Before Tenshukaku, under the stunned gazes of the watching citizens of Inazuma, the Shogunate soldiers, and Kujou Sara, the Raiden Shogun's blade shattered three swords and finally struck the swordsman.
Before their astonished eyes, his blood sprayed into the sky, and his broken body was hurled away.
In his final moment, as his consciousness faded, he seemed to hear a familiar voice—his friend Kazuha's voice. But he took it for a deathbed illusion. In his mind, Kazuha would have already boarded the ship leaving Narukami Island for Watatsumi Island, escaping the Vision Hunt Decree and finding freedom.
In that last instant, he wanted to say something, but his fading consciousness could not form words. His body, his mouth, felt frozen—no longer his own. Nothing moved.
I'm sorry, Kazuha. I broke our promise. I can't train with you anymore. I hope that after you leave Narukami Island, you will be free from the Vision Hunt Decree and find true freedom.
And so, his body traced a perfect arc through the air and crashed like a corpse at the gates of Tenshukaku before all the onlookers. A warning to all who would challenge the Raiden Shogun, who would obstruct the Vision Hunt Decree.
As he hit the ground, the gem hanging at his waist—his Vision—was knocked loose by the impact and flew toward the crowd. His broken body rolled several times, coming to rest facing the spectators, his eyes still open, staring vacantly.
The onlookers gasped and stepped back.
That backward movement allowed Kazuha, who had been desperately pushing through the crowd, to finally break free. He saw his friend lying on the ground, lifeless. In the distance, the Raiden Shogun; Kujou Sara, her expression grim; and hundreds of Shogunate soldiers. Kazuha froze.
Why? Had he arrived too late?
He stared blankly at his friend's blood-soaked body, unable to believe it. Just yesterday, they had agreed to leave Narukami Island together, to go to Watatsumi Island and escape the Vision Hunt Decree. Why had he suddenly challenged the Raiden Shogun?
The moment they saw Kazuha, all the Shogunate soldiers inside Tenshukaku drew their blades and pointed them at him. One order from the Shogun or Kujou Sara, and they would seize him.
Just then, the gem that had flown from the swordsman's waist arced through the air and landed before Kazuha. As if by fate. As if arranged by the gods. The Vision, its light fading, fell precisely into Kazuha's hand.
But Kazuha could only stare ahead—at his fallen friend, a horrific wound nearly cleaving him in two. In the distance, sword fragments still quivered on the ground, their polished surfaces reflecting sunlight. At the center of the courtyard stood the invincible, unassailable Shogun, and hundreds of soldiers with blades all pointed at Kazuha.
For a moment, he was lost, unsure what to do. He wanted to rush forward, to save his friend, to lift him from the cold ground. He started to.
But then, as he raised a foot, he froze. He saw his friend's lips move slightly. He seemed to hear a voice.
"Run. Run. Take my wish and leave Inazuma."
Kazuha did not know if it was his friend's dying whisper or his own imagination. But the moment he sensed that voice, his body seemed to move on its own. His raised foot withdrew. His hand clenched his friend's Vision. Before the stunned crowd, he turned and pushed through the people, running just as desperately as he had come, clutching that Vision—the source of his friend's wish.
Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
Friend, I'm sorry. I came too late. I couldn't save you. But I cannot let the Raiden Shogun embed your wish into that cold statue.
Using the power of his own Vision, he ran with all his might. He had arrived too late to save his friend, but he would protect his friend's wish. He would not let the Shogun take it.
Kazuha's sudden move caught everyone off guard. No one had expected a young man to burst from the crowd and seize the Vision.
Kujou Sara immediately moved to pursue. "That wandering samurai—he is also a Vision holder. Your Excellency, allow me to retrieve that Vision."
She was already troubled, and this unexpected turn only added to her unease. After a moment's hesitation, she remembered her duty: to enforce the Vision Hunt Decree. To retrieve lost Visions.
But when she looked to the Shogun for permission, the Shogun remained silent, as if she had heard nothing. She stood motionless, her beautiful, cold eyes not on Kujou Sara, but on the fallen swordsman. There was confusion in her gaze. A flicker of sorrow.
And even—a trace of regret.
But why was she sad? Why did she feel regret?
The Raiden Shogun did not understand.