Under the pounding rain, the ruins of Fort Mumei appeared even more desolate.
Amid the rain, broken walls loomed faintly. Normally, such a place would be teeming with seabirds, but now... it was eerily silent.
Even along the shoreline, few living creatures like crabs could be seen.
"Are... are we really going in there?"
Hiding under Bai Luo's oil-paper umbrella, Sayu shrank back fearfully behind him.
It had to be said—when there was no danger, Bai Luo was undoubtedly the greatest danger.
But when danger did lurk, being by his side offered an undeniable sense of security.
"Let's go. I'm here."
Bai Luo brushed the raindrops from her hat and followed the small path trodden by rebel soldiers, descending into the ruins.
Tatyana followed suit.
Only Sayu remained, staring at the ruins without moving.
"I'm not going in there. It's too oppressive—not suitable for sleeping."
Seeing that the two hadn't bothered to drag her along, Sayu felt the urge to retreat.
But the moment she turned around, she saw it—the massive, moss-covered skeleton, its vegetation swaying under the rain as if the bones themselves were moving.
Worse yet, beyond the skeleton lay a rebel camp.
In other words... if she tried to flee, she'd not only have to climb over that terrifying skeleton but also face pursuit from the rebels.
None of that mattered, though. What truly scared her was the thought of that man dropping from the sky to slam her face-first into the sand again.
"Wait for me!"
Without hesitation, she turned back and slid down the slope after Bai Luo and Tatyana.
Fort Mumei clearly hadn't been maintained in years. What little remained of the stone-paved path had been destroyed—by something that left marks resembling a snake's trail.
A very large snake.
"The water's pretty deep here."
Bai Luo observed the flooded path ahead, now completely submerged by seawater.
Judging by the marks nearby, there had once been a wooden bridge built by either the rebels or those tasked with guarding the wards.
Unfortunately, this sole passage had been deliberately destroyed, leaving no way forward.
"Let's wade through."
Bai Luo gauged the water's depth—it would barely reach Tatyana's chest.
...But it would completely submerge him.
"Sir, should I carry you across?"
Tatyana glanced at the water, then at Bai Luo, tentatively offering her suggestion.
With her strength, carrying Bai Luo would be effortless.
"No need. I'll just jump over."
Thanks to One-Winged Angel, clearing this distance wouldn't be a problem.
After folding his umbrella, Bai Luo took a few steps back, preparing to leap.
But Sayu tugged at his sleeve and pointed at herself.
Her meaning was clear: If Bai Luo couldn't wade through, what about her?
Her tanuki outfit was waterproof, but it wasn't a diving suit. Swimming across would be miserable.
So...
She turned around, bowed her head, and presented the back of her collar to him.
"..."
Bai Luo didn't hesitate. Grabbing her scruff, he dashed forward and leaped, landing steadily on the other side.
Thanks to her frequent rolling on the ground, Sayu wasn't bothered by the jump.
She even adjusted into a comfortable position, ready to rest.
But Bai Luo unceremoniously dropped her, then turned to help Tatyana up as she waded through.
"Mean! Fine, I'll walk by myself!"
Brushing sand from her outfit, Sayu brandished her Debate Club, as if declaring herself a prickly tanuki—not to be trifled with.
Past the flooded section lay the relatively intact stone path.
Though "intact" was relative in these ruins.
Stone may be sturdy, but time and seawater had inevitably worn it down.
Pale blue, coral-like plants stubbornly pushed through cracks in the stone, swaying gently in the wind and rain.
Thick, tangled roots were visible in the fissures—yet no trees could be seen nearby.
It begged the question:
Was there something beneath the sea?
The deeper they went, the more roots they encountered, growing from the size of Sayu's arm to as thick as Bai Luo's waist.
These roots no longer merely coiled beneath the path—they had broken through the stone, twisting around the ruins like tentacles, leaving their mark on the sturdy structure.
Splash...
Ripples in the water caught Bai Luo and Tatyana's attention.
The latter made a prayer-like gesture and nudged Bai Luo's shoulder with her elbow.
Bai Luo's umbrella had already transformed into his reversed-blade sword, though he hadn't drawn it yet.
Gripping the hilt, he shook his head at Tatyana, signaling her not to act rashly.
Only Sayu, marching ahead with her Debate Club, remained oblivious.
It wasn't that her instincts were dull—as a Shuumatsuban ninja, she prided herself on her sharp sense of danger.
But the Tatarigami's influence clouded her judgment, the rain masked the sounds, and the lingering frustration from being dropped earlier...
She completely missed the disturbance in the water.
Splash—!
Finally, just as the trio was about to pass, the thing in the water lunged out.
Its target wasn't the towering Tatyana or the intimidating Bai Luo—but the child-sized Sayu, who was carrying what looked like a toy club.
It quickly learned that the club was not a toy.
Sayu reacted swiftly. As the attacker emerged, she swung her Debate Club, slamming it into the man and knocking him flat.
Before he could rise, Bai Luo struck with the hilt of his sword, rendering him unconscious.
"It's... it's a person!"
Poking the soggy figure with her club, Sayu gasped.
"Yeah. A Shogunate soldier."
His attire confirmed it—and not just any soldier.
This uniform... didn't belong to Kujou Encampment's troops. Instead, it resembled those worn by the men who had stood behind Kujou Takayuki during Bai Luo's dealings with the old fox.
In other words, this was one of Takayuki's trusted subordinates?
If not a direct confidant, he was at least connected.
But when Bai Luo turned the man over, the sight made him suck in a sharp breath.
Even Sayu recoiled in fear, hiding behind him.
The man had clearly been affected by the Tatarigami—and from his appearance... the corruption ran deep, almost indistinguishable from the madmen of Musoujin Gorge.