[Vol2] Chapter 23: Child of Wind「Tsu however, don’t rest your hands, yo!」
Despite changing stances, Sonya’s offense was relentless.
Reminiscent of a storm, the wind blade approached.
──Very quickly, the sharp wind blade came.
Almost requiring no time, this, which was produced from those wielded arms, was unbelievable.
Even though the color of light was wind attributed, its power was comparable to the power needed to cut down a tree.
Thus, I, who was parrying the wind blade until a while ago, was forced to avoid it.
Of course, the wind blade’s threat didn’t change just because I changed my stance.
Not lowering the power, my defense also didn’t rise. Rather, it fell to a more aggressive stance as I moved.[^1]
But──
「Gooo~tsu!」
With a fist enshrouded in magical power, I collided with the wind blade.
The magical power clashed with the other magical power, issuing a sound like iron being struck.
1st counter, 2nd counter, 3rd counter──like violently attacking swords, the high-pitched sounds stacked.
Unlike a while ago, rather than dodging it──I went head-on.
The intense sounds told of the transformation in the battle.
「──Chi」
Sonya made a bitter sound.
Not parrying or avoiding it, but an interception.
The battle situation didn’t advance.
….That is, my defenses showed that it had become stronger.
Attack is often said to be the best defense. For an attack that came from afar, rather than just waiting──
「……Tsu」
It’s better to advance forward.
With my clenched fist, while accurately destroying the approaching blade, I firmly took a step forward.
Sonya took a tiny step back.
From that small action that one would overlook──the battle situation moved on.
「Oouh!」
With a starting heavy step, my body burst forward.
While escaping from the blade’s line of fire, I accurately kicked the ground.
Still, I caught by the blade but it wasn’t a direct hit.
Wielding my fist while going to conquer──take flight!
While running with my wielded fist, some accuracy dropped.
For the first time since the beginning of the duel I ran in a straight line as I aimed for her cheeks, finally it reached the distance where it would hit if I lengthened my hand.
Wind blade, that boasts of its high speed attacking characteristics, seems to concede one step as an attack at this proximity.
The wind blade stopped, the storm subsided.
Once I close the distance, the merit of using Sorcery disappears. Moreover──if it’s this close, my fist would land on Sonya’s body before the wind blade reaches me.
「Impressive. Most opponents would lose at this point」
「I have to pay you back as it is. ──However, surely this isn’t the end?」
「You understand it well don’t you. It begins from here, dayo!」
Without showing off to each other, we released magical power at the same time.
Converting the magical power in her body into Sorcery, she easily created a storm made out of magical power, reminding me of torrents in a storm.
As for me, I can’t lose. In contrast to Sonya’s magic, the quiet magical power that I had enhanced for over a hundred years wrapped around my body.
The Sorcery from before was splendid, but for fighting, such a thing isn’t needed.
As such──it should be more of simple fists clashing against each other, na!
With our swelling magical power, it was inevitable that it would meet at one point.
Eventually, my magical power collided with Sonya’s──the second act, began.
「Quick!」
Once again, the first one to move was Sonya.
She seems to have confidence in her rapid fire attacks.
However, it wasn’t the conceited kind.
Although the power used wasn’t deadly, the speed was comparable to Chester’s given the attack range.
Of course, in a situation where there was some distance, it wouldn’t even be equal in difficulty to that s.h.i.tty old man’s fist, but the attack speed would still be remarkable.
Although「Surging Waves」 was an attack stance, after all, Shijima Style was a school reputed for receiving.
In this area, I was forced to concede one step.
Perhaps with wind type Sorcery──without the loud sounds of the wind, Sonya approached me in an instant.
Unlike me and Chester who just kick the ground and move, her movement was understood to be one that wasn’t in a simple straight line.
If that’s the case, then doesn’t avoiding have a bad affinity with it?
Sonya came closer to me. As she was making short zigzags, I checked the appearance of my opponent.
──I felt a wind attributed magical power on my arm.
Judging from the emerald colored magical power and the shape that was similar to the wind blade from before, it seems that she will be wearing the wind blade on her arm.
Wearing magical power on one’s body, as expected, can’t be compared to a moment before. Calming my mind, although this one isn’t a storm-like torrent like the previous one, slight wind fluctuations can still be seen.
That being the case──I can’t use the option of avoiding it. Wearing magical power on my hand, I received that hand.
The lively arm was calmed down, but it was still enamored in a wind blade. In the palm that caught the blade, a scarlet line ran down.
Not receiving any damage, would not do.
But, I took the arm.
I looked at Sonya’s Bird Mask that was on the other side of the caught blade.
「──Tsu」
In my mind, I felt that the face on the inside was warped in distortion.
The wind user turned pale.
Having become aware of the heaviness of her taken arm, Sonya tried to escape by pulling her arm.
It was an excellent reaction. Escaping from the approaching crisis is a very good judgement.
──Except for when your opponent is from the Shijima Style.
The power that is to escape, a power that has to come from within the body, is something that is shown at the same time.[^2]
And──due to that, it produces a「 Flow」in the force.
「Oh──！？」
Lending a hand to the escaping force, I added a slight amount of power.
Then, like how a water drop could upset the equilibrium of a full cup of water, Sonya briefly lost control of her balance for a moment.
Shijima Style is a Martial Art that stems from the ‘flow of power’. If there is a ‘flow’, then I can make that ‘flow’ invert itself.
….Maa, as expected of the proverb ‘imagery is important, but feeling it is what is truly important’.
However, I succeeded in breaking her stance──I had been troubled for only a little bit.
The reaction speed that Sonya used to escape with far exceeded my estimations.
Even though in this way, I had somehow managed to upset her balance, it seems difficult to make a big move.
….In that case.
Rather than take advantage of the momentary defenselessness, I held the base of Sonya’s arm and drew a circle as I swung her light body in a circular manner.
Drawing a circle──is a little misleading.
What I really ‘drew’ was a semi-circle, with the ground designated as the end.
「Ku, kaha~tsu!」
Sonya’s back was accompanied by a feeling of weightlessness for a moment, then she was smashed onto the ground.
Her lungs were shaken(crushed) by the shock, causing her to feel a considerable amount of pain.
But the duel was not yet determined. It seems that she had worn some magical power on her back as she was in the middle of ‘flying’ in the air.
If luck is on my side, I’ll be able to strike again, so I raised my arm raised──but she twisted her body as it had just reached the apex, forcibly escaping.
However, the damage dealt on Sonya wasn’t small.
When one’s lungs are shaken, there is an absurd amount of pain. One’s breathing will be disrupted and a dull pain
and sharp pain will mix together──
Anyway, rebuilding one’s stance in that kind of pain is very difficult.
──But, this is a good opportunity.
Though I simply state that it would be painful, there are many living beings that don’t care about this ‘law’.
When one is intimidated, keep pressing.
「Kuu!」
In a somewhat turbid movement, Sonya still managed to block the hard blow.
Nonetheless, as expected of Sonya, being able to block that even though her movement should be sealed, thus forcing my several received fists to be for naught.
However, Sonya doesn’t fall down.
Using my fist to attack, I thought.
‘….As expected, Shijima Style──there should be plenty of room for improvement for my blows, to.’
「s.h.i.t, don’t get, so c.o.c.ky!」
Sonya, who had been exposed to the storm-like fist, cried and shouted in a shrill voice, after she had finally gotten back her breath.
In that instant, the storm rose up again. It was stronger than the previous magical power──it was a strong hardy wind reminiscent of a tornado.
Partly due to the fact that my body was lighter than the one from my previous life, my body was easily carried away by the wind.
Gusts of wind blew around with Sonya as the heart──before my body hit a rock, I rebuilt my stance.
Hastily turning my line of sight back to Sonya, Sonya had already made preparations to intercept.
….Fumu, although I want to continue being on the offensive, it seems like there’s no way.
I slowly crept towards Sonya.
There isn’t a barrage of Wind Blades, probably because she doesn’t want to wastefully use her magical power.
Such an amount of gusts of wind requires a tremendous amount of magic to create.
If it was me, I would not use it even if I could easily do it. Only if it were necessary would I use it, otherwise I would not.
Sonya, who possesses tremendous magical power, if she wanted was just to use Sorcery, then the remaining amount has to be considered. When fighting against a Sorcery user later on, this will be helpful.
「Haa, ha….good grief, there was no hesitation at all」
「Is this not to your liking?」
Following up from the beating that pressed up from earlier, Sonya offered her frank advice.[^3]
Certainly, the continuous attack from before lacked the hesitation that women and children have but──
At the time when one Martial Art Style was fighting against another Martial Art Style, one is a Martial Artist before one is a woman or a child.
Moreover, I looked awfully happy while saying this.
「….I won’t deny it」
The mask that had cracked from the barrage cracked a bit more and fell as the words fell.
The mouth under that hidden surface──was dyed with a smile. See, like I thought.
But at the same time, I did not overlook that the air that wrapped around Sonya had changed.
「But, it’s already the end.
──『Burizu(Breeze)』」
Sonya corrected her stance and like a small raindrop, she murmured a word.
『Burizu(Breeze)』, you say?
A faintly shining magical power was worn around Sonya’s body──it was tightly fitted.
…Is this really magic?
For me who was poorly informed in magic, if magical power gets into action after words, then it would be able to be easily recognized.
However, it was quite a short chant.
From its appearance, it doesn’t seem to be a magic that’s aimed for attack.
In the first place, being able to use magic with a short word, at best would light a fire on one’s fingertips, or if it’s Wind magic, it would produce a soft breeze──
If, thinking up to here, I felt a chill on my backbone threatening to turn it into a stick of ice.
「Iya──I see~.
As for this, this seems to be the fruit of your labor….」
Magic that produces a soft breeze. Perhaps──no, certainly, this magic was of that variation.
Although it seems worthless at a first glance, the magic that carried a little coolness──when she used it, it could change its appearance.
While saying so, I slowly cut down the distance. The distance from Sonya──was about two myrtles and a bit.
Cold sweat dropped down, a gentle breeze brushed it. The low temperature from the top of the mountain should carry a gentle coolness, but I got an illusion like that of a snowstorm that made my heart freeze.
….That being so, then I am already 「In Range」.
「Did you notice?
Magic that・・・causes・・・・a・・soft breeze, what do you think is meant」
The corners of Sonya’s exposed mouth of rises up.
The eyes hidden in the mask・・・・・・I wonder if they were in the same manner, stained in a challenging smile.
This is a surprisingly large-scale magic.
Fundamentally, the higher the effect of magic, the longer the chant.
Thus, during a battle where it’s one versus one, I have never seen magic that I am afraid of──
I, for the first time had felt the threat of magic within combat.
How could one stop magic that could be activated by just murmuring one word?
And a fairly large-scale magic at that, yes? Oi.
There was almost no consumption of magical power, and almost impossible to disrupt the invocation.
Despite all that the effect, almost all of the phenomena within its range was grasped, so it’s become something ridiculous.
「I call this ‘Aroma Vibration’. Maa, it is a magic that only causes a soft breeze.
….Now then, shall we begin round two?」[^4]
Sonya laughed happily as she got ready.
I also got ready but──a slight bitter feeling appeared in my heart.
Yareyare, what to do when I’m attacked….