The gravely wounded soldier limped back and quickly found the other Shogunate soldiers. When they saw his condition, they were visibly alarmed and rushed him to receive treatment without a moment's delay. At the clinic, the soldier's injuries stabilized, and his life was no longer in danger.
When he regained consciousness, he saw a woman with an imposing, heroic bearing standing beside him. She had short, shoulder-length violet hair, a tengu mask tilted at an angle, sweeping brows, and hard, dark amber eyes full of resolve.
Tall and lean, she wore a black undershirt beneath a white cape-like garment—a modified version of the hunting robes originally worn by the Kujou clan, whose cobalt crest adorned the sleeves of her long coat. The lower half of her outfit featured diamond-shaped patterns. Her belt held a kesa decorative cord, on which hung an Electro Vision.
The soldier immediately recognized her. It was none other than Kujou Sara—the adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan's Tenryou Commission, and a leading general of the Shogun's army.
Here was a woman of true status and influence. Overwhelmed by her presence, the soldier—his wounds still fresh—struggled to stand and offer his respects. "I, Hara Gen, salute you, Lady Kujou…"
Before he could, Sara stopped him. "Forget the formalities. You're injured. Don't push yourself."
Startled, the soldier nodded sheepishly and sat back down. She didn't waste a moment.
"Tell me what happened," she demanded. "How did you end up like this? What happened to the soldiers you were patrolling with? And to the village? Give me the full account. No fabrication."
Her tone was severe, and an aura of repressed authority radiated from her, making the surrounding soldiers flinch inwardly. This is Lord Kujou Sara, they thought. Her presence is truly commanding.
"Y-Yes, my lady." Eager not to disappoint, the soldier quickly recounted the incident in full.
Sara listened carefully. His account matched the reports her investigators had already gathered.
"So you're telling me," she said slowly, "that every single one of them possessed a Vision?"
She fell into thought, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. A unit of twelve Vision wielders, working together as a squad—no wonder she was taken aback. Even within the military, Vision holders were few. A group made entirely of Vision-bearers was practically unheard of. And on top of that, why had they attacked a simple village? Their motive struck Sara as deeply strange.
"Yes, my lady… The only reason I survived is that the captain and the others held them off long enough for me to run." The soldier looked down in shame. As a deserter, his actions were disgraceful—but at least he had lived.
"Leaving your comrades behind is shameful. There's no denying that. But the intelligence you've brought back is valuable. So I'll let it slide. Rest and recover. We'll handle the investigation."
Sara's expression remained cold and impassive as she turned and left. The wounded soldier exhaled deeply, relieved that the general had spared him. Even watchful colleagues nearby quietly breathed out in relief on his behalf.
As she walked, Kujou Sara kept turning one question over in her mind. A squad of twelve Vision wielders. How could they possibly let a single soldier from a five-man patrol escape? She wasn't questioning the strength of her own soldiers—she knew that Vision users were on a completely different level from ordinary mortals. Given that gap in power, how could one person ever have had the chance to flee?
Unless... their escape was intentional.
The moment this thought surfaced, Sara's heart tightened. She sensed an undercurrent of conspiracy. Just as she was about to return to the Tenryou Commission's estate and report what had happened to her adoptive father, she noticed a change in the atmosphere within Inazuma City. Many of the citizens were already talking about today's events.
"Did you hear? A village in the west was burned to the ground!"
"Of course I heard. What a tragedy! Hundreds of families, not a single survivor."
"The hunters and weavers in that village were friends of mine. We were drinking together just last night... Damn. Who could have done something like this?"
"No one knows. I heard five Shogunate soldiers were on patrol and ran into them. Only one made it back. The other four are probably dead."
"Four of our soldiers were killed?! Are they even capable of protecting us?"
"Hey, you don't get it. There were twelve of them. And all of them had Visions."
"Seriously? Visions? All twelve? No wonder they lost..."
"Exactly. Forget the Visions—just being outnumbered that badly explains it."
"Dammit, who would send that many Vision wielders just to hit a village?"
"Don't you see? I think it was the people from Watatsumi Island. You know, those rumors that everyone there has a Vision now?"
"Yeah, right! And they've also been talking about launching another eastern invasion! Those Watatsumi folks are ungrateful. Our Shogun has shown them mercy and protection, and this is how they repay her? Shameless."
Walking through the streets, Sara heard conversations like these nonstop, each one worse than the last. This only deepened Sara's sense that something was off.
"Watatsumi… Visions…" Muttering the connection between the two, she continued to mull it over in her mind.
Before she knew it, she had returned to the estate. She hurried to the main reception hall of the Kujou Clan's head—her adoptive father, the Tenryou Commissioner—and gave him a full report of what had happened. The Tenryou Commission was responsible for Inazuma's public order and the execution of decrees, wielding considerable authority. An incident like this reflected directly on them.
The middle-aged man seated in the principal seat listened to Sara's report with an air of composure, showing little reaction.
"I see. Thank you, Sara. Reorganize the patrols and fortify the surrounding defenses. Post additional troops." The clan head acknowledged her report with a slight nod and then, almost dismissively, instructed her to reinforce security—offering no further directives.
"But Commissioner… shouldn't we report this matter to the Shogun as well?" Sara furrowed her brow and asked.
"Hmph! Would you trouble Her Excellency over such a trivial issue? Are you saying the Three Commissions can't even handle a matter of this scale? That's enough. Do as I've instructed. I'll handle anything to do with the Shogun."
The clan head let out a cold snort, his displeasure plain. He dismissed her from the room.
Though still unsettled, Sara ultimately obeyed her adoptive father and went to arrange the increased military presence.