After gathering outside the hot spring facility, Yuuko asked:
"Sayu, it's still early. Do you have any plans for later?"
Sayu thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm... I should probably find a place to sleep..."
"Sleeping again..." Yuuko said helplessly. "If you sleep now, will you be able to sleep tonight? How about this, come to my place first..."
Yuuko was just about to invite Sayu over to his house for a meal.
Suddenly, he heard a loud commotion coming from the other side of the street.
Yuuko turned his head to look and saw a large group of soldiers gathering in the distance down the street, heading toward the other side.
Those soldiers were personnel from the Tenryou Commission.
In the middle of the group of soldiers, a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair was being escorted in handcuffs.
Judging by the middle-aged man's attire, he was likely a samurai.
Seeing this, Yuuko muttered curiously:
"In broad daylight, did they catch some villain? Why is the Tenryou Commission escorting one person with such a huge display of force?"
"And the direction they are heading is the Tenshukaku..."
The Tenshukaku is where the God of Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun, resides.
Even Sayu, who was beside him, showed a rare serious expression: "Sayu... has a bad feeling..."
Yuuko thought for a moment and said, "Let's follow them and ask what's going on."
So, Yuuko and Sayu followed behind the group of Tenryou Commission soldiers.
And they continuously asked other neighbors what exactly was happening.
After asking around, they learned that just moments ago, the Raiden Shogun had urgently issued a new decree.
It was called the Vision Hunt Decree, which mandated the confiscation of all Visions belonging to Inazuma residents.
And the first person affected was the samurai who had just been escorted in handcuffs by the Tenryou Commission soldiers.
Upon learning this, Yuuko was very surprised.
Although he had heard about the Vision Hunt Decree, logically, shouldn't a new decree take some time before being implemented?
Why was it being enforced so suddenly now?
To verify this, Yuuko and Sayu continued to follow behind the group of Tenryou Commission soldiers.
Finally, following the Tenryou Commission soldiers, they arrived at the square outside the Tenshukaku, the highest point in the south of Inazuma City.
Many people had gathered around the square; they were citizens who came to watch the excitement.
Clearly, everyone was very concerned about this matter.
Upon reaching the square outside the Tenshukaku, the soldiers escorted the samurai to the very center of the square, looked up, and waited for instructions.
Above the square stood a massive statue, and next to the statue stood a purple figure.
This purple figure was the supreme ruler of Inazuma.
She was also the symbol of Inazuma's military might, the Raiden Shogun.
Before the Raiden Shogun could speak, the samurai suddenly knelt down and pleaded repeatedly:
"Her Excellency, the General, please show mercy! This Vision has been with me my entire life, witnessing my swordsmanship grow from beginner to master level.
"Taking my Vision is no different from taking my life."
"Please, Her Excellency, the General, do not take back my Vision!"
The samurai's voice was trembling and fearful; clearly, he was helpless under the oppressive presence of the Raiden Shogun.
He was just an ordinary swordsman; previously, he hadn't been particularly concerned about the Vision Hunt Decree.
But he never expected that he would be the first person the Vision Hunt Decree was executed upon.
The Vision was the object that held the samurai's swordsmanship, and it embodied his hope of reaching the pinnacle of the sword arts.
No matter what, the samurai was unwilling to let his Vision be taken away.
However, the emotionless Raiden Shogun would not accept such a request.
She would only execute matters in a fixed manner to maintain Inazuma City's 'eternity'.
The Raiden Shogun reached out her hand and gently grasped.
The Vision hanging on the samurai's body was immediately subjected to a certain pulling force and flew toward the Raiden Shogun.
"No!"
Seeing his Vision taken away, the samurai cried out in despair. He stood up, wanting to chase after it and reclaim it.
But immediately, he was subdued by the Tenryou Commission soldiers nearby.
He could only watch helplessly as his Vision flew into the Raiden Shogun's hand.
Throughout this process, the samurai was shouting in despair.
This scene caused the surrounding onlookers to discuss animatedly.
Even Yuuko, who was mixed in the crowd, couldn't help but frown.
Although he had heard that the Vision Hunt Decree would forcibly recall people's Visions, he hadn't expected the process to be so cold and heartless.
Just when everyone thought the matter was about to conclude.
The samurai, his face full of despair, suddenly glared at the Raiden Shogun above and let out an angry roar:
"Her Excellency, the General! Please grant me an Imperial Duel! If I win, return my Vision to me!"
The Imperial Duel is a very special mechanism in Inazuma.
Whenever a dispute between two parties cannot be resolved, it is settled using an Imperial Duel.
The losing party must unconditionally obey the winner, even if it means forfeiting their life.
The Raiden Shogun, standing next to the statue, silently glanced at the samurai.
Then, stepping on lightning, she walked step by step onto the square, arriving in front of the samurai.
She spoke with an emotionless voice:
"I grant it."
The soldiers were all stunned, clearly not expecting the Raiden Shogun to agree to this Imperial Duel.
But since the Raiden Shogun had agreed to the Imperial Duel, they dared not disobey.
They quickly released the samurai and unbound him.
As soon as the samurai was released, he immediately drew the long sword from his waist, roared in anger, and charged straight toward the Raiden Shogun.
He was an unremarkable swordsman of the Iwakura School.
Perhaps in terms of swordsmanship, he had a great disparity compared to the grand masters of the sword arts.
But his desire to pursue the pinnacle of swordsmanship was something that could never be erased.
To strip him of his Vision was equivalent to stripping him of his pursuit of the ultimate sword arts.
Even though his Vision had already been taken, the samurai bravely swung his blade, hacking toward the God of Inazuma.
However, mortals are ultimately mortals; before a god, they are utterly vulnerable... The samurai's sword hadn't even managed to swing out.
When a massive Lightning Blade slashed down directly toward his face.
That strike was a slash from the Raiden Shogun, though not the Musou no Hitotachi.
Yet the oppressive force of this single slash still made the samurai's face turn pale, and his body was temporarily paralyzed by fear.
Everything appeared helpless and weak before the Raiden Shogun's blade.
In the samurai's pupils, the lightning-filled blade grew larger and larger.
And he could only wait quietly for death.
He knew he couldn't withstand this strike.
Bang!
The flashing purple light of the thunder instantly covered half the square.
After the purple light dissipated, the samurai's sword was broken, and the samurai himself had perished instantly beneath that single strike.
This sight immediately terrified the surrounding spectators.
Who would have thought that the samurai merely wanted to reclaim his Vision through an Imperial Duel.
Yet the Raiden Shogun just directly delivered a killing blow... Undeniably, this shocking scene stunned all the onlookers.
Yuuko, standing among the crowd, also slightly opened his mouth upon seeing this scene.
At this moment, Yuuko's mindset had undergone some changes.
Originally, he hadn't paid much attention to the so-called Vision Hunt Decree.
After all, the matter had nothing to do with him.
Yuuko didn't think the Vision Hunt Decree was a particularly serious matter.
But now, seeing the Raiden Shogun enforce the Vision Hunt Decree in such a cold and heartless manner.
And even executing the samurai on the spot.
Yuuko wondered: once the Vision Hunt Decree is fully executed, will Inazuma still be the Inazuma it once was?