Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

In Hanachirusato's eyes, the young man had arrived empty-handed. But as he approached her and said, "Let's watch the fireworks together," a few boxes suddenly appeared on the ground.

Fireworks.

Hanachirusato had seen such things before. Lady Saiguu's memories directly told her that these were fireworks.

Why fireworks?

Earlier, at the Abyssal Sea, the young man had suggested they rest for the day and that he would come to the abandoned shrine to find her in the evening.

Why did he want to find her?

Questions swirled in Hanachirusato's mind, but no answers came from mere speculation.

Li Mo placed the answer right in front of her.

She truly hadn't expected that the answer Li Mo would present would be fireworks.

Fireworks had no connection to what they were doing—the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual."

Then, she heard his response.

"From the perspective of an outsider like me, the only things in Inazuma that haven't changed in five hundred years, aside from the Shogun, are the fireworks.

Even though the methods and craftsmen behind making fireworks have changed, the meaning behind the fireworks themselves has always remained."

Li Mo hadn't been in Inazuma for long—just about a week, if you counted the days.

Yet, he felt he understood Inazuma well.

Was it because he had played the game? Probably not. When a game becomes reality, many things change. For example, Mt. Yougou, towering into the clouds. Climbing from the base to the summit would take hours, even for someone with Li Mo's speed.

Mt. Yougou was tall.

Narukami Island was vast.

And Konda Village was much larger than he remembered.

Perhaps it was the combination of real-world interactions and in-game knowledge that gave Li Mo this sense of understanding.

So, he felt this way.

Maybe reality would teach Li Mo a lesson someday, warning him against arrogance. But for now, he was confident.

"Hanachirusato, Lady Saiguu has seen fireworks, right?"

Li Mo's tone was firm, but the content was a question. Questions shouldn't be stated with such certainty.

Hanachirusato replied, her voice tinged with amusement, "Are you so sure that Lady Saiguu has seen fireworks?"

"Yes, I'm certain. The Kamado family has records about this. Lady Saiguu was willing to form bonds with both humans and youkai. How could she not have seen fireworks?"

Li Mo fiddled with the fireworks as he spoke. "By the way, why is this place so clean? There's hardly any weeds. If it weren't for that, we'd have to find another spot to set off the fireworks."

The abandoned shrine was large. Entering through the torii gate and climbing the stone steps, one would find that the shrine's grounds were nearly half the size of Konda Village. What had this place been used for in the past?

Li Mo didn't ask.

The answer wasn't important. What mattered was that there was enough space to set off the fireworks.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"Not yet. But I brought some seasonings with me, so I didn't bother going back to Konda Village. I'll go see what I can find to eat around here later."

Located at the base of Mt. Yougou, Li Mo didn't think he'd have trouble finding food. Heading east for a while would bring him to Chinju Forest, where small animals were plentiful. His hunting skills hadn't rusted.

With a thought, he could act. One of the greatest lessons he had learned in the Demon Slayer world was to act on his thoughts. His ability to take action had improved significantly.

Soon, Li Mo returned from Chinju Forest. His hands were empty, just as they had been when he left. But upon reaching his destination, the corpse of a wild boar suddenly appeared before him.

Under Hanachirusato's curious gaze, Li Mo explained sheepishly, "Originally, I planned to catch a rabbit or squirrel to make do. But not long after entering the forest, this boar charged at me in a panic. So, I had no choice but to reluctantly take it down."

Li Mo's butchering skills were also quite good, thanks to the boar's anatomy being similar to that of boars in other worlds.

Initially, he had considered raiding a Hilichurl camp if he couldn't find any game.

Hanachirusato wasn't in a hurry. She simply watched as Li Mo worked. It was still early, with the sun hanging low in the western sky, painting the clouds in a fiery red.

"Do you remember our conversation at the Abyssal Sea earlier? The final step—that leap—do you need to prepare for it?"

Tomorrow would be the final stage of the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual." The first step would be to leap into the hollow of Mt. Yougou. That would require extraordinary courage.

"Hanachirusato, are you sure there's no spell that can make me fly? I don't have a Wind Glider, so I can't glide."

The Traveler had a Wind Glider, but Li Mo didn't. He thought that if he went to Mondstadt, he might be able to get one. But he couldn't go to Mondstadt now.

The round trip would take at least half a year, and he didn't know how to use Waypoints for teleportation.

"I don't have such a spell. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'll just go to the Grand Narukami Shrine tomorrow and ask," Li Mo said, undoubtedly thinking of the fox who enjoyed light novels.

That fox seemed to have a lot of free time. If she had the leisure to observe them, then it wouldn't hurt to trouble her a bit more.

Before the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual" was completed, Li Mo still had value to offer.

With that thought in mind, Li Mo felt justified.

Later, they ate roasted meat. Li Mo wasn't picky about food. With the seasonings he had brought, the roasted meat tasted quite good.

As night fell and the stars dotted the dark sky, Li Mo, bathed in the moonlight, knew it was time to set off the fireworks.

He lit the fuse and then stepped back, watching as the fireworks soared into the sky. At a certain height, they burst open, spreading into beautiful blossoms.

"It's just like before."

The sound of fireworks filled the air. Hanachirusato, wearing her mask, gazed at the fireworks in the night sky. Memories of Lady Saiguu also rose within her consciousness.

"Lady Saiguu also loved watching fireworks.

In her memories, she once accompanied a child to watch fireworks. It's just... every time she watched fireworks, the child beside her would change.

From a child to an adult, from single to married with children, from young to old."

Hanachirusato spoke, recounting Lady Saiguu's memories.

Then, the masked shrine maiden continued, "I've seen many of Lady Saiguu's memories of watching fireworks. Among them was her conversation with the Shogun. She once invited the Shogun to watch fireworks together, but the Shogun refused, saying that during the fireworks festival, she could see the fireworks from Tenshukaku..."

Hanachirusato didn't continue.

Because Li Mo stopped her.

He said, "The one standing before me today is Hanachirusato, not Lady Saiguu."

"I understand."

Hanachirusato was the "continuation" of Lady Saiguu.

But only a continuation.

Hanachirusato's existence, her purpose, her goals—all were based on Lady Saiguu's memories.

But Hanachirusato was Hanachirusato.

Tonight, it was simply the shrine maiden named Hanachirusato and the samurai named Li Mo watching fireworks together...

Hanachirusato gazed at the fireworks in the sky.

At this moment, these were Hanachirusato's memories, separate from Lady Saiguu.

...

...

The Grand Narukami Shrine stood at the summit of Mt. Yougou. From there, the fireworks set off at the base of the mountain were clearly visible.

Yae Miko, holding a fox in her arms, watched the fireworks in the sky and chuckled, "Oh my, isn't this just causing me trouble? That little guy really is something.

But these fireworks are beautiful. Hanachirusato, she's lucky to have made such a sincere friend at this time.

Well then, I suppose I'll help you out."

The Guuji Yae picked up a dango stick and smiled. "Ah, even Hanachirusato gets to watch fireworks, while my old friend still locks herself away at home. How typical..."

Her final words trailed off, leaving it unclear what Yae Miko was truly thinking.