At night, the starry river of Yashiori Island had long been shrouded by dark clouds. While the day was marked by constant drizzle, the evening brought torrential downpours.
Endless droplets pounded against the wooden roofs of the military camp, creating a cacophony like a celestial river pouring down.
Compared to the Shogunate, the Resistance was indeed lacking in resources.
Most soldiers had to sleep in tents, and only officers were privileged enough to stay in such wooden huts.
However, since Watatsumi Island was perpetually damp, the camp structures were designed to be waterproof, sparing the Resistance soldiers from suffering under this natural disaster.
"This is actually man-made calamity."
Standing before the sand table, Gorou sighed.
The massive sand table was currently covered by a large cloth—not out of distrust toward Bai Luo, but simply because, by regulation, it couldn't be shown to outsiders.
The covering was merely symbolic.
"Are you sure it wasn't Watatsumi Island's doing?"
Listening to the thunder and rain outside, Bai Luo tapped the armrest of his chair rhythmically as he asked.
"At the very least, it wasn't an order from our higher-ups. Both Her Excellency Sangonomiya and I understand the gravity of this matter and would never issue such a command."
Gorou spoke with absolute certainty before recounting the results of his investigation.
The incident occurred on the day they repelled the Shogunate's forces.
When the Divine Priestess learned that the Shogunate's army had sounded the retreat and temporarily halted their offensive, she recalled Gorou.
Bai Luo knew it was because she had gone to replenish her energy. Fearing that Watatsumi Island might descend into chaos without leadership, she had sent this good boy back to hold the fort.
But that was precisely where things went wrong.
Before leaving, Gorou had thrown a feast for the soldiers who had endured prolonged tension.
However, he had explicitly forbidden alcohol, as the Shogunate's forces had only withdrawn, not retreated—they still lurked menacingly near Fort Fujitou.
Yet among the Resistance was a soldier from Mondstadt, where no feast was complete without wine. Under his lead, these wandering warriors from all corners of the land cast aside military discipline and indulged in heavy drinking.
When they awoke the next day, they discovered that an entire squad had gone missing.
At the same time, reports came in from Yashiori Island's residents—all the wards suppressing the Tatarigami had been destroyed, and many areas of the island were already feeling its effects.
"That man from Mondstadt... did you investigate him?"
Bai Luo seized on a key detail in Gorou's account and asked quietly.
"I did. He's a veteran of the Resistance and has always had a drinking problem. But he shouldn't be involved—that night, he was dead drunk and didn't wake until late the next day. Though the blame couldn't be pinned on the crowd, as the instigator, he was still punished by me."
If Bai Luo suspected the man, how could Gorou not?
But as he said, the Mondstadter's record was clean, and alcoholism was indeed a long-standing habit. It all seemed like mere coincidence.
The Shogunate's forces had just sounded retreat when Yashiori Island suffered this disaster—there was surely something deeper at play.
At this point, Bai Luo was one hundred percent certain that this was yet another scheme by the Fatui.
Hm? Why say "yet another"?
Haven't we Fatui done plenty of such things?
The Shogunate's army had long dominated the Resistance in battle. Even with the morale boost from Battousai's arrival, that alone wasn't reason enough for them to withdraw.
Coincidentally, the Kujou Clan, high-ranking within the Shogunate's forces, had already been infiltrated by the Fatui.
Destroying the Tatarigami wards might cause irreversible damage to Yashiori Island, but to the Shogunate's army, such losses were negligible.
Add to that the opportunity to shift blame onto Watatsumi Island—why would they pass up such a perfect chance?
Thus, the Kujou Clan and the Fatui must have struck a deal. The retreat was merely to observe, lest their soldiers be affected by the Tatarigami.
"Regardless, the fact remains: the Resistance is stationed on Yashiori Island, and its wards were destroyed. Worse, the source of the Tatarigami is none other than Watatsumi's own Orobashi no Mikoto. This blame will inevitably fall on us."
Gorou forced a bitter smile as he explained.
He was well aware of the Divine Priestess's plea for Battousai's help.
He knew that for a group claiming righteousness to weave lies and ask Battousai to clear their name was absurd.
But he had no choice—this seemed to be Watatsumi Island's only way out.
Today, patrolling soldiers had already picked up leaflets offering aid to disaster victims. Though they didn't outright accuse the Resistance of destroying the wards, they heavily implied a connection.
It gave Gorou a headache.
"Lord Gorou, Mr. Himura's quarters have been prepared. He may move in at any time."
Just then, a knock came at the door.
In truth, Gorou had begun arranging accommodations for Bai Luo as soon as he learned of his arrival. But due to the heavy rain, it had only just been completed.
"Then I won't disturb Mr. Himura's rest any longer. The necessary arrangements have been made. If you find it troublesome, you may simply stay in the camp for a few days. We will deliver our findings to you."
As it was late, Gorou took his leave.
After all, adapting to life on Yashiori Island after the wards' destruction was no easy feat.
Guided by a Resistance soldier, Bai Luo arrived at a secluded wooden hut. Though remote, the interior was fully furnished, even bearing welcoming notes.
Bai Luo ignored everything else, instead picking up a brush from the desk, dipping it in ink, and opening the door.
As if testing the ink's quality, he casually drew a wavy line on the door before nodding in satisfaction and closing it again.
To him, it was just a scribble. But to the Fatui, this mark was far from simple—it signified the identity of the one who wrote it.
It was also a cipher used among the Fatui.
The events within the Resistance suggested it had already been infiltrated by the Fatui.
Igor had concealed his identity, so the Fatui here shouldn't know that Battousai was a Harbinger. Thus, his presence would inevitably draw the attention of any spies lurking within the Resistance.
And once such a spy came to investigate, they would surely see the mark on the door.
From there, things would be simple. Some actions were inconvenient for him as Battousai, but the mole within the Resistance could carry them out in his stead.
With this done, Bai Luo lay down on the bed fully clothed, closing his eyes as he awaited the spy's arrival.
Sure enough, roughly an hour later, a rhythmic knock sounded at his door.
And this rhythm, naturally, was another of the Fatui's secret codes.