Tengu Sweeper.
This skill, even recognized by the system, instantly burst forth with its brilliance.
Bai Luo, with no way to evade, was immediately engulfed by the blade's light.
"Boom—"
Amidst the flurry of blades, the stone floor of the small courtyard was instantly shattered.
Seeing that Bai Luo had completely lost all signs of life within the dust, Mikoshi Michihiro sheathed his Hakuen Michimitsu Amenoma and turned to walk toward the house behind him.
Upon closer inspection, the so-called small hut was no ordinary rural dwelling but rather a branch shrine of Mt. Yougou.
What is a branch shrine?
A branch shrine, also known as a sessha or massha, is a small shrine managed by a main shrine, located outside its premises.
In simpler terms, it is a subsidiary of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
However, this branch shrine appeared to have long lost its worshippers, bearing no resemblance to the prosperity of the Grand Narukami Shrine. This was also one of the reasons Bai Luo had mistaken it for a rural farmhouse.
Placing Hakuen Michimitsu Amenoma back on his lap, Mikoshi Michihiro sighed and knelt before the branch shrine, lost in thought.
"Shhhk..."
The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out. Mikoshi Michihiro felt a chill in his back as two daggers, one above the other, plunged into his heart and waist.
Bai Luo, who had seemingly lost all vitality, had appeared behind Mikoshi Michihiro like a ghost.
Did Bai Luo dodge?
No.
Having been a [Battousai] for so long, Bai Luo had gained some insight into swordsmanship.
Thus, he understood better than anyone that the move Tengu Sweeper was utterly unavoidable.
If it couldn't be avoided, then he wouldn't avoid it!
Just as the best way to counter his Nine-Headed Dragon Flash was to endure it with sheer physical resilience, Tengu Sweeper could also be withstood in the same manner.
The moment Tengu Sweeper was about to strike him, he activated his ultimate ability, Quantum State, entering a brief period of invincibility.
The instant Quantum State ended, he used Shadow Stride, which had just come off cooldown.
Shadow Stride concealed all his presence, and combined with the passive effect of Beater applied to all his classes, it gave Mikoshi Michihiro the illusion that Bai Luo had already perished under his blade.
It wasn't that Mikoshi Michihiro was overly confident—it was purely because Bai Luo was just too sneaky.
Who would've thought this guy had a Quantum State ability that even gods couldn't counter?
Mikoshi Michihiro, worthy of being called the Child of His Era, still had the strength to draw his sword despite suffering such severe injuries.
But Bai Luo's two strikes had both landed on vital points. Even if he could still wield his sword, he was nowhere near as formidable as before.
Bai Luo didn't take the opportunity to taunt him. Instead, he pressed forward, each slash aimed at Mikoshi Michihiro's weak points.
The final slash cut across his throat, granting this Child of His Era a dignified death.
Hakuen Michimitsu Amenoma clattered to the ground as Mikoshi Michihiro slowly collapsed, lifeless.
[First Trial Completed]
[Reward Drawing in Progress...]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the exclusive equipment: Bokutou "Lake Toya"]
[System error... Error code 651.]
[Detected unacquired job: White Demon]
[Reward resetting...]
[Reset successful!]
[Reward obtained: Elucidator.]
[Reward distributed. You have 10 minutes to prepare. Use this time wisely for the next trial.]
[Note: Job changes are disabled during trials.]
As the system's voice faded, a gentle breeze swept through. The branch shrine, left in disarray from the battle, returned to its original state. Even the wooden dummy in the courtyard came back to life.
"Uh..."
Under Mikoshi Michihiro's strange gaze, Bai Luo felt slightly awkward.
After all, he had just stabbed the guy's kidney—more than once, in fact.
Maybe... seven or eight times?
"Judging by your attire, you don't seem to be from Inazuma."
Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Mikoshi Michihiro spoke first.
Watching Bai Luo's kidney-seeking... daggers made his waist ache faintly.
"I suppose you could say I'm a Snezhnayan-Liyuean currently residing in Inazuma, originally from Mondstadt."
"..."
This somewhat convoluted self-introduction left Mikoshi Michihiro momentarily speechless.
He genuinely couldn't tell where this person was from.
"What year is it now?"
Under the system's power, Mikoshi Michihiro knew he had long passed away and understood the state in which he now existed.
Though he knew he shouldn't inquire about the current era, he couldn't help but ask.
In truth, what he most wanted to know was...
Ah, forget it. Their bond had ended. Whether it could continue was no longer within his control.
"Um... 2022?"
"???"
"Actually, everyone's put down their swords and spears now. The world is at peace. Though there are still minor conflicts here and there, it's generally peaceful."
Planting his daggers into the ground, Bai Luo wove a wire stool between them and sat down, beginning to ramble.
Hmm... a bit uncomfortable on the backside, but better than squatting.
"So... blades are no longer of use?"
"Yep. Nowadays, firearms called guns are all the rage, along with things like tanks, planes, missiles... even weapons of god-like power, like nukes."
At first, Mikoshi Michihiro scoffed at Bai Luo's words.
Could humans truly create weapons rivaling divine miracles?
Even at his peak, he had only managed to sever the wings of that tengu maiden.
But as Bai Luo continued, his expression grew solemn.
Because this seemingly untrustworthy... Mond-Inaz-Snezhn-Liyuean described every detail with precision.
The mechanics of firearms, the sensation of flying in a plane, the terror of an armored onslaught...
Under his silver tongue, each was vividly portrayed.
Especially those so-called nuclear weapons.
Upon hearing Bai Luo's description, Mikoshi Michihiro couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
Were these nuclear weapons not akin to divine punishment from the gods?
Had humanity... truly grasped power that should never belong to mortals?
"By the way, Mr. Mikoshi, do you know who my next opponent will be?"
After thoroughly bewildering this ancient Inazuman, Bai Luo tentatively probed for information.
All that earlier chatter was just to make this seemingly dull Inazuman swordsman forget about the kidney-stabbing and maybe drop a hint or two.
Yet when Bai Luo asked this question, Mikoshi Michihiro suddenly fell silent.
Just as Bai Luo thought he wouldn't get any useful intel, Mikpshi Michihiro finally spoke as the time limit neared.
"If I'm not mistaken, your next opponent should be her."
"Her?"
"The tengu of Yougou—Teruyo."
As Mikoshi Michihiro uttered these words, black mist once again enveloped the courtyard.
[Rest Period Ended. Begin the Second Trial—Fateful Grudge?]
"Begin."
[Second Trial Initiated Successfully. Within five minutes, defeat, injure, sever, or touch the tengu of Yougou—Teruyo.]
[Note: The better the challenger's performance, the higher the quality of the rewards obtained.]