Chapter 273: Next Time, Just Use a Sunsettia
[Vision]
It is the proof bestowed solely upon those chosen by the gods—those fated to change the world.
For some reason, the gods hand mortals a key capable of rewriting everything… yet never mention the price required to wield it.
And that so-called price may very well be more than any Allogenes could ever bear.
. . .
Watching the few people by the campfire gradually drift into sleep, Bai Luo dragged the unconscious Shinobu out of the bushes and placed her beside Itto.
After brushing the grass off her hair, he looked at her peaceful sleeping face, and a stab of guilt pricked at his heart.
Such a good kid… and he smacks her around every day.
Kinda miserable when you think about it.
And the Arataki Gang only has this one brain to go around.
If he really knocked it dull one day, that would be a huge loss.
Adding a few more pieces of firewood to the flames, Bai Luo turned toward Inazuma City.
Next time, he really should use a gentler approach—something like… a Sunsettia.
As long as it doesn't kill them outright, he should probably stick to it.
Otherwise, who knows, his Myriad Manifestation Umbrella might one day end up with a new throwing weapon called [Sunsettia] tucked inside.
After hearing Itto describe what it felt like to lose a Vision, Bai Luo felt he understood the nature of Visions a little more.
"A Vision, huh?"
He pulled out from the inside of his clothes a fake Anemo Vision made of glass—so convincing that, aside from being unable to resonate with any element, it could almost pass as the real thing.
Based on what he'd observed, the statue in Inazuma City had quite a few of these fake Visions embedded in it.
He had crafted this glass bauble to hide the fact that he could use strange powers without any Vision at all.
Looking at it now… he'd been a complete joke back then.
The Doctor's attention, the Tsaritsa's promotion, the Rooster's kindness, the Jester's gaze… All of it meant one thing:
They had long known he was something different.
It was precisely because he was different that they treated him so unusually.
They even elevated him to the nonexistent twelfth seat among the Eleven Fatui Harbingers—
The Ausbilder.
Then… wouldn't it make sense to interpret it this way?
He wasn't unable to activate a Vision because he lacked the qualification to be chosen by a god.
Perhaps he simply already possessed an elemental system far beyond this world—perhaps a power that surpassed even the seven elements themselves.
His system, for example.
The true damage that ignored divine defenses; the train that forcibly launched Chiyo into the air; the quantum state that left little Columbina—no, even the gods—completely helpless.
All of it seemed to exist far above the seven elements.
Increasing the pressure in his hand, the fake Vision crumbled into fragments, scattering like glitter beneath the moonlight.
"Sorry, Teppei. This may hurt a little. But it's for you—and for me. Let me find out what this thing called a Vision is hiding."
He looked up again at the moon above.
The full moon looked almost unreal; the starry river glittered, yet every star moved along a predetermined path—unchanged across countless epochs.
"One day… I'll tear this false sky apart."
After declaring that signature line, Bai Luo placed his mask over his face and vanished into the moonlit plains.
. . .
"This necklace—I specifically asked Yae Miko for it. She cast some kind of fox magic on it, so it can temporarily change your voice. But try not to talk unless absolutely necessary. Just smile and wave."
"Pull your collar a little lower. It's fake anyway, so showing more doesn't matter. If you cover it with your hand at the right moment, you'll look even more eye-catching."
"And make sure the wig is on properly. Honestly, you should just grow out your own hair. It would be more… ahem, convenient to take care of."
"The makeup turned out decent, but compared to a real professional, you're still lacking. I'll call over the makeup artist I borrowed from Yae Miko later. Whatever she tells you to do—you do it. No objections."
"And don't hide your tail! One of Miss Hina's biggest charm points is that fluffy tail of yours. Make sure it's placed somewhere nice and obvious."
Gorou—currently dressed up as Miss Hina—sat properly at the edge of the bed, listening to Lord Battosai lecture.
The more he listened, the more wrong everything felt.
Long hair is easy to manage? Who's he trying to fool? I mean, I'm not a yokai—but I am a dog.
As someone with canine traits, Gorou knew exactly how troublesome fur maintenance was. Let alone hair this ridiculously long.
But when Lord Battosai told him he'd have a chance to dine that night with a major figure in the Shogunate, he forced himself to endure it.
Lord Battosai was doing all this for the Resistance—running around, pulling strings, even paying a significant personal price to secure such an opportunity from the Grand Narukami Shrine's Guuji.
And the price Gorou had to pay in return… was simply to smile and wave?
Honestly, he felt like he was getting the better end of the deal.
People like Lord Battosai were rare. He absolutely could not betray his expectations.
"Mr. Bai? Are you inside?"
A knock at the door snapped both Bai Luo and Gorou to attention.
Bai Luo sensed the visitor's aura—and his expression froze.
Oh hell. Yae Miko!
While lecturing Gorou earlier, he hadn't noticed at all that she had snuck in as well.
Clearly, she didn't want to miss out on this spectacle.
"That should be the makeup artist. I'll get the door."
After calming the slightly panicked Gorou, Bai Luo stood and opened it.
Outside stood an ordinary-looking Inazuma woman in a traditional kimono. The type who would vanish instantly into a crowd. And yet… something about her felt unmistakably distinct.
After three seconds of eye contact, her expression shifted.
From Bai Luo's gaze, she knew—he had seen through her disguise.
From Yae Miko's gaze, Bai Luo knew—she had recognized him instantly.
In short… Their knives were already at each other's throats.
As expected of Bai Luo—she had pushed her kitsune shapeshifting to the extreme, and he still spotted her at a glance.
Also… was he younger than before? That baby face of his made her feel an itchy urge to pinch it.
"Come in."
Bai Luo stepped aside to let her enter.
Before the hot spring incident, he would've pretended not to recognize her and toyed with her a bit. But after knowing her longer, he understood one truth:
This fox was unlike anyone else—sharper, slyer, far more dangerous. And who would be toying with whom in the end… was far from guaranteed.
Besides, Bai Luo planned to focus his attention on Teppei and uncovering the secrets of the Vision. He had no brain cells to spare for teasing a mischievous little fox.
So unless he had absolute certainty, he would at most trade verbal jabs—never engage her head-on.
"My, my. We girls have things to discuss. Shouldn't Mr. Bai step outside for a bit?"
Seeing Gorou's face flushed bright red, Yae Miko's tails almost popped out of her clothes from excitement.
He actually brought the canine general here.
How delightfully amusing.
"As Miss Hina's bodyguard, I think it's necessary for me to stay."
Like he'd leave Yae Miko alone with Gorou.
That was like locking a bone and a husky together inside a house.
Sure, the bone might be fine—but the house absolutely wouldn't survive.
"Oh my… I heard the Kujou family pond has been raising some very plump fish lately."
"..."
. . . . .
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