Akio had originally intended to punish the Resistance, but just as he was about to act, Yae Miko contacted him. She had given him a protective charm that allowed them to communicate remotely.
Raiden Ei had instructed Akio to spare the Resistance. After all, she had once made a pact with Orobashi, which was why she had tolerated the Resistance's audacity until now.
Akio slowly descended from the sky, and all the soldiers of the Shogun's Army looked at him with admiration. He alone had been enough to suppress the entire five-thousand-strong Resistance. It was truly awe-inspiring.
"Lord Akio, why…?" Kujou Sara didn't finish her sentence, but Akio understood her meaning.
That had been the perfect opportunity to eliminate Gorou, the Resistance's general. Killing him would have dealt a severe blow to Watatsumi Island.
"The Shogun wishes to give them another chance," Akio explained. "Otherwise, I would have acted."
"I see." Hearing that it was the Shogun's will, Kujou Sara nodded. The Shogun must have her reasons for this decision.
"Thank you, Lord Akio, for saving our lives!" At that moment, the soldiers of the Shogun's Army who had been healed by Akio approached and bowed to him. In an instant, a sea of black-clad soldiers expressed their gratitude.
"It was my duty. There's no need for such formalities," Akio said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Everyone, fall in!" Kujou Sara commanded sternly. She addressed the soldiers, "Let me introduce you. This is Lord Akio, the Great Divine Official of the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Greetings, Lord Akio!" the soldiers quickly responded. They hadn't heard of the title "Great Divine Official," but given his connection to the Grand Narukami Shrine and his immense power, he must be a high-ranking figure.
Akio nodded and turned to Kujou Sara. "Let's head back. I doubt the Resistance will dare to make a move anytime soon."
"Agreed." Kujou Sara nodded. She then addressed the soldiers, "Tidy up the battlefield. One squad will escort the bodies of our fallen comrades back to Inazuma City. The rest of you, continue to guard Tatarasuna. I'll arrange for supplies to be sent to you."
"Yes, ma'am!" the soldiers responded in unison.
Once Kujou Sara had finished giving orders, Akio enveloped her in golden energy and flew into the sky, disappearing into the horizon.
"Lord Akio, I can actually fly on my own," Kujou Sara suddenly said softly. "I'm of the Tengu clan. I have wings."
"But can you keep up with my speed?" Akio asked.
"No…" Kujou Sara shook her head. Akio's speed was such that he could travel from Inazuma City to Tatarasuna in mere minutes. She couldn't possibly keep up.
"Then just relax and let me handle it," Akio said, increasing his speed.
---
After the duel, Yoimiya had wanted to sneak away. She was still feeling incredibly shy after being held in Akio's arms in front of so many people.
Just as she was about to slip away, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Who?!" Yoimiya turned around quickly, startled, only to find Kamisato Ayaka standing there.
"Ayaka? What are you doing here? Let's not talk here!" Yoimiya glanced around and noticed many people watching them. She grabbed Ayaka's hand and pulled her out of the crowd.
"Master, Lady Ayaka has run off with Yoimiya," Thoma reported to Kamisato Ayato.
"It's fine. Yoimiya and Ayaka are good friends. Let them be," Ayato replied. He had wanted to ask Ayaka about what had happened last night and what she had discussed with Akio, but since she had gone off with her friend, he decided to wait.
Once they reached a quiet corner, Yoimiya finally let go of Ayaka's hand and caught her breath.
"Ayaka, why did you come looking for me?" Yoimiya asked, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right! Your fireworks!" She took out the fireworks from her Vision, and Ayaka nodded, storing them in her own Vision.
"Sorry, Ayaka. I was supposed to deliver these to you yesterday," Yoimiya apologized.
"It's alright," Ayaka said, shaking her head.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Yoimiya asked.
Ayaka hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage. "Yoimiya… can I ask how you ended up coming with Lord Akio this morning?"
"Oh, that." Yoimiya's face turned red as she recalled the morning. "I was actually on my way to deliver your fireworks last night when I ran into Lord Akio in Chinju Forest. He told me you'd had a bit to drink and were probably resting."
"I figured it would be best not to disturb you, but since it was so late, Lord Akio and the others were heading to the Grand Narukami Shrine for the night, so they invited me to stay there," Yoimiya explained. "This morning, since Lord Akio and Lady Yae can fly, they decided to… carry me here to get to Inazuma City quickly."
"But… Lady Yae can fly too. Why didn't she carry you?" Ayaka blurted out without thinking.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ayaka regretted them. She felt incredibly foolish, like a jealous woman, even though she had no right to feel that way.
Fortunately, Yoimiya was too innocent to notice. She simply thought Ayaka was asking out of curiosity. "I don't know. Lady Yae was acting really strange this morning. She said a lot of things that didn't make sense to me and insisted that Lord Akio carry me."
"She said something about me caring too much and told me to think carefully and not hide things in my heart," Yoimiya said, scratching her head.
"I didn't really understand what she meant."
Hearing this, Ayaka gave Yoimiya a complicated look. Could it be that Lord Akio was interested in someone like Yoimiya?
"Oh, by the way, Ayaka, don't tell anyone this," Yoimiya suddenly whispered, leaning closer to Ayaka's ear. "Lord Akio and Lady Yae are a couple. I found out last night, and it really surprised me, but they seem really happy together."
"What?!" This news hit Ayaka like a thunderbolt. Lord Akio and Lady Yae were a couple?
But then what did it mean that Lord Akio had kissed her?
Ayaka's mind was in turmoil. She had never considered this possibility, and her thoughts became a tangled mess.
"Lord Akio also seems really close to that white-haired woman, but Lady Yae doesn't seem to mind," Yoimiya added casually. "But I guess that makes sense. Lord Akio is a god, and Lady Yae is a powerful youkai. They probably don't worry about things like that."
"Anyway, Ayaka, I've got a lot of work to do. Do you need anything else?" Yoimiya asked.
"N-no, that's all," Ayaka stammered, still dazed.
"Alright then, I'll head off. Let's go to the hot springs together sometime!" Yoimiya waved and hurried away.
A/n - Will upload one more chapter in few hours :)
and next goal is 150 Powerstones