Now, at Wangshu Inn, on stage, Li Mo had just begun the story—introducing Kaedehara Kazuha and his friend—when he was interrupted by murmurs from below.
The audience was trying to guess who the protagonist of this life was.
"Usually, the first person introduced is the protagonist, right? So in this life, he was reincarnated as that samurai named Kaedehara Kazuha?"
"Not necessarily. It could be the swordsman."
"The Vision Hunt Decree was only issued recently, wasn't it? So the events of this story happened not long ago?"
"I heard that Beidou's fleet often travels to Inazuma for business. She probably knows something."
"Didn't Beidou's fleet return at noon? They should be docked at the harbor now. I heard they brought back a samurai in red. A new crew member?"
"A samurai in red? Wait, isn't Kaedehara Kazuha in the story a samurai in red, carrying a sword?"
"What a coincidence."
The audience speculated, but no one could agree on who the protagonist was. A few merchants who frequently traveled to Inazuma knew something about the Vision Hunt Decree. Some had even seen Kazuha and his swordsman friend on the streets of Inazuma.
Facing their questions, Li Mo explained slowly, "In this life, he was reincarnated as the swordsman in the story—Kazuha's friend."
Hearing this answer, many nodded in understanding. They pressed further.
"Given the timeline of the Vision Hunt Decree, this story must have happened not long ago. Does that mean this reincarnation is still alive? Is this the final life?"
If this was the final life, it would mean the storytelling was almost over. Many who had formed bonds with the protagonist across different lives would have a chance to see their loved one again.
Li Mo said slowly, "No. He is already dead. This is not the final life."
Dead again? How tragic. Though the audience had expected this outcome, they were still disappointed. The protagonist's fate was too cruel. In almost every life, he had been killed.
"Storyteller, can you give us a spoiler? Who killed Kazuha's friend? How could a perfectly good person just die like that?"
Hearing this question, Li Mo could not help but look up at the three Electro sisters in the corner. He sighed.
"By the time I finish this story, you will know. Spoiling it now would ruin the experience."
The audience agreed. "True. If the three Shoguns of Inazuma found out who the killer was, they would probably seek revenge immediately. After all, Kazuha's friend was their brother's reincarnation."
As they spoke, they could not help but glance at the corner of the inn. Sure enough, the three identical Shoguns looked devastated. Of course they were. Their brother's reincarnation had been killed again. How could they not be sad? How could they not hate the killer?
But then, one of the Shoguns shot them a murderous glare. They quickly turned away, not daring to look again.
Meanwhile, in the corner, the Raiden Shogun's expression darkened when she heard the words "Kazuha's friend" and the audience's murmurs. Her usually cold face turned ugly.
Can you imagine? In the previous life, Ei, as the Shogun's shadow, had killed her brother's reincarnation, Orobashi. And in this life, the Shogun, Ei's creation, had struck with the Musou no Hitotachi and killed her brother's reincarnation again.
Two lives in a row. Who could accept that?
Ei was also heartbroken, but seeing the Raiden Shogun's expression, she comforted her. "It's all in the past. We will see him again. When we do, we'll apologize together. He will forgive us."
The usually stern Raiden Shogun softened, learning to comfort others.
Makoto added, "Yes. Though I don't know exactly what happened, only by facing it bravely can we have a chance to find our brother."
The three Electro sisters, crying, comforted each other.
...
On stage, after explaining the protagonist's identity, Li Mo continued the story. The Electro projections above shifted once more.
In the images, Kaedehara Kazuha had not learned the swordsman's name, so he called him "Friend." But he didn't mind. For wandering samurai like them, names were just labels. In the process of growing stronger, discarding certain things was normal.
Under the night sky, though they had only just met, they found themselves growing closer, beginning to see each other as kindred spirits.
Kazuha said happily, "Your words have taught me more than years of study. I really want to spar with you. Starting tomorrow, I'll use you to train my blade, and you can use me to train your sword. What do you think?"
In the pursuit of martial arts, finding a suitable training partner was incredibly difficult. But now, they were perfect for each other.
The swordsman smiled. "That suits me perfectly. Starting tomorrow, we'll train together."
He had long wanted to find a skilled blademaster to spar with, to simulate that thunderous strike. Now, he had finally found one.
And so, the two lay happily on the soft grass, using the earth as their bed and the sky as their blanket, falling asleep under the stars.
The next morning, when the thrushes sang in the forest, they both opened their eyes and rose. They built a simple fire and reheated the leftover meat from the night before.
After eating, the swordsman asked, "Kazuha, what element is your Vision?"
This was important. If it was Electro, he could simulate that thunderous strike.
Kazuha looked puzzled. "My Vision? It's Anemo. The blade techniques honed with Anemo are the fastest in the world."
He spoke with confidence. The techniques he practiced were those passed down through the Kaedehara clan for generations. Though not the strongest in Inazuma, they were certainly top-tier.