We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Guided by the Moon.
The evening time, the grand match.
Ruisine and Madrine were facing Ada, the Witch’s beloved disciple and a mysterious Miko.
“Now, Ares-chan. My weapon!”
In response to Madrine’s request, Ares-chan, her family’s armory, conjured a naginata from a mysterious space.
It was a luxurious and high-performance naginata, befitting the title of Head Miko.
The long handle was adorned with shallow non-slip carvings, and two jewels were embedded in the tsuba. The curved blade was also meticulously maintained, exuding a sharp radiance.
Madrine spun the naginata with her right hand and struck a pose.
As she entered a combat stance, one could see not the hot-tempered Head Miko, but the bearing of a warrior who had accumulated many adventures with Yufilia and Nina.
Ruisine also received her weapon from Ares-chan.
Weapons other than those that can be carried at the waist, like mine and Mistral’s, are always kept safe by Ares-chan.
Ruisine’s weapon lacked the extravagance of Madrine’s naginata; it was plain and purely functional.
However, enhanced by the leaves of the Spirit Tree, it exhibited performance that easily surpassed ordinary enchanted weapons.
“Now, I wonder what weapon Ada-san will use,” all eyes turned to her. Then, they noticed that Ada was unarmed.
“Oh? I thought a Miko would have a naginata… or rather, I’ve never seen Ada with a weapon before.”
“Perhaps she specializes in magic?”
Ada showed a slightly troubled expression at their gazes.
Then, with hesitation, she touched an ornament on her right ear.
Ada’s beauty was symbolized by her sharp eyes and long, beautiful hair. Everyone was captivated by her hair, as black as black silk. Therefore, her earrings, which she wore daily, rarely drew attention.
However, upon closer examination of Ada’s ears, they were surprisingly adorned. A large ornament dangled from her earlobe, and various other decorations were attached, a level of ornamentation unimaginable for the pure and elegant Ada.
Furthermore, the design of the earrings differed between her right and left ears.
As Ada touched one of the ornaments on her right ear, she murmured something in a low voice.
Words like a smooth, melodic tune, almost like a song.
“Is that a spell?”
As I watched, she exclaimed,
“Uwah! Is… is that a naginata!?”
As if reacting to Ada’s voice, the ornament hanging from her right earlobe detached. Then, it swelled in Ada’s hand and began to change shape.
It had a long handle, primarily blue. The handle alone was about as long as the tall Ada.
However, the length was not the most astonishing part.
At the tip of the handle, where the tsuba would be, all eyes were fixated.
It was a mutated tsuba, as if the roots of an ancient tree had been transplanted. One could say that the roots that grew from the trunk intertwined and densely formed a shield.
It was an abnormal design for a Miko’s naginata. Moreover, the tips of the roots that deviated from the intertwined part hardened, turned white, and grew ivory-like horns. And there were several of them. The horned parts alone growing from the tsuba seemed capable of piercing.
And, as if the tsuba weren’t bizarre enough, the blade section extending from it was also beyond normal.
It was a giant, curved blade, like a Qing Dynasty sabre. It was thick, long, and large, making it indistinguishable from a greatsword rather than a naginata. While it had the significant curve of a naginata, it was no longer meant for slashing. Combined with the long handle and the enormous tsuba, it was a weapon designed for pulverizing strikes.
“That’s… abnormal,” Mistral murmured, staring blankly.
However, what she pointed out was different from what I was observing.
“A jewel, one, two, three…”
“Jewel count?” Upon re-examining Ada’s naginata, my eyes widened.
The tsuba had over ten jewels of various sizes, as if entangled and absorbed by the roots. Not only that, but the giant blade itself had three jewels, large, medium, and small, and the spearhead also had one large and two small ones.
“Did I make a mistake…?” I doubted my own eyes.
We also wore protective jewels, possessing numerous jewels ourselves. However, I had never seen or heard of a single piece of equipment using so many.
“I almost lost my mind wondering about the power when all the jewels are combined. But my despair was misplaced.”
“Although many jewels are used, they are all dead,” Mistral stated.
“Huh?”
The bizarre shape, the abnormal number of jewels. Everything I saw was so outlandish that I had overlooked something crucial again. Prompted by Mistral, I looked at the jewels again.
All the jewels had lost their luster and were a murky color. Perhaps their original color was blue, similar to the handle, but now they were unrecognizable.
“No matter how many jewels are embedded, it’s meaningless if they are all dead,” Mistral said.
“That’s true…” as Mistral pointed out. Ruisine and Madrine, facing Ada, were also taken aback by the strange naginata, but their eyes regained their spark upon realizing the jewels were dead.
“Hehehe. It seems the jewels are useless. Then it’s just a heavy naginata!”
“Oh my, oh my, that’s very advantageous for us.”
Ruisine and Madrine struck a determined pose, awaiting the signal to begin. Ada, on the other hand, stood with the blade of her naginata touching the ground. It appeared to be a natural posture, but I was sure she could react to any movement.
“Ada-san, isn’t that heavy? Are you alright?”
It was just a casual inquiry, but Ada offered a gentle smile and murmured, “Don’t worry.”
“It’s called Lesanhorun. It’s a sacred spear passed down through my family. The weight of this Lesanhorun is the weight of my sins…” Ada said, her voice tinged with sadness. For some reason, her words resonated more heavily with me than anything else.
“If Ada-san is alright… then let’s begin.”
At my signal, the three combatants tensed up. And with the cry of “Begin!”, Madrine was the first to charge.
“Haa!”
She swung her naginata high and charged. Ada’s movement was slightly delayed. The delay was likely due to the enormous and heavy naginata. To the frail-looking Ada, the long naginata seemed disproportionate. Lifting it required a deliberate charge-up, which slowed her movements.
Madrine exploited this slight delay mercilessly. Utilizing the naginata’s long reach, she attacked from a distance. The acceleration of her charge and the attack from afar were faster than expected, closing the distance to her opponent.
However, Madrine immediately retreated.
“Grrr!”
Ada’s initial move was slow. But Ada, who possessed and wielded Lesanhorun, knew the consequences of a delayed response better than anyone. To everyone’s surprise, Ada leaped forward, closing the distance to Madrine herself.
Neither of them were within the naginata’s optimal range. Naginatas, like spears, have a long reach, but their advantage diminishes when an opponent gets inside the hilt, closer to the blade.
It seemed like they were both in an unfavorable range. But Ada seemed to have a different idea. Or perhaps, this was the effective way to use that enormous weapon.
Instead of gripping the long handle near the end, Ada held it just below the tsuba. With its massive blade, Lesanhorun transformed into a greatsword. Faced with an attack that had shifted to close combat, Madrine had no choice but to evade. She leaped backward, then to the right, using the Star Jump with great speed and range.
From behind Madrine, five Moonlight Arrows were fired. It was Ruisine’s magic! Ruisine had prepared her magic behind Madrine’s charge. It was unspoken coordination, and to Ada, it was a complete surprise.
Ada, who had been about to slash at Madrine, still reacted quickly. I thought I saw her left fingertip move slightly. Immediately after, the five Moonlight Arrows Ruisine had fired were shot down by five Moonlight Arrows conjured by Ada.
“Wh-what!?” Ruisine exclaimed in shock. But she didn’t stop. If the Moonlight Arrows were downed, it was time for close combat. Like Madrine at the start, Ruisine charged at Ada.
“Ho ho ho, that’s a trap!” Then, in sync with Ruisine’s movement, Madrine unleashed her magic! Five more Moonlight Arrows attacked Ada from the side. Ada reacted calmly to Ruisine’s approach and the Moonlight Arrows. She jumped lightly, using the Star Jump to retreat backward.
“Muuuuh!” Madrine stomped her foot in frustration.
“No, no, cooperation with Ruisine is meaningless if you announce it beforehand…”
“Mew.”
Although the three sparring participants wouldn’t hear my voice, I couldn’t help but comment. However, this also seemed to be Madrine’s trap. Feigning frustration, Madrine immediately deployed new Moonlight Arrows behind Ada. This was Madrine’s specialty, Double Dedication, an extremely advanced technique allowing her to activate two spells simultaneously.
Ada, who hadn’t anticipated her opponent being a user of Double Dedication… with a fragile sound, all the Moonlight Arrows fired from behind Ada were shattered.
“N-no way…” This time, Ruisine and Madrine were genuinely astonished.
“I-even so, the casting speed of magic is too fast…”
“Even without dedication, the power is…”
“Without dedication?” We tilted our heads at Madrine’s mumbling.
“Without dedication means magic cast without the dedication ritual,” Yufilia explained.
“Without dedication means magic cast without drawing the crest,” Nina added.
“However, without dedication, it lacks power,” Yufilia said.
“However, without dedication, it’s useless,” Nina finished. The explanations came from Yufilia and Nina, who, having adventured with Madrine for many years, were indeed knowledgeable.
“Muuuuh!”
“If that’s the case!” This time, the two of them attacked Ada together.
“Take this!”
“Haa!” Ruisine and Madrine swung their naginatas. Ada parried their attacks while weaving in dodges. Then, she unleashed Lesanhorun in a single flash.
“Grrk!” Madrine, who received the counterattack head-on, was blown away. As expected, receiving such a super-heavy attack directly meant she couldn’t deflect it and was simply blown away.
Madrine regained her posture and closed in again. She unleashed her naginata strikes freely, creating techniques that didn’t overlap with Ruisine’s attacks, showcasing her experience. However, she was blown away yet again. This time, she began chanting magic. Ada’s feet began to faintly glow. With a soft *ton*, Ada struck the ground with the butt of Lesanhorun. With just that. Madrine’s magic was shattered again with a fragile sound.
“Muuuuh! Muuuuuhhhhh!”
“You know. Madrine is acting like a monkey.”
“That’s right, Priscilla-chan. But you shouldn’t say that in front of her, okay?” Magic and close combat were completely ineffective. Madrine’s frustration was understandable. As was her seriousness, trying to grasp something within this battle. We, too, concentrated on witnessing the match of the three.
“Ruisine-sama’s movements are better.”
“Laira is right. It’s like she can read Ada’s movements… or can she!?” Ada’s movements had a large wind-up, but once initiated, they were so sharp that even Madrine couldn’t dodge them and had to receive them head-on. Ruisine, however, dodged them by lowering her stance and counter-attacked from there. However, she couldn’t react to Ada’s high-speed magic and was forced to retreat despite getting close.
“Speaking of which, Ada knew about the Dragon Veins, didn’t she? She called them Spirit Veins…”
“In other words, she is…” Mistral didn’t finish her sentence, but we all nodded in agreement. Ada was also a top-tier hand-to-hand combatant. She toyed with Ruisine and Madrine, alternating between flowing soft attacks like a clear stream and fierce ones like a raging river. Throughout it all, her core remained stable, always maintaining a central flow.
“It’s beautiful. I don’t think I could win against her even with just her physical techniques,” Sefina, who had been silently watching, commented. Ruisine seemed to be reacting well to Ada. However, she still couldn’t break through. Then, Ada took some distance, stopped, and looked at Ruisine with her sharp eyes.
“…Could it be, Dragon Eye?”
“Wh-what!?” That’s impossible! Ada also knows about the Dragon Eye!? We were stunned by Ada’s unexpected reaction. Just like with the Orichalcum Mirror, we wondered how much knowledge this person possessed! Ada, having discerned Ruisine’s uniqueness, didn’t evade Ruisine’s attacks head-on.
“Oh my, oh my, it’s fine even if my movements are read,”
“Ruisine!”
“Yes, Madrine-sama!” Ruisine and Madrine, while fending off Ada, split into two groups. Then, they began reciting incantations. Ada merely held the blade of Lesanhorun to the ground without showing any signs of pursuit. It seemed the next round would be a magic battle, returning to how it started.
“It’s a commendable response to magic, not running away.”
“But how will she deal with triple spellcasting!” Ruisine’s solo magic and Madrine’s Double Dedication, a total of three spells cast simultaneously. Fifteen Moonlight Arrows appeared above their heads. It was a magnificent sight. Individually, they might seem plain, but when fifteen arrows imbued with moonlight appeared at once, it felt divine. Ada gazed at the Moonlight Arrows targeting her. Then, for the first time, she moved her fingertips noticeably, so anyone could see. Chanting an incantation, she drew a pattern in the air with her right index finger.
“…Huh?” We were dumbfounded. Ruisine and Madrine, too, were so captivated by staring at Ada’s head that they forgot to release the Moonlight Arrows they had finished casting.
“Um, one, two, three, four?” Priscilla-chan, you’re not counting past five. I see, you’ve given up.
“That’s a shocking number. It makes the two of them look like novice Mikos,” Mistral remarked. It was understandable. The Moonlight Arrows appearing above Ada’s head numbered well over twenty. Ruisine and Madrine had fifteen, while Ada alone had over twenty. Ada smiled apologetically. Then, she moved to the next step without hesitation. This time, she moved her right middle finger and her left hand. A shiver ran through me as Ada’s aura transformed. Her beautiful eyes, like black pearls, glowed blue.
“W-w-wait a minute!”
“P-please wait!” Ruisine and Madrine paled. Seeing the number of Moonlight Arrows increasing above Ada’s head, they instinctively retreated.
“Double, triple dedication…?”
“No, I’d say at least quadruple,” Mistral replied.
“Whaaaaaa…” She drew patterns separately with her right index and middle fingers, and another with her left hand. According to Mistral, even a slight movement of her eyes had drawn a pattern.
“Are those eyes like Mistral’s?”
“No, that looks like… a Magic Eye.” The power in Ada’s transforming eyes held a chilling power, even for me.
“Now, please don’t run and receive it.” Despite her overwhelming presence, Ada smiled with her usual benevolence. However, her eyes continued to glow, and nearly a hundred Moonlight Arrows were above her head! I wanted back the innocent heart that felt divinity in Ruisine and Madrine’s fifteen Moonlight Arrows!
“This is interesting!”
“This is fun!” At that moment, unexpected participants appeared.
“Yufi and”
“Nina’s”
” “Suiryū Summon!!” ” In response to the twins’ powerful words, the two lakes in the courtyard began to churn violently, and water dragons, shaped by super high-pressure water, extended their long necks and manifested.
“Ares-chan, I’ll join too!” Lyra, who received a two-handed staff from Ares-chan, and Yufilia and Nina, who gripped the Ryuhōken.
” “Turn to water dust!!” ” At the twins’ cry, the second round of sparring began. Click the heart to easily convey your support. (Login required) Support Those with an account, please log in. Learn more about the reading experience on Kakuyomu.
