Volume 4 Chapter 3 - Secret Special Training and, Secret Assault and, Secret Sweet Night Part 2
The garden at night.
In the space between the trees with its dark green color that looked close to an endless black, Kazuki was taking a stroll while pretending something like [sometimes I want to be alone]. In actuality even if Kazuki was together with everyone of the Witch’s Manor for the whole day, he didn’t feel any burden whatsoever.
However, with regards to Kazuki, he ought to have a side as [a guy who waited to become alone quickly].
While taking a stroll inside the school at night, mixed with the cool night wind Kazuki felt a stare that clung all over him following him everywhere. …What a simple to understand person, isn’t she.
So that person could feel safe and come out, Kazuki intentionally chose a time where there were no patrols and "strolled" to an area where the security cameras didn’t reach.
―Immediately there was a slight killing intent that came approaching!
“Are you really thinking something ineffective that you've tried before will suddenly succeed if you tried it again!”
Kazuki avoided the surprise attack like he had an eye on his back, he drew his katana while turning back.
The attacker was getting panicked from Kazuki’s counter attack and immediately recovered her distance.
“You bastard, why are you still alive? I should have killed you already for sure…!”
The person who opened a distance of several steps and confronted him was the girl covered from head to toe in a black costume and veil.
Looking at her build there was no mistake, she was the same assassin who attacked him before.
From how this person was able to grasp the timing of Kazuki going out, he could deduce that she was someone connected with this academy. Moreover if she was also connected with the assault cases against the ordinary students, the possibility that she had grasped the placement of the security cameras was high.
That was why, if he went out alone like this, Kazuki thought he would be able to lure her out.
Although this person had confirmed that she had assassinated Kazuki and left once before, and yet the next day Kazuki was attending school calmly, she must have been shocked when she noticed it and became impatient.
“Isn’t your training that’s what's insufficient? No, in your country it’s called kung fu isn’t it?”
I had guessed your identity already you know, was what Kazuki indicated implicitly.
Instead of a reply, the assassin kicked the ground loudly (DON―!).
<Thunder StepShinkyaku>―in Chinese kenpo, by stepping on the earth powerfully, the recoil was changed into energy.
Using Shinkyaku, the assassin took a large stride forward from the recoil she produced and leapt at Kazuki with high speed. It was the characteristic way of walking in Chinese kenpo that was called <Vertical Leap StepJūchouho>.
With a stance with a low center of gravity that was almost sinking, she stepped into the opponent’s bosom in one stretch using the momentum obtained from Shinkyaku. At the same time her foot landed on the ground, she didn’t let go of that momentum and operated the joints of her whole body together. When she thrust out her palm using that <Spiral Motion>, the technique was fast like purple lightning, possessing the piercing power of a rifle bullet.
Chinese kenpo was a fist martial arts that kicked the earth.
Kazuki remembered the Shintoukei that he was hit with right from the front, he determined that it was dangerous to be touched by this person's attacks. Therefore he mustn’t parry her attacks but dodge, and slash his katana aiming for the time her attack ended.
Against Kazuki’s counterattack, the assassin’s palm moved in a circling motion―spiral motion.
The assassin’s palm heel hit the side of Kazuki’s katana and diverted the slash’s trajectory drastically.
Just like a spinning top that was rotating and repelled something flying to it, the spiral motion exhibited its power even in defense. Similar with Kazuki’s <Instant Positioning>, this person did it with a flowing dance of her bare hands.
The assassin who warded off Kazuki's attack just like that kept her parrying arm sticking to Kazukis katana and gripped it, with that grip as the focal point, she slipped into Kazuki's bosom.
Super close-range distance. The space to swing the katana was lost. If she was glued to him this closely, the opponent was also supposed to be unable to swing her punch and kick sufficiently.
“BREAK!”
However the assassin, while raising her voice with fervor that was unthinkable from a female she kicked the earth again loudly (DON!). The energy from kicking the earth was changed just like that into power.
The assassin’s joints in her whole body were interlocking together in a spiral motion (Gyururu!). If there was this much energy obtained from the earth, a space to swing the fist was unnecessary. A technique that could be called <Brink PowerSunkei> or possibly <One-Inch Punch>. …Regardless of the zero point distance, a strong palm heel was coming!
Kazuki immediately blocked it with the ridges of his katana.
However he staggered from the terrific impact.
I see, Kazuki thought. She got close as soon as she defended the opponent’s attack, from that distance where she looked like she was glued to the opponent, she killed from the interval where the opponent wouldn’t be able to get away. When she did this the opponent couldn’t attack directly. On the other hand she herself kicked the earth strongly and with the power from the spiral motion she was hitting with a powerful blow even from zero point distance.
It was said that Chinese kenpo’s <Eight Extremities FistHakkyouken> specialized in tactics like this.
The assassin’s hand held Kazuki's katana firmly.
Kazuki who was observing calmly changed his expression. A minute wave of magic power was released from the palm of the assassin.
As if opposing this wave of magic power, the magic power aura that covered Kazuki's body and katana was making a ripple and was stretching out thinly. The positive and the negative.
Shintoukei―the katana was going to be broken.
The assassin stepped on the earth firmly and strongly, that energy was going to be transmitted into the palm. That was enough power to break a sword that was forged using alchemy bare-handed.
However before that happened, Kazuki concentrated his Enchant Aura in one point and shook away the hand of the assassin from his katana just barely. From the hand of the assassin, the energy that lost its destination dispersed.
…Interesting. It was a way of fighting that he had never seen before until now, a different battle doctrine.
Kazuki still hadn’t escaped from the range of the assassin. The assassin stepped on the ground strongly, that impact was transmitted to the leg on the opposite side and she released a powerful kick.
It didn’t seem likely that all her blows were infused with that peculiar magic power.
However he was hesitating to get touched, so Kazuki devoted himself fully to dodging.
But he wouldn’t be able to break the stance of the opponent just by evading, the opponent let loose consecutive attacks as she pleased. Soon the situation turned into a one-sided defensive battle for Kazuki.
“How’s that! This is what they mean by Senren Nensui !!”
The assassin’s movements that single-mindedly drew circular trajectories reminded Kazuki of a compass .
“It’s just a different technique, but if it doesn’t hit then it’s no big deal.”
Kazuki provoked her again while evading, the girl assassin replied back in a voice that sounded testy.
“…The kenjutsu of this academy is trash. What you bastards learned is not a killing technique, you aren’t taught anything other than techniques for the sake becoming sacrifices for the Magica Stigma.”
That was a harsh truth for his ears.
“I was taught the technique of human extremity. …BREAK!”
The girl assassin kicked the earth with even more strength. A loud voice (DON!) was reverberating.
It was a Shinkyaku that was loaded with powerful Enchant Aura, all the recoil from kicking the earth was converted into acceleration power.
That speed, its penetrating power was approaching even Beatrix or Hikaru-senpai when they were using body reinforcement magic.
Certainly to reach this power without using Summoning Magic was astounding.
However, because there was the preliminary action of kicking the earth strongly, it was very easy to read.
“Don’t think for a second that you know all there is to know about this country’s kenjutsu just from that much!”
Kazuki leisurely avoided that palm strike that was launched with inhuman speed.
“Kuu!? How did my technique-!? Can it be dodged like that!?”
He had already seen the bottom of this person. That was what Kazuki thought in his heart.
The assassin, stirred up from his provocation, exposed a large opening from the wide swing she was attacking with.
The continuous attacks came to an end right there.
Kazuki finally escaped from the close range where the assassin was glued tightly to him, he took the distance where he could slash his katana.
Then he imaged a flowing stroke that was like a serene clear stream in his mind―and slashed down.
His repeated practice-swings everyday made the image in Kazuki's mind clear, that motion polished with Enchant Aura produced a slash with a speed just as he imagined it.
The single strike that was approaching god-speed slashed apart the defensive magic power of the assassin whose posture was riddled with openings.
Kazuki was not stopping there.
Could he do it or couldn't he, it was a technique whose success rate was just fifty percent, but…,
Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword―<Pile UpKasane>!
Gouging a single scratch on the opponent's defensive magic with the first strike. Then before the new magic power could gush out and fill the location that bore a single scratch the size of a strand of hair, a second return strike following perfectly the same trajectory of the first was piled up.
Due to those miraculous strikes, the defensive magic power of the opponent was pierced through and severed the flesh on the other side.
Just in an instant like a passing haze, Kazuki’s katana carved two piles of line.
Originally it was a technique meant for an instant kill. However this time he didn’t have the intention to hurt his enemy.
Gently, the veil fell from the assassin’s face.
“What the!?” She raised an astonished voice, the exposed girl leaped back as if she was trying to escape.
“Not only your veil, I could even chop your neck if I want. This is Japan’s assassination sword.”
Inside his mind he was glad that the technique was a success while his heart was thumping loudly, even so he informed the opponent coolly.
Dream sword―the secret sword that was like describing a fantasy, it wouldn’t succeed except against an opponent whose skill was separated by a large gap below him.
Even if, for example, he tried to test it against an opponent like Beatrix who was a [formidable enemy with no openings], it could be called nothing but rash.
Though there was also an opponent who was really careless like Loki, the so called [formidable enemy riddled with openings].
“Just as I thought. You were there at the tournament's drawing weren’t you?”
At that time in the auditorium, Kazuki felt a strong gaze that couldn’t hide the shock it felt.
That was why this was nothing more than a confirmation. He had already investigated even her name.
“First year student of the Sword Division who joined Mibu Akira’s team…Katsura Karin. That‘s your name right?”
The assassin who was skilled in Chinese Kenpo―Katsura Karin’s face was colored in fury, a teeth grinding sound (giriri) was sounding.
“You aren't using kenjutsu, but your skill in unarmed martial arts is quite considerable huh?”
“Even if you know my name, it won’t be a problem if I kill you in this place!”
Karin rushed ahead once more with <Jūchouho>.
But he had seen the bottom of this person’s strength.
To say nothing of how her skill became dull from impatience and fury, it was becoming easy to Foresight her movements. Kazuki's out of character provocation that he kept repeating was in order to make the girl lose her presence of mind.
Kazuki was already able to evade her attacks with a wide berth.
…He even had room to chant his spell.
“No hesitation even if cursing thee would bring harm to myself…agonizing together is my joy! Cry and scream in the mirror's reflection! Suicide Black!”
Kazuki's whole body was wrapped in a dusky aura.
Kazuki suddenly stopped trying to dodge, he presented his own body against the opponent’s palm heel.
“!?” Karin noticed the abnormality, but she couldn’t stop her technique so suddenly. (DOSU!) Her palm heel sunk into Kazuki's solar plexus―the pain that should have been produced from that blow was reflected back into Karin.
[Suicide Black] was illusion magic that reflected the pain produced from an attack the user received back onto the attacker.
“Whh…gahaa! Bastard, what are you…”
From the phantom pain in her abdomen that was like being hit by a miniature rocket, Karin leaked out a vomiting voice of pain.
The girl was trying to use Shintoukei, but her magic power control was thrown out of whack from the phantom pain, that magic power wave was dispersed.
Just as he suspected. Most likely this technique read the opponent’s magic power wavelength from the palm, then she clashed the exact opposite wavelength and offset the defensive magic power. A delicate control of magic power was necessary in order to do that, if he used Asmodeus’ pain magic then he would be able to seal her technique. …She was not a threat anymore.
“What a person with no endurance. To become this full of holes and thrown out of whack just from a little pain, what a joke.”
Kazuki made even more merciless eyes and said something like what a sadist would say because of the magic that he used.
“O desire lurking in the sea of the heart, passing through the deeply sinful flesh I reached this hand! O embodiment of violation, entangle all according to my desire! Desire Tentacles!”
And then Kazuki invoked a level 1 magic that didn’t need much time to activate. Countless tentacles were summoned from the ground and captured Karin who was writhing in pain.
“An immature brat like you still has a long way to go before you can be called an assassin.”
Her technique was seen through by Kazuki's calm observation, she became completely furious from his provocation, and was unable to deal with an unknown magic―Right now, Karin’s whole body was restrained one-sidedly.
Karin was struggling around in frustration, but the girl couldn’t escape with physical strength.
“Why did you target me? Is your objective my life? Or else the seat of the Chief Student Council? The backer behind you, is it another Magic Advanced Country…as I thought, is it China?”
Karin averted her eyes from Kazuki and she didn’t even try to open her mouth. It was a natural reaction though, and couldn’t be helped.
“If you don’t confess, then I’ll make that black and thick tentacle do something traumatic to you, do you want that?”
Kazuki lowered his voice and threatened the girl.
…But as expected that kind of thing didn’t really agree with me.
Countless tentacles with black luster that just by looking at them would make you wrap in disgust were twining around the girl’s limbs and wriggling around (nyou-nyou). However Karin’s expression didn’t change.
“…O flower of goblin, blossom in your full glory alluringly…”
In a whisper, Karin’s mouth was spinning words. …A spell!?
Kazuki tightened the tentacles entanglement in a fluster. However this [Desire Tentacles] by nature was an attack for the purpose of obstructing spell chanting, it had no power. Should he cut her with his katana, that thought passed for only an instant before Kazuki hesitated―he chose to dare in letting the opponent invoke her Summoning Magic and observe it.
Katsura Karin who was supposed to be a student of the Sword Division, but she was now attempting to chant Summoning Magic!
“What is opening tonight is the banquet of brutes, raise the red hot pillar against the sinner of brutal theft, inclined that life as the appetizer and the cup of joy. Torture of a thousand years of heaven, right here in this place…Giant Baking Pan Black Rope HellDaihouraku Kokujou Jigoku!!”
(DOGON!) Along with an enormous sound, several steel pillars were rising around the girl while rotating. The number of pillars were ten. The pillars were emitting a glossy light of oil while burning red and giving off a choking stench.
From the ten steel pillars, several lines of black string were suddenly fired radially. The black ropes immediately turned to Kazuki and the black tentacles and stretched out. …This is, a rope made of human’s braided hair!
Kazuki escaped but the hairs in a number that was impossible to escape were reaching out to him.
Finally the black rope twined around Kazuki’s foot!
Kazuki tried to cut it with his katana, but with a grinding sound the black rope resisted the blade, he wasn’t able to sever it.
“Burn all things in contact to ash…scorching heat of rejection without a place to go! Self Burning!”
Kazuki Foresighted the sign of heat element magic and setup his defensive magic. His way of using it was different from expectation but he tried to burn the black rope with the flame armor. ―Even so it couldn’t be burned.
A degree of endurance like it was filled full with a curse.
The black rope dragged Kazuki (zuruzuru) toward the ominous steel pillar that was releasing a wretched stench and fierce heat.
“Sheet-!” Impatiently, Kazuki concentrated the flame into the katana in his hand using Psychokinesis.
The katana whose attack power was heightened by the flames―its single blow finally severed the black rope.
Kazuki barely escaped from the fear of being dragged toward the pillar that was emitting a wretched stench and terrible heat. However several more black ropes were stretching out and attempted to capture Kazuki and drag him toward the pillar once more. Kazuki burned and cut apart the approaching black ropes one after another with his flame katana and drove them away.
Using that opportunity, Karin liberated herself from the [Desire Tentacles] that restrained her. The black ropes also reached out to the tentacles, one of the steel pillars used up its energy and sunk into the ground before disappearing.
Karin took a stance once again in preparation for Kazuki.
The flame of battle was revived once more.
{―Just stop already, Karin. You can’t win against that boy.}
At that time, beside Karin an avatar of a Diva was floating. It was no doubt Karin’s contracted Diva. Wearing a gorgeous kimono, she was an adult goddess that emitted a brilliant loveliness. And then on her head were golden ears and from her lower back a tail was growing. That was a fox's appendage.
A fox Diva in kimono appearance…was it a Chinese Diva just as he thought? At the very least that attire which was emitting the atmosphere of Asia was obviously not one of Solomon's 72 Pillars.
“What did you say, Da…”
{Don’t say my name!}
The female Diva interrupted Karin’s word with a strong tone. Karin was twitching in surprise.
{…You mustn’t give any more information, even if it's only a little more to that boy. Such carelessness showed the difference between you and that boy, that is what I want to say. It’s not a simple difference of battle technique or Summoning Magic power. You, who keeps fighting while running in fury, and that boy who fights while calmly drawing out information from the opponent, as soldiers your position is different. Do you understand?}
Karin was silently looking down from her contracted Diva's remonstration.
{I am not a weak Diva. However despite that, even if for example you possess twice the battle power of that boy you will still lose from such a difference, can you see that? …Hey you, boy.}
The aristocrat that grew the fox tail faced Kazuki with her long-slitted eyes.
{It’s surprising how there is a soldier like you in this kind of peaceful country and peaceful era. How many scenes of carnage have you struggled through until this point?}
“I haven’t gone through exaggerated things like scenes of carnage at all. It’s just, my school of sword style puts the most importance in regards to [looking] at the opponent.”
Kazuki's Foresight technique that was as if seeing through the future was fearsome to the degree that he was called [Magic Eye OgreCyclops] from the many dojos he's visited.
{Merely putting the importance in observing, that’s all there is to it? Hohou, what a boy that will likely grow worse in the future. Karin, with this the assassination has already failed. Give up and escape immediately.}
“…Understood.”
{It’s fine even if you come to pursue, but we have confidence in our fleet foot. Until next time, boy.}
Karin concentrated her Enchant Aura in her running legs and disappeared in the darkness of the night right away.
He thought that it would be best if he could restrain her personally, but…in the end it couldn’t go that smoothly.
This exchange that happened outside of the security cameras didn’t leave any evidence behind at all.
Kazuki began to turn back to the road that was wrapped in darkness.
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