Lumine waited at the agreed-upon location for the woman to arrive, and then... in an instant, Lumine's entire focus sharpened.
—Her skin prickled, as if being cut by a dull blade, a burning pain.
Just from the first glance at the woman, Lumine felt this sensation.
Light purple hair, a single ponytail, a black-and-white kimono, a white bone mask, and mismatched white and black stockings—none of these caught Lumine's attention.
Her gaze was locked on the snow-white katana hanging at the woman's right waist.
A single right hand rested lightly on the scabbard.
—It was this gesture.
Lumine smelled death.
(If she draws her blade, I'll die.)
(No doubt about it.)
(This person... is this Inazuma's strongest?)
"You're the Traveler, right?"
Sen'emon smiled as she spoke to Lumine.
"I thought I'd meet the person who wanted to borrow me. What a pity."
"I'm the one who wants to borrow you."
"...He said now isn't the time for him to meet you."
Elysia, daring as ever, chose the first option.
"The second option sounds a bit cowardly. Now's the time to face it head-on!"
After making the choice—
———!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even Elysia couldn't help but gulp, thoroughly startled.
On the computer screen.
The moment Elysia chose the first option, a blade was instantly pressed against Lumine's slender neck.
And if it weren't for a hand gripping the blade, Lumine's head would have already rolled.
Yes, the moment Lumine finished speaking, Sen'emon, with a smile, drew her blade without hesitation and slashed at Lumine's neck.
Yes, at the same moment Sen'emon swung her blade at Lumine, a hand caught the blade, stopping it just before it reached Lumine's neck.
Ye, who had blocked the strike, turned his head to look at Lumine and sighed softly. "I told you not to let your guard down. She could draw her blade and strike at any moment."
Surprisingly, Lumine, who had nearly died, showed no change in expression. She looked up at Ye, meeting his gaze, and raised an eyebrow. "You were here, weren't you? I trusted you to save me."
"Betting your life to force me to act, gambling that I'd save you... I don't recommend staking your life on someone else's whim."
As he spoke, Ye let out a rare, faint smile.
"But congratulations, you won the bet. How could I bear to let someone as beautiful, kind-hearted, and lovely as you die? Don't worry, in Inazuma, no matter what happens, as long as I'm here, you won't be in danger."
"Isn't it a bit unfriendly to flirt like this in front of me?"
Sen'emon maintained her reverse-grip stance, tilting her head as she looked at Ye.
"And I can't just ignore what you said earlier. I want to kill her now, and you're saying you'll protect her from me, right?"
A joyful smile gradually spread across her face.
"Good, good. It seems we'll have to fight after all."
Ye looked at Sen'emon, his faint smile fading as he spoke in a calm, even tone. "You don't need to find an excuse to fight me. We will indeed have to fight eventually, but now is not the time."
As he spoke, he released Sen'emon's blade and lowered his hand.
"Not the right time?"
Sen'emon narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Ye. After a moment, she smiled again.
"I see, I see. Very well, then. I'll wait for the right time to settle our match!"
With that, she sheathed her sword.
Ye nodded slightly. "Until then, let me borrow you for a while. I promise you, this will be for the good of Inazuma."
"Only the Raiden Shogun can wield me. But since you've made such a promise, and if it's only temporary, then you do indeed have the qualifications to wield me."
Sen'emon didn't object, merely stroking her scabbard with a faint smile.
And when she said this, it meant one thing—she had placed herself in the position of a "blade."
What did this mean?
"Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
Ye spoke bluntly. "Arrest Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Kanjou Commission, bring him before the Raiden Shogun, expose the corruption within the Kanjou Commission from top to bottom, and propose to the Raiden Shogun that Hiiragi Chisato take over the Kanjou Commission, with you overseeing the restructuring and purging of its ranks."
Sen'emon nodded. "Fine."
She agreed without hesitation, an attitude that would likely confuse many players.
And because of this... the screen suddenly went black.
Lines of text slowly appeared.
[Without a hint of hesitation, without any doubt.]
[A blade does not need emotions like hesitation.]
[When its master wishes to swing the blade, there is no need to ask for reasons, no need to consider good or evil, no need to seek explanations. Simply follow the master's will and strike without hesitation. This is the duty of a blade.]
[The sharpest, most powerful blade in the world—Asada Sen'emon.]
[She is human, yet she is also a blade.]
[She is not human, yet she remains a blade.]
[She is human because she understands good and evil, right and wrong.]
[She is a blade because when her master wishes to swing her—she never considers good or evil, right or wrong.]
[...…Even if... it's only a temporary master.]
"Is this really okay?"
Sen'emon had already left, and Paimon asked nervously:
"She just... believes you like that?"
"Why wouldn't she believe me?" Ye countered. "I've already promised that what I'm doing will benefit Inazuma."
"Even with a promise, she just... trusts you? Isn't that too naive?"
Ye turned and walked toward the river, speaking casually. "It's not naivety. For her, a promise is enough. Because she's confident... no one can afford the consequences of breaking a promise to her."
Lumine nodded. "If she thinks what you're doing isn't for the good of Inazuma, she'll kill you without hesitation."
Ye nodded in agreement, then said softly:
"As a blade, Sen'emon is the finest."
"As a human, she is also exceptional."
"When acting as a blade, she doesn't question why her master wants her to strike."
"But as a human, she judges her master's actions based on their results."
"If her master is the Raiden Shogun, no matter what conclusions she draws, she won't change her stance as a blade."
"But since I'm only a temporary master secured by a promise, she will, after fulfilling her duty as a blade, judge right and wrong as a human."
"And if she decides I haven't kept my promise, this world's strongest demon blade will, without hesitation, turn on its master—because by breaking the promise, I've lost the right to wield her."
"Of course, I won't break my promise, so we'll part on good terms."
After hearing Ye's explanation, Lumine felt she understood Sen'emon better. At the same time, she realized something.
"You once said that to defeat the Raiden Shogun, we'd have to face more than just the Raiden Shogun—you were talking about Sen'emon, weren't you?"
"Correct." Ye nodded approvingly. "In fact, defeating the Raiden Shogun isn't the hardest part. The Electro Archon of Inazuma may seem cold, but she's actually soft-hearted. As long as the wishes of her people are placed before her, her resolve will waver. And a god whose resolve wavers cannot unleash their true divine power."
"In contrast, Sen'emon is different. She is the Raiden Shogun's blade, utterly loyal to her. When she swings her blade, even if it's aimed at the people of Inazuma, she won't hesitate. And she certainly won't hesitate over some 'small' wishes."
"If we face her, she'll cut down all wishes and hopes without hesitation, leaving the Raiden Shogun's enemies with nothing but despair—and as a blade, she possesses power no less than the Raiden Shogun herself."
"Do you understand what that means?"
Ye suddenly turned to Lumine, locking eyes with her, and spoke seriously:
"Facing a 'Raiden Shogun' who wields her blade without hesitation, even with the combined willpower of a hundred Visions, there's no chance of victory."