Volume 2
Chapter 8 Part
2
The Sun Sets,
Bare Your Fangs, Wolf! 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Ouch.
Akira's thoughts were
tinged with this word.
The intense pain that
was directly raking through his internal organs kept him from even fainting,
and his consciousness was bound to reality.
"Akira―!!"
Saki's screams were
the only thing that told him that this hell was reality.
That fact might be the
only salvation for the current Akira.
"...... I find it
strange, though."
Salvatore, with a tone
of deep questioning in his voice, turned to the kneeled-down Akira and opened
his mouth.
"I'm sure you've
been made aware of our objectives, so why do you reject it?"
A reflection of black,
dull iron was held in his left hand.
A revolver. A firearm
developed in the Western Continent, it was spewing a wisp of smoldering smoke
from its mouth.
"We, shepherds,
have the role of guiding the sheep that live in this land, and therefore, we
are permitted to use the spirits of faraway lands as our companions.
...... However, with
the rise of firearms, the era of the aristocracy came to an end on the Western
Continent."
"H-ha, guh."
Ignoring Salvatore's
speech, Akira slowly shifted his body, which was tormented by intense pain.
Hoping for a little
opportunity from his opponent's long speech, he turned his attention to the
talismans scattered under his body.
"The blessings
that spirits give to their hosts will always have their weaknesses.
No matter what kind of
high-ranking spirit it may be, in the end, it all depends on the host."
Almost there, almost
there. Amid Salvatore's speech time, the fingertips of Akira's fingers reached
out to the regeneration talisman.
"―In other words,
even if you are protected by a blessing if your body can not keep up with it,
the reality of being attacked itself will remain the same."
Salvatore's voice
suddenly reached his ears, and Akira's fingertips, which had just touched the
talisman, froze in nervousness.
Immediately after,
Akira's body was subjected to an impact that could not be ignored. Following
the inertia given to it, Akira's body blasted off, licking the cobblestones and
disappearing behind a crumbling earthen wall with a huge cloud of dust.
"The speed of a
revolver's bullet is not a speed that an ordinary person can react to. In other
words, even with the blessing of a high-ranking spirit, it would be impossible
to keep up with it."
Salvatore explained
calmly as he pulled back the leg that had kicked Akira.
"Gah~!!"
A cloud of dust rose
up in the air.
As Akira was being
buried under the falling debris from the earthen walls, the feeling of the
talisman that he had just touched vanished from his fingertips.
"...... Do you
think that for hundreds of years since we first came into contact with
Takamagahara, we Vansuirs have gone along with them quietly without learning
anything?
Swordsmanship that
combines spiritual power with talismans. Naturally, your fighting techniques
have been thoroughly investigated."
"Salvatore, you
can't kill Akira-sama.
―It's..."
"It would be
against Her Holiness' will, right?
Don't worry,
Benedetta, I deliberately missed his vital point, so he won't die."
"I see."
Phew. Benedetta
breathed out in relief and patted her chest.
Then, Benedetta's ears
were pierced by Saki's sorrowful voice.
"Akira.
Run―!" "You can't, Saki-sama!!"
Saki, who was driven
by the momentum of her raging spiritual power, turned her weapon on Salvatore
after she shook off Nonoka's attempts to stop her.
Salvatore, who watched
the approaching Saki, did not even move with a relaxed look on his face.
At this sight, Saki's
anger was ignited.
"Get out of my
way!!" "―Penetrare."
Benedetta's cool
chanting overlapped with Saki's angry shouts.
Ezukahime cried out a warning.
Immediately after, Benedetta's shining spikes filled Saki's vision, which had
become clouded with impatience.
"!!"
There was not even
time to click her tongue.
She turned her Shōjinbina around and moved to intercept
the flying Houjutsu.
―There was no time to muster up any spiritual power.
With her body
strengthened by [Aragamioroshi] and her sultry dance of spirit vessel, Saki
aimed only at the spikes that were about to reach her body and repelled them.
One, two. The spirit
light and crushing sounds overlapped each other, but Saki's collapsed posture
due to impatience made it obvious that she was at the limit of her ability to
resist.
"Ku~u~u~!"
Grunting at the
incessant onslaught, she kicked the ground in retreat to regain her posture.
Such a momentary
opening would not be overlooked,
―A ray of light pierced through the spirit light that
was about to scatter and disappear, and headed toward Saki in pursuit.
"!"
I can't dodge. Saki
was convinced that the blow would hit her right in the center of her torso.
Kihoin-school's spirit
techniques are fundamentally weak on defense.
There are no spirit
techniques that are specialized purely for defense, let alone for interception.
She was prepared to
have her defenses penetrated, but she turned all of her spiritual power to
[Aragamioroshi], hoping for even the slightest dampening.
The moment the tip of
the approaching spike collided―.
"―Leave it to
me!" "Nonoka-san!"
Nonoka, after catching
up with her, protected Saki behind her back.
Hariin-style
Spirit Technique, ―
The shining spike
slammed into Nonoka. A dull and fragile sound was heard, and at the same time,
flame engulfed Saki and Nonoka, licking the area around them.
"Nonoka!!"
Ryota's screams cut
through the resounding blast.
"......, I'm
fine!"
The response came from
the other side of the blast, and the billowing wind blew from within
immediately afterward.
A faint flicker of
vermilion-tinged spirit light enveloped Nonoka in a thin layer.
The stake grabbed by
Nonoka shattered inside her palm and dispersed without a trace.
The faint flicker of light
seemed to be ephemeral to one's eyes, but the fact that it was exceptionally
hard could be heard from its sound.
Unlike Kihoin-school,
Hariin-school specializes in physical strengthening and mid-range combat.
Among these, this is a
spirit technique that specializes in defense,
―Gokou Nanakamado.
Those who are clothed
with this spiritual technique, be mindful that it is a fortress in the form of
a human being.
It is the Chuden of
Hariin-school, the corner that symbolizes the non-retreatable.
"Saki-sama,
please regain your composure.
It seems that they are
not going to harm Akira-sama."
"―Yeah, it seems
so.
Sorry for the fuss,
let's regroup."
"Yes."
With just one deep
breath, Saki calmed her mind.
As a member of the
Eight Families and a person in charge of command, she could not afford to
expose her own disgraceful behavior to Nonoka any further than this.
Even if they had
driven her into a deadlock, Salvatore did not seem to have any intention to
aggressively go on the offensive, as if he was still wary of Akira, who
remained an uncertain factor for them.
The fact that only
Benedetta dealt with Saki's interception was proof of this.
If this was the case,
then, by suppressing Alessandro while dealing with Benedetta's Houjutsu, they
should be able to regain their momentum.
It pained Saki that
the distance between her and Alessandro was once again opened up due to her
blunder.
―No. The fact that Alessandro has not moved may be a
good thing for Saki and the others.
Although the opponents
can exercise the powers associated with sacred artifacts, it does not mean that
they can release their most troublesome divine attributes.
After all, it could be
easily confirmed that Alessandro was nothing more than an unbreakable shield.
"......
Nonoka-san, I'll go ahead and suppress him.
Your opportunity will
come, so be prepared."
"Understood.
―Good luck."
Even Nonoka must have
realized that they were in a deadlock, and she responded without delay.
With Shōjinbina at her
side, Saki kicked the cobblestone pavement, leaving Saki there to catch her
breath.
"Do you find it
easier to deal with me because of my limited offensive capabilities?
―However, I like your spirit. Let me accept your
challenge!"
"Faster!!"
As Saki returned to
her original objective, Alessandro's mouth turned into provocation.
ENKI is a divine
artifact that, as it appears, is not suited for offensive purposes.
However, in addition
to the broad shield shape, as a sacred artifact, it also possesses the
characteristic of indestructibility.
It is a sacred
artifact that specializes completely in defense. Even if it is not possible to
use its divine attributes, if Alessandro, who stands as a guard, holds it, it
will become an impregnable fortress.
While maintaining the
speed of the [Hayabusa-gake], Saki quickly twisted her body halfway up from the
Hassō-no-kamae stance.
Her center of gravity
shifted to a forward tilt in a flowing motion, and the spiritual power
contained within the blade imbued the strike with the power to destroy.
What unleashed was not
the spirit technique that everyone expected, but a series of techniques that
focused on the aspect of swordsmanship.
Kihoin-style Spirit
Technique, Consecutive Technique―
―Kannataotsutoshi.
*Clash*. With the
force of slashing Alessandro's shield in two, the tip of Shōjinbina's blade
traced down the surface of the shield.
The will to break
through the indestructible miracle of the foreign divine pillar sparked and
carved a trajectory.
―Unscathed.
"You have a good
spirit.
However, sorry to
disappoint you that a blow of this level won't be able to defeat me!"
"―I'm not done
yet!!"
Of course, Saki had
already expected that much.
Her back teeth, numb
from gnashing, were further clenched, and she took a step further as long as
she could continue to breathe.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Consecutive Technique―
―Tsuinaougi.
A trajectory
resembling a spreading fan continuously struck the surface of the shield with a
lingering concussive impact, but Alessandro's feet, who also exercised the
authority of immobility, showed no sign of retreating.
Fortunately for Saki,
Alessandro's equipment was designed solely for defense.
His armor and shields
protected almost all of his body, and his hammer, which was designed to be
maneuverable, was designed for counterattacks, not for offensives.
In contrast to
Alessandro, who was not so nimble, Saki has the advantage of mobility.
This means that she
would always be able to make the first move.
She could not afford
to lose this advantage. With determination in her heart, Saki's spiritual power
intensified.
Piling up more
slashes, she directed Alessandro's protection to the center.
After concentrating
her opponent's posture on the defensive, Saki aimed the swirling tip of her
flaming blade at the center of the shield.
Kihoin-style Spirit
Technique, Finishing Technique―.
"―Hōrokutsugumi."
A torrent of flames
erupted, shrouding Alessandro along with his shield.
―I see. She thought that she could just roast me whole
along with my shield.
Amid the heat wave
that covered his field of vision, Alessandro guessed Saki's intention and his
mouth contorted into a smile.
Not a bad
plan. For now, let's just give her credit for that.
―Except for the fact that it's exactly what I expected.
The abilities of
sacred artifacts can be broadly classified into two categories: high-powered
spirit vessels and divine attributes.
As Saki speculated,
Alessandro, who is not a follower of the corresponding divine pillar, cannot be
expected to exercise its divine attributes.
―However, it is possible to reproduce the myths that
culminate in the creation of sacred artifacts by pouring enormous amounts of
spiritual power into them.
ENKI's divine pillar
was sanctified by the [Holy Church of Ariadne] as a barbarian god that absorbed
an unlimited amount of spiritual power from the earth.
As the myth goes, this
shield can absorb the spiritual power of its wielder as payment for devouring
the enemy's attacks.
Neither the impact nor
the heat wave of the fire could be enough to cause Alessandro to retreat.
"Sorprendente.
Alas, you were overly
optimistic that I wouldn't be able to attack you with my shield."
"...... ku,
ugh."
The eyes of
Alessandro, who trampled over the raging flames, and the eyes of Saki, who was
intercepting him, crossed sharply over a single shield.
"Your lack of
experience truly stood out.
―You should have known that shields can be used like
this!!"
―Thump!!
At the same time as
Alessandro's huge frame sank slightly, the shockwave radiated from the shield
and easily knocked Saki's body away.
"Uaa~!!"
"Its
checkma―!?"
Alessandro, who was
leaning forward to launch the finishing blow, noticed that Saki's eyes, who was
still flying in the air, were not yet colored with defeat.
Alessandro's vigilance
rang out to the utmost as he saw the girl's eyes raging with fighting spirit,
even though she had been treated so easily as a child's play.
Trusting his
instincts, he pulled his body back from the offensive to the defensive,
―Saki had been waiting for this moment.
"Nonoka-san!!"
"Understood!"
With the momentum of
being blasted off, Nonoka's body went toward Alessandro like it was being flung
from Saki's shadow, which was flying in the air.
Among the defiled
beasts, there are some that boast defenses that are so strong that they cannot
be penetrated by spirit techniques.
As a countermeasure,
there is a spirit technique that increases in power the stronger the opponent's
defense is.
This is one of the
best techniques that Saki and the others know of.
"―The color of a
flower that splits and blooms, weeps and fills with emptiness."
Nonoka's lips trembled
as she chanted an incantation.
This spirit technique
is rarely exercised. Even Nonoka, who has attained Okuden, has never used it in
a real battle before.
The light green
spiritual power condensed to the point of showing a half-materialization,
With her sword in the
lowest stance (Sai-Gedan), a further
variant of the Gedan-no-Kamae, with
the blade lowered so that it scraped the ground, Nonoka's body dove into
Alessandro's chest.
"Nuuu!!"
Alessandro's huge
frame, which was completely pushed into a defensive situation, was adversely
attacked, and a bitter cry escaped from Alessandro, who was unable to see
Nonoka's petite frame from behind his shield.
Having deprived his
opponent of any other option, Nonoka, with the same momentum, leaped upward
from below with her blade, which was imbued with her spiritual power.
The target of the tip
of the blade was,
―the center of Alessandro's shield, the same as what
Saki targeted earlier.
Hariin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden―
"―Hototogisu."
A huge amount of
spiritual power spread its roots over the cobblestone pavement as if it were a
plant, and the tip of the plant struck the shield as it grew.
―*Bam-bam*!
The shield of the
sacred artifact and the tip of the tree made up of spiritual power grind
against each other with a banging sound.
"......Fu, fu.
I'm surprised, this is certainly a powerful spirit technique.
However, it doesn't
seem to be powerful enough to knock down a sacred artifact."
"Yes."
Alessandro's
monologue, for which he did not expect to receive a response, was still met
with a response from Nonoka.
"I'm just getting
started.".
"Whaaa-,"
With these words as an
opening, Nonoka's spiritual power visibly increased in intensity.
Alessandro's eyes
widened upon seeing this momentum, which he had definitely not anticipated.
"-whaaattt!?"
The light green
spiritual power, which opposed the shield's defense, went around its surface,
penetrated to the inside, and then crawled around like branches and leaves.
The strong trunk
supported by the roots slowly and quickly lifted Alessandro's huge physique and
sewn him along with his shield into the air.
"Sir
Trovato!"
"No problem! A
spiritual force of this magnitude will run out of power soon anywa―!?"
It's a spirit
technique that mimics a plant to the point of semi-materialization.
Alessandro is bound in
midair. Although it is certainly a powerful technique, it has no killing power
and is too inefficient.
After confirming the
girl below, who was already beginning to show signs of wheezing from the
depletion of her spiritual power, he responded to Benedetta's concern,
However, in the next
moment, Alessandro's entire field of vision was obscured as an enormous flame
rose from the violet spiritual power.
While dancing with her
naginata at the base of the tree created by Nonoka, Saki chanted an
incantation.
Upon seeing Saki,
Alessandro intuitively realized that he had been defeated.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Combination Technique―
"―Hototogisu!!"
The raging fires
soared.
The violet-colored
spiritual power approached Alessandro with the intention of destroying him
while devouring the spirit power of wood elements, which had been heightened to
the point of materialization.
The vortex of flames
swirling on the surface was just the visible aftermath.
The violet glow, which
converted all the spiritual power into a burning intent, lit up the tips of the
branches and swelled into buds.
Including the ones
that have eroded to the inside of the shield and wrapped around Alessandro, the
total number of them exceeds more than a dozen, and the buds blossom into
scorching petals.
"Magnificent!!"
That was all Alessandro
could say in one breath.
―!!
The scorching petals
bloomed simultaneously in layers as a great flower of flames.
The scorching heat
swirling in the night sky swallowed up Alessandro without leaving any remains.
――――――――――
"U-Ugh. Fuu,
fuu~."
Akira, buried under a
large amount of plaster and soil debris, let out a pained cry, unable to move.
The feeling of heat
slowly escaping from the small bullet hole in his stomach spread through his
entire body giving him a terrible feeling of emptiness and discomfort.
......I wish this feeling were just an illusion.
Such a thought crossed Akira's mind.
He lost. The price of
defeat is death. This has been a natural truth ever since he was a drill
soldier, and he has not the slightest intention of denying it.
However, in the face
of death, Akira still insisted on struggling on, even if it meant living in
disgrace.
He desperately moved
his right arm, which was still able to move albeit slightly, and fumbled around
his waist, but the talismans he was looking for seemed to have been thrown
somewhere when he was kicked, and his fingertips just flailed about aimlessly.
He tried to cling to
the hope of his own regeneration talismans that he kept on hand, but
remembering the fact that he had sold them all a few days ago, he sighed at his
own stupidity in not taking precautions in the first place.
―Is this a dead end?
His mouth contorted in
self-mockery as he realized that he had reached the end of his rope.
At that moment, the
faint black outline of a regeneration talisman appeared at the edge of his
vision, which had been blurred by the intense pain.
A regeneration
talisman! He desperately reached out and grasped the piece of hope that had
fallen into his hand.
He couldn't help but
smile at the certainty of its touch, and his cheeks tensed up as he turned over
the front side.
The word [Gensei]
appeared on it.
It was the last proof
that he was Akira, given to him by Kuro and Shizumi.
He held it in his
hand, forgetting his predicament, and hesitantly stopped his movement.
―Akira, this is our name. And don't forget that I'll
always be a part of you.
The wide smile that
bloomed on the gentle girl he had once dreamed of drove his former hesitation
into oblivion.
Shaking off the
remnants of the girl in his memory, Akira grabbed the regeneration talisman in
his hand with determination in his heart.
*Shatters*. The piece
of nostalgia that Akira had been clinging to shattered along with the red
spiritual thread.
The vividly printed
word [Gensei] on the regeneration talisman was swallowed up by the jet-black
flame of the divine power, and vanished without a trace.
I will not
die. There is no way I will die.
To Kuro, to
Shizumi. Until we met one more time and I apologized to them, I would not allow
myself to die.
As the healing flames
began to caress his injuries immediately after, Akira clenched his fists with
renewed determination.
The pleasant heat
brought a momentary respite to his consciousness.
―――...... Akira?
The nostalgic and
lovely auditory hallucination he had once heard tickled his consciousness from
afar.
Whose voice was it?
Before he could even think about it, his body, which had regained its vitality,
shook with a great shudder.
――――――――――
TIPS: About
Hototogisu.
Hariin-school and
Kihoin-school have a symbiotic relationship with each other, and have created
spirit techniques that utilizing this affinity.
It is called
[Combination Techniques] and although it is only as difficult as Chuden, it is
as powerful and troublesome as Okuden.
It is powerful.
But what is even more
frightening is the fact that it completely ignores the psychological
incompatibility between two factions that are basically on bad terms with each
other, and have to work together.
It is said that the
defenders believe that once they have mastered this, they will never be able to
use it again.
Incidentally, the
people who developed this technique gloated that at least the three other
schools would no longer be their enemies.
But when they actually
practiced it, they cried because it was so unpopular.
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