Meanwhile, on another island off the coast of Narukami—Watatsumi Island.
Due to its origins deep beneath the sea, Watatsumi's terrain was steep and uneven, dotted with reefs and giant shells—things usually found only underwater.
In addition to ordinary vegetation, the island was blanketed in coral flora. At night, this coral would emit a soft glow, creating a breathtaking scene.
Since the death of their serpent god, the people of Watatsumi had gradually grown accustomed to life under Inazuman rule. They intermarried with Inazumans, migrated, traded, and adapted to new ways of living.
Still, although Inazuman culture had become widespread on the island, Watatsumi had retained some of its own customs. One of these was their faith. They continued to worship the serpent god who had led their ancestors up from the deep.
Though the god was dead, they were not without leadership. Their leader was the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi—the highest authority on the island. The current Divine Priestess was Sangonomiya Kokomi.
The political heart of Watatsumi, as well as its center of faith, was the Sangonomiya Shrine. Now, inside the magnificent shrine, a faint figure sat behind a raised dais, obscured by a silken curtain. Standing below were four retainers, looking at one another in hesitation.
"Ahem," one of them—the leader of the group—coughed lightly into his fist to get attention. "Divine Priestess, I have urgent matters to report."
No response. The four exchanged increasingly awkward glances.
"What should we do, Lord Kanehito?"
"Perhaps the Divine Priestess is deep in thought. Shall we leave her be?"
"Yes, yes. Let's take our leave."
The others murmured, growing restless. Kanehito—the middle-aged man at the front—twitched. He knew his lord well. This wasn't deep thought.
She had fallen asleep sitting up. No one thinking that hard would ignore a direct call. But he decided to let her rest. After all, she was the Divine Priestess, the leader of all Watatsumi.
She likely had much on her plate and had simply nodded off while stealing a moment of rest.
"Alright. We'll return in an hour." With a nod, Kanehito led the others away.
Behind the curtain, a young girl with pink-to-teal ombre hair sat with her eyes closed, dozing lightly. Her face was pale as fine jade, exquisitely beautiful—like a piece of flawless art.
Dressed in robes of deep ocean blue, she glowed like coral from the sea. Her name was Sangonomiya Kokomi. She was the supreme leader of Watatsumi Island. Her breathing was soft and steady, her expression calm—a portrait of peaceful slumber.
Kokomi didn't stir until nearly three-quarters of an hour later. She blinked awake slowly, her delicate, scholarly face framed by eyes of the same pinkish-blue gradient as her hair.
"Oops… I fell asleep again without meaning to…" Kokomi murmured to herself, a little guilty, her expression turning sheepish. "No one came to report anything important while I was out, did they?"
As the leader of Watatsumi Island, it would be a serious problem if she missed urgent matters. She called in an attendant and inquired if anything had happened.
When she learned that someone had indeed come to see her earlier, she immediately ordered them to retrieve the retainer so she could hear the report.
"Close one! If I'd overslept, it would've been trouble," Kokomi patted her chest lightly and muttered under her breath.
Soon, the retainer returned to the hall and began his report.
"What?! You're telling me Vision wielders attacked Narukami Island—multiple times?!" Kokomi's eyes flew wide, her heart dropping.
"Yes, my lady. And…"
"Don't bother saying it. I can guess. The people there think it was us from Watatsumi." Kokomi cut him off, finishing his thought before he could.
"Indeed. You truly see everything, Lady Sangonomiya," the retainer bowed in admiration.
But Kokomi had no patience for flattery at that moment. She had already seen the malicious intent behind this scheme. First, spread rumors that Watatsumi was plotting an eastern invasion. Then find a few islanders, grant them so-called Visions by some means, and spread false word of the Serpent God's resurrection.
Stir up enough of the island's people to create the impression that all of Watatsumi was ready for war.
That was just step one. Step two was far more insidious. Now, someone—bearing counterfeit Visions—was attacking the citizens and soldiers of Narukami Island. And these attacks were relentless, happening one after another.
Given the rumors already circulating, it was only natural for the people of Narukami to suspect Watatsumi.
No matter how Watatsumi tried to deny it, the accusations stuck. Under mounting pressure from Narukami, even the islanders who had no desire for war would be forced into rebellion just to survive.
In Kokomi's eyes, the mastermind behind all this was playing a brilliantly vicious game. Though she held the highest authority on Watatsumi, if the Shogunate—or worse, the Raiden Shogun herself—turned their gaze upon them, fear for their lives might drive her people to act against her will. If that happened, Watatsumi and Narukami would be set on a collision course with no way back.
Kokomi forced herself to calm down, her mind racing for a counterstrategy.
"Kanehito, pass the order: for the time being, no one leaves Watatsumi Island. And watch the harbors closely. Don't let anyone in without authorization." Kokomi issued her first command.
She needed to ensure Watatsumi did not fall into chaos from within. She had already suspected that the conspirators had planted agents on the island during the first phase of their plan. Perhaps by catching those infiltrators, she could extract information from them.
Kanehito left to carry out her orders. Kokomi remained behind, her expression heavy with worry. She knew that if the two islands did go to war, the odds would be overwhelmingly against them. The Shogun would not stand idle. And when she descended, who could possibly stop her?
It was truly a hopeless situation.
Kokomi felt the weight of it pressing down on her chest. Even her favorite snacks, laid out beside her, suddenly held no appeal. Just as she was at her wit's end, another troubling piece of news arrived.
"Divine Priestess… I'm afraid I have ill tidings. When I went to issue the order for a household census, I received word that some of the island's young adults had left with traveling merchants to do business on Narukami. None have returned."
Kokomi's head began to ache. Of all times, to have islanders stranded over there—this just kept getting worse.