Kujou Sara responded coolly, avoiding his suggestive persuasion. However, the oppressive aura she had projected did not return. She simply brought the 'Vision' in her hand closer, examining it for a moment. She had never seen Yoimiya's original Vision, but this one did fit her impression of her. She glanced at Yoimiya again, as if making some kind of assessment.
The Shogun's Statue of the Omnipresent God is not yet complete. Even if we are to confiscate the real Vision, there is no rush. When the time comes to embed the Visions, we can come back for it then.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Instead of pocketing the Vision, she tossed it backward to one of her attendants. The attendant, in perfect sync, had his hands ready to catch it the moment she raised her arm.
Seeing her accept the Vision, Yoimiya, who had been tense for a long time, finally let out a sigh of relief. There was no room for acting now; her relief was genuine.
"However, I have one more matter."
Unexpectedly, Kujou Sara did not leave. She continued speaking. Not only was Yoimiya surprised, but the trusted subordinates behind her also felt a strange, subtle shift: the General rarely did things that were not part of the plan.
"Speak." Muramasa had no objection. After all, she had just 'agreed' to a request of his.
"Inazuma City is currently constructing the Statue of the Omnipresent God, and we are short on manpower. As a preeminent craftsman, I hope you will join in the construction of the statue."
She spoke casually, her reasoning sound and appropriate. But to Muramasa's ears, it sounded like a form of retaliation. This was not a trivial matter for a General of the Tenryou Commission to be concerned with. To be precise, it was more of a warning, equivalent to: Your craftsmanship on that Vision is excellent.
"Understood. It's a job, right? I accept," Muramasa replied immediately. He had received a favor, and it wasn't an outrageous request. There was no reason to refuse.
"Then, I look forward to working with you."
Out of courtesy, or perhaps as a form of thanks, Kujou Sara extended her right hand.
"Oh."
Muramasa reached out and shook her hand.
The moment their hands clasped, dozens of circuit-like patterns suddenly lit up on his arm, extending all the way to his face. At the same time, a light flashed from somewhere in his chest, shining through his body, boldly announcing its existence.
"Hm?"
Noticing the change in his body, Muramasa instinctively tried to pull his hand back. But Kujou Sara did not let this change go unnoticed. Her hand tightened its grip.
"Mr. Muramasa, could you please explain what this is?" Her brows furrowed. The men behind her immediately drew their weapons, their respective Visions flaring to life.
In this situation, saying "I don't know" was impossible.
"It's just this old man's 'magical energy,' or you could say 'elemental power' organ." It was precisely because he was worried about this kind of trouble that he hadn't kept these secrets to himself. But now, what was bound to happen had happened.
"We have never seen this type of magical energy organ." She was not ignorant; Kujou Sara was well-versed in most of the relevant knowledge on Teyvat. "At the very least, such special organs rarely appear in humans. What are you?"
Her grip did not loosen, an extra layer of insurance against lies.
"A Heroic Spirit. You probably wouldn't understand that term. Just think of it as someone who died and was then summoned for various reasons."
After his explanation, Kujou Sara thought for a moment, as if trying to recall something.
"It's normal that you don't know me. After all, I am not a Heroic Spirit from this world." He added another layer, making the information so absurd it was almost believable as a lie.
"You have not committed any outrageous acts during your time in Inazuma, and we do not wish to make things too difficult for you." Kujou Sara released his hand and her tone. "But the situation is special now. As the General, I hope to take you to a new residence. It will not be a prison, I can guarantee that. It will be a comfortable place."
So it's come to this. It was a relocation, but in reality, it was to keep him off the streets. In other words, a form of house arrest. If this had happened right after he had appeared here, he would have had no objection. 'Her' commission only required him to stay alive; being under house arrest didn't conflict with that.
Good thing I didn't reveal this from the start, he thought to himself, then said aloud, "I refuse."
"I cannot trust you."
"You cannot trust me?" Kujou Sara asked in return.
"No, I cannot trust the 'Tenryou Commission'," Muramasa replied without hesitation. "I gave you a pendant before, didn't I?"
"Yes," Sara nodded. "I have submitted it according to procedure."
"And the result?"
Her question was met with silence. She knew what he was referring to—the pendant was closely related to the Fatui. After being submitted, it had vanished without a trace, with no follow-up.
After a moment, Sara replied, "Investigations take time."
So, Muramasa pressed on. "I caught a Fatui agent in Inazuma City before."
"We are aware."
"Also, that guy named 'Naoe Hisamasa' said the person who told him about me was from the Tenryou Commission."
"..."
Multiple coincidences put together at least showed that his suspicions were not unfounded. Moreover, the 'meteorite fragment' in her hand was also one of those coincidences. If the Tenryou Commission was indeed involved with the Fatui, then the thing that reacted to them was likely also the Fatui's handiwork.
"If I'm placed under house arrest by you, even if I find out something is wrong, if I try to escape, it will be immediately twisted into 'fleeing out of guilt,' won't it?"
She couldn't refute it, but even so, she couldn't let him act freely in this situation. The current circumstances were special. Under the Sakoku Decree, foreigners could only operate on Ritou, let alone someone from 'another world' like him. Besides, the point wasn't the location of his actions, but that he be placed under control. As long as he maintained that the Tenryou Commission was infiltrated, he could not accept their control.
In that case, further persuasion was useless.
"Understood." Kujou Sara raised her right hand to her chest, and Electro energy burst from within her.
"Yoimiya, back in the house." Muramasa didn't move. The mantle in his hand whipped about in the suddenly stirred wind.
Yoimiya opened her mouth, but she nodded immediately and went back inside.
Then, Sara's bent wrist suddenly straightened, her hand extending outwards as she forcefully uttered half a phrase: "The Grand Way is Vast."
The four men behind her leaped from their horses. Two, armed with naginatas, stood near Muramasa, while the other two drew their swords and flanked Sara.
The moment the formation was complete, the four men finished in unison: "Narukami's Majesty is Eternal."
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (330 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (130 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (140 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (330 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (160 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (170 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (90 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (130 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (140 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (140 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (140 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (110 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (120 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (70 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.