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The Lady and the Doctor returned to the Delusion Factory in Inazuma City. The Fatui guards stationed outside froze the moment they saw them. The Lady's disheveled state alone was shocking, but the sight of Dottore walking calmly beside her sent an even stronger ripple of fear through the ranks. Among the Eleven, there were many who commanded dread. Yet there was one name that no Fatui member—no matter how brave—would dare to provoke.
Ill Dottore.
Because Dottore was never just one person. He was many. And every "slice" was still Dottore.
Some were indifferent. Some were volatile. Some were polite. Some were lethally temperamental.
Which version stood before them today, no one could say. So none of them dared to breathe too loudly.
"Send someone to Ritou." Dottore's voice was calm, almost conversational. He turned to a nearby Fatui female operative. "All the equipment I brought is still on the ship. Retrieve it."
The diplomat's expression stiffened. She hesitated.
"Lord Dottore. Inazuma is very hostile toward us right now. Should we wait until nightfall?"
The Kanjou Commission's situation had been in shambles ever since the Hiiragi Clan's scandal broke, and hostility toward the Fatui had risen sharply as a result.
The nobles blamed them. The townsfolk despised them. Ritou had become a hornet's nest, ready to strike at the mere sight of a Fatui uniform.
This wasn't the Fatui's fault—or so they believed. Most of the chaos, in their view, had been caused by Hiiragi Shinsuke's own machinations. But the citizens of Ritou had already made up their minds, and logic no longer mattered. Even stepping into the streets without being pelted with rotten fruit would be considered a fortunate outcome.
"What are you panicking for?" Dottore regarded her coolly.
"We entered Inazuma through proper channels, and the equipment is civilian in nature. Even if the Kanjou Commission wants to cause trouble, the Hiiragi Clan is barely holding itself together. As long as you do your job properly and avoid being caught red-handed by those useless people, you'll be fine."
With that, he said no more and walked into the factory. The diplomat could only smile bitterly.
Yes—this was exactly the temperament the rumors spoke of.
The Lady did not refute him. She followed close behind. As Dottore had said, Ritou was disorganized to the point of collapse. The Kanjou Commission was drowning in internal cleanup; they had no spare strength to harass the Fatui. As long as no one acted foolishly, there would be no problems.
The Lady and Dottore soon arrived at a certain room. The door creaked open. Inside, Scaramouche slowly lifted his head, his expression sharpening as he recognized the pair standing at the entrance.
Then—
A thin, cutting smile curled across his lips. He didn't need to ask. The Lady's state said everything. And the thunder that had shaken all of Inazuma earlier—was proof enough of who she had faced.
"Heh."
So she had been cut down by the puppet as well.
"You—" The Lady trembled with fury.
"What is it, stray dog?" Scaramouche leaned back with intentional laziness, resting his weight on one arm. "Did you take a beating and come back here to vent on me?"
His mood was excellent—exceptionally so. The Lady's humiliation was the finest entertainment he'd had in days. He remembered her arrogance earlier, her snide remarks, the superiority in her tone.
And now she had returned battered and defeated. He didn't need details. The schadenfreude was enough.
"You—!" The Lady stepped forward in anger. "Do you realize that Futsu Mitama had the Electro Archon behind him?"
Scaramouche's eyes glinted, his smile widening. "I already told you that. You just didn't listen."
He had, indeed. When the situation first deteriorated, Scaramouche had given her a complete rundown: His speculation about Futsu Mitama's identity. The fact that the knowledge came from Beelzebul. And that the boy held a key—a literal key—to the Archon's location.
But the Lady had dismissed it all, too focused on the Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko to care. Her arrogance had blinded her. So when she asked again later, Scaramouche withheld most details and even misled her a little. After all, even a clay statue has a temper— And Scaramouche was no clay statue.
The Lady's face paled, then flushed. She did recall Scaramouche mentioning it. But she had been frustrated, impatient, and consumed by resentment.
She hadn't listened. Yet even now, her instinct told her Scaramouche had held something back on purpose. And even if he hadn't—His attitude alone made her want to tear him limb from limb.
Unfortunately for her, she couldn't defeat him. Even missing an arm and a leg, Scaramouche was beyond her reach.
"Alright, enough." The young Dottore stepped in, voice light but unwavering. "Both of you, restrain yourselves. As comrades under the Tsaritsa, is this really the place to quarrel?"
His authority as Second of the Fatui carried weight. The Lady and Scaramouche fell silent.
"Good." Dottore nodded and turned to Scaramouche. "Let me clarify first. The limbs I give you will be temporary. If you want custom replacements, I cannot replicate the Raiden Shogun's craftsmanship—not without proper materials or time."
It was not humility. It was fact. Scaramouche's body was crafted by the Electro Archon herself, using materials not found in the usual mortal world. Matching such a standard required rare components—components that Inazuma simply did not possess. For that, he needed Liyue.
"No issue." Scaramouche shrugged. He only needed to regain mobility. Using Electro to create crude limbs was beneath his pride; he would sooner hide in this room indefinitely.
"Excellent. In that case—" A faint smile lifted Dottore's lips. "I also wish to ask you about Futsu Mitama."
The Lady, who had intended to leave, paused mid-step. After a moment of hesitation, she stayed.
Scaramouche cast her a disdainful glance. When he wanted to talk earlier, she hadn't listened. Now she lingered shamelessly. But Scaramouche did not withhold the information.
He owed the Doctor that much.
———
In stark contrast to the tense air in the Delusion Factory, Futsu Mitama had just arrived at the Resistance camp. He spotted Kokomi, Gorou, and Kazuha approaching.
"You managed to escape Kujou Sara so quickly?" He blinked, genuinely surprised. He had expected Kujou Sara's elite unit—along with Arataki Itto at full strength—to stall them for far longer.
Kokomi smiled. "That was thanks to Miss Shinobu's advice."
Gorou nodded earnestly. "That Oni is incredibly strong. Without Miss Shinobu's guidance, we might not have escaped at all."
Kazuha agreed silently. Futsu Mitama and Aila turned to Shinobu, curious. Shinobu blinked, then sent a message into the chat group.
[Kuki Shinobu: "You two can check the logs. While you were fighting the Lady, Kokomi encountered a small…issue. I told her my boss's weakness."]
[Futsu Mitama: "You mean beans?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Yes. Just by scattering beans, we defeated the red Oni. Although I do feel guilty… he is Miss Shinobu's boss, after all."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Oni are not supposed to fear beans. I recall many of them eating bean-based foods."]
[Yae Miko: "That red Oni is… a special case, hm? Hehehe~~"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "He's allergic. Once the beans hit him, he loses all fighting power."]
[Aila: "…"]
[Futsu Mitama: "I hope Arataki Itto is okay."]
[Azhdaha: "Group Leader, when are we going to Liyue?"]
[Albedo: "Currently in transit to Liyue. Group Leader, notify me when you arrive. I will meet you."]
[Futsu Mitama: "You really left Mondstadt?"]
[Albedo: "The condensed resin study exceeded expectations. I can imitate it, but true replication eludes me. I intend to consult Liyue's alchemists."]
[Albedo: "Besides, the Rite of Descension is near. A trip to Liyue will be—refreshing."]
Futsu Mitama fell into thought. Not even Albedo could recreate condensed resin. Liyue's alchemists—There weren't many. In fact, he didn't remember there being any—Except…the 'Old Driver' Ying'er?