Volume 4 Chapter 14 Demon World Outer Realm： Mount Ontake Annihilation V： Tamba Swordsman One, Part On, Part One Duel
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The sound of snow being kicked aside was sucked into the white world.
A little way from the nest of the aberrations, Itsuki stopped walking when she saw the Tsuchigumo Ishimori, who were leading, halt in the Umeda they opened.
Ishimori placed a hand on the sword at her waist.
The ayakashi woman with silver hair and white skin had eyebrows and eyelashes the same color as her hair, which gave her a delicate, ice-carved impression, but her shining red eyes radiated an animal-like intense light.
Both their bodies were similarly toned and refined without losing feminine beauty, but Itsuki was about ten centimeters taller.
The distance between them was approximately 4 meters.
For normal humans, it might be a sizable gap, but for the otherworldly swordsmen, it was a moment’s distance.
(As expected, she’s not complete amateurs.)
Having observed their footwork and body movements during the exchange, Itsuki came to that conclusion.
Anything beyond that would be decided in combat.
Not only swordsmen but pure ayakashi martial artists are rare.
Naturally, it’s uncommon for those who possess bodies far superior to humans to interest themselves in martial skills.
However, there are exceptions.
A famous example would be the Tengu.
The Shinzankurama style learned by Itsuki is said to be a derivative of the Kyohachi-ryu taught at Mt. Kurama.
The Tsuchigumo were once a horde of ayakashi that fought against human rulers; it’s not unnatural that among them were those who wielded weapons and mastered such techniques ──
”What is your name?”
As Itsuki began to feel doubt from seeing the opponent not move with a hand on the hilt, Ishimori spoke abruptly.
Ah, she realized her own ignorance only now.
”Shinzankurama style, fully initiated, Mibu Itsuki.”
”I see.”
She had indeed been waiting for her to introduce herself, nodding slightly; she was an ayakashi with a strange sense of humanity.
Now then, Itsuki murmured as she shed her trench coat.
What she wore underneath was not the same kind of suit as before, but an exorcist garb resembling a bodysuit that revealed her body lines.
She remembered that she had forgotten to show it and also placed a hand on her sword.
The sound of the blade being drawn from its sheath echoed 3 times across the snowy field.
The tachi in Isukari’s hand had a deep curve and was clearly well-made; the blade was roughly 2 shaku and 7 sun ── a long sword reaching about 80 centimeters.
Even considering the height difference, his reach with the blade was likely wider than Itsuki’s.
With ease, the tsuchigumo swordsman casually rested the tachi on her shoulder with one hand.
This suggested a stark downward strike, but the ayakashi’s strength would make it a deadly blow.
In contrast, Itsuki held her left dagger in a middle guard, preparing her tachi in an upper guard stance.
The pressure she felt when facing her opponent was similar to when she confronted weapons with long shafts, such as spears or naginatas.
(It’s far away…)
The dagger that usually served as a reliable shield now felt a bit lacking for defense and control.
Though Itsuki was renowned as the sword saint of Mibu, she had not faced many tachi.
Many of the sword arts passed down to this day arose in the Edo period, and the tachi, a weapon for horseback, was replaced by shorter, more manageable katana in the late Muromachi period.
As a weapon, wear and tear is inevitable, and even those that survived needed to adapt to the times to remain practical.
Therefore, techniques for wielding weapons that are no longer mainstream would hardly survive.
However, the tachi that Ishimori now held remained unchanged through time.
In a peaceful era, it would likely be treasured in a museum, treated with great care.
In contrast, last year, Itsuki lost his cherished weapons to KazuramichiNaoshi and now wielded 2 blades forged by modern swordsmiths.
Famous swords and cursed blades have indeed been passed down through generations.
But unlike the samurai, exorcists have never known a time of peace…
For them, swords are merely consumable; that awareness is strong.
That is why, regardless of their origin, the trust placed in the weapons they wielded remained steadfast.
(Now ──)
This was also a battle against the unknown, born of centuries of separation, and whether the skills passed down to the present could withstand it…
Itsuki relaxed his grip slightly on the short blade she had thrust forward, adjusting her stance.
In the gap she deliberately showed, Ishimori did not take the opportunity.
”────”
Under the cloudy sky, the wind descending the mountain stole away warmth.
But the human and youkai just glared at each other, unmoving.
The inner power waiting for the moment of release rose gently as white steam from the body.
The wind blew again, shaking the trees.
The sound of a clump of snow falling from a branch was drowned out by the sound of the earth spider kicking the ground.
”Kiiiiiyaa────! “
With a monkey’s cry, Ishimori jumped.
The first strike was a deadly downward swing, just as expected from her stance.
The technique, widely known as the sword of the southernmost land of Japan, resembled something, perhaps by fate or the necessity of wielding the same weapon.
(I can’t take this.)
If she tried, it was clear he would likely be cut down along with his sword.
Itsuki chose to retreat.
However, the obvious violence was also a tactic to intimidate and drive back the enemy; if she fell for it and backed down, she would fall right into her trap.
The retreat was less than a minimal step, dodging at a distance so slight he could feel the pushing wind.
”Tch!”
The sword, lifted by the wind, kicked up snow and stopped just above the ground, entering a cutting motion.
Without hesitation, she stomped it down with her foot and immediately tried to swing down her right sword──
”Tch!?”
Without resisting the floating sensation that lifted her, Itsuki jumped.
The butterfly danced in the air, silver light sweeping beneath its feet.
”Iiiiiiya────!”
Chasing after Itsuki, Ishimori jumped higher than her own height with a ground-shaking leap.
Once again, with the wind swirling, he swung down a strike, and Itsuki dodged just in time, kicking the void like before.
The human and youkai landed on the ground simultaneously.
”Flittering, such a clever technique”
”Incredible, such foolish strength.”
They both expressed such thoughts about each other’s powers and strength.
Ishimori lowered the sword she held in her right hand to a lower stance.
The tip, seemingly carelessly lowered, waited just above the ground.
In response, Itsuki kept her sword raised and repositioned his left short sword to a lower stance.
Like a beast waiting to be closed in, it seemed to express an unwavering fighting spirit.
”Kiiiiiyaa──! “
”Ruuuuaa──! “
The blades of past and present finally clash.
The kodachi entwined to suppress the tachi that was raised in a downward strike.
Strength and skill collided, each trying to overpower the other as they ground against each other.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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