Chapter 233: As a Disciple: Part 2
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7583de/
Author: Hirukuma
Translated by Gumihou
“To think you sensed my presence… how lucky.”
The speaker was a skeleton. The few long strands of hair attached to its skull fluttered in the wind. The skeleton was wearing clothes of a style that was rarely seen in this world, similar to Lord Shimerai’s battle attire.
More recently, I recalled seeing such clothes in one of the videos shown inside the ka’ar. It depicted swordsmen from Master Hakkon’s world. This skeleton’s attire was an exact match with that of the warriors, down to the scabbard hanging from its waist. Inside was probably the single-edged weapon called ‘katana’.
If I recall correctly, Master Hakkon explained that these men practised a profession called ‘rounin’. Lady Yumite is a masterful swordsman who also handles the katana, and it is possible that this skeleton before me might possess strength equal even to hers.
“Who are you?”
“My name? I have let go of such things since taking this form. These days, I am often called the Index-Finger General.”
The moment I heard that name, I levelled my greatsword in the Seigan stance, [1] sword pointing towards the enemy’s skull. To think that I would encounter one of the Five Finger Generals here. No—perhaps meeting him here is a blessing. If I can defeat him now, I can deal a heavy blow to the enemy’s forces.
“Now that I think of it, when the Pinky-Finger General escaped, the bars of her cell were cleanly severed. Was that your handiwork?”
“Indeed. I was sent to clean up that girl’s mess.”
He admitted it readily. I recall Lady Yumite sighing as she inspected the cuts on those bars. She had narrowed her eyes and said, ‘This is not an opponent to be taken lightly.’
If it was an opponent that even Lady Yumite is wary of… then I am no match for it.
However, [2] after overcoming various hardships with Master Hakkon and honing my training all this while, even if I cannot win, I should at least be able to inflict some damage on this monster. If I were to allow this enemy to roam free, the people following behind could suffer heavy damage. I have to do something.
“You there, you clearly know the difference in our strength, yet you still intend to challenge me?”
“I have a reason why I cannot retreat.”
“How fortunate. I was growing bored of cutting down fleeing opponents,” the Index-Finger General said, as he lowered into a stance, one hand on the hilt of his katana. [1] Without waiting for the sound of the sword sliding out of its sheath, my own greatsword was already out of its scabbard.
The ringing clash of steel echoed through the forest. My hand was numb despite only taking a single blow on my blade. What incredible power!
“Fortune upon fortune. How long has it been since my Iai was blocked?”
He appeared impressed, but the reason why I was able to block the strike was that I had witnessed Lady Yumite in battle and what I had seen from the movies while travelling on the ka’ar. It was not a block born of true skill; it was a movement closer to a lucky accident.
Cold sweat soaked my back. I could not afford to take my eyes off this opponent. I could hear the sound of my heart thumping in my ears, and my breathing felt harsh as my body betrayed my anxiety.
Forgive me, Master Hakkon. It seems I will meet my end here. However, I shall strike at least one blow on him. A final strike containing the entirety of my soul.
My greatsword glowed crimson as flames enveloped the blade. I raised it towards the sky and breathed in deeply.
“Hoh? A suicidal attack? Interesting, I accept your challenge.”
With his level of skill, he could have cut me down at any moment. And yet, he is choosing to respond. I have no choice but to take advantage of his warrior’s spirit!
Just as I took a step forward, preparing to swing my sword with all my might, the Index-Finger General moved first.
Unable to stop my commitment or change my strike, I could only brace myself for the pain of death. However, the pain never arrived. Was the [1] sword too sharp for me to even experience pain? But there was no gushing of blood either…
My eyes refocused, and I finally saw the countless blades flashing through the air. The sounds of blades clashing and parrying echoed around me repeatedly. The General was swinging his katana, fending off the attacks of some unknown person.
The attacks were coming at a speed faster than the eye could follow, but I knew this attack pattern. Even as my brain kept telling me this, I struggled to understand what I was looking at.
“The Eshig…?”
The Eshigs were herbivorous animals characterised by their sturdy front teeth and long ears. There were four of them, and they were holding their own against the Index-Finger General.
[1] These Warrior Eshigs were twice the size of normal Eshigs, but even then, they only came up to my knees. Despite that, they were leaping with unbelievable speed and attacking with ears as sharp and pointed as blades.
I had heard that Eshigu’s ears are as hard as swords and could be used to fight in emergencies. However, they were ultimately small animals and could not defeat even the weakest monsters… or so I thought.
“Lord Usatter, Lady Ussarina, Lord Usarion, Lord Usappy! Can you keep the enemy contained? You there, take this chance and escape quickly!”
Following the Eshigs was a woman with a dignified face, her long chestnut brown hair tied back. She was dressed in silver full-plate armour and had a one-handed sword drawn, though she was not participating in the fight.
‘Lord Usatter’ and the rest of the lords and ladies must be those Eshigs. Could she be an animal tamer who commands animals to fight for her?
“Thank you. However, I cannot back down here.”
“Your spirit is admirable, but it is better to leave this to the Usatter family—hm? Wait… could it be… Mishael!?”
The woman shouted my name in surprise. Similarly shocked, I stared at her refined, intelligent-looking face, coupled with that manner of speaking… Could it be…?
“Sister Hayachi!”
Why is she in a place like this!?
We share the same father but have different mothers—in other words, we are half-siblings. We have many other siblings, but we generally did not get along. I was treated quite poorly because I was not officially recognised as a child of the family.
Sister Hayachi, the Eighth Princess of the country, was different. She was a woman with an incredible sense of responsibility and had always defended me despite my low status.
She also spoke passionately about justice and equality.
“Oh, it really is Mishael! You’ve grown quite a bit. Have you been well?”
“Indeed, well enough. Sister Hayachi, when did you become an animal tamer? And with such powerful ones at that.”
Even if it was four against one, to be able to pin down one of the Five Finger Generals was a testament to their skills. Their body movements and sword techniques—or rather, ‘ear techniques’—were magnificent. They were not just holding their own; they were actually pushing him back. Sister Hayachi used to lament her own lack of strength despite having decent swordsmanship, but I never imagined she had gained such incredible power in my absence.
“I am not an animal tamer. Lord Usatter and the others are my friends!” Sister Hayachi declared proudly, her chest puffed out.
Sister Hayachi had always loved animals, but they used to run away whenever she got close, leaving her looking sad… I found it hard to believe she could command animals so freely, but from the way she spoke, it looked like the Eshigs were moving of their own accord.
“Let’s save the stories for later. Right now, defeating those things is our priority, right?”
“Sister Hayachi is right. Can your friends continue to keep him pinned down?”
“Not a problem. Lord Usatter, could you continue whittling him down?”
The Eshigs appeared to nod as they continued to fight. It looked like they understood our words, much like Miss Kiku’s Kuroyata and Botan.
As if sensing my intention, the Eshig’s fighting style shifted. They focused their attacks on the opponent’s lower body, completely ignoring his upper half. I lowered my centre of gravity and braced my greatsword, mimicking the Index General’s Iai stance. I’ll trust that these Eshigu can sense my intentions and act accordingly.
As I wreathed my blade in flames, the Eshigu moved frantically to draw the Index General’s attention, ensuring his gaze never turned toward me.
Taking one sharp, heavy step forward, I rotated my hips and swung my greatsword in a full horizontal sweep with all my strength. I had been practising a technique to fire high-speed flames by using Lady Yumite’s sword skills as a reference—and now, that practice pays off!
A crescent-shaped blade of flame distorted the air as it tore toward the Index-Finger General. By the time he noticed, it was too late. The strike caught him at the waist just as he turned around, slicing him in two. Both upper and lower halves erupted into flames, turning into ash in an instant.
The strike contained every ounce of my power; what a relief that it struck home. As the strength left my body, I dropped to one knee and took a deep breath.
“That was impressive, Mishael. You’ve truly grown!”
“It’s all thanks to the help of the Eshigs.”
Four of the unusually large Eshigs hopped over and lined up at Sister Hayachi’s feet.
“As expected of Lord Usatter and his kin. Mishael, allow me to introduce them. This is the head of the family, Lord Usatter. The one with the beautiful fur beside him is Lady Ussarina. And these slightly smaller ones are their children, Lord Usarion and Lord Usappy.”
To be honest, I can’t tell them apart, but Sister Hayachi seemed to be able to distinguish them from each other.
“By the way, what were you doing in a place like this?”
“About that…”
As I explained the situation in detail, Sister Hayachi nodded repeatedly with a serious expression.
“I see; that explains it. I came from the Fortified City after receiving reports that there was something strange with the forest. Just when I thought that the matter with the Lord Guardian was settled, something like this happened at the dungeon.”
“The Guardian?”
“He’s the defender of the Fortified City, and has even traded blows with the Demon King. He had been wounded in battle, and his whereabouts were unknown until recently, but he had just returned the other day.”
“There is someone like that? I’d been confined to the dungeon for a while, and apologise for being ignorant of worldly affairs.”
“I was worried since I hadn’t heard any rumours about you lately, to think you were in a dungeon. Tell me, this Hakkon you serve—what kind of person is he?”
Do you truly wish to know? If I were to speak of Master Hakkon’s greatness, she should be prepared to listen for a full day. However, given the situation, I must keep it brief.
“To begin with, he is a person with a sincere and generous heart. No matter how dire the situation, he never shows a hint of distress; he is a man who protects and heals his comrades.”
“Just as you had the great fortune to meet this Guardian, I, Mishael, too, have a wonderful encounter.”
“Wait a moment. I acknowledge Hakkon’s excellence, but please refrain from making it sound as if he surpasses the Lord Guardian.”
“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t mean to belittle anyone. It’s just that there is no one in this world who can compare to Master Hakkon.”
“No, no, the Lord Guardian is also a great existence. Above all, he is a generous, broad-minded person.
“No, no… Master Hakkon can also be quite massive…”
Our conversation was becoming quite heated and was on the verge of turning into an argument when the Eshigs were interrupted by tapping on our armour with their ears.
“Ahem. Let’s save this conversation for after everything is finished. For now, we must delay the Demon King’s army here, right?”
“Indeed, that is so. If we do not delay the monster horde here, the Fortified City will be swallowed up in an instant!” I passionately declared.
However, Sister Hayachi remained composed. Still, she must understand the gravity of the situation.
“You must have already sent word to the Fortified City, right?” said Sister Hayachi. “In that case, I believe things will be alright. However, I shall help you set traps in the forest. With Lord Usatter’s party here, we can even process wood.”
That was a welcome offer, but I felt like there was a lack of tension. I shall provide her with more detailed information about the enemy as we work. Please wait for me, Master Hakkon. I will do my best here to buy time until you catch up!
[Gumihou: Sister Hayachi has main character energy, lol]
[1] Added details for clarity.
[2] Encountering a lot of ‘but’ and ‘however’ in places where it would only confuse readers. Delete.
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