Chapter 30: Kaedehara Kazuha

Chapter 30: Kaedehara Kazuha            

In Inazuma, the Vision Hunt Decree was the manifestation of the Raiden Shogun’s unwavering pursuit of eternity.

And Kujou Sara was its most loyal enforcer.

To her, the decree wasn’t unjust. If those who received Visions were faithful and principled—like herself—then it was a blessing, a symbol of responsibility.

But if such power were to fall into the hands of the corrupt or misguided… it would threaten the very foundations of Inazuma.

From that perspective, the Vision Hunt Decree was necessary.

Still, that didn’t mean Sara blindly enforced it without a conscience.

Take, for example, this most recent case with Arataki Itto.

Unless her target openly resisted, she would always try diplomacy first—persuasion, patience, and a calm explanation of the Shogun’s grand vision. She would give them a chance to understand.

Fortunately, those who feared the Shogunate’s power would offer up their Visions before she even arrived.

But the stubborn ones… the proud ones… would never yield. No matter how earnestly she pleaded, the result was usually the same.

It was inevitable. Mortal hearts could not always comprehend the divine will.

Many grew resentful—some even defiant. And those rebels eventually grouped together, turning their hatred toward the enforcers of the law.

When such moments came, Kujou Sara could only sigh, cast aside her personal feelings, and take up her weapon once more.

She regretted hurting civilians. But never—not once—did she question the Shogun’s orders.

If it is the will of the Shogun… then it is the right path.

But even with all the Visions she had seized—today’s situation was the first time she had ever faced a true challenger.

This wasn’t just another citizen resisting.

This was someone who stood up… and dared to question the decree itself.

Someone willing to risk his life to deliver his words directly to the Shogun.

A true opponent.

“I already heard.”

A duel before the Shogun—an event that hadn’t happened in ages—was now the talk of the entire city.

Of course Kujou Sara knew about it.

“So?” Bai Luo asked. “What will you do? Will you accept?”

“Of course.”

In truth, her acceptance didn’t matter. What decided the duel’s fate was not her will—but the Shogun’s.

If the Shogun permitted it, then there was no room for refusal.

She had already seen the boy who issued the challenge.

That quiet, humble young man… had been surrounded by townsfolk in Hanamizaka.

Pity? Admiration? She couldn’t tell.

But the merchants there were kind enough to offer him anything he wanted—for free.

Tonight, they wanted him to eat his fill. A final feast before his execution.

And yet, the boy stubbornly left behind a few mora coins, hidden at the bottom of his bowl.

He wouldn’t be needing money where he was going.

Better to leave it behind—for someone who might.

“I’ll be looking forward to your performance tomorrow,” Bai Luo said.

“…”

As Bai Luo left, Sara’s gaze lingered, thoughtful.

The Fatui… they’re never simple to read.

Still, as long as he stayed out of trouble while in Inazuma, she would respect the clan leader’s orders and refrain from interfering.

. . . . . . . .

“My lord,” a subordinate whispered, stepping out of the shadows. “The boy remains in Hanamizaka. He hasn’t displayed any suspicious behavior.”

“Good. Keep watching him until the duel officially begins.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the agent slipped away, Bai Luo walked over to the window.

The architects of Inazuma City had chosen this site with great care.

Not to mention the Tenshukaku, even the Tenryou Commission headquarters offered a clear, commanding view of the city below.

Unlike Ritou, which always carried the heavy air of surveillance and control, Inazuma City, though under the same oppressive decree, still retained a hint of liveliness… a flicker of warmth.

A place where defiance could still take root.

The bustling town streets, the crowded slopes of Hanamizaka—

From here, with good eyes, one could see every corner of Inazuma City.

Layer upon layer of cherry blossoms and blue-tiled roofs spread beneath the night sky, but none of that mattered to Bai Luo.

What occupied his thoughts wasn’t the scenery, but the faint glow of one word above a certain boy’s head:

[Target]

From the look of it, that young man is the key to unlocking the Battousai class.

But what exactly was required?

Was he supposed to kill him?

Or maybe save him in tomorrow’s duel before the Shogun?

There were no answers.

And with the Shogunate’s people tailing him now, he couldn’t risk making any suspicious moves.

Especially not through the Fatui. They were being watched too closely.

‘No... I’ll have to wait. Quietly. Until the duel begins.’

But until then—he still had some preparations to make.

. . . . . . . .

A traveler must always carry something that sets them apart:

A legendary sword technique…

Or perhaps, a silver tongue that can turn fate itself.

Kaedehara Kazuha had something else entirely.

He could listen to the wind.

Read the clouds.

To him, nature was never silent.

It always spoke—whispering its moods in its own quiet language.

When the wind suddenly ceased and the world fell still—It was the calm before the sky shed its tears.

When mountain springs surged unprovoked, the earth itself trembled in anger.

When black clouds pressed low and heavy, it warned of a coming storm.

It was the rainy season now.

The mountain paths had grown slick and muddy.

Kazuha had spent most of the day seeking a place to rest, and finally found a rocky ledge beneath a cliffside. He brushed the dust away and sat cross-legged, removing a small parcel from his bag.

Inside were cold, damp rice balls.

Far from delicious at this temperature, but they were filling—and that was enough.

He took a quiet bite, gazing up at the gray sky.

And then—he remembered his friend.

They’d met by chance.

And yet, in that fleeting encounter, they'd understood one another deeply.

Though they had parted ways for now, something told Kazuha they would meet again.

Perhaps sooner than he expected.

If his friend were here, he would’ve scolded him—“Eating cold rice balls like that will make you sick.”

Suddenly, a loud, boisterous laugh cut through the mountainside wind.

Kazuha didn’t speak.

He simply shifted lower along the cliff face, pressing his body against the stones.

In a place like this, one could never be too cautious.

Last time he offered fruit to a passing woodcutter, the man noticed his Vision.

Before long, the Shogunate's soldiers were chasing him for half the day.

And sometimes… what you ran into out here might not even be human.

But the next words spoken startled him.

“Boss! Did you hear? Someone challenged that Tengu—Kujou Sara—to a duel before the Shogun!”

“Huh? Oh, that? Course I heard! Hahaha, takes guts, don’t it? If that guy makes it out alive, we should invite him to join the Arataki Gang!”

The rice ball slipped from Kazuha’s fingers and rolled down the cliff.

His hand—still resting on his blade—began to tremble.

It’s him.

They never mentioned a name, but he knew.

He knew.

That challenger could only be his friend.

He still remembered their final conversation.

“If the lands of Inazuma are ever consumed by calamity… and if its people are abandoned by their gods… What will you do?”

Kazuha had answered simply.

“Then I’ll live quietly, away from it all.”

That moment had marked their parting of ways.

His friend had said he was going to do something big.

Something that would shake all of Inazuma.

Now, it seemed he really was going to face the Musou no Hitotachi.

A gust of wind howled through the ravine.

By the time it passed, Kaedehara Kazuha was gone.

All that remained was a scattering of rice grains, and a distant voice yelling in delight at their unexpected discovery of a rice ball.