Volume 1
Chapter 2 Part
1
Dancing in the
Burning Dust, Rindo Flower 1
Translator : PolterGlast
As dusk descended,
Akira arrived at the garrison's camp.
Although he had not
taken his time to eat, he spent a lot of time on his way from the tenement
house to the garrison.
It was the first time
for him to take charge of a team and be on night duty, so he might have been a
bit nervous.
As he entered the
campgrounds, he saw his team members gathered in front of the armory warehouse.
Not all of them, but
most of them were already there.
"Squad leader,
you're late!!"
"My bad, I'll get
the key first."
After exchanging a few
snide remarks with his team members, Akira headed for the office.
He knocked on the door
and bowed as he entered.
"Akira here, I'm
coming in."
"Ou."
When he opened the
door after receiving a response, he saw Genji tightening the strap of his kyahan.
"I've come to
borrow the key to the armory warehouse."
"Here, take it.
... And also Akira." "Yes?"
Genji finished
fastening the kyahan and stood up.
"Two guardians
are coming here to back us up."
Akira was not
surprised because he already heard about it earlier in the morning.
However, he couldn't
hide the tension on his face when he heard the following words.
"Since the
long-awaited guardians are here, we're not going to let this opportunity pass
by. ――We will carry out a mountain hunt, so be prepared with that in
mind."
"Are you sure
about this?!"
A mountain hunt to
drive the Kegare away on a large
scale is not something to be done in such haste.
No matter how well
they prepare, it is still a hell that will result in a few casualties. Akira
had been on several mountain hunts in the past, and there was never a time when
there were no deaths.
He was grateful for
the backup of the two guardians, but it was too much of a trade-off to be told
that he would be going mountain hunting instead.
"This will be
your opportunity to improve your training. Divide the squad into three. You
know the drill, don't you?"
".........Yes."
"Also, separate
10 people. I'll put them in the rear, but you don't need to think about them.
Just focus on what you're supposed to do."
"............Understood."
After cutting off his
conversation with Akira, who was still anxious about the situation, Genji
turned his attention to Niikura, who was preparing in the back of the room.
"But, Niikura,
Banda-dono approved to support us so easily, don't you think?"
"It was not that
easy. But, indeed, he gave us a very generous offer."
"He sent it on
the same day we talked to him, you know? It was so easy it was creepy."
Genji himself is aware
of his bad relationship with the commander-in-chief, Banda.
"That's probably
because of Captain's virtue, isn't it?"
"An?"
"One of the guardians
at the meeting raised her hand in support, and then another joined along
without a second thought. That Guardian-ojousan was quite a pretty girl, do you know her?"
"Guardian-ojousan?"
"Excuse me!"
Just when Genji was
tilting his head, a lively girl's voice was heard from behind Akira's back.
Without a pause, the
sliding door to the office was opened and a girl with the scent of citrus and
wearing an indigo-dyed kimono came rushing in.
As she slipped past
Akira's side, Akira caught sight of a large family crest painted on her back.
――A single Rindo Flower
blooming in a pentagonal crest.
Ba-thump. Akira's
heart raced with one loud, unwelcome thump.
Akira had seen that
family crest once before, in a corner of his memory more than four years ago,
when Naotoshi, his instructor, showed him one of the crests of the eight families
side by side as part of the knowledge he needed to know.
The fifth of the eight
families, the Rindo family, swayed in front of Akira's eyes.
"Long time no
see, Uncle Asogi!"
With a bright voice, a
ponytail bounced on the girl's shoulder.
The girl seemed to be
about the same age as Akira, with a cheerful personality befitting her lively
tone of voice.
"Oh, Saki of
Rindo, huh? It's been a long time. I see, so you are our backup."
"Yes~, I'm
nominated for this position. I look forward to working with you for a
week!"
"Haha~. You're
going to be a blooming flower in the garrison full of widowers. But is one week
really alright? ...... I heard that you have been admitted to Tenryou Academy
in Central Capital."
Tenryou Academy,
located in the Central Capital, Tenryou, is an educational institution that
educates the sons and daughters of upper-class families to become leaders of
the next generation.
Naturally, it is
almost mandatory for the children of the eight families to attend Tenryo
Academy.
"Oji-sama. The
academy has been on summer vacation since yesterday, and it's time for everyone
to return home. We of the eight families are also scattered among the garrisons
throughout the province in order to learn more about the guardians'
duties."
"A~a, so that's
why the backup came so quickly. Banda-dono intends to let you guys gain
some experience."
"So that's the
underlying purpose behind the mountain hunt, huh? I understand now."
A friendly
conversation among the guardians. However, the intention of forcing the
mountain hunt was something that made Akira rather unhappy.
The reason is that it
is tantamount to being told to become the stepping stone of the eight families
to gain experience, which is the last thing Akira wants to be involved in.
He desperately tried
to regulate his breathing and decided to finish his errand and leave the place.
"Then where's the
other one?"
"Yes, I think
he'll be here soon. Unlike me, that guy is amazing, you know? After all, he is
Kuga's-..."
" 'Scuse
me."
With a curt greeting,
another boy around the same age entered the room.
"Tch, you're in
the way, move."
He pushed Akira, who
was stuck near the door, away with his shoulder. Although he had not yet
reached adulthood, the arrogance of being comfortable with a clear difference
in status was well apparent in his attitude.
On the back of the
red-dyed kimono standing next to Saki, the family crest, again from his memory,
was swaying.
――Two flowers of Pampass
Grass in a double enclosure.
It is the crest of
Kuga family, the second of the eight families.
The family crests,
which Akira did not even want to see, were lined up in two rows in front of his
eyes.
His breathing became
rough and uncontrollable. He frantically rubbed his left chest to calm his
racing heart.
The four guardians,
with Akira's distress at their side, were engaged in a friendly conversation.
"That family crest, that's Kuga's-......"
"I, Kuga Ryota, has
arrived. I am here at the request of the commander-in-chief Banda, please take good
care of me for a week."
It seems that he can
use honorifics for higher-ranking and superior people, and can converse
normally with Genji.
"...Oh, I've
heard of you. If I'm not mistaken, they call you Kuga's child prodigy."
"Osu~. That's
what people call me."
He pretended to be
unconcerned, but he replied with great enthusiasm, perhaps somewhat satisfied
with it.
"Though, at Tenryo
Academy, he was beaten to a pulp by a child from the northern part of the
island, and he was very depressed."
"Shut up, don't
mention anything unnecessary!"
"...... Umm,
Deputy Chief Niikura. May I have a word?"
Akira wondered whether
it would be a good idea to interrupt the lively conversation, but he wanted to
get away from this place where he felt nothing but inferiority and alienation
as soon as possible, so he spoke boldly to Niikura.
"I've brought you
the items you asked for in the morning. Please take a look at it."
Akira presented a
bundle of recovery talismans. Niikura, who was interrupted in his conversation,
was stunned for a few moments, as if he could not catch up with his thought
process, and then he hurriedly accepted the bundle.
"A-, ah, right,
the talismans. Thank you very much. About the price-..."
"It's okay to pay
me after I finish my night duty. I'll go back to prepare."
"He~e. These are
talismans, huh? You can write them?"
Saki peeked at Akira's
hand from behind his back and asked a question filled with curiosity.
Unknowingly, he felt a
chill run down his spine.
"Yeah, it's only
recovery talismans, but Akira-kun certainly can write them."
Niikura responded in
place of Akira, who was frozen to the root of his tongue.
"That's amazing.
Not bad."
"Hah~, just a
recovery talisman, eh? That's just a basic talisman, you know?"
Ryota, perhaps
offended by not being able to be praised further, let out a thorny remark.
However, it was not
Akira who responded to the thorny remark, but Saki. She stared at Ryota with
half-closed eyes.
"――What are you
saying? We can't even write something as basic as that."
"Ugh."
"But certainly, people
from Shumon Province are fundamentally incompatible with talismans. Where are
you from?"
"......... I'm
from Kokuten."
Somehow Akira managed
to dissolve his stiff tongue and answered in a low voice.
"What the heck,
so you're an outsider."
Ryota's tone was
tinged with contempt due to the fact that Akira was from outside of the
province.
"Ah, I knew it. I
hear that the people over there are good with talismans. ――...Eh?"
Saki unintentionally
tilted her head. Something touched her memory as she was saying so.
While she was trying
to remember what this strange sense of déjà vu was, Akira lightly bowed and
turned on his heel.
"...... Hey, you.
Haven't we met somewhere before?"
Akira stopped in his
tracks in response to her words. For the first time, he looked back into the
other's eyes, but to be honest, he had no memory of it.
To begin with, the
only people who have been related to Akira over the past few years have been
Genji and Niikura. If he were to include the people within the Talisman
Association, there would be a little more, but they would think of Akira as
an old man who called himself Gensei.
"...I don't think
so, this must be our first time."
"Is that so? It's
weird, I feel like I've met you somewhere before."
"I am sorry. I've
been in Shumon for quite a while now, but I don't remember meeting you,
ojōsama."
He hung his head and
apologized for not remembering, but Saki, perhaps unconvinced, tilted her head
and made a gesture to probe her memory.
Ryota, perhaps
impatient, raised his voice.
"Oi, he said he
didn't remember, so there is no need to fuss about it. Ha~a, I'm bored. I'm
going to go prepare first!"
"R, right. I'm
sorry. Are you in charge of the garrison today?"
Hearing her question,
Genji nodded and joined in the conversation.
"Yeah. Though
you'd meet him at the meeting later, he's Akira, today's squad leader."
"I knew I was
right. I'm Rindo Saki. Pleased to meet you today."
With a pleasant smile,
she presented her right hand, perhaps not too concerned about the difference in
status.
"...... I'm
Akira, nice to meet you."
They shook hands and
this time Akira turned on his heel to go back to the others.
Behind his back, Genji
called out to him.
"Oi, Akira."
"Yes, sir."
Genji, who seemed to
be pondering for a moment, continued with a slightly mysterious expression on
his face.
"I want to talk
to you after you finish your shift today. Stay with me for a bit."
"...Understood."
He looked a little
skeptical, but replied so with a nod without thinking too much about whether it
would add something to his duties as squad leader.
――――――――――――――――
"Nnn~. I knew I
had seen him somewhere before."
As she watched Akira
leave the office, Saki continued to probe her own memory.
It was not a distant
memory, but a rather recent memory.
She groaned and tilted
her head, but still no answer came to mind.
"Give it up,
ojou. Usually, when one says something like that, it's a given that no answer
will come."
"U~. It
will."
Genji laughed at her,
and she finally gave up. It is certainly not something she should be thinking
about right now.
Besides, there was
something else she needed to ask Genji while Ryota was not around.
Asogi Genji ranked
high amongst the top guardians who originated from noble families.
His ability is
well-proven, and he has a reputation for not being inferior to any of the other
eight families.
Saki's relationship
with Genji went back to the time when she was a child.
The relationship began
when Genji was asked to serve as Rindo's instructor and Saki's bodyguard.
Saki, who had never
been afraid of anything since she was a child, came to adore Genji's
open-minded personality and called him "uncle".
Since then, Saki has
been asking Genji to take care of matters that were difficult for her to handle
by herself for a long time.
"Uncle, umm,
about Kuga-kun-..."
Saki's tone of voice
was hardly understandable, but Genji could guess what she was asking for.
After all, having just
had a brief conversation with Ryota, Genji knew what she was going to ask him
to do. It seemed that Ryota would have no shortage of enemies at home or
wherever he went.
"Sure, I don't
mind. I'm the only person in this garrison who can keep that personality in
check. ――Niikura, I'll be teaming up with Kuga. You give instructions to the
young lady and Akira."
"Alright. But,
are you sure? With that personality of his, it would be troublesome if he were
to go out of control."
"That's why I
should do this. I'm the only one who can keep up with Kuga's rampage and stay
in one piece."
"......Understood."
Saki bowed her head in
place of Niikura.
"Thank you,
Uncle. Please take care of Kuga-kun."
"Ou, leave it to
me. ......Let me guess, the request came from Kuga's head, right?"
"Un. Although he
possessed great talent, his personality was like that, so there were not many
people who could control him. Once he entered the academy, he would know there
would be someone above him, so everyone was optimistic about it, but he got
beaten up so badly that he took a weird turn instead."
"Above him? The
northern kid you're talking about earlier?"
"Un. You must
have heard of him, uncle. ――He is the eldest son of Ugetsu, who became the
bearer of the divine spirit for the first time in 50 years. As I recall, he was
engaged to be married to the next head of the Gioin family."
"A-a, he is
indeed famous. A divine spirit master, indeed, is the wonder of this age. Well,
since his opponent is someone of that caliber, it's no wonder Kuga-boy is
outmatched."
"He got defeated
in a single blow, you know? Not only were their fundamental strength and
spiritual power, but also their personalities were a world of difference. There
is no way he can win."
Perhaps even Saki was
fed up with Ryota's antics, she broke down in a happy smile when she mentioned
Ryota's defeat.
Both greater spirits
and divine spirits fall into the broad category of high-ranking spirits.
However, the spirits
called divine spirits have abilities that distinguish them from other spirits.
Divine power. They are
able to use the divine power that makes up the sacred pillar, which contains
tremendous power.
She knew about Ugetsu
Souma, who was called the "treasure of the northern region," even
before she enrolled at Tenryou Academy.
The reason was because
the head of the family, Ugetsu Tenzan, boasted about Souma at every meeting and
festival of the eight families.
When she learned that
he would be enrolling at Tenryou Academy as a student of her generation, she
looked for him, half out of curiosity and half out of fear of what he might be
like.
What she found out was
that he was much more than what the rumors said he was.
He is a good-looking,
friendly personality, and is a diligent student. He has a good-natured
personality, is well-educated, and is skilled in martial arts. His very
existence, filled to the brim with the ideal features that even a flower would
be ashamed of, attracted the eyes of almost all the women in the academy and
the jealousy of the boys.
――Saki was one of the
girls who beheld a passionate gaze at Souma.
"――Hou~. He seems
to be a great guy for you to fall in love with him that much. I'd love to meet
him when I get the chance."
"Yes. He is an
amazing person. Uncle might like him too. ......... Ah, I see."
Saki was suddenly
taken aback and it became clear to her.
――I see, it could
certainly be my imagination.
She put her index
finger to her mouth and held back the giggles that welled up.
"What's
wrong?"
"No, it's just,
about the déjà vu I had earlier. I found the cause."
"Hou~ what is
it?"
"Ahaha, it's
fine. It was just my imagination."
Saki laughed it off,
and she tried to cover it up by not telling the truth.
Because, of course,
she couldn't say it.
A boy who left little
impression on her earlier, and Ugetsu Souma, who is the center of attention at
the academy. The brilliance that shone in the depths of their eyes and the way
they behaved,
――Somehow, they seemed
to vaguely overlap one another.
――――――――――――――――
"Ha? Mountain
hunting? Are you serious?"
The stunned boy's
voice echoed in the dressing room where all the garrison members had finished
their preparations and left.
Kansuke, the vice
leader of Akira's squad, was dumbfounded by the change regarding their night
duty, and asked Akira about it. Akira, whose lips were contorted in a weak
smile, was re-fastening his Kyahan and lifting up his gauntlets to check their
condition.
"......Yeah, I'm
serious."
Kansuke became
speechless as he could not finish the rest of his sentence due to the emotions
of disgust that seeped into his tone.
It's not that Akira
agreed to it, but that he was just following the orders given to him by Captain
Asogi.
All decisions made by
Captain Asogi must be obeyed without question.
Even if they were
pardoned, it was almost impossible for them to made him reconsider his
decision.
"Kansuke, it's
not that bad. Two guardians will be joining us for a week from today. We should
have enough strength."
"That might be
true, but-"
Kansuke paused,
looking for the right words to continue.
"This whole
situation is just too much. We're not well prepared and we're not ready."
Akira totally agreed
with him, so he did not criticize him and just focused on the preparations.
However, they would be
moving in mountainous terrain with many ups and downs. He could not afford to
carry heavy equipment, and at best he could only wear kyahan and gauntlets to
provide minimal protection.
His basic equipment
was done in no time, and after he stood up, he finally came up with an excuse
that sounded like a consolation.
"......It's
certainly a rash decision, but it's not a bad one. Lately, neither demons nor defiled
beasts are seen entering human houses. They are probably hiding somewhere and
increasing in number. That's why I think the whole purpose of this mountain
hunt is to strike them before they grow too large."
"Do you mean they
are hiding in Mt. Myokaku?"
"Who knows? But
if the mountain hunt is successful, we might only have to exterminate fewer packs than
usual."
It was too wishful for
him, so he could not say for sure. But he didn't want to burden Kansuke with
unnecessary anxiety, so he added more wishful thinking to his words.
"If the mountain
hunt fails, we'll just be tired from walking around in the middle of nowhere.
Either way, it's in our best interest."
Akira tied the bundle
of talismans provided to his waistband and then attached his katana to it.
Behind his waist, he
tied his personal leather pouch.
After completing all
the basic preparations, Akira walked out of the dressing room and called out to
Kansuke, who looked down in frustration.
"Kansuke, raise
your head. If we look gloomy, how can we show the others what we're capable
of?"
"――I know."
A slight hesitation
and a frustrated-sounding response before opening the wooden door. However, as
soon as he stepped outside, he raised an order that showed no sign of the
emotional turmoil he had shown inside the room.
"Akira Squad,
assemble!"
""Yes!""
The squad members
spread out in front of the dressing room gathered and lined up in a row,
shoulder to shoulder.
"Roll call!"
""Yes,
sir!""
While listening to the
roll call of the members, Akira's thoughts sunk into how the squads would be
divided.
The total number of
members in Akira's squad was 30. It was a little too small a number for
mountain hunting, but since Akira's squad was the only one that could be
assigned to night duty, he had no choice but to go with this number.
Although they are
trainee soldiers, two guardians will be joining the team to support them. Their
offensive power is definitely different from the past situation where only
Genji and Niikura were in charge of the guardians. This is because guardians
are basically supposed to be more capable in offense and defense than soldiers.
This time, as for the
guardians who are supposed to gain experience, their skills are no less than
those of Genji and Niikura, in terms of firepower alone.
――In other words, in
addition to the forces allocated to blocking, they can afford to allocate
soldiers to areas where they are tactically weak.
On the contrary, the
number of Akira's Squad members is overwhelmingly too small.
If the guardians were
to defer to their duties due to the difference in status, the number of deaths
from the squad would increase. Before Genji decided where to send the forces,
it was necessary for him to come up with a plan that would cause as little
damage as possible.
"――Squad
leader!"
His thoughts came
rushing back to the surface in response to Kansuke's call.
"Roll call, over.
All 30 members are present."
"All right. ――All
personnel. Although today should be our night duty, there will be a change of
plans and we will go mountain hunting in Mt. Myokaku."
*Rustle.* The color of
the squad members' complexion changed at the unexpected announcement.
There was a slight
increase in private conversation. Ignoring the concerns of the squad members,
Akira surveyed everyone in a circle.
"Two guardians
will be coming to support us on today's mountain hunt. We salute the guardians
with gratitude for their kindness to our poor garrison trainee squad!"
He suppressed their
private conversation with a salute, and then gave an instruction.
"As we did in last week's training, we divided the squads into three teams. Jinchi Team, representative, Captain Asogi. Seko Team, representative, kansuke. Tate team, representative, Akira. After each of you has completed your preparations, you are to receive instructions from your respective representative."
Upon hearing the word
"mountain hunting", everyone's eyes changed color and they began to
make additional preparations.
Akira and Kansuke, who
had anticipated this confusion and finished their preparations ahead of the
others, engaged in a little conversation despite the confusion of the squad
members.
"Look, Akira.
――That's a spirit container."
Kansuke pointed in a
certain direction with his chin and there were Saki, who carried a
vermillion-colored naginata, and Ryota, who had a katana at his waist,
discussing something.
The weapons they were
carrying were not just any weapons. As proof, violet-colored light fluttered
whenever Saki made a slight movement.
They are forged from a
rare ore that can hold the power of spirits, sacred steel.
Weapons that possess
spiritual power that the host of a high-ranking spirit is allowed to wield, and
that can project the power of the spirit into the weapon. These weapons were
called spirit containers.
"I'm jealous of
them. We risk our lives and run around while the guardians sit back and watch.
They just have to burn down the beasts that are chasing them and that's it."
"――Don't say
that, Kansuke. I'm sure they have other problems than we have."
"Haa~, what kind
of trouble is there for a boy and a girl who don't know the hardships of life
just to survive?"
Akira, who used to
spend his days shivering in a corner of such a life, sarcastically laughed,
ignoring the phantom pain that tortured his memory.
"Who knows? But even they are not free from hierarchical relationships. They are also caught between the top and the bottom, no matter how far they go. They may have less trouble than we do, but they still have to bow down to people they don't want to bow down to."
"...... Is that
how it is?"
"That's how it
is. ――It's time, let's go, Kansuke. This operation won't start unless we bow
down to them first."
Akira patted him on
the shoulder, and Kansuke nodded, forcing himself to look convinced.
"I see.
......You're right."
The two of them
started walking shoulder to shoulder. At the destination where Akira and
Kansuke were heading, the team members who had finished their preparations were
beginning to gather for further instructions.
――――――――――――――――
TIPS: Regarding Spirit
Containers.
A general term for
weapons made by refining and forging a metal called sacred steel.
When the spirit power
of a medium-level spirit or higher is passed through these weapons, it gives
the weapons the strength corresponding to the spirit power.
Since the purpose of
these weapons is to assist in techniques that use spirit power, they are mainly
used by guardians.
Because of its
characteristics and rarity, it is not often owned by individuals, but is
managed by each noble family.
