Volume 4
Chapter 2 Part
4
Days Continue,
Like a Buried Fire 4
Translator : PolterGlast
――The following day.
Early morning on a
road where the autumn sky was deepening. Akira and Saki were walking side by
side toward a dojo a little distance from the academy.
Their breath mingled
in the cool autumn air, forming white vapors that scattered into the air. A
gust of wind, driven by the autumn chill, caressed the fine hairs on their
hands.
A tram passed in front
of them, and the bustle of people passing by followed them from the side. There
was no trace of the Hyakki Yagyo in this everyday scene, which was common even
in Karen.
"I wonder if
there was any damage around here."
"Nurarhyon. —Ravana
probably didn't have many defiled beasts left either.
I heard that she
invaded from Mt. Shōrō and went straight to Mt. Kayanowa and Mt. Kugatachi.
—I saw it when I passed by. The main road to the west
had turned into rubble or vacant lot."
"I see."
So the damage was
severe after all.
Saki nodded briefly in
response to Akira's reply.
In the midst of the
crowd, which was beginning to dress for winter, the sword and naginata they
carried touched each other awkwardly.
"Speaking of
which, Saki-ojousama—"
"Let's stop
calling me 'ojousama'. There's no need for that once the Kannamesai Festival is
over."
"……Sorry."
It was out of habit
that Akira unconsciously tried to humble himself.
Upon receiving Saki's
curt rebuke, the boy who had been a commoner was momentarily speechless.
Consideration was a
virtue, but that wasn't always the case when faced with the proud nobility. If
people misunderstood and thought that Akira was beneath Saki, those who wanted
to take advantage of the situation might resort to any means.
The Kannamesai
Festival, where the Three Imperial Families, Four Sovereigns, and Eight
Families gathered, was something no one could be indifferent to. Akira, who
would eventually stand among them, needed to be careful about what he said and
heard from now on.
Saki's gaze naturally
turned to Akira's back. At the end of her gaze, the plain haori that indicated
he was a protector fluttered gently.
"Your uniform
arrived in time, but your haori is late."
"I had a spare
one, so it's not a problem."
"……That's good to
hear."
They exchanged trivial
but somewhat worrying conversations as they stepped into the dojo.
With the hustle and
bustle of the parading soldiers who had begun to gather, he re-fastened his
tabi (traditional Japanese socks).
"There's something
else that's bothering me."
"Something about
the Kannamesai Festival?"
"No..."
Suddenly, Akira
whispered.
There was a hidden
tension in his voice.
Shaking his head in
response to Saki's question, Akira looked around.
"You there!
You're polishing the floor too slowly!"
""Yes
sir!""
"Don't mix up the
wooden swords and the spirit weapon dummies.
Don't come crying to
me later."
""Yes
sir!""
Angry shouts were
heard in front of Saki's eyes.
The moment Saki heard
them, she understood Akira's concerns.
The shouts, which were
common even in Karen, were already second nature to her, despite her short time
in the Central Capital. Beyond the children running around, Asogi Genji was
shouting instructions.
"—Does the
captain know that I'm a water-element practitioner now?"
"I don't think he
does.
What should we do? We
definitely can't tell him about Kanna-no-Mikura."
Although he had a
tendency to act on his own accord, everyone had to admit that Genji was one of
the top ten in Shumon Province.
There was no doubt
about his ability to maintain the front line during the Hyakki Yagyo. As long
as Genji was in charge of official instruction, it was impossible to conceal
Akira's spiritual power.
The difference would
be clearly visible, especially when it came to external techniques.
How should we explain
it?
A problem that Akira
had completely forgotten about had suddenly appeared as a difficult question
for both Akira and Saki.
♢
"I see, I get it.
—I get what you said, but I can't comprehend it. You're
saying your spirit power has changed from fire-element to water-element?"
"Yes."
To Genji, who was
still struggling to think, Akira gave him a frank nod of the head.
Even though he could
no longer hide it, he had no choice but to deal with it. This was a desperate
measure taken to avoid revealing him as a Kanna-no-Mikura.
"You're making it
sound so simple. I've never even heard a rumor of someone's elements
changing."
"Neither have I,
but it's true."
"I see. I thought
nothing would surprise me about you anymore.
……And this is the
worst."
Genji, who was
perplexed by the unprecedented disclosure, let out a breath that sounded like a
beast's.
Spirits were
inherently fragile beings in the mortal world.
They were fleeting
lives that simply scattered away.
That's why spirits
borrowed the concept of a divine pillar to exist in the mortal world. The five
elements that spirits possessed were similar to concepts for spirits. It was an
unshakeable foundation for being oneself, and therefore it should be impossible
to change it.
Genji looked away as
if to escape reality.
The instructor's shout
rang out, and the trainees chanted in unison.
Their wooden swords
cut through the air as they took a step forward. Seeing this almost idyllic
scene, Genji felt an irresistible urge to join in.
"Well, let's just
go with the fact that it's happened.
—Akira, I'd like to confirm a few things."
Taking a deep breath,
he made eye contact with Akira once again.
"Yes."
"Is there any
chance that it will be restored and you will return to the fire-element?"
"……Probably."
Akira hesitated but
nodded to the obvious question.
Currently, the depths
of Akira's heart are filled with Genrei's divine energy. However, theoretically
speaking, it should be possible to simultaneously fill it with Shuka's divine
energy.
It was an
extraordinary privilege granted only to the Celestial Throne, which allowed one
to house multiple divine pillars.
—However, Genrei showed no sign of accepting Shuka's
divine energy. No matter how much Shuka's divine energy was poured into it, it
would simply be painted over from the edge.
"You'd better be
prepared for the fact that you'll be a water-element practitioner for a while.
—Judging by your expression, have you tried using the
Giōin-school?"
"It's so
different, I can't help but feel bewildered."
"I thought
so." Genji smiled wryly out of understanding at Akira's troubled
expression.
Kihoin-style is a
factional school that specializes in fire element spirit techniques. It was not
even envisioned to utilize the other of the five elements.
"There are almost
no ways to use spirit techniques that transcend factional schools.
The only exceptions
are in the case of Hototogisu and the use of symbiotic relationships to
increase the power of a technique, but..."
"Water Qi is so
heavy that I couldn't even properly release the first transmission
(Shoden)."
"After all, I've
never even heard of anyone using the spirit power of another element.
Considering the antagonistic relationship, Water overpowering Fire would be the
worst compatibility.
……Akira, you're in a
tough spot."
Genji's murmur was one
of pity for Akira's current situation.
Although Akira had
only been practicing spirit techniques for a short time, the majority of the
fundamentals he had learned up to that point had been from the Kihōin-school.
To reach the same level of proficiency in the Giōin-school, with which he had
almost no experience, would simply take the same amount of time.
……In other words, it
meant that Akira's abilities had been completely wiped clean.
"—Uncle, do you
have any connections in Kokuten Province?"
"If you are
talking about the water-element factional school, it is certainly Gioin-school,
but I have no ties with them.
If I had to rely on someone, it would be Yuge
Koujo-dono."
"The Yuge family,
huh? ...I'd rather avoid incurring any debts to the Eight Families of another
province.
—Uncle, could you at least teach him the basics of the
Gyoin-school?"
"That's
impossible, I'm afraid."
Genji immediately
rejected the request. Saki, who was aware of her unreasonable request, could
only pout without arguing.
The philosophy of a
factional school is the history that the school has built up. Even though they
all originated from the Tsukinomiya-school, the four thousand years since then
have made them different.
"The most I can
say is that you should focus on retreating and fighting tactics.
—Aside from the young lady, who else knows that Akira's
spiritual power has become water-element?"
"……Kihoin
Tsuguho-sama and Gioin Shizumi-sama."
"I see."
After a slight
hesitation, Akira mentioned the names of the esteemed sovereigns of Shumon
Province and Kokuten Province. Whether it was luck or inevitability, the people
who knew the situation were at the highest level of the province.
"In that case, it
would be better to ask for Gioin-sama's help.
Akira, how well can
you manipulate the water Qi?"
"Apart from
Engetsu, I can use a few other techniques such as Imachidzuki.
My proficiency is a
bit lacking though..."
"Engetsu is fine,
but Imachizuki is, well… a Chuden (middle-level technique). The way you ignored
the ranks is absurd.
—How does it feel to use water Qi?"
Akira's talent to
imitate the spirit techniques he saw, is something that could be called an
unusual ability. Genji, who was once again dumbfounded, smiled wryly.
Even during a brief
battle, the difference between the two could not be summed up in the same
category of spiritual power.
"Fire Qi is light
and easy to handle. Water Qi, on the other hand, is heavy and difficult to
manipulate.
—I think it's probably the heaviest among all the Five
Elements."
"Yeah. The
characteristics of fire and water are obviously polar opposites.
Simply put, fire
technique can be extinguished with a single blow, but water technique can't be
so easily dealt with"
Genji nodded deeply in
agreement with Akira's assessment.
The heat of
fire-element had a power that was orders of magnitude greater simply by
existing, but water-element was not so simple. To manifest as a natural force
rather than just a scoop of water required a considerable amount of training.
That's the extent of
the difference. Even Genji couldn't easily teach this to Akira.
"—Actually,
Giōin-style is heavy in each blow, and it generally takes a long time to
manifest.
I can't even imagine
how they manage to generate that kind of power."
"That's
because,"
"—we accelerate
the water Qi.."
The moment when Ugetsu
Souma exercised his spirit techniques flashed back into Akira's mind.
The bands of light
that danced in the darkness as if they were dissolving.
—The sight of them returning to Souma and being
released.
Akira, who had opened
his mouth to answer, was interrupted by a voice coming from behind his back.
Turning around, he saw
a lone guardian girl standing there.
"As you said,
water Qi is heavy and generally unsuitable for external manifestations.
Therefore, we
compensate for its power by interposing a phase in which the spirit power is
being accelerated outside the body."
"Sonomi-sama..."
Was she an
acquaintance? Upon hearing Saki's groan, the girl, who was about the same age
as Shizumi, smiled.
Seeing her, Akira
remembered the person who had assisted them during the recent meeting.
"I have been
ordered by Gioin Shizumi-sama to come and teach Akira-sama.
My name is Sonomi, the
eldest daughter of the Dougyou family, the seventh of the Eight Families.
Please take care of me
for the time being."
Faced with the girl
who curtsied gracefully, Akira and Saki could only nod in response, forgetting
to say anything.
When the girl suddenly
appeared, all Genji could do was double-check her identity.
Without delay, at the
girl's suggestion, their daily training began.
"……What's your
intention?"
"We thought it
would be difficult for Akira-sama, who has studied mainly Kuhoin-school, to
master Gioin-school. That's why, this is a consideration from
Shizumi-sama."
Although Sonomi must
have noticed Saki's aggressive stance, she showed no sign of being flustered.
While Akira swung his
wooden sword, Saki glared at Sonomi, who was preparing herself with a menacing
look.
Saki had no objection
to Akira, who was now attuned to water-element, mastering the Giōin-school.
It was only natural
that the best option to rely on for guidance under the current circumstances
was Gioin Shizumi.
—But she thought it was wrong that Dōgyō Sonomi was
chosen for this task.
Facing Sonomi's
nonchalant smile, Saki muttered her dissatisfaction inwardly.
"—Does
Tsuguho-sama know about this?"
"Of course. In
fact, I received a request from Tsuguho-sama.
I even reported it to
her over the phone this morning."
As if to say, "If
you doubt it, you can confirm it," Saki was silenced, feeling frustrated.
Smiling amusedly at
Saki, who glared at her without hiding her emotions, Sonomi finished her
preparations and leaned her back against the wooden wall.
She glanced at the
bustling dojo and her eyes sank gloomily.
"What's
wrong?"
"I got a warning
from Shizumi-sama. She didn't mention it in great detail, but-
—She suspected that it was Hariin head's younger sister
who planned all this."
"Homare-sama? But
she was the one who worked hard to end the Hyakki Yagyo."
"I've heard about
it. The Hariin family has asked for our permission and assured us of the
imprisonment of Ugetsu Souma and his subordinates."
"They didn't make
any other demands though, aren't you overthinking it?"
The girl, who was a
head shorter than Sonomi, nodded without showing any signs of hesitation.
Looking at the current
situation, the Hariin family was the one who was suffering the most, even
though they had nothing to do with it.
Considering the
possibility that the Hariin family might be exposed to unnecessary
repercussions, one could only assume that they acted out of good intentions.
Sonomi shook her head
in response to Saki's question.
"There is one
clear advantage. Gioin and Kihoin have agreed to join forces, but —on the flip side, it would mean that we would combine
our failures as well."
"I see. It became
a reason for the remaining two provinces to join forces.
But I don't see much
benefit for them to join forces."
—Exactly. There's little benefit to going that far.
Kihoin Tsuguho's, and
by extension, the political thinking of Shumon Province, is about adding up
achievements.
That's why they will
never know.
As faces become fixed
and history continues, the basic way of evaluating politics changes to
subtraction.
It's easier to reduce
the number of heads by sifting through them than to blindly accumulate
achievements.
The more families of
the same rank there are, the more prominent and insidious this tendency
becomes.
To protect themselves
from this, people form factions.
They rely on numbers
to increase their influence and, in some cases, to cut off the fringes of the
faction to protect the central majority.
"Perhaps
Homare-sama intends to use the mistakes of Giōin and Kihōin to cover the
matter.
It's difficult to seek
political balance, but judging by Homare-sama's talent, it's not
impossible."
"Indeed. I've
heard that she united the student councils of the right and left-wing
buildings."
Without saying a word,
Sonomi nodded in agreement.
Two years ago, when
the student council was divided between boys and girls, Homare, who disliked
the double politics, united them.
Sonomi had witnessed
firsthand how she had miraculously reached an agreement by reconciling the
interests of both parties, who had different sensibilities.
Hariin Homare's
reputation as a brilliant lady was not just due to that alone.
It could be said that
it was Homare's specialty to create invisible benefits by giving conspicuous
achievements to others and connecting with them.
Without a doubt, she
must be doing something else with a different purpose.
—The problem was that no information about her
intentions was visible at all.
♢
As they became
accustomed to the basic stances, Akira and Sonomi faced each other across the
starting line.
They held wooden
swords (dummy spirit weapons) in their hands and adjusted their breathing.
The atmosphere of the
match made the surrounding trainees hold their breath.
Silence fell on the
otherwise noisy dojo.
"Akira-sama, I've
heard about you from Shizumi-sama and Tsuguho-sama."
"Yes."
"To be honest,
the basics are something that can only be improved with the amount of time you
spend training.
That's why, given the
current situation, the only thing Akira-sama can do is to see a lot more spirit
techniques."
Akira had, after all,
been studying the Kihōin-school until now.
Therefore, Sonomi's
words were quite understandable.
A school is an ideal,
and ultimately, it is the history of trial and error that has been accumulated.
Even if Akira could
imitate the spirit techniques, he could not truly master them in such a short
period of time.
After all, it would be
nothing more than a superficial coating.
Therefore, Akira's
abilities were also limited.
He could only thicken
the superficial coating to prevent it from peeling off easily.
"From now until
the Kannamesai Festival, I want you to spar with me.
Let's make it as close
to a real battle as possible, and above all, let's increase the number of times
we do it."
"—Please take
care of me."
Akira responded to her
declaration with nervousness and determination.
With a slight smile at
Akira's nod, Sonomi lowered her stance.
"Begin!"
""!""
At Genji's shout,
Akira and Sonomi kicked off the floor at the same time.
Their spirit powers
unraveled and circulated, then converged back to themselves.
Gioin-style
Spirit Technique,
—Clash.
A shock wave swept
through the air, ruffling Saki's clothes as she stood at a distance.
With her cheeks puffed
up, Saki continued to watch Akira and Sonomi's match.
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