Shi Jin leaned against the metal railing at the port. The salty, damp sea wind swept fine cherry blossom petals onto his denim jacket shoulder. He lowered his head and rubbed the speedboat ticket, his fingertip brushing the gilded logo of Human Federation Shipping. A soft sigh escaped his lips, swallowed almost at once by the churning waves.
In the distance, Floating Cherry Island was still wrapped in pale pink morning mist. A wisp of gray-white smoke coiled around the clouds above the volcano's peak, blurry and hard to make out. Tourists laughed and cherry candy sellers shouted on the dock, but Shi Jin's gaze was fixed only on the lone white speedboat moored nearby.
He reached inside his coat, his finger touching the cross necklace around his neck. The colored stone was cold, and four pairs of tiny metal wings hung quietly. In the next moment, however, it suddenly burned hot, the wings trembling slightly.
The second he closed his eyes, a faint but clear ripple flowed from the necklace, coming from deep within Floating Cherry Island, its unique frequency like a heartbeat. When he opened his eyes again, he tucked the necklace back into his coat and turned toward the boat.
The captain stood at the bow and called out, "Young man, we've been waiting for you!"
Shi Jin nodded and kept walking. The Enma Blade in his backpack swayed gently with his steps, its cloth-wrapped body echoing the burning heat of the necklace against his chest.
The moment he stepped onto the speedboat, the sea wind suddenly grew fierce, blowing his hair wildly. The engine roared as it cut through the blue waves, and Floating Cherry Island drew closer. Pink cherry petals fell like fine rain, sticking to the boat's side and landing on his hands.
Yet Shi Jin did not look at the scenery. He only gripped the necklace through his coat, feeling the stone's warmth, knowing he was drawing closer to his goal step by step.
The boat split the green waves, splashing water that shattered into silver stars in the sunlight. Several seagulls glided low over the surface, their cries mixing with the wind. The morning mist gradually lifted, and the outline of Floating Cherry Island became clearer.
Cherry trees covered the mountains like clouds and rosy haze. When the wind blew, pink petals drifted like snow, some falling into the sea, others brushing his jacket before being swept away. A tourist speedboat painted with bright "Welcome to Floating Cherry Island" passed by, passengers cheering and taking photos with magic cameras, the scene as lively as a grand celebration.
Shi Jin stared at those bright, lively smiles, a faint trace of melancholy crossing his eyes. He had lived far too long, so long that he could not remember the last time he had laughed without worry.
In this era intertwined with magic and technology, the rule of the strong dominating the weak weighed like a mountain. He had seen too much joy, and too much brokenness behind it. Even the envy he felt now felt strangely extravagant.
He lowered his head and pressed his chest. The necklace's heat had faded slightly, but the wings still trembled, reminding him not to drown in irrelevant emotions.
When he looked up, the wooden pier of Floating Cherry Island was right before his eyes. Cherry tree branches hung low, covering the pier in pink, and even the shallow seawater was dyed a light pink.
The speedboat slowed down. The captain's voice settled: "Young man, we're here!"
Shi Jin lifted his backpack. The hilt of the Enma Blade pressed coldly against his back through the cloth, and the sensation instantly calmed his heart. His step onto the pier was steady.
Soft pink petals spread beneath his feet, yet they could not hide the sword light and shadow that were soon to come. He squeezed the necklace, feeling that faint ripple, and knew his target was hidden deep within this island, waiting for him to arrive.
He was about to head into the island when he froze — there were easily ten times more tourists at the port than he had expected.
He stopped the captain, who was about to leave, and asked in a low voice, "Why are there so many people? Is there a festival?"
The captain rubbed his hands and laughed. "Young man, did you come for the Sakura Festival and forget the date? This is Floating Cherry Island's busiest time of year. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and there are magic fireworks at night. People from all over the Federation come to join the fun!"
Shi Jin's fingertip stroked the necklace. The target's ripple remained steady. He thought to himself: the Sakura Festival would provide excellent cover amid the crowds. And he still had a day or two until the "best timing" the necklace indicated.
He might as well use this time to get familiar with the area, and for once, experience this human excitement.
The thought was like a grain of sand falling into a lake, surprising even him. But as he watched the cherry blossoms fall and smelled the sweet scent of cherry candy on the street, he truly did not want to rush toward his goal.
Still, the Enma Blade in his backpack remained cold, and the necklace on his chest continued to remind him: relax for now, but in two or three days, when the festival reached its peak, it would be time to act.
He let the captain leave and melted into the noisy crowd, slowing his steps like a tourist. He occasionally glanced up at the falling blossoms, but his peripheral vision always monitored the energy fluctuations around him, not missing a single signal from the necklace.
The cherry candy in his mouth spread sweetness across his tongue, unexpectedly awakening memories from thousands of years ago. The festivals back then had been just as lively, the cherry blossoms just as pink… but the people beside him had long been scattered by time.
Before his soft sigh could fade, hurried footsteps accompanied by a silver bell sound crashed into him from behind.
Before he could react, a girl in bright red festival clothing bumped into him. Her cherry candy skewer clattered to the ground, a little sugar splashing onto his sleeve.
The girl panicked and bent over, apologizing repeatedly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was in such a hurry, I didn't see you!"
Shouts came from behind her: "Little priestess! Don't run! The ceremony is about to start!"
The girl glanced back, bowed deeply, then turned and darted into the crowd, disappearing in an instant.
Shi Jin stared at the rolling candy, wiped the sugar from his sleeve, and sighed inwardly. After living for ten thousand years, this was the first time he'd been bumped into so messily — he hadn't even heard a full apology.
He crouched to pick up the skewer, but his finger touched a warm cherry blossom jade pendant, exquisitely patterned and translucent. The moment he closed his hand around it, the necklace on his chest trembled. A faint energy spread from the pendant, matching the frequency of the necklace.
Shi Jin frowned and looked in the direction the girl had vanished. The necklace's trembling had stopped.
This girl was clearly no ordinary priestess. She was probably connected to the Sakura Festival… and even more likely linked to the person he was searching for.
He slipped the pendant into his backpack's side pocket, brushed the cherry petals off his body, and continued forward. He still had time. After finishing his business, he could find the clumsy little priestess and return it.