Volume 3 Chapter 2 - Legend of Sword Part 3
The place that was chosen for the duel was the Sword Division’s gymnasium.
Kazuha-senpai’s illegal magic was by no means something that could be shown to other people. For that reason, Kohaku used her authority as the student council president to secure the gymnasium.
The Sword Division had a complete facility for exercise, and there was even a martial arts stadium. This gymnasium also had the space for three fields of basketball court. This place was sufficient to perform a duel.
According to the rules for duels at the academy, Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai were separated with 50 meters between them while facing each other.
“Well then, both sides have finished their preparations.”
The one who wound up becoming the referee was Koyuki. Among them Koyuki was the one with the most experience in refereeing.
Mio tried to be the referee, but he was worried that she would make some strange miss, so he was relieved if it was Hiakari-san…Kazuki had that kind of feeling. There was some worry about unfairness with the referee coming from Kazuki’s side, but Kohaku didn’t particularly mind and accepted the referee. Looks like Kohaku was quite poor at being a referee.
“Well, I don’t have any reason to make a judgment that is partial to Kazuki. Then…begin!”
Koyuki announced the opening of the duel. It was a rare chance to hear her loud voice.
…First is to challenge her at close-quarters!
Kazuki dashed toward Kazuha-senpai while taking the Iai stance with full alert.
The Magica Stigma of the Sword Division…there was no doubt that she could use both sword skills and summoning magic skillfully.
(Then first I have to challenge her in the field I am specialized at!
I won’t be defeated from any kind of opponent in sword skills!)
Kazuha-senpai chanted her spell and attacked.
“O unparalleled sword master, reshow from beyond the dream! Together with the flame of training, the sealed memory in the silver mirror is liberated right here!! Devilish Swordsman ReincarnationKenki Tensei!!”
A globe of fire burned into existence in Kazuha-senpai’s side and floated in place. From within the flame, a Japanese Katana was born. The phantom of a person was floating faintly overlapping with the katana.
“Thy name is…Yagyuu Nyounsai! Go!!”
A silhouette with grandiose physique like cumulonimbus cloud in the mid-summer. That phantom took hold of the katana in its hand and he stood in Kazuki’s way following Kazuha’s command.
(…Yagyuu Nyounsai she said!?)
Kazuki was planning to not be defeated in sword skill no matter who his opponent was, but his expression cramped.
Yagyuu clan. Chosen to be the instructor in the art of war for the Tokugawa Clan, the noble house said to have the best swordsmanship under heaven.
Even among that clan, if talked about Yagyuu Nyounsai, he was born not from the main branch of the Yagyuu in Edo but from the branch family that was called Owari Yagyuu and thus he was surrounded in obscurity. Still, his ability in the sword was said to be the best in the history of the Yagyuu, a man of high honor.
(She said this phantom was…that one Yagyuu Nyounsai!?)
There was no free time to leisurely wallow in surprise. The phantom of Yagyuu Nyounsai was immediately closing in upon Kazuki, the sword of Yagyuu that was famous in the history of swordsmanship was swung downward on him.
…He could tell just from his step-in that his skill was uncommon!
Kazuki responded with his Iai draw. Both of their katana clashed with sharp sounds, ‘GIIN!’, and their blades were locked against each other.
Kazuki read his opponent and attempted to redirect him with his <Instant Positioning>.
However the phantom of Yagyuu Nyounsai attempted the same positioning at the same time. Kazuki and Nyounsai Foresighted each other's moves respectively , katana and katana connected with each other flexibly.
Sword locking between fellow masters was not decided by the clash between power and power.
Foresighting an opponent's movements was the specialty of Kazuki, but…they were even in reading each other.
This was endless. Kazuki and Nyounsai mutually leapt back at the same time.
With the distance opened between them, Kazuki calmly surmised the strength of his opponent.
He was at an advantage in physical ability. Even though Kazuki was just a high school student, he could reinforce his body using Enchant Aura. No matter how much of a master swordsman Nyounsai was, he was still a swordsman from an era where there was no magic. His movement was the natural movement unaided by reinforcement magic.
But Nyounsai’s ability was unusual as expected. There was nothing wasted in his movements, no preliminary movements, not even mistakes in judgment. Even though Kazuki used Foresight, it was still hard to read his movements.
As expected, this famed swordsman surpassed him in pure sword skill…
“…Kenki Tensei! Thy name is…Togakure Daisuke!!”
While Kazuki was in the middle of glaring with Nyounsai, Kazuha-senpai summoned another phantom.
The katana that was born along with the flame, this time it was a somewhat straight short sword―it was a ninja sword. The phantom that picked it up in reverse grip had a small build―the founder of Togakure-style ninjutsu, Togakure Daisuke! Kazuki was once again doubting his own ears.
It looked like the magic that Kazuha-senpai chanted was a magic to summon swordsman from the past.
But certainly the last one could be called an expert in the sword, even so…this guy was a ninja right!?
“Go!"
Following Kazuha-senpai’s command, the ninja - Togakure Daisuke dashed fiercely like a gale.
The ninjato that was held in reverse grip slashed at Kazuki horizontally.
His movement was not as sharp as Nyounsai's. Kazuki blocked the slash with his katana and warded the blow.
Daisuke Togakure’s posture was broken violently when his sword was warded off―that was what Kazuki thought.
…But that was a ninja’s <Trick Movement>.
Kazuki, who was tricked by the acting, couldn’t Foresight the next movement. Togakure Daisuke’s body posture that made him thought it was disordered, was standing still like an acrobat. That body was like an unshakeable trunk.
And then from that unnatural posture, his hand that was not holding the sword was turning to Kazuki and swung with a jerk.
Something was flying from that hand―sand!
Kazuki was perfectly taken by surprise, blue light was flickering in Kazuki’s field of vision. The light was produced by the defensive magic power that protected the eyes from the foreign substances from entering. But Kazuki’s eyes were dazzled by that very light.
Despite that here was the gymnasium…where would he get the blinding sand from!?
Ninja hid various arms and hidden weapons in their hand armor and outfit, they improved their skills with the premise of using those very tools. Even the blinding sand was included as part of his kenjutsu.
Most likely, this magic was a magic to reproduce the exact kenjutsu of swordsman from the past in this world. That’s why even the gadgets that became the prerequisite for the kenjutsu was also summoned.
Togakure Daisuke returned his blade and aimed at Kazuki whose eyes were dazzled for a thrust of certain death.
It was evidently a ninja’s kenjutsu that was full of trickery and wiles, but it was brought back to the present era in this gymnasium.
But Kazuki missed nothing of the current thrust.
Their body was a phantom that was created from magic. Therefore if he sensed the magic power using Extra Sense, even with his eyes closed he could perceive all their movements.
Rather, his senses became even more sensitive with his eyes closed.
That response was something that Togakure Daisuke couldn’t even predict.
Kazuki avoided the thrust with a paper-thin difference, conversely he stabbed his katana at Togakure Daisuke’s chest. He intended to stab Kazuki in surprise but he was outsmarted and the tables turned on him, the phantom of the ninja and the ninja sword vanished. …First was one!
Yagyuu Nyounsai observed that exchange of offense and defense like he was a human with personality.
“Kenki Tensei! Thy name is…Hattori Takeo!!”
Kazuha-senpai summoned yet another swordsman.
Kazuki was not surprised anymore. He was not surprised, but…that name was enough to make him shudder.
Hattori Takeo…although he was a betrayer of the Shinsengumi, he was said to be the Shinsengumi’s strongest, a two-sword style swordsman.
His real strength was said to have surpassed even the famous Okita Souji!
Masters who left behind their brilliant name in the history of sword blocked Kazuki’s path one after another. If at all possible, he wanted to challenge them using only kenjutsu, but…this wouldn’t end if he didn’t use the power of magic.
There was no doubt that Kazuha-senpai’s aim was to buy time with the phantoms to chant her high-level magic.
―Nyounsai moved. Yagyuu’s kenjutsu was not a defensive style. Observing the opponent’s interaction even while preparing one’s own response, then responding with the divergence of nine secret swords, that was the innermost secret of <Tengu’s ExcerptTengushou>.
Kazuki tried to see through every movement, but to respond with that Foresight, Nyounsai’s movement too shifted with ever-changing appearance. The result, a simple clash between physical ability and skill.
It once again became the locking between swords. Hattori Takeo used that chance to attack.
The Shinsengumi's signature move was a group strategy with good efficiency. First they designated the turn of death to each member, then the sacrificial pawn started the assault, from there the regimental soldiers attacked one after another in a continuous ring of attacks, it was <Weed Attack SwordSoukouken>.
Hattori Takeo made use of Nyounsai as the sacrificial pawn, he showed the reproduction of that tactic again in this world.
But while pouring his nerve in the sword-locking, he awaited with the chanting of a spell.
“O calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage in the bottom of the earth! The creation of my rampart is here…towered in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”
A magic of surprise attack by raising a wall of flame from underfoot. A swordsman from the Bakumatsu period wouldn’t be able to predict it, he didn’t even have time to swing his sword at Kazuki before he was swallowed by the flames. The burning Hattori Takeo let loose a single bisecting stroke at Kazuki. With the second one, the phantom scattered as blue magical power.
On the other hand, Nyounsai was not dragged into the flame, he leapt back in a flash.
(…Do you think I’ll let you get away!)
“Scattering sparks of dancing wings. Drifting spiral wind, become the life piercing bullet! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”
He aimed at Nyounsai who was taking distance and released the flame bullet. However―the flying bullet that was as fast as an average rifle was nimbly evaded by Nyounsai, like he was already seeing through the bullet path completely.
(…Impossible!)
Although it was a feat that even he could do, Kazuki was dumbstruck.
A swordsman from the Edo era like Nyounsai shouldn’t be able to Foresight magical power.
But a swordsmaster at Nyounsai’s level, presence and killing intent, wild instinct…the sixth sense that couldn’t be clarified by science, using that to sense the danger of incoming magic might be possible.
Nyounsai slashed in once more. Its destructive power couldn’t be compared to Beatrix’s sword, but its swordsmanship stabbed Kazuki’s gap with delicateness in the extreme, he was trying to buy time.
During that time…Kazuha-senpai chanted another spell.
This time the magic had even longer aria than before. High level magic was coming!
“O forging of artisans, scattering the flower of night performance, fill the tip of the sword with the heaven’s weave! Listen to the battle cry of the phantoms, become a thunderstorm and rain down! The Heavens Drawn Sword Lotus CannonTenkuu Battou Rengehou!”
On the ceiling of the gymnasium, a giant wind of flame was going wild. From the billowing vortex of flame, katana were born one after another. Packed endlessly above Kazuha-senpai’s head were katana, katana, and more katana…
“All bullet firing!”
―On the basis of Kazuha-senpai’s order, a hail of katana came flying to Kazuki.
Each of those katana were not just a normal katana. Those katana that were flying and cutting the sky were each clad in flame, or clad in electricity, or drawing irregular trajectories, they all had various special qualities.
This was a fusillade of Battou Kaikon!
“O undying bird soaring from dusk to dawn, grant those wings of hope on my back! Destruction for the sake of rebirth, right here…! Blazing Wings!”
Kazuki finished his spell chanting in a close call. Kazuki flew away to the air leaving behind Nyounsai on the floor. He evaded and brushed off the flying Sacred Treasures that were coming one after another with the wings of flame.
The feeling changed kind of like from a one-on-one fighting game into a shooting game.
On the other side, Nyounsai was not just watching over the flying Kazuki silently.
Aiming for the gap where Kazuki swung the wings of flame completely, Nyounsai kicked the floor and leapt off.
This time Kazuki was tangling with a swordsmaster in the air.
But this time, Nyounsai’s swordsmanship suddenly became disarrayed.
It stood to reason, even though he had polished the kenjutsu of Yagyuu to the extreme, a technique with the assumption of facing an enemy that was flying in the sky didn’t exist in it. Yagyuu Nyounsai required an improvised sword technique, that was why useless movement, preliminary motion, and a slight mistake in judgment were exposed. …Kazuki saw everything!
“Yagyuu Nyounsai, be defeated!”
Nyounsai’s single stroke slashed at empty space, Kazuki cut his way through that paper-thin difference.
Nyounsai’s phantom was bisected in two, he became like moths of light and fluttered away in the sky.
“Oou…splendid! Though you are a swordsman of the modern era, that technique was peerless in the past and present!!”
Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar was appearing and raising an enthusiastic praise.
“What are you doing, praising the enemy in the middle of a duel, Futsunushi no Kami! Cooperate properly with me!”
“Guwahhahha! A splendid thing is splendid even if he is the enemy!! Guwahhahha, how delightful!
“Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh so hard in the middle of the fight!!”
Kazuki evaded all the Sacred Treasures that came flying, finally he turned to Kazuha-senpai and took a nose-dive.
“So you have come, but from now on is the real performance of the swordsmen’s duel! I’m going to judge you with a direct clash of blades! …I become the miko of sword. Stone cleaved, root torn, sin cut through, right now in this hand that virtuous sword of crushing evil! Draw sword, Soul of Cutting ThroughFutsu no Mitama!!”
Both of Kazuha-senpai’s hands were swallowed in flame and an ancient double-edged blade was formed inside both of those hands. It was a sword that was the spitting image of Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar.
Sacred Treasures Creation Summoning Magic―what kind of power that sword had, Kazuki was on guard.
And then above all…how skilled was her kenjutsu as the [The Magica Stigma of the Sword Division] !?
Kazuha-senpai swung the sword right from the front.
Toward that attack―Kazuki felt a huge let-down. That attack was something like, ‘henyaa’
Kazuki evaded leisurely so as not to touch the Sacred Treasures whose abilities were unknown to him. And then he poured on a counter of a single stroke of katana. Blue light was scattered from Kazuha-senpai while she was blown off.
“O, only this much…not yet!”
She stood up immediately and Kazuha-senpai slashed at Kazuki once again.
But that step was shoddy as expected. Kazuki evaded with composure and returned a counter attack.
Kazuki visited a series of slashes to Kazuha-senpai. Kazuha-senpai was prevented from chanting her spell from the shock of smashed magic, naturally her sword was also blocked, she kept getting slashed one-sidedly.
“Uwaa…this sandbag situation, somehow I feel déjà vu, my trauma is…”
Mio who was watching the duel was trembling.
“That’s enough!”
When Kazuha-senpai fell onto her backside, Koyuki proclaimed the end of the duel.
“I, I can still fight, I still have magic left! Why do you stop it!”
“…Even if you fight, more than this is useless don’t you see?”
Koyuki told her straight out coldly. Beside Kazuha-senpai whose lip and shoulder was trembling all over in vexation, Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar was floating.
“…Kazuha, it’s okay for you to retreat from something like close-quarters combat. If you kept running away desperately while using my long-range type summoning magic, you still had some chance to win you know?”
“Sh, shut up! A swordsman like me cannot fight in such pathetic way!”
Kazuha-senpai raised her voice in response to her contracted Diva’s finding fault.
Kohaku, who was observing the battle, walked near Kazuki’s position.
“…Kazuki, truthfully Mikohime-sama…her sword skills are utterly hopeless. The matter about how she can use Summoning Magic is a secret except from this one and our other comrades, so she is being made fun by her classmates, because of that she became overly fixated on becoming strong as a swordsman more than ever…”
“Do, don’t say that I’m utterly hopeless! My heart is going to break you know! I mean, don’t expose even the matter of the class! There is no need for that to come out in this place right―!?”
“Guwahhahha, that’s because Kazuha is so weak in swordsmanship despite loving it so much right! Guwahhahha!”
“Don’t laugh! Don’t make fun of me!”
“But despite doing nothing but sword training, she can use Summoning Magic so skillfully to that extent, you can understand what a frightening genius she is in magic from that. If she didn’t make a contract with Futsunushi no Kami when she was little and an enigma appeared on her normally, I think she would become a rank A in the Magic Division.”
“True, even if it turned out like that I would still make a contract with Kazuha. A person who is this good in magic yet loved the sword is rare. Her kenjutsu is a totally different matter though…Guwahhahha!”
“Damn, I don’t need something like talent in magic! I wanted sword talent!!”
With her Magic Dress of miko uniform so disheveled, Kazuha-senpai made a fuss while still on her back on the ground.
This was…the Magica Stigma of the Sword Division…?
“Mikohime-sama is mortified with Kazuki who, despite being a student of the Magic Division, is also first class as a swordsman, this one thinks that’s why she challenged Kazuki to a duel intentionally. Forgive this one for going along with it Kazuki.”
“Gahaha, sorry for going along with Kazuha’s selfishness, Hayashizaki Kazuki. The new kenjutsu of the age of magic, I received some enjoyment from it. The spirit that made you oppose them with only kenjutsu until the midway is also fine.”
Both Kohaku and Futsunushi no Kami said so while giving a nod with their head (and sword body).
“You, you two, don’t act like you are my parents―!”
Kazuha-senpai was very vexed like ‘muki―’ and then she glowered at Kazuki with tearful eyes.
“Someone that can use both sword and magic so skillfully, being waited upon by lots of girls…I loathe people like you who have no fidelity so much! Don’t think I will yield even if you had won! It’s vexing but you are strong. Not only magic but also kenjutsu… Hmph, a promise is a promise so, the entrance to the underground where the magic power is occurring…I’ll guide you there properly. Follow me.”
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