New Beginning

New Beginning is the fifth and final part of .
==Steps==
# Wait till 10:00 – 12:00 the next day
# Meet Kokomi at the agreed place
# Talk to Kokomi
# Go to the peace talks
# Complete the peace talks with Kokomi
# Convince the troops together with Kokomi
# Talk to Kokomi near the secret base
==Dialogue==
;(Meet Kokomi at the agreed place)
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: *yawn*... Well, the peace talks are upon us. How do you feel, ? Prepared?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Here, take this.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: These are some directives I wrote last night. These negotiations are complex, to be sure, but I thought about it carefully and realized there are no more than 187 possible outcomes.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I took the liberty of writing them all down. This way, you will be able to adapt with speed, no matter how the events play out.
: Paimon: Whoa, this is huuuuge!
: Paimon: Let's see... "Fierce Dispute," "Violent Escalation," "Armed Revolt," "Coordinated Attack," "Seize Hostages"...
: Paimon: Wow, there's so many! But you've thought of a solution to each one... Paimon suddenly feels a lot less nervous.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Glad to hear it. These peace talks are quite exceptional. It is a major step forward both for Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: But any amount of dissatisfaction within our ranks weakens our negotiating position. We will have to work all the harder if we want these talks to be a success.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: As the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, this responsibility is of course mine to shoulder. But would you be willing to lend me a hand?
: Of course.
: I also want the peace talks to succeed.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Excellent. Okay, time to head off.
----
;(Go to the peace talks at Tatarasuna)
;(Complete the peace talks with Kokomi)
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: It's been a while, Kujou Sara. I believe the last time we met was on the battlefield.
: Kujou Sara: Yes... where you dealt my forces quite the devastating blow...
: Kujou Sara: But, before we go any further — what are you doing here?
: I'm here to witness the peace talks.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: That's right. 's here to bear witness to the proceedings.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: experienced the war between us firsthand, and has made an enormous contribution toward securing the peace we have today. I couldn't think of a more suitable candidate.
: Kujou Sara: Seems reasonable. Then let's get straight into it.
:
: Kujou Sara: The first item is the maritime administration issue. During wartime, we restricted fishing rights for Watatsumi vessels in Narukami waters...
: Kujou Sara: We intend to remove these restrictions. But going forward, any of your vessels that fish in our waters will have to pay taxes in accordance with Narukami legislation in order to bring their catch back to Watatsumi.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: That's fine. But if they're paying taxes, they should also be entitled to protection from the Tenryou Commission while in your waters.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Any losses they sustain due to issues of public security will need to be compensated by the Tenryou Commission.
: Kujou Sara: Accepted. Let's add that to the peace treaty. I can assure you that your vessels will be quite safe in our hands.
: Paimon: Negotiations seem to be going pretty smoothly.
: Kujou Sara: The next item has to do with the movement of people and military authority.
: Kujou Sara: In the past, our people have been subjected to lengthy interrogations on arrival in Watatsumi, and the same has been true for your people on arrival to Narukami.
: Kujou Sara: Economic cooperation between our islands has suffered greatly as a consequence. Few merchants are now willing to engage in inter-island commerce.
: Kujou Sara: Since the war is now over, I propose that we have the Yashiro Commission appoint a business council to oversee trade between our two islands.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: The problem there is that trade is a reciprocal affair. We'll need to involve merchants from both sides in this process if it is to succeed — we cannot give the Yashiro Commission full authority.
: Kujou Sara: Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Watatsumi Island facing severe shortages of many essential goods at the moment? Having the Yashiro Commission organize everything centrally would work in your favor.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: True, we're experiencing some shortages, but we will recover in due course. Between the diverse range of goods we can produce ourselves and our strong trade links with other areas, we are capable of sourcing everything we need.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Not to mention that your proposal would require separate talks with the Kamisato Clan. If they've yet to sanction it, I believe you are going beyond the remit of the Tenryou Commission's authority.
: Kujou Sara: Let's leave that aside for now, then. On to the military question: Watatsumi Island's forces will need to come back under the jurisdiction of the Tenryou Commission.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: That just isn't feasible. Not in the short term, at least.
: Kujou Sara: With all due respect, feasibility doesn't come into it. The Tenryou Commission alone has ultimate responsibility for Inazuma's national security. We cannot allow Watatsumi Island to be the sole exception to this rule indefinitely...
;(A Sangonomiya soldier interrupts the peace talks)
: Tadakatsu: You Kujou scum! Colluding with the Fatui isn't low enough for you already? You just want to take everything away from us!
;(A cutscene plays)
:: Tadakatsu: Comrades!
:: Tadakatsu: Never trust the Kujou. Let's get them!
:: Tenryou Samurai: Protect Madam Kujou!
:;(The Traveler steps in between the Sangonomiya and Tenryou soldiers to prevent a fight from breaking out)
:: Paimon: No. 16... No, wait, 67... Or is it 73...
:: Paimon: Argh! Which one is it!
:;(During the standoff, Kokomi notices that two Tenryou soldiers are nervous)
:;(Kujou Sara follows Kokomi's gaze and takes notice of the nervous Tenryou samurai)
:;(Kokomi confidently sits back down and the talks resume)
:;(Cutscene ends)
: Paimon: Kokomi! Which scenario number is this in the directives?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: The last one... but hold off for the moment.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Stand down, Tadakatsu. The situation has changed. Please stand by for further orders.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Rest assured, I am fully aware of your concerns. But I will deal with the situation from here.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Madame Kujou, this is rather serious. I believe you owe Watatsumi Island an explanation?
: Kujou Sara: ...Excuse me for a moment. Nobody makes another move until I have finished investigating!
: Kujou Sara: You two. Here, now.
;(Kokomi gives the Traveler a wink; Kujou Sara steps away from the negotiation table with the suspicious Tenryou soldiers)
: Kujou Sara: Speak. Collusion with the Fatui? Is this true?
: Motosuke: Umm...
: Sue Yoshitaka: I wouldn't exactly call it "collusion" as such...
: Motosuke: We were approached by a few Fatui... They mentioned a potential cooperation to keep the war against Watatsumi Island going...
: Motosuke: At the time, I felt like we could give it a try, after all there'd be nothing to lose...
: Sue Yoshitaka: But we were extremely careful! We didn't agree to anything. We just said they could maybe start by heading to Watatsumi Island and stirring things up a little... then we'd see how it went.
: Sue Yoshitaka: With respect, Ma'am, there was no collusion! It was just a one-off conversation. How anyone from Watatsumi Island even found out about it I have no idea...
: Kujou Sara: That's enough... When we return, there will be consequences.
: Kujou Sara: Might I remind you that this is the Fatui? Have you completely forgotten what they did to us?
: Kujou Sara: You should be having no interaction with them whatsoever, let alone entertaining offers of cooperation!
: Kujou Sara: So, what did they want out of it?
: Sue Yoshitaka: The Fatui's main forces have already left Inazuma. The few who approached us seemed like they wanted to settle a score for their boss.
: Kujou Sara: Oh, HER subordinates? ...So they're out for revenge. They want to keep Inazuma in a state of turmoil.
: Kujou Sara: One day, I will hunt them down. Every last one.
;(Kujou Sara returns to the table to speak with Kokomi)
: Kujou Sara: We bear responsibility for this issue.
: Kujou Sara: My sincere apologies. I have my own negligence to blame for this state of affairs. Please, grant us another chance to continue the peace talks.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Hehehe... But of course, Madam Kujou. I have every confidence in your ability to resolve this situation.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: For the time being, however, there is evidently some discord within the Tenryou Commission's ranks. I would therefore not feel comfortable releasing Watatsumi Island's forces into your command at this time.
: Kujou Sara: It seems that I must acquiesce...
: Kujou Sara: I will lay this issue aside for now. But we shall revisit it as soon as the Tenryou Commission has resolved our internal issues.
: Kujou Sara: As for the trade issues we raised, I will discuss options with the Yashiro Commission and make sure both sides have ample participation in the final arrangement...
: Paimon: Seems like Kujou Sara's on the defensive now. These negotiations should be smooth sailing from here on out.
:
: Kujou Sara: I never knew the grand strategist of Watatsumi Island was a skilled negotiator as well as a formidable commander.
: Kujou Sara: I hope that when we meet again, we can continue these sit-down discussions... Settling our differences on the battlefield is rather taxing.
: Kujou Sara: I think we can leave things there for today. Once I get back, I will conduct a thorough investigation into the Tenryou Commission's internal issues.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I should inform you that we took out a Fatui camp recently. I suspect that before long, they will attempt to reestablish contact with your people in the hope of procuring some assistance.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I recommend you say and do nothing on the matter for the time being, lest you tip them off and they disappear. Wait for them to come to you. That way, you can capture them all in one fell swoop.
: Kujou Sara: I will bear this in mind. Thank you.
: Kujou Sara: I shall take my leave now. Until we meet again.
: Tadakatsu: Your Excellency, we—
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Let's discuss it after we get back.
----
;(Return to Watatsumi and convince the troops together with Kokomi)
: Tadakatsu: Your Excellency, y—you knew...?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I have already been informed on the reasons for your actions.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: You believe the Tenryou Commission to be untrustworthy, and sought to sabotage the peace talks and re-ignite the war.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Fortunately, the end result exposed and thwarted a secret Tenryou Commission plot. Yet this was purely incidental, and the ends certainly did not justify your means.
: Tadakatsu: But Your Excellency, so many comrades have sacrificed themselves in the line of duty. If we stop now, aren't all of our efforts going to waste?
: Tadakatsu: I want to keep fighting! I want ultimate victory, even if it means I have to pay the ultimate price!
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I understand your sentiments... but you cannot simply impose your will and expect others to bear the consequences.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: During the war, there were highs and there were lows, and in the end there was a glorious victory. For you, perhaps the experience was one of great excitement.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: But you saw nothing of the countless others who will remember the war quite differently. Most people suffered terribly through each day.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Watatsumi Island's people yearn for peace because they have long since given all they had to the war effort. They are tired of treading water, and don't need you dragging them back underneath once again.
: Tadakatsu: Wait a minute! I... But...
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I understand, I do. And the fault is not yours alone.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: It was largely an oversight on my part: I taught you to nurture a warrior's will, but never how to let it go.
: Tadakatsu: It's not your fault, Your Excellency! It was ours... our selfishness.
: Tadakatsu: Either way, we are ready to accept sentencing under martial law.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Very well. Then I hereby declare...
;(Kokomi gives a long pause)
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: ... that as of today, I am founding a new Secret Corps of the army. This division will be responsible for keeping Watatsumi Island safe and secure, neutralizing any and all threats to the peace of our island.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: You and your comrades will all be welcome to join — but be warned, the training will be grueling. Perseverance and grit will be in high demand.
: Tadakatsu: Your Excellency... wh—what are you saying?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I have concluded from today's peace talks that the Kujou Clan cannot achieve absolute peace and stability in the near future. Many seek peace, but there are still those who pursue war.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: It is right that Watatsumi Island moves towards peace, but we must still retain a defensive capacity. Those whose warrior's will is alive and well, I invite you to embark on the most challenging training regimen of your lives.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I don't want to hear from any of you again until all of you can take on two Shogunate Samurai at a time!
: Tadakatsu: ...Thank you, Your Excellency!
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Alright, dismissed. Go and report to General Gorou. And remember... there can be no more insubordination.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: And if there is... there will be no more leniency from me. Whatever reasons you may have.
: Tadakatsu: ...Yes, Ma'am. From now on, we will focus on our training.
: Tadakatsu: Thank you for this opportunity, Your Excellency. We'll report to General Gorou right away!
;(After the soldiers leave)
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: *sigh* I think that's finally everything in hand.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I can feel my energy levels starting to drop... Meet you back at the hideout for some rest?
----
;(Talk to Kokomi near the secret base)
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Thank you for everything. With your help, peace has been restored on Watatsumi Island once more.
: How're your energy levels?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Recovering, slowly but surely... I should be raring to go before too long.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: Today was a reminder that I don't cope well in situations with lots of people. I've improved, but I still get nervous when more than a handful of people are involved.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I think I might get Gorou to handle the negotiations next time...
: You did an admirable job.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: ...Do you think so?
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: *sigh* To be honest, I'm still a long way off what's expected of a Divine Priestess.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: In the past, I was concerned only with winning the war, restoring peace, and making sure everyone could live a happy life.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: But I realize now that wasn't going far enough. People have all kinds of aspirations, and just as many measures of happiness.
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: I have a long way to go. But that's okay. If I can't make the journey in one giant leap, I'll just have to settle for taking it one small step at a time...
: Sangonomiya Kokomi: In short... I've still got some maturing to do. Mm... Could you... stay here on Watatsumi Island? To keep me company for a while longer?
==Soundtracks==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:Un nuevo comienzo