Chapter 172. Clash of Eternity
In the sky, Raiden Shogun and Futsu Mitama stood in opposition.
On the ground, Gorou and the Resistance soldiers finally exhaled in relief. Yet most of them did not recognize Futsu Mitama, their gazes filled with curiosity as they looked toward the figure who dared to confront Raiden Shogun head-on.
Among the Shogunate Army, there were still a few of Kujou Takayuki's confidants left behind. Not everyone had followed him in retreat, after all.
Though Kujou Takayuki himself had not intended to flee, his loyal retainers had feared for his life and forcibly removed him from the battlefield. By the time he realized what had happened, he could only accept the situation and adapt accordingly.
Those confidants who had remained immediately recognized Futsu Mitama.
"He's with the Resistance?!"
"If you count Guuji as well, then that makes two of Raiden Shogun's retainers among them—What is going on?!"
"And why would he stop Raiden Shogun? Could it be…this is all an act? Was Lord Takayuki's intelligence wrong?"
Their words quickly drew the attention of both sides. The surrounding soldiers—Resistance and Shogunate alike—began pressing them for answers.
"Who is he? You know him?"
"To block Raiden Shogun's blade…he can't be an ordinary person."
"A retainer of Raiden Shogun? That's impossible. There's only ever been Guuji!"
"Explain! When did someone like that appear on the Resistance's side?"
"You Resistance don't even know?"
"If we did, do you think we'd have been kneeling just now, begging for the Shogun's mercy?"
For a time, murmurs spread across the battlefield. Under mounting pressure, Kujou Takayuki's confidants revealed what they knew.
Futsu Mitama was a noble of the Yashiro Commission. For reasons unknown, he had earned Raiden Shogun's favor and had been granted a portion of her authority. Such a person could only be considered one of Raiden Shogun's retainers.
Because of this, his existence had been deliberately concealed within the Kujou Clan. He did not belong to the Tenryou Commission but to the Yashiro Commission. If this information were made public, it would undermine the Tenryou Commission's standing while greatly elevating the Yashiro Commission.
After all, Guuji's influence alone was already immense.
In fact, the rapid rise of the Resistance owed much to her presence—many believed that their cause aligned with the will of Raiden Shogun herself.
Now, however, the truth appeared far more complicated than anyone had imagined. Ordinarily, such intelligence would never be disclosed. But at this moment, Kujou Takayuki's actions had thoroughly disheartened his own people.
If there were consequences to face later, so be it—he would first need to survive what came next.
And so, the truth spread.
Before long, nearly everyone on the battlefield understood who Futsu Mitama was—Raiden Shogun's newly acknowledged retainer.
Which only raised a more troubling question.
Why would he, along with Guuji, stand with the Resistance?
Yae Miko's involvement could still be interpreted as ambiguous—but Futsu Mitama had directly intercepted the Musou no Hitotachi. No matter how one looked at it, he was opposing Raiden Shogun.
At that very moment, Kujou Takayuki and his group arrived, just in time to witness the standoff in the sky.
A smile slowly spread across his face. This was exactly what he had hoped to see.
Futsu Mitama was undeniably powerful—acknowledged by Raiden Shogun herself, feared even by the Fatui Harbingers like Dottore and Scaramouche.
But so what?
Could he stand against a god?
Before the Musou no Hitotachi, all must bow to fate.
Kujou Takayuki's smile deepened. If Futsu Mitama were to fall here, it would be ideal. And even if he survived—imprisonment would be more than enough.
Below, the crowd fell into tense silence.
Above, in the sky—
Futsu Mitama and Raiden Shogun began to speak.
"You should know what the Resistance seeks to accomplish."
Raiden Shogun's brows drew together ever so slightly. It was not anger, but a subtle expression of displeasure—one born from both dissatisfaction and incomprehension toward Futsu Mitama's refusal to yield.
In her perception, Futsu Mitama stood as a future guardian of eternity. As such, he should have already grasped the essence of what "eternity" truly meant. And yet, the actions of the Resistance were shaking the very foundation upon which that eternity was built.
The stillness that was meant to remain unchanged had already begun to waver. That, in itself, was something Raiden Shogun could not ignore.
If such developments were allowed to continue, then the concept of eternity would inevitably collapse. And once that possibility became apparent, decisive eradication was the only permissible course.
"Yes, I know."
Futsu Mitama inclined his head slightly. His gaze met hers directly, steady and unflinching.
"Shogun-sama…would you be willing to hear me out?"
His tone remained respectful, yet firm.
"It will not be too late to destroy the Resistance after I have finished speaking."
The moment those words fell, a ripple passed through the battlefield below.
Both the Shogunate Army and the Resistance could not help but look up at him—some in astonishment, others in admiration. After all, who would dare to stand before Raiden Shogun, at the very moment she had drawn her blade, and attempt to reason with her?
Since the founding of Inazuma, there had been scarcely anyone who dared to offer counsel once the Shogun had made her decision.
Perhaps only Lady Kitsune Saigu had once possessed such boldness. And after the calamity five hundred years ago, even fewer still retained the courage to speak.
Even now, whether anyone—including Guuji Yae Miko—had ever publicly advised the Shogun remained unknown.
Yet here stood Futsu Mitama, doing precisely that.
Below, Kujou Takayuki's smile widened. He understood far more than the others. The Shogun before him was a puppet governed by an unyielding directive—"eternity" above all else.
Everything the Resistance had done directly contradicted that directive. No matter what Futsu Mitama or Yae Miko intended, their actions could only be interpreted as defiance.
And for defiance, there would only be one outcome.
He was certain of it.
For the sake of eternity, Raiden Shogun would strike Futsu Mitama down—if not kill him outright, then at least leave him gravely wounded.
Armed with knowledge gleaned from the Fatui, Kujou Takayuki waited, almost eagerly, for the inevitable conclusion.
And yet—
To everyone's astonishment, Raiden Shogun merely inclined her head. The Musou Isshin, which had been raised, lowered slightly.
Silence fell.
Disbelief spread.
Kujou Takayuki's expression stiffened, his mind momentarily blank.
This—had already touched upon eternity itself. And yet, she still allowed him to speak?
Impossible.
Had the intelligence been wrong?
For the first time, doubt crept into his thoughts. Not once did he consider that, within Raiden Shogun's calculations, Futsu Mitama occupied a position far beyond what he could comprehend.
"Speak."
Her voice was calm, devoid of fluctuation.
"If you cannot convince me, then I will eradicate the Resistance."
A faint pause followed.
"And you—having obstructed eternity—will be confined within the Plane of Euthymia."
The declaration was delivered without hesitation, as though stating an immutable law.
"I will not kill you," she continued, her tone unchanged, "for you are to become a guardian of eternity. But I will ensure that such misguided thoughts are abandoned."
It was not anger.
It was judgment.
"Understood."
Futsu Mitama exhaled quietly, a trace of relief passing through him. As long as he was not to be executed outright, then there remained room to maneuver.
Inwardly, he could not help but acknowledge that prior efforts to build goodwill had not been in vain.
As for what he would say—From the moment he had arrived in this land, he had already anticipated that such a confrontation would one day occur.
To stand before Raiden Shogun—or even before Raiden Ei herself.
To face a being capable of ending his life with a single stroke. Thus, long before this moment, he had contemplated the concept of "eternity."
He had prepared answers.
Prepared arguments.
Prepared, perhaps, even a means to survive.
He had once used similar reasoning to earn their recognition. But whether those same arguments would suffice now—even he could not be certain.
Still, he would try. Even failure had value.
If nothing else, it would buy him time.
Time to recover.
Time to breathe.
Time to endure.
The prolonged battle against Scaramouche had already drained him, and intercepting the Musou no Hitotachi had only worsened his condition.
Even with the aid of medicines, potions, talismans, and hastily consumed food—
Recovery required time. And time…was precisely what he intended to secure.
"Speak, then." Raiden Shogun regarded him steadily. "Why do you stand in my way?"
"You must have your reasons," she added. "I am willing to hear them."
Futsu Mitama paused briefly.
Then, with measured clarity, he began.
"Shogun-sama your understanding of eternity is 'unchanging,' is it not?"
He already knew the answer.
To them, eternity was immutability—an unaltered state, preserved across all time.
But such a concept was, in itself, inherently unstable. Unless time itself could be halted, change would inevitably occur. And over the course of five hundred years—
Had there truly been so few disturbances?
Did the Resistance emerge without cause?
No.
The contradictions ran far deeper than a single conflict could explain.
"Indeed."
Raiden Shogun gave a slight nod. An unchanging world—that was the eternity she pursued.
"Then, Shogun-sama…do you still remember the eternity I once spoke of?"
Futsu Mitama's gaze did not waver.
"I do." Her response came without delay. "Yours is also a form of unchanging."
"You seek to preserve the bonds around you—to prevent distance born of status or transformation. And you wish to maintain the environment in which you exist, free from disruption."
That was his eternity.
And it was precisely because of this shared understanding that he had been acknowledged. It was also why she could not comprehend his current actions.
"Yes."
Futsu Mitama gave a slight nod. His gaze did not waver as he looked at Raiden Shogun.
"But this eternity—has already been broken."
A brief pause. Then, with quiet certainty, he continued—
"It was destroyed by the Tenryou Commission."
"…"
At those words, Raiden Shogun's brows furrowed ever so slightly. Her gaze shifted downward, landing upon Kujou Takayuki.
Below, the reaction was immediate. Whether it was the Resistance or the Shogunate Army, expressions of shock spread across every face. No one had expected such a statement to be made so directly—let alone in front of Raiden Shogun herself.
Even Kujou Takayuki's expression changed abruptly.
His face paled. Within his mind, countless thoughts surged at once, each more chaotic than the last.
He cursed Futsu Mitama repeatedly in his heart for dragging him into this—yet at the same time, a sliver of confusion emerged.
What exactly had he done—to provoke such a public accusation?
Around him, his most trusted aides and confidants exchanged glances.
They knew. Or rather—they knew too much.
Over the years, Kujou Takayuki had indeed carried out many actions that could be considered violations of "eternity."
But knowing that was one thing. Identifying which specific matter had now been brought before the Shogun—was another entirely.
There were too many.
Far too many.
For a moment, even they could not determine which incident had crossed the line.
"Clang—!"
The sound rang out clearly.
Kujou Takayuki dropped to his knees without hesitation.
He did not cry out injustice.
He did not attempt to defend himself.
Because he understood something very clearly—If Raiden Shogun truly chose to investigate, nothing he had done could remain hidden.
In the past, no one had dared to probe into the Tenryou Commission.
Even Guuji Yae Miko, as an independent figure, had no authority to directly interfere with its internal affairs. But now—
If the order came from Raiden Shogun herself, then everything would be laid bare. And once that happened—Imprisonment would be the least of his concerns.
The accumulation of his offenses—could very well bring ruin upon the entire Kujou Clan.
Seeing Kujou Takayuki kneel so decisively, Raiden Shogun's gaze lingered on him for a brief moment. Then, she lifted her eyes once more and looked toward Futsu Mitama.
"What has the Tenryou Commission done?"
Her voice remained calm. Yet the weight behind the question was unmistakable. In the past, she would not have asked such a question openly. Matters concerning the Tri-Commission were often handled in a more restrained manner, so as not to disrupt the stability of eternity.
Even when wrongdoing occurred, punishment was measured.
Take the Kanjou Commission, for example. Its collusion with the Fatui, its exploitation of the people—these were not small crimes.
And yet, the outcome had been limited.
The head of the Hiiragi Clan was imprisoned.
His daughter took over his position.
Other involved individuals were also detained.
On the surface, it appeared severe. But in essence—Very little had changed.
The structure remained.
The system endured.
This, too, was done in the name of "eternity."
But now, things were different.
"Many things."
Futsu Mitama spoke without hesitation. As he did, he glanced briefly at the flowing messages within the Chat Group, then continued in a steady, measured tone—
"For instance—"
"In Inazuma City, the Tenryou Commission has oppressed the populace, abusing its authority to frame innocent individuals and suppress those affiliated with the Yashiro Commission."
He did not rush. Each point was delivered clearly, leaving no room for ambiguity.
"For the sake of consolidating its own power, the Commission has forcibly recruited capable individuals from among the people."
"Those who refused…or resisted…were driven out of the city. They were left with no place to go, forced into exile—and many ultimately became Nobushi."
A faint murmur spread among the crowd.
Some lowered their heads.
Others clenched their fists.
Because these were not rumors. They were lived experiences.
Futsu Mitama continued.
"Trade with Watatsumi Island was deliberately restricted. Essential supplies—especially food—were cut off or tightly controlled, leaving the people of Watatsumi in a constant state of hardship. Such measures were not enacted out of necessity—but as a means of pressure."
Another pause. His voice did not rise. Yet it carried further than any shout.
"In collusion with the Kanjou Commission, they have embezzled resources from the people. Under the pretext of maintaining eternity, they enacted policies that burdened the common folk—turning law into a tool of exploitation."
"Lives were made difficult…not by fate, but by design."
The atmosphere grew heavier. Even among the Shogunate Army, some soldiers avoided meeting each other's eyes. Because they, too, had seen these things. Or participated in them.
"For their own interests—"
Futsu Mitama's gaze sharpened slightly.
"They entered into cooperation with the Fatui. They formed alliances, invited external forces into Inazuma's affairs, and allowed those forces to take root. They sought short-term gain—while disregarding the long-term consequences."
"And beyond that—"
He paused briefly.
Not because there was nothing left to say—But because there was too much.
"The actions of the Tenryou Commission, over the years, have not been isolated incidents. They form a pattern. A continuous erosion of the very order they were meant to uphold."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Below, Kujou Takayuki remained kneeling, his head lowered.
His face had lost all color. Some of the accusations—he had nearly forgotten himself. Yet hearing them spoken aloud now—Each one returned with clarity.
Had he truly…done so much?
A bitter realization took root. What he had once dismissed as necessary measures—now stood before him as undeniable faults.
Around him, the crowd's reactions were no longer merely shock.
Among the Resistance, there was recognition.
Among the Shogunate soldiers, there was unease.
Because most of them—Had witnessed these things firsthand. They had simply never spoken of them. Or rather—They had not dared to.
Who would accuse the Tenryou Commission?
Who could?
Any attempt to seek justice would inevitably circle back to the very authority being accused.
"What crime is this official charged with?"
The question would be asked. And the answer—Would turn the accuser into the accused.
Imprisonment.
Exile.
Or worse.
And so, silence had become the norm. Endurance, the only option. Until now.
At this moment—Futsu Mitama, a retainer acknowledged by Raiden Shogun herself, had spoken those truths openly.
Before the Shogun.
Before everyone.
Some among the crowd could no longer contain themselves.
They knelt.
Not in fear—But in gratitude.
"I understand."
Raiden Shogun's voice finally broke the silence. Her gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the reactions of the people below. From their expressions, their silence, their restraint—She could discern the truth.
The Tenryou Commission had indeed strayed.
More than strayed. It had decayed.
Her eyes shifted once more to Kujou Takayuki.
"I will assign the Okuzume to investigate this matter thoroughly. Once the investigation is complete, all individuals involved will be punished accordingly."
She paused briefly. Then asked—
"Are you satisfied with this?"
Futsu Mitama gave a small nod.
"I am."
"Then…" Raiden Shogun turned her full attention back to him. "What does this have to do with you standing here to stop me?"
Her tone remained composed. But the question cut directly to the heart of the matter.
"If the Tenryou Commission has committed such acts, then it will be dealt with. But you— Why did you not report this? Why did you instead choose to stand with the Resistance?"
"What is your reasoning?"
The battlefield fell silent once more.
Futsu Mitama met her gaze. And this time—He spoke without reservation.
"Because, Shogun-sama—There is a flaw in your eternity."
He did not avert his eyes.
"This is not preservation."
"It is neglect."
Raiden Shogun regarded him in silence for a brief moment, her gaze neither wavering nor softening. Then, as if reaching a conclusion already formed within her immutable logic, she spoke.
"You mean that the path to eternity itself is flawed?"
Her tone was calm, yet carried an unmistakable weight.
"And that you would correct it—even if it means standing against me."
Before her stood Futsu Mitama, who paused—not from fear, but from the difficulty of expressing something that could never truly be accepted by the one before him.
What he wished to say was far simpler than all this philosophy. If one truly sought eternity, then one should not remain secluded within Tenshukaku, removed from the passage of the world. One should walk among the people, listen to their voices, witness their suffering, and correct disorder before it grew into upheaval.
Had that been done, Inazuma might still have appeared tranquil, even if only on the surface. There would have been no full-scale war between Resistance and Shogunate, no widening fractures across the land, no opportunity for foreign powers like the Fatui to exploit the chaos and depart with their prize unchallenged.
But such words—however direct—would not reach her.
Not this version of her.
Looking into those unchanging eyes, Futsu Mitama understood. No matter how clearly he spoke, the answer would remain the same.
So instead, he gave a small nod.
"Yes."
Raiden Shogun closed her eyes.
For a fleeting instant, the battlefield seemed to fall into an even deeper stillness, as though the storm itself held its breath.
"I understand."
When she spoke again, her voice was composed, almost reflective.
"You stand here not for rebellion, but for the eternity you believe in. To you, the actions of the Resistance do not erode eternity—but instead form part of the chain that preserves it."
Her eyes opened once more, calm and absolute.
"They seek to overturn the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree. This, I already know. And I can infer that Yae Miko stands behind this as well."
There was no anger in her tone—only certainty.
"Since you believe this to be a necessary link in eternity—then I will observe it for myself."
A faint crackle of lightning began to gather.
"Show me how you intend to uphold it."
The air shifted.
Behind her, the Musou Isshin pulsed with violet radiance. At the same time, the halo-like construct of the Chakra Desiderata unfolded, and the imposing form of the Omnipresent God's Wheel manifested in silence.
In that instant, her presence transformed.
No longer merely an arbiter, but the embodiment of divine judgment.
She raised her blade. The tip of the sword pointed directly at Futsu Mitama.
"Friend of eternity—or enemy of eternity."
Her voice fell like a decree.
"Choose."
A low sigh escaped Futsu Mitama. There was no surprise in it—only acceptance.
He had anticipated this outcome from the very beginning. Words alone would never overturn something as absolute as her definition of eternity. In the end, ideology would be tested not through debate—but through strength.
His grip tightened.
The blade of the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami steadied in his hands as his own Chakra Desiderata emerged behind him, its light flickering against the gathering storm.
Above them, clouds churned.
Lightning threaded through the sky in restless veins of violet, as though the heavens themselves recognized what was about to unfold.
Within the live stream of the Chat Group, silence reigned for a moment before voices began to surface—uncertain, analytical, and, in some cases, sharply critical.
Azhdaha spoke first, his tone unusually measured.
"In this situation—even I find myself at a loss for words."
A brief pause, before he continued, now with a trace of blunt dissatisfaction.
"@Raiden Makoto, the state of your Inazuma is not without cause. Futsu Mitama has already laid everything bare. If Morax were here, such internal conflict would never have escalated to this extent."
Guizhong responded, her tone tinged with quiet disbelief.
"Even after everything has been said to this degree, it still comes to battle. No wonder you chose not to reason with her directly before."
A soft, almost teasing laugh followed from Yae Miko.
"Don't you see why I've spent centuries cleaning up after her? If she had simply stepped beyond Tenshukaku and observed the people for herself, the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions would never have grown so bold."
Her voice lowered slightly, though the amusement did not entirely fade.
"The young man sees clearly. An eternity built upon stability is not inherently flawed."
"But Ei—" she paused, "is stubborn. She wishes for time itself to remain fixed at the moment she entered the Plane of Euthymia. And the puppet she created follows that same principle—isolated, unmoving, reliant entirely on filtered reports."
A new voice entered, steady and composed—Kamisato Ayaka.
"My brother has tried to report the conditions of the people before. But each time, he was obstructed by the heads of the other Commissions. In the end—he could only protect those within his immediate reach."
From afar, Sangonomiya Kokomi spoke with quiet concern.
"She still refuses to leave the Plane of Euthymia?"
A faint sigh answered her.
"She will not," said Raiden Makoto. "Not unless a decisive outcome forces her hand. Still—this was within my expectations."
There was a brief, lighter interruption.
"Referring to Il Dottore?" came the playful voice of Venti.
"Barbatos," Makoto replied flatly, "are you seeking trouble?"
"Ehe~★!"
Despite the levity, the underlying tension remained. Albedo voiced what many were thinking.
"The disparity in strength is significant. If she truly does not hold back—how will he endure it?"
"He'll survive," said Shenhe calmly. "At worst, he will be captured."
"But the Resistance—" another voice trailed off, concern evident.
Yet through all of it, Yae Miko remained composed.
"Relax," she said lightly. "When the time comes—you'll see."
Back on the battlefield, none of those distant voices could be heard. Only silence…and the rising storm.
Futsu Mitama briefly closed his eyes, recalling her earlier suggestion—Devotion. He reached inward, searching for that elusive resonance.
Nothing.
Not even a flicker.
A faint, wry thought crossed his mind.
"So it's not that simple."
When he opened his eyes again, Raiden Shogun was already moving.
"It seems you have made your choice."
There was no disappointment in her voice.
Only finality.
"Then I will no longer hold back. If you prevail, I will acknowledge your ideals. But if you fail—Inazuma shall continue as I have ordained."
The blade fell. Not the overwhelming brilliance of the Musou no Hitotachi—
Just a single, direct slash.
And yet—Futsu Mitama moved to meet it head-on.
For a brief instant, steel met lightning.
Then—Regret.
The realization came too late. This was no longer a measured exchange. No restraint remained. What faced him now was not a ruler maintaining balance—but an Archon acting without limitation.
The force behind that single strike was beyond anything he had previously endured.
"—!"
The impact tore through his stance. In the same instant, his figure vanished, displaced by the Chakra Desiderata, narrowly avoiding complete collapse. He reappeared at a distance, expression tightening.
"So even this—"
Even a basic strike—unaugmented, unceremonious—was already beyond what he could comfortably withstand. Then—
She was gone.
"Where are you looking?"
The voice came from behind.
Too close.
Futsu Mitama turned instantly, blade raised, every instinct screaming.
"Clang—!!"
The second strike landed. There was no technique to counter, no angle to deflect—only overwhelming force.
It crashed through his guard.
The sky shattered beneath him.
"Boom—!!"
His body was driven straight into the earth, the ground collapsing into a crater shaped by the violence of the impact.
Dust and debris surged outward.
And in less than two exchanges—The disparity was absolute.
Before a serious Raiden Shogun, Futsu Mitama was completely overpowered.
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