"What's going on?" The sudden turn of events on the battlefield made everyone stop and look toward the center, where a cloud of dust was slowly dissipating.
As the dust settled, a massive crater came into view. Inside the crater were two figures.
One was familiar to everyone—Kujou Sara. For some reason, her face seemed to carry a faint blush.
The other figure was dressed in luxurious attire, with a faint golden glow surrounding him.
Golden wings hovered behind him, making it clear that he was no ordinary mortal.
Kujou Sara glared at Akio. This guy had just made a superhero-style landing, using his body to crash into the ground.
In the final moment, he had shielded her by pulling her into his embrace.
Although he had quickly let her go, it still left her feeling somewhat unsettled.
"Who are you?" Gorou stared intently at Akio's face, his voice filled with suspicion and surprise.
Kujou Sara was an old adversary, and Gorou knew her abilities inside and out. The spectacle that had just unfolded was definitely not something she could have created.
That left only this unknown man. Such power far exceeded that of an ordinary Vision holder.
Akio didn't answer him. Instead, he scanned the battlefield. The sight of dead and severely wounded soldiers filled his vision. This wasn't some child's play like in the games of his past life—this was real, bloody warfare.
With a wave of his hand, countless white light particles scattered and merged into the wounded soldiers of the Shogun's Army.
In an instant, their injuries were healed, and they rose to their feet, weapons in hand, ready to face the Resistance.
"!!!" Gorou's eyes widened. With a single wave, this man had healed thousands of wounded soldiers, restoring them to full health. Even the Lady of Sangonomiya, whose Vision granted her incredible healing abilities, couldn't achieve such a feat!
A god! This had to be a god! The word "god" was the only thing left in Gorou's mind. This young man before him was undoubtedly a deity. Such power was far beyond the reach of mortals.
After completing this act, Akio slowly rose into the air. His eyes glowed with a golden light, and countless terrifying black holes, shimmering with golden energy, appeared in the sky, aimed directly at the Resistance.
"Gulp…" Gorou swallowed hard. Faced with this apocalyptic scene, a chill ran down his spine. Against a god, no matter how many soldiers they had, they were nothing more than ants waiting to be crushed.
On the Resistance's side, many soldiers were already struggling to stand. Even the Shogun's Army was in awe, staring at the towering figure standing before them.
"Drop your weapons," Akio's voice echoed in the ears of every Resistance soldier, calm yet commanding.
Hearing his voice, the Resistance soldiers were at a loss.
"Everyone, drop your weapons!" Gorou quickly shouted, throwing down his own weapon first. Faced with a god's command, the only option was to obey. Otherwise, they would all be annihilated in the next moment.
Gorou wasn't surrendering. He simply didn't want his soldiers to die at the hands of a god. There was no shame in dropping their weapons before a deity.
With a clatter, the Resistance soldiers followed suit, throwing down their weapons. Some of the more timid ones even fell to their knees.
Kujou Sara stared blankly at Akio's figure in the sky. Now she understood what he had meant when he said, "Without sufficient power, how could the Shogun have granted me the title of a Archon?" He was a true god.
"People of Watatsumi Island, you have overstepped!" Akio's cold voice rang out as he glared at the Resistance below. "Tell me, why do you rebel?"
"We rebel against the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree!" Gorou shouted. "The Raiden Shogun's policies have brought suffering to the people! The Vision Hunt Decree robs people of their dreams! We only fight against these two decrees!"
"Is that so?" Akio seemed to have heard the biggest joke of all, laughing in anger. "Then look at your actions. Are you truly rebelling against these decrees? Or are you attempting to overthrow the Shogunate and establish your own rule?"
Gorou suddenly felt as if a mountain had been placed on his back. Akio's overwhelming aura pressed him to the ground.
"When Orobashi was defeated by the Shogun's blade, you, the defeated, should have sunk into the depths along with Watatsumi Island and Enkanomiya. But the Shogun showed mercy, granting you the right to self-governance, the ability to maintain an independent army, and even allowing you to continue worshiping a defeated god." Akio rebuked. "Was she not gentle enough? Not open-minded enough? And what have you done in return?"
"Using the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree as excuses to carry out rebellion? Is this how you repay the Narukami's kindness?" Akio continued. "Faced with these decrees, you didn't think of resolving the issue peacefully or petitioning the Shogun to change her mind. Instead, you immediately rebelled, forming this so-called Resistance. Isn't that laughable?"
"And you even dream of overthrowing the Shogunate?" Akio coldly stared at the Resistance. "How absurd! A force without a god dares to challenge a nation ruled by a deity? Foolish, insignificant, utterly ridiculous!"
Under the pressure of Akio's divine might, Gorou could only grit his teeth. He couldn't speak, forced to listen to Akio's scathing remarks. He desperately wanted to refute them.
"Do you think your petty schemes have succeeded? That you've seen hope? That you've achieved victory?" Akio said. "Little do you know, you're only hastening your own destruction."
"Your actions have only worsened Inazuma's already dire situation," Akio roared. "If you're dissatisfied with the Shogun's rule, why don't you return to Enkanomiya, back to that sunless abyss? Why stay here, fanning the flames and trying to shake the foundations of Inazuma?"
"You enjoy the Shogun's protection, bask in Inazuma's warmth, yet curse her rule. You're truly despicable," Akio berated. "If the Shogun were truly an evil god, why hasn't she struck you down with her Musou no Hitotachi? One strike from her blade would silence your complaints forever!"
Under Akio's wrath, even the space around them seemed to tremble. Countless golden energies swirled within the black holes, as if they were about to cleanse the entire Resistance.
Under Akio's divine pressure, not a single Resistance soldier dared to look him in the eye. They finally realized how insignificant their power was. Before a god, they were as weak as ants. How laughable it was that they had even thought of rebelling against a deity.
Akio coldly gazed at the Resistance below, his thoughts churning, his expression icy. Suddenly, as if he had heard something, he fell silent for a moment.
The sky full of black holes vanished, and Akio retracted his divine aura. "Go back," he said coldly. "Talk to your leaders and think carefully about what I've said today."
"You should be grateful that the Shogun has ordered your lives spared," Akio said, watching the fleeing Resistance soldiers.
"Kneel and thank her for her mercy."
A/n - Next extra chapter at 100PS