He changed Tiwat

This was someone's dying words to her, and it was also a secret she kept hidden in her heart.

"You agreed to let Sara into the Kujo family not because of the Shogun, but because of Michiki. If you had been braver back then, Sara should have been born with the surname Mikoto, right?"

The Daoqi she mentioned was named Mikoto Daoqi. He was the son of Mikoto Chiyo, the adopted brother of Mikoto Nagamasa, the founder of the "Iwazo-ryu" school, and the swordsmanship instructor of the Kujo family. He was later known as "Iwazo-do-in".

The name "Iwakura Doin" was given to him by Mitsuyo.

The name left Mitsuyo in a daze.

Cherry blossoms fall like snowflakes.

Mitsuyo stared blankly at the sacred cherry tree, lost in thought.

Miyuki Chiyo betrayed the Thunder God, and her family suffered disgrace and was stripped of their past honors. The eldest son, Michiki, who should have inherited the family business, went into seclusion in the mountains of Kageshiro, where Mitsuyo met him.

"How annoying. If you want to leave the past behind, then I'll give you a new name."

—After hearing him recount his past, she scoffed dismissively.

"Let's call him 'Iwazo'—meaning 'rock seat,' something that is not harmed by human words. You, who have demon blood flowing through your veins, should be happy. Smile, for you should know that the name given by us, the Shadow Tengu, is blessed with supernatural power."

"Besides, the name 'Stone' is quite fitting for your brain and muscles, isn't it?"

She casually tossed the man a knife, telling him to try and cut herself. But even with the swordsmanship of the Mikoto family, how could an ordinary sword possibly cut down a celestial dog that roams the sky?

"Then—let's duel here again next year when the cherry blossoms fall, 'Iwakura'. Child of the Demon, you must practice your swordsmanship well and become a worthy opponent for the Shadow Tengu. By the way, if you ever have the chance to meet me, let's name the secret sword 'Tengu Victory'! After all, by then, you will have mastered a 'miraculous sword that even a Tengu can defeat'."

—This is the origin of the secret sword "Tengu Shou".

For thirteen years, through thirteen cherry blossoms falling and thirteen real sword duels, his sword was finally able to cut off her feathers.

She remembered that last meeting when Daoqi held her hand.

Their hands were trembling.

She knew what he was going to say, so she spoke first: "Your sword can now even surpass the speed of a tengu. I will never forget every day I fought you in these thirteen years."

"But as a Shadow Tengu, I must ultimately bear the burden that my clan has to bear."

"Looking back now, the reason I renamed you was so that you could break free from the curse of the demon blood. The bloodline of non-human beings has become increasingly thin since that war. After all, we non-human beings should not covet the peaceful end of humans."

“But you are different. You are now ‘Iwakura’, no longer the Mikoto who bears the blood of the demon.”

"Then farewell, Doki. Forget me, and with your sword, forge a path that belongs only to Iwazo for the bloodline of Iwazo."

At that time, the cherry blossoms fell like a vast expanse of white snow.

Beneath the sacred cherry blossoms, Yae no Miko raised her hand and caught a falling crimson cherry blossom.

"Mitsuyo, this world is like a cherry blossom, fleeting and transient. What is 'eternal'? If there is anything 'eternal,' it is only the regrets left in our memories."

"So...would you rather she seize the fleeting moment, or leave her with eternal regret?"

Chapter 157 In this chaotic world, I stand alone, burning with righteous indignation and surging with passion [4k]

Seize the fleeting moment, or leave behind an eternal regret?

If she had the chance to do it all over again, would she change her mind?

The shadow stood silently in the light for a long time.

"Life is but fifty years, like a dream, like an illusion. Where there is life, there is death; what is there for a brave warrior to regret?" — Inazuma. In ancient times, many samurai recited this short poem before their deaths.

Thirteen years is but a fleeting moment for a celestial being, yet it is a quarter of a mortal's life. A man who has been devoted to her and has pursued her for thirteen years... Kagehiro has only encountered one such man in five hundred years.

Once you miss it, it's gone forever.

For Sara, this moment must be an irreplaceable one in her life.

The child, who seemed to be the embodiment of "loyalty," questioned the general's orders for the first time in her life... If she hadn't been allowed to participate and witness the outcome firsthand, she would have been left with lifelong regrets, just like her incompetent mother.

Life is as long as regrets.

But... even if there are no regrets, is the result good?

Just as she once said to Dao Qi: "As a Shadow Tengu, I must ultimately bear the burden that my clan has to bear."

In order to ensure the continuation of her clan's bloodline, she had to part ways with Dao Qi... This was her responsibility as the daughter of the clan leader, and also her duty as the successor clan leader.

Even if she had to choose again, in reality she would only be able to choose regret, right?

After a long silence, Mitsuyo spoke up: "Divine Child, I must also advise you: you are the only one left of the White Star bloodline. If you rebel against the General, you may very well end up like Torachiyo."

"Torachiyo" is another name for Mikoto Chiyo.

The divine child turned around and smiled: "Isn't that perfect? ​​How about you sit on the Demon King's throne for a few days?"

Mitsuyo gave a wry smile: "I had absolutely no such intention..."

The divine child, however, did not take it to heart: "Of the three great demon clans and four great martial arts schools of Inazuma, how many people are still alive today?"

"I am the only one of the White Star Fox Clan bloodline, and the blood of the Miyuki Clan also dissipated with the death of Miyuki Chiyo... The 'Nagaji Kitain' of Hachiyū Island has become extinct, and the Red Oni Clan is left with only that idiot in the 'Arataki Otemon'. Oh, he has never even heard of his ancestors."

"On the contrary, it is the legacy of your Tengu clan—'Yono Iwazo' served as the swordsmanship instructor of the Tenryo Magistrate for five hundred years and is now the number one martial artist in Inazuma; the 'Tengu-style archery' used by Sara comes from 'Kirigiri Takane'. Takane Kombumaru was a servant taken in by your mother and later became the hatamoto of the Tenryo Magistrate. He formed a marriage alliance with the Kujo family, and his descendants are now archery instructors in the Kujo family."

"The Tengu clan's heritage has been preserved so well, thanks to you. If the Baichen clan were to perish, the only ones capable of taking on the role of Demon King would be your Yingxiang clan, wouldn't they?"

Mitsuyo listened silently to the divine child's words until the very end, when she finally replied, "Yes. For me, the inheritance of the Shadow Clan is the 'eternity' I pursue."

She did not hesitate to admit that, as the head of the Shadow Tengu clan, the responsibility of family inheritance superseded any individual's will—whether it was her will, or Sara's will, including the White Fox King... and the General.

Without these five hundred years of rest and recuperation, would the Tengu clan still exist in Inazuma today? Would there still be a Sara?

The Tengu clan is known for its speed and agility, and they are always the fastest arrows on the battlefield... But Mitsuyo understands very well that the Tengu clan's greatest weakness is their unwavering steadfastness.

Five hundred years ago, the Tengu bloodline was also wiped out in the battle, and the then clan chief Ling Shanfang drowned himself at the bottom of the sea, which made the already severely damaged clan even worse.

Ling Shanfang's self-blame for failing to protect her lord and relatives was not just her own belief—after Lei Yingdian inherited the position of general, he had not summoned any members of the Tengu clan to serve in the government for five hundred years. Was there any resentment towards Ling Shanfang in this? Ling Shanfang's self-exile was also a way for her to atone for failing to protect the general's relatives and friends.

For five hundred years, Mitsuyoshi has remained secluded from the world, demonstrating his loyalty through a period of dormancy and allowing time to dilute the guilt of his ancestors.

Five hundred years later, she got her chance.

The reason she agreed to let the goddess send Sara into the Kujo family was not from the perspective of a mother, but from the perspective of the head of the clan.

Sara's loyalty to the General and her service to the Thunder God are a source of pride for the Tengu clan and a symbol of their revival.

The Kujo family adopted the "Iwakura-ryu" swordsmanship style, which was passed down from her Tengu swordsmanship, as their swordsmanship guide, and the "Tengu-den-yūjutsu" (Tengu-den Archery Technique) as their archery guide. They also took Sara as the heir of the Kujo family and made him the leader of the shogunate's army. In other words, the Kujo family was actually the representative of the Tengu clan in the human world.

This is an unspoken agreement where each party gets what they need.

Now that Sara is questioning the Shogun and rebelling against the Shogunate, Mitsuyo sees it as a betrayal of the Tengu clan. How can she allow Sara to act recklessly?

The smile on the priest's face remained unchanged: "But you made the wrong choice, Mitsuyo. The prosperity of your clan that you are so attached to, the 'eternity' you believe in, is actually just a fleeting moment—like the morning dew on the tips of grass blades condensing and then dissipating as the sky gradually turns blue. Even if the light is as dazzling as a kaleidoscope, the beautiful scenery is only for a moment."

"To try to hold onto a moment of beauty forever is like trying to hold the morning dew tightly in one's hand."

Mitsuyo was startled—

She had heard this phrase once when she was a child.

These words came from that Lord Fox Palace.

The smiling face of the Lady of the Sakamiya Palace was already blurred, but she still remembered the sorrow she heard in her words.

Shortly after that, Lord Saigon passed away.

She finally couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did Lord Saigon see back then?... Divine Child, since you inherited Lord Saigon's supernatural powers, what did your 'clairvoyance' see?"

Of the three great demon clans of Inazuma—the white fox, the red oni, and the tengu—the white fox has always been the most revered.

This is not because the white fox is stronger than the other two races.

In terms of brute strength and martial arts prowess, the White Fox is inferior to the Red Demon; in terms of supernatural powers, spells, and swift flight, the White Fox is also no match for the Heavenly Dog. The reason why Fox Palace was able to become the Demon King is because of the unique talent of the White Star Clan, the "Heavenly Eye," one of the Five Supernatural Powers of the Heavenly Fox, also known as the "Thousand-Mile Eye."

The "thousand miles" here refers not to space, but to time.

The White Fox King's all-seeing eye is said to be able to see the future while meditating.

Fox Palace used this supernatural power to help the Inazuma demon clan avoid many disasters, which is why it is revered as the king of all demons.

But even the "Thousand-Mile Eyes" cannot see things that concern them personally; even Lady Fox Palace could not foresee her own fate—but she may very well have seen the fates of others.

The Divine Child may have also encountered the fate of the Tengu clan, which is why she made arrangements in advance to send Sara into the Kujo family.

The priestess gave a mysterious smile: "The shrine maidens of Narukami Shrine all know that heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. If you insist on prying into heavenly secrets..."

She suddenly turned her hand over and brought out an old, red and white fortune-telling container.

"Why don't you buy a fortune stick? It'll bring you good luck from the fox spirit!"

Mitsuyo looked a little embarrassed: "No... you're the priest now, you should say 'draw a fortune slip,' not 'buy'... Besides, this fortune slip container can only draw 'great fortune,' right?"

Mitsuyo had also seen the same fortune-telling container that the divine child presented.

Years ago, her mother, Reisenbo, brought her to Narukami Taisha to visit Lord Kitsai-no-miya. When Lord Kitsai-no-miya was drunk, he loved to tease people with this fortune-telling stick.

"What an adorable child! Even the Tengu-sama, who's always busy fighting and playing, is starting to show some motherly awareness... Hey, how about buying a fortune slip? You've come all this way, why not support the shrine's business?"

So my mother smiled wryly and handed over a bag of Mora to draw a fortune stick—the fortune sticks at the shrine are really expensive.

Komitsu drew a fortune stick.

"Haha, it's auspicious! Look, it's auspicious! Do you know what this means? You will become an excellent Tengu clan leader in the future!" At that time, the fox master, with the drunken smell of cherry blossom wine, used the fortune stick to tease the Tengu's mask.

Komitsuyo's expression back then was just as awkward as it is now—Lord Kosai was so drunk that he forgot the mechanism to cover the fortune-telling container.

There's a button at the bottom of this fortune-telling container; pressing it will send a fortune stick with the word "Great Fortune" to your hand...

The divine child leisurely shook the divination box: "Do you still want to know what I saw?"

"..."

Mitsuyo still drew a lot.

Sure enough, it was "great fortune".

Unlike before, although the divination sticks in this container indicate good or bad fortune, they do not contain any written text.

She had assumed that the divine child would write down what she had seen on this divination slip.

Normally, each fortune slip should have an accompanying text. After drawing a slip, the person should go to the shrine maiden to have the text explained and receive advice on their fortune – this is the complete process of drawing and interpreting a fortune slip.

Without a fortune slip, how can the shrine maiden interpret it? What can she possibly glean from just the two characters "Great Fortune"?

Just then, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from above the shrine, like a whistling arrow flying by.

Mitsuyo looked up in astonishment and saw a pair of jet-black raven wings sweep across his head, accompanied by wind and thunder, and roll away.

“Saro!”

Saro, who was supposed to be confined by her, broke the seal on the secret realm!

The direction Sara was flying was Inazuma Castle.

She flapped her wings, about to take flight, when a hand pressed down on her shoulder.

“Yes, this is the ‘destiny’ I have seen,” the divine child said with a smile.

"This is rebellion! I must stop her!"

Mitsuyo tried to break free from the god's grasp, but she couldn't.

"Failure is rebellion; success is reform."

"It is divine children," the god said softly.

"Mitsuyo, look at the divination slip in your hand."

Mitsuyo raised her hand and was shocked to find that the divination slip, which originally only contained the two characters "Great Fortune," now had a strange inscription—

"Thunder strikes the heavens, thunder is great and strong. A ram butts against a fence, unable to retreat, unable to advance, nothing is gained, but hardship brings good fortune."

On the slope of Hanamizaka, Kuroda, the editor of "Yaedo," held a banner in one hand and a book in the other, and enthusiastically shouted to passersby: "'This light novel is amazing!' The first-place winner of the contest, 'The Record of Picking Up the Sword in Autumn', has been published!"

The banner in his hand was printed with the image of a sword, and next to it was a postscript written by the editor-in-chief, Yae no Kamiko.

Throughout the streets and alleys of Inazuma Castle, many "Yaedo" staff members, like editor Kuroda, carried banners to promote this award-winning work.

Even Kuroda, a veteran editor who has worked at Yaedo for many years, had never seen such a level of publicity.

—The editor-in-chief always says, "Good wine needs no bush," and never engages in such high-profile publicity.

Of course, as a long-time employee, Kuroda knew why the editor-in-chief was too lazy to spend money on advertising... "Yaedo" was Inazuma's only novel publishing house, a monopoly, so even without advertising, Inazuma people could only buy novels from "Yaedo".

Other companies want to compete with "Yaedo"? Sorry, our company adheres to the policy of not approving game licenses...

Kuroda was extremely curious about a book that could garner such attention from the editor-in-chief, who even personally wrote its promotional slogan.