"Big Sis, how did you find this place?" Chu Chu slipped off her little boots, then pulled off her short white cotton socks and tucked them inside. She dipped her small delicate feet into the water, tilting her head back in delight, not caring that the fine rain was sprinkling down, dampening her face.
Standing beside her with an oil-paper umbrella, Chu Lian shook her head at the sight. She stepped closer, shielding her from the rain while pulling out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, gently wiping the raindrops from her face with the utmost tenderness.
Chu Chu, who had never before been treated so gently by Chu Lian, froze for a moment. Then, closing her eyes, she swayed her feet happily, savoring the warmth of her sister's care. "Big Sis, just tell me already—how did you find this place?"
"Nothing special. I just happened to notice the pond here and thought we could come down and play for a while. We still have an hour before the appointed time, so we can rest a bit instead of rushing." Chu Lian shook her head. It was nothing but a whim, a sudden urge when she saw the pond.
Not far away, Li Xiu'er's soft voice carried over: "Chu Chu, hurry up. The teacher just called. She wants us to arrive early—she has something to discuss with us, so we can't delay any longer." Her tone was gentle, but it carried an unmistakable note of happiness.
"Lian, be careful." Inori, on the other hand, said little, only cautioning them. Because Chu Chu had run off on her own, Chu Lian and Inori had split up, each protecting one girl. After all, whether it was her own instincts or the warning given by Mana Ouma when she briefly awoke, both made it clear they had to be extra cautious on this trip to Neon.
That was why, as soon as they got off the plane and headed toward the traditional inn in the suburbs, Chu Lian had explained everything. No matter the time or place, as long as Chu Chu and Li Xiu'er stayed within three meters of them, she and Inori would stay together—so they could quickly summon the sword from the void. If the two girls split up, then one of them would protect each, buying time.
"I'll be careful…" Chu Lian smiled as she glanced back. Her spiritual perception already spread through the surroundings. Within ten meters, any stir of wind or rustle of grass would instantly alert her. In addition, Tina had gone out in spirit form to patrol invisibly, and her feedback reported everything safe. That allowed Chu Lian to relax just slightly.
"Instant…" A cold whisper brushed her ear. A blue shadow darted forward like a viper concealed in the bamboo forest, appearing beside her in an instant. A snowy flash of steel, drawn with no trace to follow, swept past her before she sensed any danger.
One slash unleashed, then the figure turned and sheathed the blade. Amidst the fine drizzle, her presence seemed to fade into bleakness.
"What a powerful strike…" Yet instead of a corpse, the girl heard Chu Lian's calm voice at her ear. Shocked, she turned back and saw a shattered umbrella, half its shaft cleaved open to reveal a gleaming blade.
Only then did the delayed sound of steel clashing ring out—clang! And only then did the sting of impact reach her hands.
It was an ability that seemed to slow time itself, causing everything to lag. The mistaken feedback in her hands had led the white-haired girl to believe her assassination had succeeded. She hadn't drawn her second blade in that instant.
That was the sole reason Chu Lian had escaped alive. Even she herself couldn't explain what had happened in that moment, but it didn't stop her from calmly handling it.
"I should say, it's a good thing I reshaped the sword's appearance like this. Otherwise, this really would have been troublesome…" Chu Lian dropped the broken remains, revealing the weapon's true form.
Its blade was less than a meter long, slender and sharp. Paired with Chu Lian's cold expression, she truly looked like a swordswoman.
"How did you find me?" The white-haired, red-eyed girl, whose most powerful strike had failed to wound, didn't show panic. Her crimson gaze flickered between the four gathered together as she asked Chu Lian.
But Chu Lian only shook her head. "You're mistaken. I didn't find you. In fact, until you appeared and drew that blade, I didn't sense the slightest hint of danger. I didn't even notice your presence at all."
"But…" Her crimson eyes, sharp and fierce like a goshawk, locked onto the blade before her. "I still blocked your strike."
As she spoke, Chu Lian used the system's scan to pull up the white-haired, red-eyed girl's information:
[Kurosaki Satsuki: The sole inheritor of Neon's "Shun Prison Sword Style," a genius girl who broke through the limits of her family's swordsmanship to master dual-wielding. Her father was from Huaxia, her mother the heir of the Shun Prison Sword Style. Because of an old incident, disaster struck five years ago, and her parents perished. From then on, she embarked on a path of relentless training. Even after years of pursuit by the people of the Otherside, she has never given up.]
[Shun Prison Sword Style: One of Neon's most famous ancient sword arts. Its essence is to kill with the fastest speed, the fiercest power, and the most overwhelming force.]
[Attributes: Strength 35, Constitution 25, Agility 34, Perception 20. Power Level: Spirit Rank, Beginner Stage. Danger Level: Extremely High.]
[Abilities: Shun of the Shun Prison Sword Style, Ryuukaze Thirty-Seven Strikes, Demon Step, Demon Concealment, Secret Art — At God's Side.]
[Shun of the Shun Prison Sword Style: A form of iaijutsu. With unmatched force and speed, the blade is drawn in an instant, killing the enemy before they are aware. She has survived by relying on this very move, striking down pursuers with sudden ambushes. "Prison" has long been lost, with no records available. Rating: S (for Shun only).]
[Ryuukaze Thirty-Seven Strikes: A high-level sword style passed down in Neon's martial world, enabling dozens of slashes in a single breath. Legend says its creator, Ryuukaze Yanagi, could unleash thirty-seven slashes in that instant. Hence its name. Rating: A.]
[Demon Step: A movement technique as ghostly as a phantom. By the time the enemy notices, it's already too late—the next instant brings death itself. Also called "The Breath of the Reaper," it means that when you feel warmth, the cold reaper is already upon you. Rating: A.]
[Demon Concealment: A full-body camouflage technique, merging completely with the surroundings. As long as the user doesn't move, they are like a lifeless object. However, certain materials can easily disrupt this invisibility, and such materials are found everywhere. Rating: C–S.]
[Secret Art — At God's Side: Burns life force to summon a phantom god's possession, using divine power to crush all foes. Rating: SSS. Warning: Using this skill burns ten years of lifespan per minute. It cannot be stopped until life is fully consumed. Use with extreme caution.]
[Incomplete data. Only partial records available.]
Reading the information, Chu Lian's pupils contracted. Demon Concealment explained how she had evaded both her and Tina's detection. Demon Step was how she had suddenly appeared right before her eyes. And Shun of the Shun Prison Sword Style was unmistakably the near-fatal strike she had just taken.
Though Ryuukaze Thirty-Seven Strikes had not been used yet, its rating suggested it would be no less devastating than Demon Step. But what truly unsettled her was the final Secret Art.
Just seeing the words "Secret Art" had made her want to scoff. But after reading its description and rating, she abandoned all levity. Her vigilance deepened into dread.
In that very instant, the white-haired girl became a streak of light. This time she fought with all her strength—her left hand gripping the right blade's hilt, her right hand gripping the left's. With speed imperceptible to the eye, she drew both swords at once.
Clang! The metallic clash rang sharper than before. Chu Lian's hands went numb from the impact, yet as the girl brushed past her, she herself was left astonished. How had Chu Lian blocked it again?
Her shoes skidded across the slick ground before she stopped, icy eyes fixed on Chu Lian. With a few swift leaps, the white-haired girl vanished into the bamboo forest.
Chu Lian and Inori did not pursue. They simply watched her retreating figure. Then they turned to each other, and in both their eyes, they saw the same shadow of worry.
"Lian, I could feel it—within her body, there's a deathly aura strong enough to kill us in an instant." Inori's voice trembled with lingering fear, tinged with both unease and bitterness.
Chu Lian understood. Inori was referring to Kurosaki Satsuki's suicidal finishing move, Secret Art — At God's Side. Indeed, in terms of sheer force, it was hundreds or even thousands of times more terrifying than any energy eruption she had ever seen before. If this girl, driven to despair, unleashed that power—perhaps all of Neon wouldn't vanish, but Tokyo would certainly be erased.
"What kind of experience could grant her such an ability? Did she sell her soul to the reaper?" Chu Lian thought of Kurosaki Satsuki's white hair and crimson eyes, then recalled the deathly aura within her body. A suspicion began to take shape in her heart.
"She hasn't left yet. She probably sees us as people who might expose her whereabouts." Chu Lian sighed inwardly. A whim to stop here had somehow provoked a relentless swordswoman into trying to assassinate her. Any sense of relaxation she had for this trip to Neon was gone. Now she only wished this girl would leave them in peace.
"I know you're listening nearby…" Chu Lian spoke in Japanese. "We're just students on a school trip to Tokyo. Out of curiosity we stopped here to rest. We have no intention of disturbing you. Why not let this go? We are truly not your enemies."
While she tried to soothe the white-haired girl, she secretly linked with Tina's mental network, receiving her reports. But the results left her disappointed. Too young, too weak… even with a spirit cat's talent, Tina couldn't detect Kurosaki Satsuki perfectly merged with her surroundings.
With no other choice, Chu Lian glanced at Inori. Catching her meaning, they exchanged a look. If anything unpredictable happened next, they would immediately draw the Void Greatsword—to subdue her, or kill her if necessary.
"Shun…" In that fleeting moment of eye contact, the white-haired girl struck again, as sudden as death itself. With another cold whisper, her unseen blade flashed. Chu Lian crouched low, the slash cutting through where she had stood. In the next instant, the girl's figure vanished.
Slowly standing back up, Chu Lian exhaled. "Good thing I used Remilia-sama's Dignity on Inori just now. Otherwise, I'd be done for…"
No sooner had she spoken than another wave of invisible killing intent surged forth. Before the girl's form even appeared, Chu Lian was already moving. "Are you finished yet?! Inori!"
Facing her, Inori spread her arms, closing her eyes. "Lian, please use me…"
The void reappeared. The Greatsword unmatched…