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Leaving closer to nightfall, (y/n) decided, was a smarter idea. Though it may pose a risky threat, she didn't have a vision for nothing. Bag packed and ready and a clean, mudless outfit on- she stepped outside and was prepared to head to Ritou.
Something strange interrupted her goal, however. Many people on the streets were not tending to their stalls per the usual, instead gossiping amongst one another. She quickly made her way over to the blacksmith's disciple Hajime and questioned him immediately.
He stopped his hammering and locked eyes with the shrine maiden. "Lady (y/n), haven't you heard? They've caught Thoma," He spoke hesitantly, before nodding his head in the direction of the statue. "They're taking the 100th vision as we speak."
(y/n) felt her heart drop to her stomach. "Thanks," she quickly mumbled before taking off as fast as she could towards the statue. Upon arrival, a scene was certainly one to remember.
A struggling Thoma was desperately trying to break the rope that locked his wrists together. Sheer panic was flashing in his eyes, sweat dripping down his pale features etched in terror. In front of him, swirled in purple particles of pure electro energy was the infamous traveler, Aether. He appeared to be unconscious and his blond braided hair was loose- It was clear before his sleep he was fighting rather hard as his face was contorted into a determined expression and he was covered in.. sand? Hovering above him was his companion, a strange, floating child named Paimon, who seemed so desperate for him to awake as she cried and shook his shoulder.
And just past, looking at the three of them with a distasteful and angry look, was the Raiden Shogun. Purple braid fluttering in the wind of the storm she created, her purple eyes flashed as she gripped the Musou No Hitotachi firmly in her hand, ready to strike her opponent down.
(y/n) inhaled a sharp breath, especially at her struggling friend. Thoma desperately looked around while wriggling his arms, green eyes scanning the onlooker's faces before he met her (e/c) eyes. A sliver of hope came as quick as a flash before it turned into pleading. Tears were threatening to spill, held back by the sheer determination of not looking weak, though he flinched at the sight of the Raiden Shogun walking towards the Traveller and raising her blade.
In the tense panic, the shrine maiden quickly inhaled before reaching into her red and white clothing and pulling out her Kagura Suzu. Ringing the bells once in the direction of the rope, quietly enough that over the sound of lightning no one heard, a disk of purple electric energy shot out and broke the rope, freezing Thoma who didn't waste a second and hurled his spear towards the Archon.
It was unfortunate that (y/n)'s attack wasn't missed by a person with sharp purplish-pink eyes, watching far away from the battle itself. The onlooker's lips curled into a smirk.
The Shogun's eyes widened slightly as she brought the blade from slicing a near-awake Aether to protecting her face, reflecting it to the side. Aether flew backward into Thoma's arms, the gust of her deflect sending him far away. The golden-blond-haired boy didn't waste a second before hoisting Aether's arm over his shoulder and running as fast as possible away. The Raiden Shogun simply opened her red-winged eyes and watched them go.
'why did she let them? ' was all (y/n) could think as she hastily tucked the bells away, looking towards where it appeared the trio had made their escape to. Only one place would make the most sense- The Komore Teahouse. After watching the encounter, (y/n) was faced with a choice: follow Thoma and the Traveller or make her way to Watatsumi as planned? She only had so much time off of work before some people, like the Guuji, get suspicious.
"Now that they have the bounty over their head, I would assume Thoma wants them to make their way over to Watatsumi," (y/n) mumbled under her breath, (e/c) eyes looking in the direction of the escape place not too far away.
"Sh-Shogun, who .. who was that?" The voice of a scared-sounding guard pulled (y/n) out of her anxious thoughts. After all, her friend, one of the biggest keys in stopping the vision hunt and sakoku decree was almost killed. The army, the Tenryou commission; they were getting better.
"Seize them under the decree," the Shogun's voice echoed on the doc-like plot of land as she turned around with an angered look on her face, walking towards the Tenshukaku. "Next time, I will strike twice." She finalized, leaving the scene.
"Lady (y/n)!" A voice you couldn't recognize called out from the crowd who watched the encounter. "Are you hurt, my lady?" Soon, a cluster of maybe 6 or 7 citizens surrounded her, many trying to grab her hand which she tucked behind her back. Putting on a fake smile, (which looked more like a grimace) she spoke. "Wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose," she assured the citizens. "I'm okay, is anyone here not, or hurt?"
A woman shook her head, brows furrowed at what she saw. Lowering her voice so just the little group could hear, her tone laced with anxiety as she talked. "Thoma is such a sweetheart, I can't believe they almost got him." Many nodded in agreement, but (y/n) just stayed still, partly for her reputation and partly because her gaze was drawn to the Statue of the Omnipresent God. The 99 visions embedded into its stone send a pang of anger into her heart, as her lips curled into a frown.
"Wipe that frown off your face!" An older man directed at her with a huff as the crowd drifted back home. "You look much prettier with a smile."
"Excuse me? " She seethed, glaring at him intently. The man shrugged before crossing his arms nonchalantly. "No man's going to marry you if you have an ugly, sour-looking face." He prodded more.
"Do you know who I am?" She hissed, purple sparking at her fingertips, wincing at the slight shock that tingled her nerves as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I can, and will call the Tenryou Commission over here, for harassment of important persons of the Narukami shrine." The man's face dropped as pale as a sheet as he looked her up and down properly, taking in her clothes. "Lady (y/n)," he mumbled to himself in horror. "Oh no." His hands clasped together in prayer. "Please! I apologize, I really do."
She glared at him, before remembering her main objective. Shaking her head, she huffed. "You've wasted my time here." She left quickly towards the Komore Teahouse, walking at a fast pace and ignoring the calls made out to her. Arriving at the rather nice property, she stepped up to the door uncertainly.
Kozue looked her up and down with sharp eyes, her purple kimono fluttering in the wind with her black hair. "Lady (y/n)?" She anxiously inhaled her name. The shrine maiden wasn't commonly seen off of Mt. Yougou very often. Of course, other than the select few like the Kamisato's, a few from the Sangonomia resistance, and the Crux fleet.
The woman who basically guard the door to the teahouse wasn't aware of this fact, thinking instead it was more likely she was a part of the Tenryou commission. "U-uh," she stuttered, intimated by (y/n)'s pissed-off glare.
"OH! (y/n) good to see you!" A tired but happy-sounding male voice came from the doorframe, which slammed open. There was Thoma.
Things were about to take a real turn with (y/n) on board.
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