"So he escaped..." Allen looked around, watching the remains of Enjou's flames disperse.
"Tch!" Collei clicked her tongue as she withdrew her transformation, her armor vanishing and her hair returning to its usual green. Her face was flushed, showing clear signs of exhaustion.
"It's good to have hidden cards, but you'd better learn how to use them. If you end up like this after just a few seconds, it might cost you your life," Allen said, earning Collei's glare.
"Let's return. There's nothing more to do here." Allen stepped on a hidden panel, activating a lift beneath their feet that raised them both out of the pit.
"Big brother, so what was written in the book?" As they rejoined the rest of the group, Endora looked up at Allen with eyes full of curiosity, drawing Alina and Collei's attention to him as well.
"It's nothing much. It recounts the history of Teyvat from long ago, saying that the current gods came from another plane and defeated the previous rulers—the Sovereigns of the elements," Allen explained as he flipped through the pages. "If it's true, then it would mean the gods didn't create this world—they were invaders. The Primordial One overthrew the Sovereigns and took control of the elements. But honestly, knowing that doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter to me. However..." Allen frowned.
"What is it?" Alina asked.
"There's something strange. The book details the war between the Primordial One and the Sovereigns—a war that took decades to end. The Sovereigns were stronger, but once one of them fell, the others followed quickly, and the Primordial One grew stronger with every victory. The odd part is that the names and elements of each Sovereign are scratched out. It's as if someone deliberately erased the information. Every time it should mention an element, it's been crossed through."
"Why would they do that?" Alina asked, confused.
"Who knows? Maybe protecting their pride or..."
"Useless rambling, not worthy of any attention," Fischl interjected, appearing from nowhere. "You were right, Allen. This is all useless information. Better to ignore it, as it truly changes nothing."
Just as Allen was about to reply, Fischl fixed him with a sharp glare. "The gate has been opened. We can now cross to Inazuma."
"Okay. Let's go," Allen nodded. They passed through the gate one by one, disappearing from Enkanomiya as silence reclaimed the ancient ruins.
…
At Yashiori Island...
A full-on skirmish raged between the Shogun's troops and the resistance army of Watatsumi Island.
"Guard the rear!" Shouts and orders echoed over the battlefield. Gorou led the resistance troops, firing arrows and strengthening defenses, maintaining a fragile stalemate. But it was clear—they were outnumbered. Severely.
It wasn't just a matter of numbers. The greatest threat was the commander leading the other side.
"Destroy the flank! Push!" On the opposing side, Kujou Sara commanded with sharp precision, disrupting enemy momentum with every arrow. Her control over the battle's flow left no room for resistance breakthroughs.
"General! We can't win this—we must retreat!" a captain pleaded to Gorou, watching the tide turn further against them.
"No, we stay. Keep defending. We must block them and wait for the opportunity," Gorou replied.
"What opportunity?! This was a secret mission, and we've been discovered! There are no allied troops nearby—and we're facing Kujou Sara and her elite platoon!"
"We must follow Her Excellency's plan," Gorou answered, his face calm despite the turmoil within. His trust in Kokomi did not waver. "She intended for us to hold this position, even if something went wrong."
"This is madness! We'll be annihilated!"
"We will wait! Those are the orders!"
"Why aren't they retreating?" On the other side of the battlefield, Sara frowned. She had seen Watatsumi's tactics enough times to be cautious—but this open defiance puzzled her. There was no terrain advantage, no backup, and yet… they stalled.
"I'll end this now." Sara stepped forward, lifting her hand to the sky. Dark clouds gathered above the battlefield, preparing to unleash a storm.
"Koukou Sendou!" Lightning surged down from the clouds, striking directly over the resistance troops.
"Shit!" Gorou reacted, unleashing his own skill to shield the troops, fully aware it wouldn't be enough to stop Sara's attack.
"Boom!" A deafening explosion followed, and dust blanketed the field.
"What?!" Sara narrowed her eyes, fury igniting in her chest as she spotted a lone silhouette within the blast zone—completely unharmed.
"Allen!" Sara roared, firing multiple arrows at him. "Everyone attack! Don't let a single one escape!"
"Seeing her react like this, I suppose that approach was the right one..." Allen muttered, unsheathing his sword. "Endora. Now."
As Allen deftly deflected arrows, a dense mist rose across the battlefield, obscuring all vision. He moved swiftly among the confused Shogunate troops, vanishing into the fog.
"Stop him!" Sara shouted, soaring above the mist. She wasn't about to lose him. Her bow gleamed as she fired down upon his trail, but Allen kept moving, drawing her away from her troops until they reached an isolated area.
"Long time no see, Sara," Allen said with a smirk, halting and bowing in perfect Inazuman etiquette.
"Yes. Too long." Sara raised her bow, charging it with Electro energy. "Since the day you and Tomoki broke my pride and laughed at me."
"You know that wasn't our intention. It was just how things turned out. Tomoki cared about you."
"Don't joke, Allen!" she snapped, her voice trembling with fury. "Tomoki made it very clear that I meant nothing to him that day. Now surrender, Allen! And I'll spare your life."
"Surrender, huh?" Allen listened intently, his senses extending across the field. "Why? I'm winning."
"Boom! Boom!" Explosions echoed across the battlefield as dark flames rained down on the Shogun's troops, plunging them into chaos. They couldn't extinguish the unnatural fire.
With the blasts, the mist cleared—revealing the battlefield's new state.
"It wasn't wise to abandon your command post to chase me, Sara. I didn't expect you to be so… temperamental."
"H-How can this be?!" Sara was stunned. Just moments ago, they had the upper hand. Even if she had left, her subcommander remained. How had it all collapsed so fast?
"Will you surrender, Sara?" Allen pointed his sword at her. As they exited the portal from Enkanomiya, Allen's group had arrived directly over the battlefield.
Watatsumi's forces were close to losing—but with Gorou holding steady, Allen quickly devised a plan. The main issue was Sara, who controlled the rhythm of the fight. But he hadn't expected it to be so easy to distract her.
Without Sara's leadership, the rest fell quickly: Endora's mist, Collei's explosive strikes, and Alina infiltrating the Shogunate camp disguised as one of their own, eliminating their commanding officer.
"So?" Allen grinned. "Will you surrender—or let your troops die?"
Sara's hands clenched, sparks flying across her skin. Rage filled her, but so did realization. "Shit!"
"BOOOOM!" A massive explosion erupted in the center of the battlefield. A huge figure landed, cracking the earth beneath him.
"ARATAKKI 'NUMERO UNO' ITTO, here in the flesh!" A tall man with red horns shouted as he grinned at both friend and foe.
"It's SHOWTIME!" Itto summoned a massive kanabō and slammed it into the ground, creating chaos all around.
"Don't waste this chance—retreat!" The absurdity and unexpectedness of Itto's entrance snapped Sara back to clarity. She immediately fired arrows into the sky, calling down lightning that struck the ground in bursts—creating barriers to block pursuit.
"Will you try to follow us?" she asked coldly, glancing at Allen.
Allen shook his head. "The formations are broken. If we push forward now, there'll be unnecessary casualties. I'd rather avoid them for the time being."
"Tch!" Sara clicked her tongue. "Noisy Oni! We retreat!" she shouted, signaling the withdrawal.
"Hahaha! But we were just getting started!" Itto roared with laughter but quickly stopped with Sara's deathly glare, taking one last swing to smash the ground before following her.
"Next time will be different!" Sara snapped as she flew away.
"It seems the battle is over," Allen said, sheathing his sword. He turned and approached Gorou, who was reorganizing the troops and assessing their condition.
"So—what's the situation?"