“Wake up. Let go of that fantasy you cling to. See with your own eyes and look ahead. Cut the doubt that plagues your heart.” Youmu Konpaku, I have little to say to you. Show me the results of your training. You… Even in Heaven, I’ve never seen the likes of you. You’re a mystery to me.

Youmu, I, and the rest of our family are classified as half-human half phantoms. When it comes to swordsmanship, being a half-human half-phantom is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. As such, I’ve never really paid it much mind. However, Youmu embraces her half-human half-phantom nature far more than I do. The phantom half of us is dead, the human half alive. Youmu… you’ve chosen to live (I could also say, die) in your own way, and in doing so, it seems you’ve made friends. Perhaps that’s what brings me the most joy.

In swordsmanship, it takes 30 years to learn to slice through raindrops, 50 to slice through the air, and 200 to slice through time. Youmu, you still require much more training. You won’t master the blade for many years to come, but that’s OK. What matters most is that you don’t stray from the path.

Learn to use Hakurouken and Roukanken. Master them, and their power will be yours to wield. They serve as proof of the potential that dwells within you. Those blades are no mere objects. They have voices of their own, and they call out to you. But you already knew that.

I, too, know what Lady Yuyuko is like, but you’re the one who accompanies her now. Youmu, I entrust her to you once again, for she needs you. The Spirit Lantern in your hand is proof of that.