Volume 3
Chapter 2 Part
2
Ask Others,
Ask to Understand 2
Translator : PolterGlast
"What a surprise.
I thought it would be at least three months before I would see you again,
Kojou.
When did you arrive
here?"
Genji opened his mouth
as he sat down in his chair and offered Kojou a seat across from him.
He pulled aside a
stack of papers and poured water from a kettle into a teacup.
Following his urging,
Yuge Kojou took a sip of the water and returned only a thin smile.
"Yesterday.
I came to Karen as an
envoy to offer my seasonal greetings to the Lord of Kihouin.
The man standing next
to me might be here to spy on me, but all that Hotori-sama asked me for was
just to deliver a single letter. There's nothing hidden in it."
"Next to you,
huh?
It's been a long time
since I've seen you, too, Mototaka.
I've heard rumors that
you've joined the police force, but I've never heard that you're now in a
position to escort important people to and from the province.
If you had told me, I
could have sent you a congratulatory message."
Kojou's response
caused Genji to glare at Mutou Mototaka, who was standing diagonally behind
Kojou.
They were friends who
had studied together at a senior high school in Karen. And although they had
shared the sweet and sour of their youth, Genji's words were tinged with
sarcasm, to which the person in question, with an elusive smile on his face,
lightly shrugged his shoulders in response.
"You sure are
harsh toward your old friend, huh?
What's that on the
shelf there?"
"―You can brew
it, but don't hold me responsible for what happens afterward."
"? It's not a
poison, right?"
"It's a temporary
remedy for stomach aches and miasma poisoning. For now, I can guarantee its
effectiveness.
......It is especially
effective against unpleasant guests."
Perhaps understood
what he meant, Kojou smiled back at Genji, who grinned at him.
"―Oh, Senburi,
huh? Sure looks like it will work."
Senburi is a widely
distributed medicinal remedy, but it is also known to be so bitter that it can
be mistaken for a poison.
Aside from Kojou, who
laughed and said he would give it a try next time, Muto turned the conversation
back to the main topic.
"Speaking of
which. I heard that you have been quarreling a lot with the Commander-in-Chief
Banda."
"I'm the only
one, though.
Well, we both have our
disagreements, especially these days."
Genji's character can
be described as a split bamboo*1,
so if he would go to such lengths to keep his words vague, then it must be
pretty serious.
The two who were
facing Genji were considerate of his feelings and smiled wryly.
*1 It refers to a person's character being straightforward and devoid of
motives, or a person's temperament being free of negativity or crookedness.
"......Looks like
it.
Actually, I had
planned to show my face yesterday, but Banda-dono's temper was a little rough.
I had to delay my
visit by a day."
"That's
wise."
The fact that there
were rumors about Genji coming out of Banda's mouth that went in the opposite
direction should indicate that he had made up something that had no basis in
reality.
After gulping down the
hot water, he poured more from the kettle.
Genji had a vague
understanding of what was being spread at the headquarters, but he left it
alone, thinking it would have no direct effect on him.
However, even if the
rumors were baseless, if they were to be reiterated, roots and leaves would
grow.
The fact that the
fiasco, which suddenly came out of thin air, was casting a shadow over Genji's
reputation, was also becoming a problem within the 8th garrison.
"...... So? Is
that guy the protector in question?"
"Don't say that.
He's a mild-mannered
man who's under the guardianship of a very influential person, but he's quite
sensitive about this matter."
Muto pointed at the
dojo with his thumb, and Genji returned a reluctant nod of the head.
He was a commoner who
had been recognized for his unbelievably great achievement, something that
guardians couldn't achieve, during the Hyakki Yagyo incident that occurred two
months ago.
Although the details
of his achievements were kept under wraps, Bando's reputation fell to the
ground as a result of this incident, so it is likely that Bando's impatience is
not unrelated to the incident.
That said, Kojou
leaned forward this time, perhaps seeking a little more information.
"Hou~. May I ask
who is it?"
"...... It's the
Rindo family. The head of the Rindou family personally came here and declared
it.
Two days after the
Hyakki Yagyo, he finished all the preparations, and he even put his third
daughter to work behind him."
"The Lord of
Rindo?
...... That's quite
unusual."
"Yeah. And it was
done with a great deal of force, too."
Given the speed of his
action and the swiftness of his hand, this does not reflect Rindou Kozaburo's
character. Judging from who he acted against first, the mastermind would likely
be Kihoin, but Genji was hesitant to speak of this fact in front of the envoys
from the other province.
In the end, what he
was able to say was just superficial hindsight. Even so, despite this, the actions
of a high-ranking nobility seemed to have given the other party enough
understanding of the current situation.
"I see, there
must be a reason."
The fact that a member
of one of the eight families, especially, a family famous for its lack of
ambition, would make one wonder the reason why they would make such a move.
If one were to think
about it, one might imagine something like an illegitimate child from a
concubine ......
""Nope.""
Their mutterings
overlapped, and at the same time, they exchanged wry smiles.
Genji is an old
acquaintance, and Kojou is the head of the eight families as well. They are
both well acquainted with each other.
Considering their
personalities and the close relationship between the families, it is hard to
believe that Rindo Kozaburo would do such a thing.
While Kojou was lost
in thought with his arms crossed, Genji dried up his cup of hot water and put
it on the desk.
"Well, he saved
me a lot of trouble during Hyakki Yagyo. So it was a small price to pay to give
him the guardianship of a protector.
―Ah, right. Kojou-dono, you went out of your way to
give him a pointer, huh?"
"I thought his
way of training was just too rough, so rather than wasting time waiting for him
to notice it himself, I decided to go ahead and interfere. I'm sure you're
aware of that as well, Genji."
Genji, who furrowed
his brow, silently affirmed it.
After watching his
early morning training sessions, he understood that there was a shadow on his
sword.
If it were left as it
was, there would be a risk that his strength could be corrupted by the very
name of training.
However, Genji's
position is way too close to Akira's.
It would be easy to
correct him, but the possibility that he might become complacent could not be
dismissed.
It is common practice
to correct the situation by having combat training with a master other than
Genji, but there is no way that this can be arranged immediately.
Kojou's action was a
blessing in disguise.
"......I know
what caused it.
Yesterday was the
first time he took command as a protector, and he lost a man under his
command."
"Did a protector
get killed?"
"No, it was a
drill soldier."
"That's ......,
too naive, don't you think?
If he were to be
depressed over the loss of a drill soldier, he would not be able to keep on
fighting."
Muto's words were understandable,
considering it was common sense.
Even if one is a
defender, the fact remains that he or she is still a human being.
If one were tormented
by the death or injury of a soldier, who also serves the purpose of reducing
the number of mouths to feed, he or she would soon be crushed under the weight
of it.
At the very least,
unless one can recognize casualties as numbers, there is no way one can survive
in the garrison.
"Don't be hasty.
I tend to forget it myself,
but Akira has only been a protector for two months.
Before that, he was a
drill soldier, ...... and the one who died was an old friend of his. We can't
blame him for that."
"Ah, I see.
That's ......, indeed unfortunate."
When Akira's past
record was pointed out, Muto looked up at the ceiling.
In a garrison, where
one person's blunder can lead to life or death, it is only natural that
horizontal solidarity and a sense of belonging would be strong, whether among
regular soldiers or drill soldiers.
Even if Akira became a
protector, it is easy to predict that it would be very difficult to change the
sense of solidarity that already exists.
Already exhausted his
laments. With a wave of his hand, Genji forcefully changed the subject.
"Well, so be it. Time
will tell.
―Now, can you tell me your evaluation of the combat
training?"
"I have a lot of
questions regarding that as well.
May I ask where
Akira-kun is from?"
"I heard he was
from Kokuten Province, I see, I guess you noticed."
"Of course",
Kojou responded with a simple nod of the head.
The reputation of
being the strongest in Takamagahara is bound to attract a flood of people who
want to test their skills.
The man sitting in
front of Genji is one of the most experienced in the history of Takamagahara in
terms of exchanging blows with other schools.
...... Naturally, he
must have noticed the way Akira's body moves.
"...... I sensed
a hint of Hariin-school in his foundation.
His movement patterns
are Gioin-school. And I sensed a hint of Kihoin-school in his habits......
I can tell that he
spends a lot of time practicing, but he is very disorganized.
―Although it was bad, it could still be corrected
through combat training."
"That's why
you're a livesaver. If things were to continue as they were, I could see that
his abilities would remain at rock bottom. I was also concerned about what to
do after I had forcefully taught him the Tsuyoshi no Tachi (strong/rigid style)."
Each of the five
factional schools are aligned with the five elements of the spiritual arts and
are specialized in the use of those arts.
Akira belongs to the
Fire Element, so it is only natural that he should concentrate on the
Kihoin-school.
"I have tried to
adjust myself to match your sword style, but it is a bad habit of yours to lean
too much on the rigid path.
If that is the case,
there will be no one to replace you. Looking at Akira's stature, you should
make him focus a little more on the soft path."
"I understand
that, but I find it rather difficult. It would be faster to find a protector
who is the same age as Akira and around the same skill level, but there are no
candidates around."
Genji is currently in
a constant state of conflict with Banda. The dojo around him that teaches
Kihoin-ryu also seems to be avoiding getting involved with him.
It is an important
time for Akira, but he also cannot forcibly associate himself with Banda.
Despite the small
problems, Genji's worries showed no sign of abating.
Seeing Genji
struggling with his folded arms, Kojou smiled at him as though he had come up
with a mischievous idea.
"Can't be helped
then. I'll take care of my friend's troubles."
"Hm?"
"It's a strange
coincidence, but I've got my disciple accompanying me here in Karen. For a week
or so, while we stay here, I'll let the two of them work together.
―From what I've learned in our combat training earlier,
I believe their abilities are roughly on par with each other."
Hearing these words,
Genji's eyes blinked.
He had not paid much
attention to it, but he could remember a young protector following Kojou's
back.
"I'm grateful for
that.
...... But, are you
sure?"
As is the case with
Genji, Kojou tends to avoid interaction with other factional schools.
Kojou, who bears the
title of the strongest in Takamagahara, especially has a strong tendency to
avoid such things.......
"No problem.
...... Actually, my disciple is also not progressing well.
Apparently, the
juniors who enrolled in the Tenryo Academy are all geniuses.
I've been trying to
keep him on board with my work rather than let him rot, but he just doesn't
want to go back to the academy for any reason."
"Indeed, I've
heard about it. While he did cross swords with [Kuga's Prodigy],
...... [the Treasure
of the North], was it? Those two are quite far apart in terms of
strength."
That's the one. Kojou
replied in affirmation.
Although there will
always be someone above us, it is only natural that we will tend to look below
if we can't reach them.
"I tried to
assure him that they were both direct descendants of the eight families.
Though, he is also
from a branch of the Yuge family that is close to the main family, that's why
he doesn't want to accept it.
I would be grateful if
he could improve along with Akira-kun."
"In that case,
I'll gladly take you up on your offer.
About
the-............."
Boom! As soon as Genji
nodded his head in agreement with Kojou's suggestion, a shock accompanied by a
surge of spiritual power rattled the sliding door of the office.
Everyone in the office
rushed to the sliding door, ready in anticipation of an attack.
Looking out through
the glass window of the sliding door, they saw Akira, covered in sand, standing
outside the dojo with a wooden sword in his hand.
From the entrance of
the dojo, where Akira glared at, a boy wearing a haori appeared with a
leisurely gait.
At the sight of him,
Yuge Kojou put his palm to his forehead.
"...... Looks
like we no longer need to do that. He is my disciple, his name is Nakiri Jin.
My bad. Shall we stop
them right away?"
"No, isn't it
fine if they're full of enthusiasm?
Since it's a duel with
a wooden sword, it's far less dangerous than what we used to do.
―As for their punishment, let's wait until after our
disciples are done playing with each other."
"Hmm. I suppose
that's true."
Genji, who understood
most of the situation, stopped Kojou's attempt to stop them while making a sour
expression on his face.
Although personal
combat is forbidden, their masters are all standing side by side in this room.
Since it was easy to
stop them, it would be a good opportunity to find out what each other is
capable of.
While warming up their
fists to swing them down as hard as they could, Genji and Kojou decided to
stand together and watch their fight.
――――――――――
Time goes back a
little.
In the center of the
dojo, where the cool autumn breeze was blowing, Akira was swinging his wooden
sword again.
One step forward,
overhead slash. This time, he carefully repeated each step from preparing his
stance to lowering his stance, one by one.
―Swish. Swish. Swish.
What passed through
his mind was the instantaneous slash that Kojou had shown earlier.
The moment he prepared
the wooden sword and swung it down, the light phantom pain of being struck by
the shinai was felt in his body.
It was the phantom
pain from Kojou's shinai.
At that moment, as if
to seek refuge from it, the phantom pain guided him to the optimum movement.
His kicking left heel
should be heavy, and his stepping forward right toe should be even and soft.
Tighten the armpit to
protect the side that was trying to rise, and keep the upper arm that swings
away to a minimum.
―The back of the hand should be clenched right before
the wooden sword being swung down.
At that moment, a
heavy, sharp slash shot through the air.
―Slash!
"A-"
A mutter escaped from
his mouth as the slash quietly and unwaveringly cut through the air.
The blow was different
from the random trajectory he had been releasing until now, and it certainly
had the same weight as the slash that Asogi unleashed.
"―Ha. You finally
managed to shake the shell out of your ass, huh?"
"Wha―!"
The voice mixed with a
sneer that struck his back as he swung the wooden sword made Akira's back heat
up without giving him any time to be stunned.
When he turned around,
he saw a boy standing with his arms folded, with an expression that was precisely
the same as the tone of the voice that had been hurled at him.
Judging from his
height, he is the same age as Akira, or slightly older. He wore a haori with a
small family crest sewn into the collar.
―A pink wheel-shaped floral pattern.
The boy spoke
arrogantly, leaving Akira tilting his head at the design, which he vaguely
remembered.
"The honor of
receiving instruction directly from Master is rare, even for Nakiri's
retainers.
You should be ashamed
of yourself for wasting such an opportunity and learning only a single swing,
you foolish commoner."
"What did you
say!?"
"I'm just
pointing out the facts.
You should be ashamed
of your lack of talent before you get all rebellious."
Even Akira, who never
lost his temper, was offended by the way he said it, but the boy kept on
sneering at him as if he was blowing air.
"......It would
be ridiculous to compare my skills with a guardian's, wouldn't it?
Well, I'm just a
foolish commoner who has just become a protector, so it's only natural that I
should focus on the fundamentals."
Understanding that the
other party was not a guardian, Akira made a deliberate slip-up.
If ranked by rank,
Akira would be the same rank as a protector. In other words, he was making fun
of the fact that the boy was no better than him.
"―Ha. Show me
then.
Or shall I give you
credit for your talent for barking?"
"Sure, let me
show you."
Realizing exactly what
Akira's intentions were, the boy stood face to face with Akira, after taking
the wooden sword that was hanging on the wall.
As if to emphasize
that he and Kojou are master and disciple, he stood still, not budging from his
position.
"You're not at an
age where you expect someone to cheer on you, right? So I'll give you the first
move."
"Fine. Suit
yourself."
"Let's begin.
―I'm Nakiri Jin."
"Akira."
Akira's competitive
spirit was ignited after he was looked down upon by Jin, who was probably of
the same age as him.
After confirming that
his opponent was not going to move his stance, he kneaded his spiritual power
in the hope of settling the matter with his first move.
A slight breeze swept
across the dojo, dredging up the silence between the two.
A moment later, Akira
made a deep twist from his waki-gamae stance and swung his wooden sword
horizontally.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"―Enga!"
Along the trajectory
of the horizontal cleave, a flaming slash flew through the air.
―However,
After a moment without
blinking, the flying slash that approached Jin was blown away, its silhouette
crumbling into a blur as if it were a rehash of the scene Kojou had just shown
him.
"It won't fucking
work!!" "Of course, I know!!"
He just saw it a few
minutes ago, so there was no surprise.
The outcome, which had
been predictable from the start, was of no concern to Akira. Before Jin could
turn to the offensive, Akira slipped into Jin's chest.
What Jin used was a
defensive spiritual technique that prevented Enga from being released by
Akira's spiritual power. In other words, this is synonymous with abandoning the
offensive in exchange for gaining an iron wall.
After all, as long as
he maintains his defensive stance, the offense will always be on Akira's side.
Spiritual power
spiraled around the wooden sword that he held out. In the midst of Soyokaze
(slight breeze) heading towards him, Akira launched his strengthened wooden
sword in an overhead strike.
On the other hand,
Jin's initial response was slightly slower, as Akira had predicted.
If the two were to
clash without Jin having established a stance, Akira, who maintained his
offensive stance, would definitely have the upper hand.
A crashing sound
echoed in the quiet space. After the two parties' willpower competed against
each other,
"Ugh!"
―After a brief struggle, Jin was the one who won the
confrontation.
Akira's attack was
completely destroyed, and a gasp escaped from his throat. His instincts
screamed for evasion, but before he had time to regain his stance, Jin's kick
landed on his stomach.
Two, three times he
rolled across the ground. Unable to resist, he was kicked out of the dojo, and
his vision was filled with a radiant brightness.
Akira felt Intense
pain in the stomach and the taste of dust. As he stood up with his thoughts
darting about, Jin stepped out of the dojo and into the sunlight.
His mouth contorted,
perhaps due to the certainty of his superiority, and there was not the
slightest hint of wariness toward Akira.
"Oioi, are you
done already? Looks like your mouth is the only thing you're proficient
at."
"......Take it
back!"
In response to the
provocation, Akira slashed at him furiously.
He never
underestimated Jin's ability. At the very least, there is no doubt that he is a
properly trained protector equivalent to a guardian.
Furthermore, he used
the same spirit technique that Kojou used.
Fire conquering Metal.
Akira had never heard of a spirit technique that could forcefully overcome a
slash that had taken the initiative, nullifying Enga beyond the affinity
relationship that should have allowed it to win.
Akira was forced to
face an unfavorable situation without being able to see the logic of the
technique.
Against the excess of
spiritual power, the wooden swords were making creaking noises as they clashed
against each other.
The wooden swords,
which were supposed to be reinforced, cracked, and shards flew into the air.
A light autumn breeze
blew the shards away and swept them away behind Akira.
―Autumn wind!?
This sight triggered
his memories, and Akira took a big leap backward.
"...... I believe
it was called Soyokaze, right?"
"Ha. After being
beaten up so badly, have you finally grasped at least part of the underlying
principles of the technique?"
"Maintain and
manipulate the breeze. What a handy technique ......."
Jin's smile deepened,
and Akira realized that he had guessed the right answer.
The wind that blew
toward Akira was the very spirit technique that Kojou and Jin had been using.
The wind was so subtle
that he was not even aware of it, but when it became wind pressure, he could
not ignore it.
By concentrating the
wind pressure on certain points, they were able to reduce Akira's momentum, and
in turn, they were able to sustain their own offensive by utilizing the
tailwind.
Adjusting his
breathing, he took a Hassō-no-kamae stance, and from a low angle, he kicked the
ground and lunged toward his opponent.
Since Enga is
disabled, it is only natural that there is no other way but to get close to
him. Mocking Akira's initial move, Jin swung his wooden sword.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"―Enretsu!"
"―Kyūshou!"
A gust of wind gushed
along the path of the roaring wooden sword, and the spiritual power converted
Jin's fighting spirit into a flying slash,
―As soon as Jin's slash was swallowed by the surging
waves and oncoming impact, Akira realized that his guess was correct.
Soyokaze is a tricky
spirit technique, but due to its nature, the wind must be kept in a fixed
direction.
In other words,
"Higasane!"
"Damn it!"
Soyokaze is weak
against the kind of spirit technique that can stir up the air!
A series of shockwaves
of saturated heat knocked Soyokaze away, and Akira dived into Jin's now exposed
chest.
Akira's wooden sword
swung down at Jin, aiming at the midsection,
Jin's wooden sword,
which reflected his impatience and frustration, clashed with Akira's wooden
sword, which had been reinforced to the fullest extent.
―At that moment, with a dull shattering sound, their
wooden swords were shattered into pieces.
If it were a normal
match, the two would have been declared a draw.
"I won't stop just
because of this!"
"It goes without
saying! I'll pay you back with my fists!!"
The two, with their
blood rushing to their heads, raised their fists and yelled at each other
intending to continue the fight.
...... They didn't
even notice that their respective masters were already standing at their backs
with fists raised in the air.
""―It's
over, you fools.""
Two fists swung down
along with loud yells. Dull sounds echoed through the sky beneath the high
autumn sun.
――――――――――
TIPS: About Soyokaze.
This is a combination
of offensive and defensive spirit techniques uniquely developed by Yuge Kojou.
This technique causes
the air around oneself to whirl and cling around the opponent.
Although the opponent
literally feels nothing more than a slight breeze, the wind pressure on their
entire body dampens their movements and spirit techniques before they are even
aware of it.
However, just like the
fact that Akira blew away the opponent with his Kyūshou, it is a spirit
technique with many weaknesses.
What is more
problematic than anything else is the fact that it is a highly difficult
spiritual technique in comparison to the advantages it provides.
It is possible to
simply use it, but if one wants to use other spirit techniques while
maintaining this spirit technique, the difficulty jumps higher than one might
think.
The reason why Nakiri
Jin was able to become Yuge Kojou's disciple is because he was able to master
this spiritual technique.
Even so, it is
difficult to say that he has mastered it.
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