Chapter 16: The Secret of the Vision of God, a River of Blood

At this moment, the disgraced aristocrats of Inazuma knelt before the statue of the Thousand-Armed Hundred-Eyed God, with the Okaizome guards standing coldly behind them, swords in hand.

"General, the last batch of criminals has been brought in."

An Okaizome guard forced the aristocrats from Watatsumi Island into the square, then knelt on one knee, head bowed as he reported.

Even though the Raiden Shogun herself was not present, the Okaizome, who had earned their place as her personal guards by winning her annual martial arts tournament, knew that the angry Shogun was watching over all of Inazuma at this moment.

Kokomi from Watatsumi Island was not among the prisoners. She stood trembling behind Yae Miko on the steps of Tenshukaku, with Sara Kujou, who looked ashamed, standing beside her.

Yae Miko turned playfully and looked at the frightened Kokomi with a smirk. "Kokomi, Sara, you two will stay here for now. The General will deal with you both after handling the current matters."

"I understand..." Kokomi said, her face pale, feeling a cold chill that seemed to numb her body.

So, she was to be the main course, the final act, executed publicly before all of Inazuma to serve as a deterrent. As the leader of Watatsumi Island, her head on a pike would best ensure the island's complete submission to the Inazuma Shogunate.

"Ha ha ha ~" Yae Miko, seeing through Kokomi's thoughts, smiled with pleasure. Kokomi must have thought she would be executed like the rest of Inazuma's corrupt officials, her fear evident on her face. It was too amusing.

"Although Inazuma is largely corrupt, its fruits are still quite good."

Holding a plate of fruit prepared by Yae Miko, Yae Miko walked over while savoring it.

"Oh~ Lord, I'm glad you like it. The Shogun will soon resolve Inazuma's issues, please wait a moment." Yae Miko responded respectfully, grateful that this deity from Celestia, despite having a similar disposition to that woman, possessed more humanity. This made handling him somewhat easier.

Once the Shogun had dealt with Inazuma, this lord would return to Celestia.

"Well, Miko, you seem bolder today than yesterday. I prefer seeing you trembling with fear." Indra joked.

"If you wish to see me trembling, I will oblige." Yae Miko said, adopting a pitiful expression.

"However, the General is dealing with Inazuma's problems right now. Once that's done, we can properly entertain you, our honored guest."

Yae Miko knew that with someone as tricky as this, any opposition or dissatisfaction would only pique his interest further.

"Tsk tsk~ Raiden Shogun is lucky to have such a loyal servant." Yae said with amusement, glancing at Raiden Shogun who emerged from Tenshukaku, expressionless, holding the sword Musou no Hitotachi.

Originally wondering who this new, highly respected 'honored guest' was, Kokomi quickly lowered her head and respectfully greeted, "Greetings, O Almighty Narukami Ogosho."

"Are all the criminals present?" Raiden Shogun asked coldly.

"Yes, all the families involved in inciting war and the destruction of the ritual implements are here." Kokomi replied with her head bowed.

"Good." Raiden Shogun nodded and, without further inquiry, looked down at the aristocrats detained before the statue of the Thousand-Armed Hundred-Eyed God, walking down slowly.

She had initially intended to execute this priestess of Orobashi along with the others, but Yae Miko had suggested that keeping her alive would be more beneficial to Inazuma.

"The Shogun is here."

Seeing the Shogun approaching from Tenshukaku, the people of Inazuma, crowded around the square, cheered.

"Long live the Shogun!"

"Long live the Shogun!"

"Long live the Shogun!"

"The way is always magnificent, and the gods are eternal."

"The way is always magnificent, and the gods are eternal."

"The way is always magnificent, and the gods are eternal."

In contrast to the fervent citizens, the kneeling aristocrats cried out in fear, "We are innocent, General!"

"I am innocent!"

"It was all Kujou Takayuki's idea, I was coerced!"

"Spare me, General, I won't dare again."

"Silence, I have no interest in your excuses. None of you are innocent. Now, confess all your crimes from these years."

"Do not hide anything; I know it all. If any of you lie, I will erase your families from Inazuma's history and ensure your bloodline is completely wiped out."

Though unsure why Yae Miko insisted she do this, Raiden Shogun knew it must be the right course of action.

Knowing they were doomed, the aristocrats sought to ensure the survival of their families.

Facing the threat of erasing their bloodlines, they began accusing each other, even their closest kin.

One by one, their heinous deeds came to light: land grabbing, price manipulation, usury—all were mere trifles compared to forcing women into prostitution, trafficking humans, selling children to the Fatui for experiments, and more, all beyond the imagination of the average Inazuma citizen.

Details of the 'Vision Hunt Decree' and 'Sakoku Decree' were also exposed by Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke, revealing how they had conspired to deceive the Shogun, motivated by jealousy and the desire to consolidate their power.

"Tsk tsk, this bunch of worms wanted Visions? How ridiculous." Indra sneered.

"To obtain a Vision, one must have a beautiful, lifelong ambition. Their actions should contribute positively to the world, and as a reward, upon fulfilling their beautiful wish, they would receive a divine throne."

"Thus, Vision bearers are called 'Genshin,' worthy of becoming gods."

Vision bearers are pure in their resolve, if not always morally good.

Though no one has yet fulfilled their wish to become a god.

As for Vanessa of Celestia? He didn't know, having not inherited Phanes' memories, only his powers.

Fulfilling one's wish is challenging, like Hu Tao's desire for people to face life and death with equanimity—a near-impossible feat. Hence, those who accomplish it deserve to become gods.

"So that's the secret of the Vision?" Yae Miko was astonished. She knew some secrets about Visions, but not much.

The world believed Visions were granted by the gods' gaze, yet she knew they came from Celestia.

No one knew the exact reason Celestia granted Visions.

"Beautiful ambitions lead to actions that benefit the world, thus earning Visions. Upon fulfilling their wish, they are eligible to become gods..." Yae Miko glanced at Kokomi and Sara.

If a deity from Celestia said so, it must be true.

Unfortunately, she didn't have a Vision; her power came from the Shogun, as she was a Narukami shrine maiden.

The Vision on her person was merely a trinket she had taken from a young girl of the Kamisato family.

Kokomi, however, was not pondering the secrets of Visions. She knew her turn would come once the Shogun had executed the criminals.

The closer she got to death, the deeper her fear became, especially seeing so many beheaded before her, a fear that chilled her to the bone.

.......

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