Volume 3
Chapter 3 Part
1
Malice Sneers
and Swallows the Cloudy Sky 1
Translator : PolterGlast
The Nanbane Mountain
Range, which extends from the eastern edge of Karen, is a complete contrast to
Mt. Myokaku, with nothing but bare rocks and clinging shrubs.
This is the great dragon
vein of wood elements in Karen, and at the same time, it is a demonic region
with numerous miasma pools.
No matter how
carefully one were to move here, it would never be enough.
*Clack*. A pebble was
kicked away underfoot, and it rolled down the exposed rock surface with barely
audible sounds.
"Whoa~......."
Akira followed the
pebble with his eyes and gasped at the sheer cliff that filled his field of
vision.
If he lost his footing
and fell down, even if he were a guardian, he could not avoid serious injury.
He desperately
restrained his body, which was involuntarily trying to shrink, and looked
further away from his feet.
There, he could see a
cityscape covering an area of about 20 square kilometers.
Steam and smoke rose
from everywhere, and the thriving city of Karen, with its people walking around
in the streets, stretched out in all its splendor.
The magnificence of
the city mesmerized Akira, who lost himself in emotion rather than fear.
"What, are you
scared?"
"...... Isn't it
natural? I'm used to Mt. Myokaku, but I've never penetrated this deep into
Nanbane before."
Jn's mockery, which
was directed at his back, was met with an honest reply from Akira, who had been
taken aback by the scenery of Karen.
Jin, having lost
interest in exchanging words, looked behind with a bored expression on his
face.
There, he saw Genji
and Kojou discussing something.
"Master and I are
just here as emissaries.
Why do we have to walk
on this dragon's vein?"
"It's punishment
for the fight, ain't it?
What else is
there?"
The thought of talking
to himself made his lips contort as he heard Akira's serious response.
"I'm telling you
there's more to it than that.
It's not normal to
decide to go exploring without knowing all the details as soon as that captain
of yours mentioned it to us."
"Captain Asogi
did explain it to me.
A few days ago, we
killed an Armored Centipede at the foot of Mt. Myokaku. Since it is not
supposed to be in the area, we need to find out where it wandered out
from."
"But why would we
climb all the way up here?"
He glanced around.
All he could see was
rock surfaces and shrubs, a bland landscape.
"I heard that we
would be turning around and going back down soon, so let's hang in there for a
little bit more.
We haven't made any
preparations for camping, so I'd like to make sure we have plenty of time for
everything."
"That's obvious.
Spending the night in the middle of a miasma pool is insane."
In agreement, Akira
and Jin went back to Asogi and Kojou.
The two were likely
thinking as they ascended the slope, but Genji and Kojou seemed to be absorbed
in comparing information.
"...... It is
certainly strange for an Armored Centipede to appear when there is no water
vein, but to begin with, it would not take root high up in the mountains, would
it?"
"That is true,
but deer were coming down from the mountains after being chased away by that
creature.
Deer are usually found
living in the highlands, even in the Nanbane Mountain Range. They tended to
appear in herds, so they must have been at least in this area......"
"It's possible
that it was someone's scheme after all......."
From the conversation,
it seemed that speculation was somehow over the top.
Akira and Jin looked
at each other and lightly shrugged their shoulders.
"Captain Asogi.
If we go a little further, we'll reach the turnaround point. If we go a little
further, we will be at the planned turnaround point, right?
―It's already past noon, and I'd like to consider
descending the mountain."
"Yeah, I know.
Again, I remind you, to keep your concealment intact.
Any unnecessary
battles here may bring unnecessary trouble at the foot of the mountain.
Genji nodded in
response to Akira who interjected into the conversation from the sideline.
Kojou, however,
wrinkled his brow and turned his gaze beyond the mountain ridge.
"...... No,
Genji, it's too late.
They found us already."
As soon as Akira and
Jin returned from their scouting duty, an attack by Metamorph creatures
occurred.
Although it was a
clear blunder on Akira and Jin's part, Kojou shook his head lightly and spoke
in consolation.
――I... tsu... ma...
"A metamorph has
already spotted us. The only reason it attacked us was because he mistook us
for small fries in concealment.
―This fellow is quite cautious and quite clever after
all."
"When it comes to
cautious metamorph rooted in this Nanbane Mountain Range, there's only one
kind.
―All hands, take position! It's coming from the
sky!"
―I~iitsu... made~.
The heavy ruffling of wings
and a lament-like voice approached.
*Flap, flap*. A
massive shadow and a flapping of wings flew by.
A putrid smell that
almost twisted their nose overwhelmed the surroundings, and a huge creature
with eagle-like wings and a featherless torso descended before their eyes.
―Itsumade~e~, i~iitsumade~e~e~!!
Itsumade, a cursed
hawk that carried disease, shot a threatening look toward Akira and the others.
""! ...,
――!!""
A rotten lamentation
struck Akira and the others.
Quickly covering their
ears, the four of them kicked backward.
―Immediately after,
The place where Akira
and the others were standing was swept away by the miasma-cloaked feathers.
"Enga!!"
Cutting across the
winged shadow, a slash of crimson flame aimed at Itsumade, but by that moment
it was already too late, and the shadow of the giant bird had vanished far into
the heights of the sky.
"Don't let your
guard down just because it's huge, it's extremely fast!
―Kojou, can you drop it to the ground?"
"Itsumade is a
wood element, right? ...... Then, it's possible.
Everyone, cover your
ears if you don't want to rupture your eardrums."
The moment Kojou
responded to Genji's request and pulled out the wakizashi he wore at his waist,
a ringing in his ears caused by the sudden change in atmospheric pressure hit
Akira.
Unable to bear it,
Akira fell to the ground and turned his gaze to Kojou.
The roaring atmosphere
was especially strong. A moment later, silence fell.
Jinroin-style Spirit
Technique, Chuden―
"―Earth Storm."
Instantly, a gust of
wind formed a whirlwind, engulfing Itsumade, and causing it to fall to the
ground.
Although there are a
variety of spirit techniques, Kihoin-school's forte is mainly in the close to
medium range.
In contrast, Jinroin-school
is clearly capable of casting spirit techniques from outside the range of the
Kihoin-school.
This school boasts the
fastest and longest range, and is capable of releasing spirit techniques from
outside the attack range of other schools.
The reason for this is
that this school is focused on hitting the opponent before the opponent does.
―It is the essence of what is called the Jinroin-school
the Preceding.
A huge frame pressed
against the ground, scratching its surface, and a herd of deer, perhaps lured
by the commotion, held their antlers out in front of them.
Genji pulled out his
weapon and faced the herd of deer rather than let Akira, who still has trouble
controlling his muscles.
"I'll hunt the
deer. Itsumade is nothing more than a giant target once it falls.
―Akira, Jin. Finish it."
""Osu!!""
At Genji's command,
the two run shoulder-to-shoulder across the ground.
Even on a slope with
poor footing, the sensation of simply kicking the ground gave Akira a sense of
excitement that he hadn't felt in a long time.
Instead of using a
conspicuous sacred artifact, he drew out a spirit vessel given to him by
Kihoin.
The walnut fretwork
tied to the butt of the hilt danced in the air, and the white blade reflected
the sunlight and gleamed.
"...... That's
quite a work of art. Rindou family's expectations seem to be apparent."
"Well, thanks.
Who will make the
first move?"
Jin, who was running
alongside Akira, saw the ripples on Akira's sword and commented.
Not wanting to be
probed too much, Akira changed the subject.
"The Jirouin
style should be the first to make a move.
―I'll give you the opportunity to finish it, kōhai
(junior)."
"I won't be
thanking you, though, senpai (senior)."
After one night, Akira
became quite accustomed to Jin's obvious provocations.
Jin's lips curled at
Akira's curt response, and he lowered his hips, poised for iai stance.
He snipped the koiguchi with his thumb, and the white
blade flashed free from its sheath.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"Kamaitachi."
The gleaming white
blade produced a series of invisible slashes. At the same time, a large number
lacerations were inflicted on Itsumade, who was flailing around on the ground.
―Hyi~i~ii!!
Ignoring the
soul-deafening screams of the giant bird, Akira dived into Itsumade's chest.
He dropped a slash
with swirling flames into a diagonal slash and then slashed vertically upward.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"Kaeri
Tsumi."
While strengthening
his arms, he moved forward even further.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Consecutive Technique―
"Midare-sagichō!!"
Three consecutive
blows struck Itsumade in the jaw.
---I~tsu... tsu!!
Despite being utterly
destroyed, the giant bird's eyes were not dead yet.
Itsumade's gaze was
focused on Akira's head.
From the edge of its
beak, a thick miasma overflowed,
―Just before it was about to spit out the miasma, which
was filled with a curse, Jin released a slash that slit Itsumade's throat.
"―No need to
thank me, junior."
"...... It was
unnecessary."
Amid the light
exchange of words, Akira's white blade carved a cross-shaped trajectory.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden―
"Jūji-no-Suri."
―The intersecting, crossed lines of fire split Itsumade's
torso into four equal parts from bottom to top.
――――――――――
As Akira and Jin were
purifying the giant bird on the ground, Genji and Kojou were surveying their
surroundings.
Although the threat
had passed, Genji's expression was not good.
"Itsumade should
be living at a higher altitude in Nanbane Mountain Range.
It is unusual for it
to come down to the middle part of the mountain, as it is not likely to mess
with protectors."
"It's true that
the case of the Armored Centipede remains doubtful, but it seems that you have
other concerns as well.
―Do you mind telling me about it?"
"......At the end
of August, I received a report from an old hunter that he had seen a catfish
swimming among the trees.
I wanted to laugh it
off as a simple misjudgment since he was so old, but then I remembered a rumor
I had heard in my hometown.
―A laughing catfish was swimming toward the mountains
at that time."
"That's
......."
"Right after that
rumor surfaced, my hometown was trampled to the ground by the Hyakki Yagyo that
came down from the north.
Now it has become a
land where no one can live because it's deep in the miasma pools.
...... That's what's
bothering me."
One rumor that Kojou
had never heard before. Still, it is not hard to understand Genji's concern if
one relates the incident that took place immediately after the rumor surfaced.
However, it is also
inappropriate for a person in charge of a squadron to be making decisions based
solely on uncertain information.
In the end, the best
Genji could do was to use the report of wandering creatures as a basis for an
investigation for abnormalities.
Genji glanced at the
cityscape of Karen spreading out below him.
Genji's vision
reflected the same daily routines of people, seemingly oblivious to the worries
of a mere guardian.
――――――――――
*Chime... Chime*. The
wind chimes, which had begun to lose their seasonal charm in the autumn breeze,
chimed sadly and quietly.
While making matcha
from carefully selected tea leaves with a light bitterness, Kihouin Shion, the
current head of the family, thought about changing the attire in the temple.
The young girl sitting
at the end of her line of sight was looking boredly at the view of the
cityscape of Karen from the atrium of the temple.
"......Hmph. It
seems that a pervert has infiltrated the mistress's dominion."
"Is it a
human?"
"I can't tell.
...... But it seems that he has found a loophole to slip through my oracle.
I am aware that he is
wriggling inside my body, but I can't discern the details just by looking
through the skin.
If he had meddled in
my territory, I would have brought him to light."
Never before in all
the years of her life had she experienced the malfunctioning of an oracle.
Scrutinizing the
autumn sunset over the Bankyū Daigaran, this great divine pillar, who knew
Shumon Province so well, twisted the edges of her mouth into a vexed
expression.
"I would like to
avoid having our territory ravaged at such a critical time, with the Kannamesai
Festival just around the corner."
"I concur, but I
don't think it will go as planned.
...... It seems like
Kuro has learned of Akira's whereabouts."
"Is there some
kind of interference?"
"She's
desperately extending her divine power through the water dragon vein.
―It would not make any difference to me even if she
knew about it now."
She took a sip of the
offered matcha. The rich aroma and the complex bitterness that spread along
with it made Shuka's tongue stick out.
The appearance of
Shuka is around 10 years old. Perhaps her tastes are also influenced by her
appearance, or perhaps her aversion to tea is also in line with her appearance.
"Tsuguho also
informed me that she would be returning to Karen after a couple of days.
Let's officially
proceed with the preparations to welcome Akira-san as our son-in-law."
"Good! I'm
counting on you.
Let's show Akira off
to the fullest at the Kannamesai Festival!"
"Preparations are
in order.
...... But I think
Akira-san's origin may pose a problem."
"Hm?"
"The bloodline
that Akira-san and Saki-san share would definitely reign supreme among the
eight families.
On top of that, Ugetsu
will end no matter which path they take."
Originally, Akira was
Ugetsu's legitimate heir and was destined to succeed to Ugetsu's main lineage.
This is not something
that could be changed by Ugetsu's own decision.
This is how the
lineage hierarchy of the eight families was determined in the Ancient Covenant.
This is the mechanism
for creating Kanna-no-Mikura and maintaining the Ancient Covenant.
The eight families are
distinguished from other families because they hold absolute value.
Originally, Akira
would have been groomed to be a son-in-law to Gioin, and his legitimate heir
with the woman who would be the first of the concubines would take over
Ugetsu......
"Such a
thing...... Ah, right. Would the eight families of Kokuten Province become one
then?"
"Yes.
To maintain the
balance of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, we must concede to return
Akira-san's bloodline to Kokuten Province."
"U~u~~!! I'll
give them as much of Saki's blood as they want, but I'm pissed that Kuro will
snatch Akira's origin as well."
"It may depend on
Saki-san's wishes. For now, let's decide on the name of Akira-san's family
name.
If we do so, we will
be able to lend them something in the form of the eight families that have
received the prestige of Shumon Province."
The current Akira does
not have a family name as a member of a nobility family.
It would be easier if
he could call himself Ugetsu, but that probably wouldn't be acceptable to
Akira.
If that were the case,
it would be necessary to establish a new noble family.
Although it might be
enough to just complement the knowledge of the eight families, there is no way
to deal with the contradictions that would arise in reality.
For example, the
Higannue that Akira exercised before is one of them.
Originally, only those
who had attained Okuden were supposed to be allowed to exercise it, but Akira,
who had not even attained Shoden, exercised it.
This fact, which was
even recorded in the public records, naturally became a big issue among the
masters who led the factional schools.
In ancient times, the
punishment would have been demotion and dismissal from the position of
protector, a punishment so severe that it almost amounted to excommunication.
However, under the
forceful intervention of Kihoin, the master of the main school, Akira was given
permission to use spirit techniques without restrictions, even though he was
still a novice.
―This was a clear favoritism that greatly offended the
pride of the masters. This was the reason why it became difficult for Kihoin,
who did not want to attract attention, to further interfere in the matter that
Akira was involved in.
"It's a little
frustrating. Akira's resolve has already been made, but there are still a lot
of problems ahead of him that won't put his mind at ease as October
approaches."
"―I think it's
about time, shall we crush the pus of Karen?
I remember there was a
little bird called Banda that always chirped, let's make an example out of
him."
Banda, who stood as a
representative of the concerns that might follow Akira, consumed enough of his
personal fortune to serve as bait.
One old man struggling
to keep his sinking body afloat.
...... He should have
experienced enough good dreams. The only troublesome thing is Banda's
bloodline, but as long as the end of his life is not too conspicuous, there
should be no complaints when he is crushed.
"Fufu. Looks like
it's going to be a rather big cleanup, no?"
"Yes. Yuge Kojou
of Hakudō Province has declared that he is a member of the Public Order and
Security Department.
The fact that he had
contact with Akira-san is a cause for concern, but now that we have confirmed
Akira-san's wishes, it would be a bad move for us to poke Yuge Kojou in the
wrong places."
Although it was
unexpected that Yuge Kojou and Genji Asogi had a personal relationship, Akira
has already developed an awareness of his role as Kanna-no-Mikura.
Information about
Kanna-no-Mikura must be concealed, and he has also been provided with a
good-quality spirit weapon as a substitute for the two sacred artifacts.
"―Don't
underestimate him.
Kojou, was it? Shiro
is watching behind that man's back.
It would not surprise
me if he has a scheme up his sleeve."
"Shall we take advantage
of the rare opportunity that presents itself?
...... But, even if we
were to move Yuge Kojou to the extent of nailing him down, I don't think it
would be that effective."
No matter how powerful
he is in Takamagahara, it is unlikely that he can foresee such a peculiar card
as Kanna-no-Mikura.
Although it may seem
like a groundless fear, the great deity of the Hakudō Province is an opponent
who is known for her wits and wisdom.
As a final measure,
Shion decided to strengthen her surveillance of Yuge Kojou.
"Hmm. This kind
of method is Shirome's specialty, after all.
Shion, you know. How
about letting Akira stay in this temple?"
"...... Akasama.
While Yuge Kojou is staying in Karen, the connection between Akira and Kihouin
should be kept thin to the minimum.
The purpose of
removing the normal method is to induce the other party to be upset. If that is
the case, then we should straightforwardly face them to win the battle."
"Fufu. I'm just
saying.
―They say it's a woman's privilege to wait patiently
for a visit, but it sure is a little frustrating."
"Well, that is
just the way things are in this world."
Hearing Shion's
comment, Shuka's smile broke into a flower.
She drank the
remaining matcha in a gulp, trying to cover up the bitterness lingering on her
tongue.
The young child's
tongue could not pick up the umami that lay behind the complex bitterness, and
Shuka swallowed the matcha through her throat as if to say that bitterness was
just another entertainment.
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