From the player's perspective:
After running to a designated location in the forest, Lumine triggers a cutscene.
The senior and junior disciples, along with their master—Domon—are led by Kamisato Ayaka up Mt. Yougou to the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Just as they pass through the shrine's torii gate, players spot a familiar figure.
"Mu Yang?! What are you doing here?" Paimon exclaims in surprise.
"Hm? Paimon?"
Mu Yang glances around. "Where's Lumine?"
——————
[His first words are asking about Lumine—truly, she's always on his mind.]
[Lumine? More like Win-mine!]
Guinaifen, with exaggerated acting skills, bursts into tears on stream.
"Three versions… Three whole versions! Do you know how I've suffered these past three versions?"
"Wahhh…"
[This streamer's acting surpasses even Ants Sprinting for Ten Years levels of ridiculous.]
[Should be included in Beijing Film Academy's curriculum.]
[Three versions… I've been surviving purely on god-tier fan creations.]
[If you want something good, I recommend Memories of Chenyu Vale.]
[You still trying to knife me with that?]
[Wait, where's Mu Yang's sword? And his Vision seems to be missing too?]
[Little Gui, stop acting—something feels off here.]
Guinaifen snaps back to normal, wiping away her artificial tears with a tissue.
She then scrutinizes Mu Yang on screen.
His demeanor and aura remain unchanged, and he's still wearing the same outfit.
The only difference is that the Cryo Vision at his waist is gone—only the jade pendant remains.
"Don't tell me it got confiscated by the Vision Hunt Decree?!"
[Can't be, right? Mu Yang seems perfectly fine—not mentally broken like that master earlier.]
[What if he just has insanely strong mental resilience?]
——————
Paimon explains that Lumine suddenly ran off for unknown reasons.
At that moment, a shrine maiden arrives, stating that preparations for the ritual are still underway.
Since Domon's condition is severe—to the point where he doesn't even react to Mu Yang's presence—the shrine maiden escorts Ayaka and the others inside first.
Paimon stays behind to wait for Lumine with Mu Yang.
No sooner do they leave than Lumine arrives—with a swordsman in tow.
The moment she sees Mu Yang, her face lights up. "Mu Yang, I knew you'd be here!"
Paimon feels like she's the only one left out of the loop.
"How did you know Mu Yang was at the Grand Narukami Shrine?"
Lumine explains that it was the adeptal energy lingering on Nanako when she returned.
Without Mu Yang's help, how else could she have run such a long distance without tiring?
As she finishes speaking, Lumine notices something missing at Mu Yang's waist.
"Mu Yang… where's your Vision?"
"Eh? I didn't even notice earlier—don't tell me it got taken too?!" Paimon gasps, covering her mouth.
Mu Yang flips his right hand, revealing the Cryo Vision resting on his palm.
"Inazuma has the Vision Hunt Decree. To avoid trouble, I've been keeping it stored away."
"My purpose here is to test my swordsmanship—I have no need for a Vision in this endeavor."
[Oh, so that's why—false alarm.]
[Meaning Mu Yang's been sweeping through Inazuma purely with his sword skills?]
[Makes sense. True masters don't rely on Visions.]
Lumine finally relaxes.
"As long as you still have it. Losing a Vision seems to cause severe consequences."
"Be careful—we'll keep your secret."
Mu Yang nods. "Understood."
Of course, Mu Yang already knows—far more than Lumine does.
The man Lumine encountered had his wish deeply tied to his Vision, hence the extreme reaction upon losing it.
Meanwhile, characters like Arataki Itto remain carefree even without Visions.
Yoimiya, who treats her Vision like a glorified lighter, would probably be fine too.
Kuki Shinobu is in a league of her own—she voluntarily surrendered hers.
This line of thought suddenly makes Mu Yang realize something:
When did my Vision even appear?
It didn't exist in ancient times, and I was asleep for centuries after that…
So it must have manifested during those 500 years.
Paimon interrupts Mu Yang's contemplation by pointing at the man behind Lumine.
"Uh, are we just going to ignore this guy?"
The man awkwardly looks at the sky. "I, uh… didn't hear anything…"
"Lumine, where did you go earlier? And who is this?"
"This is Anzai—the name Domon kept repeating the most."
Rewinding to earlier:
While escorting Domon, Lumine noticed a suspicious figure trailing them.
After informing Ayaka, she broke away from the group.
Once the stalker let his guard down, she ambushed him.
Rather than lying, he immediately introduced himself as Anzai.
Lumine then brought him here.
"Why were you secretly following your junior brother?"
Anzai visibly scowls. "He's not my junior brother!"
He then recounts his story:
Back then, he and Domon both trained in the Meikyou Shisui style under the same master.
Anzai had enrolled five years earlier and was seen by all as the reliable senior disciple.
"Meikyou Shisui emphasizes 'a mind free of distractions.' Most disciples were indifferent to fame—myself included."
"But Domon was different. The first thing he asked our master with a smile was:
'How do I become the greatest in the world?'"
"Our master scolded him, saying swordsmanship wasn't for chasing empty glory."
'To crave the title of 'strongest' after mere days of training proves your impatience. You'll never master the sword.'"
Lumine and Paimon simultaneously glance at Mu Yang.
Sounds like someone we know…
Mu Yang remarks coolly,
"'A mind free of distractions'—single-mindedly pursuing the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Isn't that the very definition of it?"
[This Meikyou Shisui master is hardstuck Silver rank—can't climb, can't fall, just stuck.]
[And Mu Yang sees right through it. This is what a true master looks like.]
[Mu Yang: A master? I am the strongest.]
[Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one!]
"You speak with such clarity—you must be a practitioner of extraordinary skill."
Anzai sighs. "Yet at the time, I agreed with our master."
"It wasn't until Domon's swordsmanship improved at an alarming rate, eventually surpassing even mine…"
Domon had genuinely grasped the essence of Meikyou Shisui.
His mind held only the goal of becoming the greatest.
He pursued the absolute peak of swordsmanship.
No matter how many setbacks he faced, he always bounced back.
[Oh buddy, you too seek the pinnacle of swordsmanship?]
[His 'pinnacle' might be the ceiling—Mu Yang's is the sky.]
[Damn, that's a good analogy.]
[LMAO now I get it.]
Paimon chimes in, "Well, he does seem resilient—considering Mu Yang beat him in one move…"
Anzai's face twists in shock. "…One move?!"
Keep in mind—Domon was the strongest Meikyou Shisui practitioner.
Yet this young man before him defeated Domon with a single strike.
And from their earlier conversation, he didn't even use his Vision.
Truly, there are masters beyond masters, and heavens beyond heavens…
Domon… was all your dedication truly worth it…?