Volume 4
Chapter 12
Part 1
A Skylark Falling
Towards the Sky 1
Translator : PolterGlast
―Slash.
A dull bite into the
muscle, a sharp cut to the bone. The slash of Rakuyō Zakuro severed the right
arm of the being that was once Ugetsu Tenzan.
The crimson trajectory
sent a spray of miasma that stained the bright blue sky. Akira stepped deep
into the heart of the demon, who had lost his dominant arm.
The vermillion-gold
blessing and the dense, stagnant miasma clashed fiercely.
Kihoin-style Spirit
Technique, Shoden―
—Kaka
"Wha!?"
The glowing, murky
twin eyes mocked the immature provocation.
Guided by an intuition
running down his spine, Akira pulled back the tip of the divine artifact he was
about to thrust in.
—Spirit Technique, Shoden.
―Nagayatsuki!!
A blow was arrogantly released
from the demon's right arm, licked from the ridge to the hilt of Rakuyō Zakuro.
Unable to withstand
the roaring cutting path, Akira's body flew through the air.
"Akira-kun!?"
—A mere Rindō. How arrogant of you to bare your fangs
at Ugetsu! How insolent!
Suppressing the urge
to worry about Akira, Rindō Saki attacked the demon.
Without even sparing a
moment to respond to the sneer, she released her honed spirit power.
Kihoin-style Spirit
Technique, Chuden, ―Hayabusa-gake.
The ground shattered
from the immense acceleration. Leaving even that reality behind, Saki stepped
into the heart of Tenzan.
Jumping from a
crawling position.
Leaving a trail of
afterglow with her stepping foot, Saki accurately aimed her naginata at the
neck.
"Haaaaa!!"
—Too slow!!
Relying on the
inertia, the violet spirit power hit the demon's throat without fail.
—However, countless black bones that had grown from
Tenzan's left shoulder easily entangled and devoured it.
"W-Wha..."
—To spit on the path of Ugetsu. Know your place, you
low-born of the Eight Families!
The dense miasma of
bones devoured the violet spiritual light that struggled to resist.
Leaving only a
creaking scream, the naginata shattered into pieces in Saki's hand.
"!?"
Without lingering on
the lost weapon, Saki jumped back.
At the end of the
girl's gaze, which carefully measured the distance, a black bone stretched out
from the demon's shoulder.
Eventually, it
distorted into the shape of an animal.
A robust jawbone
similar to that of a dog, and fangs that are connected to it. A huge skeleton
wolf, a symbol of greed that inhabited the mountains, trampled the ground.
"—To give birth
to a monster, you have fallen into depravity, Ugetsu Tenzan."
—There is no such thing as Tenzan to begin with. I am,
The demon mocked the
girl who spat out those words, and pointed the tip of his spirit weapon at
Saki.
—No. It is exactly me, Ugetsu!
―Clack, clack, clack, clack.
Following the
voiceless command, the skeleton wolf cracked its joints meticulously.
Writhing its body as
if it were still alive, the gigantic skeleton wolf leaped at Saki. Although it
was only bones, its massive body, cloaked in a thick miasma, possessed a
violence that could not be underestimated.
Saki, on the other
hand, was unarmed, still, with her head down, a smile formed on the corners of
the girl's mouth.
The girl's palm,
extended towards the void, grasped the miracle of a single blade sheathed deep
within her heart.
—It was a thorn that brought about chaos, a guiding
light to the creation that stood in the ocean of milk.
"Guide me,"
she breathed a single incantation. Following the words of her own divine
spirit, Saki drew her divine artifact.
"—Pārijata, the
thorn that guides the ocean of milk!!"
The tip of the pure
white naginata (Pārijata), which had been drawn, bit into the wolf's fangs, and
in an instant, the giant skeleton wolf flew through the air above the girl.
The authority granted
to Saki by Pārijata was the control of direction. Although she had not yet
fully mastered the authority, she was able to divert the opponent's momentum to
some extent.
Pārijata thrust into
the neck of the skeleton wolf, which was falling to the ground with a
resounding thud.
The clear violet
spirit power. Ezukahime, who had placed her hand on the top of the divine
pillar, laughed in the depths of Saki's heart.
Kihoin-style Spirit
Technique, Chuden―
"―Yonetsu
Karasu!"
The red-hot blade of
the divine artifact severed the wolf's neck.
A lonely sound as the
wolf's skull fell to the ground.
Regardless of being
Kegare, as a living creature, the neck was one of its common weaknesses.
Without even glancing
at the skeleton wolf, Saki turned to leave,
—Clack, clack-clack!
"Ugh!"
As the decapitated
wolf leaped towards her, Saki jumped backward.
Below the girl, who
was swimming through the air, was the sight of the wolf's giant body and its
skull crawling on the ground.
"So it's not a
living creature! —How disgusting."
The ugly wriggling
thing, mocking life, brandished its claws and fangs at Saki, as she landed.
♢
For what seemed like
an eternity, he was thrown through the air.
After that moment,
Akira skidded across the dry mud after tumbling twice in the waterless paddy
field.
"Ouch."
The vermillion-gold
divine protection soothed the sharp pain running down his spine.
Without hesitation, he
activated a regeneration talisman. As he was healed by the pale blue flame,
Akira checked the feeling of his right arm.
"It's definitely
an apparition, but what is it based on?"
Perhaps due to the
dense miasma that had just grazed him, he felt a numbness in his hand as he
gripped the Rakuyō Zakuro.
It was hard as if the
lees of the miasma had been boiled and hardened. Akira's intuition whispered
that if he were hit directly, even the divine protection of the Great Divine
Pillar wouldn't be enough.
Apparitions, which
were a reproduction of the hatred ingrained in the land, were not originally
living beings. Like the one in Kutsunagahara, its essence was the miasma
reservoir that polluted the windhole itself.
The shapes of the
apparitions vary greatly. However, as far as Akira had investigated, there had
been no apparitions that had taken on the human form.
Was it something that
simply imitated a human, or was he mistaken about something?
"Well, if we
purify and destroy the miasma reservoir, it won't be able to pretend to be
human.
Isn't that right,
Ugetsu Tenzan?"
—You're always like that. You secretly mock my kindness
and never hesitate to betray me.
In the direction of
Akira's gaze, the shadow of the demon fell.
Will-o'-the-wisp
danced from the spirit weapon that was supposed to have been cut off.
—I cut it with a divine artifact that burns and severs
all things. There's no way it would be unharmed.
Hiding his complaint
in his heart, Akira sheathed Rakuyō Zakuro.
The crimson blade
melted into the void. As the vermillion-gold divine spirit scattered, Akira
grasped the hilt sheathed deep within his heart with his flipped palm.
Rakuyō Zakuro, the
shadow of the sun, specialized in ignoring any obstacles and severing
existence.
Unless the principle
of nullifying its power was understood, Rakuyō Zakuro was essentially sealed.
"Sever through
the silence."
A black obsidian
spiritual light erupted from beneath Akira's feet, determined to end it.
The obsidian, which
was about to crush the red glow of the miasma, soon cleared into the brilliance
of the night sky.
—Wonderful.
Witnessing Genrei's
divine energy, the demon's mouth collapsed into a grin.
—The radiance of the Great Divine Pillar. That radiance
is just what I need to become a Divine Spirit (Shison).
As the demon stepped
forward towards Akira with his greed exposed,
—In an instant, Tenzan glared with pleasure deep in
front of Akira's chest.
—Become Ugetsu's food, you pseudo-kegare!!!
Snap. The only thing
coiling in the depths of his mouth, which opened with that sound, was a
bottomless void.
With a speed
comparable to Hayabusa-gake, the demon swung his blade at Akira.
"—Futsu no
Awai."
Clash. The spirit
weapon, swung in a reverse slash, was deflected by Akira's slash.
In Akira's palm, a
thin, slender blade carved the void in the shape of a crescent moon.
Seeing that, something
he knew well from the depths of his memory, Tenzan's face twisted hideously.
—That, that divine artifact, belongs to me!
"Who cares? Even
after you threw it away, is everything still ultimately yours? Don't bring up
family and parents only when it's convenient for you."
Without answering
Akira's retort, the demon swung his spirit weapon after stepping forward.
The multiple slashes
released, each one cloaked in a thick, condensed miasma.
—As I thought, Tenzan was simply containing the miasma
in his spirit weapon.
Barely defending
against the sharp, heavy slashes, Akira was certain of that.
The demon was simply
slashing away while containing an incredible amount of miasma in his spirit
weapon.
But the speed of his
swordsmanship was nothing to be underestimated.
From overhead strikes
to horizontal slashes, from diagonal slashes to thrusts, Tenzan could deliver
two slashes in a single breath.
Ignoring the divine
domain characteristics of Futsu no Awai, even its power as a divine artifact
was essentially sealed against an opponent like Tenzan, who left no openings.
—Then, I have no other choice.
Squeezing his breath
to the limit, Akira channeled all of his obsidian divine spirit into his
internal energy.
He tightened his grip
and assumed his most familiar stance, an overhead stance from an offensive
step.
—If I can't use the authority, I'll just keep slashing
until Tenzan creates an opening.
As if sensing Akira's
determination, Tenzan also raised his damaged spirit weapon to an overhead
stance.
As if by mutual
agreement, both of them took a single breath simultaneously.
—Silence fell over the place.
"Seeaaa!"
—Don't underestimate me!
Shouts crossed. An
endless, seemingly never-ending battle began, with death on the line.
---
How much time had
passed?
In the midst of the
miasma that slightly obscured his vision, multiple slashes cut through the air.
The demon's reverse
slash that was aimed at his shoulder was blocked by Futsu no Awai, which he had
dropped from overhead.
Clash. The impact
shook the hem of his corroded haori, and Akira used all his strength to control
the divine spirit of the night sky that was about to waver.
Faster than he could
be forced into a clash of blades, Akira deflected his opponent's sword and put
some distance between them.
Without even giving
him time to catch a breath, the demon pressed in.
Leaving an impact in
the space between them as it stepped forward, Akira's slash was defeated.
—How fragile!
"Damn it."
It was just condensed
miasma. Yet, it was an extraordinary power, and a bitter cry escaped from
Akira's throat.
Enduring his body,
which was about to float in the air, Akira barely blocked the demon's sword
strike.
The demon's sword
flipped, and the next moment it bared its fangs at Akira's throat.
His instincts warned
him of the impending death, and even faster, Akira's hand flipped.
Matching the demon's
slash, he deflected only the ridge and diverted the trajectory.
Diving under the
deflected slash, Akira slashed open the demon's ribs and abdomen.
—Presumptuous,
Certainly, he felt the
sensation of cutting through flesh and bone that returned to his palm. But
there was no sign of a bitter cry in the voice of the demon who spat out those
words.
The wound that Akira
had torn open faded, and the next moment, Akira was knocked back by a blow from
the demon.
Through his blurred
vision, Akira caught a glimpse of Saki fighting the black skeleton wolf.
Shifting his gaze
further, Akira took a deep breath.
He had exchanged
dozens of blows. Even after receiving attacks that should have been fatal, the
demon showed no sign of fleeing.
Instead, the simple
slashes it unleashed, devoid even of miasma, steadily eroded Akira's stamina.
Invincible. Forcibly
ignoring the ridiculous mutterings that passed through his mind, Akira leaped
backward.
He pulled out a fire
talisman in desperation and danced beneath the clear blue sky.
—Just a little trick you learned, huh?
The activated flames
painted over the demon's field of vision. —And then, Akira charged forward.
Lowering his waist and
twisting all the strength of his body, he assumed an overhead stance.
Futsu no Awai, which
radiated Genrei's divine energy, was blocked by the demon's raised sword.
Boom. Genrei's divine
energy, which boasted overwhelming pressure, exploded, but the demon's feet
remained firmly planted.
As sparks flew from
the clash of blades, Akira frowned at the incongruity.
The demon's blow had
the power to knock Akira's body away. But conversely, the demon easily blocked
Akira's blow, which was imbued with Genrei's divine energy.
It was like punching a
rock, a difference in mass.
At this point, Akira
finally realizes the demon's trick.
It wasn't about
strength, it was about weight. Tenzan's mass was far more extraordinary than
his appearance.
"Food. You called
me food, Tenzan. Since no one rushes here, regardless of the circumstances.
—You. What did you eat at Renkyo Mountain?"
—I told you.
Hearing Akira's
question, which was choked with emotion, the demon's mouth collapsed in a
vulgar sneer.
Beyond the sparks that
pressed on without yielding a single step, the demon's mouth gaped open beyond
its limit.
Saliva trailed from
its greed, and the demon's neck stretched from an angle that was impossible for
a human.
—I am Ugetsu!
"Tch!"
The demon's bite
grazed Akira's cheek, which had just dodged its neck.
Its serpent-like,
misshapen neck writhed and aimed again, this time from behind Akira.
"Akira-kun!!"
An earth-offensive
talisman pierced the mass of greed that was about to devour Akira.
Fuwa Naotoshi, who had
rushed in, severed the spiritual thread with his sword finger and made the
talisman explode on the demon's face with the activation.
The activated flames
swirled up bluish-white, and aided by the momentum, Akira distanced himself
from the demon.
He readjusted Futsu no
Awai and poured all his divine energy into it.
Finally, he had the
opportunity to use his spirit technique.
While controlling his
divine energy without limit, Akira assumed a center stance.
"—Are you
alright?"
"Yes, thank you,
Naotoshi-sensei."
Akira briefly thanked
Naotoshi for his brief concern.
There was much to be
concerned about, but the opportunity given to him was a once-in-a-lifetime one.
The dust that curled
up from the impact was severed by the demon's slash.
—...How insolent, Naotoshi. Who do you think raised you
to such a high position, you who have taken a liking to a pseudo-kegare?
"Don't get cocky,
Tenzan. Don't forget that your ignorance has caused far greater problems."
—Everyone takes my kindness for granted. Whenever
something happens, they turn their palms and cry out for blame. It's pathetic.
Truly pathetic.
The demon's neck, which
had coiled like a serpent, quietly returned to its original sheath.
With his eyes burning
with hatred greater than anger, the demon readied his sword again.
"Naotoshi-sensei.
I'm fine, so please go and help Saki. —If my guess is correct, this guy (Tenzan)
will stay like this unless we hit his main body."
"I understand,
but are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Yes. I have a
rough idea of Tenzan's mechanism."
"Understood.
—Then I'll leave this place to Yaten-dono.
By the way, the true
identity of Tenzan is the black burning skeleton standing there. All the flesh
you see on the surface is nothing more than a mask."
Hearing Akira's calm
reply, Naotoshi turned on his heel without hesitation.
—Don't underestimate me!
The demon must have
heard the conversation between the master and disciple as they exchanged nods.
It launched a slash at the defenseless back.
A flying slash with a
trail of glowing miasma. Akira's divine artifact intercepted its trajectory.
Clash. However, the
miasma slash was easily shattered before Futsu no Awai, which was imbued with
the radiance of the night sky.
Convinced by the
flying slash, which shattered without resistance, Akira poised himself for a
deep, mid-thrust.
An immense amount of
Genrei's divine energy clashed with the atmosphere, leaving a twittering sound
at the tip of Futsu no Awai.
"I'm relieved,
Tenzan. —Or should I say, Ugetsu? Honestly, I was betting on whether you would
fall for such a simple provocation."
—What are you talking about?
"You couldn't
forgive me, could you? I'm sure you couldn't admit it as well.
You were comforting
yourself with the reality of your inability to use spirit power because of my
existence as someone without a spirit."
—No! In order to fulfill my loyalty to Gioin-sama, I
became a pseudo-kegare!
"Look in the
mirror. You've been calling yourself a pseudo-kegare so much that in the end,
it's you who have fallen into corruption."
—You pseudo-kegare. You are nothing but filth that
seeks to destroy Ugetsu!
The murky miasma
writhed horribly, and the demon brandished his sword, making a commotion.
Taking his eyes off
the demon's main body, Akira kicked the ground with the minimum of movement.
Slower than
Hayabusa-gake, but with a quiet acceleration that filled the gaps in his
consciousness, the distance between them melted away.
Akira found himself
staring at the demon's heart, as though he could clearly see it in his field of
vision.
With the tip of Futsu
no Awai twittering, the blade plunged into the demon's chest.
This spirit technique
didn't have a name yet.
However, the image of
a harsh winter storm blowing through the gentle spring naturally crossed
Akira's mind.
—A freezing storm that lures the spring's lively little
birds to their deaths.
—Hibari-koroshi.
It was at that very
moment that the wingbeat destined to be hailed as the ultimate technique was
born.
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