Bonus for 100 PS. (Not up to 100 yet, but I'm dropping in advance, xD)
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The day before the coronation ceremony.
Daimyo Manor, Main Hall.
The hall was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.
Hundreds of attendants and ceremonial officials moved about, yet the entire place was silent.
Everyone's face carried a solemn expression.
Arashi stood on the high platform in the center of the main hall.
He wore a layered Jūnihitoe robe embroidered with golden flame patterns that shimmered in the candlelight.
Two elderly ceremonial officials knelt before him, carefully adjusting the hem of his robe.
"Your Highness, for tomorrow's ceremony, you must enter through the Suzakumon Gate and walk ninety-nine steps."
"When ascending the platform, your left foot must go first, symbolizing the treading down of the old and the creation of a new chapter."
Chief ceremonial official Yamano's voice was aged and respectful, explaining every detail, afraid of even the smallest mistake.
He had already repeated these instructions to Arashi no less than ten times.
Arashi stood motionless, his expression blank, letting them adjust his attire.
These tedious rituals were utterly boring to him.
Compared to the coronation itself, tomorrow's grand performance of "executing the tyrant" would be far more interesting.
But to make that performance convincing, he had to play his part well.
The young ruler about to take control of the world.
His gaze drifted unconsciously toward the west side of the city.
West of the city, underground waterways.
This place was like another world entirely.
A foul stench filled the damp air.
Water dripped steadily from cracks in the stone ceiling, splashing into the murky channels below.
In a corner, a fire flickered weakly.
Over two hundred samurai and ronin sat or stood nearby, silently wiping their weapons.
The unsteady firelight reflected off their blades, illuminating their crazed faces.
They were remnants of defeated factions from the succession struggle.
Desperate men who had already gambled everything and lost.
Saionji Takashi stood on a raised platform, frowning as he looked down at the foul water below.
His thoughts were as chaotic as the sewage.
Unease gnawed at him.
A deep, restless unease.
Behind him came the sound of labored breathing.
Chiba Shu's eyes were bloodshot, his face flushed with feverish excitement.
He stared fixedly at the only passage leading upward, like a wild beast caged too long, both restless and eager.
"Uncle, do you think... we can really trust Danzō?"
His voice was hoarse, trembling with conflicting emotions.
Trust?
Saionji Takashi sneered inwardly.
He knew better than anyone that a schemer like Danzō was simply using them.
They were just a blade.
And once used, a blade could easily be discarded.
But they had no other path left.
Saionji said nothing, merely lifting his gaze toward the distant Daimyo Manor.
Daimyo Manor, Main Hall.
"When receiving the Royal Seal, you must raise it high above your head with both hands, then turn to face the civil and military officials, and face all the people under heaven."
Yamano continued his endless explanations.
As he turned to adjust the long sash behind Arashi's robe, and no one was watching, Kiyotsuki Yui, who stood quietly nearby, slipped out through a hidden side door.
Her movements were quick, and she held a small folded paper in her hand.
In an unnoticed corner of the corridor, she passed the note to an old servant trimming a bonsai, then calmly returned to her place.
The entire exchange took less than a dozen breaths.
When she resumed her position, her breathing was steady, her face unchanged, as if she had never moved at all.
None of the guards or ceremonial officials noticed.
Only Arashi, standing silently on the platform, revealed the faintest smile, one filled with amusement.
He made no sound and did not even glance in her direction, as though nothing had happened.
The subtle expression vanished in an instant.
His consciousness spread outward from the Daimyo Manor, flowing across the city like a tide.
He began observing other, more interesting lights.
At the Konoha annex, Minato's light shone brightly and steady. He was buried in Hokage paperwork, a diligent young man.
Hiruzen's light was dimmer. He sat alone in his room, quietly smoking his pipe.
And Danzō's light flickered coldly, like an ominous star.
He was waiting too, deep in the sewers.
"Still no word?"
Chiba Shu suddenly turned and grabbed Saionji Takashi's arm, his nails digging into flesh.
"The man we planted in the City Guard said he'd deliver the final defense map for the ceremony today!"
"Don't rush," Saionji replied, forcing calm. "At a time like this, you must keep your head."
"Calm? How can I be calm?"
Chiba Shu shoved him away, his face twisting in hysteria.
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow is that bastard's coronation! If we fail, we all die!"
"I don't want to die! I am the true Daimyo! That throne is mine, mine!"
His roar echoed through the narrow tunnel.
The outlaws around him turned their heads, their eyes filled with a mix of pity and scorn.
A wave of helplessness washed over Saionji.
Was this truly the man he had chosen to follow?
At that moment, a faint whistle sounded in the distance.
It was their agreed signal.
Everyone tensed, their eyes snapping toward the dark end of the tunnel.
A man in civilian clothes stumbled toward them, his face glowing with excitement.
"Sir! Shu-sama! We got it! The defense map has been obtained!"
He presented a scroll as if offering a sacred treasure.
Chiba Shu snatched it eagerly and unrolled it.
Saionji leaned in close.
The scroll detailed the guard deployment for tomorrow's ceremony, the patrol routes, even the shift changes.
"Excellent!"
Chiba Shu's eyes gleamed with feverish light.
"Look here! The east tower has the weakest defense. Our men can break through from there."
"And here, when Arashi ascends the platform, he'll only have twelve guards. We have just one chance!"
He jabbed his finger at the map, his voice rising with excitement.
The air in the tunnel ignited.
The outlaws' eyes burned with sudden fervor.
But as Saionji examined the overly detailed map, his unease deepened.
Too smooth.
Everything was going too smoothly.
He pressed for the map's source, and when he learned it had been delivered by Yui, he finally exhaled in relief.
Maybe he was just imagining things.
Daimyo Manor, Main Hall.
The rehearsal had ended.
The ceremonial officials and attendants withdrew.
Only Arashi and Yui remained.
Arashi had shed the heavy robes and changed into his usual clothes, finally feeling at ease.
He walked slowly to the hall's great doors and pushed them open.
The night wind swept in, cool and clean.
He looked down at the glowing city below.
Countless lights stretched into the distance, forming a sea of gold.
His gaze drifted past the rooftops and settled on the darkened west side of the city.
"The stage is set."
His calm voice carried on the night breeze.
Yui stood behind him, head bowed, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
She thought he was reflecting on the ceremony.
But something felt wrong.
Arashi suddenly smiled, his tone laced with mockery.
"The bait has been cast, and the fish have taken it."
Yui froze.
What bait? What fish?
"Do you know why I kept you by my side?" Arashi's voice echoed softly.
Her lips parted, but she said nothing.
He chuckled quietly. "You think it's because of your beauty, don't you?"
He shook his head, his tone faintly pitying.
"Would a ruler keep an enemy close just for a pretty face?"
"Kiyotsuki Yui, you overestimate yourself and underestimate me."
A chill shot down her spine.
Enemy?
He even knew she was his enemy!
"You are beautiful, but that's all."
"In the world of power, beauty is the most useless thing."
Arashi turned, the moonlight outlining his sharp features and deep, unreadable eyes.
He walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. His touch was gentle, but his gaze was icy cold.
"Now, we just wait for those rats hiding in the sewers to crawl into the cage I prepared."
"And to that, I should thank you."
"If not for you, this play wouldn't have started so soon."
Each word struck her like a knife.
Only now did she understand.
The note she risked her life to send, the message she believed would change fate—it had all been part of his trap.
He had never tried to stop her. He had simply let the trap spring shut on its own.
An icy dread crept through her as her body trembled violently.
A devil. He was a devil.
Arashi watched her despair as though admiring a work of art.
Moments later, he turned away.
"Guards."
"Take her away."
"Once the rats are caught, I'll deal with her myself."
(To be continued.)
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