Chapter 29: Battousai

Chapter 29: Battousai             

"When does it begin?"

With a soft sigh, Bai Luo asked calmly.

Since the boy was dead set on this path, Bai Luo wouldn't try to stop him.

But he would use this chance to observe the Raiden Shogun carefully.

An official duel before the Shogun—there was no doubt she’d make an appearance.

And when she did, she’d be the one to deliver the final blow.

That would be the perfect moment to see—could he withstand a strike from the Electro Archon herself?

He may act cautious most of the time, but when push came to shove, he was no ordinary Vision bearer.

After all, he is a Fatui Harbinger—personally chosen by the Tsaritsa herself.

“Tomorrow.”

“So soon?!”

The words caught Bai Luo mid-sip. He lowered his teacup, surprise flashing across his face.

According to what he'd read, a duel before the Shogun was a sacred ritual. Preparations typically lasted at least three days.

“I was the one who requested it. Three days… felt too long.”

The boy smiled faintly, gently stroking the white cat nestled in his arms.

There was another reason he pushed the duel forward.

Kaedehara Kazuha.

If that guy found out, he’d rush here without hesitation.

With his Anemo Vision, three days was more than enough time for him to make it to Inazuma City.

Even with Kazuha’s calm and measured nature, if he saw his friend fall in the duel, there’s no way he’d sit still.

He’d fight.

But if the duel was held tomorrow, by the time Kazuha heard the news and made it here... it’d already be over.

And he would be dead.

That way, Kazuha would stay safe.

He was ready to go out with a bang, but he refused to drag his friend down with him.

With that thought, he turned back to Bai Luo.

“There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“Speak. I’ll do what I can.”

Bai Luo didn’t give a firm promise.

If the boy asked him to stop the Vision Hunt Decree or aid the resistance against the Shogunate—those were things he simply couldn’t do.

“If my friend comes seeking revenge… please stop him. Knock him out, drug him, I don’t care how. Just keep him away from Inazuma.”

“…That, I can do.”

For Bai Luo, that was easy enough.

He could just inform the Tenryou Commission to block Kazuha from entering the city.

As long as the guy didn’t lose his mind and try storming Tenshukaku, it should be manageable.

“Thank you for your help. I won’t trouble you any further.”

The boy stood, picking up the straw hat beside him.

Meeting one last friend before death… that made him feel strangely at peace.

Even if that friend was a member of the Fatui.

“If you’ve got nowhere to stay, you’re welcome here. My place is pretty spacious.”

“I appreciate it, but I’d like to wander around Hanamizaka a bit. Try a few foods I’ve never had before. Who knows… I might not get another chance.”

He placed the hat over his head once more, his voice light, but his eyes filled with quiet hope.

The coin bag in his pocket—once guarded so carefully—could finally be spent freely.

As the boy stepped through the doorway, Bai Luo called out.

“Hey—at least tell me your name. You’re about to die, right? The least you can do is leave behind a name.”

The boy paused, his back to the doorway.

“…What’s the point of a name when I’m already as good as dead? I’m just a rurouni. Nothing more. Not worth remembering.”

"A rurouni, huh..."

The word struck something in Bai Luo’s chest.

He stood there, silently watching as the boy vanished into the streets of Inazuma.

It wasn’t until the boy had fully left that Bai Luo snapped out of it.

Not because he was moved by the boy’s actions or words—but because…

Two glowing lines had suddenly formed above the boy’s head:

[Second Class: Battousai (Awaiting activation)]

[Activation Conditions: ???]

“…Huh???”

What the hell was this “second class”? And why were the activation conditions all question marks?

No—never mind that. The real shock was that this deadbeat of a system of his… had actually shown signs of life again?

That’s right—Bai Luo did have a system.

But he never paid it much attention.

It wasn’t like the ones in other stories, constantly chiming and nagging him with missions, spamming pop-ups, or handing out god-tier rewards left and right.

All it ever did was grant him a single class: Hei

Beyond that, it was so quiet, so irrelevant, he almost forgot it even existed.

It couldn’t even digitize his HP bar.

And yet, after lying dormant for so long… it suddenly awakened?

Triggered by just a single word from that boy:

“Rurouni.”

That one word had activated the conditions for the Battousai class.

Battousai—clearly referring to Himura Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin.

But judging from his current class template under [Hei], Bai Luo had a feeling this wouldn’t be the calm, pacifist version of Kenshin from the anime.

More likely… it was going to be the combat-heavy, ultimate-skill-slicing-down-mobs Kenshin from that one game adaptation. The “Thousand Victory Kenshin” who could clear a battlefield with a single ougi.

He couldn’t help but wonder—if that move, the high-damage, true-strike Kuzuryūsen (Nine-Head Dragon Flash), was unleashed here in Teyvat… what kind of destruction would it cause?

Still… this was technically the first time he’d ever “unlocked” a new class.

His original class, [Hei], was something he’d had since arriving in this world. That was also how he confirmed the existence of the system in the first place.

“Was it because of that word… rurouni?”

Gazing out at the empty courtyard where the boy had vanished, Bai Luo finally withdrew his gaze.

It seemed the key to unlocking this second class lay with that boy.

So the question was… what next?

. . . . . . . . .

Kujou Sara found Bai Luo standing right outside the Tenryou Commission headquarters.

He had apparently been waiting there for a while. Only when he saw her returning from the city did he rise to his feet.

“You were in a fight?”

Bai Luo’s eyes swept over her slightly scuffed armor as he asked.

As one of the chief enforcers of the Vision Hunt Decree, Sara frequently engaged with those who refused to surrender their Visions.

Getting a few scrapes was business as usual.

But this time… her opponent seemed a bit tougher than usual.

“Yeah. Ran into a stubborn oni who gave me some trouble. Fortunately, he was dumb enough to make mistakes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Bai Luo noticed a subtle shift in her expression when she mentioned her opponent was an oni.

“…Arataki Itto?”

“You know him?”

“Not exactly. I’ve just heard stories. Something about him bullying kids around Hanamizaka? You say ‘stubborn’, ‘dumb’, and ‘oni,’ and he’s the first that comes to mind.”

Bai Luo hadn’t expected those two to end up fighting.

But judging from how beat-up Sara looked, it hadn’t been an easy win either.

After all, he is an oni—and their bloodline strength wasn’t exactly inferior to that of the youkai.

“If you’re here to plead for him, don’t bother. His Vision’s already been sealed into the base of the statue. There’s no getting it back now.”

Sara narrowed her eyes slightly as she stored her bow. Her tone was curt, final.

But the fact that she specifically mentioned sealing the Vision into the statue’s base…

Bai Luo wondered—was she really that heartless?

Or did she think it was impossible for him to pry the Vision free anyway?

“No,” Bai Luo replied, calm as ever.

“I just came to tell you—someone’s challenged you to a duel. An official one.”

“…A duel before the Shogun.”