Volume 3
Chapter 2 Part
1
Ask Others,
Ask to Understand 1
Translator : PolterGlast
―Swish, swish, swish.
Twisting his left heel
and gently stomping down on the impact with his right toe.
The enormous impact
born at that moment transmitted through the torso, to the shoulders, and to
both arms, and then a half-moon trajectory was struck down from the Daijodan
stance.
―Swish!
An unwavering slash
split the air, and the oak floor creaked with it.
In the center of the
8th garrison's dojo, where the early morning training was over, Akira was
swinging his wooden sword by himself.
The same trajectory
was repeated mindlessly, and he forcefully suppressed his body, which bounced
each time.
Haa-haa. His mouth,
panting for vitality, let out a lungful of air along with every emotion that
swirled in his heart.
―Still not enough.
He readjusted his
wooden sword to jōdan-no-kamae and
swung down, letting his emotions take over.
"―Akira."
Hearing the sudden
voice, he turned his attention to the entrance of the dojo, where Kansuke,
standing with his arms folded, waved the dojo key in an ostentatious manner.
"―Ou~."
"It's good that
you're being so diligent, but we've got work to do, remember? Captain and the
others have gone to the headquarters and there is no one left in the camp.
Can I close the dojo
now?"
"...... Leave the
key there. I'll open the dojo tomorrow."
"You know,
there's no way I can do that. If they find out that I let a protector take the
trouble to lock the door, those old soldiers will give me a scolding."
In the garrison, which
is full of hard-headed people, there is a tendency to be obsessed with
hierarchical relationships.
Since the early
morning cleaning of the dojo is the role of the drill soldiers, the leader of
the drill squad is entrusted with the key to the dojo.
There is only one key
to the dojo, which belongs to Asogi Genji. The fact that Akira wants to get
hold of the key that Kansuke has means that he needs to visit the dojo before
anyone else to open it tomorrow.
Until recently, Akira
had been the leader of the drill squad. Since Akira used to do it, it was not
difficult for Kansuke to go along with Akira's suggestion, but if it became
known that he had let a protector unlock the dojo, Kansuke would be the one to
suffer the consequences.
"―say, how's
school going?"
"...... Kinda
sucks today."
Akira had classes at
the junior high school, but his body, still reeling from yesterday's failure,
would not settle down.
He hoped that swinging
a wooden sword in morning training would dampen it, but it seemed to make it
worse instead.
Even though he went to
classes, he couldn't remember what he had learned.
Perhaps noticing
Akira's hushed tone, Kansuke exhaled heavily and hung the key on the wooden tag
with Akira's name written on it.
"Ah, right. I
just remembered that I have a meeting with Captain Asogi after work to discuss
the allocation of the drill squads.
You'd better join us,
Akira. I still haven't organized the drill squad yet.
....... You owe me one
after all."
"―Sorry, and
thanks."
Akira returned a
single word of gratitude to his friend who was forced to make an errand to
accommodate his own selfishness.
Kansuke, perhaps
understanding Akira's frustration, waved his hand and disappeared without
further words.
No need for more
words.
With another swing,
Akira regained his grip on the wooden sword in his hand.
――――――――――
How many hours had
passed since he had exchanged words with Kansuke?
His body screamed with
accumulated fatigue, and above all, his seared mind drowned his thoughts in
pursuit of rest.
Fundamental stances
were repeated endlessly, from launching attacks back to the jōdan stance.
Sweat dripped from his
entire body, soaked his Dōgi, and drenched his feet.
Sweat seeped into his
vision, and he resisted the urge to slump down each time.
He pulled his chin
back, regulated his breathing, and took another step without a second thought.
And once more, the
floor of the dojo creaked loudly.
As long as his
enormous blessing lasts, Kanna-no-Mikura a.k.a Akira's body will not receive
any harm.
Although there are
many countermeasures such as attacks that can penetrate divine protections, the
protection provided by the Great Divine Pillar allows Akira to avoid most
dangers.
However, this does not
help Akira to grow.
To grow is to learn
from failure. To train is to learn through pain.
The inexhaustible
blessing could make even this a thing of the past.
―Therefore, Akira's blessing does not play any role in
the experience he wishes to have.
And divine protection
is not something that can be conveniently turned on and off.
This principle would
apply even if Akira chose to commit suicide.
―That is why, since ancient times, those who seek to harm
Kanna-no-Mikura will make it so that Kanna-no-Mikura will desire death itself.
Malice, of all things,
would seek to undermine Akira's will. The words of Kihoin Shion came back to
Akira's mind.
Could this be one of
those malicious intentions?
―No. This is a cry of his own weakness.
The wolf inside
Akira's heart cries out for punishment because it is not enough.
That is why, to
satisfy the wolf's hunger, Akira takes one more step and raises his wooden
sword―,
"Hm.
―What a shame."
The tip of the wooden
sword he had raised wavered as he was suddenly interrupted by a voice.
Feeling interrupted,
he turned his sharp gaze toward the entrance.
A man's shadow stood
there before he knew it.
At first glance, he
appeared to be a slender, graceful man in his 30's. However, his physique,
wrapped in a luxurious kimono, showed no signs of weakness at all.
A breeze blew in the
dojo, soothing Akira's body, which had been boiling with fervor.
Having received a
cooling gust of autumn breeze, Akira finally realized that he had been wanting
to take a rest.
While adjusting his
breathing so as not to be noticed by the other party, Akira opened his mouth in
a bitter tone.
"...... Can I
help you?"
"Ah, my
apologies.
I came to see Genji,
but the office was empty.
Are you the only one
in the camp?"
Hearing these words,
Akira took another look at the man, who lightly shrugged his shoulders, in a
manner that was not disrespectful.
...... It has been
three years since he settled down in Karen, and Akira has no recollection of
ever seeing this man.
But he didn't look
like an ordinary person at all.
"...... If you're
looking for Captain Asogi, he's already left for headquarters, accompanied by
Vice Captain Niikura."
"What about the
others?"
Further behind him, a
man wearing a hunting cap and a young boy in a bodyguard's uniform came into
view.
Naturally, Akira
didn't recognize them either.
"There's only
me."
"I see, looks
like we came at the wrong time.
...... What do we do
now?"
"Let's wait.
Knowing Genji's character,
he'll be back soon anyway."
"Agreed."
After a few moments of
watching them converse, Akira decided that the other party was done with him,
so he raised his wooden sword for another swing―,
"―ah, you, hold
on a second.
What you have been
doing is pointless."
"Ha?"
Akira was interrupted
once again. As a result of the way he was told, Akira's voice was also filled
with a hint of anger.
However, without being
intimidated by Akira's anger, the man continued without changing his tone.
"I told you it's pointless.
You were just swinging your sword with your arm strength, and that alone is
pointless.
Who is your
teacher?"
"...... It's
Captain Asogi."
"He must have
noticed it as well .......
Well, never mind.
Let's have a little demonstration."
"―Master!
That's..."
"Don't worry,
it's just to relieve my boredom.
It's not something to
get worked up about."
The boy's expression
changed to one of shock when he heard these words, and he tried to stop the man
who had stepped into the dojo.
*Creak*. The floor squeaked
and Akira's expression tensed up from the tension.
From the squeak of the
floor, he could roughly guess the man's weight.
Although his physique
seems slender, his weight is probably on par with that of Asogi Genji.
In other words, he
must surely be well-trained.
"......My
apologies, but Captain Asogi has prohibited me from engaging in any personal
combat."
"No problem. I'll
be apologizing to that Genji guy in your stead.
―What? As long as he understands your problem, he won't
be so against it."
Although Akira spoke
up cautiously, the man lightly brushed off Akira's objections and picked up a
shinai for training.
Two, three swings. He
cut sharply through the air and stood face-to-face with Akira without
hesitation.
"Before we start
the ceremony, let me tell you my name. My name is Kojou.
What is your
name?"
"......
Akira."
"You, be
respectful to Master!!" "Jin."
The man who called
himself Kojou, suppressed Jin's furious voice and retracted his shinai.
"You don't mind
doing the ceremony, right?
―Let's begin with a bow, then you may strike as you
wish."
"............
Sure."
Being overwhelmed by the
man’s gesture, Akira reluctantly retracted his wooden sword, and exchanged a
bow with Kojou.
Once he finished
bowing, he was told to begin. Akira held his wooden sword in the chūdan-no-kamae, but Kojou, on the other
hand, did not seem to have moved from his previous position.
At first glance, it
looked full of openings, but even so, there was no hint that it could be called
an opening.
"―ha."
The breath was heavy
and did not last. The only thing that easily occupied his mind was the
premonition that he would be cut as soon as he took his first breath.
Unknowingly, sweat
broke out on his forehead as his nerves were being whittled away by the mere
act of setting up a stance.
"What's wrong?
If you don't move, it
won't start."
"―!"
Kojou's strength is
undoubtedly greater than Akira's.
Even so, the
provocative words he threw at Akira snapped the tension, and Akira took a big
step forward.
One foot forward,
overhead stance. The foundation laid down from the beginning.
It was the fastest
slash that Akira could use.
The sharpness of the
blow definitely struck Kojou, who was not even ready.
―It was supposed to be that way.
"Sei―!"
Before Akira could
even reach him, Kojou's toe sharply stepped two steps in front of him.
The shinai, which had
been raised before Akira knew it, traced a patterned trajectory from above, and
its bending tip struck Akira's bicep with a powerful blow.
The sound of a bamboo
strike echoed in the dimly lit dojo created by the autumn sunlight.
Akira's first move
should have been the first one to hit the target, but he was overtaken by his
opponent, a situation that was more difficult to comprehend than it was to feel
the pain. Akira forgot about even swinging the wooden sword, and his body
tensed up in shock.
...... He came to his
senses and turned his gaze back to Kojou.
Kojou, who had
returned to the other side of the starting point, was still the same as he was
when he and Akira faced each other.
Akira thought that it
was an illusion, but his numb arms told him that it was real.
"Get ready.
...... or do you give
up now?"
―Bring it on.
Instead of anger, the
wolf inside him bared its fangs in response to the provocation.
With a resolute
emotion in his gaze, Akira gripped his wooden sword and stood up.
――――――――――
After finishing their
report on the case of the Armored Centipede, Asogi Genji and Niikura Makoto
were able to return to the 8th garrison's camp in the late afternoon.
However, it shouldn't
have taken that much time and effort to report Metamorph, who was not supposed
to come down from Nanbane Mountain Range, because they were suspected of making
a false report.
"F*ck.
What's the use of
telling meaningless lies, but ending up wasting time?"
"―It can't be helped.
The 8th garrison is
seen as nothing more than a bunch of troublesome people after all.
The fact that they
believed us in the end was good enough for us."
"It sure took
some of my bones. After all that trouble, it would not have been worth it if
they just dismissed it as a mistake.
...... What is
that?"
Genji, who was
stepping onto the grounds of the military camp while sharing his frustration
with Niikura, who was trying to appease him, tilted his head when he saw a
steam car parked just ahead of him.
"Are we having a
visitor?"
"Visitor? For the
8th garrison?"
Needless to repeat
Niikura's words, Genji understands very well that the 8th garrison is treated
as a nuisance.
Those who have
business to do will complete it at the headquarters, and no one would think of
going to the outskirts of the 3rd district.
Since Genji has
settled in the 8th garrison, he does not recall anyone coming here except for
Kihoin Tsuguho, who even took her expensive steam car with her.
There was no one's
presence in front of the office. After looking around the premises, they felt
the presence of people in the dojo and turned their feet toward it.
"―Oh my. Another
unusual sight." "Is it your acquaintance?"
"I've known him
since senior high school. But I thought we would never meet again......"
Two figures were
standing at the entrance of the dojo.
However, when he heard
a sound echoing from the inner part of the dojo, he partially stopped raising
his hand and peeked into the inside of the dojo.
Genji's eyes widened
as he caught sight of another unusual sight there.
――――――――――
Inside the dojo, the
tip of a shinai produced a resounding sound for the umpteenth time as it struck
Akira.
Two consecutive hits
were made on his thighs and the back of his hands. The sound was loud but
well-controlled. Akira picked up the wooden sword he had dropped and returned
to the starting position.
"Get ready.
And don't hold back,
if you see an opening, you can use spirit techniques as well."
"Kuh
......!!"
In contrast to Akira,
who was drenched in sweat, Kojou showed not even a hint of sweating.
Akira gnashed his
teeth, perhaps his competitive spirit was aroused by Kojou's aloofness.
However, his legs
seemed to be unable to move forward, as though he was feeling intimidated.
――――――――――
By his appearance,
Akira seemed to be in a lot of pain.
Genji couldn't hide
his bitter smile and put his hand on the shoulder of his old friend, Mototaka
Mutou.
"...... So
recklessness. Akira hasn't even been a defender for a month yet."
"Yo, it's been a
while, Genji.
―My bad. Your guest was so excited that he borrowed the
dojo for a moment."
"It's fine, I
understand his intention. That said, it looks like they already spent quite a
lot of time.
―Kojou-dono, it's about time to end the training. I
want you to let Akira rest as well."
Kojou, perhaps
noticing Genji's presence, simply replied with a nod without turning his gaze.
"I see, I suppose
it's about time.
―Akira-kun, I would like to see your spirit technique
for the last round.
I don't mind if you
want to use Enga as well, just go ahead and show it to me."
"......!!"
Akira's cheeks flushed
red at this obvious belittlement.
The fact that he was
treated as insignificant above all else sent a fury through Akira's exhausted
body.
He poured all the
spiritual power he could muster into the wooden sword he clenched in his hand.
A blade of crimson lotus like a flying swallow.
The tip of the wooden
sword, which was re-positioned to waki-gamae
stance, roared as it was enveloped in the spiritual power of vermillion gold.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"―Enga!!"
A slash of flame
rushed out and instantly crossed the distance between him and Kojou.
The force of the
strike did not diminish much, perhaps because it was fired at close range, and
Enga reached for Kojou's body.
Even just before it
reached his body, Kojou did not show any defensive stance.
The wooden sword, with
its core made of low-purity steel, is also a fourth-class spirit weapon.
Spirit techniques
unleashed from it are only for show and have low power, but a direct hit to an
unprotected person would be more than mere injuries.
Akira, having
forgotten to hold back, had a vision of Kojou being blown to bits.
―Among all those present, Akira was the only one.
Just before the slash
reached Kojou, the shape of the flying flame shook and disintegrated.
The closer it got to
Kojou, the more pronounced the disintegration became, and the impact that
remained after it dissipated was only enough to ruffle Kojou's kimono.
A phenomenon Akira saw
for the first time. It was Akira's first experience to be unable to discern not
only the logic of the technique, but even its movements.
"It's called
Soyokaze, a Jinroin-style Spirit Technique."
"Wha―!!"
"I see, being
able to deliver such an impact beyond Soyokaze, you do have what it takes to
earn Genji's attention.
―Keep up your diligence."
Kojou slid past Akira,
who was in a dazed state, forgetting even his Zanshin (state of awareness).
Even Kojou's praise,
which was intended as consolation, slipped across the surface of his thoughts
and did not linger.
Akira was left
standing alone in the dojo, without even a voice to call out after him.
―In the end, he was just being played around with in
the name of combat training. Akira was utterly bewildered, and could not even
see the trace of his blade, let alone sweat on his face.
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