If the gap in strength between first and second place isn't too large, then first and second will have a competitive relationship.
But if first place has an overwhelming, generational lead in power?
Then probably, second place can only focus on defending their position as number two.
And everyone ranked below second wouldn't even think about clashing head-on with first.
The Shura Anyakonsen-shou had no intention of saying anything. His expression simply turned fierce.
He swept his gaze across the surrounding samurai with a single look—and that alone made them subconsciously hold their breath in tension.
The weather today wasn't very good. Even though summer was approaching, there was a chill in the air.
Fortunately, it seemed the Shura Anyakonsen-shou's eyes didn't register their presence at all. After a faint glance, he simply left.
From this day forward, no one in Inazuma would ever question the Shura Anyakonsen-shou's combat ability again.
The samurai only dared to start exchanging quiet, fragmented words long after watching the Shura Anyakonsen-shou's departing figure disappear.
...
"Ugh… Those samurai really don't look like people you want to mess with…"
The old uncle, who had once shared life-and-death bonds with thousands of wandering samurai, was now hugging little Ayaka and seeking comfort.
Meanwhile, little Shinobu stood somewhat helplessly behind the old uncle, massaging the shoulders of the Shura Anyakonsen-shou after he had taken off his armor.
Little Ayaka couldn't do much either. She simply placed both hands on the old uncle's and comforted his weary heart after going out to fight.
But for the old uncle, that was more than enough.
After being battered by the storms outside, the pure innocence of a cute child could always heal him.
"Alright, time to get back to work. Let me see what else needs to be done next…"
The old uncle felt his spirits had recovered more or less.
He patted little Ayaka's head, and she obediently climbed out of his embrace on her own. As she left, she didn't forget to drag little Shinobu along with her.
There was no helping it—when handling serious business, things were like this. Some matters still couldn't be let the children know about.
The old uncle began looking through today's documents.
Unexpectedly, he came across something related to himself.
"An Akademiya application for knowledge sharing?"
The old uncle looked at the submitted document with some confusion, then carefully read through it in detail.
As everyone knows, it's not unusual for Akademiya students to go anywhere on the Teyvat continent to gather material for their theses.
And the Shura Anyakonsen-shou's little cabin was, after all, quite the remarkable attraction.
Naturally, there were students who came looking for fresh thesis material under the guise of academic pursuit.
This particular student had spent three full days attending to a fox carrying a notebook until it was completely comfortable, successfully gaining permission to enter the little cabin and examine the research books left behind by the Shura Anyakonsen-shou.
"Study on Tactile Receptivity of Fox Species (Vulpes spp.) and Their Physiological Stress Responses"
This left the student utterly astonished.
The main reason being—don't forget—that when the old uncle wrote these notes, he had used the Akademiya's exact research format.
Moreover, foxes in Inazuma really weren't something Sumeru scholars had studied much, and research on how to ruffle foxes was genuinely something they had never seen before.
For a moment, the student almost thought the Shura Anyakonsen-shou was some veteran Akademiya predecessor. But after checking for a long time through lists of scholars who might have come to Inazuma, they couldn't find a single clue.
And now, this student had reported the matter to the mentor leading their team in Inazuma. The mentor believed this knowledge held inestimable value.
So now they were submitting an application directly to him, hoping to make a copy of his work and send it to the Akasha in the Akademiya.
Furthermore, this mentor stated that they were currently in contact with Sumeru's official authorities and hoped to arrange a meeting with the Shura Anyakonsen-shou to discuss the price of obtaining this knowledge.