Chapter 37: Bound Weapons

After diving into the water, Bai Luo didn't just disappear into thin air. Once submerged, he switched to his [Black] mode and activated his quantization ability.

As mentioned before, Bai Luo's quantization not only allowed him to attack and become temporarily invincible but also included a long-distance teleportation function. This teleportation ability could target both enemies and allies. Combined with his marking skill [Silver], it was an unparalleled assassination technique.

His current target was one of the Fatui stationed in a small courtyard.

The operative had just returned to the courtyard and was about to knock on Bai Luo's door when he suddenly felt a chill.

In the next moment, the space above him began to distort. A black line seemed to tear through reality, appearing above his head.

"Gurgle..."

The black line gradually expanded, revealing an eye-like pattern. The eye was bloodshot, scanning the area before locking onto the Fatui.

Once the target was confirmed, the eye's pupil contracted sharply, transforming into a beast-like vertical slit.

At that moment, Bai Luo materialized behind him.

"Tap."

"Ahhh!"

Bai Luo's hand gently landed on the Fatui's shoulder, causing him to jump in fear. In Inazuma, a land filled with mysterious and supernatural occurrences, it wasn't uncommon for people to encounter strange phenomena. Given the eerie feeling of being watched just moments ago, the Fatui was understandably scared.

"It's me," Bai Luo said, removing the mask from his face and casually hooking it onto his waist.

When he switched to [Black], his attire also changed to match his [Black] persona. The outfit associated with his [Battousai] role had also undergone slight modifications, closely resembling the kimono he had previously purchased.

Along with his attire, the broken sword in his hand had also transformed.

The reason the broken sword had turned into a reverse-blade sword was due to a feature in his system that allowed for the binding of weapons and outfits. Once bound, these items would undergo a transformation.

For instance, the double-edged dagger he had concealed at his back was one such bound weapon. As mentioned before, Bai Luo had crossed into this world after jumping into a river to save a child during winter. He hadn't carried any weapons at the time, but after rescuing the child and nearly drowning, he was pulled from the water by the Fatui Harbinger known as Rooster. According to Rooster, Bai Luo had been carrying this strange dagger when they found him.

Bai Luo later chose to convert the dagger into his bound weapon for the [Black] role. However, the binding process came with certain requirements, such as color and type. The system wasn't overly strict—it just needed the items to be somewhat similar in appearance. This was one of the reasons why Bai Luo had worn a red kimono to the scene earlier; if the system hadn't been activated, he wouldn't have wasted time finding appropriate attire.

What surprised him the most was that after switching between [Black] and [Battousai], his clothes and weapons were automatically cleaned. For instance, his clothes had been soaked earlier, but upon switching to [Black], they were instantly dried, saving him the trouble of washing them.

Fortunately, after quantizing, the seawater no longer affected him; otherwise, he would have needed to switch back again.

"It turns out to be the instructor." the Fatui sighed in relief upon recognizing Bai Luo.

If it had been one of the Fatui who had followed Bai Luo for a long time, they wouldn't have been so easily startled. Both Bai Luo and the Pyro Agents he trained had mastered a remarkable stealth technique. Such occurrences had become routine for them. However, this particular Fatui had been part of the advance team sent to Inazuma early on and hadn't yet experienced Bai Luo's methods, which explained his fear.

"What's the matter?" Bai Luo asked, his attention partly on the thunderous chants of "Glory to the Shogun and her everlasting reign!" coming from the Tenryou Commission headquarters next door. He had a good idea of what was happening.

"Uh, General Kujou Sara from next door has come to visit. I didn't dare turn her away, so I came in to ask for your instructions," the Fatui explained. When Bai Luo had left earlier, he had done so while invisible, not alerting anyone. Even the Fatui thought he was still in his room, working on his novel.

"Let her in," Bai Luo instructed, gesturing for the operative to lead the visitor in. He then opened the door to his room and sat down at his desk, continuing to write the story he hadn't finished earlier.

Moments later, Kujou Sara stormed into the room. Upon entering, her eyes immediately darted to Bai Luo's attire and then to the bed. Though it seemed as if she were checking for signs of infidelity, she was actually trying to determine if Bai Luo could be connected to the mysterious swordsman from the duel. She was looking for any similarities between the two, including any discarded clothing.

Of all the people in Inazuma City, Kujou Sara had the most contact with Bai Luo. Although the mysterious swordsman from earlier felt different from Bai Luo, the figure who had drawn his sword against the Shogun bore an uncanny resemblance to Bai Luo in both presence and style.

As the current general of the Tenryou Commission, Sara trusted her instincts.

"Congratulations, General Kujou, on your victory in the duel before the Shogun," Bai Luo said, putting down his pen and offering his congratulations.

His words only deepened Kujou Sara's suspicion.

"How did you know I won?" she asked, her right hand already inching toward the hilt of her sword. If Bai Luo didn't provide a satisfactory answer, she wouldn't hesitate to draw her blade. Despite rumors linking them romantically, their relationship wasn't nearly close enough for such familiarity.

"Isn't it obvious? In a duel before the Shogun, one must die. If you're standing here alive, it's clear you won. Or are you a ghost, coming to see me?" Bai Luo replied.

"..."

Kujou Sara felt a twinge of embarrassment. She had been so focused on connecting Bai Luo to the mysterious swordsman that she had overlooked this simple logic.

"There was an incident during the duel, but it's over now," Kujou Sara admitted. She saw no reason to withhold this information from Bai Luo. Even if he wasn't the mysterious intruder, his current position would make it easy for him to find out.

As she thought about the situation, her expression darkened. She had long suspected that the Fatui had infiltrated Inazuma, but the extent of their penetration had exceeded her expectations. She even wondered if someone in the Kujou family had betrayed them, though she couldn't be sure who.

It seemed she would need to inform her lord and have him take precautions when she returned tonight.

"Is that so? It's a shame I missed such a show. If it weren't for the pressure from Yae Publishing House, I would have been there to cheer you on," Bai Luo said. Not only was he giving himself an excuse for not being at the duel, but he was also subtly crafting an alibi.

"Yae Publishing House?" Kujou Sara echoed, glancing at the paper and pen in front of Bai Luo. She had assumed he was practicing calligraphy, but now it seemed he was... writing a novel? This guy writes novels?

"Yes, although I don't think I can continue," Bai Luo sighed. Originally, he had intended to keep writing, but the constant drills and chanting from the Tenryou Commission next door had thrown him off track.

For example, one of the scenes he had written went like this:

Under the cover of night, the Shogun mounted atop Yae Sakura, who was still asleep. Then she slapped her awake and said with a very serious tone, "Stand still!" 

???

I think it was supposed to mean "Wake up!"