Volume 3
Chapter 9 Part
2
The Girl
Comes, Raising the Signal 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Yuge Kojou's mouth
twitched as distant thunder roared across the dense night darkness.
Overhead, the sky was
filled with enough starlight to light the way.
The thunderous sound
that echoed through the night sky was proof of the Jinrouin-school's spirit
technique.
"......That
bastard, he used Thunderstorm (Shitsurai).
Either he was cornered
to the point of exercising his weakness, ...... or he just had a soft spot for
Akira-kun and the others."
Jin, who had shown his
abilities by far the best among his peers, was apprehensive about the fact that
he was having difficulty finding someone to form a friendship with, even though
it was hardly a disruption.
Kojou had hoped for a
natural friendship between him and Akira, but it seemed that the roll of the
dice had turned out to be a very good one.
A momentary flame rose
a short distance away.
It must be Asogi
Genji's spirit technique. The flame was too quiet to be considered an
explosion, and was perfectly controlled.
It was not like a fire
spirit user, but still, the brilliant and powerful strike was fascinating to
behold.
Yuge Kojou was most
fortunate to have established a friendship with Asogi Genji that transcended
provincial boundaries.
―The friendship that allows one to entrust one's back
to another without fear of losing one's heart is a precious asset to a
guardian.
Kojou drew his sword,
praying that the bond that had brought Jin and Akira together would last for a
long time.
"I can't lose
either.
―Now then. Judging from the density of the miasma, the
leader of the spiders should be somewhere around here."
Even as a metamorph,
Jorōgumo is one of the least intelligent. Naturally, there is basically no need
to worry about them using tactics such as concealing the miasma.
Even so, Kojou was
never complacent in his actions, and he stepped deep into the darkness, as if
he was determined to break through any traps.
From the depths of the
miasma, a female metamorph appeared.
Teeth protruding from
her gaping mouth, and a string of sticky threads tangling around Kojou's feet.
"Even as a trap,
it's poorly laid."
Kojou, on the other
hand, only muttered in a bored manner and, in a very natural motion, thrust his
sword at the female face in front of him.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
―Tsumuji Kiba
The sharp tip of the
sword was buried in the forehead of the mask, and the whirlpool of wind that
exploded inside shattered the spider's limbs.
―Quantity. The thought of the bugs, who prioritize the
swarm over the death of an individual, led the spiders to continuously march
toward Kojou without fear or end.
Each time, a slash
pierced Jorōgumo, splitting its body apart.
Consecutive
Technique, ―Ranguri Itoguruma.
"A desperate
soldier who knows neither fear nor retreat. ―It is indeed troublesome, but
that's all there is to it.
Once one gets used to
it, one will understand it."
Even while cutting
down the creatures that sprang up like a cloud and haze, there was no sign of
stagnation in his steps.
Stepping over the
scattered remnants, Kojou went further and further.
―Eventually, Kojou's steps came to a halt in a
wide-open space.
"Good grief, you've
hidden yourself deep inside."
―Ooho, ho, ho, ho, hoo...
A square illuminated
by moonlight.
In the center of the
square, where the trees were covered with sticky threads, a huge spider turned
its reddish-black evil eyes toward Kojou.
Its eight limbs wriggled
with creaking sounds, and its huge body, which seemed to be slow and heavy,
bent slightly.
The stench of death
and miasma that could not be concealed, accumulated from the remains of the
living creatures lying around it, swirled and coiled up.
Was it irritated by
Kojou's fighting spirit, or did it feel fear in the way that bugs do? Without
knowing for sure, the giant spider kicked up the ground and headed toward
Kojou.
Kojou, on the other
hand, simply slashed his sword up into the air as if he cared nothing for the
situation.
However, the gushing
spirit power traced the trajectory of the sword, and a rising tornado overcame
the jaws of the female-faced spider.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden―
―Sake Oroshi.
Ignoring the spider's
huge frame as it thrown upward from its chin, Kojou took another step forward,
The intangible mallet
struck down, and the female-faced spider's body was buried in the ground.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden―
―Ji Arashi.
Unable to resist,
Jorōgumo was being toyed with by the storm, but it still stood its ground
unperturbed.
Somewhat intrigued,
Kojou took one glance at it.
A dense miasma
surrounded its huge body, which was impossible for a normal Jorōgumo.
"......I see.
That giant body is being reinforced by the miasma.
Is it a coincidence?
Or perhaps―"
In the middle of this
thought, the spider's body jumped, as if it would not wait for a respite.
Contrary to its
outward appearance, the spider made a quick leap, and Kojou silently followed
it with his gaze alone.
The trees that formed
the outer layer of the nest were reaped, and with a loud bang, Jorōgumo sped up
behind Kojou.
―With the same momentum, Jorōgumo pounced on Kojou.
However, its teeth only tore empty air instead.
It was easily evaded,
and Jorōgumo's evil eye darted through the night in search of Kojou.
"Going around
behind me isn't a bad idea, but ...... it's all just the shallow wits of
insects after all."
A disinterested voice
sounded from behind the spider.
Lured by the sound, it
turned its body only to found a brilliant glow, and Kojou's figure with his
sword poised beside him.
"The throne has
awakened, so let's finish this."
―O, hohoho, ho!!
Perhaps provoked by
Kojou's mutterings, Jorōgumo kicked the ground and rushed head-on toward him.
Kojou, on the other
hand, simply swung his sword in a natural gesture.
A single silent
strike, which was not even imbued by a slight breeze or spirit power, pierced
through the spider's momentum.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"Mogaribue."
The throat of the
woman-faced spider was severed, and a tiny storm of wind ripped through the
spider's body as if devouring it.
Thud. After a few
moments of walking, the spider's limb, having lost its power, collapsed with a
ground-shaking thud.
After confirming that
the surrounding threat had completely subsided, Kojou let out a single exhale,
as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
♢
*Smack*. With an
unreserved sound, Genji's fist fell on Akira's head.
"～～～～ Ouch, ouch!!"
Understanding his
intention, Akira accepted the blow and gasped in agony at the sparks flashing
in his field of vision.
Seeing this, Genji let
out a big sigh.
"I wonder how
many times I have to teach you that it is a foolish thing to go ahead when you
haven't secured a retreat route?"
"~~......
osu."
Akira understood. What
he did was a bad move.
―But it was also true that he could not suppress his
impulses at that moment.
He has repeatedly told
himself that he could not go on like this, but in the end, it has dragged on
and on until now.
Worst of all, the
scale of the consequences of this problem is getting greater and greater.
Previously, it was a
laughing matter, but this time the problem has erupted to the point of
disrupting the formation.
―If things continue as they are, the next one could, in
the worst-case scenario, result in casualties.
After all, Shuka's
blessing, which has supported Akira's recklessness, is currently limited.
So he must do something
about this impulse.
Akira felt a sense of
frustration at not being able to move forward.
Rustle. The sound of
falling leaves on the ground drew the attention of Saki, who had been watching
her surroundings.
Beyond the dark
spreading grove of trees, she recognized Kojou, wearing a guardian's haori, and
let her guard down.
"Good work, Lord
of the Yuge family."
"Yeah, you too,
young lady Rindo.
―The leader of Jorōgumo has been defeated. Now there
should be only a few scattered ones left."
"I see."
Saki let out a loud
sigh of relief at the news that they had passed a major hurdle.
Among the Jorōgumo,
the huge one is the key to maintaining the miasma pool, and the purification of
the Jorōgumo's nest is also a race against time on how quickly one can eliminate
them.
"―So, what about
Akira-kun?"
"......He's in
the middle of being scolded for his arbitrary actions.
And tomorrow he'll
have a special training course."
Kojou responded to
Saki's gesture of holding back her laughter with a wry smile.
It was unknown when
the Hyakki Yagyo would attack the Central Capital. And the mental state of
Akira (Kanna-no-Mikura) could determine their victory or defeat.
Kojou looked around
and saw Nakiri Jin running up to him.
"Thank you for
your hard work, Master."
"Oh, Jin.
Everything was under control, right?"
"Everything,
except that Junior got a little careless."
When asked for
details, Jin replied that Akira had failed to simultaneously use a talisman and
a spirit technique.
Kojou wondered
inwardly about this strange result.
Simultaneous exercise
is indeed a special skill, but it is also a skill that must be memorized in the
basics, at least when it comes to activating a talisman
Considering Akira's
knowledge and his background as a Kanna-no-Mikura, it was an impossible
failure.
Thinking that much, he
shook his head.
He was curious, but
going into the details could lead him astray.
"What else?"
"I was wondering
about the lack of miasma that the commander of the garrison had mentioned.
It is true that the
outskirts of the Central Capital were not so severe, but we ran into Jorōgumo
just after traversing a single mountain, so there is a discrepancy here."
Although they are
nothing more than a lesser metamorph individually, Jorōgumo's real strength
lies in their numbers.
The strategy of using
their numbers as a disposable tool is an effective tactic that cannot be
ignored in any situation.
"......According
to Ninokuruwadono, I suppose one could consider the area beyond the mountains
to be a rural area.
The suburbs of the
Central Capital are the outer perimeter of the five elemental barriers.
Therefore, it is only natural that there are few defiled beasts."
The Five Elements
Barrier is a great barrier that connects the five mountains of the Central
Capital's outer perimeter, which are directly connected to the dragon dens of
the Five Provinces, and makes the Central Capital itself a divine realm.
The Central Capital is
proud of this barrier that has not been breached for 4,000 years, but from
Ninokuruwa's description, it can be inferred that the city has been immersed in
lukewarm water for quite some time.
―In short, he was just indulging in negligence in the
name of trust.
Kojou gave a wry smile
to his apprentice, who shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to
Genji.
He called out to
Genji, who had taken a distance from Akira, leaving him with a dejected look on
his face.
"―The leader of
Jorōgumo has been defeated.
If the people at the
foot of the mountain (Shishido and his men) set up a blockade as per their
drill, it won't be long before they are completely wiped out."
"We owe you a
lot, Kojou-donok. If it was not for this foolish disciple of mine who disrupted
the formation, it would have been a little faster."
After shaking his head
and saying that there was nothing to worry about, Kojou hushed his voice so
that Akira and the others would not hear him.
Aside from Akira's
issues, there were other concerns as well.
"Genji, about
Shishido and the others......"
"I know. ......
It's infuriating, but I bet they knew about these Jorōgumo."
―As expected.
Kojou's stomach
churned in agreement with Genji's bitter reply.
There are certainly
fewer defiled beasts around the Five Elements barrier than in Karen, and testimonies
say that this is a common occurrence.
He had not found any
discrepancies in the past few years' records, so he had not mentioned it,
although he doubted it.
As the days passed
with a sense of uneasiness, he heard the news of the mountain hunt.
Just knowing the
meaning of the expression on Ninokuruwa's face when he expressed his intention
to take part made it all clear.
The slightly
outnumbered Seko team and the poor decision-making that led up to the blockade
of the mountain.
―Perhaps, from the very beginning, they had planned to
abandon the Seko team.
"......They are
reducing the number of mouths to feed. What a terrible thing to hide.
If this is the case
just by crossing a single mountain, how much more is there to uncover further
beyond?"
"Jorōgumo may not
come out of its nest very often, but they underestimate the threat.
......There were
rumors in the Karen garrison that some of them were doing something
similar."
The explosive increase
in population with the rise of medical technology on the Western Continent has
put pressure on the economic situation of the garrison.
Even the garrison in
Karen, which has been developing remarkably, was concerned about this problem.
It is easy to guess how this would affect the Central Capital as well, where
the area per capita is limited.
In Karen, as he
recalled, a group led by a nobility close to Banda had been at the center of
this problem.
By now, they must be
busy competing for power and for their successors.
"Shall we file a
complaint?"
"It would be bad
for the Eight Families to have a rift with the Old Families.
Especially now that we
don't really know what's going on around us."
Unlike the Genji and
the others, who would be largely irrelevant once they return to Karen, the
Eight Families, especially the well-known Yuge Kojou, would have some kind of
rift with the Old Families.
Genji could not afford
to make a decision that would cause unnecessary trouble when the situation was
still full of uncertainty.
Genji and the others
were deep in thoughts for a while.
Kojou, who had been
folding his arms, looked up at the mountain ridge beyond the darkness.
"...... Let's
figure it out based on the information that can't be concealed.
The reports about the
miasma pools will be coming in from the rural areas, so there should be no room
for deception regarding this."
"I see. At the
very least, if there is an abnormality in the windhole, the Central Capital's
upper echelons will never be able to ignore it, right?"
Rail transportation in
the Central Province has only recently started to develop.
If the railroad
business, which has been in the limelight, were to run into trouble due to the
concealment of the miasma, the very existence of the old family would be called
into question.
As long as their own
well-being was at stake, it would be impossible for them to cover up the miasma
situation.
"Just thinking
about it won't get us anywhere, will it?"
Genji raised one hand
to signal to Akira and the others, who had been resting and staying alert.
They followed Genji's
instructions and began to prepare to descend the mountain while Kojou watched
from the side, shrugging his shoulders as he sheathed his sword back.
"Well, it would
be nice if we could at least say something to Shishido and the others.
......But they're not
the kind of people who would change their minds over a sarcastic remark,
though."
How good it would be
if they did.
Kojou noticed the
desire mixed within this sarcasm, knowing it was futile, he did not respond to
it with words.
♢
Asari Kiyoko returned
to her room in the dormitory with a yawn and blinked her eyelids at the sight
of her roommate sitting at her desk.
"Huh? Saki,
weren't you on overnight duty?"
"Gosh. What time
do you think it is? The sun has already risen, you know?"
In response to the
girl's tone of exasperation, she turned her gaze out of the window.
As Saki pointed out,
the bright sunlight of the sunny day shone into her eyes.
There were already a
lot of people on the other side of the window, and Kiyoko stuck out her tongue
in embarrassment.
"Looks like I'm
being too laid-back because it's a holiday."
"It's not
something that will go away after marriage, so you need to change your habits
while you still can."
Yes, mother. Kiyoko
chuckled at the girl's nagging tone as she sat down at her desk.
As she turned her body
to face the girl, she noticed a newspaper headline peeking out from the girl's
hand.
"―Jinrouin's
heir, about to be admitted to the central capital in two years' time,
huh?"
"The Jinrouin
family is planning to visit Tenryō Academy for a tour along with Hibiki and
Yuge Kojou......, I see.
This is amazing, isn't
it? With this, we have all the direct descendants of the Four Sovereigns in the
Central Capital.
Kiyoko tilted her head
slightly at the tone of voice, which was not like her usual one, as if she was
talking about someone else's business.
In addition to the
fact that Saki came from the Eight Families, her connection with Kihoin has
also been a highlight recently.
So, it was kinda
unusual for Saki to be behaving like this.
"Well, I'm a
little relieved that I'll be able to stay on schedule."
"Schedule? Do you
have some kind of meeting?"
Hearing Kiyoko's
question, the girl smiled and changed the subject.
Wary of the potential
for trouble if she asked for more details, Kiyoko refrained from pursuing the
matter further.
After a brief chat,
the girl stood up.
With the newspaper
under her arm, she made her way to the entrance of the dormitory.
"Aren't you going
to sleep?"
"My eyes are a
bit wide awake. I'm going for a walk outside."
Off you go then.
Kiyoko's reply was heard, and the kimono-clad woman disappeared behind the
door.
The strange silence
made Kiyoko feel better, and she went back to her desk to continue her
self-study.
For a few moments, the
quiet sound of pencils running is the only sound that breaks the silence.
―The autumn breeze made the hem of her school uniform
flutter and Saki returned to the dormitory with a yawn, just as Kiyoko had
forgotten the casual conversation in the morning.
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