In the early morning of Sakura Port, holographic notices about the Double-Sword Ritual played in loops on the electronic billboards, and passersby stopped to watch. Among the crowd, Shi Jin wore a loose white hoodie, light blue jeans, and white sneakers, looking like an ordinary high school student. He had black headphones on, seemingly listening to music, but his eyes quickly swept over his surroundings. In the corner of the square, two Shadow Ravens disguised as security guards were quietly observing the crowd, and beside the screen, water-element sensors glowed with faint blue light.
Shi Jin followed the crowd toward the cherry blossom garden, buying a cherry-blossom-flavored ice cream along the way. He ate while listening to the chatter around him.
"I heard the blood essence resonance at the Double-Sword Ritual is a secret ceremony of the Chiba family; it's never been shown to the public before!"
"Maybe we'll see the divine sword glow. I brought my camera specially!"
Shi Jin took a bite of the ice cream. The cold sweetness spread on his tongue, but he sneered inwardly. Blood essence resonance? It was probably a lie Chiba Jiang Yu had made up to lure him out.
At the entrance to the garden, Shi Jin threw the finished ice cream stick into the trash and looked up at the electronic ticket screen, which read "Double-Sword Ritual Entrance." Two uniformed staff beside it were checking tickets—actually Shadow Ravens in disguise. Shi Jin took out his pre-bought ticket and handed it over. His fingertip accidentally brushed the staff member's wrist, and the man stiffened almost imperceptibly, clearly sensing something. But Shi Jin walked into the garden as if nothing had happened.
Inside, colorful lanterns hung between pink cherry trees, and many residents took photos with their phones. Shi Jin found a spot near the central stage and stood still, his gaze passing over Chiba Jiang Yu and Jiang Na behind the stage. Jiang Yu wore a well-tailored dark blue suit, holding the case containing the Bo Bo Sword; Jiang Na wore a pale pink dress, with the Luo Fei Sword tied at her waist with a ribbon—formal yet youthful.
Shi Jin leaned against a cherry tree, pretending to check his phone. The screen showed scenery photos of Sakura Port, but his fingers tapped unconsciously on the glass—that was the rhythm of him circulating his magic. In the next second, an invisible wave of magic spread from his body like a fine net, silently covering the entire garden.
The flow of energy around him instantly became clear: the water-moisture sensors underground glowed with blue magic fluctuations, connecting to form a closed loop around the central stage. The magic of the Shadow Ravens, though deliberately restrained, shone like tiny dots of light under his detection. Most obvious were the auras from Jiang Yu and Jiang Na—the Bo Bo Sword like deep seawater, the Luo Fei Sword like blooming cherry blossoms, powerful yet stable.
Shi Jin's fingers stilled on the screen, and a playful smile tugged at his lips. Jiang Yu's trap was indeed tight, but he had forgotten that true magic detection required no high technology—only a sufficiently powerful magic core.
The Double-Sword Ritual officially began. The electronic lanterns in the garden suddenly went out, leaving only the spotlight in the center of the stage shining on Jiang Yu and Jiang Na. Jiang Yu slowly opened the case, and the blue light of the Bo Bo Sword stabbed sharply into the darkness. Jiang Na also untied the ribbon and grasped the hilt of the Luo Fei Sword.
At that moment, Shi Jin felt a faint vibration beneath his feet. The underground water-moisture sensors lit up at the same time, and blue magic lines instantly connected into a net, enveloping the entire stage.
But Shi Jin only smiled lightly. He had long noticed that the sensor in the northwest corner had reacted half a beat slower due to the earlier magic interference. At the instant the formation was about to close, his fingertip moved slightly. An invisible wisp of magic slid along the ground toward the gap, like a key gently twisting the sensor's core.
In the next second, the magic fluctuation of the entire formation distorted for a moment. Although it quickly returned to normal, Jiang Yu's hand holding the Bo Bo Sword still paused. He suddenly looked up, his gaze locking precisely onto Shi Jin's position, filled with vigilance and confusion.
Jiang Na also noticed her brother's abnormality and followed his gaze. She saw Shi Jin leaning against the cherry tree, waving gently at them as if just greeting them. But she could feel the faint, terrifyingly powerful magic radiating from him, making her grip on the sword tighten slightly.
Jiang Yu took a deep breath and suddenly raised his voice, addressing the entire crowd.
"Today, the two swords resonate for the peace of Sakura Port! If anyone harbors evil intentions, do not blame the Bo Bo Sword and Luo Fei Sword for being ruthless!"
His voice trembled with water power, silencing the residents.
Shi Jin listened and raised an eyebrow. In the next moment, he deliberately released a faint wisp of magic—one that was extremely similar to the fluctuation of the Luo Fei Sword, as if responding to it.
The Luo Fei Sword at Jiang Na's waist suddenly warmed slightly, and the cherry blossom pattern on the sheath even glowed pale pink. Jiang Na's face changed, and she instinctively pressed the hilt. Jiang Yu's eyes turned icy cold—he finally confirmed that Shi Jin was not only interested in the swords but might even have some kind of contract with the Luo Fei Sword.
Jiang Yu immediately realized that he could not fight in the crowd, or innocent people would be hurt. He suppressed his anger and signaled Jiang Na to sheathe her sword first. Then he turned back to the crowd and forced a smile.
"That was just the divine swords responding to the prayers in the port. There is no need for alarm. The resonance ceremony will continue backstage. Please feel free to explore the garden for now."
With that, he looked again at Shi Jin, his gaze carrying a warning, and transmitted his voice via magic so only the two of them could hear.
"Come with me backstage. Otherwise, I will have the Shadow Ravens evacuate everyone here. Then you and I will have no choice but to duel in an empty cherry blossom garden."
Shi Jin raised an eyebrow, knowing that Jiang Yu did not want to escalate the situation or harm the innocent. He shrugged indifferently, pushed himself off the cherry tree, hands in his pockets, and walked slowly toward the backstage. Jiang Na held the Luo Fei Sword, gave Shi Jin a complicated look, and followed Jiang Yu.
The residents around the stage were confused but dispersed. Only a few staff—Shadow Ravens in disguise—stared vigilantly at Shi Jin's back.
At the backstage entrance, pink cherry blossoms fell to the ground, forming a petal path. Shi Jin reached the door, glanced back at the Shadow Ravens dispersing the crowd, and smiled playfully. It seemed that the secrets surrounding the two swords were finally about to be fully revealed, backstage among the flying cherry blossoms.