Chapter Text
Lightning flickered across the dark skies of Inazuma.
Inside the grand hall, the air was silent.
Too silent.
The sound of armoured footsteps echoed sharply across the polished floor.
Kujou Sara did not slow her pace.
Guards stepped aside as the general of the Tenryou Commission approached the throne chamber. None dared stop her; none dared question her presence.
But something was different tonight.
Sara’s wings were tense. Her fists were clenched.
For the first time in years, her thoughts were not calm.
The heavy doors opened.
At the far end of the chamber stood the unmoving figure of the Raiden Shogun.
Lightning crackled faintly around her like a quiet storm waiting to awaken.
Sara stepped forward and knelt.
“Your Excellency.”
Her voice was steady—but only barely.
The Shogun’s gaze lowered to her.
“What matter requires your presence at this hour, General Kujou?”
Sara raised her head.
“Reports have been confirmed from three regions of Inazuma. A group calling themselves the Youkai’s Hunters has been attacking and capturing youkai across the islands.”
The Shogun remained silent.
Sara continued.
“They are organised, powerful, and ruthless. My scouts report multiple Vision holders among them.”
She paused.
Memories flashed through her mind—burning forests, fallen tengu, the cries of her people.
Her voice hardened.
“If they continue unchecked, they will destabilise the region and endanger countless lives. I request permission to mobilise Tenryou Commission forces immediately.”
The chamber fell quiet.
The Shogun’s answer came without hesitation.
“Denied.”
The single word struck harder than any blade.
Sara blinked.
“…Your Excellency?”
“The scale of the threat does not warrant full military deployment. Such action would create unnecessary unrest.”
Sara’s wings stiffened.
“With respect, Your Excellency—”
“The decision is final.”
The Shogun’s voice remained calm. Absolute.
Sara’s hands slowly tightened against the floor.
Her chest burned.
Three villages have already been attacked. Two small youkai settlements were destroyed.
She had seen the bodies herself.
Her voice trembled slightly.
“They are hunting creatures who have done nothing wrong. Many of them cannot defend themselves.”
Silence.
Sara’s breathing grew heavier.
“Your Excellency… please reconsider.”
For the first time, the Shogun’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“You speak with unusual emotion today, General.”
Sara froze.
The Shogun continued.
“Your judgment appears compromised.”
Those words cut deeper than any wound.
Compromised.
Sara’s mind flashed again with memories of her clan, of the pain and loss she had buried for years.
Her head lowered.
Then slowly—
She stood.
Gasps echoed softly among the guards.
No one stood in the Shogun’s presence without permission.
Sara’s voice was no longer calm.
“If Your Excellency will not act… then innocent lives will be lost.”
The Shogun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Your duty is to obey.”
Sara’s wings trembled.
Her heart pounded louder with every second.
“I swore to protect Inazuma.”
Lightning flickered through the hall.
“And I will.”
Her hand slowly reached for her weapon.
The guards tensed instantly.
The Shogun did not move.
Sara drew her blade.
The sound of steel echoed through Tenshukaku.
For a moment, the entire palace seemed to hold its breath.
Sara’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
“…Forgive me, Your Excellency.”
The general golden eyes are locking with her beloved Archon, her cold purple eyes fix on her with emotionlessness. Sara couldn’t understand or read her god's thoughts. Sara chuckles at herself. How did she get herself into this whole mess? Someone, as royalty to the Archon, as general Kujou Sara here, now holding her weapon, tries to injure her god. The rain is pouring down, getting even heavier.
Lightning burst across the throne chamber.
Electro energy surged around Sara’s blade as she launched forward.
Her movement was swift and precise, the result of years of training as the general of the Tenryou Commission. Her wings beat once behind her, propelling her forward as her blade cut through the air toward the Shogun.
For most opponents, the strike would have ended the battle instantly.
The Shogun moved only slightly.
A flash of violet lightning formed in her hand. The blade of pure Electro met Sara’s strike with a sharp crack of energy.
The impact echoed through the chamber.
Sara pushed harder, forcing her weapon downward.
For a brief moment, their blades locked.
Electric sparks scattered across the polished floor.
The Shogun’s expression did not change.
“You allow emotion to guide your blade.”
With a small movement of her wrist, she pushed Sara back.
The force sent Sara sliding across the polished floor, boots scraping against stone.
She steadied herself quickly, chest heaving, wings trembling.
She’s holding back, Sara realized, panic rising. That thought only made her chest tighten.
“Then I will strike harder!”
Sara rushed forward again.
Her attacks came in a flurry now—fast, disciplined, relentless. Each strike aimed with the efficiency of a battlefield commander.
But the Shogun moved like lightning itself.
She parried every blow with minimal movement.
One step.
One turn.
One flick of her blade.
Every attack Sara launched was deflected with perfect precision.
The guards lining the walls barely dared to breathe.
Sara leapt upward, wings spreading wide as Electro gathered around her weapon. With a powerful cry, she brought the blade down in a blazing arc of violet energy.
The strike crashed toward the Shogun like a falling thunderbolt.
For the first time, the Shogun moved more than a single step.
Lightning exploded outward as their powers collided.
The shockwave rattled the hall. Statues trembled, and distant chandeliers swayed, showering the floor with sparks.
For a fleeting second, Sara saw the Shogun’s eyes narrow, ever so slightly.
“Your strength has improved,” the Shogun said, voice calm but piercing.
Sara landed heavily, sliding backward again. Pain ran through her arms and shoulders, but she forced herself to rise.
Her movements were no longer perfectly controlled. Frustration crept into every strike.
“You taught me to protect this nation!” Sara shouted. “Yet you refuse to defend those within it!”
The Shogun’s calm tone cut through the roar of battle.
“Inazuma’s eternity is not threatened.”
Another clash of steel and lightning. Sparks flew, scattering across the chamber like fireflies caught in a storm.
Sara’s lungs burned. Sweat stung her eyes. Her wings drooped slightly under the strain, trembling. She could feel the weight of every decision she had ever made, every life she had sworn to protect.
The Shogun finally stepped forward. A movement too fast to follow. Their blades met once more.
Then the Shogun’s weapon shifted.
A precise, singular strike knocked Sara’s blade from her hands. It spun across the floor, skittering against the marble.
Sara barely had time to react before a crackling bolt of lightning struck her chest. Pain seared through her body, her vision blurring. She hit the floor hard, sliding several feet before coming to a stop.
The chamber fell silent.
For a long moment, she gasped, the weight of failure pressing down on her. I failed… I couldn’t protect them… I couldn’t even convince her…
Then, before she could hit the floor completely, a strong hand caught her by the shoulders, steadying her.
The Shogun’s violet-tinged gaze was calm, almost unreadable, but the strength in her grip was undeniable.
“You are not finished,” the Shogun said softly, her voice carrying more weight than any reprimand. “But you are not meant to fight like this, not in this state.”
Sara’s breath hitched. For a moment, the fear and exhaustion in her chest collided with something she had not expected—relief.
Sara wanted to protest. I am still strong… I can still fight… But her consciousness wavered, eyelids growing impossibly heavy.
Sara tried to speak, to refuse, but the words dissolved into a faint whisper before the darkness claimed her entirely.
The last thing she felt was the steady presence of the Shogun watching over her, a silent sentinel in the quiet chamber, before she passed completely into unconsciousness.
The hall fell silent. Lightning crackled faintly outside the windows, the storm a mirror of the storm inside Sara’s heart. And the Shogun remained still, unbroken, letting the defeated general rest in the chamber she had once commanded.
Every step the Shogun took was deliberate, measured. Lightning from the windows cast faint shadows across the chamber as she carried Sara to her private bedchamber. There, she gently lay her down, tucking the blanket carefully around the trembling figure of her general.
Sara’s chest rose and fell rapidly as the darkness of unconsciousness pulled at her. The Shogun stood at the edge of the bed, watching silently. Her expression remained composed, but a faint tension lingered in her posture.
After a moment, she turned her gaze toward the chamber door and spoke sharply, commanding yet calm.
“Go. Send for Sanogomiya Kokomi. Tell her to arrive immediately; there is work that requires her attention.”
A servant bowed and hurried away. The Shogun’s eyes returned to Sara, still unconscious but now safe in her chamber. Lightning flickered faintly outside, echoing the storm that had raged inside the throne hall moments ago.
The Shogun did not leave. She remained, a silent sentinel, watching over the general who had dared to defy her and setting in motion the first steps of a plan Sara would not yet understand.
_____________________________________
Later that evening.
The storm outside Tenshukaku had grown stronger. Rain tapped softly against the wooden windows as Sangonomiya Kokomi was escorted into the chamber.
Kokomi bowed respectfully.
“You summoned me, Your Excellency.”
The Shogun stood near the window, looking out toward the dark sea surrounding Inazuma.
“The organisation known as the Youkai’s Hunters.”
Kokomi lifted her head slightly.
“You believe they still exist.”
“They do.”
The Shogun’s voice carried quiet certainty.
“General Kujou believes they threaten Inazuma. Her actions were... impulsive.”
A small pause followed.
“But not without reason.”
Kokomi folded her hands thoughtfully.
“What would you have me do?”
The Shogun turned toward her.
“Investigate them.”
A faint crack of thunder echoed outside.
“Locate their base.”
Another pause.
“Then destroy it.”
Kokomi’s expression remained calm, but her eyes sharpened with interest.
“You want this operation kept quiet.”
“Yes.”
“The Tenryou Commission will not be involved.”
Kokomi nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
She turned to leave, but stopped when the Shogun spoke again.
“One more thing.”
Kokomi looked back.
“The results of this mission are not to be reported to Kujou Sara.”
A flicker of curiosity crossed Kokomi’s face.
“Even though she discovered them first?”
The Shogun’s gaze drifted toward the bed where Sara still lay unconscious.
“She requires time to recover.”
Lightning illuminated the room for a brief second.
“And clarity of mind.”
Kokomi followed her gaze and finally noticed the unconscious general resting nearby.
Understanding dawned quietly.
“I see.”
She bowed once more.
“It will be handled.”
Without another word, Kokomi left the chamber.
The door closed softly behind her.
The storm outside continued to rage.
___________________________________________________________
The storm from the previous night had passed, leaving the air quiet and still.
Sara slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment she didn’t move. Her head throbbed faintly, and her body still felt heavy, as if every muscle had been drained of strength.
The ceiling above her was unfamiliar.
Her gaze sharpened.
This was not the Tenryou Commission.
A quiet voice spoke from across the room.
“You have recovered.”
Sara froze.
The Raiden Shogun stood near the window, looking out toward the sea. Morning light reflected faintly against the violet glow surrounding her.
Sara immediately knelt.
“My deepest apologies, Your Excellency.”
Her voice was steady, though shame burned beneath it.
“I acted without permission, I accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate.”
The Shogun turned to face her.
“You were willing to raise your blade against your Archon.”
Sara lowered her head further.
“Yes.”
Silence filled the room.
Then the Shogun spoke again.
“You believe the Youkai’s Hunters threaten Inazuma.”
Sara’s fists tightened slightly against the floor.
“I do.”
The Shogun studied her for a moment.
“You allowed that belief to override your judgment.”
Sara did not respond.
The Shogun stepped forward.
“Stand.”
Sara obeyed immediately.
The Shogun stopped a few steps away, her gaze calm but unyielding.
“You have served the Tenryou Commission faithfully for many years.”
Sara felt her chest tighten.
“But a general who allows emotion to cloud their decisions cannot command an army.”
The words landed like a blade.
Sara remained motionless.
The Shogun raised her hand slightly.
“Your title as General of the Tenryou Commission is hereby suspended.”
Sara’s wings stiffened, but she did not speak.
“Furthermore…”
A faint flash of violet light appeared in the Shogun’s hand.
Sara’s breath caught.
Her Vision floated in the Archon’s palm, gently glowing.
“For the time being,” the Shogun said calmly, “this will remain with me.”
The light closed around it, and the Vision disappeared from sight.
The absence was immediate.
Not pain.
Not even anger.
Just… absence.
Then the Shogun spoke again.
“As Raiden Shogun, ruler of Inazuma, I hereby suspend you from your position as General of the Tenryou Commission.”
The chamber fell completely silent.
“You will relinquish command effective immediately.”
Sara’s wings stiffened slightly behind her, but she did not move.
“You will no longer act under the authority of the Tenryou Commission.”
The words were not loud.
But they carried the finality of a divine decree.
The Shogun turned away.
“You are dismissed.”
Without another word, Kujou Sara turned and walked toward the chamber doors.
Each step echoed softly through the quiet hall.