Volume 4
Chapter 1 Part
1
Severing the
Ties, Beneath the Descent of the Night 1
Translator : PolterGlast
During their short yet
long days at Tenryō Academy, there were several times when they naturally
passed each other by.
Souma, smiling in the
sunlight, and the children of the Ugetsu retainers, walking in line.
The other party
probably didn't even notice him. In fact, they probably didn't even see him who
was standing aside in the corridor.
—Even if he was wearing a guardian's uniform instead of
a student's uniform.
—Even if he had scored high enough to catch up with
Souma in the last exam.
Surely, he would never
have understood the other party.
That's probably why
they ended up spewing hatred at each other in the mountains where no one could
see them.
Without the divine
pillars knowing the outcome, the beginning of their confrontation was about to
be decided deep in the darkness of the night.
"Ugetsu,
Sou-maaaaa!!"
"You damn
pseudo-kegare!"
Akira glared at Souma,
who suddenly slashed at him, with the water elemental barrier between them.
The water Qi within
Akira undulated, and the atmosphere screamed from the clashing spiritual power.
"Tch."
"—What a loud
bark."
With Genrei's
authority at his back, the barrier, which was only activated by the water
element talisman, repelled Souma's spiritual power.
Perhaps overwhelmed by
the pressure, his feet left a trail of confrontation in the form of blasted
steps.
The collapse of the barrier
swept his body away, and Akira couldn't help but be pushed back.
The offensive
talisman, prepared for the next attack, slipped from his fingertips and danced
into the air.
"Damn it."
"Die!!"
Souma's sword fell
towards Akira's head as he cursed.
Akira had no spirit
weapon.
His treasured Jakuen
Gayou and Rakuyō Zakuro, which he relied on, had been sealed by the curse of
defeat in the battle against Rāvana, and
—As a result, he only had very few means to resist his
brother in battle.
Shaking off his regrets,
he drew a new talisman.
"Haa!"
In an instant, spirit
light colored the night sky.
Avoiding the
explosion, Souma fled backward under the pressure of the explosion.
The distance between
the two was a mere two meters.
In the precious two
breaths he had gained, Akira looked up at the sky.
"Pierce the
heavens, —!!?"
A voice that yearned
for a divine artifact.
In an instant, Akira's
palm, which had been raised to the sky, was repelled by a pressure he had never
felt before—
A shattering sound
echoed, and Akira's concentration was momentarily interrupted under the night
sky.
—The Kugai Baikufu is the world's largest divine
artifact, forged to resemble the world itself.
It has always existed
there, it was the very sky that everyone looked up to.
Its essence is the
distance that separates the stars from the mortal world.
No matter how divine a
deity might be, it is impossible to contain it within oneself.
Naturally, its weight
is far greater than that of any other divine artifact.
—It was not permitted to be wielded arbitrarily, as it
was the will of the heavens itself.
"I got you!"
"—I won't let
you!!"
As Souma stepped
toward Akira's exposed chest, a talisman released by Saki danced in front of
his eyes.
A fire offensive
talisman. With a roaring sound, explosions of crimson flames licked the trees,
and heat waves swept across the ground.
The impact opened a
distance between the two, and Saki stood in its center.
Fanned by the heat
wave, the family crest on her back fluttered wildly.
—A pentagonal crest and a single gentian flower. Seeing
this distinctive symbol, Souma's eyes squinted.
"What do you
think you're doing? Ugetsu Souma. If you don't retreat now, you'll lose your
current position."
"Judging by that
family crest, you must be from the Rindō family. Damn you pseudo-kegare, you're
really going too far."
"—W-Wait."
Souma, perhaps losing
his usual composure due to agitation, moved toward Akira without replying.
In an instant, he went
past Saki.
Saki, who could not
hide her impatience, shouted.
"Stop!"
"Wait until I've
purified this kegare! I will submit a formal protest to the Rindou family at a
later date!"
"Purify!? Are you
perhaps misunderstanding something!?"
Saki's voice chased
after him, but it remained unanswered.
Both Souma and Akira disappeared
into the darkness.
Akira ran sliding down
the slope in the ever-deepening night darkness.
Souma, who was a step
behind, kicked up gravel behind him.
"Are you just
going to run away, you pseudo-kegare!?
But this is indeed
quite fitting for someone like you, who has been deceiving your master's family
by crawling around behind the scenes."
"What are you
talking about!? Let me tell you, for the past three years, I haven't even come
close to Kokuten Province, as you guys wished!"
"Nonsense!
—You probably took advantage of Shizumi-sama's kindness
and received the favor of becoming a retainer, didn't you?"
Leaving those words
behind, Souma accelerated in one go.
Ripples were created
on the gushing water beneath his feet as they stomped across the ground.
"!"
Leaving behind a trail
of ripples, he reached Akira's chest in an instant.
—Sharp gaze once again pierced through from very close
range.
Taking a side stance
(waki-gamae), Souma swung his spirit weapon horizontally with his eyes fixed on
the gasping Akira.
Gioin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
"―Engetsu!"
"Bastard!"
The water that wrapped
around Souma's sword was carved into a sharp blade.
Seeing this sight,
Akira let out a cry of resistance and, with bare hands, began to knead his
spirit power.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden, ―Enga.
Just as he was about
to unleash the flying slash spirit technique from his well-trained offensive
step—
At that moment,
Akira's arm was struck by resistance and a sense of incongruity.
"Guh!?"
He knew it was
reckless to unleash a spirit technique with bare hands.
Nevertheless, at the
moment he tried to release Enga, the technique he had painstakingly kneaded in
his arm collapsed.
Groaning from the
recoil, Akira's stance completely collapsed.
Without missing this
opportunity, the sharp blade of gushing water bared its fangs at Akira's
throat.
"U~ryaa~a~a~!
—!?"
The certainly fatal
blow approached Akira's skin,
—but in an instant, the blade of water from Souma's
spirit weapon scattered into nothingness.
In the Giōin-school,
Engetsu is the first spirit technique taught.
It is the most
familiar and most refined of the basics. Even Souma could not have imagined
that he would fail to land a hit with it.
Confused by the
impossible situation, Souma's emotions became chaotic. His desperate shout hung
in the air, dulling Sōma's slash.
Akira, who had
recovered his posture sooner, kicked Souma, who swung his sword wildly and
missed.
""Damn
it!""
—Their postures collapsed at the same time.
With a simultaneous
pained cry, the two of them tumbled down into the valley.
—That's right. I am water-element now...
Normally, it is
impossible for an ordinary person's spirit to undergo the five elemental
changes, but Akira is Kanna-no-Mikura.
In the midst of his
spinning vision, Akira finally got a realization.
Even if it is broadly
referred to as spiritual power, its quality varies greatly.
From Shuka (fire
element) to Genrei (water element), it was too much for Akira, who could
manipulate spiritual power at will, to use it beyond the confines of the
factional schools, each of which specialized in any of the five elements.
No. He managed to do
it once, just a moment ago.
Like a revelation,
Akira remembered his battle with Rāvana.
Though it was almost
unconsciously, surely the spirit of the water element had responded to him at
that moment.
—Think. What was the difference between that moment and
this one?
Forcing his tumbling
body to stand up, he endured the inertia with his limbs like a beast.
As Akira looked
upward, the figure of Souma, holding his sword in a Hassō-no-kamae stance,
appeared in his field of vision.
A wave of relentless,
straight-forward slashes from his brother.
Gioin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden, ―Kagetsuotoshi.
Matching the blade,
Akira drew the remaining two talismans.
Activated spiritual
power overflowed from the sword fingers he formed with both hands.
On the left, a wood
offensive talisman. —And on the right, a fire offensive talisman. Different
elements were activated at the same time, transforming into two spirit
techniques on Akira's left and right.
The oncoming slash of
water Qi was intercepted by the wood Qi.
Water generates Wood.
Akira's wood Qi raged in opposition to Souma's water Qi, which diminished.
Clash. The force was
intense, but Souma's slash barely managed to hold its ground.
"Imitating a
spirit technique with a talisman, huh? Are you trying to act like a protector
now!?"
"—I don't get
what you're saying!"
Although they
exchanged insults, Souma's slashes gradually came closer and closer to Akira.
While Souma's
spiritual power still has room to spare, Akira's talisman is nothing but a
stored spiritual power.
The difference in the
amount of spiritual power used was even capable of overturning the advantage of
the opposing elements.
Defeat was approaching
Akira's throat at a creeping pace.
"—Even though
Father has kindly told you to die a quick death. It seems you've been working
hard behind the scenes to get revenge for that kindness!"
"...So what? Does
that make your outrageous behavior justified?
You can't be in your
right mind to attack me during Hyakki Yagyo."
"Since you're
nothing but a kegare, I'll just purify you along the way. Even the Gioin family
will give up once you die."
From top to bottom.
Defeated by the momentum of the slash, Akira's feet began to retreat.
A little more. Perhaps
due to his confidence in victory, the corner of Souma's mouth distorted.
—A slight gap of emotion peeked out.
Without a moment's
hesitation, Akira overlapped Enga which he had prepared in his right palm.
Wood generates Fire.
The swelling fire raged violently between the two.
An explosion
resounded. The primal heat, beyond spirit techniques and arts, ripped the
siblings' quarrel apart.
Akira's divine
protection and Souma's divine spirit scattered black and sapphire light,
respectively, protecting their respective hosts.
Amidst the dancing
black spiritual light, Akira regained his stance with a jump.
Breathing roughly,
Akira looked around.
—Where is this place?
The steep slope he had
been on had become much more flat.
He knew he had
descended from the mountain to the foot, but Akira, who had no familiarity with
the land, could not figure out his current location.
"You're quite
tenacious for a pseudo-kegare.
—Have you already forgotten the order our father gave
you?"
"!"
—If found within Kokuten Province, Ugetsu would hunt
down Akira.
He hadn't forgotten.
The declaration made three years ago, stating that they would kill Akira.
"So what? This
isn't even Kokuten Province."
"The disgrace of
Ugetsu is crawling right in front of my eyes. That fact alone is enough to
dispose of you.
You should be grateful
that I'm going to take your head off myself."
"Who do you think
you are!"
Leaving behind their
exchanged insults, Akira adjusted his stance.
He didn't know what
was missing, but he couldn't use a divine artifact. His talismans were running
out, and he was battered and bruised.
But he didn't want to
think about giving up in front of Ugetsu.
From an offensive
stance, he raised his fist to the center.
Silence filled the
gap. —In an instant, both of them closed the distance in a single breath.
Within Akira, water Qi
swirled abundantly.
—That was a fact. More than anything, the abundant
power of Aragamioroshi proved it.
However, that was the
limit of what Akira could do with the water Qi.
The reason was simple.
The school that Akira
had formally studied so far was primarily the Kihoin-school.
The spirit techniques
he had seen were those of the Hariin-school and Jinrōin-school. And also a bit
of the Tsukinomiya-school.
—Ironically, the Giōin-school was the spirit technique
that Akira was least familiar with.
Even with Akira's
talent for imitating spirit techniques after seeing them a few times, it was
impossible to make use of them if he had never seen them before.
At this point, Akira
could do nothing but keep the enormous amount of water Qi in his body.
---
The battlefield, which
was previously on an open mountainside, has now shifted between the trees.
The sword and fist
pierced the night air, each blow each seeking dominance—
"Sei!"
"Haa!"
They both exhaled and
glared at each other again.
Dodging Souma's upward
slash, Akira lowered his body and struck with a straight punch.
Souma deflected
Akira's fist with the ridge of his sword, and the spiritual light exploded and
scattered.
Taking advantage of
the gap in his breath, the returning sword aimed for Akira's neck—.
Akira's body disappeared
into the shadows of the trees, and Souma retreated, clicking his tongue.
"Damn you,
pseudo-kegare. You're only good at crawling on the ground."
"Just keep
barking!"
Restricted by the
trees, Souma's words were laced with irritation.
He squinted his eyes
and kneaded his spiritual power upon hearing Akira's reply from the depths of
the darkness.
"You're not in a
position to be picky.
—Be honored, I'll give you the gift of my precious
radiance."
A lapis lazuli glow
spread through the trees that were sinking into darkness.
The radiance of his
intention. Souma poured the sublimated divine energy into his spirit weapon to
its limit.
Countless threads of
spiritual light dissolved and danced, then gathered back into his sword.
Gioin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden―
"Damn it!"
"—Getsumei
Seiki!"
In the silent dark
night, silver flashed.
Not even the slightest
breeze, not even a war cry stirred.
Immediately after. A
freezing storm blew in, and the slashed trees flew through the air.
Akira, who had already
evaded the storm, danced in the air, hidden among the trees.
"What a crazy fool.
He's ridiculously strong!"
Looking down at Souma,
Akira complained out of frustration at the absurdity.
He never thought Souma
was weak. He knew he had the ability to live up to the title of [the Jewel of
the North].
Looking up at the sky,
he lamented his own inadequacy.
The vast sky, the
Genrei's Kugai Baikufu itself, fell into his eyes.
A slightly chipped
moon floated within the inlaid obsidian.
—Ah. So that's what a Kanna-no-Mikura is.
Witnessing this, a
little bit of understanding fell into Akira's heart.
♢
They must have been
quite close to the foot of the mountain now.
The thicket of trees
formed an arc and fell in a single mass, down the mountain and onto the plain
Along with the
rumbling avalanche, a vast cloud of dust covered the surroundings.
Emerging from the
rising dust, Akira readjusted his stance while coughing.
He heard voices and
looked around.
A group of boys
wearing haori who looked like protectors were looking at Akira from a distance.
The smell of blood
filled his nostrils as if to tell him of a fierce battle.
He is currently
somewhere on a battlefield. A shadow suddenly fell on Akira's back as he looked
around for a banner.
―Ga, aaaa!!!
A terrifying roar
descended from above. A violent incarnation, swelling from the bronze skin.
—Dodging the falling fist at the last moment, Akira
stepped into its chest.
He asked for help from
the spirits of the land.
Immediately
controlling the wood spirit that replied in joy.
Hariin-style Spirit
Technique, Shoden, ―Unari Nekoyanagi.
Slam. The ground
beneath Akira's feet was gouged out by that step.
Relying on his
extremely enhanced physical ability, Akira slammed his fist into the center of
its body.
—Aga!?
The giant's body bent
into a twisted shape from Akira's blow.
The sight of the giant
collapsing with just one blow was so abnormal that the surroundings fell
silent.
A moment of silence—
"Are you done
with your escape, pseudo-kegare?"
"I wasn't running
away, though."
But the hatred that
caught up to him from behind marked the end of the little time he had.
Of course, Akira
didn't naively think he had gotten away from him. With a disgusted look on his
face, he returned only a sigh to the other party.
"Let me warn you,
Ugetsu. —Forget about your misunderstanding, it would be better for you to
withdraw here."
The battlefield was
dominated by wood-element spirits. Looking at Mt. Himorogi (the Cornerstone
Mountain of Wood element) in front of him, Akira uttered his last words of
mercy.
—It wasn't that he was concerned about Souma.
Perhaps perceiving
Akira's disgusted tone as a provocation, Souma raised his sword to
Chūdan-no-kamae stance.
"Are you begging
for your life now?
Really, do you think
you can fight me on equal footing after defeating a mere beast?"
"—On the
contrary. I don't want to make people think that the eldest son of the Ugetsu
family can't understand the situation around him and that he's behaving like a
low-ranking servant instead."
"...You've said
it now, you sucker."
For Akira, who had
been looked down upon countless times, it was nothing more than a childish
retort.
However, it irritated
Souma enough to provoke his emotions.
Probably having little
experience of being looked down upon.
Blue streaks peeked
out on Souma's forehead in response to the obvious taunt.
Souma's sword curled
up with water as he became enraged.
Seeing his figure,
Akira quietly kneaded his spiritual power.
He had no divine
artifact at hand, and his talismans were already expended.
—But that was enough.
They both exhaled and
closed the distance simultaneously.
"Seeii~!"
"Haaa!"
Souma's attack came
first. A full-power thrust from a momentary step-in.
—Fully anticipating the attack, Akira swung his right
arm in time with it.
Gioin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden―
Unlike before, a black
spirit light trailed smoothly, forming a flying slash.
The target was the tip
of the sword that Souma was swinging.
—A spirit technique!?
Clash. Souma's body
was thrown back by the unbelievably hard impact.
Souma's eyes widened
in astonishment, and he finally recognized Akira's figure, who was maintaining
his stance with his knifehand raised.
—No. Rather than that, that action he just performed!
Souma's thoughts
wished to deny the impossibility.
Contrary to his
confused rationality, Souma's instinct asserted its conviction.
"You, that's my
spirit technique,"
"I am grateful to
you, Ugetsu Souma,"
Akira's mockery added
a final blow to Souma's ears, who had barely managed to withstand his
collapsing posture.
"Engetsu, was
it?"
"You've fallen so
far that you're now resorting to stealing!?"
For Akira, the
Giōin-school had been a factional school that he had never had any connection
with.
But even if he didn't
know it, he could learn it.
Though it was hard to
admit, Souma's skills were certainly far superior to those of his peers.
By observing his
skills to the fullest, Akira could learn them in the midst of this foolish
quarrel.
Spirit power released
and danced from the agitated Souma.
—With the conviction that he had finally reached the
entrance to the Giōin-school, Akira kicked the ground to close the distance
again.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
MaxKne
Swagaraga
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
[Silver]
CoolmanMTD
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Pristia
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
