Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata vs Jeanne d"Arc
Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata, vice-captain of the s.h.i.+nsengumi.
Jeanne d"Arc, Maiden of Orleans.
The two of them stood in the center of the colosseum.
When they appeared, the spectators erupted into cheers.
The two Heroes were very popular with the soldiers.
And now that pa.s.sion had spread to the common folk as well.
"Woah! Go Tos.h.i.+zou! I put money on your victory!"
"He is so beautiful!"
Tos.h.i.+zou was especially liked by women.
"Saint Jeanne! Make me your slave!"
"You look radiant today as well!"
Jeanne was liked by a wide variety of people, but perhaps a little more by young men than others.
They seemed to have an equal amount of support.
The odds seemed to be quite similar as well.
Of course, not many had actually come to place bets, but they just wanted to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
I thought about this as I went to my seat. Loud cheering followed.
"It"s Demon King Ashtaroth!"
"Our king!"
"Thank you for opening the colosseum!"
Words of praise flew from the crowds.
However, I was not the one they were here to see.
And so I raised my hand for silence, and a hush fell over the crowd.
It was almost as if the crowd was used to this, but it turned out that Eve had made a speech prior to my arrival and instructed them.
Really, she always thought of everything.
I glanced over to her and she smiled.
She was happy that things were being carried out very smoothly.
And so I hoped that things would continue to go according to her plans.
And then I began the speech.
"Today, for the entertainment of you, my people, Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata and Jeanne d"Arc shall resolve their grievances with a battle of swords."
Tos.h.i.+zou then unsheathed his Izuminokami Kanesada sword.
Jeanne removed the holy blade, Nouvelle Joyeuse, from her back.
Tos.h.i.+zou"s sword shone like a work of art.
The holy blade shone with G.o.dly power.
They were very different, but both were blades of masters.
However, this was not a serious fight.
It would be folly to use real blades.
Only an idiot would risk one of his valuable generals being injured in such a fight.
And I gave my goblin orderly the swords that I had made.
The goblin asked me,
"Demon King? What is this?"
"These are bamboo swords. A practice sword made of flexible material."
"It is very soft. They will not be injured if they use these. Did you invent these, Demon King?"
"No, it"s something I dug up from old memories. Not from my world, but in this country called j.a.pan."
"Ah, you are full of knowledge, Master. It is astounding."
"It"s all derived."
"So, is this very different from a wooden sword?"
"Wooden swords can kill if you make a mistake. I would say these are slightly less dangerous."
"Still, if they are less dangerous for practicing, won"t the fighters become weaker?"
"Hmm, I don"t know about that. It is said to be made by Kamiizumi n.o.butsuna, one of the best swordsmen in the country. His style soon dominated j.a.pan and became the style of the leaders. And as it was an age when swordplay was the most important, one might believe that it contributed to its importance."
The goblin nodded with understanding. Then he took the swords to the two fighters.
Tos.h.i.+zou picked it up with a look of nostalgia.
"Though, the Tennenris.h.i.+n-ryu did not really use bamboo swords."
He muttered.
Jeanne looked at the unusual sword and bit into it.
Perhaps she enjoyed the smell of the bamboo.
She realized then, that it wasn"t food, and she began to test its grip.
Jeanne seemed to appreciate the lighter weight, as she said,
"My holy sword was made just for me and is very light. As I am used to light weapons, I will probably have an advantage."
She grinned.
Tos.h.i.+zou replied,
"As a j.a.panses man, my ancestors will be incredibly disappointed if I lost a battle with a bamboo sword."
He began to swing it.
They tested the swords for about three minutes before moving to the white line.
There they stood, a short distance away from each other. It was where the fight would begin.
There were a few meters between them, but to them, their opponent was only barely out of range for a terrible attack.
That meant that they only needed to take one step forward to unleash a powerful blow.
When they stood on the white line, the buzzing of the spectators died down.
They were all concentrating on the two fighters, intent on not missing a second.
And it was when that concentration reached its peak that I raised my right hand.
And then lowered it.
"Begin!"
At that second, the fight between the two Heroes began.
Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata vs Jeanne d"Arc. The long-awaited battle.