Volume 9 Chapter 1 Part 1 (1/2)
After quelling the revolt in Hinomoto, s.h.i.+n headed towards the Sacred Mountain Fuji to fulfill his promise with Mikazuki Munechika, one of the Five Supreme Blades.
Once outside Kujou territory, s.h.i.+n's party proceeded to their destination with a horse carriage. Running on foot would have been faster, but they didn't have any particular reason to hurry.
They were traveling at a lower speed than when they had traveled to the Futaba and s.h.i.+jou territories to suppress the revolt, but their carriage was still much faster than average.
”so why does this Supreme Blade lady, with a name that screams nothing but danger, want to talk to you?”
Filma asked s.h.i.+n, who was sitting on the coachman's seat.
In the game era, support characters could not fight the Five Supreme Blades, so not only Filma, but also Schnee and s.h.i.+baid didn't know how powerful Munechika was.
However, hearing from s.h.i.+n about her level and equipment, they could measure the level of danger she posed.
Above level 900 and equipped with Ancient-grade gear. Even for Schnee and the others, who possessed overwhelming strength by this world's standards, she was not an opponent they could afford to face without preparation.
”I don't know the reason why, to be honest. But she's been around ever since before the ”Dusk of the Majesty”, she could have something important to say, no?”
”Won't there be any danger?”
”We talked and crossed swords in a match, but there was nothing particularly suspicious. Even if she was hungry for a serious battle, she was keeping herself under control.”
s.h.i.+n answered Schnee's question while remembering how Munechika had withdrawn her wooden sword before getting completely serious.
It could not be said that she did not desire to fight, but Munechika was not the type to only talk via battle.
Even if Karin and Kanade had visited her by themselves, she would have probably requested something else in exchange for the herb, or nothing at all.
”I'm asking just in case, but she isn't going to say she fell for you like Karin did, right?”
”Come on, Filma, the arranged marriage thing was something Karin's mother pushed by herself”
”I heard that already. But her eyes were those of a maiden in love, you know? You aren't going to tell me that you had no idea now, are you?”
”I kind ofnoticed, yeah.”
Any normal person would have noticed if she expressed it that clearly. s.h.i.+n was no exception, but at the same time he found it strange.
”Karin's behavior changed after I refused the arranged marriage thing. I don't really understand why that happened. Why do you act like you're in love after you've been refused? Isn't it the opposite usually?”
s.h.i.+n couldn't wrap his mind around it.
”I bet she didn't realize her feelings until late. She had this ”I live for the sword” aura and all.”
”..I don't get it after all.”
s.h.i.+n knew how it felt to like someone, but he couldn't understand Karin's circ.u.mstances.
”Let's stop talking about past things. So, what kind of person is this Munechika?”
”I don't really know her well myself. The first time I met her was-”
s.h.i.+n talked about how he brought Karin and Kanade to the peak of Fuji and how he fought Munechika for the medicinal herb.
”She was strong.”
”Yes, as Yuzuha said, her sword arm was something else. I couldn't win in a pure match of sword skills. If everything was allowed though, it would be different.”
s.h.i.+n talked while remembering his match against Munechika. If he could use magic and skills, there was no way he could lose.
”Hmm, yes, an unshackled s.h.i.+n would surely find a way to win, even if inferior in sword ability.”
”s.h.i.+n never loses after all.”
In contrast to s.h.i.+baid's rational a.n.a.lysis of s.h.i.+n's strength, Schnee retorted as if she found the very consideration of s.h.i.+n losing preposterous. She looked so adamant that Tiera couldn't help reacting.
”Ehm, master?”
”ahem. We're almost at Fuji.”
After coughing to change the subject, Schnee noted they had reached their destination.
Fuji stood imposingly before the horse carriage..
As always, a thick fog laid heavily all around the peak.
”I heard that the fog doesn't disappear, but the woods appear to be pretty quiet.”
Tiera whispered after looking at the mists, then the forest.
”Really?”
”We're close to the World Tree forest. I suppose mysterious forces are at work.”
Schnee answered s.h.i.+n's question while looking at the forest extending at the foot of Fuji, just like Tiera.
”I heard there are high-level monsters around here too, but is it true?”
”On average monsters are at level 500, the same as before. But the Eight-Headed Orochi on the peak is a whole other category. Level 833.”
s.h.i.+baid grumbled after hearing s.h.i.+n's reply.
”It might be lower than Munechika, but still it's not an opponent we can underestimate.”
”We're not going to fight, so I think it will be all right. When I visited Fuji last time it wasn't belligerent either.”
Some heads looked at s.h.i.+n with curiosity, others were even sleeping: it looked like each head had a distinct personality. It was a powerful monster, but as s.h.i.+n had only seen such behavior, to him it seemed more cute than dangerous.
”Anyway, let's start climbing. We don't have to worry about the monsters with the members we have here, but don't let your guard down.”
”Well then, I'll take the lead going up.”
Schnee was walking in the lead, with s.h.i.+n and the others behind her. Looking at the party from above, Tiera was in the center, s.h.i.+n on the right, Filma on the left and s.h.i.+baid took up the rear. Yuzuha was riding on s.h.i.+n's left shoulder.
With Kagerou around, there was no need to focus on protecting Tiera, but they a.s.sumed that formation naturally.
Tiera equipped a bow as main weapon. Taking a formation focused on rear support had become almost second nature for s.h.i.+n's party.
”We're entering the mists.”
The group penetrated the area hidden by the fog, their formation unbroken.
Differently from when s.h.i.+n had come with Karin and Kanade, they didn't move stealthily this time; but thanks to Schnee's precise guidance, they pa.s.sed the fog area without encountering any monsters.
Maybe because it had sensed the approach of s.h.i.+n's party, after emerging from the mist they found Orochi's heads awaiting them.
”H-huge”
Tiera couldn't hide her surprise at the monster's towering figure. Just like last time, Eight-Headed Orochi was looking at s.h.i.+n's group with curiosity.
Maybe because they were many, or because it had felt their high levels, this time all 8 heads were fixated on them.
”It's true, I feel no intimidation or hostility from it.”
”Hmm, I suppose we do not need to be wary.”
Schnee and s.h.i.+baid relaxed their stances after looking at Orochi.
”Rather, I'm more concerned about over there.”
Differently from Schnee and the others, Filma was looking towards the interior of the small shrine.
A few moments after her comment, something sparkled from within the shrine.
”You came earlier than expected, s.h.i.+n.”
”I said I would not make you wait.”
The source of the light was the armor Munechika was clad in. She was walking towards the party, holding her helmet with her left hand.
”There is no need to act so formal, considering our relations.h.i.+p.”
Munechika laid a hand on s.h.i.+n's shoulder, her face coming closer to his. Surprisingly close.
”WellI only remember we crossed swords once, that's it.”
s.h.i.+n had no idea why she would act so intimate with him, and squeezed out a response despite his confusion. He had recently a.s.sisted her in defeating the demon foxes, but he didn't think that was enough to cause her to act so affectionately.
”Ah, now that I think about it I had not talked about it yet. ”You made me fall a lot, I won't let you say that I won by chance”you said things like these before our last match, right? After you left, I thought about those words. It took me a few days, but I clearly remembered.”
”Could it be that you recalled the memories from the game era?”
It was something from more than 500 years before. It wasn't something one would normally remember.
”It would probably be impossible without some trigger. I did not think I could recall them so clearly either.”
Munechika explained how she had not recalled just by looking at him during their match. s.h.i.+n's words were what acted as trigger.
”That day, I said that I wanted to talk to you againmaybe because I had unconsciously remembered.”
”How much do you know of me?”
”I didn't know a lot about you personally from the start. But I remember how burning hot your blade was when we fought, you know?”
The hand resting on s.h.i.+n's shoulder moved towards his face.
”There are people other than you that defeated me. But no one challenged me as many times as you did. The more I remembered, the more my chest felt hot andwell, isn't this quite uncouth of you?”
Munechika's last words, directed at the person who had suddenly appeared before her, were spoken as her shoulders dropped.
The person cutting in the progressively decreasing distance between s.h.i.+n and Munechika was Schnee.
”My apologies, but it will be a problem if you come any closer to s.h.i.+n.”
”A problem, hmm. Don't you mean to say that you'd be envious?”.
”..”
Munechika's taunting words were met by a sharper look from Schnee.
”Okay, okay, stop, stop I say! Schnee, you calm down too, she's not serious anyway. Munechika, enough with the jokes!”
”Hehe, you know how it is. I had just put a hand on your shoulder, but I felt such a fearful look from over thereof course I would want to tease a little. And now your formal tone disappeared too, right?”
”Give me a break”
s.h.i.+n sighed, his hands on Schnee's shoulders to calm her. He wholeheartedly wished for them to stop making the mood dangerous.
”Well, I have to say she's pretty different from what I expected.”
”Indeed, this is not what s.h.i.+n's words suggested.”
Witnessing the scene, Filma and s.h.i.+baid were puzzled.
They had confirmed her level and were positive that she had to be really strong. But the feeling of intimidation often a.s.sociated with powerful warriors was nowhere to be found, hence their comments.
”Ehm, s.h.i.+n? I think you should have taken your hands off by now.”
”Hm? Ah, aah! I'm sorry!”
s.h.i.+n looked in front of himself after hearing Tiera's remark, only to find Schnee frozen in place, completely red.
”.that's not, a problem.”
Maybe embarra.s.sed to be seen blus.h.i.+ng like that, Schnee mumbled while keeping her head down.
”Haha, you folks are never boring to look at.”
”And whose fault is it? Well, let me hear the rest of the story.”
”Apologies, it had been a while since I had so much fun. Let us get to the point, s.h.i.+n. I believe I know both your original fighting power and personality. As such, there is something I wish to ask of you.”
Munechika was smiling at the start, but as she approached the heart of the topic her expression turned completely serious.
”Is that something my companions can hear too?”
”Yes, not a problem. After all, as you command an Element Tail, you are not completely unrelated to this.”
Munechika spoke while looking at Yuzuha. Hearing that it was something related to Element Tails, s.h.i.+n imagined it was related to Ley lines.
”Come. There is something I wish to show you.”
Following Munechika, who had turned around, the group entered the shrine.
After about 5 minutes, a red light entered their field of sight.
”This is Fuji's original master, Kagutsuchi.”
”That's”
Looking at the source of the light, everyone became speechless.
The red light came from a phoenix-shaped red crystal.
The crystallized Kagutsuchi, wings spread as if protecting something, emitted a red light that brightly illuminated the room.
”What's going on here?”
”In the past, miasma seeped in the Ley lines. In order to restore balance to the Ley lines, it turned like this. Despite the appearance, Kagutsuchi isn't dead. You can come out now! These people aren't dangerous!”
Munechika shouted towards the crystal. s.h.i.+n was wondering what she was doing, when something moved from the shadows behind the crystal.
A small creature the size of a fist jumped down from the crystal, flapping earnestly its small wings, and landed on Munechika's head.
”Pii!”
”Bad! Land on my shoulder, not my head, how many times have I told you?”
Spreading its wings declaring its presence on Munechika's head was a little bird with red plumage.
It was a bit big for a baby bird, but it was like a slightly larger chick painted red, very fluffy-looking.
”Pii!!”
””Welcome, o fellow Element Tail” is what it said. 2 times.”
To s.h.i.+n's party it only sounded like it was crying, but according to Yuzuha the two ”Pii” had said the same thing.
”You understand what it says?”
”More or less.”
Yuzuha explained that maybe because they both can influence Ley lines, they can also communicate.
”It might look like this now, but this is Kagutsuchi. At least, a part of it.”
”It can do something like that?”
”It retains little strength, though. It can just communicate, that's it.”
”Pii! Pii!”
The baby Kagutsuchi poked Munechika with its rounded beak. Munechika didn't look like she was hurt in the least.
”I know. More than that, what happened to Tsunetsugu and Mitsuyo? We should talk to them too.”