Chapter 12: Have You Heard of the Musou no Hitotachi?
Tn: This chapter is re-written at 5 / 19 / 2025
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A slow, lingering melody drifted gently on the wind, carried far into the distance.
Even the noisy birds had quieted down, perching softly on nearby branches, listening as though captivated by the soul-soothing tune.
It was hard to believe that such a beautiful melody could come from something as ordinary as a simple leaf.
The boy didn't say anything, but Bai Luo could see the reluctance in his eyes.
Especially after he noticed the emblem of the Fatui on Bai Luo's attire.
Clutching a white cat in his arms, the younger boy kept his distance, trailing far behind the other one. He clearly didn't want to join their conversation.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
The older boy walking beside Bai Luo was much calmer and more composed. His tone was casual, but there was a certain weight behind his words—half inquiry, half observation.
He seemed friendly enough on the surface, but the way he handed the cat off to his companion earlier told Bai Luo he was more cautious than he let on.
Without the cat in his arms, it'd be a lot easier to draw his blade.
"Oh? What gave it away?"
There wasn't much physical difference between people from Liyue and Inazuma, not enough for an outsider to notice easily.
"In Inazuma, no one dares to wear their Vision out in the open like that," the boy replied with a slight smile, nodding toward the Delusion hanging at Bai Luo's waist.
"It's like you want people to know you can use elemental power. That's dangerous here."
Even he and his closest friend had gotten hunted down by the Shogunate's troops just for accidentally activating a bit of elemental energy.
The Vision Hunt Decree was no joke.
"If they want it, they can have it," Bai Luo shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."
After all, he never used his Delusion.
He had no particular attachment to it.
What he was curious about, though, was whether Her Majesty would be upset if he lost it.
Unlike regular Delusions scattered across the land, the one he wore was special—bestowed personally by the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya and given to him by the Director of the Harbinger, The Jester.
It wasn't just a power source. It was a mark of identity. An honor.
"You're rather carefree about it. But you're not wrong."
The older boy gave a small, admiring laugh.
"A Vision isn't the source of our strength—it's proof of it. It represents a mortal's will to keep moving forward.
"But for us samurai, our strength lies in the blade."
There was a trace of genuine envy in his voice—not feigned, not masked.
Bai Luo's nonchalant attitude toward losing his Vision made him feel... wistful.
If only he could be that detached.
But if someone took his Vision, they'd also be taking his dream.
And dreams meant hope.
And right now, this nation—this land ruled by the Raiden Shogun—needed hope more than ever.
Because if even hope disappeared, then this so-called "eternity" would be nothing but a never-ending hell.
"…Tell me, Outlander," the samurai said, suddenly stopping and looking toward the horizon, hand resting gently on the hilt of his blade.
"Have you ever heard of the Musou no Hitotachi?"
Bai Luo's expression stiffened.
He hadn't just heard of it.
In the game, he'd watched a very tall, very white, and a very thick companion die under that very blade.
And judging by how things were going now…
Rather than La Signora, the one who's going to face it might be him.
"Of course I've heard of it," Bai Luo replied. "In fact… I've been thinking. How exactly can one survive a strike like that?"
"…Oh?"
The boy raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The Musou no Hitotachi—the ultimate technique of the Raiden Shogun. The apex of swordsmanship. The embodiment of power.
It only appeared when the Divine Punishment was delivered.
He had thought no one else shared the same reckless desire to face that blade—not willingly, at least.
And yet here stood a stranger, someone who might even be a Fatui agent responsible for worsening the situation in Inazuma, speaking like they were kindred spirits.
"Sooner or later, I'll have to face it," Bai Luo said simply.
"…Yeah. One day, we all will."
The same words.
But each held a different meaning.
One couldn't avoid it.
The other didn't want to avoid it.
"Can I ask you something?" Bai Luo asked, glancing over at the older boy who had gradually opened up to him during their journey.
"Go ahead."
"What's your name?"
That, after all, was one of the main reasons Bai Luo had decided to travel with them in the first place.
Damn you, Mihoyo.
You kill people off and don't even give them a name.
Even if he couldn't save the boy, Bai Luo felt he should at least ask for his name.
But—
"Ask me anything else… just not that," the boy replied, his expression clouding with discomfort.
It was a dangerous time to be honest with strangers. In an age like this, giving your real name to someone you'd just met was like inviting trouble to your door.
And this boy—he wasn't the type to lie, nor did he seem like someone who could lie.
So...
"…Forget it. No need to force it," Bai Luo said calmly, backing off without pressure.
He knew better than anyone that his identity on this continent wasn't exactly… respectable.
Being part of the Fatui was enough to make people keep their distance.
And he wasn't just any member—he was one of the Harbingers, a high-ranking executioner in service to the Tsaritsa.
Just imagine what would happen if he were caught picking raspberries in Liyue—Ganyu might show up and hit him with a Qilin Beam for stepping in with the wrong foot.
Still, his easygoing attitude seemed to ease the boy's suspicions.
Their conversation grew more relaxed from then on.
But every journey has its end. Especially one between strangers brought together by coincidence.
Eventually, at a fork in the road, they had to part ways.
"If you ever run into trouble," Bai Luo said, "come find me on Ritou. I'll likely be staying there for a while."
He meant it.
With his authority as a Fatui Harbinger, as long as the Raiden Shogun hadn't personally ordered their arrest, he could easily offer them protection.
"Life is like a winding mountain path—full of hardship, but the summit is still within reach," the older boy replied, gently taking the white cat back from his friend.
"We're grateful for the offer. If fate wills it, we'll meet again."
Maybe it was Bai Luo's sincerity, or maybe the boy was simply moved by the parting moment. Either way, he seemed to lower his guard at the last second.
Even so… his name remained a mystery.
"Fate, huh…" Bai Luo murmured to himself, watching as the two figures faded into the forest.
The older boy had pulled his straw hat back on, and the two were soon swallowed up by the shadows of the trees.
Bai Luo shrugged.
Would fate bring them together again?
He wasn't sure.
But if he wanted to find them again, it wouldn't be hard.
He had already marked them with Silver back on the road.
If they ever entered a certain radius around him, he'd be able to sense their presence instantly.
Fortunately, the type of marker Silver used didn't come with any limits. Otherwise, at the rate he used them, he'd have run out of marks long ago.
Only when the boys had completely vanished from his perception did Bai Luo turn and continue on his own path.
. . . . . . . . . .
Ritou, before the Sakoku Decree, had once been a famous tourist spot in Inazuma.
As the gateway into the nation, it had always been considered its welcome mat.
The red maple leaves and pale blue roof tiles wove together in a picturesque harmony.
But the people here—unlike the scenery—were far from serene.
It wasn't just the foreign merchants stranded here.
Even the native Inazumans had worry etched across their faces.
The Sakoku Decree had cut off all overseas trade, and those who had once made their living from tourism or commerce now had no income at all.
Some families were even returning to the old ways—taking up fishing again just to survive.
And even so, the Tenryou Commission's soldiers still found ways to exploit them.
Being Inazuman didn't mean you were safe from their reach.
Right now, on the road between Ritou and Narukami Island, a blond young man stood in the soldiers' path.
He looked foreign—clearly not from Inazuma—but was dressed in traditional Inazuman attire, fitted tight for combat.
Most noticeable of all was the Pyro Vision hanging openly at his waist.
Just like that boy had said earlier—
In Inazuma, almost no one dared to flaunt a Vision like that anymore.
The only ones who did were either people like Bai Luo, who simply didn't care, or those with power.