Bankaku Nisei relayed his recon findings, sparking a heated discussion aboard the ship. The team opted to bypass the prime landing spot, occupied by Khaenri'ahns, and seek another. Their Tsurumi exile guides knew alternative sites—Chirai Shrine and Shirikoro Peak offered good camping grounds, though their intel, from before Tsurumi's ruin, was shaky. They could still navigate the fog's general layout.
The team docked at Chirai Shrine, an ancient ruin. After clearing a hilichurl camp, Arakawa Jirou quipped, "Did we just waltz into Khaenri'ah's target?" Silence fell. Tsurumi's major ruins—Chirai Shrine, Shirikoro Peak, and Moshiri Ceremonial Site—were prime archaeological sites, with smaller relics scattered across the island.
They set up in a basement-like area, stationing logisticians, shrine maidens, and samurai to erect a wide-range Sensing Barrier over the ruin and a smaller Protective Barrier. Boatmen and Tsurumi exiles were sent for supplies, while the exiles described Tsurumi's terrain and landmarks. Time had eroded their accuracy, and conflicting accounts muddled details, making their intel a rough guide at best.
"Camp progress?" Bankaku asked logistics.
"Basic setup's done," a logistician replied. "Fog's mostly cleared inside the barrier, but Tsurumi's timber is waterlogged—useless for forging. We'll need shipments. Weapons and armor need constant maintenance; the fog's corrosion is worse than normal."
"Good thing cooking timber's less picky—we've got hot meals," they added.
"Water supply?" Bankaku asked, touching his Hydro Vision.
"Sufficient, but please top off reserves, Lord Bankaku," the logistician said.
A shrine maiden rushed in. "Lord Bankaku, ley line anomaly detected—a Thunderhelm Lawachurl's coming. Lord Arakawa's handling it." One maiden maintained the Sensing Barrier, another the Protective Barrier.
At the site, Arakawa's "Blaze Slash!" incinerated the Lawachurl as Bankaku and Gensei arrived.
"Nice work," Bankaku praised.
"Just a standard Lawachurl," Arakawa shrugged. "No big deal."
"What about the ley line suppression stone?" he asked the maiden.
"Deployed," she replied. "Tsurumi's ley lines are so erratic it's less effective, barely stabilizing this area. The camp's ley lines are tamed, though."
"Good," Bankaku said. "I can scout with confidence."
Arakawa grinned enviously. "Your Mistveil Technique thrives here. My Fireveil Technique triggers Vaporize and screws me over."
"Guarding camp's critical," Bankaku teased. Arakawa's Fireveil was versatile but easily spotted.
"Gensei and I will scout," Bankaku continued. "We need to know how far Khaenri'ah's dug to sabotage them."
"Tsurumi's monster density is that high?" Reisen Riou's voice crackled through the camp's comms.
"Yes, Lord," a Ritou samurai, the Brigade's nominal deputy, replied. "Every few kilometers, a small hilichurl tribe; every dozen, a large one. Super-sized tribes aren't rare." He managed the non-Vision agents, not the four elites. "Khaenri'ahns took the best landing spot, blocking talisman recharges at the Statue. To stay covert, we camped in Chirai Shrine's basement, per the exiles' advice. We've set up a signal tower on a hillock—lucky it connects."
"Good. Stay hidden. I'll rush your supplies," Reisen Riou said.
"Thank you, Lord."
"No thanks needed—for Inazuma. Everlasting Way, Narukami Eternal."
"Everlasting Way, Narukami Eternal."
Reisen Riou cut the signal. "Smooth start. The custom transmitter pierces the ley line fog. Now we wait for their report." He turned to his pastries—Ei's favorite love-filled dessert.