As the night deepened, Hailing's sobs gradually ceased, and her breathing became steady.
"She's asleep…"
Feeling the weight of the sleeping girl, he gently lifted her and placed her on the bed. He then went outside and continued to work on the inner courtyard until dawn.
Just as the first light broke, Hailing awoke. After a moment of initial confusion, she checked her clothes in surprise, relieved to find no signs of him having taken advantage of her.
Looking out the window, she could see Muramasa, who had already tilled the backyard, fiddling with some dusty farm tools in a corner.
"Mr. Muramasa? You're up so early." Hailing called out instinctively.
"Hm? Oh, you're awake." Hearing her voice, Muramasa straightened up. "It's not so much that I'm up, as I never went to sleep."
"What… won't you be exhausted?" Although Muramasa seemed full of vigor, she couldn't help but worry.
"It's fine, it's fine. Old folks don't need much sleep. Besides, it's best to avoid any misunderstandings, right?" he said. "See? The door you left open yesterday is still open for you."
Hailing thought back to the precaution she'd taken before entering last night, and her face flushed red. She had indeed left it open on purpose, though against someone of his strength, it probably wouldn't have mattered. And given how things turned out, it felt like she had misjudged him.
"Don't worry about it. It's a good habit. A girl needs to know how to protect herself when she's out on her own," Muramasa said, sensing her embarrassment.
"Mmph…" Even with his reassurance, Hailing shrank back from the window and muttered petulantly, "You look about the same age as me, so why do you keep saying 'this old man,' 'this old man' all the time…?"
Her words surprised him. Not the words themselves—he had been using that form of address for years, and even if his body had grown younger, old habits were hard to break. He was just surprised that she had recovered enough to joke around.
"Haha," Muramasa let out a rare, genuine smile. "Compared to yesterday, you're definitely looking much more spirited today."
"But since you're up, I should probably walk you home. You must have a lot to do, right?"
Along the way, Hailing's gaze wandered over the place she knew so well, introducing Muramasa to each household.
"That's Uncle Goko's house. His family of three used to live there…"
"This is Auntie Nan's. She moved to Inazuma City. Said she'd send for her parents once she made it big…"
"Over there is…"
She chattered on, sounding a bit like a nagging mother, but Muramasa didn't want to interrupt her, listening quietly until they reached her front door.
"And this is…" She suddenly fell silent. Her arm started to raise, then fell limply. The smile on her face faded. "Well, Mr. Muramasa, I'm going in now!"
She forced out the last sentence, opened her door, and said one final goodbye to him.
"She's a strong girl…"
He hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye. If she had stayed any longer, she would have been consumed by sorrow again.
"It's not easy for her."
Feeling a vibration in the ground, Muramasa looked toward a direction outside the village. His far-seeing gaze traveled for dozens of li, locking onto a group of people on horseback heading their way.
"That must be the Tenryou Commission."
…
A Few Minutes Later
The sound of hoofbeats grew closer. At the head of the group was a stern-looking woman with black hair, a Karasu Tengu mask worn askew on her forehead. Her dark golden eyes subtly observed the surroundings. She wore a tight black top that outlined her well-toned physique and an impressive bust that few could match. A white shawl draped over her shoulders billowed with the horse's movement, creating eye-catching waves in tandem with a certain other part of her.
When they reached the village entrance, Goko and a few other middle-aged men were already waiting. The tall, imposing woman dismounted and gave them a slight nod. "Thank you for your trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. We're the ones who should be thanking you for making the trip," Goko said with formal humility, though a hint of resentment was visible in his eyes.
Kujou Sara's expression didn't change, but she could hear the undertone in his voice. She didn't argue. "Can you take us to see the bodies?"
"Of course…"
The incident had happened just yesterday. The villagers who died were buried within the village, but the guards from Inazuma City had to be returned to their homes. As for the ronin, it was a mercy they weren't chopped up and fed to the dogs.
The bodies of the guards and the ronin were kept outside the village. The former were still in the state they had died in, their positions only slightly adjusted. Upon seeing the corpses, the new recruits behind Sara visibly tensed, forcing their expressions to remain neutral.
Only Sara knelt down calmly and examined their wounds. The Vision on her hip glowed faintly, then dimmed.
"It is indeed caused by the Electro element… Could it be that those pirates had a Vision holder among them?"
She had received intelligence that the pirates could use the power of Electro, but she hadn't originally thought it was the effect of a Vision. The Kairagi, at least, had other means of utilizing the elements, so she hadn't taken the reports too seriously. However, the wounds before her required a level of elemental intensity that far surpassed those ordinary means.
"We… we don't know…"
They had neither the knowledge to identify the methods used nor the means to fight back.
"Did he carry any accessories or anything of the sort?"
"Speak up! No hiding anything, or you'll be obstructing official business," two of the men accompanying her interjected impatiently before Sara could ask further.
"Silence."
Kujou Sara shot a glare back at them, extinguishing the two hotheads' fire with a single look. "Your training will be doubled when we get back." She exhaled sharply through her nose. "Now, may we see the bodies of the ronin?"
"Well…" This time, their faces showed clear hesitation. "You can, but… we hope you are prepared."
The other men looked away, while Goko walked over to a large cloth on the ground next to a fresh mound of dirt.
How gruesome could it be?
The soldiers didn't think much of it, assuming the villagers were just being squeamish. They had cleared out bandits a dozen times before.
When the cloth was lifted, it revealed a scene of extreme, brutal artistry. With the exception of a few "lucky" ones, the others were twisted and broken in some way, the result of swift and violent force.
"How did this arm get broken like that…?" one of the new recruits muttered, a chill running down his spine as he looked at an arm bent into several sections.
"Is… is this some kind of horror-comedy manga?" another said, looking at a face that was caved in like a basin, reminding him of a certain Inazuman expert's deadpan, ridiculous manga.
Kujou Sara's gaze, however, remained fixed on the armored warrior who had been the leader. After a long moment, seeing no Vision-like object, she nodded and asked, "Then may I ask, where is the hero who resolved this crisis?"
Goko and the men beside him exchanged glances, confirming Muramasa's earlier answer, before nodding. "In the thatched hut behind the village."
"Thank you. Before that…" she turned to the men behind her, "You all stay here and help the villagers bury this pit."
-------
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