In the pitch-black forest, the stench of decay nearly drowned out all other scents.
Was it dead leaves? Animal carcasses? Or perhaps...
Under Tatyana's direction, the Fatui agents stationed there dug through the fallen leaves, unearthing a corpse so decomposed it was barely recognizable.
The unknown insects crawling over it nearly made one agent vomit up his breakfast.
But Tatyana's expression didn't change.
As foul as the rot was, compared to Bai Luo's "pickled fish," this smell was practically mild.
Calmly ordering her subordinates to collect the body, Tatyana led the troops borrowed from Scaramouche and marched toward the resistance camp.
"Who goes there?!"
Since the last Shogunate spy incident, Watatsumi Island's defenses had tightened significantly.
Even the rogue samurai and Hilichurls lurking on the island had retreated to their corners, not daring to show themselves.
Thus, Tatyana and her Fatui entourage instantly became the Watatsumi guards' primary target.
"Insolent fools. Inform your Divine Priestess that the Fatui have brought gifts. She will come to greet us."
Tatyana maintained her elegance, but her words were sharp as knives.
Demanding that Sangonomiya Kokomi personally welcome them? This was clearly a provocation.
The Watatsumi guards exchanged glances before the one at the back fired a signal flare.
In the night sky, the bright flare lit up the area like daylight.
This was the most urgent signal—indicating that Watatsumi Island was under invasion and all nearby forces should converge.
Unlike Tatyana's composure, the Fatui soldiers behind her gripped their weapons nervously.
A battle was imminent.
"The insolent shall be punished!"
Raising her hands from her waist into a prayer-like gesture, Tatyana summoned several water mirrors around the Watatsumi guards.
Reflected in those mirrors were not only her ice-cold face but also several bloodied corpses.
"Your Excellency!"
Inside Sangonomiya, Kokomi—who had been dozing off—was startled awake by her subordinate's sudden entrance.
Compared to Gorou on the front lines, she had been living quite comfortably these days.
Those left behind on Watatsumi Island were all trusted members, so with the Mora "donated" by Battousai, her life had been rather pleasant.
Her energy reserves were higher than usual, too.
"What's the emergency?"
Sitting up straight, Kokomi asked calmly.
"A group claiming to be Fatui have arrived, demanding you personally greet them. The captain of the Swordfish II squad went to confront them, but..."
The soldier didn't finish, but the captain's fate was clear.
The Swordfish special forces were no ordinary unit.
Composed of Watatsumi's elites, their captain even wielded a Vision.
In the Shogunate's forces, he would have been equivalent to the leader of the Tenryou Commission's elite guards.
Yet, from the messenger's tone, the Swordfish II captain had been effortlessly defeated.
"Stall them as best you can. I'll be there shortly."
Frowning slightly, Kokomi knew the visitors were trouble.
And she had a good idea why they had come.
Once the soldier left, Kokomi picked up a pen and paper and wrote a single sentence.
Then, summoning a small fish, she placed the note in a pouch and sent it off.
With that done, she hurried out of her quarters toward the Fatui's location.
The Fatui hadn't brought many people—only about twenty.
But Kokomi wasn't surprised.
From the Fatui's perspective, Watatsumi Island already had their "agents" in place.
What they likely hadn't realized was that those so-called "turned" agents had been allowed to defect under her orders.
And the benefits they extracted from the Fatui had mostly ended up in her hands.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Kokomi wore a faint smile. As Watatsumi's Divine Priestess, her demeanor was flawless.
To outsiders, personally greeting the enemy might seem like a blow to morale.
But it was also a way to win hearts.
The Divine Priestess humbled herself to protect her people.
That would make for a good story.
"Some time ago, someone withdrew three hundred million Mora from Inazuma City under the name of The Instructor. Does Your Excellency recall this?"
Facing Kokomi, Tatyana's presence was no less imposing.
In fact, thanks to her height, she even overpowered Kokomi in sheer aura.
So that's it.
Understanding their purpose, Kokomi didn't panic.
In fact, she had anticipated this. She had already devised countless strategies for this very scenario.
"Then you should take this matter up with The Instructor himself. Why come to Watatsumi Island to make trouble?"
Kokomi's words neatly distanced Watatsumi from the issue.
As she said, whoever took the money should be the one answering for it.
You say we took your money? Sorry, we haven't seen a single Mora of it.
Oh? You're wondering why Watatsumi Island has been thriving lately?
We made a fortune selling caviar. Got a problem with that?
There were plenty of excuses, and Kokomi had at least a dozen ways to spin this.
Tatyana didn't respond. Instead, she raised a hand slightly.
Her subordinates nodded, then opened the crate they had brought and dumped out its contents.
Every Watatsumi soldier present took a step back.
It wasn't that they'd never seen a corpse before—but this one's state and smell were beyond words.
Only Kokomi, staring at the body, clenched her hidden fist tightly.
Igor is dead.
That's what the people who had returned with the Mora had said.
According to them, Igor had been abducted by a masked swordsman and never seen again.
From that moment, she knew Igor must have been silenced by Battousai.
But she never imagined the Fatui would recover his body.
"Divine Priestess, do you recognize this man?"
Tatyana remained elegant, but her voice was as cold as her expression—chilling to the bone.
"He was one of ours. Do you have a problem with that?"
Pretending not to recognize him was impossible. Among Watatsumi's fake Fatui defectors, a handful had been Igor's loyal subordinates.
Lying now would only make her seem suspicious.
"No. This was actually a spy we planted in your ranks."