Lightning Sword Raven

Countless bolts of lightning crashed down upon the rubber leaves. Anyone else would have been shaking in their boots, but a smile blossomed across Jinhyuk's face.

A single pale-green blade stood planted at the very source of the lightning. Seira's reaction upon seeing it left no room for doubt.

It was the Lightning Sword Raven.

He gently raised a hand and pushed Seira forward. She was the only one worthy of wielding that blade.

"My lord."

Seira understood his intent at once, a faint smile touching her lips. She stepped off the leaves and walked toward where Raven waited.

"Watch yourself, ma'am! You're gonna get struck!"

With the source so close, the lightning on the hill was staggering — hundreds of bolts every ten seconds, at the very least. Calling it a rain of lightning would not have been an exaggeration.

But contrary to Kancho's fears, not a single bolt touched Seira. For a brief moment Jinhyuk thought she was simply lucky. She wasn't. Every last strike was veering around her.

"Hah."

Darc let out a dry laugh. Lightning on this scale was a natural disaster — and that natural disaster was raging around a single person, refusing to touch her. Even he, who had lived a thousand years, had never seen anything like it.

"Kancho, stay close. We'll get hit for sure."

Jinhyuk pulled Kancho back, not wanting to see that fur get singed again, his eyes following Seira as she drew closer to Raven.

Raven was the same as Muramasa. More precisely, Raven's original master, Sein Ardan, had been of the same mind as Muramasa's master, Kamen Breed. Their conviction had been unshakable. If their precious swords had to be entrusted to one person, it would be none other than their commander — Seira Kinkaiten, leader of the Black Knights.

Seira came to a stop right in front of the blade and gazed at Raven.

"It's been a long time, Sein."

The moment she offered that simple greeting, the lightning that had filled the plains vanished without a trace. It was as if Sein were speaking through Raven. An honor to meet you again. I've missed you.

A smile formed at the corners of Seira's lips.

"As have I."

At her brief reply, a faint dawn light seeped into the sky that had been nothing but lightning. A moment later, a single shaft of sunlight stretched down from the heavens, illuminating Seira and Raven together.

"Hup—!"

Watching the scene, Jinhyuk clapped a hand over his mouth. Then, his face overflowing with emotion, he started clapping like a seal. This was the kind of scene that slapped you across the face in a cinematic masterpiece.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

Kancho and Momo joined in the applause, having no idea what they were clapping for. Darc and Elia merely shrugged, wearing the warmest expressions in the world.

After gazing at it for a long while, Seira reached out toward Raven.

A chime rang out.

The sword-hilt fragment from Jinhyuk's inventory flew toward Raven. Even that small piece returned to where it belonged, and Raven was reborn as a complete blade once more. As if blessing the moment, sunlight poured down from a now-clear sky.

No sooner had they left the tower and returned to their lodgings than—

They stepped into the Chamber of Swords. Just as before, the moment Seira approached with Raven in hand, a statue responded.

A pale-green aura seeped from the statue. Its pose was different from Kamen's, which had been kneeling on one knee. Sein sat cross-legged, chin resting on his hand, gazing at Seira. A bright smile was carved upon his lips — the look of a man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠overjoyed to be reunited with a longtime friend and comrade-in-arms.

Jinhyuk ran a hand through his hair.

Just one step left.

Sunlight filtering through the window tickled his eyes.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Tweet tweet tweet tweet.

The night's insect chorus had given way to a family of sparrows chattering in his ears. A nature-friendly shrine, through and through.

"Supreme Commander."

"Hmm?"

"Permission to blow up the sparrows, sir?"

"Don't start with the scary stuff first thing in the morning."

He folded Kancho's ears down with both hands. That should keep the sparrow family safe.

Footsteps of several people approached from outside. Kancho's eyes snapped open, and he sniffed the air.

"Something delicious is coming, sir!"

Breakfast time, apparently. He'd made a special request last night — bring a whole lot. A whole, whole, whole lot of breakfast.

While his companions dismissed their manifestations, he got dressed. The moment a knock sounded, he opened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the door.

"Good morning."

A dozen or so shrine maidens bowed their heads. He returned the greeting, then looked past them — and saw food lined up along the corridor. He was certain now. The Matsuna family did not do things by halves.

"This is normally a course meal, so we would bring each dish at the proper time, but would it be all right if we set everything out at once?"

"Please do."

They bowed once more and began setting tables inside the room. Three or four tables were pushed together, and before long they were laden with an astonishing variety of dishes. A shrine maiden who'd finished setting up glanced between the tables and Jinhyuk.

"I, uh, eat a fair amount."

"Eating well to fuel rigorous training is of the utmost importance. Please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you!"

The moment the shrine maidens withdrew, he shut the door. Then he gazed at the magnificent spread with a look of pure reverence. This was kaiseki — the kind of haute cuisine you could only taste at a high-end ryokan. He'd wanted to try it at least once since he was a kid.

"It's fish, sir!"

"Fish for Momo too!"

As if they'd been waiting for this exact moment, his companions manifested one after another. Kancho and Momo charged the table first. The elders — Darc, Elia, and Seira — followed after them.

"Ooh-hoh! There's so much delicious food!"

Elia was the first to snatch up a massive piece of sea urchin sushi. After a few chews, happiness settled over her face.

Must be insanely good.

Jinhyuk swallowed his drool and quickly joined the feeding frenzy. He grabbed a neatly prepared hairy crab leg and tore off a huge bite.

"Mmm...!"

Elia hadn't been making that face for nothing. Crab meat this sweet? You only got this from steaming a first-rate crab just right. The finely sliced squid sashimi was exquisite too — not a hint of toughness, just pure, springy chew. There was no question about it. The Matsuna family had a first-class chef in their kitchen.

Chomp chomp chomp chomp!!

The meal proceeded with battlefield intensity.

"This sushi is incredible. A whole different league from the delivery stuff."

Darc wore a look of genuine shock. This was a problem. His palate had just been upgraded a whole tier.

Not like we can all go out for omakase together.

He looked at Momo, who was inhaling food with battlefield ferocity. Round, plump Momo, who could pull off just about any dish. He'd have to get her to learn Japanese cuisine. With those capable little hands of hers, she'd be matching a professional sushi chef in no time.

Chomp chomp chomp chomp!!

The meal went on like that for quite a while. Food that had looked like it would never run out was being rapidly deleted.

"The last one's Momo's!"

Momo reached out with purpose and popped the last remaining piece of sushi into her mouth. Watching her chew with such a blissful face, Jinhyuk thought coming to this exchange meeting had been well worth it.

"Hoooo. I'm stuffed. So stuffed."

Jinhyuk leaned back against the wall. Matching pace with a bunch of gluttons always meant eating more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than usual.

"I'm getting drowsy."

Darc flopped onto the bed, and Kancho hopped over to claim the spot beside him before anyone else could. Momo, apparently too lazy to even make it to the bed, rolled around on the floor right where she was. Her belly was the only thing sticking out — she'd eaten with impressive thoroughness.

"That was an exceptionally fine breakfast. Though it would have been even more perfect with some chojang."

Jinhyuk, who'd been thinking the exact same thing, met Seira's eyes. Call him a sashimi ignoramus if you wanted. Sashimi went with chojang. Period.

The shrine maidens were going to be pretty shocked when they came back. To think they'd demolished that much food. How much of a nuclear hog were they going to think he was?

It's fine.

Jinhyuk nodded as he looked at his sprawled-out companions. Even if he looked like a nuclear hog, if his friends were happy, that was okay.

He stretched out as far as he could, then flopped down himself. His father had always said you'd turn into a cow if you lay down right after eating, but it couldn't be helped. A full belly and a wave of drowsiness rolling in — far too sweet a temptation to refuse.

The inner quarters of the shrine. Gyuto sat in a room, staring at a wall that now stood empty. Something that had hung there for centuries was gone, and the feeling was a little strange.

"It's only natural to feel the emptiness. It hung there unchanged for so long."

Gaigen entered the room and let out a hearty laugh.

"Do you regret giving away the family treasure?"

Jinhyuk had even used an item obtained as a special reward to heal Hiyori, and hadn't asked for a single thing in return. If they had decided to be shameless about it, there would have been no need to hand over Muramasa at all.

"How could I? I gave it to the benefactor who saved my daughter."

Gyuto slowly shook his head. It wasn't simply because she was his daughter. Hiyori was a born martial prodigy, one who had inherited the very essence of the martial path. To the Matsuna family, a girl like her was a treasure that could not be traded for anything.

"And the Matsuna never forget a debt of gratitude. It was simply the right thing to do."

"Indeed. And quite apart from that, I am certain that young man will wield Muramasa better than anyone."

"I believe so as well."

Gaigen took a seat beside Gyuto. He seemed to ponder something, then burst into laughter.

"The more I think about it, the more I realize what a bold and sharp-witted boy he is. Don't you agree?"

"Yes. I almost doubt he's really that young."

Even if Jinhyuk had demanded the sword as payment for the treatment, the Matsuna would have given him Muramasa. A promise could not be broken. But if he had, they would not have considered it a debt of gratitude. They would have seen it as a simple give-and-take, and they would never have regarded a Jinhyuk who treated Hiyori's life as a bargaining chip as favorably as they did now.

But Jinhyuk hadn't done that, and in doing so he had earned the gratitude of Gyuto, Gaigen, Sachika — and indeed the entire Matsuna family.

"A boy who can see the forest, not just the trees... It's been a long time since I last found myself envious of Korea."

Jinhyuk, who had not been swallowed by greed, and had followed the justice he believed in. What he had gained as a result was not merely a single sword — it was the Matsuna themselves, a renowned martial house in their entirety.