Location: Yashiori Island (The Serpent's Head)
Current Form: Human
Status: Craving calcium, changing the weather
The journey to Watatsumi Island required passing through Yashiori Island - a place of perpetual rain, lightning, and gloom. The skeletal remains of the Great Serpent God, Orobashi, spanned the entire island, his massive ribcage towering over the landscape like a grim cathedral.
"It's creepy here," Paimon shivered, floating closer to Aether. "The air feels heavy. And it smells like... sickness."
"That's Tatarigami," Kazuha explained, shielding his eyes from the rain. "The lingering hatred of the slain Serpent God. It drives men to madness and causes this endless storm."
Raiden stopped walking. He looked up at the massive skull of the snake, its jaw agape in a silent scream.
To anyone else, it was a tragedy.
To Raiden, it was a free buffet.
"Great Sage. Analyze the atmospheric curse."
"Analysis. High concentration of resentment energy mixed with decaying divinity. Source: Crystal Marrow deposits. Solution: Consumption."
"You guys go ahead," Raiden said, rolling up his sleeves. "I'm going to do some gardening."
"Gardening?" Aether asked.
Raiden leaped onto the skull of Orobashi.
[Unique Skill: Gluttony — Aura Vacuum].
He didn't transform fully. He simply became a singularity. The purple, toxic mist that blanketed the island began to swirl. The rain, heavy with curse energy, curved toward him.
Raiden opened his mouth and inhaled.
It wasn't just air; he was sucking the "Hatred" out of the ley lines. The purple glow of the Tatarigami was ripped from the ground, the bones, and the sky, funneling into Raiden's stomach.
Slurp.
"Tastes like old batteries and anger," Raiden grimaced, swallowing the cloud.
ZOOM.
Suddenly, the clouds broke. For the first time in years, sunlight hit the ground of Yashiori Island. The constant lightning ceased.
The villagers of Higi Village peeked out of their huts, shielding their eyes from the sun they hadn't seen in a generation.
"The storm..." an old man wept. "The curse... is gone?"
Raiden hopped down, wiping his mouth. "You're welcome. Now, let's go find the fish lady."
They arrived at Watatsumi Island. The contrast was jarring—from the grim skeleton island to a pastel dreamscape of bubbles, pink coral, and giant clams.
"It's so... bubbly," Raiden noted.
They were intercepted by a platoon of Resistance soldiers led by a general with dog ears and a tail.
Gorou.
"Halt!" Gorou barked (pun intended). "Identify yourselves! This is Sangonomiya territory!"
"We're the reinforcements," Aether said.
Gorou sniffed the air. His ears perked up. He looked at Kazuha. "Kazuha! You're back!"
Then he looked at Raiden. His tail involuntarily tucked between his legs. His animal instincts were screaming: APEX PREDATOR. RUN.
"General Gorou," Raiden smiled, crouching down slightly. "Who's a good boy? You are. Yes, you are."
Gorou bristled. "I am the General of the Watatsumi Army! Do not treat me like a... a..."
"A Shiba Inu?" Raiden offered. "I met Taroumaru. You guys have the same energy."
Gorou turned bright red. "I demand respect!"
"At ease, General."
A soft, melodic voice floated from the shrine.
Walking down the steps was a young woman in elaborate robes that resembled a mermaid's fins. Her eyes were light blue, and she carried an aura of immense intellect.
Sangonomiya Kokomi. The Divine Priestess.
"We have been expecting you, Traveler," Kokomi smiled politely. Then her gaze shifted to Raiden. Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
She had read every strategy book. She had calculated every variable. But she had no entry for "Man who eats weather."
"And you must be the Anomaly," Kokomi said, regaining her composure. "Raiden Ragnvaldr. My spies reported that the storm on Yashiori Island vanished an hour ago. I assume that was your doing?"
"I had a snack," Raiden shrugged.
Inside the shrine, they gathered around a tactical map.
"The Tenryou Commission has us outgunned and outmanned," Kokomi explained, moving pieces on the board. "However, we have the terrain advantage. My strategy relies on guerilla warfare and... wait."
She looked at Raiden, who was rearranging her pieces.
"What are you doing?" Kokomi asked.
"Your formation here," Raiden pointed to the frontline. "It exposes your supply line to a pincer movement if the Shogun uses the Sara method of 'lightning strike'. You need to move your heavy infantry here."
Kokomi blinked. She looked at the map. She ran the simulation in her head.
"He's right," she murmured. "If I move them there, it baits the enemy into a trap..."
She looked at Raiden with sparkling eyes. "You understand military tactics?"
"Great Sage. Strategy proficiency?"
"Answer. Downloaded Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and 4,000 years of Earth military history. Tactical Advantage: Absolute."
"I dabble," Raiden smirked. "I can win this war for you in three days, Kokomi. But I have conditions."
"Conditions?" Kokomi crossed her arms. "We are fighting for freedom. We don't have much Mora."
"I don't want money. I want access to Enkanomiya."
The room went silent. Even Gorou looked shocked.
"The depths?" Kokomi frowned. "That is forbidden territory. Why?"
"Because there are secrets down there about the world before the gods," Raiden whispered. "And because I heard there are Bathysmal Vishaps down there. And I want to see if they taste like lobster."
Kokomi sighed. "If you help us drive back the Shogun's army... I will grant you the Key to the Moon-Bathed Deep."
"Deal."
As they left the shrine, a young man with eager eyes ran up to them.
Teppei.
"Hey! You're the new guys, right? I'm Teppei! I'm assigned to show you the barracks!"
Teppei was full of energy. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to be a hero.
But as Raiden looked at him, his [Magic Sense] picked up something vile.
A faint, sickly-sweet scent of corruption.
"Analysis. Subject: Teppei. Life Force: Accelerated drain. Cause: External device."
Raiden narrowed his eyes. He grabbed Teppei by the shoulder.
"Hey, kid," Raiden said. "You feel strong lately? Unnaturally strong?"
Teppei grinned, flexing a skinny arm. "Yeah! I've been training hard! I even got this new secret weapon from our sponsors!"
"Sponsors," Raiden repeated, his voice cold. "Let me guess. Mysterious guys? Masks? Probably Russian accents?"
Teppei paused. "Uh... how did you know?"
Raiden looked at Aether. "Fatui. They're distributing Delusions to the Resistance."
"Delusions?" Aether gasped. "Like the one Childe used?"
"Worse," Raiden explained. "Childe is a superhuman trained to handle the backlash. Ordinary people? A Delusion burns their life force as fuel. Teppei here is aging ten years for every day he uses that power."
Teppei turned pale. "What? No... that can't be. I just wanted to help..."
Raiden held out his hand. "Give it to me, Teppei."
Teppei hesitated, reaching into his pocket to pull out a purple, glowing crystal.
Raiden snatched it.
Crunch.
He crushed the Delusion in his hand. The purple mist tried to escape, but Raiden's skin absorbed it.
"Hey! That was my power!" Teppei cried.
"That was your tombstone," Raiden snapped. "You're dying, kid. Look at your hair."
Teppei looked at a reflection in a puddle. Gray streaks were appearing in his brown hair. He collapsed to his knees. "I... I didn't know..."
Raiden turned to the horizon. He could smell the source. A factory, hidden in the cliffs of Yashiori, pumping out this poison.
And guarding it... a presence that felt like a doll, but filled with hatred.
Scaramouche. The Balladeer.
"Kokomi," Raiden shouted back toward the shrine. "I'm changing the plan! We aren't waiting for the enemy to attack. We're going on a raid."
Kokomi stepped out. "A raid? Where?"
"There's a factory manufacturing these suicide pills," Raiden pointed. "And a little puppet boy running it. I'm going to go turn him into scrap metal."
"I'm coming too!" Aether drew his sword, furious.
"Me too!" Teppei tried to stand, but stumbled.
"You sit down," Raiden pushed Teppei gently. "Drink some milk. Eat some steak. Recover what life you have left. Aether, Paimon... saddle up."
Raiden's eyes glowed with purple electricity.
"It's time to meet the Shogun's prototype."