Volume 1 Chapter 25 Encounter III – A Blade Sharper Than A Gaze
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”By the way, was the purpose of today to show me this place and for my training?”
”No, bringin’ Suzuri-chan was just a side ‘thing’…”
After dealing with the ayakashi, Naoshi shook his head while dodging Suzuri, who attacked him as promised.
A silver blade barely missed his face.
”So, you really didn’t have any reason to trick me, did you!?”
”Come on, you’re havin’ fun right now, so it’s all good.”
”Wait──ugh!?”
Naoshi swept Suzuri’s legs and pushed her arms aside, making her fall.
As she lay on her back in the hallway, looking at him with resentment, he smiled and reached out to help her up.
”Shiun-san’s been askin’ me for help for a while. He wants me to dive deep into this place.”
”Deep?”
”It’s an unexplored area. They say they can control it to some extent, but it’s still expandin’. And while we’re at it, we’re mapping it out too. Well, we can only let people of 2nd class or higher in, just in case.”
Even though the scale is different, there are similar otherworldly spaces around.
The existence of spiritual paths connecting various places is the most notable, and many are designated as sacred areas or forbidden zones since ancient times.
In Kansai, for example, there is a side path to another world right in the middle of the Fushimi Inari Thousand Torii in Kyoto.
”Apparently, this place used to change structure every time I came here. Remember that big open area at the entrance?”
”Oh, the part that got dark at the edge? It had a strange vibe.”
”Exactly! Suddenly, there was a path openin’ up in that weird feelin’. We had to fix the entrance first ’cause we couldn’t just leave it like that. Then we solidified the paths we could make in the same way.”
”I could tell that a lot of effort had gone into this, even if I didn’t know the details. However, I didn’t think my family had anyone skilled enough for that…”
”That’s where yer dad’s good. He provided operational data and experimental locations in exchange for bringin’ people and budget from Kyoto and the Bureau of Onmyō.”
”Hearing ‘father’ from you, Nao-nii… sounds nice.”
”I thought you were startin’ to realize things, but you’re really too carefree. Aimin’ for first class is for yer family’s sake, y’know?”
Well, in reality, Naoshi was also trying to protect himself.
But just when he thought Suzuri was becoming more aware, she said something like this.
(What’s the teachin’ about? Am I the teacher here?)
”Well, it’s been decided for a long time that my brother will take over the family, so if I’m just a sharp blade, that’s fine.”
”Yer way of thinkin’ is too sharp. Of course, Suzuri-chan is expected to be a bridge to Shiun-san, but if you don’t know yer family’s situation well, people’ll look at you funny.”
It would be nice if she showed a bit more support for her father and brother.
As someone who has been helped by his uncle and pulled down by his cousin, Naoshi felt a bit sympathetic towards the Shiun family.
”Nao-nii seems to know this place better than I do, and since I have no plans to marry anyone other than from the Kazuramichi family, I don’t need to think about it.”
”Yeah…”
With those thoughts, Suzuri cut him off with a single word.
But if he pushed back here, it was clear that the blame game would start again.
”Um, so, today’s plan is to head to the unexplored area and stabilize it. I could do it real easy, but I want Suzuri-chan to get some experience.”
”You changed the subject.”
”I ain’t! Anyway, here’s the barrier talisman to stabilize the path.”
Saying this, Naoshi took out a bundle of talismans from his pocket and waved them around.
”Shh!”
Taking advantage of that moment, Suzuri’s sword aimed for his neck.
Naoshi quickly caught it with his left palm and frowned.
”Hey, ain’t it a bit much to hesitate against a guy you like?”
”It’s not just a ‘guy.’ I’ve been serious for ten years.”
”That’s even worse; what you’re doin’ is like a yandere.”
”How rude! It’s pure love!”
”More like a psychopath’s mistake…”
As Suzuri resumed her attacks, Naoshi dodged and blocked while backing away deeper into the dungeon.
”Still, I think I understand that I can’t reach Nao-nii yet!”
”I trust you. I wonder what kinda face you’d make if I accidentally cut ya really badly.”
”I think that’s beyond bad taste… But yeah, if that happens, I’ll lose it and cry like a little kid.”
”Is there really a way to threaten like that? I don’t think it’s good to mess with me too much.”
”If you say we’re canceling now after coming this far, I will really cry!?”
”You’re always cryin’. No, I mean about the match tonight, not the other thing?”
”Huh? Oh… I see, that’s confusing. Nao-nii’s way of saying things is bad.”
”No, you should understand that from the flow of the conversation. Why’re you misunderstandin’? Is yer head all pink?”
”Nao-nii──.”
With a sudden step forward, a 3-step thrust comes at him.
”Sorry!”
But it’s faster, sharper, and without hesitation compared to before.
Naoshi can’t help but smile ironically at the fact that he feels the results of his student’s hard training on his own body.
”That’s quite the false accusation.”
He twists his body to dodge the first and second strikes, and for the third, he uses his left hand to deflect the blade’s path and avoid it.
”Ugh!”
”Clumsy.”
Before the sword can be pulled back, Naoshi steps past Suzuri and, as they pass each other, he gives her a strong slap on the backside.
”Yow!?”
With a loud smack, Suzuri’s body straightens up as if she had swallowed a stick.
”Even if you train yer skills, if you don’t show ’em properly, it’s useless. You can’t just rely on force to get through, y’know?”
Before Suzuri can turn around in a panic, Naoshi closes the distance again, getting close enough to be in her personal space.
”So, with Suzuri-chan bein’ trained as an underdog for life, there’s no way you can beat me, right?”
Saying this with a teasing smile, Suzuri leans back.
”Y-You’re being way too harsh!”
As she whispers about how close their faces are, Suzuri tries to jump back to create some space.
”But it’s the truth.”
Naoshi follows her closely, maintaining that tight distance.
The girl runs backward at a decent speed while the boy chases her, and they switch directions, starting a strange parallel run again.
”Well, you might be strong enough to handle it, but if you keep losin’, it messes with yer mental state. That’s why I say it’s not good to only fight with me.”
”Wow, I didn’t expect Nao-nii to understand that!”
”Oh, and after 3 more steps, turn right at 30 degrees. Am I becomin’ a perfect and invincible idol in yer mind, Suzuri-chan? I’m not that extraordinary.”
It’s hard to create opportunities to attack while running backward, and it tends to get too repetitive.
Naturally, this time Naoshi attacks while Suzuri defends.
”Yeah, I do think I’m a total player.”
”Then, like yer friend said, you should wake up quickly.”
”No way… ugh!”
Naoshi’s punches and kicks hit Suzuri’s body without him caring about her trying to block with her sword.
They lose their force just before touching her body, but still convey a small pain that suggests this should have ended the fight.
While talking about mental care, he keeps hitting her like he’s trying to break her spirit.
”That’s pretty harsh. But I’m still ‘the best in Kansai.’ There are still people above me, and I know it’s tough until you become somethin’, so I understand.”
”With that said, your reputation is pretty terrible.”
”People who are weak can only whine, that’s why they stay weak. If they just talk or get beaten up in fights, they ain’t gonna get far after that. That’s what I hear, anyway.”
”Nao-nii’s teacher is──”
”Yoshitora, my great-uncle. He’s the youngest brother of my grandpa. Just thinkin’ about when I started trainin’ makes me break out in cold sweats. Had my ribs broken more than once.”
”I remember him being a kind person.”
Suzuri looks confused.
”Ah, that old man’s soft on girls ’cause he only got boys in his family. He got spoiled by Ako-chan so much she avoided him. Serves him right.”
As Naoshi sticks out his tongue while saying this, Suzuri’s expression changes to one that looks fond.
”Well, I can see that Nao-nii really loves Yoshitora-san.”
Hearing this, Naoshi suddenly stops in his tracks.
”Uh, wait──Nao-nii
In a hurry, Suzuri also stopped running backward.
Naoshi, with a serious expression, told her.
”That’s unexpected. What’re you on about, Suzuri-chan? Wish you’d stop.”
”No, but you always talk a lot more when it’s about certain people.”
”…Really?”
”Yes, it’s true. Especially when talking about Touma or the head of the Kurushima family… Oh, and Yuzura-san sometimes talks about things that aren’t even relevant.”
”Ugh… that annoys me, so let’s avoid those topics for a bit.”
”Well, I think it’s too late for that now.”
”Oh, but if that’s the case, can I talk ’bout when we found Tama-chan at Kurosu-san’s with Yuki-kun and the others?”
”How am I supposed to feel about that…?”
Suzuri complained with a glare, but in the end, they took a short break.
As expected, Naoshi’s story was long.
* * *
”Ah, right, Nao-nii, since we’re staying over tonight, what are the plans for tomorrow? I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to plan a date in Umeda again.”
”Ah, sorry. I’ve got somethin’ to do in the afternoon tomorrow. Can only hang out ’til breakfast.”
”…Another girl?”
”Lower your voice.”
”Is it not true?”
”Well, you ain’t wrong about that.”
”Hmph, is it the other person you mentioned before? No, it’s fine. I’m sure you have a prior engagement, and I’m just an afterthought.”
”Come on, Suzuri-chan. Jealousy ain’t your style. Messes with your cute face.”
”I don’t need that. I have no cuteness anyway.”
”You’re really sulkin’… But don’t you think all my plans are ’bout girls?”
”Isn’t that the case?”
”Well, tomorrow’s like that, but sometimes it ain’t.”
”That sounds unconvincing…”
”Isn’t that harsh?”
”Maybe you should reflect on yourself a bit? So, what plans do you have that aren’t related to girls?”
”Um…”
After looking at his smartphone calendar for a while, Naoshi smiled as he looked up from the screen.
”Let’s call it a draw.”
”You, cheater──!”
”No, no, since my main interest ain’t here, it don’t count as cheatin’.”
”So what about the plan to marry me in 3 years!?”
”That plan starts with your first-class promotion, and it’s still undecided… Oh, wait, wait. Just noticed I got somethin’. Volunteering for trash collection.”
”Volunteering? That sounds like something that doesn’t suit you, Nao-nii… and it’s not just picking up trash, it’s collecting it?”
”That’s right.”
”Cleaning a reservoir or something?”
”Nah, it’s at Takatsuki, at a place called Anjou or Banjo. If I let those useless trash people scatter their lives, I’ll teach ’em a harsh reality and save ’em later.”
”Is there really such a low-level volunteer work…!?”
”Then should I not practice?”
”No, that would definitely be better, but is it at Takatsuki’s… oh, you mean Nanjou?”
”That’s it.”
”No, it’s not just ‘that.’ As the Acting Head of the Family, you should at least remember the name of the place you’re going.”
”There’ll be a nameplate there, so as long as someone remembers it, it’s fine. What matters is my trained skills.”
”While it’s true that Nao-nii is in a position to use people… So, you’re going to Nanjou’s place?”
”Oh, you know someone there?”
”Yeah, the second daughter is a second-class exorcist and in the same grade at school.”
”Wow, sounds like a good one. Then I’ll make sure to make her laugh.”
”Nao-nii…”
”You better know your place early, alright? Remember that?”
”Ugh.”
”But if she’s your friend, you should at least greet her. What’s the second daughter’s name?”
”Well, we’re not that close. I’ll say hi if I see her… but do you want to know if she’s pretty or not?”
”Eh, that’s got nothin’ to do with practice. You think I enjoy teasin’ pretty girls? Ain’t my kind of hobby──.”
He was about to say that, but Naoshi remembered the recent battles between Suzuri and the oni. And the excitement from those moments.
”Actually, that might be unexpectedly fun.”
”Nao-nii!?”
”I thought I liked older, beautiful girls, but now I feel like there’s somethin’ interestin’ about teachin’ a younger girl with a strong personality. Thanks, Suzuri-chan.”
”I feel like I’ve made a huge mistake…”
”Don’t worry ’bout it. I won’t bully anyone weaker than me, alright?”
”It seems like you can’t hide your arrogance. With you, Nao-nii, it feels like it would just be bullying weaker people. Plus, I don’t like the idea of other girls being taught either…”
”Suzuri-chan, your feelings are really complicated. You okay?”
”It’s no good. It’s definitely your fault, Nao-nii… hm.”
With half-closed eyes, Suzuri was questioning Naoshi when she suddenly looked back down the hallway.
The atmosphere changed, and Naoshi smiled to himself at how quickly she became alert.
”It seems like someone has been following us.”
”Yeah, for a bit now. Don’t know who it is, but they must want somethin’ from us. Well, it ain’t easy for just anyone to sneak in here, so let’s meet ’em.”
Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
As a figure appeared around the corner, Naoshi’s expression turned serious.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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