Taketsu City, Kurogane Province.

Masahiro Arakuro climbed the stone steps in silence, the air around him thick with the scent of rain and cedar.

Red torii gates stood in rows, their paint weathered by time. Wind rustled through paper charms and hanging bells, carrying faint echoes of prayers long past.

At the top, a two-story pagoda awaited. It was wooden, simple, and ancient. Moss crept along its base, and a faint wisp of incense drifted from within as Masahiro arrived before the building, then respectfully bowed.

"Lady Chiyo, I have arrived," Masahiro Arakuro humbly greeted.

The elderly woman was the Head Diviner of the Arakuro Clan. She was also the only other Mana Core Magus other than the Patriarch.

However, her proficiency didn't lie in spells or combat. Instead, she had the gift of sight.

Any prominent faction, not only in Yen-Lu, but across the world, had a Diviner tasked with uncovering the heavenly secrets and guiding their path towards a more favourable future.

Chiyo Arakuro's standing in the Clan was no less than the Patriarch's. However, she always remained in the shadows, secretly guiding the clan towards glory. Even someone like the Patriarch, mighty and aloof, respected and admired her.

Masahiro didn't have to wait for too long. A few moments later, the towering doors opened by themselves, allowing him to enter the pagoda.

"Enter." An ancient voice sounded from inside.

"Yes." Masahiro removed his boots and entered.

The interior was clouded in smoke from incense. A large runic formation was carved on the ground, stretching into five points. At the center of the formation, an elderly woman sat cross-legged.

Her face was covered in the shadows of her red hood, so it was impossible to see her appearance. Not that Masahiro would even dare to.

"Greetings, Lady Chiyo." The man bowed once again.

"Sit," said the elderly woman.

After he knelt down on the floor, a few moments of silence lingered between them. Just as Masahiro was about to inquire about the task entrusted to him by the patriarch, the elderly woman spoke:

"You haven't given me much to work with, Masahiro."

The elderly man lowered his head. "Apologies, Lady Chiyo. That illustration is all I have."

However, he was still confident in Lady Chiyo's abilities to divine the whereabouts of this man. One way or another, when the dust settled, everything would be answered today.

Lady Chio sighed. "So you truly believe this man is responsible for… what's his name?"

"…Young Master Tensei," Masahiro awkwardly answered.

"Yes, him." Lady Chiyo nodded. "So you believe this masked man is responsible for Tensei's death?"

Masahiro remained silent for a long time. At last, he said, "Though all evidence points to something else entirely, I can't help but feel there's more than meets the eye. My instincts tell me that the masked man is the root cause of all of this, and that he may still be alive."

Lady Chiyo nodded. She gently said, "Instincts are said to be the whispers of heaven, Masahiro. When reason clouds the path, it is the heart that must lead."

Masahiro silently nodded. He truly hoped that he would receive some answers from Lady Chiyo's divination magic. For the last few months, he hadn't been able to sleep properly, thinking that Tensei's murderer might still be at large.

"I shall begin," said the elderly woman, her hands slowly rising.

Then, in a slow yet swift motion, she formed a complex set of hand seals. The pagoda hummed with energy, and the runes on the ground lit up with a blinding light.

The notebook sprawled before Lady Chiyo hovered in the air, an unseen hand flipping through its pages. Finally, it stopped at the page that contained Adam's illustration.

Rank 4 Spell: Augury!

Lady Chiyo's demeanor changed, her entire being emanating a mysterious aura. Her lips parted, and she asked the River of Fate for a revelation:

"What is the current whereabouts of this masked man?"

She continued to repeat the question over and over again, until finally… she received a revelation.

Lady Chiyo's eyes rolled over and she saw…

As the energy from the formation gradually subsided, Masahiro eagerly asked, "Lady Chiyo, what did you see?"

The elderly Diviner sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing. I saw nothing."

"H-how… how can that be?!" Masahiro was stunned.

Lady Chiyo turned to him and said, "This could only mean one thing. The masked man is dead."

Masahiro turned silent, his face shadowed by a dark expression.

Does that mean… I was wrong? Then what about that nagging feeling? It turned out to be nothing in the end?

Suddenly, he thought of something, and his eyes lit up. He turned towards the elderly woman and said, "Lady Chiyo, there is yet another possibility! What if this person has an artifact that can conceal his fate?"

"That is certainly a possibility." Lady Chiyo nodded. "But it is very unlikely. Masahiro, you must understand, artifacts related to the School of Divination are extremely rare, even more so for a Grade 4 artifact."

"But it is still a possibility, yes?" Masahiro was adamant that he was right.

Lady Chiyo sighed. "Beware, Masahiro. There are times when instincts can mislead us to paths where no truth lies."

Masahiro's following words got caught in his throat. He suddenly couldn't help but wonder why he was so adamant about his speculations. There was no basis for it, yet why was he certain that the masked man was the true culprit?

Am I making circles out of straight lines? He thought to himself bitterly.

His lips opened and closed several times until he finally said, "You're right, Lady Chiyo. I, uh… I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me."

Instead of reprimanding him, Lady Chiyo gently made him understand the true reason for his behavior.

"It is not evidence that binds you to this belief, but pride," she began.

"The pride of Arakuro Clan runs deep, my child. You cannot accept that the one who shamed our clan might have perished without your blade tasting his blood. To acknowledge his death without proof would be to admit defeat."

She paused, then continued with a gentle smile, "And that, for one of our lineage, is harder to bear than any wound."

Masahiro remained silent for a long time, trying to understand the depths of Lady Chiyo's words. In the end, he helplessly sighed.

"…I suppose you are right."

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