Seiken Tsukai no Kinju Eishou

As one would expect from a thing given by the church, those tickets had the name of a rather simple leisure park called「Kitamitama Sports Park」written on them.

Moroha looked for it before going to bed and he found that it was a complex facility of baseball grounds, soccer grounds, tennis grounds, campgrounds and lodgings.

Can it be used for a date? A question like that crossed his mind, but he kept searching and he felt relieved when he discovered comments of users saying「We went without implements but we got them to lend some to us, I had a good time playing tennis with my girlfriend」and「There’s even a hiking course full of nature, it’s very beautiful」.

Furthermore, there were comments saying「The soba served in the restaurant of the lodgings was surprisingly the real deal」and that the taste of the soba was gulped down with the surging saliva.

Anyway, if we go and she likes it, then it will be alright!

I’m looking forward to tomorrow!

And so, Moroha prepared for an early rising and went to bed at 22:00.

And finally, it was Sunday.

This week, like in last week, Moroha went out on a date with Leshya.

They arranged to meet at the same station. There was a Kitamitama Sports Park bus that went directly there.

The first one departed at 07:00. So the time appointed for meeting was 6:45.

In this way, they could even go and hike slowly as their day trip.

Though playing soccer or tennis was fine too.

When Moroha arrived at the station, Leshya was waiting as she came first.

– Good morning, Haimura Moroha.

He immediately realized.

She was wearing plain, dark clothes.

The only thing that was fashionable was the black gem pendant.

But Moroha wasn’t particularly caring about it. It was a lot better than being indoctrinated by 5ch with things such as a cat ear headband and the attribute appeal of a clumsy girl.

Rather, she looked like she had high mobility, it was possible to say that it was good for today’s date.

Moroha also came with casual clothing: a collared shirt and jeans.

He saw that Leshya was holding the soccer ball they picked up last week,

– I’m br.i.m.m.i.n.g with energy to have fun. Let’s get on the bus, shall we?

Moroha led the way and headed to the bust stop area that he checked up last night.

A direct bus was waiting at the roundabout in front of the station, its engine was idling.

– Oh this helps us a lot.

They could sit on the seats and wait until the departure time.

When Moroha got in first and showed the ticket, the driver greeted him with a smile.

It was a small bus, and a little narrow inside. There were two seats to each side of the aisle. They were the first to get on it, so as there were no pa.s.sengers yet, they did as they please and chose the seats they wanted.

Moroha sat down by the window, neither too far to the back nor too far to the front.

He wondered if Leshya was fixedly looking at him with grim eyes when――she sat down on the opposite window-side seat all of a sudden.

And yet, I thought she was going to sit next to me. What kind of turn of events is this?

Moroha was surprised, and while he was wondering about it, the bus started.

There were no other pa.s.sengers yet, it should be 07:00.

He remembered what he was trying to confirm with his cell phone when he was in his dormitory. He saw on the net that the connection to Kitamitama Sports Park that was deep in the mountains was difficult. If that was the case, then he considered that it would be too much for their bodies to go there by themselves.

He helplessly searched his surroundings to find the onboard watch and he confirmed.

It was 6:53.

Like he thought, it wasn’t time to depart yet.

Strange things came one after another, the bus began to move while he c.o.c.ked his head in puzzlement.

It was rapidly heading from the city to the mountains in the distance. Straight to Kitamitama Sports Park.

During that time, Leshya kept looking outside of the window. As a matter of course, there was no talk,

(Isn’t this somewhat strange…?)

Moroha kept being shaken by the bus while acutely feeling this unpleasant presentiment.

According to the information on the net, Kitamitama Sports Park was very deeply in the mountains.

He showed the tickets at the front gate and Moroha stretched his body while carelessly strolling about.

– The air feels great. It’ll feel good if we move our bodies here and there with resolution, don’t you think?

He wanted Leshya to agree to it,

– I think so too.

She didn’t try to look at him while holding the ball, she answered exceedingly coldly.

You really think so? Her tone of voice was that much suspicious.

However, their distance grew longer.

Why is she walking to be this much apart from each other? She was walking in a certain direction as he wondered so.

– So you aren’t going to link your arms with mine?

Moroha tried asking with a half joke,

– It’s embarra.s.sing if people see us.

Leshya replied coldly again.

Her att.i.tude was completely the opposite of last week’s date.

Moroha felt that he was getting along very well with Leshya this week, but, was that perhaps an illusion? Was he working himself up even though there wasn’t anything to fight at?

He ended up rather alienated.

– If people see us, you say…? But there’s n.o.body?

What kind of plausible excuse is this? Moroha looked at his surroundings while smiling wryly.

The vastness inside the garden was extraordinary, it made an effective use of the overly extending land.

What they saw over there was a baseball ground. And a soccer one this way. There was a long lodging house next to a three-story building in that direction and the tennis courts over there were incalculable.

When surveyed from a distance, they were surrounded by majestic mountains; the air felt high. Though there was that lodging house and the baseball stadium, but it was different from the urban area as there were no tall buildings next to each other.

In a landscape of that scale, not a single person was in sight.

It seemed to be a strange sight.

Because of that, the comfortless was emphasized more and more, he ended up getting worried about his slight distance with Leshya.

As if it was in a reserved state. He saw on the net that it was fairly popular and it was written on the official site that reservations for the baseball and soccer grounds were full for the next 6 months, and yet.

– Just what is happening here?

Moroha asked, but there was no reply.

Leshya, the only person under the high sky, kept looking up at the clouds without saying a single word.

He couldn’t guess from her face seen from the side what was she thinking.

Solitaire――

If Moroha were to put the current Leshya in a photo and give it a t.i.tle, then that was how he would call it.

(But that can’t be. It doesn’t make sense for Leshya who came to j.a.pan)

Moroha continued speaking to her without losing his will.

– Should we go to the soccer field for now? We eat something after that then at noon we do mountain climbing, what do you think?

Properly speaking, he brought up the subject he should have brought up while in the bus.

Leshya finally faced him.

She threw the soccer ball that she was carrying in her arms in a casual manner at him.

Moroha calmly caught it with both hands.

Coincident with that, the hands of Leshya flashed, something was thrown out without warning.

*Pierce*――the sound of a throwing knife stuck into the ball.

The air went out, it flattened and fell like a camellia from the hands of Moroha.

– Leshya…?

What’s the meaning of this behavior?

There was no reply as expected.

But instead――

– The paradise is gone, it’s already over.

She talked to herself in a voice with no emotion that resembled metal.

Moroha didn’t get the meaning of it.

However, the eyes of Leshya were very grim, he had never seen those eyes before.

She had carved a ghastly look in them as if she hated and blamed the despair in the whole world.

Moroha had his hair stand on end, he didn’t know if that should make him put himself on guard or not.

– Haimura Moroha. I came to j.a.pan just to kill you.

Leshya slowly took out the ID Tag from her breast pocket.

– I also got Kondrat’s authorization. Today, I’ll defeat you.

An incredibly obscure, sinister purple prana that one would call radiance was caused to rise up from her whole body.

The clothes she was wearing wriggled by themselves and transformed into a combat uniform.

– I’m “man-eater”. I devour without distinction all the enemies of Russia with a swing of my cursed sword.

Then, she revealed a bewitchingly shining sword blade.

That bloodl.u.s.t, that unearthly atmosphere and that pressure weren’t ordinary――

Something gave off sparks like raising the alarm in the bottom of Moroha’s head.

That day, Shizuno was also getting up early.

Rather than that, she had been doing so throughout the week, the one in which she received the house arrest punishment.

It must be to listen to a periodic report from Russia by phone, so she had to do so because of the time difference.

Shizuno, who got to be introduced to a competent j.a.panese detective living in Russia by her older brother, was requesting an investigation concerned to a certain matter.

That middle-aged female detective reported in a tired voice.

『Russian orphanages are basically called by numbers rather than by names. I thought I could rapidly find orphanages that had the names Arshavin or Arshavina as those are privately operated and rare… but Russia is so big that it took so long to track down people in the countryside』

Shizuno apologized to her saying I’m sorry and even better, she thanked her by paying her extra remuneration, prompting the core of the information she wanted to know.

『Yes, she definitely seemed to be at that orphanage. And by showing the photo of Elensan that I received to the director, then I confirmed so. And the matter about her younger brother――』

Shizuno, who heard the details from the female detective, lost her voice overwhelmed by surprise.

It was too much, the information was against her own predictions.

– Are you sure?

『Yes, there’s no doubt about it. I also got proofs. For example――』

Shizuno also got convinced by listening to the truthful, credible report from the talented spokeswoman.

She thanked her once again and hung up the call.

(I have to tell Moroha and fast)

She thought so and without a moment’s delay she telephoned him with her cell phone, but there were no signs of answering the call at all.

(Is he still sleeping, perhaps?)

No, the waking of Moroha has no fault here, she answered her own question.

(If we’re talking about Moroha, then he’s having a morning bath?)

She thought of trying to ask his roommate Maya to confirm it, but she unfortunately remembered that she had decided to return to the princ.i.p.al on Sunday, so she gave up on that.

Calling him after leaving some s.p.a.ce between the calls was something she thought of, but,

(Just to be sure, should I ask Ranjou-san as well…?)

Shizuno called to Satsuki’s cell phone.

『h.e.l.lo? What do you want this very early in the morning…?』

At around the 8th call, a waking and ill-humored voice was heard.

– I just want you to tell me something. Haven’t you heard if Moroha had something to do today?

『Yes, I heard something, Shizunoooo!』

Since Satsuki exclaimed close to her ear all of a sudden, Shizuno was about to throw the smartphone away.

– … what happened?

『Speaking of Moroha, he’s going on a second date with Leshya today! I’m so, so jealous!』

– The timing is so bad…

Shizuno listened to Satsuki’s complaint and slightly frowned.

– So? Is Ranjou-san then going to enviously look at them while doing nothing? Or you’ll do something about it?

『The thing is that Sophie-senpai asked me last night to help her at church’s meal center this week. Moreover, Senpai seems to have other things to do again, meaning that doing my best won’t be enough』

– This truly is the worst timing…

Shizuno endured the small headache while listening to Satsuki’s complaint.

『Hey…. something happened, right?』

– I have to tell something to Moroha. It’s about Elensan. As soon as possible.

But Shizuno grinded her teeth because she didn’t connect to his cell phone.

『That’s because the location of the date has a very bad signal. But I’ll tell you where he is』

But thanks to what she heard from Satsuki, a small glimpse of hope appeared.

But on the other hand――when she heard the destination, when she knew that Leshya and Moroha were alone deep in the mountains, she felt an unbelievable uneasiness about that situation….

– Wouldn’t you tag along with me and go there now, Ranjou-san? Do I make the car go pick you up?

『I’d love to go, but they need my help, you see』

– I’ll send some of my employees to the church to replace you. All of them are skilled maids. That shouldn’t be a dishonor, don’t you agree?

『Eh? Is that okay, to go that far…?』

– The one asking for help is me, aren’t I?

『H-hooray! I’m goooing, I’m going tooo! Thank you, Urushibara!』

Shizuno felt a little guilty listening to the innocent and merry voice.

The information she got from the detective moments ago.

The things related to Leshya were real.

If Satsuki were to know them, there was no way she was going to feel happy.

Shizuno borrowed the exclusive driver and the limousine from her older brother Tadanori and left the house.

She went to meet Satsuki at the women’s dormitory then headed to Kitamitama Sports Park in great haste.

Legal speed was ignored. Even if they were found by the police, she would make them say nothing with the family name of Urushibara.

She usually distanced herself from the power of her family, but she wasn’t going to hesitate to wear the mantle of its power and misuse it for the sake of Moroha.

The luxury car that was being driven forcibly avoided physical contact with the surrounding vehicles.

In addition to that, the driver’s technique was high, he knew the route, timing, etcetera, and he was able to avoid traffic lights as much as possible.

Maya’s technique that went at full speed through mountain pa.s.ses was also amazing, but in the case of the driver, it was much, much better for him to remain at cruise speed throughout the town during daytime.

Because of that, Shizuno and Satsuki arrived at Kitamitama Sports Park cutting off a fair amount of time.

They got out at the parking lot and the two of them ran to the front gate.

– The inside of this place is immensely wide! Let’s give our all to search for him.

– Hopefully they didn’t go too far from here… anyway, let’s hurry.

The expression of Satsuki was also serious as she explained the circ.u.mstances while moving.

And while they stared at the inside of the park that was behind the visible gates,

– Is it my idea or there’s n.o.body here? Like it’s empty or something…. Since no one will see us, should I carry you in my arms and run with G.o.dlike Movement?

– You’re right. While I can’t expect too much from it, I also have a Search System Dark Art――wait a minute?

Shizuno, who was discussing with Satsuki while running, pointed at the front gate.

Because a person, an acquaintance they didn’t considered, appeared from the shade of a pillar.

She was in a daunting pose as if standing guard in the middle of the gate.

Satsuki said “you’re kidding”, being amazed, and stopped in front of the gate.

– Wh-why is Senpai here!?

– You said you have things to take care of, no? As for me, you coming here are miscalculations after miscalculations.

The one who had a troubled-looking expression while standing in their way with authority was――Sofia.

– Didn’t I ask Satsuki to give a hand to the church?

– Urushibara lent me her help.

– Not that Shizuno had received a house arrest punishment?

– Oh? Is that then just a pose to give us a lesson?

– Haaa, I give up, I give up. The strategy failed. I guess things aren’t so easy.

Sophia complained with an even more troubled face despite blocking up the gate with a frightful intimidating air.

– Now I understand, the church and what not were part of Senpai’s strategy to separate Moroha and Ranjou-san from the beginning, no?

– Eh, she did so!? How could you trick me like that, Sophie-senpai! And here I believed that you were a single-minded person… that you weren’t a two-faced person! You’re cruel!

– Sorry. I thought deeply about it but it can’t be helped as it is a direct order from the American Division.

Sophia made a gesture, shaking her neck to the left and right looking like she was very embarra.s.sed.

That seemed to be the manifestation of the feeling that she was sorry from the bottom of her heart because she was about to be quickly exposed.

– In short, is it fine to think that the American Division is in a cooperation policy with the Russian Division?

– That’s not it. The goal of the American Division is simple.

– Call you tell us what is that simple then?

Shizuno pressed a question and Sophia replied to it in large drops.

– I was specifically sent to j.a.pan alone because they want to get rid of “The trump card of Russia” and the “New S-Rank” who are considered as important fighting strength by making them crash into each other.

I see, she could agree to her words.

They wanted to crush the trump card of Russia because it was very problematic for any Division. For that reason, it didn’t matter what happen to Moroha because America wouldn’t be damaged. So probably the mission given to Sophia was to set the whole stage enabling Leshya to carry on the a.s.sa.s.sination.

– Next is just a confirmation, but was Senpai watching me fight Elensan back then?

– Waaait. How did you know I was there!?

The surprised Sophia let out a hysteric voice.

She had weak defenses despite being good at feigning ignorance. Maybe because the alertness of the close friends Shizuno and Satsuki was lenient than of the one called “honest person”.

– Unbelievable. You’re so cautious even though there’s 1 kilometer of distance between us!

Shizuno also thought the same.

The power of Sophia that allowed her to see a kilometer ahead without obstruction with Clairvoyance was unusual, but Tanaksensei who could sense gazes from that distance was also unusual.

(But I heard something good. At that time, the number of gazes perceived by Sensei were two. Meaning that the other one should be a Russian spy other than Elensan)

With all the things she understood, Shizuno prepared herself even more for the worst.

– As for Senpai, your worries never ceased because making this happen wasn’t a simple thing, or was it? Did I guess it well?

– But it’s absolutely necessary to go to where Moroha is now! We don’t have time to listen to you!

The face in profile of Satsuki was filled with an expression of determination.

Sophia was overwhelmed by the contrast.

– Why don’t you pray and wait with me here for Moroha to win and return…? Or is that a no no?

– We’re sorry.

– But we can’t betray Moroha!

– I’m sorry too. I can’t betray my motherland.

I’m sorry, Sophia muttered, looking regrettable.

Each one of them had their convictions and so, those convictions collided with each other.

Affection tried to exists between those convictions, but they had no choice but to fight.

– Leave her to me!

Satsuki shouted and grasped at Sophia.

Her whole body was already and completely cladded in golden prana.

Satsuki, who only had opened the door of both hands, both feet and glabella, showed her latent energy as if a scene of a fire had suddenly occurred in this place.

– I-in what moment the prana covered Satsuki’s…!?

Sophia also let prana overflow at once to push her away, but Satsuki didn’t yield.

– I’m desperate as well! I’m growing desperateee!

Such stubbornness and such tenacity were biting at the power-prided Sophia with strength.

And then, her heart that thought of Moroha.

Shizuno couldn’t lose either.

– My thoughts become a blade        That will reach his heart.

She spelled a Search System Dark Art and made an illusion sword appear.

This sword perceived the heartbeats of the companions who were closely related to the caster but only when the distance wasn’t so far and pointed at him with the point of the sword like a compa.s.s.

Therefore, if Moroha went too far away, then she wouldn’t know what to do――but the sword strongly pointed at one point!

– Ranjou-san, there’s nothing you can do when the opponent is a B-Rank Shirogane.

– I know! It’s not like there’s a need for me to win anyways.

Shizuno made eye contact with Satsuki and pa.s.sed through the side of Sophia who was locked together with Satsuki. She broke through the gate and ran at full speed.

If wasn’t because the Dragon Staff Nagravitz was destroyed by Leshya, she would have no issues to entertain Sophia, but she had no choice than trusting in Satsuki.

Shizuno, whose body wasn’t trained, ended up increasing her breathing, she couldn’t even breathe out a feeble complaint.

(Stay safe you too, Moroha…)

Shizuno motivated herself and kept running as she was being guided by the illusion sword.

The cursed sword Leprazan.

The sword blade shone with indifference and let a sinister presence hang in the air as if making illusions of spurts of blood.

But for this reason, it was mysterious yet beautiful.

Moroha was genuinely fascinated by it, from a perspective that transcended right and wrong and good and evil.

Leshya was staring at the readied sword and remembered.

When he fought against Edward before, he saw the readied sword of Moroha,

『It’s a good sword. At a glance, it seems it can kill. If it’s further refined, then it can rival the cursed sword that “man-eater” has』

He said so.

After that, he continued again.

『Compared to mine, it’s a bit crude but――when you look at it, don’t feel disappointed, alright?』

And.

Now that Moroha actually had the cursed sword of “man-eater” before his eyes, he understood the feelings that Edward had at that time. While the mental image had been grasped in rapid advance, the polishing of the  Saratiga was still insufficient in his own memory, he felt awkward having to face each other.

(Still, I have no choice but to fight with it)

Moroha grasped the ID Tag with his right hand and poured his prana into the mental image.

A flash of light surged in the palm of that hand and the metal plate changed color as if it glowed in a red color and extended like a candy.

It formed a hilt that fit nicely in his hands, it formed an elegant pommel and finally it formed a single-edged sword blade.

An unrefined metal sword that was far from reaching the beautiful real thing similar to a mirror.

He made a fake Saratiga manifest and confronted Leshya.

Sword in right hand, right foot slightly set forward: his specialty had a peculiar stance.

He even brushed away his awkwardness, and threw out his chest with pride.

A certain proud feeling was allowed there.

The cell phone was left behind because it was getting in the way, but the ID Tag never left his body.

5 months have pa.s.sed since his entry to the academy and that made him notice that ‘I have gotten used to this “Akane life” to the bones’.

– What are you laughing at?

Leshya made the obscure prana from her whole body to sway and charged with G.o.dlike Movement.

She held the cursed sword horizontally, it was a thrusting stance.

– Laughing? Me?

Moroha also let prana loose from his whole body in an instant.

Right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, the glabella, heart and the point below the navel ――he drew prana from the seven gates that lead to divinity.

The color of that brightness was white.

Like, for example, the first magnitude star that descended to Earth. Sirius.

The glimmer, the st.u.r.diness, the quality, anything and everything were different from Leshya’s prana.

He also poured prana in the iron sword he had at the ready and stopped the thrust of Leshya, grazing it from below.

As soon as he touched the cursed sword, the prana that flowed in the sword of Moroha with his formidable ability was eaten.

The sword of Moroha turned into simple iron.

However, it seemed that there was no special power other than the pranmana of Leshya’s cursed sword that gulped it down.

The iron sword of Moroha firmly caught the thrust of the cursed sword.

He was able to bring in a blade lock*.

*TN: Blade lock is basically when two swords push each other.

On the contrary, he――

– Oooh…

Moroha boosted the prana of his whole body and made it shine even more whiter and whiter.

Then he transformed it into Strength and waved the iron sword in one go from the blade lock.

Leshya also tried to stand firm with Strength at once, but she couldn’t fight against the enormous prana of Moroha and was blown off to the back.

– So this is the strength of an S-Rank, huh…

She revolved in the air like a wood chip, lost her footing and lost her moving capabilities. The face of Leshya became pale.

Moroha wasn’t going to let that gap pa.s.s, so then he transformed it into a strong wind and went after her.

He poured prana into the iron sword again and now the sword blade was tinged with a white brilliance.

The Light Technique used wasn’t Venus but Saturn.

It struck the mind, cutting the consciousness, it was an act that made the opponent surrender without having them lose blood.

Moroha a.s.saulted Leshya who had no way to defend herself while being unable to move in the air with his sword in order to settle the fight with a single blow.

His body moved exactly as he imagined and a slash ran in the trajectory he drew in his mind.

The sword blade was about to be sucked into the chest of Leshya――but just before that――the brilliance of the prana was lost even when it didn’t touch the cursed sword.

– Guh…

Moroha groaned.

His body suddenly became heavy like lead.

Or as if the air ended up turning into water, he was unable to do any kind of movement.

Both of them were illusions.

He understood that the prana suddenly disappeared from the whole body of Leshya.

The ability of the cursed sword was turned「on」and all the prana of Moroha ended up getting eaten.

He degenerated from superman to John Doe.

Strength was lost and he lost G.o.dlike Movement.

He even lost his dynamic vision called Clairvoyance.

The essential senses in a battle such as physical sensation and sense of speed were entirely put out of order, and as a result, Moroha fell into an illusion like he had transformed into trash, he didn’t know what to do with his body that wasn’t acting as he expected.

– I’m in trouble…!

Moroha clenched his teeth, held a leg out, gave a step to the front and forcibly stopped the slashing attack that was swung from the front.

He couldn’t use Saturn now that his prana was eaten.

If the slashes were to continue, then ending up being killed by Leshya wasn’t truly impossible.

The chase was abandoned. During that time,

– The strategy of Kondrat seemed to not be futile.

Leshya performed a splendid ukemi* and landed.

*TN: The art of falling safely.

It wasn’t a Light Technique, but a physical and cla.s.sical form of martial art she trained to the end.

– I will take advantage of your softness without reservation.

The expression of Leshya became even more severe, she looked like she despaired the whole world and all that was in it, even herself.

Moroha got annoyed.

– I hear nothing but you repenting about it!

If your heart hurts so much, then why don’t you stop this a.s.sa.s.sination already!?

– Don’t interpret it to your own convenience.

Leshya warped her expression as if she endured the pain and slashed at him.

A compact swinging slash from overhead to the diagonal below.

This was also the essence of swordsmanship backed by a vast training that didn’t rely on Light Techniques.

Nothing was wasted, just like a machine.

Or rather, the technique itself that she had learned showed signs of a sword trained to the end.

– Die.

Moroha tried to catch the blow with the sword, but without the strength to make it avert well, stopping the blow wasn’t possible.

A heavy shock was transmitted to the blade and a heady burden affected his wrists.

While he endured so, another blow, a second slash of Leshya came, and made him turn when he received it again.

The swings of Leshya’s swordsmanship were fast because they were excellent. Speed gave birth to strength. And because there was zero waste in that killing form, the strength was 100% transmitted.

That was why the slashing attacks of Leshya, who was supposed to be a woman, were so heavy.

Kendo wasn’t done with a bamboo sword. Since the defense of Moroha was poor, his wrists were the only ones bearing the impact.

Leshya slashed back, thrust and cut more and more, she swung the cursed sword downward to cut him right in half.

Moroha kept blocking them with his sword.

For defense only. But, he stopped all the blows exquisitely.

The observation of Moroha wasn’t dead at all.

– You’re the first guy that eclipsed my sword without prana.

Leshya took a breath in a big way like a diver who took their face out of the water.

Her movement was like the one of a machine, but her body wasn’t made of machines.

Her efficiency kept fatigue within limits, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t entirely getting tired.

Since she kept wielding the sword made of metal and releasing powerful slashes with it, then fatigue increasing wasn’t a surprise.

The continuous attacks of Leshya stopped.

Moroha was waiting for a chance like this――

The last horizontal slashing attack was evidently light.

He caught it and precisely because he didn’t stop moving, he got into her sword’s reach and their swords locked each other again.

He couldn’t blow her away with Strength like he did not long ago, but he could do it with his own body if he were to keep pushing her down like this.

If it was about plain, pushing force between a man and a woman, then a portion of that axiom existed in Moroha.

– I remember that “if you feel that your opponent’s sword became blunt, then the standard move is to kill it first with a counter”, no?

– Yes, there’s that too, but I didn’t notice it. I’ll do so from now on.

– Like I thought, you are too soft.

A prana resembling a dark, big flame went up from the whole body of Leshya.

As soon as that happened, his sword was pushed back with a monster-looking superhuman strength.

Moroha opened his eyes wide.

Leshya had turned「off」the ability of the cursed sword!

Moroha also tried to push back with Strength without giving in, but in the end, the moment for that had pa.s.sed, so he ended up dealing with it a bit late. Time lag was slightly produced before he put it into operation.

However, in rapid battles where Shiroganes were good at, that “slightly” was sufficiently mortal.

A complete opposite pattern than the one of some time ago――Moroha was blown away into the air by Leshya’s Strength.

Naturally, and just as he did before, Leshya began to go after him with G.o.dlike Movement.

And just as before, Moroha couldn’t move in the air.

However, Moroha didn’t have a cursed sword to invalidate the prana of the opponent.

– Take this, Haimura Moroha.

Leshya turned into a swift wind with G.o.dlike Movement ――and right before that, Moroha shouted.

– Piercing will!

Coincident with the moment he put the spelling of two words into written form.

Psychic Spear, a Dark Art that emitted force of will and transformed it into a direct spear.

Leshya turned「on」the ability of her cursed sword and easily nulled the attack aiming at her lower leg.

Despite that, the cursed sword also indiscriminately ate the prana of Leshya and she lost G.o.dlike Movement to pursuit him.

As a result, Moroha, who shouldn’t have the cursed sword, succeeded in stopping the chase using the ability of the cursed sword. Moroha performed an ukemi (art of falling safely) and landed casually like a tiger.

The outwitted Leshya grinded her teeth.

As one of them was blown away, the distance increased, a short pause was made as they stood facing each other.

Both Moroha and Leshya were breathing heavily.

Not because they ran out of stamina. But because they were crossing swords with seriousness and that alone made their bodies and souls to be exhausted.

Moroha, who saw that Leshya burned with prana because the ability of the cursed sword was「off」, caught his breath with Naikatsutsuu.

– I thought that as long as this cursed sword is with me, then Dark Arts and the like wouldn’t be something enough to be afraid of. That was an error of mine.

– Isn’t Leshya being soft too?

– I can’t object that. Catching hold of the Ancient Dragon with my common sense was a mistake of mine.

Leshya put a serious look in her eyes,

– But more than that, something about you surprised me.

– Did I do something interesting?

-Your swordsmanship isn’t the one of a Shirogane.

– Were you disrespected by it?

– No. Ordinary Shiroganes rely too much on Light Techniques. I have never seen any other Shirogane other than me that trained swordsmanship and fencing itself.

Is that so? Moroha thought.

Those weren’t taught at Akane Academy and not even the members of Strikers had such special trainings.

Whenever he had the time for it, he refined the skillfulness of the Light Techniques with all his heart.

– That’s oddly thinkable to me. You are the owner of an unequalled prana. And sometimes, high-grade talent will make the value of the efforts grow dull. If yours were normal, then feeling like fighting while solely entrusting in prana should be the end.

– Unexpectedly, almost everything didn’t go smoothly in the beginning, so maybe I struggled a bit?

Moroha cracked a joke like it was other people’s affairs.

The truth was that he didn’t know. Particularly, Moroha’s memories of his previous lives were unbalanced.

The dreams he had were always about dreams were he killed enemies like Shura in an everlasting battlefield.

He didn’t know how Moroha of his previous lives grew up and how he got his powers. He didn’t remember.

But at the same time, he felt it like this.

In this body, flesh and blood――he felt like he remembered the soul in his roots.

Why was he so fixated on Natural Stance?

Why was he so fixated on having a straight posture, on his behavior and on all of his actions?

To stubbornly take a unique, peculiar posture? But why?

As Leshya said, normal Shiroganes weren’t fixated on that.

He was never strongly conscious about it until now.

But his body remembering it wasn’t evidence of that, or was it?

He not only relied on prana and Light Techniques since significance and value refined the essence of his swordsmanship.

Moroha boldly closed his eyes in front of  Leshya.

He faced his own flesh and asked it a question.

There was an answer.

The body, flesh and blood taught him.

“That the true value of  Flaga wasn’t something like this”.

“You have to sc.r.a.p off the rust and refine it more and more”.

“If Leshya is a machine, then you come together with the divine providence of the sword”.

(I see, I can still be fixated on that. And improve myself more)

If he borrowed Sophia’s speaking style, then that was “simpler”.

Moroha observed carefully.

And then, he made the prana of his whole body to depress.

Not because it was eaten by Leshya’s cursed sword, but by his own will.

However, Clairvoyance was maintained while the gate of the glabella was the only one open.

– What are you doing now, Haimura Moroha?

– Who knows? Shouldn’t you try it yourself?

Moroha carefully examined, studied and corrected his posture and his stance one more time so that they were really perfect, even the smallest detail.

That was an act of polishing and polishing and polishing oneself.

It was a ritual to transform oneself into a sword and train over and over.

– Understood. I won’t hold back now.

The prana of Leshya blew violently like a blizzard.

The distance was shortened in a distance by G.o.dlike Movement and she released a thrust.

The demon sword that was pushed out thanks to Strength tore the air and raised a buzz.

Moroha stared at it and tried to graze it from below, aligning the iron sword with the cursed sword.

– Do you think you’re capable of fighting against Strength with the physical strength of an ordinary person!?

Leshya roared, the savage superhuman strength that was put into the sword blade was going to attack him.

During that predicament――Moroha laughed fearlessly.

– I do.

He just needed to shift the vector of the strength only a little bit.

With that, he perfectly grazed the cursed sword and warded off the deadly thrust of Leshya; the iron sword of Moroha then slipped down to be sucked up by the torso of Leshya who pa.s.sed by him with the momentum of the charge.

Strength or anything of the sort wasn’t needed.

But a perfect intersection method, or as it was called in kendo, a nuki do* was decided.

*TN: 抜き胴: A kendo movement where the athlete has to hit the torso of the opponent while evading with a body movement the incoming hit on their head from the opponent.

Leshya, who ran past from behind to the back of Moroha,

– Unbelievable…

She talked to herself, dropping the speed while staggering.

She shouldn’t feel pain or even have a wound due to nuki do. Leshya protected herself with High Durability and Moroha didn’t use either Strength or Venus.

However, and as if she had received a big shock, Leshya stood stock still, without reacting as she turned her back on him.

– Leshya’s swordsmanship is great. The slashes waste absolutely nothing. There’s nothing off. I blocked them to the best of my ability but it was difficult to ward them off.

– That’s right. I improved my swordsmanship to the limits of my body so that a method of fighting like this one could be done.

– But when it’s not with just your body, like when you’re using Strength, you are doing it with all your strength. You rely too much on Light Techniques and there are some things off. That’s why you can’t ward it off.

– Wha…

He explained turning around and Leshya who turned around in the same way made her face go red.

Moroha was happy with the cute reaction that he was able to see.

Leshya was a woman that had limitations expressing emotions, but they weren’t zero.

Her heart hadn’t been destroyed by the Russian Division yet.

– Well, if it’s about unskilled ones, then we are on the same boat――

Moroha said leisurely as he held the sword.

– ――how much can you polish yourself from this time forward and have a growth where you can compete?

He got worked up like when he challenged someone at the trainings inside the  barrier.

– …!

Leshya flipped the cursed sword up as if she was overwhelmed and took a stance.

They went back to square one, the two swordsmen switched positions and faced each other.

While Leshya made her body become stiff.

Moroha was in a more natural, less strained and gapless stance.

Fist and fist met each other.

Obstinacy and pride met each other.

Satsuki’s Demolishing Fist and Sophia’s Demolishing Fist clashed head-on.

At the moment of impact, the shock spread in all directions as aftermath.

The gate made of metal and the iron fence were cracked by that aftermath.

The technique wasn’t an intricate, simple, unparalleled contest of strength.

Their techniques weren’t equal. Satsuki was being pushed.

They exchanged fists for an unknown number of times in an instant and that made her stagger. And made her stumble a few steps.

Compared to her, the tall figure of Sophia didn’t sway in the least.

The form they exchanged fists clearly decided so.

– I’m not done yet!

But Satsuki was in no way discouraged by it.

She pestered her to keep playing, she wished for another exchange of blows like a playful puppy.

– I can go for another one!!

A smile rose to the surface of her face from the bottom of her heart.

Whether she was pushed or was treated like a puppy, she wasn’t going to be pulverized.

Her power was the most famous in Akane Academy, her opponent Sophia surpa.s.sed even Isurugi.

That was a great achievement. And it felt great.

Satsuki, who hadn’t yet been acknowledged as a C-Rank, was capable of facing her with her own effort.

She was unable to take her eyes from Sophia who was going to try running after Shizuno.

(It was as Nii-sama said!)

Moroha always remonstrated her.

Satsuki’s power and toughness were her selling points as a tank type.

But Satsuki remembered she always complained.

She wanted to learn how to have a splendid method of fighting like the speed-specialized Momo-senpai or like the versatile Taketsuru-senpai,

(But I realized! This type of method fits me better!)

She raised the joy in her chest while clashing with the same tank-type Sophia.

Simple was fine.

A simple way was fine.

With an unbreakable heart, she pushed forward with intense concentration towards a single objective.

That was completely in her nature.

– Can you wait a moment please? I want to take a break.

What? It was Sophia who gave up first.

Since Satsuki’s role wasn’t to win but to let Shizuno go, she agreed with pleasure.

– I never thought that Satsuki would become so strong during the summer.

– You can praise me a little more, you know? Ho〜〜〜hohoho!

– I wanted to tell the persevering Satsuki that one thing.

– Well, whatever. Ho〜〜〜hohoho!

– How many gates have you currently open?

Satsuki didn’t notice that Sophia’s voice was trembling.

Because of that, she replied quite indifferent.

– Both hands and feet, the glabella and the point below the navel, so six! I’m in a perfect condition!

– Six… I thought so…

Satsuki didn’t notice that the look of Sophia was mixed with the shade of fear.

There were seven gates in the whole body of a Shirogane that pumped out prana.

A fully-fledged one could open all of them freely.

Satsuki wasn’t a fully-fledged one.

However, this not-fully-fledged one was able to clash with the number one power fighter of Akane Academy.

Satsuki wasn’t aware of it, but if Momo-senpai and Taketsuru-senpai were to do the same thing, they would be pulverized by Sophia in one blow.

– Alright. I have something to ask to the persevering Satsuki.

– Yeah, whatever. Ho〜〜〜hohoho!

– I want you to not die because I’ll go serious too.

– Why are you sa――what!?

Satsuki was stunned, but Sophia wasn’t joking.

She saw for the first time that the cheerful Senpai had a grim face.

– Whaa〜t? What’s with this moo〜〜〜d?

Where did her energy from a while ago go to? Satsuki began to tremble.

Her heart was pounding violently.

Sophia took out the ID Tag right in front of the one that was completely frightened.

– Ah, this is the first time that I see Sophie-senpai using it.

– There are reasons about why I can’t use it readily.

– Senpai asked me something not long ago, so I can ask as well, right?

– Of course, I don’t have the intention of hiding anything to my cute kouhai. I’m just like Taketsuru, you see. Without being able to get a great weapon in my previous life, I wandered from one after another.

While she was telling her about herself, the ID Tag of Sophia changed its shape.

It was a completely ordinary and very long iron spear.

Despite that, it looked firm and heavy.

When the tall Sophia raised it overhead, it was very impressive.

Satsuki also let a sword manifest from the ID Tag like she was stirred up by fear and while her own was cla.s.sified as small, it wasn’t terribly unreliable compared to Sophia’s iron cane.

– If I have to say why was that――it’s because there was no weapon that could endure my prana.

The prana of Sophia flew and spread to every corner of the raised overhead iron cane.

As soon as that happened, it appeared that the solid-looking iron cane started to vibrate as if it jarred and rambled eerily.

Satsuki was surprised. When she paid attention to it, cracks developed one after another on the surface of the iron cane.

As Sophia said, her prana was so powerful that it was too much for it and started to self-collapse.

– W-w-w-w-wouldn’t that weapon break if you give me a hit with it?

– Correct. There are no second hits for my Venus.

– If the weapon breaks, then the ID Tag should also break, no? And because it’s valuable you’ll get a good scolding if you lose it, right? S-so, let’s stop, please〜?

– The thing is that this is a direct mission of the Head of the American Division, so I think she’ll be happy to provide me a new one.

– T-that’s a waste! A waste of America’s resource strategy principle!

– There’s no use in arguing about it.

Sophia brandished the iron cane with all her strength.

Satsuki fell into panic. Her heart was about to explode.

But――

– Be brave and ignite your heart! I know that Satsuki can do it!

Although she was given a loud pep talk that was full of Senpai’s strictness and consideration,

『Your heart can burn. Rather, your core is strong, but your head is cool』

She remembered once again the main point that had been given to her by her former brother.

Satsuki’s head quickly grew cold.

Her loud heart played harmonious sounds naturally.

And then all seven gates were open, and Satsuki’s body was cladded in a golden glimmer….

The iron cane of Sophia was swung downward as if it commanded itself.

Satsuki was struck by that sword.

Venus was still unusable, and the pranless sword blade was destroyed in an instant.

Even though Satsuki was astonished, she wasn’t perturbed, and without a moment’s delay she crossed her arms, fired up her heart and tried to stop the blow with High Durability.

She didn’t forget the principle of「Easy to attack, hard to defend」, but she didn’t do it that way.

A huge ma.s.s-looking impact struck Satsuki’s arm strongly.

She would try crushing her to death at this rate!

Satsuki’s leg sunk into the ground like a stake.

The ground collapsed due to the aftermath of Sophia’s blow and formed a rift valley that extended in all directions.

The impact and the detonation were transmitted to the side of the distant lodging houses, breaking all the windows into pieces.

All the iron fences and the gate that were in the vicinity disappeared.

The destructive energy didn’t conclude because the weapon that should be the core couldn’t withstand it. It diffused interminably.

A blow of extraordinary scale. A preposterous waste of energy.

That was Sophia’s Venus.

Satsuki, who was struck by it, was hopeless.

Her whole body was worn-out, the combat uniform she expressly wore for this was shredded, she wasn’t in a shape were she could be seen by men.

Tears fell in drops, her voice wasn’t coming out due to the pain as if the bones of her whole body were directly hit with a hammer.

But she certainly endured it.

Sophia gently patted her head.

– Haaa, I give up, I give up. I can’t fight now that I lost my weapon. The Head of the American Division should conclude the same, so it’s my defeat.

Then she kindly hugged her.

– My persevering Satsuki-san! So cute, so cute!

She even rubbed her cheeks with hers.

Though the person in question was being kind to her, for Satsuki who was in that state right now, this was equivalent to being abused.

Satsuki endured the tyranny while weeping as she said “please stop” in a soundless voice.

She completed her role perfectly, she was helpful to Moroha, and that proud feeling made her withstand it.

Moroha continued polishing and sharpening himself.

He swung the sword, and the form.

He continued polishing and sharpening himself.

He warded off the slash with the sword, and that strange thing.

He continued polishing and sharpening himself.

He read the next movement of Leshya, and that precision.

He continued polishing and sharpening himself.

The moment the ability of the cursed sword was turned「off」, his speed using Light Techniques had no lag.

He took another good look at everything about himself and re-polished, re-sharpened and re-trained himself.

He developed as a swordsman every second.

He evolved as a Shirogane every minute.

The remarkable swordswoman called Leshya, the Saviorslayer of Saviors was the touchstone.

If it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t know when such day would come.

Even feelings of grat.i.tude sprouted.

– Shura.

Moroha held the iron sword in both hands and released a slashing sword diagonally from the shoulder.

The ability of the cursed sword was now「on」. Therefore, Moroha fought with his swordsmanship.

Leshya made herself vulnerable to slashes on purpose and stopped the blows with the sword.

The form without any waste generated shocks and Leshya who was struck by them grimaced.

Moroha pulled the sword in a fraction of a second and hit again.

Then again and again.

He cornered Leshya to a defense-only state, she made the cursed sword be the subst.i.tute of a shield and continued striking the heavy sword like “hitting the mitt” training in boxing.

As the impacts piled up and piled up, the wrists of Leshya became useless and lost the strength to swing the sword.

Moroha was doing so, he was fighting like that, the「status」difference as the only swordsman who could do it was already established.

– I can’t afford to lose…

Leshya raised a tragic but brave shout and turned 「on」the ability of the cursed sword to stand it.

She switched from swordsmanship to Light Techniques and tried to counterattack.

But then again, Moroha was faster in the battle.

An instant faster than Leshya, moving four times faster than Leshya.

He made the speed explode and attacked her with slashing attacks from all directions at a high speed as if misreading that he divided himself into four.

A way of walking crowned with the name of the first star of the North Stars and one of the 7 G.o.dlike Movement derived techniques.

Swiftly simultaneous connected attacks Donrou.

A fourfold impact attacked the readied sword of Leshya and at last, Moroha knocked down the cursed sword from her hands.

The repelled sword spun and spun, drawing a parabola and flew to the opposite side, stabbing the ground.

– Ah…

Leshya was lost for words.

But she immediately disheveled her hair and hurried to where the sword was.

Moroha didn’t stop her.

– Go ahead, pick it up. But I think the result will be the same no matter how many times you do it.

The ability of Leshya as a swordswoman shouldn’t be so low that she wouldn’t understand it.

– I have to kill you.

However, Leshya didn’t listen to his advice.

She stretched out her hand to the hilt of the cursed sword that pierced through the ground as if she depended on it.

You feel so much bitter towards me? The lamenting Moroha wasn’t so insensitive.

– This is for your younger brother, right?

The body of Leshya stiffened with a twitch.

So it was that, huh, Moroha nodded.

– Are you being taken hostage by Lightning Empress? And your little brother will be killed unless you kill me? Is that it?

– Something like that.

Leshya pulled out the sword, held it up one more time and replied while glaring at him with a sharp look in her eyes.

Moroha answered again while receiving it with a sincere look.

– If so, then I’ll help you.

– … eh?

– I’ll make sure to rescue your brother from Lightning Empress. If I do so, then Leshya will be free again. Right?

– What… what are saying? Do you get what…?

– I’m not a fan of bragging. I’m not saying that I can do what I can’t do.

– It’s impossible.

– It’s inevitable when I see you so helplessly――

Moroha covered his face with his opened right hand.

The man that completely overwhelmed “man-eater”, the trump card of Russia.

He sighed once and started talking.

– When I was a kid, I couldn’t save my parents.

He let his head hang and narrowed his eyes a little.

– I don’t want to have such feelings anymore.

He couldn’t talk without making bitterness and anger reveal themselves through his voice.

– I don’t want to let Leshya have such feelings.

He raised his eyes and pierced her with a strong look.

– That’s why, I’ll rescue him.

He declared resolutely.

Then he waited in silence. For Leshya’s reply.

– ……

Leshya didn’t say anything as expected.

But instead of that, the point of the sword she had at the ready was slowly going down.

It was over.

Moroha looked up at the sky with a smile on his face.

Unfortunately, it was getting cloudy. It was clear before departing.

Is it going to rain? And because of that, we’re safe now that the hiking is going to be suspended?

He casted his eyes downward while smiling wryly.

He heard something from afar.

The first was from the front gate, it sounded like a bomb that fell down.

No, there’s no way it is what I think it is.

But the other one surprised him.

Shizuno was calling the name of Moroha while running in this direction.

– Why… why are you here?

– Stop already! You don’t have to fight, you two!

She was unusually raising her voice. With an earnest look.

– What do you mean?

She arrived at last, put both hands on her knees and breathed heavily, and then he asked her while rubbing her back.

Shizuno regained her breath for a minute and alternately compared the faces of Moroha and Leshya who stood stock still while casting her eyes downward; it was really difficult to say something.

– What you have to say is something very terrible?

– Yes. It’s especially about Elensan, so will you calm down and listen to it?

– About me?

Leshya raised her face nervously.

However, she prompted her to talk by immediately putting a determined face.

Shizuno also threw away her hesitation and told them the frightening reality.

– Elensan. … You don’t have a younger brother.

As expected, Moroha also had his mouth wide open.

He earnestly searched for the small dimple that wasn’t appearing near the mouth of Shizuno.

But, Shizuno had a real serious look on her face.

– Urushibara Shizuno. I know that you don’t think well of me. But such an absurd lie is──

Leshya frowned and began to criticize her.

She was denied the existence of her dear family member. It was a natural reaction.

But Shizuno didn’t pull back.

– It’s not a lie, you know? I made use of a person who investigated you. The first is that there are unavoidable circ.u.mstances where you have to do exactly what Lightning Empress tells you to do, no? And your younger brother is involved in it, isn’t he? That’s how I think it is. Then I made her search for the orphanage where you were, and we heard of you from the director over there. But we heard nothing about your little brother. It appears that it made the director laugh, saying “she has no younger brother”.

– How importunate. What do you gain saying such li――

– The director said something like this, you know? In the night of a snow storm, he found and picked up a newborn baby that was abandoned in front of the orphanage. So, there are no weird stories where you have a blood-related brother.

– You’re very importunate, Urushibara Shizuno.

– Alright then, Elensan, can you tell me the name of your younger brother?

– Understood. I’ll tell his name to the stupid you. My younger brother’s name is――

Leshya clogged her throat.

– My younger brother’s name is…

Her facial expression that was before the eyes of Moroha grew pale in a twinkle.

– My younger brother’s name is… what… was it?

– What about his face? Do you remember it?

– His face…

– The color of his hair? The color of his eyes? Are the same as yours? How old is he? The difference in age you have?

– His hair… eyes… age…

Leshya couldn’t answer to any of them.

Her slender body trembled.

Her eyes caved in.

She grasped the pendant on her chest with all her strength.

– I don’t understand…. I can’t remember anything… Why… why… why… w…

She asked facing the heavens as if she lamented.

– Moroha couldn’t see that sad scene anymore.

– Care to explain, Shizuno?

– I’m sorry. As you would expect, I couldn’t investigate any more than this.

Moroha and Shizuno looked at each other’s unsatisfied faces.

And as if forcing his way through there――

– Hihihihi, Should I tell you then?

They heard an unknown voice all of a sudden.

A hoa.r.s.e voice like it was forcibly produced and made its throat to jar.

Moroha looked for the owner of the voice but he couldn’t find it immediately.

– Hihihi. I’m here, Haimursan.

The eyes of Moroha and Shizuno stopped at one point.

Where a black cat was crouching on the gra.s.s and was getting closer without being noticed.

– Nice to meet you, my name is Kondrat and I come from the Russian Division.

The black cat was speaking the human language.

There were so many surprising things today that Moroha ended up having his senses paralyzed.

Besides, the cat spoke trivially as if it were chatting.

– Are you going to explain or something?

– Yes, yes. It is as Urushibarsan says. Leshya has no relatives.

– What do you mean with that, Kondrat! If so, then why my little brother ――

– Hihihihi, that’s because I planted that in Leshya. The illusion of having a younger brother.

That was――a heartless explanation.

Moroha trembled in anger.

He grasped tightly the hilt of the sword, being almost painful.

– My Ancestral Arts implants illusions. Memories or the like that are certain things can’t be planted. But, you see, this thing called illusion is a nuisance. Human beings surprisingly get through it somehow or other without having considered anything deeply. The deceptions that may be noticed if they are suspected properly have been left alone for years. Why is that such a thing exist? The mistaken a.s.sumption when one had as a child is an embarra.s.sing thing after becoming an adult. Even if I show the way of using it well, it will just rack your brains, you know?

The one who insisted him to explain so was Moroha.

But he was intensely regretting that demand.

He wanted to pull out the tongue of the black cat that talked fluently.

– … I think they call it the heart of the people.

Moroha muttered due to the dark voice he had never heard before.

She does what she is told to for the sake of her dear little brother.

She kills people for the sake of her dear little brother.

She continues training to the extremes for the sake of her dear little brother.

She throws away all her happiness for the sake of her dear little brother.

She carries despair to the world for the sake of her dear little brother.

Such a terrible story for a girl.

Isn’t that cruel?

He says that this is the act of the same person?

But a fact was even more terrible.

Leshya muttered just a few worlds to herself.

– I see… so there was no one for me…

She couldn’t stand up and crumbled down where she was.

And sobbed like a child.

– I… I don’t care even if I die already…

She continued shedding empty tears from the hollowed eyes where nothing was reflected.

– Leshya!

The shout of Moroha didn’t reach her.

Leshya kept sobbing as if she had shut herself away inside.

– Hihi, it’s useless. The heart of a person breaks easily. I think no voice will reach her anymore.

– … what did you say?

Moroha thrust the point of the sword at the cat.

However, the black cat was sleeping while still being crouched.

– Hihihihi, now I’m here.

The words of Kondrat were heard from another place instead.

From Leshya’s mouth.

Her hollowed eyes――the eyeb.a.l.l.s themselves were dyed darky.

Her absentminded face was showing a wicked smile.

– Hihihi, taking over the body of a Savior is hard, but it’s possible if the heart is broken.

It wasn’t Leshya, but someone in the form of Leshya that laughed.

The black gem that hung from the neck and was on her chest was giving off miasma.

– Is that your body, Kondrat…?

– I’m sorry, but that is incorrect. Hihihihi, this gem is only a catalyst that relays my Ancestral Arts. Once I have taken over you, there’s no further purpose for it anymore.

As if to prove his words, Leshya… no, Kondrat, who took over her body, took off the pendant and tossed it away.

The miasma similar to a black shadow coiled around the whole body of Leshya.

– That’s… then, what should we…

The voiceless Shizuno at his side.

Moroha also lost conviction.

– Now, let’s try the power of the cursed sword, shall we?

Since he was able to control all the power that Leshya had, Kondrat turned 「on」the ability of the cursed sword.

Moroha felt an illusion where his body turned into lead.

The cursed sword didn’t turn invalid the possession ability of Kondrat. He was a rare user of Ancestral Arts, so maybe the ability wasn’t related to the Dark Arts or Light Techniques like the one of the Head of the j.a.panese Division.

– Well then, get dressed up for the continuation of the sword fight, Haimursan. Hihihi, your skill seems to be higher than Leshya’s, but can you really show your true strength while protecting Urushibarsan?

Shizuno slowly started realizing she was a burden, but it was too late.

Kondrat was going to delete the choices of Moroha one by one.

He cornered Moroha one at a time.

He had a wicked sagacity,

But for this it was awfully effective.

– You’re ready now, yes, Leshya? I’ll a.s.sist you perfectly until the end!

Kondrat raised a voice of joy and attacked using the body of Leshya.

– What “ready” are you talking about…? How is Leshya going to enjoy it…?

Moroha grasped tightly the hilt of the sword.

His palms were rubbed, blood oozed strongly.

– Hihihi, she’s enjoying it! She can complete the mission and be useful to  Vasilisa Yurievna!

– Don’t screw me around! You don’t even know a thing about  Leshya, do you!?

Kondrat raised the cursed sword overhead and slashed at him with a swordsmanship that wasn’t even a tiny bit different from Leshya.

– Shut up.

Moroha didn’t raise his face and stopped the slashing attack with his iron sword.

Kondrat pushed into the cursed sword by putting his weight on it but the iron sword of Moroha didn’t quiver.

– Don’t you dare to say anything else about Leshya…

– So you’re saying that you know more about Leshya? It has been only a week or so since then, not only that, she merely approached you to entice you, she only had a fake relationship with you!

– I know…

The docile side of hers: she easily ended up believing the second-hand opinion of others.

The really clumsy side of hers: she didn’t know that she was tricked to put on a cat ear headband.

The way-too-serious side of hers: when it came to dating, she was helpless, she didn’t separate their awkwardly linked arms.

She thought about her dear family and the depth of that love.

The devoted side of hers: for her brother’s sake, the sacrifices weren’t a problem.

All these things were good for Moroha.

All, all, all, all of them.

He didn’t want to lose any of them.

That’s why――

I――I’ll never allow anyone to steal from me.

Moroha raised his face.

A point-blank range where sword and sword met their tsubas*.

*TN: I was going to write guards but it might confuse people. Tsuba is the sword guard of a j.a.panese sword.

Kondrat was startled due to the carved, raging look that was just before his eyes.

But it wasn’t just that.

He was speechless watching the pure white prana rising up from the whole body of Moroha as if it were a cold and quiet flame.

The cursed sword now had its ability turned「on」.

And yet, Moroha was cladded in prana.

Sparkling like a star that came down to the ground.

It was an impossible thing.

– W-what the… how can this be…?

This wasn’t surprising at all for Moroha.

The cursed sword Leprazan ate prana.

In that case, if he squeezed out enough prana, too much of it to be eaten, then that was nothing but great!

– Oooooooooooooooooooooo……

A low, wild beast-like roar gushed out from the throat of Moroha.

In the same way, prana overflowed in rapid succession.

Moroha was, after all, just a metamorphosis with the appearance of a person.

In this way, and like taking a layer off something, the common sense of a person’s world could be overturned as much as one liked.

The amount of prana that Moroha was cladded in increased moment by moment even when the ability of the cursed sword was「on」.

However, it wasn’t enough.

This time it began to overflow and he poured it into the sword in his right hand.

The iron sword immediately began to vibrate like it creaked.

It started rumbling with an ominous sound.

Cracks were carved one after another on the surface of the blade that held back the cursed sword of Kondrat.

The prana that Moroha poured into it was excessively strong, rather the weapon itself wasn’t capable of putting up with it.

– Hih, hihihi, hihihihihihi. You are making it self-collapse, aren’t you?!

Kondrat sneered while pushing into the cursed sword.

– You’re b.a.s.t.a.r.d enough to lose your unique prana. The only thing that an inferior sword can manifest is sorrow――

– Hey.

Moroha didn’t particularly call out to Kondrat.

However, Kondrat was overpowered by the intensity of that voice and swallowed his frivolous words.

Moroha continued without worrying about his feelings at all.

– Till when are you going to sleep?

He called out.

To his own dear sword.

If the  mental image was still insufficient, then he had to continue polishing it.

He was going to sharpen it, even if it was by force.

He pulled and dragged the dormant sword from the depths of his long distant memories.

– Come――Saratigaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The cracks stopped getting in the iron sword blade.

On the contrary, the engraved cracks started repairing on its own.

Even the cloudiness that thinly covered the sword blade was cleared away.

As if an invisible swordsmith was polishing the sword.

No, as if it was being hit over and over.

A treasured sword with a beautiful sword blade that resembled a mirror manifested in the palm of Moroha.

Now, the「Holy Sword」was restored from the ancient times that exceeded 100,000,000 years.

Now that was over.

Shizuno and Kondrat scrutinized the dazzling of the sword blade that housed prana in it.

– Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Moroha roared even more ferociously.

He continued pouring prana into his dear sword while mustering all of his might more and more.

The holy sword Saratiga was, speaking figuratively, an eternal desert.

An endless, infinite dry ground that gulped down a liquid called prana.

No matter where the owner sprayed some water, the desert drank it up as much as it liked.

Its thirst couldn’t be healed.

But what if an eternal rain that could submerge the world in flood fell on that vast land of sand?

What if non-dryable water was pumped into it and drank it and drank it?

Rainwater would permeate deep into the earth and in the process the impurity would be removed, becoming a cool and clear large river.

As if it were a magnificent filter.

That was Moroha’s The Origin.

If there were 1,000 Shiroganes, it would be a useless object for 999 of them.

However, if that junk was in the hands of the protector of the holy sword, then it would become an unparalleled sword in the history of the world.

It drank the inexhaustible prana of Moroha, filtered it, and transformed it into an even more pure strength.

It was enhanced to be the whitest sparkle in the three-dimensional universe.

And made it sublimate to Ars Magna.

– ――Ruaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

Strange noises began to mix with Moroha’s strong roar.

*Snap*. Then another *Snap*.

Cracking sounds were carved in a hard thing.

Cracking sounds pa.s.sed through a metal sword blade.

The blade of Saratiga was as beautiful as a millennial non-fading mirror.

Cracks that resembled wrinkles of an old person were produced one after another in the blade of Leprazan.

Without being able to eat Moroha’s Ars Magna, it couldn’t stand it and started to self-collapse.

– ――Ruaaa!

Moroha rapidly swung Saratiga, forcing back from the blade lock.

Leprazan, the cursed sword of “man-eater”, was smashed into pieces.

Kondrat blurted out something, but Moroha gave him no time at all.

And hit him with the restored long sword.

Directly in the mind of the possessing Kondrat with Saturn.

– ―――――――――――――――――!

All the miasma that was coiling around the body of Leshya scattered away in an instant, without even being able to rise an agonizing death scream.

Exactly like a storm of light. A single blow of Moroha made it vanish like mist.

Sanity returned to Leshya’s eyes.

Moroha caught in his arms the body that was about to crumble.

In both hands.

The manifestation of the holy sword was only the miracle of an instant. It was still an incomplete reappearance. It quickly degenerated like a disguise coming off, it started to self-collapse and turned into pieces, scattering from Moroha’s palms.

But he wasn’t concerned about it now.

He held the body of Leshya who lost her strength in his arms and caught her.

– You’re safe now.

He whispered close to her ears.

– Don’t say lonely things or that you’re okay with dying. If you need a meaning to live, then I’ll be one.

But his tone was clear as if he went word by word in an easy-to-understand manner.

So that she could hear him this time.

To reach her.

– Because I’ll become Leshya’s family.

With those few words.

Leshya cried.

She cried aloud, but not because of despair, but for some other reason.

Then for what? She didn’t intend to ask Moroha about it.

The strength was returning to the arms and body of Leshya who would only fall if left alone.

He knew that the strength she was clinging to, was the strength of her feeling of wanting to live.

He had reached her.

There was no need to repeat those words again.

Moroha was truly satisfied, and he kept rubbing the back of Leshya sobbing in his arms.

The screams of Kondrat echoed in a dim room as if the darkness surrounded it.

– Gi…. iiiiiiiiiAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhh. My… my eyes h…. hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, huuurt, huuurt, huuuuurt aaaaaaa, aaaaaaaah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!

A man with eye bandages was shedding tears of blood from below them and writhed in pain on the carpet.

A natural phenomenon where his mind was burned directly was making him experience a pain that shouldn’t occur, furthermore, and different from common pain, his nerves weren’t either paralyzed or slowed. He was endlessly tormented by intense pains as if his brain was being dug out directly; he was about to go insane.

The pain was so much that he surely would have rather chose to die, and with the anguish showing signs of torture, there was no need to say Kondrat tore off the sofa and the bed, and that his nails came off and fell.

– d.a.m.n Haimura! d.a.m.n Haimuraaaaaaaaaaaaaa! How dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare you, how dare youuuuuuuuuuuu…! This pain won’t be forgiven…. This pain won’t be forgiiiiiiiveeeen….!

And finally he scratched off his body because of the pain, peeled his skin and gouged out his flesh. Kondrat continued using cursing words while his whole body got all b.l.o.o.d.y.

– Haimura… next time I’ll possess your family…. Since there’s no reason for me to take over the bodies of ordinary people…. First I’ll make your aunt hang herself in front of you…. Then I’ll make your uncle grab a knife and go on a killing spree! Obviously you’ll have no choice but to stop him with your ability, no? I’ll make you kill your loved family with your own hands! Hihihi, that’ll work! That’ll work, that’ll work, hihihihi! Such a good idea, I’ll do so! Yeah, I’ll do it like that, hihihihihihihihihihihihi!

He thought of a brutal revenge against Moroha, he dreamed about it and tried to counterbalance the pain somehow with the pleasure of it.

But he couldn’t do it at all, he kept trying comforting himself with more and more cruel delusions.

– You’ll immediately… you’ll immediately going to repay this resentment 100 times, Haimuraaaaa!

The miserable Kondrat was unable to stand up, and searched for the exit of the room while crawling.

And then he touched something and grasped to it.

It was the beautiful ankle of a woman.

However, Kondrat, who ended up having his sense of sight together with his mind burned, didn’t know that.

He tried to ascertain what that was by groping it, so he kept touching it.

Then――

– Who allowed you to touch my foot?

He heard a hair-rising voice painted with a silent anger.

It was really close.

He didn’t seem to mishear it, it was Lightning Empress Vasilisa’s voice.

The voice of the owner, a symbol of fear, was comparable to a thunder.

Kondrat made his skin have gooseflesh and fell all over himself, then got up somehow and prostrated before her.

Ironically enough, while he was flurried, the pain of his burned mind was forgotten.

– What is this that I heard by surprise? I see that you failed to defeat Haimura, yes?

– Pardon me! Her Majestyyyyy, I humbly beg you for your pardon!

Kondrat entreated while rubbing his forehead on the carpet.

– A failure only because of Leshya’s mistakes! I’m no more than a simple a.s.sistant! I kindly beg you to remember. The large amount of suggestions and the large number of merits I dedicated in favor of Her Majesty! I’m still useful. I’ll show that I’ll be useful, I’ll make my best exertions for the sake of Her Majesty! So please, please, spare my life!! And I will order to destroy Haimura this time!

He only licked her shoes, begging for his life with impetus.

He was startled, trembled and appealed to her while discharging snot.

He was waiting for the sentence of Lightning Empress without feeling alive, and he heard.

*Rustle* ――the sound of the rustling of clothes.

The sound of Lightning Empress turning on her heels and the bottom of the skirt that rubbed the carpet.

– Her Majesty has forgiven me!?

Kondrat raised his face vigorously.

He shouted in joy.

Those were his last words.

The sound of a lightning strike in the dim room as if darkness surrounded it reverberated.

– I don’t tolerate failure. There are no exceptions.

Vasilisa wrote carelessly her forte, an Eighth-Rank Dark Arts, and without turning around, she took her leave arrogantly.

She was too busy now, there were lots of things to be done.

– What can I say, I’m a fair ruler, aren’t I? The failure of “man-eater” won’t be tolerated either. Let’s see, who should I send――

Arrogant footsteps, a laughter similar to a pleasant, high-pitched ringing bell and an egotistical monologue disappeared into the darkness.

What remained in that deserted room was,

No more than a lump of charcoal that couldn’t even be called a burnt corpse.