Volume 2 Chapter 6 Fighting Daughters 2️⃣： Encounter
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It all started with Ako, who was unarmed.
”Ha!”
She took a quick breath and lowered her stance, getting ready to close the distance.
Even though she was faster, her decision-making and confidence reminded everyone of her cousin.
Suzuri, who was now on the defensive, calmly drew her sword to counter Ako.
It made sense for a fighter to choose close combat against a swordsman, and Iaido was a technique meant to deal with such moves.
”Shh!”
She aimed for Ako’s neck, swinging her sword sideways with all her might.
But Ako ducked even lower, almost crawling on the ground to avoid it.
”Tch…!”
Instead, she ended up in a pretty unstable position, falling near Suzuri’s feet.
On the other hand, Suzuri was a bit slow to bring her blade down.
So, she decided to use the hilt of her sword to strike down on Ako from above.
Just as she made that choice, Ako’s hand grabbed her left ankle.
”────!?
She felt her foot being lifted slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ako’s jacket flutter.
Not knowing what that meant, Suzuri tried to pull her foot back, but when she realized it was too late, she decided to go with the flow.
Her vision spun around.
With her foot still held, Ako spun Suzuri around and slammed her down onto the ground.
”Ugh!?”
It was a Dragon Screw, a surprising wrestling move that caught Suzuri off guard.
As Ako came in to grab her legs again, Suzuri managed to kick her away with her raised foot.
”Ugh, you…!”
She pushed back with her foot to create some space and stood up.
But before she could catch her breath, Ako lunged at her again.
It felt like she was being attacked by a wild animal, not a person.
”Don’t underestimate me!”
She shook off her fear and shouted.
With a powerful strike from the hilt of her sword, she hit Ako’s face as she got too close.
”…Ugh!”
”Shh!”
A knee strike aimed at her stomach was blocked by Suzuri’s hands, but a sweeping cut forced Ako to step back.
”Ha…”
As she caught her breath, she thought about what she learned from the fight.
Even though they both practiced martial arts, Naoshi and Ako were completely different in size, skills, and fighting styles.
Naoshi focused on basic strikes, while Ako specialized in grappling techniques, which were more suited for fighting against people.
She was definitely strong, and that made it all the more──
”Interesting.”
With a grin that showed her teeth, Suzuri laughed.
──Could she cut through this? And if she could, what would that mean?
Seeing her expression, Ako slightly twisted her doll-like face into a smile.
* * *
”Suzuri-chan’s real serious, ain’t she? Like a Kamakura samurai or somethin’?”
”Naoshi. Is it okay for you to come back?”
After a round, the girls watched each other closely while Naoshi sat down next to Itsuki.
”It’s fine, it’s fine. This ain’t a points match. I’ll step in if it gets dangerous.”
”Okay, then I won’t hold back.”
Saying that, Itsuki grabbed Naoshi’s arm and leaned against him.
”Why you actin’ like that makes it easier to handle? You’re just makin’ it worse!”
”I told you why I came here. We need to use our weapons and opportunities wisely.”
”Yeah, ‘wisely’ my foot! You just mess with me ‘til I’m bawlin’! Ouch, hey!”
Itsuki pinched the back of Naoshi’s hand.
”I don’t like that childish teasing.”
”Then just say it outright! Ouch, look, it’s red now!”
”Are you underestimating me? By the way, Ako-san is learning some rare military martial arts.”
”Oh really? You’re not just bluffin’, right?”
”I told you, I’m a young teacher. There are a lot of police and self-defense people at the dojo, so I know a bit.”
”I see.”
Considering that skills usually improve with practice, military martial arts are very practical and effective.
”Naoshi, didn’t she study under Yoshitora-san?”
On the other hand, the Kazuramichi family has its own unique traditional martial arts passed down through generations.
Considering that exorcists are still training and improving their skills, it seems strange to look for a teacher outside.
”Basics come first.”
Naoshi’s answer to Itsuki’s question was unusually hesitant.
”Huh?”
”It wouldn’t make sense for her to be just like me.”
”Well, it’s tough to win against someone stronger than you using the same skills.”
”See, you may act all carefree, but you’re serious at heart.”
”Hmm… Oh yeah, so Ako was dealing with Naoshi’s oni card, wasn’t she?”
With age and size on their side, plus the differences between boys and girls, it would be hard for Ako to beat Naoshi.
But if they had to do it, they would need to rely on the unknown.
”Yeah.”
If that’s the role expected of them, then they trained in the latest “skills to defeat people” to take down their cousin.
”You’re really determined. Suzuri-san and you seem to attract strong personalities.”
There was a kindness in the Kazuramichi family that held back the words, “Aren’t you one of them?”
As for Naoshi, he felt it was too late to comment.
”Oh, here it comes. Suzuri-chan’s special move.”
In the training area, Suzuri used her size advantage to push Ako away.
Just as Naoshi predicted, Suzuri used that small space to charge forward with explosive speed.
Itsuki was impressed by the quick thrust, which was followed by more quick strikes.
”Ugh!”
But it seemed Ako was ready for it. She deflected the blade with her weapon and countered by pushing her body against Suzuri.
* * *
The loud, grating sound of metal clashing filled the air.
”──Ugh!”
(Nao-nii’s younger sister cousin; I suspected she wouldn’t be easy to deal with!)
After being pushed back, Ako tried to regain control.
The sound of clashing came from a black retractable baton that was caught up with the blade.
This baton, about 40 centimeters long, tangled with the blade, making it hard to pull back or push forward.
Red-brown eyes watched closely as Ako struggled.
Suzuri had the size advantage, but Ako had more spirit power and experience.
Plus, while many sword fighters are exorcists, Suzuri still didn’t understand the background of Ako’s techniques.
Doubt crossed her mind.
In that moment, she made up her mind.
Push.
The person she admired always moved to seize victory.
”Shh!”
With a strong push from her waist, Ako pressed back against Suzuri. Using that, she quickly shifted her weight back.
”What!?”
Ako’s body leaned forward as if losing balance, and she used all her strength to push her to the left.
The distance between them widened.
Based on her previous moves, Ako would likely close the gap.
So, she aimed to counter that with an unexpected move.
(Kinjo-sui (Gold and Water))
As she whispered that in her mind, droplets appeared on the blade’s surface.
Just as Naoshi had told her, the speed of creation and the refining of spirit energy were on a whole new level.
She could do this.
Feeling confident, she hid the blade in a side stance.
Ako’s figure slightly sank.
She swung the blade in a diagonal cut.
(──Jijin Shigure (Resilience Rain))
The fine ink needles inspired by Naoshi’s words expanded into a cluster of ink-colored icicles as soon as they left the blade.
”What!?”
Both Suzuri and Ako were shocked.
But even so, Ako quickly reacted and smashed the icicles with her baton.
Fortunately, this prevented her from closing the distance.
”A cold net of ice?!”
It might have been tiny ice that was hard to see at first.
Whatever it was, Ako had set up such traps around her.
Her quick reactions might have helped with that.
And this was bad news for Suzuri.
Due to the nature of the technique, the self-luck always went through the ink state, so if Ako could freeze it instantly, it wouldn’t work as a surprise attack.
If I had used a move with more mass, I might have been able to push through, but trying to surprise them just showed my weak spot in exchange for the cold air trap.
Ako reached into the pocket of their jacket.
It looked like they were about to pull something out, but they didn’t seem off just before that.
They probably couldn’t hide something too big. Maybe it’s a knife?
If the plan was to get into close combat, it would be better to create some distance first──
That decision by Suzuri was not a bad one.
It wasn’t a bad one. As long as they didn’t misread the original goal.
(…Are they not coming after me?)
The moment Suzuri felt something was off, Ako pulled their hand out of the pocket.
Right after that, there were several loud popping sounds.
”──Guh!?”
At the same time, a sharp pain hit Suzuri’s right arm, making them drop their sword.
What just happened──!? But before Suzuri could understand what was happening, Ako was already on the move.
Ako jumped at them with the grace of a cat, hiding the weapon in their right hand behind their body.
”Hah!”
”Ugh…!”
She was grabbed by the collar, and before she could shake it off, there were 4 more popping sounds at close range.
”Ahhh──!?”
The intense pain in both thighs was something they had never felt before, and they couldn’t hold back a scream.
It was different from the most painful hit they had ever taken from Naoshi; this pain was hot, and their legs gave out.
”Gah!?”
Ako’s knee slammed into Suzuri’s face as they bent down.
Suzuri’s body jerked back and fell over.
They could see the sky.
”──.”
”──.”
They managed to get up, but the impact on their back was too much, and they felt breathless.
In front of them, a dull steel-colored weapon, its dark and deep hole, blotted their eyes.
”Ah──.”
”────Stop right there.”
They thought it was too late, but then Naoshi’s hand jumped onto the weapon, deflected it away, and three gunshots rang out.
The bullets flew past Suzuri’s head and embedded themselves in the ground right next to her.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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