Kokomi had accounted for many possibilities—but she never expected the Fatui to be so brazen about their misdeeds.
Even sending a Harbinger in person.
And in such a dramatic fashion.
"An honor to finally meet you, Instructor. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
The pressure on Kokomi was greater than ever.
But even facing such a figure, she had to maintain her composure. She was Watatsumi's pillar.
If she faltered, the island's fate would be sealed.
"Discussing matters in the wilderness—is this how Watatsumi treats its guests?"
The sea breeze rustled gently. Though The Instructor's voice was calmer than expected, his tone was relentless.
"My apologies for the oversight. This way, please."
If it had just been Tatyana, Kokomi might have dismissed her.
But this newcomer was a bona fide Fatui Harbinger—someone whose words could decide Watatsumi's fate.
So she had no choice but to comply.
At the same time, she finally understood how Battousai had managed to impersonate him.
Their voices are so similar!
Perhaps The Instructor's tone was slightly deeper, but that gentle cadence was nearly identical.
The only real differences were their auras and hair color.
Battousai was like a reverse-blade sword in its sheath—intimidating at first, but surprisingly gentle once you got to know him.
The Instructor?
A poisoned blade. His oppressive presence was overwhelming, even for someone as composed as Kokomi.
"This is Bourou Village, the heart of our resistance. Will this suffice?"
Here, Kokomi was being slightly cunning.
She made it seem like she was generously inviting The Instructor to Watatsumi's core, but the true heart of the island was Sangonomiya Shrine.
Still, she wasn't entirely lying—as the resistance's base, this place was crucial.
"Hmm. Acceptable."
Flipping his dagger idly, Bai Luo seemed distracted.
But the glint of steel made the air feel several degrees colder.
At Kokomi's signal, an attendant led Bai Luo and Tatyana to a temporary meeting room.
His subordinates were stationed elsewhere.
Discussions between leaders weren't for their ears.
"If you're here about the funds, all I can say is no comment. The donation was anonymous, and such occurrences have been common since the war began."
Once seated, Kokomi decided to strike first.
The core issue was the "missing" Mora from the Fatui.
Fortunately, Battousai had anticipated this and donated anonymously, giving her room to maneuver.
"Funds? Oh, I couldn't care less about that. A day's allowance, really. What does interest me is the... sleeping gentleman outside."
"..."
Bai Luo's response made Sangonomiya Kokomi feel like she'd punched a pile of cotton—no force, no impact.
But she quickly picked up on a key detail.
The "sleeping" man outside was Igor's rotting corpse.
And Igor had been eliminated by Battousai.
Which meant... The Instructor had deduced something from those remains.
"Igor contributed much to Watatsumi, but I never expected this fate. Or that he was... well. Rest assured, Watatsumi will ensure justice is served."
Here, Kokomi's footing grew shaky.
In negotiations, what mattered most?
Momentum.
Regardless of who had the moral high ground, momentum was key.
Kokomi had done well earlier—at least she'd placed herself on equal footing with the other party.
But from the moment she began using honorifics like "sir," the outcome of the confrontation was already taking shape.
At a glance, the composed Bai Luo already outmatched the uneasy Kokomi.
"Justice? Do I strike you as someone who cares about such trivial, worthless things? All I know is this—a Fatui agent is dead, and the Mora he carried ended up on Watatsumi Island."
Bai Luo's dark eyes bore into Kokomi through his mask, his amused gaze making her skin crawl.
He's trying to pin this on me no matter what.
"If that's your stance, then shouldn't you be the one answering for planting spies in Watatsumi?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Bai Luo burst into laughter.
As if he'd heard the funniest joke.
He stood, approached the tense Kokomi, and used his dagger to tilt her chin up, leaning close to her ear.
"Haven't you always thought we Fatui are the bad guys? Then what's wrong with us bad guys planting a spy among you so-called good guys?"
"..."
Fear?
Not really.
What Kokomi felt most was helplessness.
She had believed that with Sangonomiya's intel on the Fatui, they could counter any infiltration.
Yet the Fatui had discarded all subtlety, confronting her head-on with brute force.
The worst part? She had no way to counter it.
"What do you want? Watatsumi has nothing worth the Fatui's attention."
Despite the warmth of his breath on her cheek, Kokomi clenched her fists, flushed with anger and shame.
But what could the Fatui possibly want?
Then it hit her—the place beneath Sangonomiya Shrine.
The Abyss!
Could it be... their true target was Enkanomiya?
But all those years dealing with Igor, he never showed any interest in Enkanomiya…
"Oh? But from where I'm standing, this place is full of treasure."
With a light chuckle, Bai Luo withdrew the dagger from under her chin.
"For example, this little ornamental fish right in front of me."