"I won't kill you," Yun Fan shook his head, his tone calm and indifferent.
"Why not?" Kujou Sara clenched her fists. She didn't believe her captor would simply let her go.
"I need you to deliver a message to the Raiden Shogun," Yun Fan crouched down, meeting Kujou Sara's gaze. "Tell her that Kunikuzushi has returned. This time, I've obtained power from beyond this world—power enough to overturn her so-called eternity!"
"Ugh..." Kujou Sara felt a sharp pain in her neck again, her consciousness fading. Before she completely blacked out, she thought angrily, 'Can you stop hitting my neck?!'
"Divine Sovereign, as Her Majesty the Tsaritsa said, you truly are an interesting person. Hehe, I can't wait to see the look on Scaramouche's face when he arrives in Inazuma and finds his face plastered all over the wanted posters," Columbina said with a smile, her hidden mischievous side showing.
"Is that so? Then let's look forward to it," Yun Fan replied.
——————
"What is this...?" In Ritou, Yae Miko stared in shock at the warrant in her hand—more specifically, at the image of the silver-haired man on it.
『Name: Yun Fan
Identity: Liyue Merchant
Crime: Kidnapped General Kujou Sara of the Tenryou Commission and abducted a young girl. A grave crime deserving of death! Anyone with information leading to his capture will be rewarded with 500,000 Mora!』
"This is bad!" Yae Miko's hands trembled slightly, a drop of cold sweat sliding down her forehead and landing on the now-crumpled warrant.
This Liyue troublemaker was indeed not one to stay out of trouble. It had only been a few days, and he had already caused such a huge mess.
"I need to find him quickly, or things will get out of hand... No, the priority is to return to Narukami Island and get Ei to revoke the warrant for the Divine Sovereign... Ah, no, Ei's serious personality wouldn't allow that..."
After struggling to come up with a solution, Yae Miko gave up and crumpled the warrant into a ball, sitting down on a nearby bench. The light in her eyes dimmed. 'I'm tired. Whatever. Let it all burn!'
After wallowing for a few minutes, the fox spirit stood up again, smoothing out the crumpled warrant. She had only been venting her frustration. This matter concerned Inazuma's future and its people. How could she just give up?
As Yae Miko pondered her next move, her eyes caught sight of a figure lying in the grass not far away—a figure that looked somewhat familiar.
"Huh?" The fox spirit narrowed her eyes and walked toward the figure. Hmm, not sure, let's get closer.
"It really is her... But the warrant said she was abducted," Yae Miko muttered as she approached. Upon closer inspection, she confirmed the identity of the person lying in the grass—her dear friend's little tengu, Kujou Sara.
"Little tengu, little tengu, wake up..." Yae Miko crouched down and shook the unconscious Kujou Sara.
"Ugh..." Kujou Sara groggily opened her eyes, immediately feeling a sharp pain in the back of her neck. 'That Scaramouche is truly despicable! If he ever falls into my hands, I'll make sure he experiences the same pain!'
"Ah, you're awake. Can you tell me what happened?" Seeing Kujou Sara's angry expression, Yae Miko's interest was piqued. This usually cold and serious girl was showing such an adorable side.
"Huh? Lady Yae?" Kujou Sara finally noticed the pink-haired fox spirit crouching in front of her, her face filled with curiosity. At first, she felt a bit embarrassed for not noticing the shrine maiden's presence earlier. But when she heard Yae Miko's question, her embarrassment vanished, replaced by a look of fury.
"I was ambushed by Kunikuzushi!" Kujou Sara said through gritted teeth, her fists clenched and veins popping on her forehead.
"Kunikuzushi?!" Yae Miko's body stiffened, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. She was surprised to hear that name from Kujou Sara, but also puzzled. Wasn't it the Divine Sovereign, Yun Fan, who had kidnapped the tengu? How did Scaramouche get involved?
"Kujou Sara, tell me everything that happened in detail," Yae Miko said with a frown. She sensed that things were more complicated than they seemed.
"Yes, Lady Yae," Kujou Sara saluted and quickly recounted the events of the previous day. Yae Miko listened intently, not missing a single detail. By the time Kujou Sara finished, the fox spirit had a rough understanding of what had transpired.
First, Kujou Sara had tried to save a drunk girl, only to find out that both the girl and the man were Fatui Harbingers.
Second, based on Kujou Sara's account, the silver-haired man who claimed to be a Harbinger was likely Yun Fan in disguise. He had framed Scaramouche for his actions.
Third...
At this thought, Yae Miko stroked her chin. 'Power from beyond this world... What could that be?'
"I understand now. General Kujou Sara, you've done well," Yae Miko nodded, then turned to leave.