Vol 6 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4 - First Host
Two days after the fight with West Side's students
It was about 2 o'clock past ht
As ain Magic Academy
In the cold air of Magic Acade out the sounds of sword strikes
Scattering sparks, two blades collided Slash after slash has been exchanged at a rate impossible to folloith the naked eye Tordsmen, Takeru and Orochi crossed swords for the first ti while
Both of theed style practice neither bamboo nor wooden swords were used Because in life real swords were used, they drilled accurate movements into themselves as they were not allowed to ever fail
A practice in a situation where a single wrong step would result with either of the off their spirit With that said, they were not allowed to hold back Ifyour opponent faltered even for a moment, one of the commandments said to cut them down mercilessly
No matter the state and posture they had taken, they were to use all their strength to cut down their opponent
That's the essence of the Double-Edged style
As their sword techniquessparks, Orochi smiled happily
”You move pretty well for a convalescent don't ya”
”Thanksfor that!!”
”However, that's all the praise I have for you Everything else is poor Because of you using half-assed Magic-Sweeping SwordSou your body too much”
He was unable to refute to Orochi's sermon Whereas Takeru's body was covered with sweat and was screa at him, Orochi's breath wasn't even out of order
”When you went at it with the West Side bunch you didn't move at all either”
”?! You atching?!”
”Yah There's no way I can leaveyou to Diluted can I?”
”! Then you could have helped us, you're a teacher aren't you?!”
”Bullshi+tYou are the one who should reap the seeds you sowed Well, I wanted to see how your skills have improved too”
”khh!”
”Surely, since back then——ya haven't grown at all Your master was really surprised”
Seeing a lack of response, ”kishi+shi+” Orochi laughed teasingly
”Hey hey Takeru, who do you think are exchanging bloith? Your o atfor an opportunity?”
”Wrong if I move any faster my body will——”
”Spoiled sreat self, dumbass”
As Orochi spoke in arrogant heavy voice, Takeru shuddered
The blade Orochi was pressing against Takeru's disappeared, carried by ed forward
Orochi was nowhere to be seen, however before Takeru could realize that fact——
”——Opportunity came Full force”
Below Beneath Takeru's boso stance
shi+t——!
Even before he could think of it, Takeru's consciousness completely concentrated on defence
”Kusanagi Double-Edged style——Ghost Light Firefly”
I technique was released froested
The flash cut frouillotine If he took it on like that, he would have been cut in two from his crotch to his brain
”——damn!!”
Takeru raised the speed to the limit in an instant, he put a hand on the sheath on his left hip, and received the blohen it was near his feet
However, Orochi's bloas a flash Even though it was received by the sheath, Takeru's body was blown backwards grandly
The opportunity created after that drawing technique was large The distinctive blow has come as the sithdrawn from the sheath, and the blade jumped Therefore, if he blocks the attack he'll be safe——no such thing
Ghost Light Firefly wasn't the naht style's Shark Blade This technique never defied the flow, riding the flow it's characteristic was a release of continuous attacks
Orochi's figure was already beside Takeru as blown into the air Rather than pressing down the shich has ju on it
Pivoting, Orochi changed the trajectory of the blade that was soaring up, and swung it further down as momentum carried it doards Takeru hurriedly defended
”Guahh!”
His body was thrown to the ground Although it could be said that he received it well, the bones in his legs creaked as he was unable to kill the iroan, as Orochi landed right in front of him
Riding on the s he just placed, flew like a s barely grazing the surface and swung his blade up while increasing his speed
Whether the attack ht Firefly fleith all itsit Ghost Light Firefly is a technique that never stops to flow and allows to continuously release attacks
Utilizing the power flow of the enereater speed Not stopping the power, it left the user's body to the flow, rotating one ti like a razor storm
A h the courtyard
The light left behind by the slashes trajectory looked like fireflies flying through the night at high speed
The nuhe was covered in blood
”For a while know it's only ding ding ding ding, is your swordshts?”
”Khh!!”
”What's wrong, if you need to avoid then use the iain”
”Gaa!!”
”You've been ic-Sweeping SwordSou that super convenient You're stupidly forceful, ill you do if you destroy your body”
Orochi's attacks had tremendous speed, and their poas also considerable
Takeru hadn't received any fatal wound because he was able to shi+ft the blade's trajectory slightly, but at this rate Takeru will be defeated even before reaching his limit
”Ride on the flow, Takeru”
”…!!”
”Your movements are too inefficient It's obvious that your body will get worn out Don't avoid, don't withdraw, don't exchange blows Use your opponent's strength against him Ride the flow, manipulate the flow That is all you need”
”!”
”Until now you've been living carried by the flow It's your speciality right?”
Provoked by Orochi, Takeru released the power in his body
Although his body was attacked by heaviness, his head has regained composure instead and his brain circuits have firmly connected
Don't avoid, don't withdraw, don't exchange blows! Receive it——
The slash Orochi has released met with his own blade
——Flow! And——
A si So far, it's the very basic of all basics However, ahead was so he experienced for the first time
——Ride on the flow!
Takeru rode on the after Orochi's slash
Moorous rotation He adjusted it with his foot without killing the momentum, and turned it into a blow of his own
In front of him was Orochi And in the exact same moment
”Good”
The tords overlapped again, and once again parried each other Both of them used the recoil to further increase their speed
”Don't leave Magic-Sweeping SwordSou isn't necessary to read your own and enemy's flow”
”yess”
”Use it only for the starting point of your in, after that you can use the flow to move your body Like that, both burden on your brain and your body will decrease”
”Yess!”
The tinging their swords looked as if they were dancing
Ghost Light Firefly is a type of technique that applies sword dance into combat The human maximum power output is lianism would easily overpower a human
That's why Double-Edged style has developed a technique utilizing the eneth
The shrill tone of slashesbeautiful, like the sound of a bell
Even with Magic-Sweeping Sword'sSoumatou's minimal output, I can move this fast!
He only invoked Magic-Sweeping Sword'sSou point of his moves, and rode on the flow
Takeru's speed was going up easily It was too fast whichfun It has been really long time since he enjoyed swordsmanshi+p like this
And, the moment sword dance has reached its maximum speed
The sound of sword strikes ceased to rang out
Takeru and Orochi stopped their blade's at their opponent's neck
A draw no
”gu-gehoh”
The one to vomit blood was Takeru Rather than with a sword, Orochi pierced him with the sheath he held in left hand
Unable to stand it, Takeru fell on his knees Even if it was attack with a sheath, it still pierced his internal organs
This kind of strength despite being blind It was on a level where Takeru started doubting if Orochi is really blind
Orochi said once, that hi unable to see It was possible to sharpen his hearing, and be able to sense the reflection of sound and floind He was able to sense the target's movement and position, and he was even able to read their expressions He was powerful enough to be called a monster
”Your flow is stupidly honest Although it's good to ride on the flow, try not to leave any gaps in defence If you can't sense the change in uard”
While Orochi checked if his sword settled well in sheath, Takeru bowed his head deeply
”thank youvery much”
Takeru was the one who volunteered for practice For a while already, he felt that he reached the liht out his Master for practice
After being passed this technique in super short aht that if he rerow further
However, there was one problem to deal with first Orochi still hasn't instilled the entirety of Double-edged style in Takeru He was not ready to be granted the skills, he learned this just a moment earlier
”It's still early to learn techniques, but it's your lack of growth that's at fault learn soence”
Orochi fixed his kimono
”Go ask Mother to take a look at you If you want to do this again, come here at the same time”
”um, Master”
”Nn”
Without looking back, Orochi faced slightly to the side
Wavering, Takeru asked him if he knows the truth
”You know about Kusanagi Mikoto, right?”
””
”Please tell uessed that you aren't huo Your na our ancestors 150 years ago prior”
Orochi stood quietly, un
”What happened during the war and as Kusanagi Mikoto, is what I want to know”
Takeru once again lowered his head, pleading Orochi
Orochi looked up at the night sky looking at the moon he couldn't see, and spoke with a parched voice
”You heard from Mistilteinn”
”yes”
”I see I knew that this subject will come up one day I don't really mind”
””
”——Mikoto was my elder sister I killed her in the Witch Hunt War”
Takeru was unable say anything
He was unable to ask 'why'
Because he tried to do the sa once
”Sis Mikoto had a younger twin sister Although they were otic, most of the 『Hyakki Yakou』's curse has been poured into the younger sister Thanks to that Mikoto was spared frorew up in the confinement box”
””
”I spoke with her only once I located the box in the forest by a coincidence, and had a short chat with her Since then, I didn't knohat happened to her for another ten years There was a war happening after all”
With his usual aloof attitude, indifferently, Orochi spoke of the past
Orochi seei's, he had a wilder temperament than Takeru
He was a naive person who acted according to what he thought was right
After ed style, he left his little brother at home and joined the army on the witches' side
”At that tis I have ee va and er than that of a huht Type too, and conceitedly thought that what I do will affect the result of war”
”then, Master was”
”I was the contractor of the other Twilight Type, Lævateinn And Mikoto was Mistilteinn's contractor After I left Kusanagi house, it fell victi that turuess you can iine what happened”
Probably wanting to spare him details, Orochi didn't say any more than that
But even without it being said, Takeru knew He too, had a beloved little sister called Kiseki
”Mikoto's body was taiven Mistilteinn as a weapon, and appeared in front of me like that”
””
”And Mikoto was no longer herself God Hunting forative effects her soul was eroded by Mistilteinn, and she went out of control”
””
”I killed her The latter outcoht Types clashi+ng caused the Invisible DisasterAkashi+c Hazard, and ended every〜thin'”
Orochi was seriously injured in the fight against Mikoto, he ht back then
He didn't say anything about what he felt during that fight And when he finished talking, he started to walk once again
”Wait a moment!”
””
”What I don't know yet, is why Master won't take Mistilteinn from me, instead you leave me towould settle down nicely right?”
It didn't seem like he had a speck of intention to kill Takeru, but if that was true, that's how it should have been
”I don't really ht?”
Suddenly, Orochi spoke with a sharp tone of voice
”I can roughly tell as your reason for discarding your sword in front of Kiseki You were unable to discard anything, so you discarded the sword Your little sister, your co You turned selfish, and threw a tantru to the ideal”
With his large back turned towards Takeru, Orochi gave him an advice
”Takeru Saving everything is not an easy task Because I was unable to do it, I threay s It was the same with Mikoto Coret that”
Heavily, his voice stabbed in Takeru's chest
”You don't want to turn out like that right? Then you need to beco to an unbelievable extent As you are now, you can't save anything”
””
”I' I don't like killing when there's no worth in it, I kill when there's worth in it, so it's o Also, since you have , I don't think it will no longer go as others want it to”
Takeru didn't say anything, he could only listen
”Grasp the sword again, Takeru Get Mistilteinn under control and beco And don't hesitate even if the world is to be destroyed”
””
”Saving everything, is the only path left to you”
Cutting short there, Orochi left the place along a loud sound of his sandals Takeru tried to chase after hiain fell on his knees
In the end, Kusanagi Mikoto's case didn't lead to saving Kiseki Because their situations were completely different, it wasn't so whatsoever Takeru looked up at the ht sky and closed his eyes in silence
”I know that”
He had enough of living a life of being used, decided to save everything and came this far
And yet, he didn't have any results Even now, he continued to live out his days in peace
He didn't find a way to save Kiseki, nor a way to return to his comrades
He knew What was he lacking And how much of it was needed
He was overwhelth
Takeru needed to beco in every aspect
The only comrade he could rely on was Mari They had to confront the status quo just the two of them
They are done getting a grasp on the situation All that's left was action
First he has to reconcile with Lapis, and become true partners with her Next, he has to elicit a way to save Kiseki from Orochi, and——
”return to our comrades”
Opening his eyes he reached out to the moon seen on the starry sky
Takeru decided to return to AntiMagic Academy after all
He was already standing on the startling line
All that was left was to run
Takeru overlapped his pally
Four o'clock atback from practice faintly opened his eyes in the bedroom
It was because he felt so like a pressure on his body
At first he thought it was sleep paralysis It wasn't uncommon for him to have muscle stiffness
However, he was horrified by the figure reflected in his blurry sight
Before he could turn wary, he was able to discern who is it by that figure's colour
”Lapis?”
While her azure-coloured hair swayed, Lapis rode on top of Takeru's body
Moreover, she was naked
””
She was naked
”hae? hae?!”
When Takeru tried to raise his upper body, he was pushed back doith both of Lapis' hands
Surprised, Takeru looked up at Lapis' body
Although i her body Takeru understood she was a woman and blushed She didn't breathe at all and was cold like a sword However, her softness gave him supreme bliss, and the parts that touched her iht with an unique tint entering through theilluminated Lapis
He couldn't find any other words other than 'beautiful'
”Yo why——”
”Be silent Right noill respond to your request”
”I-I d-didn't reh?!”
”In this form my link with you is too weak”
Telling , Lapis moved her face in front of Takeru's
”What a”
The moment he tried to stop her, Takeru's and Lapis' lips overlapped
Unable to let out any voice, he remained as he was
Lapis entangled her fingers with Takeru's, and sank in slowly pinning hiues intertwine
NONONONononono this is bad right!
In contrast to his expectations, Lapis' tongue was hot and it gently stroked inside of his mouth
He intended to resist, but for so his body Even if he resisted inside of his head, body didn't listen to hirew diether, senses of his body and uous
Takeru experienced it before He had this feeling during the re-contract with Lapis
With a static sound as if poas cut from a TV, Takeru's consciousness flew to a different location
His consciousness andmass
A nu have intersected in his head like a tornado
Inside of the enor the vision of world collapsing, he stood in an enclosed white space Although he tried to let out a voice, he wasn't even able to breathe
When he ran his line of sight frole point he discovered so red
It was a woman pinned down The wo which seemed like needles
The surrounding area was filled with so meat
Her appearance overlapped with Kiseki's
Momentarily, Takeru realized as she
Kusanagi Mikoto Orochi's older sister, Mistilteinn's first contractor
This was surely, Lapis' memory of the past
『”The treatment is complete Halt of unconfir restraints”』
Along with a buzzer, a sound had come out from speakers and the shackles Mikoto was held ere released
Mikoto's body fell to the ground At the same time, the lumps of flesh around her collapsed and turned into ashes She was unable toout for so
It was a small branch of azure colour
Mikoto grasped the branch, and held it dearly to her bloodied chest Her hair swayed, and Takeru saw Mikoto's face for the first time
Noway
Her face and Lapis' were like two peas in a pod Mikoto who had the same face as Lapis narrowed her teary eyes kindly, and spoke to the azure coloured branch
『”Today it wasn't all that painful”』
While stroking the branch, Mikoto went to the corner of the room and laid down
And then, happily, joyfully, she continued to speak to the branch which didn't respond
She looked like a child cradling a doll
It was as if that branch was her only salvation
His chest was attacked by a tightening feeling Anger, sorrow, and emptiness filled his chest As Takeru was salvation for Kiseki, for Mikoto, that branch was her only salvation
Takeru's vision distorted, and tireat speed
It was repetition of the sa, Mikoto continued to speak to the azure-coloured branch on her own
Today, let's talk about the first time I saw the outside world
Today, let's talk about the low
Today's dinner, I wonder what it will be I hope I can eat my fill
Today, let's talk about the boy who came to the box
Mikoto continued to repeatedly tell stories about even the shortest happy moments Eventually, the sht As if responding to her speech
Pleased with just that hed
However, after many years had passed, Mikoto's heart was overtaken by fatigue
Gradually her voice turned thin, she becaer able to speak of happy memories Eventually, Mikoto started to entrust her wishes to the small branch
The wish for the world to collapse Her precious wish, wanting for the world to end Tears ran down Takeru's cheeks
He was unable to determine if it were really his own tears
Takeru's vision was interrupted again, and he stood in a different location
There, was a battlefield full of bullets andall over Many soldiers andeach other in this pandemonium
In the middle of that hell, a new hell was dropped down
Mikoto's figure e which seemed like a coffin which crashed in the middle of battlefield
She walked unsteadily through the battlefield, like a ghost
While soldiers and witches watched it not knohat's happening, Mikoto spoke to the branch she held in her hands
『”Let's finish everything together Lapis”』
In response to Mikoto's wish, the branch changed its shape into that of a distorted sword
At the same time, her body was covered in particles of azure colour
The power to devour everything and slay Gods started fusing with Mikoto's soul
However, a human's soul was unable to stand the erosion
Mikoto let out a la pain of the soul At the same time, red meat overflowed from her body
Kusanagi Mikoto turned into hell Soldiers, witches, she sed them all
As outrageous slaughter continued, the screaed into sounds of sword slashes
Loo a fiery red armour
Orochi locked swords with Mikoto who had turned into a monster
He desperately called out to her, trying to relay that he was the boy from back then to Mikoto But his voice didn't reach her
Her er there
『”da——AAAAaAaaaaAaa!!! DAMMMIIITTTTTTTTTT!!”』
Orochi wailed, his face ith tears
The ar his existence as someone who hunts Gods
Two God hunters clashed
Orochi's wail turned into the wail of the hu of the world