Volume 2
Chapter 1 Part
5
Distant
Reverberations, Desire to Set the Field Ablaze 5
Translator : PolterGlast
"Be
Glorious――Jakuen, Gayō~~!!"
The spiritual power
gushing out in vermillion gold drew an arc from top to bottom and slammed into
the rocks.
―At the same time, sound vanished from the world.
At least, that was all
Akira and the others could perceive.
The space bent and
undulated greatly due to the enormous amount of heat contained within Jakuen
Gayou.
An unusual impact was
scattered to the surroundings, but the magnitude was so great that the sound
was imperceptible, and it penetrated the entire bodies of those who were
present.
A surging wave of
pressure so strong that it would have destroyed the eardrums of those present
if they had not been invoking Aragamioroshi.
It would have dredged
up the consciousness of any ordinary person, but it disappeared with a
reverberation similar to that of distant thunder, beyond the sight of Akira and
the others.
Releasing his Zanshin, he took a single deep breath.
This time, Akira was
speechless as he looked at the place where Jakuen Gayou's blade tip was
pointing to.
...... There was
nothing left there, let alone the boulder.
Jakuen Gayou is a
sword of fire, forged from the very concept of flame itself.
In fact, it is equal
to the upper limit of the amount of heat that can be observed by humans, and
its blade, shining in vermillion gold, is like the manifestation of a miniature
sun.
If its power were to
be released without limit, the aftermath alone would be so intense that the
entire area, including the capital, would be obliterated.
The only reason Akira
and the others are safe is because Jakuen Gayou is completely controlling the
heat.
When that vermillion
blade was swung down on the boulder, the heat was properly demonstrated as a
weapon.
The aftermath alone
was enough to scorch the entire area, breaking down the insignificant mass of
the boulder into tiny electrons.
The mass converted
into pure wavelike particles, albeit coarse, exploded beyond the control of
Jakuen Gayou, transforming the area in front of Akira into a world of scorching
hell.
"......~!
............~~!?"
Akira opened and
closed his mouth helplessly as he saw the space that stretched as far as the
eye could see, not to mention several town squares, transformed into a hellish
mixture of charcoal and lava.
The great sword of
vermillion gold, which had finished the task, melted into shining particles in
the air without a sound.
Even Akira had no time
to pay attention to this abnormality.
"...... Jakuen
Gayou. It's the name of Akira-san's personal spirit vessel that was given by
Aka-sama".
Unfazed by the
devastation in front of her, Tsuguho's voice, which was extremely calm, brought
Akira's consciousness back to reality.
"As you can see,
that sword is an extremely powerful weapon.
If you pull it out
without being aware of it or being able to control it, as you can see, it will
easily transform the world into a scorched hell.
This is Akira-san's
current capability.
―Do I make it clear to you?"
"............ How?"
"?"
"Because I'm not
supposed to have a spirit, so how can I possibly have the ability to cast a
spirit technique like this ......?"
"Spirit of
Underworld."
"Eh?"
"I don't know
much about Akira-san's circumstances, but there is a spirit known as that. A
spirit that doesn't move much and hides its existence as much as possible. It
is a spirit that is extremely good at concealment and does not allow others to
even recognize its existence."
"...... Are you
saying that my spirit is like that?"
"Well? However,
these spirits have one characteristic. ―They are without exception extremely powerful spirits. If one were able
to get a hold of it, it would give him/her an inexhaustible spiritual power. And
Akira-san currently has not the slightest control over this spiritual
power."
Returning his gaze
ahead, he saw a world in which nothing but charcoal remained.
Without a doubt, Akira
was made to understand his own current situation, including his own
inexperience.
"......So, what
should I do?"
"I appreciate
your quick understanding. ―I'm sorry, but I'd like you not to use Jakuen Gayou
for the time being."
Tsuguho's request
would be a natural one.
It is only natural
that one would not want to be associated with a person who can turn anyone,
anywhere, into a burnt field once he or she is left alone, in a land inhabited
by people.
―But,
"Then, what about
my weapon......?"
Even though he was not
able to control it, it was the first powerful weapon he ever received. Akira
was reluctant to give it up.
For Akira, the only
thing he could do was to look at the spirit vessels worn by Ugetsu's retainers
from time to time, and he was secretly envious of the tangible power gained
from it.
It was the first
spirit vessel that he had acquired.
Perhaps understanding
his fear of losing it, Tsuguho nodded her head without showing any sign of
being troubled.
"Yes. I have
prepared a substitute vessel for you until you master the control of your
spiritual power. ―Natsu."
"Yes,
ma'am."
Natsu, who had been
standing shoulder to shoulder with Saki in the back, stepped forward to Akira
and held out something in her hand.
A 60 cm-long sword
wrapped in a dark-red sword bag.
He unfastened the gold
thread binding the mouth of the bag and snipped the koiguchi.
The blade peeking out
from the scabbard was a vivid red, even darker than the dark red of the bag.
The vividness of the
blade, gleaming with a somewhat ominous glow, dominated Akira's vision, as if
mesmerizing him.
"Its name is
Rakuyō Zakuro. It belongs to the same rank as the Jakuen Gayou. It is powerful
depending on how it is used, but since there is no fear of it exploding out of
control, please use this one as your everyday weapon instead."
Hiu~u~u. Saki, who
peeked from behind to see the Rakuyō Zakuro in Akira's hand and understood what
it was, gave an involuntary shriek with her face on the verge of fainting.
Fortunately, Akira,
who was so occupied, didn't even have time to notice Saki's reaction.
He held the Rakuyō
Zakuro in his arms, grateful yet perplexed.
Seeing such an Akira,
Tsuguho finally smiled with sincere relief.
――――――――――――――――
It was shortly after
3:00 p.m. when Akira and the others returned to the 8th garrison's camp.
The commotion had
subsided by the time Akira arrived, and the surroundings had become much
quieter.
"Well then,
Akira-san. We will take our leave now. ―Let's continue our conversation later,
at midnight on Saturday night."
"Y-Yes. My
pleasure."
Akira got out of the
steam car and bowed to Tsuguho, who smiled at him calmly.
The steam car
disappeared with a roaring sound as it carried Nabari Kazune, who had come
inside to replace Akira.
"............Hha
~a~a~a~a~a!"
"―I know how you
feel, but you're being too carefree, you fool."
"!?"
The suffocating
pressure was finally gone, and he let out a breath of relief from the bottom of
his heart.
From behind him,
scolding words flew from Asogi Genji, who seemed to be in a bad mood.
Akira, who had not
even noticed that Genji was there, swallowed his surprised voice in an instant.
Without further ado,
he turned toward Genji, trying not to make any more blunders.
He lowered his head,
bowed, and began to get down to the main issue.
"Captain Asogi.
So, how is my case going?"
"......I'm sure
you've been told that to a certain extent, but no charges have been laid
against you. However, Nabari-sama has conveyed Tsuguho-sama's imperial decree
regarding the future course of action. You will be assigned to the regular
force as a protector starting tomorrow. Let Kansuke take over as the leader of
the drill squad. I know this is a bit sudden, but I'm going to move you up two
ranks in Kihoin-style, and I'm going to train you to master Shoden."
"Ha!?"
Genji's announcement,
the most outrageous content of the day, left him dumbfounded.
There are many styles
of martial arts in Takamagahara, but there are only five that serve as the main
schools.
The four schools, led
by Tsukinomiya-style which is the founder of all the schools, bear the name of
Four Sovereigns.
Since all protectors
and guardians belong to one of these schools without exception, these five
schools are collectively known as the Monbatsu Schools.
The Kihoin school, a
part of the Monbatsu school, is no exception, and all those who possess fire
lineage spirits stride the path of the Kihoin school.
Although Akira did not
possess a spirit, he was still a member of the garrison and had been studying
Kihoin-style for three years as part of his combat training.
Akira's dan rank is
4th-dan. Considering that when one reaches 5th-dan, one must be in the process
of cultivating one's spirit in order to master spirit techniques, Akra has
reached the highest rank expected of a commoner who cannot handle spiritual
power.
......However, dan is
not a title or a decoration.
There are strict
criteria for judging dan and the reasons for such criteria are also clearly
stated.
If it were to be
arbitrarily decided that someone should be given a higher rank, there would be
a mountain of problems, but there is no precedent for this.
However, if his dan
were to be raised two levels and he were to be taught spirit techniques, it
would not be easy to accomplish no matter how much knowledge he had from
Kihoin.
"I know that if I
do that, problems will arise from everywhere. If there is such a precedent, it
could allow rampant fraud. ―But the imperial decree is absolute. I don't know
why she's in such a hurry, but the Princess of Kihouin has ordered me to make
you a semi-fledged protector within a month."
Enduring a headache
and a sigh, Genji looked sideways at the Rakuyō Zakuro in Akira's arms.
Although Genji was
unable to see it directly, it was quite apparent that what Akira holding was a
different kind of spirit vessel from the ones he had seen before.
If Tsuguho's
statements were true, then it must be a spirit vessel owned by Kihoin.
If so, at the very
least, it must have a grade of "A".
Spirit vessels are so
strictly controlled that they can serve as proof of nobility.
Although the price is
unknown at market value, there is no doubt that the price tends to skyrocket
because of the consumption of rare spirit steel.
In addition, if it was
under the control of Kihoin, its value can hardly be estimated.
To put it simply,
Akira has enough wealth in his hands to tilt the scales at the risk of
committing several hundred murders.
"...... Akira. As
I recall, you live in a tenement house in the northwest, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you have
somewhere else to take shelter?"
"Take shelter?
...... No, I don't."
"I thought so.
―Then at the very least, keep that spirit vessel with you at all times."
Akira, who had little
sense of crisis when he was told about the value of spirit vessels, an area
with which he had never been associated before, twitched his face upon hearing
Genji's explanation.
That's to be expected.
Who would have guessed that he would be able to hold a spirit vessel worth at
least ten of millions of yen in his own hands?
But after such a
threat, he would at least be able to prepare himself to face the situation.
"After things
settle down, I'll look for a place for you to live, as well. Don't expect much,
though, because it's not something that can be done overnight."
"―Thank you very
much."
"That's all for
now. Junior high schools are on summer vacation, right? ―Starting tomorrow, be
sure to come to the dojo. In parallel with the training of the 5th-dan, I'll
teach you the Shoden."
"O-Osu."
Akira shuddered at the
unsettling tone wafting from the corners of Genji's words.
Since the 5th-dan was
supposed to be the foundation for mastering spirit techniques, he probably
decided that there should be no problem even if he proceeded at the same time,
but it was obvious from the side that it was an impossible task.
As Akira became gloomy
thinking about the training that would begin tomorrow, Genji tensed his
shoulders so that he wouldn't be noticed.
"By the way.
―Akira,"
"Yes."
"Niikura told me
that you threw a spear."
*Twitch*. Very
clearly, Akira's shoulders jerked up.
The word
"threw" is synonymous with a person who has nothing left and is a
fool, and it is considered suicidal to let go of one's own weapon in a battle
against defiled beasts.
The threat of defiled
beasts is one thing, but direct contact with the miasma alone is enough to
cause one's skin to be affected and one's body to rot alive.
As a school that
places importance on the ability to carry on a fight, this is a fatal condition
that must be avoided.
Therefore, it was an
ironclad rule taught at the very beginning of all schools not to throw weapons
in battle.
Naturally, even Asogi
Genji was taught this lesson from the very first day of his enlistment in the
military.
Although he had no
other choice, Akira ignored his superiors' instructions and acted on his own
initiative.
"That's ......,
umm ............."
His gaze swam, and
sweat, different from that from the heat, appeared on his forehead.
Seeing Akira's
reaction, Genji's mouth relaxed and seemed to understand what had happened.
"...... Well,
I've heard how it happened. I can consider it as spear-throwing, since you only
had limited means at that time. And since Saki-ojou said she was saved, I'll
let you off the hook on this one."
Akira was obviously
relieved by his grateful words.
―But it was too early for him to feel relieved.
"But,
............"
"?"
That's not the main
subject that Genji wanted to ask about.
"Akira. Do you
remember when you killed the giant ogre?"
"Giant ogre, sir?
At that time......."
As he recalled, he
leapt high above the ogre's head with elated emotion and slashed at the ogre's
head......
―Hi-no-kamae (Raising a sword above one's head).
"........................Ah."
Finally, he understood
what Genji was trying to say.
In swordsmanship,
there are a great number of actions that are considered forbidden.
There are some that
are highly lethal, such as the scooping-thrust, but there are also some that
are forbidden because they lack rationality.
Hi-no-kamae is one of
these forbidden techniques.
The basic stance of
the Hi-no-kamae is to deliver the greatest possible blow faster than the
opponent.
On the other hand, it
has the disadvantage that the trajectory is easy to read, and since no defense
is taken into consideration, it is easy to evade and counterattack.
For this reason, it
was generally recognized that the Hi-no-kamae is a stance that can only be used
by elite fighters, and is not suitable for actual combat.
Naturally, Genji had
drilled this understanding into his trainee soldiers, and Akira should have
been well aware of it.
"You've done a
lot of things in a row that I told you not to do, haven't you? Am I right,
Akira?"
"..........................."
Unable to make any
excuses, and with greasy sweats pouring down his forehead, he stood rigidly
upright and straightened his back even further.
He was so terrified
that he could not even look at Genji, who was radiating an intangible pressure
next to him.
"For now, go home
and rest for the day. ―However, tomorrow I'll start training you again,
including the basics. Do you understand?"
"―Yes, sir!"
"All right,
dismissed!"
"Thank you for
your hard work!!"
Without looking back,
as if struck by a bullet, Akira ran away at once.
Seeing Akira's figure
walking away, Genji finally relaxed his shoulders.
He was relieved that
the troubles that had been brewing since yesterday had been put to rest.
He scratched his curly
hair, took a deep sigh, and turned on his heel.
―Akira and the others may have settled down, but for
Genji, there is still a lot of cleanup work to be done.
For Genji, who was not
good at paperwork, a lengthy period of time was about to begin.
――――――――――――
TIPS: About Dan Ranks.
Five Monbatshu schools
are divided into ten ranks of Dan.
They are 1st-dan,
2nd-dan, 3rd-dan, 4th-dan, 5th-dan, Shoden, Chuden, Okuden, Kaiden, and
Kyokuden.
Since the Monbatsu
school is a school of spirit techniques, the first five Dan are for training in
martial arts, and the second five Dan and higher are for training in spirit
techniques.
Incidentally, the
fifth dan is not much different from the fourth dan in terms of its content,
except for the addition of a section on mental cultivation for exercising
spirit power.
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