"You can really feel it. The magical energy in the air is getting more and more restless."
For a rare moment, Muramasa left his hut and walked down the earthen slope at the village entrance. It was the only time in recent days he had gone out for reasons other than business.
His gaze slowly moved up from the horizon. The warm-colored areas were land, the dark ones were the sea; the dividing line was exceptionally clear. Thunder and storms, wrapped in cumulonimbus clouds, gathered beyond the landmass, plotting something with the characteristic low rumble of a thundercloud.
Fishermen by their boats discussed "maybe not setting out today" and "may the Ogosho-sama protect me from being eaten by the sea." The abnormal weather persisted, and the number of patrolling samurai was visibly increasing. Villagers had mixed opinions; some saw them as a source of security, while others were convinced something strange was happening, leading to various conspiracy theories.
Muramasa, knowing the inside story, made no comment. If it were his past life, he would have just said, "My shoulders and forearms are killing me," the reason for which lay in his own yard. The iron chunks in his warehouse were nearly depleted, including the high-quality steel from the Yashiro Commission and the wager winnings from the Amenoma family. The weapons he had forged were all sold out, a fact proven by the worn-down threshold of his hut. However, the main clients were concentrated in one or two families; others without a reservation had to leave empty-handed.
A certain Watatsumi Island general, who knew nothing of this, had remarked, "To still have so many, how fortunate." Luckily, there was no one else around during that negotiation, or the headline "Gorou Assassinated, Scene Locked Down" would have made the papers. As for whether Inazuma even had newspapers, that was beyond Muramasa's consideration.
Those samurai couldn't even get a reservation for future forging commissions. A certain "Shimura" who wished to remain anonymous had even slammed the door on his way out, leaving behind the words, "You'll regret this."
Of course, this life of opening his eyes to forge and closing them to sleep was about to come to a temporary end. At the very least, the storm clouds hanging menacingly outside indicated that the next couple of days would not be good for smithing.
"Yo~! Muramasa!"
A splash of brilliant gold appeared at the edge of his vision. This was the main reason he had come out.
"You're here."
"Changed your style today?" he asked, stopping to wait for the girl, who was brighter than the sun above, to run to his side.
Her hairstyle was the same as always, the kemari ball ornament on her head bobbing as she ran. She still wore an orange yukata. The change in style was mainly in the tightened sleeves and the way she wore it.
"You noticed?" The visitor, doing her best to suppress her excitement, was none other than Yoimiya.
"It's not exactly a subtle difference, is it?"
He met up with Yoimiya, but she had no intention of resting at his hut. According to her, why would anyone stay indoors when they were at the seaside? So, the two of them walked down to the coastline.
"Look! This is my newest firework launcher design—"
The girl, always full of ideas, had only one thing on her mind after meeting this preeminent craftsman: all the designs she couldn't bring to life in Inazuma. The blueprints were filled with whimsical ideas about fireworks, from the ratio of gunpowder to the launching mechanism, every step meticulously detailed on the paper.
"So, so, can you make it?"
"Well, they're all delicate little parts, but it's doable." Muramasa examined the plans, giving them a final feasibility check. "But whether it will work as you imagine after assembly, we'll only know after we test it."
"No problem! Just being able to make it is a huge success~" At this, she became animated again. "Did you know, Muramasa? After watching you forge last time, I had an idea."
"Hm?" He wasn't sure what kind of idea she was referring to.
"About my dream." She looked ahead, towards a higher place. "I've decided. I'm going to hold a grand fireworks festival that all of Inazuma can participate in~ I want to make everyone in Inazuma's wishes come true, but I know that's impossible. So, I want to at least do what I can—let everyone entrust their wishes to the fireworks."
What a simple wish…
"That's a huge undertaking," Muramasa responded. "Before that, you'll have to work hard and save up enough money to cover the costs." After all, not everyone wants to set off fireworks. Besides, a festival needs a reason, and a reason needs startup capital.
"But, how about you count me in? Not just for funding, but you'll need this body's strength too, right?"
To his surprise, Yoimiya refused his offer. "No way~ This is my grand project. I have to complete it myself! But, since you're so enthusiastic, I can give you the best seat in the house to witness it."
She was still rambling on about her dream, but Muramasa noticed thick thunderclouds gathering out of nowhere in the direction of Inazuma City.
CRACK—!
A clap of thunder roared from the city, interrupting Yoimiya's vision of the future.
"A PROCLAMATION TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF INAZUMA."
The figure of the Raiden Shogun emerged from the thunder, descending upon the Tenshukaku. Her voice rippled out with elemental energy, echoing in the minds of everyone in Inazuma.
Everyone, without exception, looked towards the tallest building in Inazuma City—the Tenshukaku.
"I AM THE MOST SUPREME AND MAJESTIC MANIFESTATION OF THUNDER IN THIS WORLD, BEARING THE NAME OF THE GREAT SHOGUN, RULER OF NARUKAMI."
"THROUGH THE POWER OF THIS BODY, I SPEAK TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF INAZUMA."
Sitting in the Commissioner's Office, Kamisato Ayato drank the tea in his cup, his face showing neither joy nor anger.
"BEYOND THE SHORES OF INAZUMA, ON EVERY SEA ROUTE, THUNDERCLOUDS FORGED FROM MY MIGHT HAVE GATHERED. ALL THE ELECTRO ENERGY CONTAINED WITHIN HAS BEEN ACTIVATED."
"MY GOAL IS TO PROMISE THE PEOPLE OF INAZUMA AN UNCHANGING 'ETERNITY'."
The people of Watatsumi Island stopped their work, their doubt turning to surprise, and then to indignation.
"BUT HUMANITY, FROM THE MOMENT OF ITS BIRTH, HARBORS INTENSE DESIRES FOR THE WORLD. DESIRE WILL CONTINUOUSLY BREED NEW DESIRES, BRINGING UNNECESSARY VARIABLES TO ETERNITY."
The white-haired boy, still traveling in the mountains, exchanged a look with his companion.
"I CANNOT ACCEPT SUCH A VISION. YET, EVEN WITH THE HONOR AND NOBILITY OF THIS BODY, I CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD BEYOND THIS ISLAND."
"THEREFORE, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, INAZUMA SHALL BE CLOSED OFF FROM ALL UNNECESSARY EXTERNAL VARIABLES."
The foreign merchants in Ritou also heard the Raiden Shogun's declaration. The workers loading and unloading cargo didn't even know whether to continue.
"AT THE SAME TIME, ALL 'VISIONS' WITHIN INAZUMA SHALL BE CONFISCATED AND FORGED INTO THE STATUE OF THE OMNIPRESENT GOD."
"THOUGH I CANNOT CHANGE THE PRESENT SITUATION IMMEDIATELY, I WILL USE ALL MY POWER TO ACHIEVE THE 'ETERNITY' I HAVE PROMISED."
The reactions of the people on the main island of Inazuma varied. Most commoners didn't have strong feelings, but the Vision holders had different expressions.
"TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF INAZUMA: THE GREAT SHOGUN, RULER OF NARUKAMI! WILL LEAD THE TRI-COMMISSION AND ITS SAMURAI TO EXECUTE THE 'VISION HUNT DECREE'!"
Muramasa was silent for a long time. He pulled his gaze away from the Tenshukaku and spat lightly.
"Like a child throwing a tantrum."
-------
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