Chapter One: A Visit to the Head Temple
It was a few days later.
The old lady, new to this world, had been joining us in leveling up and had made some decent progress. Visitors from the other world could level up just by clutching some earth crystals, so it wasn’t all that hard to make significant gains. She had also performed a limit-break class-up in our world, so she was the kind of person who would just keep on leveling regardless of what we did.
With Raphtalia, I headed to the castle dining hall and chatted with Kizuna and Glass. Raph-chan and Chris were playing happily together. I still wasn’t sure what Filo, Sadeena, and the others were doing. Probably just getting into some kind of mischief. S’yne was sitting on a chair a short distance away, sleeping with her eyes open. Her familiar was putting a cape over her. She was resting up while she could, from the look of it, so she should be ready to move when needed. If I left the dining hall, I was pretty sure she would get up and follow me, so I decided to chat and cook here for a while for her sake.
S’yne had been this way a lot recently. Her vassal weapon was finally, truly breaking down. It was reaching the point where it could hardly translate anything she said at all. I could tell when she was trying to say something, but she just couldn’t get it across. Her familiar would try and help out, but even that was becoming difficult. She had managed to get a few things across—something about me and something about the holy weapons, but none of the key points. I was also starting to think she might just suck at explaining things.
Eventually I’d asked her to just write it down, but then she’d said she wasn’t good at reading or writing. As I looked over at S’yne . . .
“That old lady is incredibly nimble on her feet,” Glass was saying at my side, clearly very impressed. “I guess she would be impressive, being your master, Raphtalia.”
“She is quite something,” Kizuna agreed. “But . . . I’m not quite sure how to say this . . . The way she shouts like that . . .”
“The fact she’s so noisy is definitely one of her shortcomings,” I finished for her. All the retro kung fu movie noises were really annoying, but she could leap around like a cat when she had to. I wished I could just get over it, but it also gave away her position every time. It seemed like she could shut up if she ever needed to attack quietly, but her movements were so exaggerated too. Just being quiet wouldn’t stop her from bothering me, to be honest.
“It seems to me like she’s moving like that for our benefit, making sure we can see her every movement,” Raphtalia countered. “I always feel like I’m getting stronger just watching her.”
“I’m not sure it’s worth it . . .” I replied. “She’s gone off with Ethnobalt to train the library rabbits, anyway. She looked like the cat that got the cream. Seriously, that look on her face really pissed me off!” Seeing her in the open space in front of the library, instructing all the library rabbits together, had been like a scene from some kung fu temple in the mountains. The library rabbits held a position here much like the filolials did back in our world. But clearly a different world could mean a very different approach. Seeing the library rabbits were more serious, I had to say I preferred them over the filolials. It might even be worth putting together a library rabbit unit, placing Ethnobalt at their head and setting them loose on the waves.
“I’ve no idea why you would get upset by such a thing,” Kizuna said.
“I find it very motivational,” Glass agreed. “Yomogi and the others are keen to keep training, and I think things are going in a good direction.” I wasn’t going to disagree. Having more, better-trained fighters was a good thing. Not to mention, there was something else. The old lady and Yomogi and the others couldn’t really talk to each other, so their level of communication was pretty impressive too—even if I felt somewhat conflicted about her “talk with fists” style actually working.
Anyway, while keeping an eye on the old lady as she started to collect students in this world, we were on the move toward the head temple of the combat style that Glass used—or at least, we were in the middle of having a mirror registered to my mirror vassal weapon. That mirror would be sent to the head temple of the combat style that Glass used. We’d put a rush on it, and the mirror was scheduled to arrive within the next few days.
During their most recent attack, when S’yne’s sister raided L’Arc’s castle, they had overwhelmed us with their support magic nullification. It was now vital for us to find a means to resist this support magic nullification, and according to the Demon Dragon—who used similar magic capable of nullifying support magic—the founder of Glass’s style had employed some kind of counter to it in the past. So that’s who we were heading toward.
“Still . . . not sure about going back there,” Glass said, her face clouded.
“Is there anything that we should be worried about?” I asked her.
“There were some issues, but we handled them before the waves started,” Kizuna commented.
“Indeed . . . I’m sure it will be fine,” Glass said. “I just don’t have many happy memories of that place.”
“Glass was picked on by some other students, because she was the one selected by the fan vassal weapon,” Kizuna explained.
“Those problem students were all kicked out of the school eventually, but still . . .” Glass added. I vaguely recalled Kizuna saying something about all this—honestly, who kept track of all these backstories? Something about Kizuna and her merry band going on an adventure to defeat the Demon Dragon, prior to the waves even starting, and solving all sorts of problems along the way. L’Arc had also faced some kind of issue with his succession to the throne. Glass had probably faced some hardships too. From the basic outline I kind of recalled, Glass had taken part in fighting the Demon Dragon too.
It seemed to be coming back to me. The students had all taken turns, in order of seniority, at attempting to be selected by the fan vassal weapon. But Glass had ended up being the one selected. As a result, the other disgruntled students had shunned her, hoping perhaps she would die in battle and give them another chance at being chosen by the fan vassal weapon. I took a moment to ponder what worthless wastes of space these students must have been, something like . . . Trash II. With the new knowledge we now had, I even wondered if maybe they were among the resurrected.
“Sounds like they might hold a grudge against you,” I said. “Think they might group up with Bitch and her goons to attack us?”
“They wouldn’t have the backbone for something like that,” Glass replied.
“They were just trying to have things easy . . . like the worthless nobles you see in other nations . . . something like that,” Kizuna added. It sounded like she was making light of the situation, but maybe I was just getting too suspicious.
“Anyway, if they aren’t going to show up and cause trouble, I don’t need to comment,” I said. That seemed like the best idea. If they did appear, of course, we’d give them suitable treatment. “Then we have the issue of Glass’s birth.” This was all supposition on my part, but I thought there was the possibility of her being the bloodline of the pacifier for this world, like Raphtalia was back on ours. I was basing this on the fact that a crest that looked a lot like a sakura lumina tree had responded to Glass when we were in the Ancient Labyrinth Library. I’d only heard it secondhand from Kizuna, but issues with her family had also meant she was ranked low in her style.
“I haven’t really talked about it, have I?” Glass said. “Not that there’s much to say.”
“Still, it might provide us with some hints,” I pressed her.
“Maybe . . .” Glass still seemed unsure.
“The master fixed his eye on Glass because she was just a complete natural, absorbing things even without being taught, and so he brought her officially into the style,” Kizuna said.
“That’s right . . . Even if you want to know more about my bloodline, I don’t have any documents that can provide such information,” Glass confirmed.
“Hmmm . . . so a different situation from Raphtalia, but maybe just as annoying,” I said.
“You make it sound like that’s my fault. The causes seem to be Mr. Naofumi and L’Arc, respectively,” Raphtalia rebuked. In her case, me putting her in that miko outfit that only royals were allowed to wear had caused our village to be attacked from so far away. It hadn’t been Ruft in command either. Raphtalia’s parents had basically fled the country with Sadeena. Unlike that whole situation, Glass didn’t seem to have any kind of family line we could trace.
“You think the fan selected you because of your bloodline?” I pondered.
“You were already stronger than the other students before you set out on your journey, right? Am I wrong?” Kizuna asked.
“I mean . . . you’re not wrong,” Glass responded. She wasn’t very forthcoming when it came to this topic. There was probably some unpleasant stuff that she didn’t really want to talk about.
“We just need to head over there,” I said. “What do you want to do once we arrive?”
“Searching for the key to stop the nullification sounds the most important,” Kizuna said.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“We’ll have to ask the master about that,” Glass said.
“You got some problems with him too?” I asked.
“No . . . but after his students caused all these problems, he got pretty depressed and rarely comes out of the dojo anymore . . .” Glass replied. The total opposite of the old lady—that old bag was packed with energy. Even if she did open a dojo to try and attract students, she probably wouldn’t spend very long there.
“We tried to cheer him up a bit, but she hasn’t really been to see him that often,” Kizuna added.
“I see,” I said. So Kizuna and her allies had been working through their own issues but hadn’t quite reached the end of that process yet. Thinking about it, I was in a similar situation myself. From what they had just told me, it also didn’t sound like we were going to get much out of this meeting.
“Shield Hero.” The Demon Dragon chose that moment to flap over.
“What now?” I said, irritated already.
“I have a place in my former territory that might be worth inviting you to. Prepare a mirror,” the dragon demanded.
“Your former territory, huh?” Kizuna quipped.
“If this goes as I hope, you may be able to recover all manner of treasures and other items that I hoarded,” the dragon revealed. She was trying to hook me with bait that would catch my interest, probably hoping to make me like her.
“What kind of items?” Raphtalia asked.
“The continent where your castle was located, Demon Dragon . . .” Kizuna started.
“Right. After the Demon Dragon was gone but before the waves started, all the surrounding nations were bickering over who it belonged to,” Glass confirmed.
“There’s no helping people, is there?” I said. Same greed, different world. “Did that settle down once the waves started?”
“A little . . . now they’re hoping to use this chaos to take over other countries, rather than some out-of-the-way land. So they are fighting each other. But with the damage from the waves themselves and then the issues caused by the Vanguards of the Waves, those conflicts are calming down . . .” That sounded like the work of Trash II, Kyo, the guy who stole the scythe, and Miyaji—morons like that. Kizuna and her gang had taken all of them out, of course. Anyone who was left was probably gathered with the holder of the harpoon vassal weapon.
“How shamefully pathetic. Shield Hero, you can put all concerns aside; having investigated the place with my magic, I determined that everything I concealed there still seems to be in place. A visit will definitely prove worthwhile for you,” the Demon Dragon said. She was currently training hard and had hit around level 70 already. Her food enhancement was at the same level as Filo . . . In fact, she probably ate even more than her and was developing quickly.
She also had unique magic of her own, and I was getting a little worried about whether it was safe to allow that. She had the worst possible personality, but she was deadly serious when it came to combat, so she made great progress. She was always boasting about dragon stamina and going out hunting all night. I often wondered when—if—she was getting any sleep.
“You just need to send me to the closest possible country and then come meet me at the appointed time. Simple. If I take a mirror with me, you can come anywhere, correct?” the dragon said.
“That’s true . . .” I admitted. There was no controlling the Demon Dragon; that was the issue. She was basically still doing what she had promised to do. She was playing along with us . . . for now.
“Are you going to trust her?” Raphtalia asked.
“Should we really let the Demon Dragon just go off on her own?” Glass added. They both made good points, I had to admit. Right now, she just looked like a small, talking, baby purple dragon. But once she started becoming a proper “Demon Dragon,” it was going to make things a lot more complicated. If having broken the seal became a political issue, that could cause all sorts of trouble too.
“I’m ready for the worst—but I still don’t really want it to come out that the Demon Dragon has been revived,” I said.
“Hah! All you need to say is that this foolish fighting has caused me to revive in all my glory. That will prove a worthy lesson to these imbeciles who have fought over my lands since I was defeated,” the dragon suggested.
“That might not be a bad cover story. We could say that the pointless fighting has caused a number of dragon cores to collect together and revive the Demon Dragon,” I pondered out loud.
“But if the Demon Dragon comes back, the humans—” Kizuna started.
“I don’t care about that. Who’s better? Who should be on top and who should be below? I don’t care,” I said.
“Well said, Shield Hero!” the dragon cheered. “I am ready to become your—”
“Enough of that. Just stop it!” I grabbed the persistent dragon’s head with one hand and tossed her away.
“This is a problem like those seen in Melromarc and Siltvelt,” Raphtalia commented.
“I don’t see the harm in letting her do what she can to help out, at least for now,” I replied. I looked at the dragon. “Go ahead.”
“Very well, Shield Hero. I will provide you with whatever it takes to catch your interest,” she replied. I wasn’t sure what that meant and didn’t like the sound of it. “Just as a side note, Shield Hero, I’m aware that your tastes favor girls who look young but are very generous! And that you don’t care how pretty they are.”
“Sure, whatever,” I replied. I was getting accustomed to blowing off her attacks now. Thinking of her as a combination of Atla and Gaelion made it easier to handle, perhaps—and also kept me from really disliking her.
I pondered for a moment on how much I had changed. That was thanks to Atla too.
“Then I shall depart at once!” the dragon said with a laugh. “I will make you like me. You’ll see!” The Demon Dragon headed away.
“What a . . . unique individual,” Raphtalia said. She probably hadn’t expected the dragon to be quite so aggressive in putting the moves on me. I wasn’t so bothered by it anymore. I was even starting to think she had a cute side to her. Having come this far, I almost wanted to see how hard she would work to get my attention.
“Can you believe that’s the king of the monsters? The terrible creature that plunged the world into terror?” I said.
“Not an easy thing, is it?” Glass agreed. I could understand Kizuna’s mixed feelings at being summoned to defeat such a creature.
“Do your best to make peace with her,” I told them.
“You think that’s possible?” Kizuna asked.
“Try explaining things to her—without bringing me into it. I think she’s softening up already,” I said. We were definitely sharing more of a dialogue now than we had when we first fought the Demon Dragon. However, I still wasn’t sure if being corrupted by my rage had made the dragon go crazy or if that had been Gaelion’s fault.
“I guess so. She was more arrogant, colder before. We’ll do our best to keep the peace, even when the promised time comes,” Kizuna said. She was trying, at least.
These were the kinds of things we talked about as we saw off the Demon Dragon with a mirror. After that, we trained in the castle and researched accessories. I also made the time to greet some people Kizuna was friendly with. There was a magic user that looked like a ninja and made a big impression. I almost thought he was a Shadow.
It was a few days later.
“Is the town here close to the head temple of your style?” I asked.
“That’s right,” Glass replied. The mirror was close to its destination, and so I’d put a party together—Kizuna, Glass, Raphtalia, Raph-chan, Sadeena, Shildina, S’yne, the old lady, and myself—and we made our way out. Itsuki, Rishia, and Ethnobalt were off raising their levels. Itsuki, in particular, had gone off to listen to musical instrument magic from each region, seeking to increase his own variety of musical magic. L’Arc and Therese were attending collaboration meetings in each nation with Yomogi and Tsugumi while also acquiring monster parts in the vicinity.
As for Filo, she had been here with us yesterday, but after taking a look at Glass’s nation, she’d left. She had been put on display before and wasn’t keen on the Japan-style nations in this world. As a result, she was now off with Itsuki due to their shared interest in music.
As expected, the country Glass originated from was a Japan-style nation. It made sense, because Glass loved to wear a kimono. The town looked like something from a Japanese period drama. It had an atmosphere like Q’ten Lo, and the people looked . . . a bit like ghosts, if I was being honest. They had a bit of a spooky feeling to them, giving the whole place a kind of haunted-house feeling.
They had big red Shinto gates in the city and also big wooden buildings that looked like old-timey brothels. Women who looked like those feudal courtesans were walking the streets. There was a lot of room for variety even within the range of “Japan style,” clearly.
“This place . . . looks like there would be some kind of eldritch sword lying around,” I said. It was an ominous and yet glittery, gaudy place. I thought the night scenery would be quite the sight. Ninja running across the rooftops or something like that might be fun.
“Yeah, I think I get what you mean,” Kizuna replied.
“Although I can’t quite put my finger on it, it’s a bit different from Q’ten Lo,” Raphtalia added.
“True. I did feel for a moment there like I was in Q’ten Lo too,” Sadeena agreed.
“There’s no sakura lumina, the clothes are more flashy, and there are so many spirits,” Shildina finished for the three of them, each providing their own comparison between Q’ten Lo and Glass’s nation. “It’s the middle of the afternoon and yet it feels like night. Is this because of all the wooden construction?” Shildina was getting a little excited, perhaps interested in our surroundings. Since she hooked up with us, she’d been taken out to all sorts of new places, so the whole thing was a string of new experiences for her.
“They do like the color black,” Sadeena commented.
“A lot of the plants and ores that originate from this region are black,” Glass explained. “That naturally leads to black constructions, which they offset with lamps to make them brighter or illuminate with magic. There are also many rich veins of gold here, far more than in other nations, and so they feature a lot of goldwork.”
“I see,” I pondered. The timber did have quite the luster to it. It looked more like charcoal, and I was surprised to learn that wasn’t the case.
“Let’s keep moving,” Glass suggested.
“Okay, after you,” I told her. After making our way through the town, we found ourselves looking up at a mountain with a long stone stairway cut into it. Perhaps because the soil, ores, and trees were all black, the lanterns that took over the streetlamps alongside the stairway were lit with a blue-white flame. The whole thing was making me think I might be in some kind of survival horror game.
“Saint, you’ve shown me again how worthwhile it is to live a long life. An opportunity to witness the culture rooted in such a place as this . . . if I was half my age, I’d be raring to get up there and fight some monsters,” the old lady croaked.
“Don’t stop at monsters,” I told her. “I bet you could fight off some evil spirits too.” My otaku knowledge was packed with kung fu action movies involving specters and spooks. The old lady looked just like the kind of hand-to-hand ghostbusting specialist who showed up in such fare. Now that I thought about it . . . Raphtalia, Sadeena, and Shildina also all blended in nicely with this Japanese esthetic.
“Raph,” said Raph-chan. That little cutie could play the perfect tanuki spirit in a place like this. Give her a teapot and she’d be just like something out of one particular old Japanese story.
On the other hand, S’yne looked pretty out of place. I decided not to say anything. She was pretty good at reading the room, and if I made a comment, she’d probably go ahead and transform her familiar into a wooden doll or change into some kind of eldritch puppet master.
We continued up the interminably long steps and eventually reached what looked like what could be called a temple or shrine. It was also made from black materials, so it all looked pretty shady. Perhaps a cultural thing. At a glance, it seemed pretty rundown. But on closer inspection, it was actually well cared for.
“Master! Master!” Glass was quick to step into the temple grounds and start shouting her head off.
“Saint!” the old lady warned me with a grunt. I raised my guard immediately at her warning, and in the next moment the shapes of around ten people appeared, coming directly at Glass and the rest of us. They were all shouting and moving at what they probably considered top speed. For us, that still made them pretty slow though.
The fastest-moving one of them charged directly for Glass. He was using a fan, just like Glass herself. Glass matched the speed of her opponent, attacking and defending as though dancing. It looked like sparks were grating out from their battle, and I was a bit nervous for her safety.
“Not exactly the warm welcome I was expecting,” I quipped, throwing up a Stardust Mirror and letting the incoming attackers bounce off it. They grunted pleasingly in surprise at this unexpected impediment.
“I should have mentioned this,” Glass said. “Please be careful not to hurt them too badly.”
“They do this every time. You get pretty sick of it after about your third visit,” Kizuna groaned. They did seem to have rules. Those who had attacked or defended put their weapons away and went to sit along the wall. I wasn’t keen on them making us fight like this.
Raphtalia and Raph-chan both gave shouts as they worked together to drive off another attacker. The poor guy must have been shocked out of his wits when Raphtalia and Raph-chan vanished into smoke just as his attack was about to hit. Then, after reappearing next to him, Raphtalia proceeded to knock him out with her sword hilt.
“You lack conviction!” the old lady shouted as she grabbed the weapon hand of another attacker and casually tossed him to the side. The poor guy screamed in surprise as he flew through the air. Now that was going too far.
“We need to get in on this action,” Sadeena said.
“You said it,” Shildina agreed with a nod.
“No need—” S’yne started.
“Lady S—says there—no need to wo—about that,” her familiar relayed, with a worrying amount of static mixed in. Even as the killer whale sisters readied their weapons, S’yne proceeded to wrap up all the attackers in thread, binding them together on the spot.
“Oh my,” said Sadeena.
“Oh dear,” added Shildina. That instantly resolved the issue, but the two whales looked less than pleased. S’yne could have let them have a little fun.
Glass was still fighting. Her opponent looked like . . . an old man. He was the lean but muscular type, with priestly-looking clothing . . . like the clothing Ruft used to wear. He looked kind of blurred and semitransparent, meaning he was definitely a spirit.
Then I took a moment to identify the attackers we had driven off. There were five spirits, three jewels, one grass person, and one human. They seemed to have accepted defeat and lined up along the wall.
“Circle Dance . . . Breeze Blizzard!” The old man attacking Glass shouted a skill, spreading his fan wide and swiping it upward hard. That was all it took to unleash a raging gust of wind that assaulted Glass. She gave a shout in return, spreading her own fan and sweeping it toward the sky to blast the wind away. After it rose upward, it turned into snow and floated back down. I was impressed by the theatricality of it.
“Circle Dance Cutting Formation: Instant!” was Glass’s reply, one of her fastest attacks. It involved circling around behind the target in an instant and attacking five times in quick succession. Glass blurred and attacked with her fan—but all of her strikes were deflected, reflected, or avoided. Her opponent continued the dance, thrusting his fan in front of Glass. But unwilling to back down, Glass responded by thrusting right back.
“Hmmm. I’m glad to see your skills are intact,” her opponent said.
“You too, Master,” Glass responded.
“I’ve also received word of the obstacles you have faced. Things haven’t been easy for you, have they?” her master said.
“No, they haven’t,” Glass replied. Having completed this fight-as-a-greeting between martial artists, Glass turned to us to introduce her attacker.
“This is my master, the teacher of my style,” Glass told us.
“Welcome to the dojo of the Freegem Style. Lady Kazayama, and . . .” The master looked over us all, and for some reason his eyes stopped on the old lady. I saw something spark in the air between them, I was sure of it. Both of them immediately adopted a fighting stance.
“Can you please let us complete the introductions?” I asked her. “Why are you so keen to kick off round two?”
“Why do you think, Saint? A powerful fighter stands before me. What other reason do I need?” the old lady retorted.
“Enough!” I said sharply.
“Master, please calm down,” Glass said, also trying to prevent another clash. “You can do that later.”
“Now would be better! I would very much like to fight her . . . but I guess it can’t be helped,” the old man said. Both of them dropped their fighting stances and reached out to shake hands.
“Right! When the talking is done, we fight!” they both said.
“How are you doing that?” I asked. “You can’t even understand him, right?”
“Saint, when you talk with your fists, your intent can be imparted!” the old lady replied. I shook my head. Just what did she think we were here for! Certainly not to watch an old couple beat each other up.
“Getting back to the introductions,” Kizuna stepped in, “we have the Shield Hero from another world, Naofumi Iwatani, and Raphtalia, who was selected as the katana vassal weapon holder for this world. We also have S’yne, the sewing kit vassal weapon holder from another world, and then some companions of Naofumi’s.” She really only bothered with the holy weapon and vassal weapon holders. “Naofumi is also pulling double-duty at the moment as the Mirror Hero, chosen by the mirror vassal weapon of our world.”
“Indeed . . . I’ve heard these rumors too. One with the capacity to turn peril into victory, so I hear . . . and you do seem to have quite a unique combat style,” the old man muttered, looking me over—and not looking all that impressed. “So, Lady Kazayama. Tell me what brings you here.”
“Well . . . we’ve got a bit of a complicated situation . . .” Kizuna proceeded to explain everything that brought us here, the enemy we were about to face, as well as information on the magic that they were sure to use against us.
“I see. It sounds like someone has been whispering of the hidden secrets of Freegem Style, now doesn’t it?” he finally responded.
“You have hidden secrets, Master?” Glass asked.
“You might call them that . . . There are techniques that have only been passed down to the true successors to our style. They aren’t something to be taught lightly, even to one worthy of their acquisition,” the old man revealed.
“Sounds like some kind of annoying trial or test is coming up,” I muttered.
“Naofumi!” Kizuna shushed me, even as the old man shot a glare in my direction before turning back to Glass with his brow furrowed.
“I normally wouldn’t be teaching you them, at least at this point in time, but given the circumstances . . . Glass, you’ve been selected as the holder of the fan vassal weapon. This tells me that you are worthy of this honor. However . . .”
“However?” Glass prompted.
“Regrettably, while the fact that such techniques exist has continued to be known, the actual techniques themselves were mostly lost in faction conflict within our style. As of right now, only a few techniques remain in our possession,” the old man revealed.
“I’ve heard this story before!” I complained, shooting a glance at the old lady. A similar-sounding conflict within the Hengen Muso Style had reduced their numbers and caused all sorts of techniques to not be passed down to subsequent generations. I wondered for a moment if this was also an attack orchestrated by the one who assumed the name of God.
“Furthermore, the technique to repel support magic had issues with how often it could be used, practically speaking. The technique to repel drops in status was lost a few generations before mine,” the old man revealed.
“So this was a complete waste of time?” I asked, almost phrasing it as a statement.
“No . . . I’m still interested in these hidden techniques that remain. Master . . . will you please instruct me in their ways?” Glass asked.
“Very well,” the old man said.
“Hey, one other thing, just as an afterthought—do you know anything about Glass’s parentage?” I asked. “It seems her ancestors were positioned to prevent misuse of the holy and vassal weapons.” It seemed worth a try to ask. Then the old man tilted his head as though he did indeed have some idea.
“There is one thing . . . a story of one of the former fan vassal weapon holders stopping one of the holy weapon heroes who went on a rampage,” the old man revealed. “Maybe that’s what you’re talking about.” It certainly sounded like a hint of some sort. “They were said to come from the same country as the founder of our style too.”
“Which is where?” I asked.
“The lost nation of Amachiha,” he replied. It sounded a bit like Q’ten Lo, but also like it had already been destroyed. However, looking for a fairytale country and actually finding it also sounded like something that could very much happen in this world. Maybe it was like Atlantis or the continent of Mu. Actually getting into Q’ten Lo had been a pain too.
“That’s the continent once ruled by the Demon Dragon, said to have existed long ago, right?” Kizuna asked. So it was ruined! But that piece of information really gave a further boost to the idea that we needed to go to the Demon Dragon’s nation. I wasn’t sure I liked that. If she provided us with something invaluable at this juncture, I could see her getting totally carried away and continuing to harass me sexually until I finally got to return to our world.
Then I had another thought: what was the deal with such a country being in the Demon Dragon’s territory anyway? Couldn’t she have saved us from wasting all the time coming out here?
“So we need to go and search the Demon Dragon’s continent?” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, this might provide another opportunity . . .” the old man pondered. “I think we should attempt to clear the area known as the Holy Tool Grotto, which is located deep inside this dojo.”
“What’s in there?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied, with a totally straight face. I felt like slapping him. Bring out the kung fu master who does know, then! It sounded like he had more to say, so I resisted the urge to poke fun and let the moment pass. “It is a place sealed away by past successors to our style and vassal weapon holders, to be entered again at the appointed time. There is a chance that the techniques you desire slumber within.” Okay then. It was a sealed place that even those training here didn’t know much about. We might find something that suits our purposes, and might get nothing from it at all, but it was still worth taking a look.
“Ah, of course. I concur. If there’s anything useful here, that will be the place it’s located in,” Glass said. So she knew about it too. Even better.
Led by the old man, we proceeded inside the head temple. It looked like a supersized temple, basically. Deep inside . . . in a cave, there was another temple. The illumination looked like floating human souls, and the whole place felt perfect for driving out evil spirits.
“This is a place where higher-ranking members of our style train and live,” Glass explained.
“You are divided up, even within the same dojo?” I asked.
“Yes. Before I departed, I lived with those outside but came here to train,” Glass replied.
“Maybe that’s why the other students had some funny ideas about you,” I commented. Places cut off from the outside world could get some warped ideas about what was going on outside. If the fan vassal weapon chose someone from the lower outside building, rather than higher students living in here, that could have made them dislike Glass.
At my comment, both Glass and the old man made sour-looking faces.
“This has been our custom for many generations. It is my fault in the end for failing to see the arrogance that it created in them.” The old man looked like a deflating balloon as he spoke.
“Naofumi! No need to be so blunt!” Kizuna jibed, giving me a prod.
“Huh? Not sure what the problem is,” I responded. “Forget that rotten lot, take some more students, and change the old rules if you have to,” I said. Of course, this kind of old guy tended to be pretty stubborn. He would probably choose to be depressed and do nothing rather than change things. “The old lady might be able to give you some advice. She’s experienced her own internal conflicts,” I went on. The two styles had a pretty similar backstory.
“Mr. Naofumi, can you please be more gentle . . .” Raphtalia started, always quick to admonish me.
“You’re right,” the old lady cut her off, mysteriously agreeing with me. “I experienced a similar kind of conflict when I was young.” She could understand what the heroes were saying, perhaps, but surely not what the old guy was saying. “We have a long and bloody history of eradicating those who possessed our style but failed to respect it. That’s why I decided to let the style die out. But through the teachings of the saint, I have come to realize that making the effort to find those who are worthy is the true path to take.” A well of life force rose from the old lady, and then she pushed it at the old man. Hooked by this, the old man glared back at her just as intently. At least that put some air back in his balloon.
“Hmmm,” the old man pondered.
“It’s only natural to regret the discovery of fools among your students,” the old lady continued. “But letting that hold you back, and doing nothing as a result, is even more foolish. I will beat you back into shape!”
“Hey, don’t give him any ideas right now . . .” I said. Maybe they couldn’t hear me though, because they stayed in their fighting poses, staring each other down. It felt like the whole thing could explode at any moment.
“Oh my!”
“Oh dear!” The killer whale sisters made a pointless contribution from the sidelines.
“. . . Master, would it be better if I guided Kizuna and the others to the Holy Tool Grotto?” Glass asked, sounding like she was giving up on getting much done.
“Yes,” he replied at once. He was giving up his duty in order to fight the old lady! This was why half his students were idiots, surely!
“Well then . . . we fight!” the old lady exclaimed, and then they descended into screaming and kung fu shouts. The old lady leapt forward, and the old man intercepted with his fan. The old lady followed up smoothly with a compressed bead of life force and dropped back again. The old man brushed it aside and then plunged after her.
“Hengen Muso Technique Point of Focus!” the old lady shouted. The old man gave a gasp of surprise as he almost ate the defense-rating attack from the old lady, but then he changed his grip on the fan and guided the life force to send it flying back. I’d never seen Glass do anything like that, so it didn’t seem like an attack from her style. I looked over, and sure enough, Glass’s eyes were wide in surprise.
“He responded to that so quickly! He says he’s old, but on a technical level, I still can’t compete with him,” Glass said.
“Acho! Hengen Muso Secret Technique! First Form! Sun!” The old lady closed in with the old man, light surrounding her as she taunted him. It might have just been my imagination, but I was sure I saw a tiger behind the old lady and a dragon behind the old man.
With a grunt the old lady somehow managed to perform a double jump in the air, coming down with an axe kick from above. A few brief moments saw a flurry of attacks take place. Each life-force-imbued attack the old lady unleashed looked like some kind of crazy fighting game attack. Raphtalia and Glass could sometimes pull them off, but she was mixing normal attacks and ranged ones without any difficulty at all. It was pretty impressive from her and just as impressive from the old man who took them all in stride.
“Are we planning on watching the entire fight?” I asked.
“It’s pretty informative, to be honest. I’d like to,” Raphtalia replied, somewhat unexpectedly. I went wrong raising her as such a muscle head. Glass was nodding too, clearly in agreement. S’yne didn’t seem so bothered, but then she had taught Atla and me how to defend using life force, so she was a harder audience to please. Not that she was rich in facial expressions at the best of times, but she really didn’t seem that interested.
“I understand that, but we’ve got priorities,” I reminded them both.
“No, Naofumi! You really don’t want to witness this impressive display of skill? Isn’t that a waste?” Kizuna chimed in.
“I get where you’re coming from, but don’t forget what we’re here to do. Glass, Raphtalia, you just need to work hard to reach that kind of level yourselves,” I told them.
“I’m not sure I can live up to such expectations! Now I think I really do need to watch all of this!” Raphtalia responded.
“If it really means that much to you, just have them fight again later. The two of them are just talking with their fists, anyway . . . and at a glance, the old lady has the upper hand. The old man will be more impressive once he’s worked through this, so let’s finish what we’re here for first,” I replied.
“Oh my, little Naofumi. Very impressive,” Sadeena said.
“You’re quite something, sweet Naofumi, seeing all that,” Shildina added, the two of them praising me while taking in the acrobatics of the two elderly fighters. I was just surprised no one else could see it as easily. The old lady and the old man had wanted to fight, and the old man had something on his mind. They looked like two people who could talk with their fists, so hopefully this would all turn out fine. Until they reached that point, this was all prologue. There would be plenty to see after that happened.
Of course, if things didn’t go as I suspected . . . then the old guy would either get pummeled into the ground or the old lady would lose interest and give up fighting him further. The potential for either of them to get seriously hurt wasn’t even a consideration. The old lady would never let something like that happen.
“Seeing all of that from such a short snippet of battle . . . even if you hail from another world . . . you are truly a holy weapon hero,” Glass said, her eyes wide at my reply. I wanted to tell her that wasn’t what was going on—especially as she was looking over at Kizuna.
“Glass, what’s that look for? You’re not wondering why Naofumi and I are so different, are you?” Kizuna asked, her eyes half closed in exasperation and her arms folded.
“No, never! I would never do such a thing!” Glass defended herself. Kizuna wasn’t some combat maniac, after all; she was just a kid who liked fishing. It was unfair to expect too much from her. She wasn’t a hero really intended for combat with other humans, and I had been hardened by having to watch my enemies and learn when to defend—she didn’t have that requirement either. Kizuna could do different things from me, so there was no need for her to be like me.
“Raph!” said Raph-chan.
“Pen!” said Chris, the two of them watching the fight between the old lady and the old man with their paws in the air—looking as though to say they would stay and watch.
“Okay, you two, we’ll leave this with you. If anything untoward happens, or if the fight looks like it’s going to get more serious, come and let us know,” I told them.
“Raph!” said Raph-chan.
“Hold on . . . what?” Raphtalia still looked a bit puzzled, unsure of what exactly was going on. That actually seemed like the most natural reaction.
“Let’s finish what we came to do,” Glass suggested. “Before my master is finished with his distraction.”
“That’s the way!” I told her. “Let’s get to the bottom of this, with a bullet!” Glass immediately started to move toward our destination, practically at a run, like a child hurrying to finish her homework so she could watch some TV.
“I’m not sure why, but I’m just getting a feeling that something is really wrong here,” Raphtalia said.
“That’s odd. I was just feeling the same thing,” I agreed.
“Oh, you two! How would that be different from any other time we’ve gone on a little adventure? I’m quite accustomed to it now,” Sadeena said glibly.
“Sadeena, dear sister, I’m not sure that’s something you should ever become accustomed to,” Shildina quipped.
“I think Naofumi is starting to influence Glass too. I’d better warn her to be careful,” Kizuna said. I just ignored the noise from behind and carried on moving.
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