Volume 1
Chapter 5 Part
3
The Muddy
Stream of Hatred, Resistance is One's Determination 3
Translator : PolterGlast
"......Hmm, it
wasn't as bad as I expected."
Asogi Genji muttered
to himself as he brushed aside the approaching hordes of defiled beasts as if
they were flowing toward the Tatehami River.
Their amount was so
enormous that it seemed endless, but most of the attacking beasts were the
lesser type, and the horde concentration was not that large.
The fact that the
concentration of the miasma was abnormally high compared to the type of defiled
beasts was concerning, but looks like it didn't really increase the threat
level any further.
With his spirit
vessel, Wakizashi, at the ready, he leaped over the heads of a group of defiled
dogs that have come running out of the alleyway leading to the residential
area, moving with a swift, light movement belied his appearance.
―――Ru, ru. woo~!?!!??
With a very natural
gesture, he smoothly kicked the ground.
His silent leap seemed
to penetrate the blind spot of the dog running at the front of the pack, and
the dog, which seemed to have lost sight of Genji, howled in confusion.
Without a sound, Genji
moved behind their pack, and then, from a stance that had not been disrupted
even after the leap, he swung his weapon upward from below.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, First Transmission――
"――Kyūshou."
The undulating torrent
of shockwaves released along the tip of the katana struck the dogs' rear,
dredging up their feet and sweeping them all at once to the edge of the
Tatehami River.
This technique
demonstrated Zanshin*1.
It was a very quiet
spirit technique.
Even at the moment of
releasing the technique, his spiritual power, which was as unwavering as the
surface of a calm lake, did not even allow his spiritual radiance to be
needlessly shown.
In contrast to Asogi
Genji's appearance, his technique was so clear and sharp.
There was neither
ruthlessness as shown by Ryota nor glamour as demonstrated by Saki.
Just a flash of a
single strike of the blade.
It is the most
terrifying of all, a spirit technique that is unleashed in its natural state.
This is the power of
Asogi Genji, who is said to be one of the ten most powerful swordsmen in Shumon
Province.
"Good work,
Captain."
"Niikura, huh?
――You are bad at concealment, aren't you? Don't go too close to the
river."
Genji was not
surprised to see the second-in-command, Niikura Makoto, appear from the
darkness of the alley, and responded without changing his sword stance.
"When you say I'm
bad at it, you mean that I'm not as good as you, right, Captain?
I won't fall behind
ordinary defiled beasts."
"That's what I'm
saying. Look over there. ...... You should improve your concealment."
Asogi tilted his chin
in the direction of the Tatehami River, in line through the darkness between
the telegraph pole and the wooden wall.
――Zu,,zuzu,,,zu,,,
The sound of something
being dragged across the sandy soil was heard from the riverbed.
Niikura, following
Genji's direction, peeked through the gap in the wooden wall and gasped at the
scene beyond his line of sight.
What he saw there was
a huge serpent with white scales, just as he had been told in advance.
Originally, the white serpent
is said to be a sacred creature, but the one in front of him was nothing short
of hideous.
Standing 2-Ken tall,
its white scales reminded one of a bleached-out stalk of grass, and illuminated
by the countless blue-white demon fires that accompanied it, even its
supposedly unblemished radiance looked somewhat murky.
It has no eyes at all.
Instead, what was in
his twin eyes' socket was a pair of brilliant demon fire.
―――Ja, ja, ,
The serpent wails its
vindictive cry as it moves along the riverbed.
Just looking at it
makes one feel nauseous, a great apparition of Orochi
Orochi glared back at
Niikura, who was so stunned that he forgot himself from the sight of it.
There should be no
line of sight, nor eyeballs to generate one in the first place.
Nevertheless, instead
of eyeballs, the glowing fire in its eye sockets certainly fixed on Niikura.
"―― !!??"
With a gasp, he ducked
into the same darkness as Genji so as not to provoke the other party.
Orochi seemed to have
lost interest and moved leisurely up the riverbed without slowing down its
pace.
―――Ha, haha, ha,
The presence of the
serpent faded away, leaving a sneering voice in Niikura's ears, as if to
ridicule him who could do nothing but hide.
After he was sure of
this, he let his whole body relax.
"......Looks like
it ignored us."
"He's probably
not interested in us. As long as we don't give him any unnecessary provocation,
he won't leave Tatehami River. But don't come any closer. Defiled snakes are
famous for their keen senses. Since he assumes the form of a snake, his sense
of smell is undoubtedly sharp".
"――Right. Now
that you mention it, it seems that we were right to let our men out of the
river."
"Yeah, especially
that boy and Ojou. That boy, in particular, has very flashy techniques. We
didn't want him to waste our time by drawing unnecessary attention to us."
"Ignoring those
who are marching up the river, and eliminating only those who have strayed from
the river, right? So far, things are going well. It's a relief to know that we won't
have to do as much work as we did in the previous mountain hunt, but won't this
increase the workload on the guardians who are packed in upstream then?"
Although the reduction
in casualties is a welcoming thing, he can clearly foresee that after the whole
thing is over, the pushback from the commander-in-chief will be intense due to
the merits and demerits of this matter.
Perhaps he is aiming
to eliminate or reduce the influence of Asogi's voice, but with this, there is
no need to worry about unnecessary casualties.
However, having
secured a certain level of safety, Niikura now had the luxury of worrying about
what would happen next.
Without a doubt, the
commander-in-chief's target was focused on Asogi Genji, and in the eyes of the
commander-in-chief and the upper echelons that surrounded him, this operation
would be seen as Asogi's negligence.
"Don't worry
about it. I just heard from Saki-ojou that the head of Rindo is assigned
upstream. I know that there are many rumors about him, but his power as the
head of a family is real. Especially if he uses the Rindo's sacred artifacts,
Hyakki Yagyo, which is lined up in a straight line along the river, will be
nothing more than a good target."
"Yashiori-no-Nabegane, huh? I don't know
about its divine domain, but is it really that powerful?"
"It's a
well-known trait. You should've at least heard about it. Yashiori-no-Nabegane's divine domain is that it multiplies its blow
by eight fold."
"......Ha?"
"Eightfold,
disregarding both cause and effect. Due to that, I've heard the head of the
family complain that he couldn't even hold back."
"That's,
outrageous."
"No doubt about
it. However, in this situation, as long as they don't take a detour from the
river, we don't have to think about its damage to the surroundings. All we have
to do is to keep that big snake from getting out of the river."
"Understood."
"――Now, let's do
some more work. Niikura, let's lead these defiled beasts into the river."
"Roger
tha-………………~!??"
――Boom!!!
As if to cover Niikura's
affirmation, a roaring sound echoed from the other side of the residential
area.
The two of them turned
around in surprise and saw a half-destroyed house flying through the air.
Beyond the billowing
debris, they caught a glimpse of a huge figure with a reddish-bronze skin and
strong muscles sustaining it.
"That's, a Giant
Ogre!?"
Genji groaned in
dismay at the unexpected appearance of this giant.
Giant Ogres are one of
the most well-known demon varieties that dwell in the deepest parts of the mountainous
region, namely, the miasma pools.
Although few of them
practice any kind of magic or sorcery, they have a huge physique of about one
and a half Ken, with solid bones and strong muscles to support it. In addition,
their skin is highly resistant to spirit techniques.
The weight that
matches its appearance and the physical strength that is produced from its
muscles are an absolute threat to anyone who is in contact with it, giving the
illusion of a fortress that is closing in on them with its own will.
"Where in the
world did it come from!?"
Niikura's question was
understandable.
It is not a phantom or
a ghost; it could not have appeared out of nowhere.
――But more importantly,
"Leave that for
later!"
Genji silenced his
question with an angry shout.
Yes, there was no time
to think about such things.
The presence of Giant
Ogre had stopped the march of Hyakki Yagyo in its tracks.
If Orochi were to be
attracted by the presence of the rampaging Ogre, and if it were to go off the
riverbed, it would cause unimaginable devastation.
"Niikura! Whether
it is a Lord or not, leave the defiled beast behind! Take as many troops as you
can gather and lead the Ogre to the river as fast as you can!"
"What about you,
Captain!?"
Genji regained his
grip on the spirit vessel in his palm.
The Orochi is now
completely interested in the Giant Ogre.
There is no other
choice.
He boosted his own
spiritual power, all the way to the next level.
A gray-blue glow
covered his wrist and the blade.
He deliberately made
his spirit light stand out, so that it would act as bait for Orochi.
"I'm going to
keep the Orochi down in the river. In the meantime, you must drag the Giant
Ogre to the river. Once the Giant Ogre reached the river, Orochi will no longer
have any reason to pay attention to the city."
"Got it!!
――Please, be careful."
Act as bait against
the Orochi.
Niikura, realizing the
resolve shown by Genji to go to a deadly place, said nothing but assent as his
reply.
"――So do
you."
Without knowing
whether or not he heard what Genji muttered, Niikura turned his back and ran
toward the Giant Ogre.
They were both going
to their deaths.
Ogre is undoubtedly a
powerful demon, though not as powerful as Orochi.
However, Niikura, who
had to lure such a thing down toward the river, was no different from Genji
when it came to risking his life.
Genji invoked Aragamioroshi and leaped out at once
onto the riverbed.
He saw the Orochi
standing in the middle of the river.
The Tatehami River,
with its riverbed, which provides most of Karen's water supply, as well as its
two riverbanks, are much wider than expected, so a little violent attack would
not cause any damage to the residential area.
Having made this
estimation, he readied his katana.
The Orochi was still
looking at the Giant Ogre without making any move.
If it does not move,
Genji, who wants to buy as much time as possible, does not need to make a move
as well.
――Orochi may be aware of
Genji's presence, but perhaps thinking there was no need to pay attention to
him, it did not even glance at him,
Taking advantage of
this, Genji also refrained from making any sudden movements and approached
Orochi without changing his posture.
While preventing the
dense miasma, which could rot his lungs with every breath, by activating his
spiritual power, he positioned himself barely outside of Orochi's attack range.
――From here on, it would
be a pure contest of endurance.
Will Orochi become
impatient with the Giant Ogre and make its move first, or will Genji run out of
spiritual power and fall down first?
He chooses to strike
the first blow at the most effective moment.
Concentrating on this
single objective, his consciousness sharpened into a thin, sharp edge.
Countless pale blue
demon fires flew about within the reddish-black glow of the miasma.
Each time a demon fire
touched the surface of the spirit light protecting Genji, it would explode into
dust.
Genji did not react to
any of these blasts, but simply waited for the right moment with a serene mind.
――Wait.
The roaring sounds and
earth tremors caused by the Giant Ogre seemed to be getting closer and closer.
――Wait.
He snipped the
koiguchi of his katana, and lowered his hips slightly.
His stance is similar
to that of iai-technique, a quick-drawing technique.
――Do~o~n!!!
Not far away, a large
amount of debris could be seen being blown away.
The Great Ogre is
already near.
Just as his attention
was slightly diverted, Orochi's body shook.
Perhaps numbed by the
situation in which neither side was willing to move, it turned its head in the
direction of the rampaging Giant Ogre.
"――――~!!!"
Genji kicked the
ground with a powerful kick as he exhaled his sharpened spirit through his
clenched teeth.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, First Transmission――
"――Hayabusa-gake!!
He applied to himself
a spirit technique that is classified as a body strengthening technique, and in
particular, one that drastically increases speed, and with a split second's
momentum, he flanked Orochi.
He used the momentum
to twist his body and draw his katana from below.
The spiritual power in
the blade of the katana roared out, carving a trail of dancing pale-blue
spiritual light in the void.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Linked Move――
"――Ranguri
Itoguruma~!!"
The blade rushed
through the air, leaving many traces of wounds on Orochi's flanks as it cleaved
horizontally.
―――Shaa~a~a~!!
Perhaps out of
anguish, Orochi let out a cry unlike any it had ever uttered before.
The pale-blue blade of
the katana tore through its outer skin, which was protected by strong scales,
and scattered the fine scales peculiar to snakes.
――What the? Its response is weak.
Genji tilted his head
inwardly at the response he received from the spiritual technique he was
performing while being bathed in the scales scattered in the air.
Certainly, he felt
that he sliced through the strong scales of its outer skin.
However, there was
almost no sensation that he had cut through its innards.
――It was as if he sliced
a hollow egg……
Before his thoughts
could even reach that point, a chill ran down his spine.
―――Sha, shaha, hahaha~!!
Orochi's cry descended
from above Genji's head.
Unlike its previous
voices, which were difficult to read, the voice clearly contained a sneer.
Apparitions and demons
are formidable enemies.
The main reason why
they are said to be so is not only because of their strong physical strength
and robust frame, but also because of their intelligence, which is so great
that they can understand human language, unlike defiled beasts.
In other words, they
are able to think about the best move to win.
The scars on its skin
swelled up, and from within it, a miasmic, poisonous flame erupted.
――Is it trying to block my way out!?
Retreating now turned
out to be the worst possible move.
Without hesitation, he
took another step forward. He dove deep into Orochi's bosom.
―――Shaaa~~!!
Perhaps not wanting to
be penetrated any further, Orochi opened its mouth wide while making a
threatening cry.
Further inside its
mouth, in the center of the slithering darkness, a bluish-white flame lit up.
"Nuu~u~u~u~!!"
Believing in his sixth
sense, which cried out for maximum avoidance, he fled from the spot like a
spinning top.
Immediately after
that, a miasma-infused poisonous flame fell from above his head to the spot
where he was just a moment ago.
It was the flame
breathed by Orochi.
He narrowly avoided a
direct hit, but the flames licked at the elbows and sleeves of his military
uniform.
He quickly protected
himself by increasing his spiritual power, regardless of the rotting and
melting of his uniform,
――With a thunderous
sound, Orochi's tail cleaved through the area.
Perhaps realizing that
its poisonous flames would not reach Genji, Orochi swept the entire area
including the surrounding soil.
―――Ja, haha~!
Orochi's loud laughter
echoed throughout the area, seemingly convinced of its victory amidst the
billowing clouds of dust.
――I had anticipated something like this.
Above the head of the
sneering serpent. Genji dodged the serpent's tail whip by leaping two feet above
its head.
Raising his Wakizashi
high in the sky, he boosted his spiritual power to the limit.
A deadly blow that
allocates everything to power, crushing the enemy with falling momentum and an
explosion of spiritual power.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Finisher Move――
"――Ishiwari
Tonbi!!"
The blade of the
katana, shining in grayish-blue light, swung down in a thunderous roar.
*Crash, Boom.*
With Saki's physical
strength, the blow tore through the earth, and with Genji's strength, the
serpent's forehead was bent and twisted in a wavy pattern.
Nevertheless, the
impact that could not be fully absorbed shattered Orochi's skull.
――No way.
Just like before, the
response was too weak.
What was found deep
inside the gouged skull, which was littered with white scales, was neither
bones nor brains, but only a vast number of pale, burning demon fires.
All of them, even
though there was no wind, shook violently as if they were breathing, and they
glared at Genji.
"!?"
――Immediately afterward,
a bluish-white flame erupted from the cracked head toward the sky, grazing
right next to him.
Genji barely avoided a
direct hit, rolled on the ground to prevent his clothes from getting corroded
and burned, and quickly got to his feet.
He had anticipated an
attack, but conversely, he did not anticipate there would be a second one.
―――Ha~a, ha, ha, ha~a.
Orochi's loud laughter
made him look up at the place where Orochi's head was located.
There, he could see
countless demon fires swarming into the gaping hole in its head.
The demon fires filled
up the hole, and its scales sealed it up.
It was a bizarre
sight, as if one traveled back in time.
Recognizing this,
Genji tightened his grip on the hilt of his Wakizashi without realizing it.
Indeed, he had never
thought that he could stop it just by crushing its head.
If something like that
were enough to kill it, the past generations would never need to undergo such a
hard time.
However, he did not
expect that even after crushing its head, it would not receive any damage in
the slightest.
Orochi's head was
completely restored, and a long, thin, poisonous flame was exhaled from the
edge of its mouth in satisfaction.
"...... I see, so
this is the reason why it is so tough. ――Its serpent figure is only an outward
appearance, and its true nature is a swarm of demonic fires."
Demonic fires are
extremely fragile demons on their own, but their threat level multiplies
exponentially when they gather in a group.
Moreover, if the
miasma is above a certain level, they can multiply in the blink of an eye.
In order to defeat
them, it is necessary to extinguish most of the demon fires that make up the
serpent's body at once.
That would certainly
only be possible with a single strike of a divine artifact.
"...... Well,
let's compare our endurance."
Given that Genji was
not strong enough to defeat it, the only option left was as good as decided.
Whether it would be
the Giant Ogre who was to be lured out first, or Genji who was to run out of
power first.
Finally recognizing
him as an enemy, Genji looked up to see Orochi glaring at him. Determined not
to be outdone in terms of determination, Genji lowered his waist and readjusted
his Wakizashi.
*1 Zanshin is the state in which, after
striking with full power and without hesitation, one faces the opponent with
full spirit and with the ability to respond naturally.
――――――――――――――――
TIPS: About the
Apparitions.
Their forms vary, but
simply put, they are a mass of grudges whose bodies are composed of miasma.
They are generated
when those who died in the past with enormous grudges dissolve into the miasma
pools of the land.
It is, so to speak, an
impurity that has been seared into the land's history.
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