Kanata, partnered with Natsume, challenges the perfectly compatible Tozen using Natto Bacteria.
“So, what do we do now?”
“Hold on. I need to settle things with Tozen first.”
I call out to Tozen’s back as he turns to leave.
“Tozen-san, please, just one more match!”
“Huh? It’ll be the same no matter how many times we fight!”
“I’m not saying we’ll win per se, but I’ll give you a scare. Don’t you ever want a little thrill? Or are you afraid of me and Natsume when we’re serious?”
I deliberately say something that will provoke Tozen.
“Kanata, I don’t care if you call me cowardly or ungrateful. But I can’t stand being called a coward. You know what you’re saying, right?”
Tozen’s famous quote number three: It’s fine to be cowardly or ungrateful, but never be a coward. I truly understand why the King Brothers admire him as an older brother.
Tozen is a man who wants neither status, honor, nor money, but he has pride. The fierce pride of a swordsman who has lived on the battlefield and taken countless lives.
“Yes, I know what I’m saying. But if I end things here with no accomplishments, my future as a soldier is limited. Before I end up in a body bag, I’ll pack my things and head back to the countryside. How about that?”
Of course, I don’t have a countryside to go back to.
“…Interesting. Show me your sweat.”
Tozen turns around and smirks. Good, he seems motivated again.
“Hey! Kanata, are you serious?!”
“Oh, you’ve graduated from calling me ‘Kanata’ to ‘Kanata’. Call me that from now on.”
“Are you serious about going back to the countryside if you don’t accomplish anything?! Then I’ll never be able to call you by name! What are you thinking?!”
“I’m completely serious. It’s just a matter of showing you my best, right? If we multiply our strength, even Tozen won’t be able to dismiss us easily. I’m confident about that much.”
“What do you know about me! You can blindly believe in him as much as you want, but you can’t take responsibility for the outcome!”
“Nee, she’s really chatty. I knew she could normally talk just fine. Stop acting like the silent type. You’re just punishing yourself out of guilt, aren’t you? Are you a masochist, Natsume?”
“My story is irrelevant right now! I’m telling you not to believe blindly!”
“Blindly, huh… No, it’s not blind faith. I know. I know the power of Natsume, who trained to be feared as the Angel of Slaughter.”
“…I know Natsume’s power, so Natsume, trust me.”
“…What do you want me to trust about Kanata?”
“…The Natto Bacteria in my brain. There’s a rumor it works quite well.”
Natsume stares at me with eyes shining with strong will. She really does have beautiful, purplish eyes.
“…Okay, I’ll trust your persistent, creepy cunning. You have a plan, don’t you?”
“Sort of. Natsume, lend me your ear.”
I whisper the plan to Natsume. After hearing it, Natsume nods firmly.
“Kanata, I don’t know if this is a lover’s quarrel or a strategy meeting… Are you ready?”
Tozen stands calmly, his hand not yet on his sword.
“Yes, we’re ready. A word of advice, you should stop toying around.”
“You’ve got some nerve. Prove it with your sword, not your mouth!”
I’ll do just that. I sprint towards Tozen, maintaining a slightly elevated stance.
Natsume runs right behind me, like a shadow.
Just before reaching Tozen’s range, I lean forward, and Natsume uses me as a springboard to leap high.
Natsume leaps over Tozen, kicks off the materialized Psyche-Barrier in mid-air, and attacks from behind.
In sync, I also engage Tozen.
A simultaneous attack from front and back, from the air and the ground… Tozen draws his sword, Gakimaru, for the first time!
Without even looking, he blocks Natsume’s cross-attack from the air with Gakimaru held behind him, while I parry my own sword strike with a kick.
What precise precision. He stopped Natsume’s attack and kicked my sword away without even looking!
My sword kicked away, I retreat and regain my posture. Even Tozen, after blocking Natsume’s attack with Gakimaru and kicking my sword away with one leg, can’t follow up with an attack.
Tozen is a one-armed man. Unless he has a tail, he has no more limbs to use for attacking!
Natsume, her attack blocked, backflips, kicks off a tree, and launches an attack from a triangle jump.
At the same time, I throw my wakizashi at Tozen. This is where the fight will be decided!
Tozen easily deflects the wakizashi with Gakimaru, but… I also throw my sword at Tozen, following the wakizashi.
This seems to have caught even Tozen off guard.
It’s not normal to throw your main weapon and a backup weapon simultaneously!
Still, Tozen deflects the consecutively thrown swords as well. But I use Psychokinesis to stick the leaves, scattered by Natsume kicking the tree, onto Tozen’s face!
Even my Psychokinesis can easily move something as light as leaves.
I had Natsume kick the tree specifically for this!
And Natsume’s slash is approaching from behind.
At this close range, you can’t even use kicks, right? If you had two arms, you could have dealt with it, but…!
Tozen, his vision obstructed, senses danger with his rare ability “Snake Sense” and dodges Natsume’s attack.
That much was within our expectations! But because his vision was blocked, he didn’t see Natsume pass me her ninja sword before the slash… did he!
Snake Sense can detect danger, but Natsume passing me a weapon isn’t a direct threat to Tozen!
By the time Tozen shakes his head to brush off the leaves, Natsume and I are in perfect position for a simultaneous attack, closing in on him.
Tozen blocks Natsume’s slash with Gakimaru, but at the same time, I fix Tozen’s leg with Psychokinesis. This prevents him from jumping away!
And I put all my energy into the slash I’ve already unleashed.
My gamble paid off. Tozen has no way to block now!
Tozen’s free upper body… he swung his shoulder… the shoulder on the side where his arm isn’t… with incredible speed.
In response to that instantaneous movement… his empty sleeve… wrapped around my sword like a whip!
Wha… what! He used his empty sleeve as a whip!
Tozen dodges, yanking his sword, which is still wrapped around my sword. Of course, I’m pulled along.
My plan goes awry, and I’m flustered. Still holding my sword, I’m pulled, stumble forward, and drawn in.
What awaited me… was Tozen’s shoulder tackle.
Damn it!… I messed up… I should have let go of my sword!
A moment later, before Natsume, recovering from her shock, could launch her attack, I saw Tozen thrust Gakimaru towards Natsume’s throat as I was sent flying.
…Damn it!… Complete defeat.
Tozen returns Gakimaru to its scabbard with a “chink.”
“Well, that was a pretty good move. But your finishing was sloppy. It’s obvious I’m weak because I have one arm. But…”
“A renowned swordsman like Tozen wouldn’t be caught off guard by such a simple weakness. My thinking was also too naive. But I never imagined you’d use your empty sleeve as a whip. Complete defeat.”
“This military uniform is custom-made, you see. The left sleeve is woven with a stretchable fiber. But I’ll commend you for making me use my trump card. You don’t have to go back to the countryside.”
“Thank you. I like it here.”
Natsume mutters, her face still grim.
“It was so close!… Frustrating!”
“Heh, you always have a face like an emotionless doll, but today you’re so human-like, getting angry and frustrated. You should always be like this.”
Oh! Tozen! Don’t say unnecessary things!
…She’s back to her usual doll-like face.
Even though she was showing negative emotions like anger and frustration, she went back to her usual expression!
She’s started her self-punishment again.
…Oh well. I know Natsume isn’t just an emotionless killing machine, and that’s enough.
I also feel like our distance has closed a little.
If she can get angry and frustrated, she can do the opposite too.
She blames herself for not being able to save her parents, and has convinced herself she shouldn’t smile, right? That’s it, isn’t it?
…Someday, when Natsume regains her smile, Marika-san will surely be happy.
No, don’t use Marika-san as an excuse. I want to see Natsume smile.
Watching the recent political scene, it really feels like human drama. Tragedies and comedies unfold, intertwined with greed for power, fame, self-preservation, and calculation. As someone writing such a grim story, I believe there are still people with ideals and principles, no matter their position.
