"No way I'm watching this."
The 32-to-16 matches marked the fifth day of the formal tournament. Those left were either swordmasters with Sword Heart, archers with Bow Heart, or spearmen with Spear Heart.
Two fighters stole the spotlight. Kombumaru, competing in both sword and archery, shone brighter in archery.
One was the teenage genius Kombumaru, whose swordsmanship and archery surged under pressure, forging a Martial Heart. The other was the brute-force wonder Kawakawa Ue—Banjiao Yanya's alias. Everyone saw Kombumaru's meteoric rise and got it—genius, even if absurdly so. But Yanya? Her LV5 swordsmanship was mediocre, yet her raw power baffled everyone.
What is this monster?
Yanya wielded a nodachi, a greatsword in Teyvat's terms. Nodachi focused on cleaving, but no swordmaster thought Yanya's swings were normal.
One chop carved a small trench in the ground—pure physical might.
A few reckless fighters who blocked her strikes ended with broken swords and injuries, even though Yanya clearly held back.
"This kid's got general-level strength," Kagei Tengu said, watching Yanya chase a swordmaster around the arena.
"In vitality and destruction, yeah," Reisen Riou said, facepalming with a grimace.
But that was human-general level. She was far from youkai-general strength.
The swordsman dodged and weaved, trying to exhaust Yanya's stamina.
Good luck. As a mountain spirit, Yanya was known for endless stamina and monstrous strength.
The fight dragged for three hours. The swordsman, drained and dazed, took a hit—sword broken, body battered. Match over.
That was the day's final bout. Next up: the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals moved to the Tenshukaku's interior, off-limits to most samurai spectators.
The 47 remaining fighters were no joke, none below LV40+. Kombumaru, the lowest at LV41, and Yanya, the highest at LV54, stood out.
Except for Yanya's LV5 swordsmanship, every finalist's main skill was LV7+, all with a Heart. Two-thirds had Visions.
Elemental blade aura? Laughable here. In the Shogunate Tournament, such tricks were targeted in the prelims and wiped out.
Raiden Ei saw elemental blade aura as heretical. She didn't preach it, but as Inazuma's martial source, her view shaped the culture. A disdain chain formed.
Clearing elemental aura users before the main rounds was an unspoken rule.
By now, the martial circle was tight-knit—everyone knew each other. Except "Kawakawa Ue," an obvious fake name.
The referees' whispers suggested even they didn't know where she came from. No Kawakawa family had her.
…
Days later, the Shogunate's grand hall, used for ministerial audiences, was prepped.
This was the tournament's new stage.
Its solemn seven-part design radiated awe. Everyone's face turned grave.
The 47 qualifiers, Shogunate generals, and Okuzume hatamoto sealed the venue.
The big shots arrived. First, the three Commissions' leaders, then Watatsumi's Sangonomiya Eigetsu as a guest, followed by Kagei Tengu and Chiyo. Raiden Makoto led Reisen Riou and Banjiao Anko.
Raiden Ei, as the shadow warrior, skipped public events.
Reisen nodded to Makoto—it was time to handle the troublemaker Yanya. Makoto nodded back.
Reisen's gaze locked, weaving a Heartforce sealing barrier, amplified by his newly mastered Presence-Vanishing Barrier. He yanked Yanya to the stands.
Narukami's lord announced, "The tournament begins."
Okuzume guards drew lots.
Someone gasped—they'd gotten a bye.
The crowd noticed Kawakawa Ue had vanished.
The samurai exchanged glances, relieved. Losing to her wouldn't sting, but it'd feel suffocating. Even Kombumaru, the other "monster," sighed in relief. He didn't think he could beat her.
Her strength outdid even the oni's brute force.
…
"Greetings, Lord Narukami."
Banjiao Yanya, now in shrine maiden robes, sat obediently beside Reisen and the others.
"Had your fun?" Reisen asked.
"Hehe," Yanya grinned.
"No dodging. What's your deal?" Reisen pressed.
The tournament didn't ban youkai, but none—nor shrine masters—joined. Even key Inazuma figures skipped it, or the intensity would've spiked. Banjiao Nisei, a top contender, was one. So were young tengu and oni.
"It sounded fun, and I was bored on Banjiao Island. Thought I'd stretch my legs," Yanya said breezily, then shrank under Narukami's presence, turning docile.