lone footsteps reverberating throughout the silent halls of Tenshukaku. The unusual silence that came afterward was foreign coming from Guuji Yae, but she paid no heed of it as there was an objective that she needed to complete at the moment.

As she continued moving onwards, her thoughts wandered to who the enemy of Eternity was referring to, but immediately let those thoughts perish as it was irrelevant even if she had figured it out.

All was for the sake of pursuing Eternity.

"GRAHHH!"

An inhuman growl echoed throughout the night as another tree was snapped in half, the area already littered with others faring no better as a beastly man stood at the center of it all.

A few steps beside him was another person, who had been observing in mild amusement at the man's behavior as he sat on the snapped tree trunk.

"Not bad...friend. It seems you're becoming more and more accustomed to the little trinket I gave you."

What the vagabond had been referring to was the Vision-like object that was now strapped onto Kenji's waist giving out a dull hue of light, similar to that of an actual Vision, but also not at the same time.

Coupled with the Tatarigami still persisting in his body, it was little to no wonder that Kenji's mind had become muddled that he was unable to verbalize his thoughts.

And the vagabond's assumption was correct, as the only response Kenji gave was a simple grunt, before turning into a full on growl with only one name being shouted into the void, "MaaSSsAAnnOOORRRII!

With Kenji in the state he was in, the vagabond knew the cursed man was the perfect agent of chaos that undoubtedly achieved the goal that the Fatui had sought off.

To prolong this conflict for as long as possible so that chaos and disorder can be seeded within the very structure of Inazuma itself. Knowing how uninvolved the Raiden Shogun was, all was going to be as planned.

Given enough time, the probability of them obtaining the Gnosis would be a simple affair. However, the vagabond had other ideas, one that would benefit him more than simply serving for the sake of the Fatui.

For that to happen, he would need a conflict at a level higher than just a meager civil war.

But... the only way to stir things up even more would be the Shogun's involvement, and who would be foolish enough to dare attract her attention on purpose?

Kokomi stood atop of Orobashi's skull, her eyes marveling from the quiet night that had been given to them, as it had always been like that ever since she laid eyes on it. In the land of Eternity, these sort of scenes had not only become a normal occurrence, but a constant, as was envisioned by the Archon herself.

After tonight however, even the Electro Archon herself will be forced to change.

"Was my explanation up until now understandable, Goku?" she said, with the martial artist slowly walking up to her from behind.

"Yup, but I gotta admit, even I couldn't think of something like this Kokomi," Goku admitted, his eyes trailing over the sea and into Inazuma city.

He was right, the strategy they were about to employ would not just brand them as citizens unsatisfied with the current ruling of Inazuma, but definite traitors to the nation itself. Worse yet, the consequences were much bigger on outsiders like Goku or Beidou and the rest of her crew, who would no doubt face harsher punishment if they were to lose this next battle

"Then, are you fine with it? If you go through with this you would no doubt be branded as a villain, a label that might not be reversible no matter what you do in the future."

Unlike before, she didn't ask to deter Goku from involving himself. That was no longer her goal, having already accepted his reasons for it, but what she was really hoping for was for Goku to look at it from another angle.

Perhaps by doing so, he might be able to think of another way to attract the Shogun's attention or figure out another solution altogether, just…something that wasn't as drastic as the one she had thought of.

Even after going through hundreds of plans and scenarios, there was really only one plan that gave them the highest chance of bringing the Shogun out of Tenshukaku.

To her disappointment, Goku was unable to do so either.

"A villain huh? Well, if people wanna see it like that it's fine," Goku stated briefly.

"But people will assume that what you're about to do is an act of evil. Does it truly not bother you?" Kokomi asked once more, a hint of hesitancy in her voice.

Goku shook his head, before giving her a confident look, "Nah, I believe you. From the way you explain it, I don't think there's anything else that can take Raiden out of that place either. So, let's do it, Kokomi!"

This was it. After this moment had gone by there would be no turning back.

Yet, she felt just as determined as he was in this decision, so she took in last breath before letting the words escape from her mouth, "...Signal it then, Goku. The beginning to the end of this war."

With a nod, Goku moved to stand in front of her, his back turned as he cupped both his hands together. Before she could even blink, bluish light began to form between the palm of his hands, becoming ever so brighter under the night sky.

"KAAAA…..MEEEE…."

Their target; Inazuma City.

AN: I can't believe the beetle event in version 5.3 actually mentions Itto's penmanship, sort of…it states that Shinobu's the one who writes for him, but judging from the conversation, it also kinda implies his penmanship just sucks. So, I just plain got it wrong. Regardless, I will carry on with the characterization I had for him because the idea his penmanship is secretly good contrary to how he acts is just amusing to me for some reason.

Anywho, I don't have much to say too much about this chapter…well, there is the introduction of Ayato, who somehow managed to debut in this fic earlier than her sister which I didn't expect myself when I started writing this story, but I feel like it fits here, you know?

Until next time!