Volume 2 Chapter 17 Battle Of Shizugatake 5️⃣： Raikiri
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
With a loud thud, the arm of the oni fell to the ground, still holding the octagonal staff.
”Did we do it──!?”
”Don’t get in my way, woman──!”
In that moment of victory, Suzuri managed to block the oni’s counterattack with her blade.
”Ugh!?”
But with just a casual swing of his arm, the oni shattered both the sword and the hand that held it.
She was sent flying several meters, struggling just to keep from falling.
”Ahhh!”
By shouting, Suzuri pushed away the pain and fear, focusing her spirit energy.
”──Kinjo-sui (Gold and Water)!”
Using her own power, she repaired the broken blade with ink.
She got ready to attack, but then──
”What a sneaky trick!”
The demon easily crushed the black blade in his left hand.
Suzuri barely ducked to avoid a kick from his log-like leg.
A terrifying sound filled the air as the wind whipped around her ponytail.
”Ugh…!”
As she discarded the broken sword and tried to create some distance, she saw the oni’s left fist coming at her.
It looked slow, but that was only because it was facing Naoshi.
Suzuri, who had already put a lot of energy into her surprise attack, couldn’t imagine dodging it.
Just a few quick exchanges, lasting only a few seconds.
That was all Suzuri could manage right now.
But it was enough.
”──No, dat’s not sneaky at all, it’s perfect.”
”What!?”
With that voice, a figure wrapped in lightning charged in and knocked the oni away.
”After all’, it’s all about buyin’ time.”
”Naoshi…!”
The most reliable, slightly annoying person, the one Suzuri loved more than anyone else, had bought the time he needed to stand up.
Though his back was dirty from the ground, it stood tall.
”Nao-nii!”
”Hey, ya okay?!”
The young man’s back shook a little as if he was smiling at their voices.
”Yeah. Suzuri-chan, dat was da best distraction ever! How ’bout I treat ya to a trip to da amusement park?”
”2 nights, 3 days, just the two of us. I won’t give that up.”
”That’s easy for me.”
”──Do you really think tomorrow will come for you, you monster!?”
The oni roared, cutting off their playful banter, and a flash of light streaked across the red sky.
”Ugh…!”
With a thunderous crash, lightning struck between Naoshi and Suzuri, scorching the ground.
Heat and shockwaves blasted through the air.
But Kazuramichi Naoshi stood firm like a great tree.
”Now ya actin’ like da bad guy, huh? I just figgered it out, but talkin’ too much can get ya in trouble, y’know?”
”Shut up…!”
With ringing in his ears making it hard to hear himself, Naoshi spread his arms and shrugged. His movements seemed unaffected by the earlier attack.
(No way, dis hurts way too much! Whadda screwy thing’s goin’ on here?!”)
But inside, he felt no calm at all.
His ribs might be broken, and every breath sent pain shooting through him.
His left ear had been deafened by the second lightning strike.
Even Naoshi, who had never been struck by lightning before, couldn’t handle taking a hit from the powerful oni while being defenseless.
It was lucky he only had these injuries.
”But I’ve never fought against someone who uses lightning.”
After regaining his focus, he tried to calm the pain and heal himself with spirit power, but Yoshitada, who was on guard, wouldn’t wait around forever.
Both of them were tired and hurt, but Naoshi was feeling it a bit more.
If one clean hit landed, it could be the end for either of them.
They were definitely in a dangerous spot, but not yet in a hopeless situation.
”I don’t remember much from science class, but I didn’t think I had this kinda weakness.”
Even so, Naoshi knew that lightning could also discharge from the ground during a strike.
He’s not sure if the spirit energy and the oni’s (demon’s) discharge are exactly the same as what happens in nature, but it’s true that trying to control spirit energy can be dangerous.
The discharge that happens when Naoshi gives it his all is just a side effect.
He can’t control it himself.
This is something that often gets misunderstood at home. They’ve used it before, but really, they should have learned how to handle it better.
”…You always talk too much, but you really like to chat, don’t you? Are you just trying to buy time?”
”Yeah, dat’s one way ta look at it. Why not give it a shot?”
”Tch.”
Yoshitada made a face, but then he seemed to come up with an idea and smiled.
”Yeah, let’s try it──let’s see what I can do.”
As the youkai energy (youki) rose, ominous thunder rumbled in the red sky, and flashes of light lit up the battlefield.
Naoshi, pushing down all his feelings, let out a bored snort.
”If ya a man, why not fight wit jus’ ya fists insteada relyin’ on that?”
”If I win, that’s all that matters. You said that too.”
”I wish ya’d shown dat kinda understandin’ before it ain’t too late…”
While saying this, Naoshi focused his energy.
If Yoshitada can control lightning, it’ll be hard to strike first anyway.
So, he decided to endure and put everything into the next attack.
First, he had to hold on──
”Die.”
──────!
A flash of light, a shock, and a loud noise.
But the thunder that God made didn’t hit Naoshi.
(Did he whack? Was he goin’ for someone else, eh?)
The shock came from behind.
Fighting the urge to turn around, Naoshi focused on Yoshitada’s changing expression.
Shock, then disgust.
So, the answer was probably that he missed.
”──Ugh!”
”Leave the lightning to us!”
”We’ll protect you with our lives!”
”Go all out!”
Lightning has been a disaster that has scared people throughout history.
That’s why there are old charms to avoid it, and they’re familiar to exorcists.
Of course, there are skilled people in the Kazuramichi family who are good at these techniques.
Especially since those clever cousins chose them, they should be able to attract the lightning they know is coming.
”Thanks. I’ll do my best──there’s a bonus in it for ya.”
”Leave it to me!”
Just as he relaxed his shoulders at the reassuring reply, a girl’s voice came from behind.
”Nao-nii, don’t forget about me. It’s a sleepover date!”
”Yeah, yeah, Suzuri-chan, you really don’t feel any pressure, do ya?”
He smiled wryly, tightening his expression.
”Alright, Yoshitada-kun, it’s 6 against one, but since you brought your night crew, I won’t call it unfair, right?”
At those words, the oni’s face twisted in anger.
”It’s always like this… Why! Why is it you who gets relied on! Not my father, not my sister, not me, but you!”
”Why? Cos I’m da strongest, obvious. Even if I look like dis, I’ve had my struggles, ya know? Ya should respect dat a lil’ bit.”
”Then you should show respect to others first!”
”Hey, don’t poke at my weak spots.”
”Don’t laugh! You always look down on people…! But people look at you… I couldn’t stand it! Everything about you is different from me!”
”Are ya really gonna sulk jus’ ‘cos ya can’t beat me? I guess dat’s what jealousy looks like.”
Letting out the frustration he had felt for a long time, Naoshi felt lighter.
Sometimes, you only realize things when you say them out loud.
Just like his cousin envied his power and situation, Naoshi also felt a bit envious of Yoshitada’s situation.
If he admitted that, he wouldn’t feel like he could lose to the guy in front of him.
Even if they were in the enemy’s barrier.
”──Alright, let’s wrap dis up already.”
”Fine, that’s what I want too…!”
The two battered men took their stances like a mirror image of each other.
The sky rumbled.
The world shone white 2 or 3 times.
And then the lightning struck.
”Here I go!”
”Ha──!”
Kazuramichi Naoshi moved first, and the oni’s whole body swelled up to meet him.
They didn’t know it, but Naoshi made the same choice to prepare for the lightning strike.
Endure one hit, then hit back.
Naoshi’s punches were definitely strong, but they couldn’t change the situation as dramatically as Suzuri’s slash that cut off his right arm.
The fact that he had managed to hold on until now was proof of that.
But the shock that Yoshitada was ready for never came.
”Ughhhhhh────!? .”
Instead, he lost his left arm, which he had clenched into a fist to fight back.
It was cut off without him even feeling much pain, and it lay gruesomely on the ground.
The wound was quickly covered in red blood, and the cut was disturbingly smooth.
”What just happened──!?”
Before Yoshitada could get too close, he saw Naoshi swing his right arm.
He thought he would punch with his left fist, but Naoshi ran behind Yoshitada as if nothing had happened.
Yoshitada’s eyes widened, wondering if Naoshi had hidden a weapon. Naoshi swung his right hand in a knife shape, as if to show off.
He grinned.
”Exorcists who use swords don’t just cut ayakashi with da blade, right? So, it makes sense I can use spirit energy wit’ my body, and do da same ting.”
”That’s ridiculous…”
It was a crazy and forceful argument, but at the same time, it had a power that left no room for doubt.
The clear result was the fact that Yoshitada’s arm was cut off.
”In Umeda, I ended up lettin’ Itsuki take da good stuff, so I thought I’d come up wit’ at least one clever idea──I told ya, I’m workin’ hard too.”
Naoshi said this proudly, but honestly, it wasn’t surprising.
In fact, considering that what he did couldn’t be summed up with just a word like “clever” or “hard work,” his attitude could even be seen as humble, showing off an incredible skill.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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