The Starry Sky Altar of the Land of Iron stood atop a cliff thirty miles north of the city.
By the time Hyuga Xiao arrived, it was already late at night.
The cliff curved like a crescent around a broad stone platform. At its center stood seven black stone pillars, each ten meters tall and carved with intricate star-map patterns. Moonlight fell upon the pale blue crystals embedded atop the pillars, refracting into a cold halo that shrouded the entire altar in an almost sacred silence.
Xiao stood at the edge of the cliff, his Tenseigan vision piercing through the night.
There were no ambushes around the altar.
At the edge of the platform, a figure stood with his back to Xiao, gazing up at the stars. He wore the traditional samurai armor of the Land of Iron, with an ancient longsword at his waist. His gray-white hair stirred gently in the night wind.
"You're here?"
His voice was calm, devoid of emotion.
Xiao did not conceal his presence as he slowly stepped onto the platform. The stone slabs beneath his feet were cold and hard, each step producing a faint scrape. He stopped five meters from the man—an ideal distance for a samurai to draw his sword, and the limit at which the Tenseigan could react instantly.
"General Mifune."
The man turned around.
The face of Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron, was even older than rumors suggested. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were as deep as blade marks, yet his eyes were exceptionally clear, without the slightest cloudiness. His gaze settled on Xiao's face—or rather, on Xiao's eyes, which glimmered faintly blue even in their normal state.
"The Tenseigan." Mifune spoke slowly. "I have lived for sixty-seven years and seen it three times.