CH 92

At the center of the violently blowing squall stood Aero.

She was clad in a green dress, and the sword was not in her hand anymore.

“What is that… You threw away your sword?”

“Threw away my sword? Don’t talk foolish. My sword is all this wind”

Like a conductor, she swung her arms.

And as if abiding that, the wind sprung forth and began to enclose Ramina.

“<Storm Bringer>”

“Not good!”

Ramina released an iai cut.

One attack with maximum power put in.

However, cutting up the wind current, which has turned into a wall, was already beyond her power.

“Tch… it didn’t work”

“It’s futile. You cannot cut the wind”

“Kuh…”

Little by little, the wind walls drew near.

Despite not yet touching them, new wounds had already begun to appear on Ramina’s body.

“Now, die in obscurity within”

The wind wall increased its speed at once and swallowed up Ramina, who was inside it.

Pitifully, her body was turned into pieces by the tornado that is equal to many blades swirling around… is what did not happen…

“So you escaped from above after all!”

“Gh!”

Ramina escaped by jumping up.

A tornado basically means that there is an enclosure in the center.

It is difficult to call it an enclosure due to having been narrowed already, but she had at least the time to be able to escape in an instant.

However, Aero naturally anticipated that.

“Hah!”

The blade of a gale made an assault towards Ramina, who could not move around in mid-air.

“Air Walk!”

Ramina chanted Air Walk against that.

Kicking the air, she avoided it to the side.

She was grazed due to the widely spread attack, but it did not make a direct hit.

And then she kicked once more, instantly drawing near Aero.

“Second Iai, <Twin Fang>!”

“Guh”

<Twin Fang>, an Iai technique, whose speed is considered the best and whose purpose is to hit with certainty.

Firstly, a regular Iai cut would be released and secondly, it returns once to the scabbard and this time an iai cut is released once again with the opposite side.

By doing those series of actions rapid enough to do it in one breath, it would make one feel like they were cut simultaneously.

Originally it’s a technique that makes use of force by stepping strongly on the ground, but Ramina performed that in mid-air.

Despite that being the case, her swordsmanship was beautiful and powerful.

Aero, after being fascinated for a moment, came to her senses and defended the first attack with her arm.

However, the blade reached her body before she could deal with the second attack.

A shallow cut was made close to below Aero’s chest, making her spill blood.

In response to Ramina, who tried to do another follow up attack upon landing, Aero dodged the attack by leaping behind.

“I didn’t think I would be injured in this state…”

Aero was somewhat shaken.

Originally, she should have defeated her by the coordinated technique back then.

However, the result was that they were splendidly avoided and she was attacked until she bore a wound.

She had not experienced fighting this long with “mankind” in the past.

“However, your feet are already useless, aren’t they”

“ …”

Ramina’s right foot was cruelly full of wounds just by looking at it, by the wind she was grazed with when she escaped the tornado and dodged in the air.

Her left foot had few wounds and could move sufficiently, but keen movements were no longer possible.

“If you kneel now, I will send your head flying instantly. But if you still feel like fighting… don’t think you can die so easily”

Aero’s intimidating air emitted the highest pressure until now.

Receiving from the front, Ramina extended her hand to the sheathed katana without turning away her straightforward eyes.

“Throwing down a fight is impossible for me. I shall have you accompany me to the end”

“ … So you want to die”

Ramina took an Iai stance and sharpened her senses.

It was in a manner where no unnecessary strength was put in, and which did not let her feel the pain on her wounds.

“If you want to suffer then just as you wish! I will cut your limbs one by one and slowly mince your body!”

“ …”

Aero released a gale of the largest scale so far.

While putting large cuts even on nearby houses, the bladed gale drew near Ramina.

“ … Final Iai, <Zero>”

Ramina strongly stepped forward with her left foot.

Blood spouted out the instant she stepped the ground on her right foot, but she did not look like she minded it.

With smooth movements, the drawn katana was swung as it held a white radiance, cutting the wind and bisecting Aero’s body, who was not in a location where the katana could ever reach.

“Wha…t…?”

What she recognized was that the wind she released was cut and dispersed.

As if an unseen cutting attack had bisected only Aero’s body without scratching the nearby houses at all.

The short moment until she fell to her death, Aero continued to ponder to the true shape of that technique.

In the end, she was unable to learn of its true shape, even when she completely lost consciousness.

“It seems you couldn’t see it, I’m relieved. I can still fight from here on”

The timing when Ramina sheathed her katana and half of Aero’s body dropped to the ground were simultaneous.

“Kuh…”

The next moment after sheathing her katana, Ramina lost all her strength at once and fell on the ground.

“I lost… too much blood I guess… I can’t move. I hope Jion and Setsu are alright…”

While resting her body face up, Ramina continued to worry over the two.

◆◆◆

“Gah… Hah”

“ …”

I kick the face of Mirage who has fallen down.

“Uguh”

I put one punch onto her body when she greatly bent backwards and timing her bending forward and her face sticking out, I drive a high kick on her face.

I grasp Mirage who was flying to a side road with earth-shattering speed, push her to the ground and strike her face.

“Gafuh”

Barrage, barrage, barrage.

Not minding it despite denting the ground, I did nothing but strike her.

This woman’s mirror shields and my copies finally caught up when I did so, so I smash the mirrors and roundhouse kicked one of my copies to death.

When I killed one, its figure returned to the mirror and disappeared. I see.

“B- be damned”

“So tenacious”

“Gofuh”

When I kicked her stomach, she flew while gouging out a straightened path.

Is it about time for the residents to notice the disaster and come out? Well, whatever, doesn’t matter.

“Haa… haa… You, what is that power…”

“Does it matter? That kind of question that is”

I close the distance with a kick, hold Mirage’s head and struck it on the ground.

A spiderweb shaped crack spread, and a groan leaked out from under my hand.

I raise “that” up and sink it to the ground many times over.

“ … You’ve gone quiet”

“ …”

Around the time cracks started to appear even onto the nearby houses, she finally stopped groaning.

Did she die? If she fainted, then I’m gonna have to deal the finishing blow――――――――――

“Gh… Haaaaaaah!”

“W-!”

Suddenly opening her eyes, Mirage pointed the palm of her hand towards me and began packing energy.

Is this divine power?

“Think I’ll let you?”

“Guh… Just this much!”

I once again struck her to the ground, but her hand was still pointed at me.

I thought about brushing it away, but the next moment my field of vision was dyed in light.

I broke through a second storey house and revolved in mid air after been blown away upwards.

My upper body was burned here and there. I also feel some pain.

But it’s not so much to make a fuss about.

“Struggling in vain eh?”

“Haah… Haah…”

When I landed and returned to where I was with a kick, Mirage was glaring at me while breathing with her shoulders.

She’s already tattered.

According to Stroh, sacred swords don’t seem to be able to regenerate themselves.

In other words, if I inflict this much damage on her, then I have essentially won.

More importantly, one more attack might be plenty with her in this state.

“Are you prepared?”

“Fuh… The one who should be prepared would be you”

“Ah?”

The next instant after I held doubt on her words, I suddenly lost strength in my whole body and went on my knee.

“ …Don’t tell me, already…”

Gradually my emotions are coming back inside my head.

I haven’t fought for three minutes yet and yet I used up my divine powers.

This is strange, I’ve come to have plenty of it from the few days of training here and yet…

“From your calculations, you should have a little more time to move isn’t it? But, you are yet unfamiliar with the way to use divine power. If you use it that violently, then I would expect you to reach the bottom soon. In truth I have hardly gotten any damage in the latter half, you see”

“Damn… it…”

My body is heavy.

But I have to stand up somehow.

Even she should be bearing quite the damage.

If it’s now, then… Gluttony will work.

“Come! <Gluttony>!”

I grab and pull out the sword handle that appeared from the empty sky in response to my call.

Its ominous blade manifested and drool dribbled from its mouth.

“So you still carry some hidden power”

“Haah!”

“Hmph”

I swung Gluttony, but it didn’t hit.

Not good, I’m too slow.

Mirage’s movements were awkward, but much better than someone like me.

“I’m returning the favor”

“Gah――――――――――

Mirage’s foot sunk into my stomach.

By the time I noticed, I was sent flying, back to the road where I kicked her flying.

My body finally touched the ground and rolled about several meters.

Then I noticed that I returned to all the way near the inn.

How far have I been sent flying, me…

“Mr Setsu!”

“Gh… Mi- Mira…?”

Mira, who was hidden under cover, rushed over to me who had fallen senselessly.

I see, so she woke up.

Then I have to get her to escape quickly…

“Mira, there should be a black haired kid inside the inn. She’s a companion of mine, so go and hide at her place for now”

“No I can’t! You should go too Mr Setsu!”

Mira pulled my arm after I managed to stand up.

But, I shook her off and readied Gluttony.

Because Mirage is already closing in on us from the front.

“Hmph, you are also the tenacious one I see”

“ … Screw you”

This bitch… her wounds are already gone.

Do swords these days have regenerative abilities?

Not to mention her garments… huh?

Something feels out of place here doesn’t it?

‘Unlike you “Mankind”, sacred swords possess neither recovery spells nor self repairing features. They are originally at most “objects” after all. There are no other methods to repair them beside restriking them again’

“That’s why… it’s over once you give them a mortal wound…”

If I recall, that’s what Stroh said.

That’s why her wounds are impossible to heal.

No, well, it’s her, so she may have said something careless, but…

“ …”

Just for a while, the worst assumption came to mind.

I hang my head and lowered my arms.

“What, are you giving up? That is not even unreasonable. I was surprised that you used divine power, but your body is that of “mankind.” You cannot win against us”

“Mr Setsu…”

Mira was shivering in fear behind me.

I grit my teeth and thrust Gluttony――――――――――――――

――――――――――――――――into Mira.

“H… huh…?”

“ … So I was right”

Mira held a knife in her hand with a blade beautiful enough to reflect our faces.

That knife stopped just before it was stuck on my back.

I pulled out gluttony with my back turned to her and confirm Mirage in front of me.

“To think that that body was a clone”

Cracks entered Mirage’s body and it then crumbled together with the sound of a breaking mirror.

After it went that far, I properly look over my shoulder and once again overlook Mira, who was the mirror magic sword Mirage.

She, who had fallen down face up and was grasping her wound, was unquestionably the inn’s daughter Mira.

“How… did you know?”

“I’ve heard sacred swords can’t fix wounds that are put on them. First it felt out of place when she appeared unhurt. And… I thought that it was strange that both parents were a sham and yet only the daughter is genuine”

If both parents were those two swords, then of course they should come out as a random attacker at night.

And if they come out every day like that, then even the daughter should notice it.

Then the two swords would consider such daughter a hindrance.

No, they should consider her a hindrance even if she didn’t notice.

It’ll be an emergency even if they’re suspected by one person.

That’s why they would first kill, since it’ll be a problem if they’re suspected.

That’s all they have to do if they do the job of a random attacker.

But, Mira is alive.

If that’s the case, then there’s only two possibilities I can think of. 

The possibility that she can suspect them and so they left her be.

Or… the possibility that someone changed places with her.

“Your ability is handy you know. If you feel like doing it, you can copy appearances, personalities, everything. The disguise of the two were your work too right?”

“ …That’s right”

If they have her ability, then it’s possible to copy personality and appearance to them and sound like the spitting image of them.

In that case, what’s most likely would be that they were replaced.

“It was my intuition that put on the possibility that you were the main body. I think I’m really glad I was right”

“What if… I had been the genuine one?”

“At that time I can just bring you back to life. Gluttony has that kind of power too”

If I kept fighting the clone like that, then I would have lost.

That’s why the cause of her defeat was merely the fact she let Mira approach me.

“So unlucky, aren’t you”

Right, she was unlucky.