Chapter 11 On the warpath

Breathe.

Breathe.

Long, sustained breaths.

"Huff..."

Exhaling thick white vapor, the thin breath piled up thicker and thicker, gradually coalescing into an almost tangible form, surrounding Seino Raimei. It expanded and contracted with the rise and fall of his chest, with the flaring of his nostrils.

The atmosphere was as heavy as a tower before a thunderstorm arrives - low clouds, dark sky, wind filling the western tower, layers of heavy clouds rolling with thunder.

The falling snow around was stirred by this breath, scattering flutteringly at Seino's sides.

His left hand still pressed on the scabbard of Snake Cutter, he bowed, stepped back with his left foot, lowered his center of gravity, the white ermine fur dragging on the ground, moving without wind.

'Fudoshin'

This is one of the highest mental states in Inazuma swordsmanship, on par with 'Muga', 'Ku', and 'Mushin'. Reaching the state of no-mind allows one to exert all their skills and achieve victory. The so-called Mushin, Fudoshin, Muga, Ku - that is, abandoning self-consciousness.

If one has self-consciousness, various distracting thoughts arise from it, making it impossible to concentrate and exert one's abilities and potential.

Narukami's Musou no Hitotachi is the ultimate expression of this clear and empty state of mind.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, there is only

The sword in hand.

"Huff..."

Nothing else remained in Seino's silver-gray eyes.

In the vast white world, only a line in his hand and a point before his eyes remained.

The line was the sword, the point was the serpent.

It was an enormously huge serpent, the embodiment of the lingering resentment of the god Orobashi. The great serpent coiled atop the mountains and forests, flicking its blood-red tongue, its vertical pupils open, blood-red eyes reflecting Seino's figure.

A standoff, god and man in confrontation, separated by the vast wind and snow.

An atmosphere of extreme desolation.

Heavy snowflakes piled on Seino's shoulders, soon forming a thin layer on his body, but he remained motionless, almost as if frozen.

This was a long, long time. After who knows how long, the balance was finally broken.

The serpent's shadowy eyes glanced lightly at the Snake Cutter in Seino's hand. It slowly raised its neck, its body retreating backward. The mountains and forests trembled from its movement. Its metal-like tough black scales rubbed against the treetops, making a harsh sound. The great serpent finally shook its tail, turned around, and slithered away, dissipating into the air.

The great serpent left.

Seino released the scabbard, his aura diminishing. He coughed with some effort.

[This time you actually encountered the lingering resentment of a god that had been dormant for hundreds of years - it had never appeared before]

The voice of the Human Principles System echoed in his ears,

[Do you still want to continue? You were lucky to survive this time]

"I came here to kill it." Seino slowly shook his head, his silver-gray eyes gazing in the direction the serpent had left,

"It's been hundreds of years, do you know why the filth of Orobashi could never be completely expelled?"

[Because the lingering resentment of Orobashi has always been rooted in the land of Inazuma, so no matter how many times it's expelled, the filth belonging to Orobashi will regenerate.]

"Yes."

Seino patted the accumulated snow off his shoulders, gazing at the Snake Cutter tachi in his hand with a thoughtful expression:

"Of course it would hate, of course it would curse this land. It has hidden in Inazuma for hundreds of years, never showing itself. Orobashi's filth is killed and regenerates, regenerates and is killed, endlessly. Even Shadow couldn't do anything about it."

[But now it's different]

"Now it's different, because I've come."

Seino lightly drew Snake Cutter, the slightly cold blade making a clear ringing sound, its mirror-smooth surface scattering the snow's light:

"I, the one who killed it, have come. I, its most hated enemy, the one it should curse the most, have come. And now I'm about to die of old age, I'm too old to even draw my sword. This is its last chance."

[So it showed itself for the first time, it wants to come kill you, but this is also exactly what you planned.]

"Yes, yes."

Seino's hand lightly brushed over Snake Cutter, the fine lightning-snake pattern rubbing against his fingertips. Snake Cutter slowly trembled, making a sound like thunder, "This is exactly what I planned."

"Orobashi's filth can't be completely eliminated, even the Sacred Sakura can't eliminate it completely. Only this old man can eliminate it completely."

[But it fled, it knows your plan]

"It didn't flee, it's inviting me."

Seino gazed in the direction the serpent had left. Wind and snow howled past, and at the far horizon, vast and boundless, stood a majestic snow-capped mountain.

"It, too, is a warrior who has been proud all its life."

Seino laughed, laughed heartily, resheathing Snake Cutter. The thunder gradually ceased.

[So are you going? You're an old man now]

"Of course I'm going."

Between heaven and earth, only the color of snow remained.

Seino Raimei tied Snake Cutter to his waist, wrapped his fur coat tighter, took out a bundle of tobacco, lit it, exhaled thin smoke. When the cigarette had burned down to a tiny ember, he extinguished it, and then he walked towards the depths of the great mountain.

"When an old friend invites, how can I not go?"

The no-longer-young old man, carrying the sword of his youth, facing the vast, all-encompassing snow, was going to attend an unfinished grand feast. Only such a magnificent ending could do justice to his life.

---

This journey was very long. That snow-capped mountain was on Yashiori Island, with another island between it and Narukami Island.

And Seino was already very old. With his leg strength, it would take a full three days and nights to walk there.

It was already twilight.

The great sun hung over the vast white snow plain. The setting sun in winter was not as brilliant as in summer, but hazy and yellow, as if covered by some thin gauze. Looking closely, it was layer upon layer of fine snow.

Seino gathered some dry firewood, lit it with a flint. When the flames rose and the warm firelight fell on his body, he finally felt revived.

He took off his shoes, put them by the fire to dry, also took off his coat, and changed into a new great cloak.

The snow-covered fur was wet and heavy, the snow on it had melted into water, soaking the entire garment.

For this journey, Seino was well-prepared: flint, dried food, two sets of clothes, and a tent.

In the past, when going out to war, the young him wouldn't have considered so much, just charging ahead recklessly. But with age, he could no longer afford to be so willful.

But there was still some miscalculation. As the cold wind blew, he felt a chill on his neck and couldn't help feeling embarrassed - his memory had worsened, he had forgotten to bring a scarf.

He roasted some dried biscuits, set a trap to catch a wild rabbit which he also roasted on the fire rack. He ate warmly, then fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, Seino heard the sound of blade and frost. This was what they called 'iron horses and icy rivers entering dreams'.

---

"I'm sorry, Lady Guuji, you can't go in... The master has gone out on vacation, he's not at home, can't receive guests..."

The young gatekeeper of the Pillar General's mansion was very flustered and troubled.

But Lady Guuji was very unhappy.

Her dissatisfaction was clearly showing, those fox-like eyes narrowed into thin slits.

She had been turned away for two consecutive days.

This was the first time in all these years for her, Yae Miko.

Yae Miko had roamed Inazuma for so many years, what place hadn't she been to, what place would refuse her?

Even the Tenshukaku of Narukami, the noble fox lady could come and go as she pleased. So what right did this old fellow have to hide from her?

Just because she fell him up...

Such a petty old man.

She gently clutched the scarf in her arms, having finally made up her mind - but you sneaked out to play?

Not taking this Lady Guuji along...?

The fox lady had already imagined Seino Raimei leisurely soaking in hot springs, staying at inns, eating warm and cozy fukujusouki, having a wonderful vacation... Thinking of this, she bit her nail with slight displeasure, making an annoyed sound.

"When you come back, I must extort you thoroughly."

She thought this way, but for some reason, she always felt a bit uneasy.

The shrine maiden Ringo looked at Lady Guuji with slight helplessness, sighing unsurprisingly, with a habitual expression:

"Sure enough, it wasn't delivered again... You missed another chance."

The shrine maiden said:

"You should have given it to him the last time you saw the Pillar General."

She frowned, looking into the distance with slight worry.

Gento Ringo was the fortune-telling shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, responsible for all divination matters at the shrine. And there was one thing she had been hiding from Lady Guuji.

Hearing that the Pillar General had left Inazuma City for vacation, Ringo had secretly cast a fortune for the Pillar General's journey:

It was the worst possible fortune.

GREAT MISFORTUNE.