Chapter 8 Always by Your Side

Ei stood on the high platform of the Tenshukaku, looking down at Seino Sara in the hall below, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Or rather, a sense of familiarity.

A feeling of having been here before.

A slightly chilly breeze brushed against her cheek.

Snow fell like cherry blossoms, drifting gently into the hall, melting instantly. On the steps outside, a finger-thick layer of snow had already accumulated. It was the season of all-encompassing whiteness.

The snow's color blended with the sunlight, making it hard to see clearly.

But the first time Ei met him was in the height of summer.

It was also in the ancient and solemn hall of Tenshukaku, with her standing on the high platform.

At that time, she wasn't yet the Raiden Shogun who wielded Inazuma's thunder.

She was her sister's shadow, a warrior obsessed with martial arts.

Ei still remembered the weather that day. The scorching sunlight stirred up restless heat waves, the air was thick and hazy. What was alive were the green leaves of tall trees and the hoarse cicada songs, with a fragrant wind like a painting.

Late-blooming pure white cherry blossoms covered the long staircase, just like today's fresh snow.

That day was the Grand Narukami Shrine Martial Arts Competition.

She, obsessed with martial arts, attended this competition in place of her sister.

Unlike the duel before the throne, the Grand Competition gathered Inazuma's warriors to compete before the Tenshukaku for seven days and nights. The victorious samurai would receive the Raiden Shogun's reward, a great honor.

He wasn't the Kujo clan's general then, nor was he Inazuma's thunder. He was still a young man.

Wooden sandals stepped on the cherry blossom-covered stairs, the long kimono naturally falling to his feet.

The border was patterned with snakes and sake, long sleeves falling to reveal two slender, fair arms. He held an ancient and heavy tachi in one hand.

Stepping on wooden sandals, wooden sandals treading on cherry blossoms, dragging the slender tachi, he ascended the stairs.

The overcast sky was pressed low by clouds, cherry blossoms fluttering up and down in the howling wind.

Kneeling on both sides were crowds of samurai, with tied-up hair, wearing armor and dark kimonos. They all watched him with shocked, astonished gazes.

Seino was the champion of this year's competition. At just sixteen years old, he had defeated all of Inazuma's warriors.

The young man slowly pushed open the heavy doors of Tenshukaku. Fierce sunlight poured in as he, like Seino Sara today, knelt on one knee.

"Your requested reward," she said calmly then, indifferently, "I already know."

"—To become the Raiden Shogun's personal guard."

"But regrettably."

"I don't need a personal guard, and have never had one."

Her tone was calm and natural, her eyes without much emotion, just saying matter-of-factly:

"No one can withstand my strike, so no one is qualified to protect me,"

"The path of Musou no Hitotachi needs no companion."

After saying this, the scorching sunlight seemed to extinguish, the air fell silent, the leaden sky piled with dark clouds, with faint thunder rumbling.

The majesty of lightning was solemn.

She was a shadow, also a deity, and more, a warrior. A warrior has their own pride and dignity. A warrior doesn't need another warrior's protection.

Moreover—

He was just a mortal.

"Musou, huh? As expected of the Raiden Shogun."

"You really like martial arts, don't you? I can feel it. You truly love this path, but sitting in the stands watching warriors fight must be very boring for you."

In the face of the lightning's majesty, in the suffocating atmosphere,

But that young man didn't give up, nor did he back down. On the contrary, he slowly raised his head, his silver frost-like eyes clear and pure, revealing a fearless smile:

"Then, Your Excellency, let me see your Musou no Hitotachi.

"To witness that strike with my own eyes would make this life worthwhile!"

"If I can withstand your strike," he straightened up, standing tall, facing the lightning, "you'll agree to my request."

Exhale.

Drawing sword—the young man stepped half a step over the thunder pond, unsheathing his sword towards the Raiden Shogun on her throne.

...

No one knows what happened that day.

They only know that in the height of summer, clouds gathered, and vast lightning flashed through the gaps in the clouds.

The world turned upside down, arising in an instant, extinguishing in an instant. After the thunder, the world was still clear and bright, the sky cloudless.

Ei looked at him without a trace of pity.

He was covered in blood, half of his samurai uniform torn, revealing bloody skin. A huge wound ran through his shoulder blade, cutting open his abdomen, but he still stood, spine straight, still holding that sword.

He still wore that fearless smile. Lightning had passed through his body, yet still couldn't make him fall.

As if no suffering, no matter how great, could destroy him.

He smiled, his silver-gray eyes seeming to say, I won.

The young man was severely injured, nearly at death's door—Ei's strike hadn't held back at all, she had fully unleashed that strike, a strike with divine might that could destroy mountains and rivers.

Daring to offend the throne, drawing a sword in Tenshukaku, one must be prepared to lose one's life.

Moreover, Ei was also a warrior. When another warrior offers their life to challenge her, holding back would be a desecration.

What slightly surprised Ei was that the young man survived.

He was still so small. Ei looked into his eyes and said:

"But you've made a miscalculation, and you've found the wrong person, mortal."

Ei said calmly:

"I'm not the Raiden Shogun. My name is Ei, I'm just my sister's shadow dancer, a shadow. If you want to be the Raiden Shogun's guard, I can recommend you..."

"Then—"

Her words were interrupted.

The young man said softly, in the midsummer sunlight, he fell into the cherry blossoms covering the stairs, his body collapsing completely, stirring up fluttering cherry blossoms,

"Then let me stay forever by Ei's side."

He said this, closed his eyes tiredly, and fell into a deep sleep.

This was their first meeting.

Ei looked down from the high platform at the young man who had collapsed with a thud, listened to his last words, and smiled slightly helplessly.

Forever...?

Where is there any forever...

How can mortals speak of "forever"?

It's really overestimating oneself.

Heh, a mortal... To 'eternity', it's just a fleeting life... 

But at the same time, she also found it interesting, felt it was somewhat amusing, felt it wasn't so boring anymore, so she said softly:

"...Well, well, I'll keep you company for a while."

What exactly happened in Tenshukaku that day, even the historians didn't record. The people of Inazuma only knew that from that day on, a new military official appeared by the Raiden Shogun's side, a personal guard.

At the same time, he was also the only personal guard since the founding of Inazuma.

Five hundred years passed after that. The young man from back then had become the world-renowned Tenryou Commission's general.

But by the Raiden Shogun's side, there was never a second personal guard.

Although no one mentioned it, in the records of the Tenryou Commission, the position of personal guard still had only one name written: "Seino Raimei", and it was the only name.

Five hundred years, it had never changed.

---

Snow and rain fell.

"Is this his intention? Or your wish?"

...

"This is the general's order. It is also my decision."

...

—"The general will resign from his position as your personal guard, and recommends me to succeed him."

...

Seino Sara raised her head, her bright golden eyes calm, without a trace of emotional fluctuation.

Her face was expressionless.

In the almost suffocating silence, time slowly passed. The sun slowly shifted, the shadows of the pines and cypresses outside the hall climbed along the palace walls, finally falling on the Raiden Shogun.

During this time, the Shogun lowered her head slightly.

"Then let me stay forever by Ei's side."

Resign? Now you say you want to resign?

After a while, the Shogun became Ei, she walked out of the Plane of Euthymia.

Ei raised her head and said:

"...Tell him to come see me himself."

Snow melted on the stairs, white and vast, just like the white cherry blossoms that covered the stairs that day.

In the sound of snow slowly seeping, Ei inexplicably felt a bit irritated.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​