Check out my newest translation!
***
The Kamisato siblings immediately sensed a shift in the surrounding atmosphere as they left Inazuma City.
The number of Nobushi and Kairagi roaming the wild had noticeably increased.
On their way back to the Kamisato Estate and enroute to the Grand Narukami Shrine, the two had already encountered several ambushes by bandits—including Nobushi, Kairagi, and members of the Treasure Hoarders.
Many Shogunate soldiers who had just joined the Nobushi disclosed devastating news about the brutal and bloody frontlines to these bandits.
This greatly excited the Nobushi scattered across Narukami Island, emboldening them to recklessly ambush lone travelers in the wild.
Some Shogunate soldiers who had only recently turned into Nobushi hadn't even changed their uniforms—they were still wearing Shogunate armor while committing highway robbery.
When these armored deserters caught sight of the Kamisato siblings, they froze—then turned and fled in panic.
Kamisato Ayato tried to call out to the fleeing Shogunate remnants, but whether out of fear or shame, they only ran faster at the sound of his voice.
…
Outside Chinju Forest, the siblings successfully repelled one final wave of Nobushi attackers.
It was the last battle before their arrival at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Ayato and Ayaka stood together on blood-soaked earth, surrounded by the sprawled corpses of Nobushi.
Ayato sheathed his Haran Geppaku Futsu, his tone somber.
"In just a single day, so many Nobushi have emerged. It seems Inazuma's situation is truly spiraling into chaos."
Ayaka wiped her auxiliary blade, Amenoma Kageuchi, a look of worry shadowing her features.
"Brother, I can't imagine what the coming days will bring."
"Those defenseless merchants... they'll likely be mercilessly slaughtered by the Nobushi..."
Ayato lifted his gaze toward the Grand Narukami Shrine atop Mt. Yougou, his expression firm.
"Which is why we must quickly consult with Lady Yae Miko for a course of action."
…
Outside the Grand Narukami Shrine, a crowd of worshippers had gathered.
Some were tearfully pleading to the shrine maidens, begging them to help retrieve the corpses of their loved ones still adrift on the sea.
Others prayed desperately for the safety of family members whose fate remained unknown. The shrine maidens were utterly overwhelmed, scrambling to handle the flood of desperate supplicants.
Yae Miko, however, stood quietly at the heart of the shrine courtyard, her gentle gaze fixed on the Sacred Sakura, lost in deep thought.
A faint trace of sorrow and helplessness marked her beautiful features.
'Ei... Inazuma now stands on the edge of destruction. How can I calm Shao Yun's fury? I care about Ei, but I cannot just stand by and watch Inazuma fall.'
Just then, a sakura petal drifted silently down from the Sacred Sakura, landing softly atop Yae Miko's head like a whisper of fate.
She instinctively reached up, carefully lifting the petal in hopes of discerning some cryptic message hidden within.
But it was only an ordinary blossom—it offered no insight.
Yae Miko clutched the petal tightly, her voice gritting with rage and grief.
"Ei! You miserable shut-in... hiding in your Plane of Euthymia, enjoying your peace while leaving the nation in the hands of that puppet Shogun."
"Fine, let her govern then! But she's made a mess of everything—those cursed Vision Hunt and Sakoku Decrees..."
"Even that, I could've cleaned up for you... but why did you have to provoke Shao Yun? Inazuma is really on the brink now!"
Just then, Inagi Hotomi arrived, panting and drenched in sweat. She gasped out,
"Lady Guuji, the Kamisato siblings request an audience."
Yae Miko took a deep breath to steady herself before replying calmly.
"Let them in."
At that moment, the appearance of the Kamisato siblings outside the shrine immediately drew the attention and fervent reaction of the nearby worshippers.
A cluster of them surrounded the pair, clamoring with questions and desperate appeals.
A woman cried out,
"Shirasagi Himegimi, Lord Kamisato—please help us! My husband is still lost at sea—we don't even know if he's alive!"
Another voice followed,
"Lord Kamisato, I heard that Orobashi has been resurrected—is that true? If He returns, how can we possibly stand against Him?"
Overwhelmed by the flood of questions and pleas, the Kamisato siblings did their best to respond and reassure the people.
"Please rest assured, everyone—we will do everything in our power to investigate this thoroughly and ensure your safety."
But the crowd was too large, and the questions too many to answer one by one.
Thankfully, Inagi Hotomi arrived in time to extract them from the crowd and offered a quick apology.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lord Kamisato, Lady Ayaka. Lady Guuji is waiting at the Sacred Sakura—please leave this to us."
Kamisato Ayato smiled gently and waved it off as no trouble.
Led by Inagi Hotomi, the Kamisato siblings made their way to the Sacred Sakura and found Yae Miko waiting.
Once there, Inagi Hotomi departed to attend to the other believers.
Yae Miko looked at the two calmly.
"Let me guess—you've come bearing bad news, haven't you?"
Ayato nodded, his expression grave.
"Yes, Lady Guuji. The situation is even worse than we feared."
He withdrew the intelligence collected by the Shuumatsuban from his sleeve and proceeded to explain in detail their encounters with the increasing number of Nobushi along the way.
Yae Miko flipped through the reports, her brows furrowing, her expression growing increasingly troubled.
As she read, she spoke softly.
"Shao Yun led the forces from Bourou Village and captured Kujou Encampment. The Tenryou Commission suffered heavy casualties."
"Moreover, some deserters from the Shogunate army have turned into Nobushi, causing chaos and severely disrupting civil order across Inazuma."
"As for Orobashi's resurrection—that's just a rumor. But Shao Yun's reasons for spreading it may well be tied to Ei..."
She sighed deeply.
Why did that puppet Shogun have to implement the Vision Hunt Decree on that particular day, after being silent for a whole month...?
Ayato furrowed his brow, then offered a suggestion.
"Lady Guuji, what if we go to Kujou Encampment and speak with Shao Yun directly?"
He believed this might be a critical step toward resolving the current crisis.
Yae Miko gave a solemn nod.
"We'll go. But first, we must deal with the Nobushi problem."
"How many capable personnel does the Yashiro Commission have right now? I don't expect them to wipe out the Nobushi completely—just secure the roads."
He quickly tallied the current manpower. While the Yashiro Commission's duties were mostly ceremonial and cultural, the Shuumatsuban provided a crucial martial supplement.
Cautiously, Ayato replied,
"If it's only about keeping the roads safe, we might barely manage."
Yae Miko nodded with satisfaction, relaxing slightly.
"Good. Have the Yashiro Commission concentrate its forces on road safety."
"As for the Tenryou Commission—if they complain, have that old coot Kujou Takayuki come see me personally."
There was no time for political games now. If Kujou Takayuki dared stir up trouble, she would clean house herself.
Ayato agreed, then turned to his sister.
"Ayaka, can I count on you to take charge of this?"
He had few hands to spare—Thoma was still caught in the Vision Hunt zones and couldn't be reassigned.
But more importantly, he trusted his sister. Ensuring road safety should be within her capabilities.
Ayaka nodded without hesitation.
"Brother, you can count on me."
…
Ayaka hurried back to the Kamisato Estate to mobilize resources and organize patrols to secure the roads between Ritou and Inazuma City.
Still, only time would tell how effective her efforts would be.
Meanwhile, Ayato stayed at the shrine with Yae Miko, helping the shrine maidens handle the wave of distressed worshippers seeking blessings or answers.
They worked nonstop until nightfall, when the crowds gradually thinned.
Late that night, Ayato and Yae Miko, accompanied by four Shuumatsuban agents carrying a small boat, quietly arrived at Nazuchi Beach.
By the faint moonlight, the two gazed upon the sea choked with Shogunate corpses, the stench of rot and death thick in the air.
Waves tinged red with blood lapped at the shore. Dislodged bits of flesh washed up with the tide, swarmed by buzzing flies.
Yae Miko clutched her nose, squinting warily.
"Something's wrong. These corpses appear trapped in this part of the sea!"
Ayato was taken aback.
"What do you mean, Lady Guuji?"
Yae Miko pointed at the rancid, red-tinged waters.
"Look over there—the blood-stained seawater and corpses aren't drifting out to sea. They're all collecting here."
Ayato followed her gaze and saw it too: as if some invisible barrier held them in, neither bodies nor blood could pass beyond the area between Narukami Island and Tatarasuna.
The grotesque remains and crimson waters had all gathered here under some unknown force.
Ayato nodded grimly.
"We don't know what's causing this... but we must retrieve the bodies quickly. If a plague breaks out, the consequences will be catastrophic."
Yae Miko gave a solemn nod of agreement.
"Once we've spoken with Shao Yun, I'll send shrine maidens to clean the area. Let's hope this doesn't affect the Sacred Sakura."
She turned to Ayato, signaling him to ready the boat.
At her cue, Ayato waved to the Shuumatsuban agents. They moved swiftly, placing the wooden boat they carried onto the sand.
Ayato and Yae Miko boarded the boat.
The agents pushed the vessel into the blood-streaked sea, setting them adrift in waters thick with death.
As the Shuumatsuban members prepared to board as well, Ayato raised a hand, stopping them.
"Stay here. Lady Guuji and I will go to Kujou Encampment alone."
The agents exchanged uneasy glances, their faces taut with concern.
Finally, one of them spoke up.
"Lord Kamisato, is this truly safe? You're entering rebel territory. If something happens—"
Ayato smiled gently.
"We're only going to talk. I believe Shao Yun will grant us that courtesy."
Still unconvinced, the agent pressed further.
"But... what if he doesn't?"
Ayato's smile faded slightly. He replied with a trace of resignation.
"If Shao Yun won't listen, even if all of you came with us, it wouldn't change a thing."
"It's better we go alone—it shows sincerity."
The agents nodded, concern lingering in their eyes.
"Please be careful, Lord Kamisato. Lady Guuji. We'll wait here for your safe return."
Ayato inclined his head and reminded them to stay alert.
Then he gripped the oar and began rowing toward Kujou Encampment.
As the boat glided forward, it passed into a domain thick with death.
Bloated corpses brushed against the hull with heavy thunks.
Some had already swollen grotesquely after just one day, their stench unbearable.
…
Elsewhere, deep into the night at Kujou Encampment.
Since speaking with that devil, Shao Yun had remained seated beside the three Kamuijima Cannons—from morning to afternoon, and now through the night.
Sea winds occasionally brought with them the salty stench of rotting flesh.
Meanwhile, Teppei had already spread the fabricated tale among the remaining resistance fighters. Everyone was fired up, convinced Orobashi's protection was real.
Just as Shao Yun was pondering how best to seed rumors of Orobashi's vengeance across Narukami Island, Teppei came running in.
"Report! General Shao Yun—there's a small boat approaching from Narukami Island!"
Shao Yun blinked in surprise.
"A small boat?"
Teppei nodded emphatically.
"Yes sir, just one. Shall we fire arrows?"
Shao Yun stood at once, pulling a spyglass from his Legend of the East satchel and scanning the sea.
Sure enough, a boat came into view.
He raised the spyglass to his eye, peering closely.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
On that boat sat Kamisato Ayato and Yae Miko.
Ayato rowed steadily while Yae Miko stood at the bow, the boat drifting slowly toward Kujou Encampment.
Shao Yun stared, puzzled.
He had no idea why they were here—but they didn't seem to be causing trouble.
His prior grievances with the Kamisato Clan had been resolved, apologies exchanged, and bygones buried.
As for Yae Miko—he held no grudge against her.
Shao Yun lowered the spyglass and turned to Teppei.
"I see them. They're guests from Narukami Island. Tell the troops to remain calm and carry on as normal."
Teppei saluted.
"Yes, sir!"
He dashed off to relay the order, ensuring no one opened fire.
Shao Yun kept his eyes on the approaching boat, murmuring under his breath.
"Let's hope you're not stupid enough to try and assassinate me… or I might just die from laughing."