Just as Severin had anticipated, the reason his encounter with the wandering samurai led them toward Tenshukaku was simple—
The man had come to challenge Kujou Sara.
"Have you ever heard of Musou no Hitotachi?"
"That strike represents the pinnacle of the Raiden Shogun's martial prowess—the ultimate symbol of power."
"But even that blade… may not be beyond reach."
Along the way, the wandering samurai spoke fervently, his words brimming with ambition.
The Mirror Maiden frowned instinctively.
Musou no Hitotachi—the Raiden Shogun's ultimate technique.
It was said that all who had witnessed it firsthand were dead.
This man truly did not know the immensity of heaven and earth—harboring delusions of challenging the Raiden Shogun herself.
Arrogant to the extreme.
And yet, the Prince beside her seemed genuinely intrigued.
He listened quietly, occasionally offering words of encouragement, as though indulging the samurai's lofty dreams.
His Highness truly stands apart from the mundane, she thought.
Kujou Sara had already been waiting before Tenshukaku.
Her gaze passed straight over the wandering samurai and locked onto Severin instead—alert, vigilant, as if facing a great enemy.
According to intelligence reports, the Prince of Snezhnaya possessed unfathomable strength.
Yet the man before her felt… ordinary.
So ordinary that she could not sense the slightest fluctuation of elemental power from him.
And it was precisely because of that—
She was on high alert.
From years of brutal battlefield experience, she knew this well:
The enemies you could not read were always the most dangerous.
"I've heard there is to be a Duel Before the Throne today," Severin said calmly.
"May I observe?"
"Of course," Kujou Sara replied after a pause.
"You are a distinguished guest of Inazuma."
Severin shook his head.
"General Kujou, I wasn't asking you."
"I was asking him."
The wandering samurai froze for a moment—then straightened, eyes filled with solemn respect.
"Please do as you wish, Your Highness.
To have you bear witness… would be my greatest honor."
The Prince of Snezhnaya's visit to Inazuma was no secret.
The samurai had heard of him long ago.
He simply hadn't imagined that the man he met by chance at an inn… was that Prince.
Given Severin's status, he had no need to seek permission at all.
Yet he had asked.
That alone was enough to earn the samurai's respect.
Severin's request was perfectly reasonable.
Kujou Sara had no grounds to refuse.
"It's merely a minor skirmish," she said coolly.
"I hope it won't bore Your Highness."
"General Kujou," Severin replied lightly,
"to make the duel more interesting, why not raise the difficulty a little?"
"I will provide guidance to the wandering samurai—from outside the arena."
Kujou Sara agreed without hesitation.
The difference in strength between the two combatants was vast.
The wandering samurai was nothing more than a reckless showman.
Even with the Prince's guidance, what could change?
At most, it would only prove that the Prince of Snezhnaya enjoyed meddling in trivial affairs.
Besides—
This was a perfect opportunity to probe the Prince's true capabilities.
Before Tenshukaku, the dueling platform quickly filled with spectators.
Duels Before the Throne were rare to begin with.
With the Prince of Snezhnaya now involved, excitement reached a fever pitch.
"That's General Kujou—the strongest warrior of the Shogunate Army! That blind fool is dead for sure."
"I've heard the Fatui say the Prince of Snezhnaya is mysterious and terrifying, but absolute strength decides everything. No amount of guidance can change that."
"I bet he won't last ten rounds."
"One round," someone laughed. "That poor bastard will be begging on the ground."
Amid the clamoring crowd, drums thundered.
The Duel Before the Throne began.
"Tengu Archery!"
Kujou Sara drew her bow in one fluid motion.
Five arrows tore through the air, sonic booms exploding as they flew.
The wandering samurai refused to yield.
The Electro Vision at his waist flared with lightning, his aura transforming as he slashed forward—
But the sword light was weak.
The power behind it was clearly insufficient.
The Mirror Maiden's heart leapt into her throat. She nearly screamed.
Kujou Sara's assault was merciless.
Any one of those arrows would spell death for the samurai.
A Shogunate general, through and through—decisive, ruthless, striking to kill.
The gap between them was overwhelming.
His Highness may have miscalculated…
"Three steps left. Two steps back.
Angle the blade—thrust diagonally!"
At the critical moment, Severin's voice rang out clearly.
The wandering samurai followed the command instantly.
By a hair's breadth, he avoided all five arrows—then hurled his blade forward, aiming straight for Kujou Sara's face.
Her offensive collapsed.
Worse still, she was forced onto the defensive.
The Prince of Snezhnaya was no simple spectator.
In a single instant, he had identified the flaw in her attack and guided the samurai to exploit it.
Such insight alone was enough to prove how terrifying he was.
Kujou Sara dared not relax for even a moment, focusing all her strength on the fight.
Yet after more than fifty exchanges—
The samurai's blade finally shattered the tengu mask upon her head.
"General Kujou," Severin said casually, popping a grape into his mouth,
"lasting fifty rounds is already quite impressive."
Kujou Sara clenched her teeth.
Unwilling as she was, the rules left her no choice but to concede.
"Don't celebrate too soon," she said coldly to the samurai.
"Without the Prince of Snezhnaya, you'd already be a corpse."
"Thank you, General, for showing mercy."
The wandering samurai spoke sincerely, casting a grateful look toward Severin on the stands.
Even now, it all felt unreal.
Then—
The sky darkened.
Black clouds blotted out the sun as thunder rolled across the heavens.
"Shogun."
Bathed in violet lightning, Kujou Sara dropped to one knee.
The crowd.
The Shogunate soldiers.
All knelt as one.
Severin and the Mirror Maiden did not kneel.
Neither did the wandering samurai.
Purple gentian blossoms.
A violet sash at the waist.
Black-and-gold pauldrons.
Dark stockings.
And eyes—deep, unfathomable violet.
Each appearance of the Raiden Shogun left a lasting impression on Severin.
But this time—
This was no longer a two-dimensional world.
This was a true encounter.
The wandering samurai stared straight ahead.
Despite his legs trembling uncontrollably beneath the overwhelming pressure, blazing resolve burned in his eyes.
The Duel Before the Throne had only been a pretext.
His true purpose… was to stand before the Raiden Shogun herself.
"Challenger," the Raiden Shogun said coldly,
"you relied on external aid, violating the principle of fairness."
"Such a crime… merits death."
A death sentence, delivered on the spot.
"Shogun—!"
The samurai drew his sword, unleashing everything he had—his life, his conviction—into a single strike aimed at the immovable figure before him.
"Your wish… is granted."
Light erupted from the Raiden Shogun's chest.
A blade emerged, and with it—
A devastating arc of lightning shot forth.
Musou no Hitotachi.
Despair and suffocation gripped every soul present.
Yet when the blinding sword light faded—
The wandering samurai still stood.
With his own blade, he had blocked Musou no Hitotachi.
Silence fell.
Utter, absolute silence.
The Raiden Shogun's gaze sharpened.
She looked past the samurai—straight at Severin, eyes filled with divine disdain.
"Prince of Snezhnaya."
"Inazuma's divine authority…
is not to be challenged."
Only then did the people of Inazuma realize what had happened.
Just moments ago—
It had been the Prince of Snezhnaya who intervened, blocking Musou no Hitotachi on the samurai's behalf.
In Inazuma's entire history—
This was the first time anyone had ever withstood the Raiden Shogun's ultimate strike.
At this moment—
Everyone bore witness to history.
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