Volume 6 Chapter 7 The Pteranodon on the Birdless Island ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey, Naoshi¹-san. I’m tagging along and all, but is this really the time for this?” Haruno asked.
”I’m tellin’ ya, it’s never a bad thing to keep an eye on the top brass, and it’s not like we get many chances n’a. Especially since Tama-chan is the type you don’t see often,” Naoshi replied.
Naoshi answered while scratching his head to Haruno’s question, which carried the nuance that an expected battle was drawing near.
”Ugh…”
* * *
Since the garden of Touma House was too cramped, they had moved to a Self-Defense Force garrison to conduct the mock battle after Haruno obtained permission from the district. While Suzuri and Ako were already in their Exorcist² robes and ready for combat, Tamane Kurosu was still in her jersey, slowly finishing her stretches. Since a one-on-one between a first-class Exorcist and a second-class Exorcist would have a blindingly obvious result, it had become an asymmetrical two-on-one battle with Ako added to the mix. Of course, the advantage still leaned heavily toward the lone individual.
”I get that, but I mean, all three of them are radiating bloodlust or just way too motivated… are they gonna be okay?” Haruno asked.
”…Well, I should probably put a pin in that for now,” Naoshi said.
Agreeing with Haruno’s concern, Naoshi raised his voice.
”You three, I won’t have any of ya gettin’ hurt or hurtin’ others, ya hear? Any idiot who forgets the big job we’ve got comin’ up is a failure before we even talk about bein’ a disciple!” Naoshi shouted.
”Gotcha, I understand perfectly!” Tamane replied in a light tone. In contrast, Suzuri and the others nodded silently. The air was tense, but that wasn’t a bad thing.
”Well then, let’s get to it ya!” Tamane said.
”…Whoa,” Haruno uttered a strange sound as Tamane cast off her jersey.
Her chest and rear were firmly rounded, yet her waist created an even slenderer curve within her thin frame—though she was small, she possessed a shapely, feminine physique. She was wearing a bodysuit with a design similar to a competitive swimsuit that left her back wide open. The angle of the high-leg cut was reaching an insane level. On the other hand, Naoshi, who knew there was a rational reason for that outfit, was preoccupied with the trivial thought of, “I wonder if she’s cold n’a.”
”Ready whenever ya—!!”
Immediately after Tamane spoke, her head snapped back as if struck, accompanied by a popping sound.
”—Shi!”
It was a brilliant headshot from Ako, delivered right at the opening. Without waiting to confirm the results, Suzuri also moved. Closing the distance in an instant, she swung down the katana she had held in an overhead guard in a diagonal slash.
”…?!”
However, Suzuri’s blade, swung with the intent to cleave her in two, was caught by a small hand. It was the first time that had happened since the day she suffered defeat at Naoshi’s hands.
”…You’re both showing no mercy, huh? I guess big brother’s training really left its mark ya,” Tamane said playfully as she brought her head back forward.
Her forehead, where the bullet should have struck directly, was only slightly red. That was all.
”Speed’s good, Spirit Energy (Reiki)³‘s good. As your senior disciple, I’m proud ya,” Tamane said with a fearless, smirking grin. Her gaze was steady, showing no signs of impact from the hit. It seemed there was absolutely no hindrance to her continuing the fight.
”Ugh… I don’t remember… ever acknowledging you as my senior…!” Suzuri grunted. Even though she was easily twenty centimeters taller than Tamane, the blade wouldn’t budge an inch.
”—?!”
Instead, the blade was pulled toward Tamane, and Suzuri’s drifting body was used as a meat shield to block Ako’s line of fire.
”Gah!”
Before she could make the decision to give up and let go of the sword, Tamane had let go first and kicked her away. Suzuri hurriedly took a fall and regained her stance. During that time, the sound of gunfire echoed twice, three times. These weren’t just covering fire; every shot captured Tamane’s small body. However, her arms moved in a circular motion, parrying and deflecting them into the ground.
”That can’t be all, right? Why don’t ya show me what ya learned from seeing the strongest in Kansai up close?” Tamane challenged. As she spoke, she lowered her hips slightly into a half-body stance, with her loosely opened left hand in front and her right hand clenched in a fist at her hip. It was a posture Suzuri knew all too well.
(Nao-nii’s stance—!)
She knew it wasn’t just for show by the speed with which Tamane stepped into range a moment later.
”Shai!”
”Ku—!”
Tamane’s right fist aimed for Suzuri’s left flank. Suzuri tried to block with a lowered elbow while desperately kneading her spirit energy. Immediately after, an agonizing pain and impact that left her breathless forced her body to fold into a V-shape.
”Whoa, that looks like it hurt…” Haruno said solemnly. Naoshi let out a sigh.
”No good, Tama-chan’s still as bad as ever at holdin’ back ya. Haruno-chan, you got any healing charms to spare n’a?”
”Yeah, I prepared some just in case something like this happened,” Haruno replied.
”Then share some with me ya.”
”Roger. But Tamane-san, her physical reinforcement habits and her movements are just like yours, Naoshi-san. Why won’t you let her call herself your disciple when you’ve trained her that far?” Haruno asked.
”That’s ’cause I didn’t teach her n’a,” Naoshi said.
”…Huh?”
As Haruno froze as if she didn’t understand what had been said, Naoshi continued with a grimace.
”I’m not the one who taught her. She stole it—can you believe it? That girl, just by watching me and my great-uncle spar, she made off with almost all the basics of the Shinmei Style⁴ ya.”
”What…? You’re joking,” Haruno stammered.
”It’s the truth ya. It’s bad for business. In the old days, I’d either die of rage or have her assassinated, I tell ya.”
”That’s pretty violent,” Haruno noted.
However, it was not an exaggeration at all.
”I don’t like sayin’ this much, but there’s such a thing as a genius ya. Even in the world of exorcists,” Naoshi said, flicking and counting the healing charms he received from Haruno like banknotes.
”Yuki-kun and Tetsu-kun might have talent. Even so, they polished it in actual combat, right? Tama-chan’s different ya. There aren’t many chances like that in Shikoku.”
”I heard not a single Great Youkai⁵ appeared there last year either,” Haruno added.
”In fact, if ya exclude the people related to Gyobu-san, she probably hasn’t even seen one in her hometown ya.”
”And yet she’s like that… yeah, I can see why you’d want to call her a genius,” Haruno said. Even as a promising exorcist expected to live up to the name of the prestigious Kusurugawa family, Tamane Kurosu’s ability appeared as nothing but extraordinary talent to her.
”A monster-like amount of Spirit Power (Reiryoku)⁶, and an outstanding sense that lets her master things just by seeing and hearing—and that’s not her only strength ya.”
”There’s more? That’s just too much… it’s not fair,” Haruno grumbled.
To the complaining Haruno, Naoshi said with a cynical smile, “What’re ya talkin’ about? There hasn’t been a single moment when the world was fair ya.”
In the meantime, the battle between the three had taken on the appearance of a free-for-all. Having grown frustrated with the line of fire being frequently obstructed by the shield of the slowed Suzuri, Ako had stepped into melee range. It might have also been to buy time for Suzuri to recover. However, the opponent was just too bad a match. Tamane, who was ten centimeters shorter than Ako, was a small target to begin with. Being surpassed in speed on top of that was the final straw. Hands reaching out to grab her caught only air, and muzzles aimed at her were brushed away in the wrong direction. Even so, their fighting spirit did not wither.
”Suzuri-san, I’ll buy us some time!” Ako said.
”—Understood!” Suzuri replied.
Giving up on her gun, Ako said as she drew the knife at her waist. Without questioning her, Suzuri backed away a few steps and held her hand over her blade. If she couldn’t catch her no matter what she did, she needed to make her ‘hand’ larger—!
(Kinjo-sui (Gold and Water)⁷)
”Oh, what’s this? Ink—?” Tamane muttered, turning her gaze toward Suzuri and snorting as she dodged Ako’s knife.
”Jiun Mizuchi⁸—!”
Ignoring her, Suzuri swung her sword. What she drew was a dragon, an existence identified with the god of water—a Mizuchi. The dragon, over ten meters in length and possessing a physical form, surrounded Tamane and Ako with its ink-colored body.
”Ako-san!” Suzuri shouted.
”Yes!” Ako replied.
As Ako escaped the encirclement with a backflip, she thrust her hand into the dragon’s torso as they passed each other. Immediately after, the dragon, which froze in an instant, caused its volume to expand explosively.
”Oh—?!” Tamane exclaimed.
The black ice dragon, which had trapped the astonished Tamane inside, opened its mouth wide as if to swallow the small girl in one gulp. However—
”What?!” Suzuri cried out.
The dragon’s neck suddenly changed its destination and bit into its own tail. Making a cracking sound, it began to shrink its circle as if trying to devour its own body.
”—Well, I was a bit surprised, but whether it’s mixed with ink or frozen, it’s still H2O, isn’t it ya?” Tamane called out from inside the ring. The color of the dragon eating its own tail became pale and transparent. Tamane, who had floated up by swimming through it, sat down on the dragon’s torso as if sitting on a sofa. She declared in a relaxed posture, “If that’s the case, it’s still inside my hands ya.”
”No way—!” Suzuri gasped.
Far from losing their trump card, Suzuri and the others were speechless at having it stolen. The strongest in Shikoku, Tamane Kurosu. Her true essence lay in her extraordinary ability as a water-user—the best in the current age, or even the best in history for a case not involving the manifestation of a barrier. For Suzuri, who handled techniques via ink-water, and Ako, who often utilized ice, there could be no worse opponent.
”—Now then, it looks like ya’re out of tricks, so let’s wrap this up ya. Make sure ya’re prepared, okay?” Tamane declared, standing tall with her arms crossed atop the ring of water that was once a dragon. Behind her, the end of the ring separated again, rising like the head of a snake aiming for its prey.
”————!”
In the instant Suzuri and the others sensed danger and tried to pull away, Tamane, who had jumped down beforehand, was already grabbing both of their ankles with each of her hands.
”Impossible, since when…!” Suzuri stammered.
”This, this strength—?!” Ako cried out.
Even as the two desperately tried to escape, she didn’t budge. Tamane laughed, her throat rumbling.
”Don’t underestimate me just ’cause I’m small ya? I’m fast and strong, and that’s my selling point ya. If ya had to say it—it’s Storm and Stress ya.”
Immediately after, a torrential current swallowed the three of them.
—
Summary:
Naoshi and Haruno observe a mock battle between Tamane, the strongest exorcist from Shikoku, and the duo of Suzuri and Ako. Tamane reveals her overwhelming talent and speed, easily outclassing her opponents while wearing a provocative bodysuit. Despite Suzuri and Ako’s coordinated dragon-ice attack, Tamane effortlessly seizes control of their elemental technique. The chapter concludes with Tamane unleashing a powerful water current that overwhelms her opponents.
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Character Insight:
Tamane is revealed not just as a powerhouse, but as a ‘genius’ who essentially plagiarized the Shinmei Style just by watching Naoshi. Her confidence is backed by both physical stats and an absolute mastery over water that negates her opponents’ elemental advantages. This sets her up as a high-tier benchmark for the protagonists’ growth.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘Storm and Stress’ mentioned at the end is a literal translation of ‘Shippu Doto’ (疾風怒濤), which itself refers to the German ‘Sturm und Drang’ literary movement.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Haruno – A cheerful, talented exorcist close to Yukinojo, related to Naoshi; confident, proactive, and supportive of her friends. Touma Yukinojo’s cousin. A second-class exorcist and daughter of the Kusurugawa family, one of the influential figures in Kanto.
• Tamane – The strongest and only First-Class exorcist in Shikoku. Known for her ability to handle multiple opponents simultaneously. A 21-year-old First-Class Exorcist and university student. Stands at 147cm with bronze-tanned skin and long black twintails. Wears sports brand tracksuits and carries a Boston bag. Loves beautiful people and weighs ‘three carrots.’
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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