Volume 6 Chapter 21 The World of Blue and White ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Domain Manifestation: **Azure Bolt¹—Thunderfall from the Heavens!**”
”Domain Manifestation: **Global Freeze—Snowball Earth.**”
A white tempest of absolute zero roared, threatening to consume everything. It was met by a jagged bolt of primary lightning, screaming down from a clear sky to scatter the frost.
Blue and white.
From the backs of the two young men, these two colors bled outward, rewriting reality. The two worlds collided, gnashing at one another in a desperate bid for dominance-until, finally, the tension snapped. The very fabric of space could no longer withstand the conflicting pressures and tore itself free from both their grips.
Shards of ice rained down like glass. The morning mist was shredded, reduced to nothing but thinning vapors. The two youths stood glaring at one another until, suddenly, Touma Yukinojo broke into a smile.
”Splendid, Naoshi-san,” Yukinojo said.
The words could have easily been taken as sarcasm, but Kazuramichi Naoshi simply smirked and took the compliment for what it was.
”Well, I’m plumb flattered to receive such high praise from the likes of you,” Naoshi replied.
Despite the playful tone, Yukinojo gave a solemn, respectful nod.
”You are truly formidable. That was the first time my domain² has ever been overpowered,” Yukinojo said.
”It might not be as flashy as yours, Yuki-kun, but my sky isn’t exactly something you can just toss aside,” Naoshi answered.
Naoshi maintained his breezy banter, but inwardly, he wiped away a cold sweat. In Yukinojo’s domain, he had felt nothing but the heavy, suffocating weight of absolute death. His gut told him that had he been swallowed by that white world, he wouldn’t have made it out alive. He wasn’t wrong.
”Indeed,” Yukinojo murmured. “It was a beautiful sky.”
And Naoshi found himself thinking: Thank God he’s still human. Even to someone like Naoshi, regular people often seemed ephemeral, fragile. Even among fellow exorcists, there were times he felt a weakness so profound it was hard to believe they were the same species. Compared to a monster like Touma Yukinojo, most humans were little more than flowers or insects.
”An endless horizon… so that is the strength you aspire to, Naoshi-san?” Yukinojo asked.
”Hey now, let’s not go over-analyzing me,” Naoshi said.
Unlike Naoshi, whose personality was often called into question, Yukinojo was hailed as the “Strongest”-the ultimate guardian of the people. As an exorcist, Naoshi found that fact immensely reassuring.
”Yours was a real nightmare, Yuki-kun. Couldn’t see a damn thing. Just… white,” Naoshi said.
”I suppose so. By nature, that thing has been inside me since the day I was born,” Yukinojo replied.
The blood of the ayakashi³. The lineage of the yuki-onna⁴. For a man like Yukinojo, that power was an inseparable part of his being, yet simultaneously a foreign toxin. A domain is the “true landscape” of a practitioner’s soul-an echo of their truest self that cannot be faked.
”There are moments when I feel my heart, my very blood, beginning to freeze over,” Yukinojo said.
”Hmph. And what’s your secret for keeping a lid on it? I’m dying to know,” Naoshi asked.
”My sisters,” Yukinojo said, a faint smile touching his lips. It was a warm, genuine expression-the look of a normal young man. “And my mentors, and those who will follow me. They light the path and remind me what I’m protecting.”
He chuckled softly. “I am an exorcist, Naoshi-san. Just like you,” Yukinojo added.
”I see. Simple as it gets, then,” Naoshi said.
A first-class exorcist possessed physical capabilities that transcended humanity. History was littered with the corpses of those who had mistaken that power for a mandate to rule. The “guardian of the people” role was often misinterpreted as a right to lead them, born of the delusion that “supermen” should steer the course of society.
”Are you satisfied now?” Yukinojo asked.
”To my very bones,” Naoshi replied.
In Naoshi’s view, that “superman” ideology was a fallacy from start to finish. In a primitive age, perhaps. But in a world as complex as this, a strong man was just a powerful fool if he thought he could lead by force alone. Humanity couldn’t go back to those simple times. Yet, the poison of eugenics often sprouted in the hearts of the most talented exorcists. It was the duty of an exorcist to pluck those buds before they bloomed. Knowing Touma Yukinojo showed no such signs was the best news Naoshi could receive-not just as a friend, but as a resident of Japan.
”Well then, enough jaw-wagging,” Naoshi said.
”Yes. Let’s reset,” Yukinojo replied.
Yukinojo raised his blade into the kasumi stance⁵. Naoshi countered with the tenchi jouge stance⁶, his hands split high and low.
The sound of a foot scuffing rose from beneath Yukinojo. The tip of his blade remained perfectly still, yet their relative positions altered. They circled one another clockwise, moving half a step at a time. It was a movement faster than the ticking of a clock, yet slower than the passing of a minute-a predatory dance as they waited for a lapse in concentration.
The tension stretched tight. Yukinojo moved so the rising sun was at his back. The wind kicked up.
A high-pitched shriek of metal on metal rang out. Yukinojo lunged, but Naoshi’s lead foot lashed out, parrying the tip of the blade mid-thrust. They collided, then vanished in a blur of movement.
They reset once more. Yukinojo retreated a fraction, his momentum broken twice now. The battle had taken on a strange inversion; the swordsman, Yukinojo, was the one struggling to close the distance into Naoshi’s lethal range.
”Haaaaaa!” Yukinojo roared.
”Hyah!” Naoshi shouted.
Lightning crackled. Ice crystals swirled. The sparks and frost decorated their private stage. A thin red line appeared on Yukinojo’s cheek, while a spray of crimson erupted from a gash on Naoshi’s face. The March wind carried the faint, metallic scent of blood. Despite the lethal intent behind every strike, the exchange almost looked like play.
As the distant hum of morning traffic began to signal the awakening of the city, the duel reached its climax.
Naoshi’s palm, wreathed in shimmering reiki⁷, stopped mere millimeters from Yukinojo’s forehead. Simultaneously, Yukinojo’s blade rested against Naoshi’s throat, leaving a gap no thicker than a strand of hair.
”A draw, then?” Yukinojo asked.
”Nah. It’s my loss,” Naoshi replied.
Yukinojo’s strike to the neck was a guaranteed kill. Naoshi’s blow to the head was lethal, too, but had he missed by an inch, Yukinojo might have survived.
”I find it hard to believe you’d miss, Naoshi-san,” Yukinojo said.
”Maybe. But your strike was a sure thing,” Naoshi replied.
Yukinojo considered this for a moment, then nodded and sheathed his blade.
”In that case… I’ll hold onto the title of Japan’s strongest for a little while longer,” Yukinojo said.
”What a waste. I really thought I might take it off your hands today,” Naoshi said.
Naoshi knew, even as he said it, that this was likely his first and last chance. They both had roles to play. Soon, he would succeed the Kazuramichi house as the pillar of Kansai. For the head of the Kansai faction to demand a death match with the head of the Kanto faction would cause an international incident. This moment-while he was still technically only the Acting Head-was the only window he would ever have to settle things with his fists.
”I suppose we’ll have to settle it with our track records, then?” Yukinojo asked.
”Heh. I guess that’s the true measure of an exorcist anyway,” Naoshi replied.
They would compete to see who could bring more stability to their respective homes, leaving the final judgment to history. That was fine by him. The path ahead remained the same; the title was just a little something extra.
”It was a magnificent bout. And I’m not just saying that because I won,” Yukinojo said.
”Is this where I’m supposed to act like a sore loser? Say I’ll get you next time?” Naoshi asked.
”If you do, I’ll just have to say I’ll win next time, too,” Yukinojo said.
Naoshi raised an eyebrow at that, and Yukinojo let out a rare, boisterous laugh. Their voices echoed through the March morning-a bright, clear sound, free from the heavy burden of their spiritual power.
”Naoshi-san… I’m leaving Kansai in your hands,” Yukinojo said.
”I was going to take care of it anyway, but hearing you say it… well, I guess I can’t go dragging your reputation through the mud, can I?” Naoshi said.
Naoshi took the offered hand.
”Right then. I’ll leave Kanto to you, Yuki-kun,” Naoshi said.
”Yes. I will definitely protect it to the end,” Yukinojo replied.
With a firm handshake, the two young men turned and began their walk home.
”Man, it’s already broad daylight. I can already hear Suzuri-chan grilling me about where I’ve been…” Naoshi muttered.
”Hahaha…” Yukinojo laughed.
The only duel between the strongest of the East and the West ended as quietly as it had begun, witnessed by no one. One remained, and one headed back to the sunset.
Their battle, however, was far from over.
—
Summary:
Naoshi and Yukinojo clash using their powerful Barrier Manifestations, resulting in a momentary stalemate that tears reality. After testing each other’s resolve and ideological stances, they engage in a final physical bout that ends in a mutual draw. They part ways as friends, entrusting the protection of the East and West to one another.
—
Character Insight:
Yukinojo reveals the burden of his inhuman blood and credits his family for keeping him grounded, while Naoshi confirms that Yukinojo lacks the dangerous ‘superman’ complex typical of powerful exorcists.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Snowball Earth’ reference refers to a hypothesis that the Earth’s surface became entirely frozen in the past, fitting Yukinojo’s Yuki-onna lineage.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Touma Yukinojo – The head of the Touma family, a prominent exorcist clan from Kanto. At just 21 years old, he is regarded as the strongest exorcist in Japan, known for his exceptional swordsmanship and mastery over fire. He is also referred to by the title ‘Ice Blade’, which scatters spirits, and is noted for possessing the ‘Divine Eye’, a unique ability that further enhances his prowess. Yukinojo is described as a handsome young man with the blood of a snow woman.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply