LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 19: chapter 19
Chapter 19: Kamisato Ayaka's Advice and Lies
As the sky darkened, Kujo Sara climbed to the highest room of the castle tower, carrying a large lunchbox.
Thanks to Yae Miko's instructions, she didn't need to search room by room. The task was made even easier by the fact that only one room in the castle tower remained lit.
Despite her official duty to deliver the meal, Kujo Sara had personal motives. She wanted to see the situation for herself or, at the very least, gather information from Kamisato Ayaka.
"Lord God, dinner is ready. Should I bring it in?" she called out after knocking gently on the door.
However, she didn't dare peek inside. Yae Miko's stern warning about entering without permission still echoed in her mind.
"Miss Kujo, please leave the meal at the door and take your leave," came Kamisato Ayaka's voice from within.
"Understood..."
Kujo Sara hesitated. She was reluctant to leave and walked away slowly, her steps heavy with frustration. She was only one step away from turning back when the door suddenly opened.
Startled, she turned slightly but stopped when Ayaka immediately shut the door again.
Ayaka's actions were deliberate. She feared that if Kujo Sara saw the room's contents, especially the state of the fallen General, her loyalty to Raiden Shogun would drive her into a reckless frenzy. The outcome would be disastrous—not just for her but for Inazuma.
Ayaka understood this instinctively. Yae Miko hadn't explicitly instructed her to stop Kujo Sara, but Ayaka knew what had to be done. Naive though she may seem at times, she wasn't foolish.
"Miss Kujo," Ayaka began through the closed door, "I know you're worried, and I'll share what I can. The General is still alive."
After spending the afternoon communicating with Su Ran, Ayaka had grown braver. Though she wasn't entirely comfortable yet, she was no longer gripped by fear.
"Is the General... okay?" Kujo Sara asked hesitantly.
Being alive didn't necessarily mean all was well, and she could tell by Ayaka's tone that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
"Not entirely," Ayaka admitted. "But the General will continue to lead Inazuma in the future."
She avoided sharing the full truth, afraid it would shatter Kujo Sara's composure.
"..."
The revelation unsettled Kujo Sara. The once-invincible Raiden Shogun had fallen into such a precarious state? Still, the small assurance that she was alive gave her some solace.
"Can I see her?"
Ayaka shook her head, her voice soft. "I'm sorry, but no."
"I understand," Kujo Sara replied, her disappointment evident. She turned and left, her mind conflicted.
Though disheartened, she didn't consider the trip a waste. At least she knew the General was still alive, which meant Inazuma wasn't doomed just yet.
Once Kujo Sara disappeared from view, Ayaka exhaled in relief. Keeping the truth hidden had been exhausting, but it was necessary.
The truth was that the real Thunder God, Ei, was unharmed. However, the puppet—the Raiden Shogun who had ruled Inazuma for five hundred years—was utterly destroyed. And while it wasn't death in the traditional sense, the destruction of the puppet was no less devastating for a devoted believer like Kujo Sara.
Ayaka brought the lunchbox into the room, careful to avoid glancing at the shattered remains on the floor.
---
Inside the room, Su Ran examined the broken puppet with intense focus.
"I think I finally understand how all of this works," he murmured, holding the head of the Raiden Shogun puppet. The intricacy of its design left him in awe.
Lei Dain Ei had truly been a genius. The puppet wasn't just lifelike in appearance; it was also capable of channeling the power of a demon god. Its complexity far surpassed the constructs of any ordinary engineer.
"Lord Su Ran, dinner has arrived," Ayaka announced hesitantly, setting the lunchbox down.
Her tone was more familiar now, a reflection of the tentative bond they had developed over the course of the day.
Su Ran glanced at her and nodded. "Let's eat together."
Ayaka's beauty, though mortal, held a natural elegance that even rivaled divine figures like the Tsaritsa or Columbina. Perhaps it was her humanity that made her stand out.
As they began eating, Su Ran's expression turned mischievous.
"You didn't let Kujo Sara inside, did you?" he asked knowingly.
Ayaka shook her head firmly. "No, I couldn't. If she had seen the General in that state, she would have completely collapsed."
Ayaka remembered her own reaction upon first entering the room. Despite her initial determination, the sight of the shattered puppet—the physical representation of her faith—had nearly broken her. For someone like Kujo Sara, whose loyalty to the General was unshakable, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
"I was curious to see her reaction," Su Ran admitted, smiling faintly. "But I suppose you were right to stop her."
Ayaka nodded, her gaze solemn. "It's better this way. Sometimes, ignorance is mercy."
The weight of responsibility hung over both of them as they continued their quiet meal, the remnants of the once-mighty Raiden Shogun lying silently in the background.