The Truth - (Very Short) Chapter 19.5

MEANWHILE, IN FONTAINE...

About an hour ago, Dottore's eyes were fixed on Byakuya, brimming with a confidence that made it clear he thought he was winning this unexpected standoff.

(Dottore) : "You and your flower petals will burn," he said, sounding all too sure of himself.

Byakuya stood his ground, staring down two Fatui Harbingers—Arlecchino and Dottore. It didn't seem to faze him much, though. He wasn't viewing this as a major problem.

(Byakuya) : "Let's see if you can parry these then!" He challenged, as he unleashed his Shikai and thousands of cherry blossoms scattered into the air from his Katana.

(Dottore) : "Activate!" He said confidently. The red gem on his right hand began to float, forming an intense ring of fire around him and Arlecchino.

The flames served as both a shield and a weapon, burning the cherry blossoms as they approached Byakuya slowly.

(Dottore) : "Join us or everything will burn," Dottore said with a smirk. However, Byakuya remained calm.

Sure, the cherry blossoms had been burned, but he could easily create new ones using his Reiatsu.

He wasn't even focusing on his attacks yet; he had only released his Shikai to provoke.

(Byakuya) : "For this whole time, I wasn't even at my full strength," Byakuya said calmly.

(Dottore) : "What..?" Dottore looked confused.

(Byakuya) : "It's true." His expression grew serious as he locked eyes with Dottore.

(Dottore) : "There's no way... That's impossible!" Dottore exclaimed. Even Arlecchino appeared confused.

Unless Byakuya had some kind of Delusion or hidden power, it seemed impossible to gain any strength so quickly.

(Byakuya) : "Observe, as you will be my first victim," Byakuya declared, dropping his katana straight down. The blade phased into the ground as if the surface were a pool of water.

Energy ripples expanded out, turning the surrounding area dark. Within seconds, two rows of a thousand giant pink blades rose up from the ground.

These thousand katanas then scattered into countless cherry blossoms.

Everyone around was baffled. It was like witnessing a giant tsunami appearing out of nowhere.

(Byakuya) : "I wonder if your ring of fire is going to help you if I were to slam all of this onto you?" Byakuya asked with a smirk. Dottore stood there, speechless.

MEANWHILE, IN INAZUMA...

(Lumine) : She looked at Gojo with wide eyes and asked, "Akatsuki? Espada? Gotei 13? Wandenreich? What's that?" It was clear she had no clue what any of those were.

I knew she wouldn't know, but I was just curious to see her reaction.

(Mizu as Gojo) : "It's alright. We'll talk about this later," I said with a smile, trying to ease her confusion. "Now, let's talk about your brother."

Lumine's demeanor shifted instantly. She looked at me seriously, her eyes reflecting a mix of hope and determination.

She was desperate to know any information about her brother's whereabouts.

(Mizu as Gojo) : "To be honest, I don't know where he is, but I do know that he's in Teyvat," I admitted, watching her hopeful eyes closely. "If you want to find him, then..." I glanced up at the sky, taking a deep breath. This wasn't easy to say. "The Akatsuki. They know where he is."

Lumine's face twisted in confusion, just like before. She clearly had no idea who these "Akatsuki" were.

It was understandable. Not everyone in Teyvat had crossed paths with them or even heard their name.

(Lumine) : "The Akatsuki?" She asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and a bit of frustration.

(Mizu as Gojo) : "Yeah, the Akatsuki. They're way harder to find. Even the Fatui haven't caught wind of them," I said, seeing Lumine's face still puzzled.

(Lumine) :"Then how do you know about them?" She shot back, clearly intrigued and maybe a bit skeptical.

(Mizu as Gojo) : I shrugged, chuckling a little. "Well, they invited me to join, believe it or not. At first, I thought they were just some oddball group, you know? But after seeing what they can do, they're the real deal. Each Akatsuki members' power are off the charts—like, they could wipe out entire nations with just one of their moves if they wanted." I watched as she processed what I said, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and concern.

Lumine was astonished. The idea that there could be a group out there stronger than Archons or Fatui Harbingers seemed impossible to her.

She couldn't believe anyone could reach that level of power. Yet, here was Gojo, calmly telling her about the Akatsuki—a group so formidable that each member could single-handedly wipe out a nation with their moves.

(Lumine) : "Seriously? Each one of them has that kind of power?" She asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

(Mizu as Gojo) : I just nodded, my expression was a mix of amusement and respect. "Yeah, it's no joke. They're on a whole different level. When they approached me, I thought it was just some insane story, but seeing them in action? It's a whole other game." Lumine's mind raced, thinking about the implications.

If what Gojo said was true, and the Akatsuki were that powerful, then their journey ahead was about to get incredibly perilous. She had faced strong foes before, but this was something else entirely.

(Mizu as Gojo) : "I have no idea where they are. You'll probably need to get a lot stronger if you want them to notice you and send an invitation," I said, shrugging.

(Lumine) : Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "It'll be hard, but with everyone helping, it'll be easy," she replied, her determination obvious.

I couldn't help but smile at her optimism. Her never-give-up attitude was contagious, and I found myself hoping that she would succeed in her quest.