"That night, I had just gotten 'off work' from the Tenryou Commission—let's just call it that," Shikanoin Heizou said animatedly, with the vibrant energy of a young detective. "I was thinking of heading home when I bumped into a suspicious-looking man." He shook his head proudly, as if everything was under his control. "Oh my, he probably thought he was acting normal? But in the eyes of a detective, the words 'suspicious' were practically carved on his forehead."
"So I followed him," the young detective said with a shrug, his tone a mix of amusement and resignation. "And what do you know, the guy went out to sea in the middle of the night. To keep up with him, I had to swim the whole way with just my two arms!" Finding a boat would have taken time and been easy to spot, so the confident detective chose a more 'direct' method—trusting his own stamina and luck.
"I swam until my arms felt like they weren't mine anymore, and then I saw the guy on the boat meet up with a group of people in what looked like some kind of elemental gear, and they even took out something that looked like an accessory—" he shrugged, looking helpless. "A pity. It was dark and far away, so I couldn't see clearly."
"I was thinking of sneaking onto the island for a look, but there were patrol boats and people one after another. I had no choice. I was originally going to Watatsumi Island to catch my breath, but I happened to run into the tense atmosphere here, and well, I was 'invited' to stay."
He first spread his hands, then, like emptying a bamboo tube of beans, he spilled all the information he had—the island's location, shape, everything he could say, making up for the days he hadn't been able to talk much. For him, being under house arrest wasn't a bad thing. Though he missed out on some fun, at least he didn't have to worry about the war. Besides, he couldn't go to the battlefield anyway; his Vision would probably be taken away immediately.
For Muramasa, this was like a pillow for a sleepy head, instantly filling a crucial information gap. "Thank you. That was a great help."
The most efficient way to confirm the truth of the information was to go there in person. His body tensed, almost about to disappear on the spot—
"Please wait." Sangonomiya Kokomi, who had been listening quietly, spoke up in time. Her voice was gentle yet carried a weight that could not be ignored. "How do you plan to get there?"
Muramasa paused, thinking for a moment. "That distance? I'll just swim. I could also take a boat... but I'm not good at that." He said it lightly, but it was clear the distance was not as easy for him as he made it out to be. Otherwise, he could have just thrown his demon blade and dematerialized to the other side, just as he had done to get to Watatsumi Island.
"According to this doushin, I'm afraid the boat would alert the enemy as soon as it got close," Kokomi analyzed with clear logic. Though Muramasa had come for personal reasons, he was now a guest of Watatsumi Island. "However, a long-distance swim would also be a huge drain on your stamina. And since the enemy has been lying in wait for a long time, and is specifically here for you, they have probably made many preparations. Rushing in would be disadvantageous. If you were to be ambushed in the water, you would be at a great disadvantage, wouldn't you?"
Muramasa understood. Fighting in the water was like fighting in the air, and neither was his specialty. He also heard the deeper concern in her voice—she was worried about him going alone. Even if he felt fine, she had never seen him in action and naturally couldn't be at ease.
"Therefore," a determined look appeared on Kokomi's serene face, "please allow me to accompany you on this punitive expedition. This is not just your personal matter; it is also my duty as the leader of Watatsumi Island." Having those dangerous people stationed in the nearby waters was a huge threat to them, and she was not comfortable with him facing an unknown battle alone. As for how to approach silently, she had her ways.
…
The moonlight was softened by thin clouds, casting a scattered, cold brilliance on the dark blue surface of the sea, laying out a shimmering but indistinct silver plate. Muramasa and Kokomi were now moving under the moonlight, one in front of the other.
"This feeling… is rather strange."
Muramasa was not sprinting at full speed but maintaining a pace that allowed the person behind him to keep up. They were not on land, but on the shimmering surface of the sea.
"Please proceed without worry." Kokomi was like a deep-sea spirit, her feet suspended in the air, lightly 'floating' above the surface of the sea. An invisible force of water seemed to gently support her. As the Divine Priestess, her affinity for and control over the ocean were like that of the Narukami Shrine's maiden to the Sacred Sakura—a blessing from the deep sea.
This power not only allowed him to run on the sea as if it were flat ground, but also allowed her to float freely above the waves. This blessing was also one of the reasons they had chosen to travel at night. With the blessing of the deep sea, Kokomi, in limited visibility, could sense her surroundings through the sea's surface. This way, they didn't have to worry about being discovered.
Not only can she let me run on the sea, but she can also float on it herself? Muramasa glanced at her, roughly sensing her special nature.
"Please be careful," Kokomi's voice came from behind, carrying the unique calmness of the ocean. "I can already sense the presence of the island ahead."
They had already traveled a considerable distance. The sea fog ahead seemed to have thickened, vaguely outlining a huge and silent silhouette. In the air, besides the salty smell of the sea, there was also a faint, ominous aura.
"Understood." Muramasa replied in a low voice and drew the demon blade from his waist. Unlike before, when just touching it would cause a numbing tremor, the blade, now housing someone's wish, was surprisingly quiet. Even swinging it would not meet with the same resistance as 'that time'.
"I'll go first."
He gave a brief nod to the figure behind him without turning his head, and his body began to move. He leaned forward slightly, his legs bent to gather power, and then he stomped on the surface of the sea like a boulder falling into it! In that instant, a massive force exploded. The sea beneath his feet was like being hit by a giant hammer, and a huge wave several meters high erupted, the water splashing down like a torrential rain.
Using this violent recoil, his figure instantly disappeared from the surface of the sea. A moment later, his figure had appeared in mid-air!
His body hung in the air for a brief moment, his gaze turning downwards—on the island, a huge fortress built of cold metal, rough stone, and strange pipes rose up, making it almost impossible to tell which was the main body, the island or the factory. There were many people below. According to that blue-haired man from the Yashiro Commission, none of the three commissions had received a report of a factory being built here—at least not through official channels. And it was equipped with such a degree of armament without any notification.
Then, even if he destroyed it completely, they couldn't have any complaints, right!
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