The next day,
At Muramasa's thatched hut.
The first batch of fake Visions was completed, and Yoimiya had swapped out her original one. "There shouldn't be any flaws, right?" she asked, swaying back and forth to make sure the fake Vision was secure.
"Hmm... it's fixed on very well." Hailing knelt beside her and nodded after confirming. Even the decorations next to the Vision had been specially aged, with small nicks and scratches carved into them. After all, while the Vision itself might not be damaged, the decorations on the side weren't made of some alien technology.
"You two should probably clean up." Since what they were doing was somewhat 'illicit', most of the work was done indoors. As they were conducting their final inspection, Muramasa, who was cleaning up the messy room, said, "If I'm not mistaken, a group of people is already heading this way."
"So soon?" Yoimiya said in surprise. "But this village... doesn't seem like a place where there would be a Vision holder. Could it be because of me..." Thinking of her identity and fame as the 'Naganohara Fireworks Shop owner', she felt she had grasped the truth.
"It's probably what you think. And the fact that we've been seen together is probably known all over Inazuma by now," Muramasa said with a straight face. He then left the two quiet girls behind and went out of the hut.
He had been sweeping the courtyard for a short while when the expected group arrived at his gate.
They're not here on friendly terms…
At the head of the group was the tengu he had met before, the Tenryou Commission's general, Kujou Sara. The ones following her were not the new recruits from last time, but several fully armed elites with 'Visions' on them. The fact that they hadn't left even after the Vision Hunt Decree had begun, and were even helping with the confiscation, spoke volumes of their loyalty.
"Oh, a rare guest. Welcome. Would you like some crude tea?" Muramasa initially had his usual cold expression, but considering the visitor's identity, he put on a business smile. "But I'm afraid I'll have to refuse you entry to the house. It's a 'girls' paradise' in there right now."
In contrast, the expressions on the faces of the men with her were quite arrogant.
"Hiding beauties in a golden house? How refined of you, smith," one of the samurai with Kujou Sara said with a raised eyebrow, his tone teasing. His expression and demeanor reminded one of a certain ascetic. He was probably the type who saw martial arts as his only creed and everything else as a restriction.
"They're just helpers. But you, Mr. Samurai, too much abstinence is not good for you. Otherwise, your head will be filled with other things," Muramasa retorted.
"Enough." Kujou Sara closed her eyes in resignation, putting a stop to their meaningless banter. She then dismounted and looked at Muramasa at eye level... or rather, slightly down at him. "Mr. Senji Muramasa, the Tenryou Commission is on official business. Do not make things difficult for me. Naganohara Yoimiya should be here."
Unsure of how much they had cleaned up, he first gave a vague answer. "Her? Yes, she's here. What's the matter?"
"The Vision Hunt Decree. The Shogun's proclamation should have reached here. If it hasn't, I can repeat it for you. By the Shogun's order, all Visions in Inazuma are to be confiscated and forged into the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
She's so patient. This demeanor, no wonder people respect her. Muramasa glanced at the men behind her again. They were all proud individuals. Yet after Kujou Sara spoke, the man who had been arguing earlier fell silent, as if nothing had happened.
"I see. Then I'll ask her for you." Muramasa turned around. "Yoimiya, can you come out?"
"Coming, coming!" Hearing his call, the orange-red figure bounced out of the house and stood before them, properly dressed.
"Miss Yoimiya. By the Shogun's order, I have come to confiscate your Vision."
"Ah, right…" Yoimiya put on her daily acting performance, first surprise, then contemplation and resignation, before slowly taking off her Vision.
This is not good… Muramasa thought to himself. The problem wasn't Yoimiya's acting; his gaze wasn't on her. The problem was the Vision on Kujou Sara's waist, which was now glowing abnormally.
As he was thinking, Sara had already taken Yoimiya's 'Vision' and brought it close to her own body. The 'Vision', of course, showed no change.
As I thought…
Kujou Sara's eyes sharpened, her aura changing in an instant. The men behind her all placed their hands on their weapons. Yoimiya, who was closest, also sensed the change in atmosphere. But against the general's presence, her quick wit was useless. She could only stand there, stunned.
"So, Kujou, your 'work' is done, right?" Muramasa deliberately emphasized the word 'work'. At the same time, he placed a hand on Yoimiya's shoulder and pulled her back slightly. "'This kind of work' is tiring. I have some food left. Would you like to take some for the road?"
"..."
She didn't reply immediately. The men behind her didn't know whether to move or not. After a long moment, she finally spoke. "It is the Shogun's order. How can it be tiring?"
"Even if your body isn't tired, your spirit will be, won't it?" Muramasa continued, a corner of his mouth curling into a smile. "Of course, having a job you like, something you want to do, would definitely give you more strength, right?"
"What do you mean by that?" Kujou Sara cut him off.
"Nothing. I just saw your sense of mission and was reminded of my own terrible clients. So I suddenly felt like complaining. After all, not everyone has the right to choose who they serve, do they?" Muramasa took another step forward. "I often have jobs I don't want to do, and colleagues who 'I wouldn't mind cutting down'. But even if I have no motivation, I still have to do the job cleanly and beautifully. That's a wearing process, isn't it?"
Kujou Sara just snorted, her aura softening slightly. "So?"
"The job must be done cleanly and beautifully. But it only needs to be 'clean and beautiful'." Just like when he was asked to cut a machine in two, but there was no requirement for it to function afterwards.
Muramasa continued talking about his own affairs. "This is the wisdom of an old man. Don't you think so, Kujou?" He didn't say which old man he was referring to, but anyone would assume he meant a senior who was not him.
At that moment, a certain pink fox was quietly watching the drama unfold from the side…
"I don't know what you're talking about."
-------
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