Arc 9 Chapter 26: 『Sword Demon VS Crimson Cherry Blossom』

Chapter 9-26: 『Sword Demon VS Crimson Cherry Blossom』

A powerful sword aura filled the room, making the skin prickle in earnest. Although trained to remain calm in most situations, this unexpected and unprecedented scenario was an exception that could not be ignored.

"――Wilhelm Trias."

Rolling the name around in her mouth, Yae Tenzen quietly heightened her vigilance. They had only exchanged a single move, but Yae was at a disadvantage, having been struck by her opponent's kick. Even after jumping back to absorb the impact, the damage from the kick lingered heavily on Yae's slender frame. Had she not retreated, the force might have left a shoe-shaped hole in her abdomen. To deliver such a blow without restraint to a woman, as he claimed, was far from gentlemanly. This old swordsman had a fitting title prepared for him in this country for over forty years.

That is――,

"――To think 『Sword Demon』 himself would appear, it's an honor to meet such a famous figure~. The story of avenging your late wife is truly a testament to the kingdom's swordsmanship~."

"――――"

"Oh? But if I recall correctly, there was an unexpected reunion with your wife afterward! The events in the Watergate City must have been quite painful, I sympathize with you, boohoo."

"――――"

With a finger to her eyes, pretending to cry, Yae observed her opponent's every move. In response to Yae's crimson gaze, the old swordsman, Wilhelm, stood firm without the slightest tremor, transmitting a sharp sword aura through the two swords in his hands, staring back at her. Yae realized that her attempt to carelessly trample on his heart and unsettle him had failed, only succeeding in portraying herself as a spiteful woman.

"…From what I heard, I thought you were more of a hothead~."

Apparently, that impression was unreliable as well. Since the information source was none other than Heinkel, even the credibility of information about his own father was questionable. What could be expected of him? Perhaps it would have been better to entrust him with Felt's care instead of 『Dragon』's.

If Heinkel had let Felt escape, it would have provided a reason to dispose of her and cut ties with Heinkel simultaneously. The reason Yae thought this was――,

"Besides the village elder, there shouldn't be anyone who can notice my concealment――Felt-sama, did you perhaps do something mischievous?"

"That's a baseless accusation. You know better than anyone that I can't lay a finger on you."

"――――"

"I haven't done anything but talk to you. That's all I can do right now."

With a mix of self-reproach in her voice, Felt, who had retreated to the corner of the room, responded. She wasn't the type to skillfully feign anger. If she possessed the acting skills to control even the tremor in her voice, it would be impressive deception. Therefore, Yae lightly tugged on the steel wire around Felt's neck, merely making her aware of it,

"Please don't think about escaping, okay? I wouldn't want to separate Felt-sama's lovely head from her body."

"Add one more to the list. Also, it's not my place to say, but—"

"What is it?"

"You don't have time to be looking away, not in your current state."

The cuteness of Felt sticking out her tongue in a cheeky manner is undeniable. However, without needing to be told, Yae never lets her guard down around Wilhelm. Standing in the same position as before, Wilhelm is unable to determine how to respond to Yae's unfamiliar steel thread technique. This is only natural.

――Most Shinobi techniques are specialized in exploiting the opponent's openings.
Therefore, unlike the combat techniques of warriors meant for fighting, Shinobi techniques, which are meant for killing, are referred to as jutsu. Yae's steel thread technique is a prime example of this.
The more experienced a warrior is, the more cautious they are in battle. During that time, the Shinobi's true skill lies in setting trap after trap like a spider's web――,

"――Four moves."

"――? What is it?"

Suddenly, Wilhelm's lips utter a word, and Yae furrows her brows, unable to grasp its meaning.
Wilhelm offers no verbal response to Yae's question.――However, there is a reply. His eyes narrow slightly, and the sharp sword aura he emits slices through Yae's entire being as a response.

"――"

The moment she sensed it coming, Yae unhesitatingly mobilized all ten of her fingers, not to restrain but to unleash the slashing attack of the steel threads upon the 『Sword Demon』. Al's order of non-lethality would be fulfilled as long as the result was achieved. If the opponent survives despite intending to kill, that's fine, but an attack meant to be non-lethal would be ineffective against this opponent.
Thus, from all directions, further subdivided into sixteen, thirty-two directions, an inescapable crushing attack with steel threads, to which Wilhelm flashed the blades in both hands――,

"Ooooo――!!"

The sword wind generated by the wielded twin swords literally swept away the oncoming murderous steel threads.
The speed of the swords was so overwhelming that the sound of swords clashing with steel threads was heard all at once, giving Yae the illusion of sword sparks burning her eyes. The initial attack was blocked by the overwhelming sword pressure, yet the steel thread technique did not cease.
Allowing some leeway with the steel threads produced from the rings, the next attack was even more subdivided――in an instant, the 'floor' of the room in front of Yae was slashed and lifted.

――What rose was a part of the floor that had been cut and lifted by the edge, as large as a luxurious bed, hiding Wilhelm from Yae's view.

"――――"

With a loud stomp, the 'floor' was kicked towards Yae.
In the confined space of the room, there was no gap to escape, so Yae adjusted the angle of the steel threads controlled by her left hand to deal with the incoming 'floor', not cutting but binding, bouncing, and repelling it.
The rebound of the kicked 'floor' carried its momentum back with even greater speed and danger, aiming to fiercely blow away the 『Sword Demon』 in its path.
That was――,

"What?"

A sharp piercing sound echoed, and Yae widened her eyes at the sight of the 'floor' pinned in mid-air.
The momentum accelerated, and the power doubled with the weight. The 『Sword Demon』 precisely aligned the sword tip with the very center of the mass of the 'floor', perfectly neutralizing its power in mid-air.
It was truly a divine feat beyond the realm of human capability.

Yae, too, had been hailed as a prodigy beyond ordinary human limits and had spent much time understanding this.――Even in old age, the sword technique of the 『Sword Demon』 remains in the realm of divine feats.

"Three moves."

Holding her breath, Yae's vision focused on the other side of the suspended 'floor' where Wilhelm murmured. Hidden by the moderately wide and generously long 'floor', Wilhelm's figure was invisible to Yae. However, the advantage of the steel threads lay in their ability to reach unseen positions and deliver attacks.

The threads circled around the 'floor', aiming to drive the 'Sword Demon' on the other side to either the left or right. On both sides where he might escape, the threads were already set up—

—Immediately, a sword tip pierced through the airborne 'floor', rushing towards Yae's nose.

The sound of steel striking steel echoed as the sword was launched at a speed akin to a powerful bow. The sword, halted by piercing the 'floor', was driven through by striking its pommel. Faced with this unexpected, extraordinary projectile, Yae abandoned the attempt to entangle the sword with threads, slightly altering its trajectory, tilting her slender neck to avoid a fatal injury. The sword tip passed just beside her neck, embedding itself with a sound next to Yae, who was backed against the wall.

She dodged it. Even in this fleeting moment, Yae did not avert her gaze from the 'Sword Demon'. Thus, she immediately realized her mistake.

The sword was deeply embedded just to the right of Yae's neck. —Her escape route was limited to the left. There—

"Ruaaah—!!"

Leaping off the 'floor', the 'Sword Demon' accelerated by kicking off the ceiling, bringing down a slash. The blade aimed straight for her life, deeply cutting into Yae's left shoulder.

△▼△▼△▼△

Wilhelm van Astrea. —No, Wilhelm Trias was staying in the royal capital in search of a way to cure his master, Crusch Karsten.

During the battle against the Witch Cult in the Watergate City Priestella, Crusch was afflicted with a malignant toxin that corroded her body and mind, inflicted by the Sin Archbishop of 『Lust』, leaving her in agony akin to a curse. Even Ferris, the kingdom's foremost healer known as 'Blue', was unable to alleviate her suffering. However, a glimmer of hope had recently emerged.

Crusch's condition had not dramatically improved. However, there was news of a potential means to open up possibilities—the path to the Pleiades Watchtower had been established.

If they could borrow the power of 『Sage』 Shaula, one of the Kingdom of Lugunica's Three Great Heroes, who was said to be omniscient and omnipotent, they might find a way to remove the malignant toxin tormenting Crusch.

"If it's to help Lady Crusch, I'll cling to even a stone."

Wilhelm had no words to admonish Ferris, who clung to this news with desperate hope. Last year, Ferris had been devotedly supporting and assisting Crusch, who had lost her 'memory' at the hands of the Witch Cult and had changed significantly. Ferris himself must have faced much anguish and confusion in the process of rebuilding his relationship with Crusch from scratch.

That anguish had continued for nearly a year, and finally, a bond of trust—different from before, yet unwavering—had been formed between them.

This was ruined by the Sin Archbishop of 『Lust』, Capella Emerada Lugnica.

Crusch's subsequent suffering was as previously described, but Ferris's painful struggle to support her was also unbearable to witness. Therefore, when they heard that Subaru and his party, who aimed for the Pleiades Watchtower, had successfully reached the tower, Wilhelm and the others felt a searing hope more than admiration.

There was a sense of unease about the fact that Subaru and the others did not bring back the news directly, but there was no way to delve deeply into the movements of other factions. However, it was heard that experimental comings and goings were conducted to ensure certain access to the tower. Unable to sit still, Wilhelm and Ferris had come to the royal capital to plead for the success of this endeavor and, if possible, to join the next group heading to the tower.

And in a room of the royal mansion prepared for the stay of dignitaries――,

"I have something to inform you of and something I would like your cooperation with."

Thus, they were informed by a young internal affairs officer of the Emilia camp about the outline of a calamity that could shake the foundation of the kingdom, and the two names that gave Wilhelm a reason to wield his sword.

"Ruaaah――!!"

Kicking off the ceiling, he delivered a downward strike to the red-haired girl――a highly skilled Shinobi. The extremely thin thread-like weapon scattered its threat in an irregular trajectory with too much diversity. As prolonging the battle increased the likelihood of a misstep, a short-term decisive battle was initiated. The biting slash entered from her left shoulder and was supposed to cleave through to the right side, bisecting her life――or so it should have been.

"――ッ"

In an instant, the girl's body sank into the floor with a strong bite of her teeth――no, it wasn't that she sank. The floor itself was sliced by threads and scattered. Her body fell underground first, and Wilhelm would follow her.

With a quickly extended hand, he pulled out the sword that had pinned the girl's movement from the wall, securing his dual swords. Although he hadn't managed to sever her left shoulder, it was undoubtedly a deep wound. The moment she disappeared from sight, she became five or ten times more troublesome when she reappeared, showcasing the formidable nature of a Shinobi. In other words――,

"We'll finish this here."

Without any prior agreement, Wilhelm and the girl's voices overlapped. Falling into the gaping dark hole leading underground, Wilhelm caught sight of the glimmering threads for a moment, reflecting the light piercing the darkness.――It was the deadly threads stretched like a spider's web throughout the hole leading underground.

△▼△▼△▼△

Falling backward towards the underground, Yae used steel threads to bind her left shoulder and stop the bleeding. Although she had allowed the blade to penetrate quite deeply into her maiden's soft skin, her life's purity remained intact, so she considered it safe, albeit with a hint of defiance, while simultaneously marveling at the tremendous swordsmanship of the 『Sword Demon』.

The first move that blocked Yae's steel threads, the second move that kicked away the slashed 'floor', the third move that pinpointed the 'floor' Yae had bounced back, and the fourth move that used the penetrating sword as a decoy to slash――as declared at the start, she was nearly killed in four moves.

"Just unpleasant old folks everywhere...!"

The most familiar was the worst-tempered 'Wicked Old Man', the giant elder who nearly tormented Al on the plains, and the 『Sword Demon』, who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship despite his age――the old people Yae could think of in a flash were all those who knew nothing of mellowing with age.

In the first place, the world's custom is such that it's not unusual for the flame of life to extinguish at any moment. Despite that, the fact that they have lived long in such a world means they have survived the selection of life.

'That's why old folks are dangerous. If you think old people are weak or fragile, you'll end up in the grave before you become one. Well, it's a bit rich coming from me, an exception among exceptions as a long-living Shinobi, but still?'

As the high-pitched laughter of the village elder, who had survived a particularly harsh path, came to mind, Yae's cheeks twitched. The essence of a Shinobi is to deceive the eyes of the opponent, confuse their mind, immobilize them, and take their life. Yae, who was an exemplary student in the art of confusing the mind, recognized that she was no match for the elder's experience. Yae probably didn't have such a twisted personality, nor did she think she could live long enough to become so. In fact, she had once been nearly killed by Al. She didn't believe that kind of luck would continue repeatedly. The whims of a kind-hearted monster were nothing short of a miracle.

"――――"

Chasing after the falling Yae, Wilhelm, who had drawn his sword from the wall, also fell into the hole. It seemed that the 'Sword Demon' was confident in his movements, likely having real combat experience with Shinobi. This stirred an endless grudge against the Vollachian Empire, which had probably dispatched Shinobi in the past, and against the predecessors who hadn't killed Wilhelm back then. Compressing that into a single breath, Yae's switch flipped inside her, and her vision expanded to see as clearly as daylight in the underground darkness.

This was the result of training to adapt to the night, manipulating blood flow around the eyes, a form of bodily control that altered vision. In the gray-tinged vision, the white figure of the 'Sword Demon' emerged, and Yae spread her hands, finally bringing him into her field――,

"――I'll finish you here."

The unexpected words were spoken simultaneously, yet neither side showed a smile or surprise. They had both decided to kill the other. With mental attacks deemed meaningless, all techniques to confuse the mind were left behind, focusing solely on earnest efforts to reach the opponent's life. This was the killing field of 'Crimson Cherry Blossom' that Yae had prepared for this purpose.

――The underground cavity of the Barielle Mansion was not something Priscilla had arranged when remodeling the building, but a legacy left by the original owner, Leip Barielle. Priscilla's late husband, who was said to have suffered from pathological distrust and suspicion, had prepared for any eventuality in his mansion in the royal capital, as well as in his domain's residence and hideouts. The hole leading to this underground was one such preparation, originally functioning as a secret escape route, but Yae had preemptively blocked it to prevent it from becoming an enemy invasion route, leaving only the deep hole intact.

Yae had no personal acquaintance with Leip, who had forcibly married a young and beautiful wife like Priscilla and intended to use her as a puppet to seize control of the government. She felt nothing but repulsion towards him, but she empathized with his desire to prepare for every calamity and gratefully took advantage of it.

A platform of execution for slaughter, with steel threads stretched around, allowing only Yae to move freely. She had infiltrated the royal capital to be able to assist Al at any time if necessary, and had placed Felt in that room for surveillance purposes, to ensure this contingency could function. Therefore――,

"――From here on, no holding back."

Saying this, Yae folded her knees, smoothly removing her shoes from her feet, and stretched her toes wrapped in black undergarments. She spread the five toes of each foot and launched steel threads from the rings fitted there. Literally, no holding back with her feet, skillfully manipulating all twenty fingers of her hands and feet, Yae Tenzen's perfected techniques of slaughter prowled in the darkness――,

"――――"

Both desired a short-term decisive battle. As she fell, Yae hooked her knee onto one of the threads she had spun, cutting off the momentum of her fall and reversing her position. Inside the large cylindrical hole like a well, she bounced using the tension of the threads and began her attack.

Using the agility reminiscent of an acrobat, Yae dances like a petal caught in the wind. Accompanying Yae's graceful dance are silver threads that lure those entranced by her performance to their deaths, causing a bloom of blood around those who witness her dance—hence, the name 'Crimson Cherry Blossom'. The blood flowing from the fallen corpses nourishes the beautifully cruel crimson cherry blossoms.

"――ッ"

The ferocity that justifies her fearsome nickname is unleashed mercilessly, slicing through Wilhelm's entire body as he surrenders to free fall, sending his blood and flesh scattering into the air beneath his finely tailored clothes. As the twin swords' wind tousles her stray hair, Yae is almost exasperated by the intensity of the 『Sword Demon』's gaze. Unlike steel threads, a sword can only reach as far as the wielder's arm can swing. Therefore, on this prepared execution platform, Wilhelm can only defend himself.

Naturally, Yae, who can freely move through the darkness using the threads, never approaches Wilhelm, who is constrained by gravity. She maintains a mid-range distance, out of reach of his sword strikes, and continues her one-sided steel thread attacks. Before she finishes her dance, before the 『Sword Demon』 reaches the ground and regains his freedom.

Yae's arm rises abruptly. ――Blood spurts.
Yae's slender leg traces the wall in midair. ――Blood spurts.
Yae's lithe body twists and bends to its limits. ――Blood spurts.

As Yae's dance nears completion, the 『Sword Demon』, unable to fully defend against the thread attacks, becomes stained with blood. On his legs, his torso, his shoulders, his neck, his cheeks, his forehead, wounds carved by the sharp steel threads bleed, leading the 『Sword Demon』 toward death. However――,

"――Such unpleasant eyes."

The terrifyingly clear gaze imbued with sword spirit shows no sign of diminishing his fighting spirit.

"――――"

In addition to the steel threads wielded by Yae's hands and feet, there are already threads stretched underground. Needless to say, if Wilhelm, preoccupied with dealing with Yae, accidentally touches the taut threads with his limbs, they would be severed, and if his neck or torso were to touch, it would mean the end of his life. For Wilhelm, this large pit is akin to the maw of a beast he leapt into without much thought, where his flesh is stripped by teeth, his blood is sipped by the tongue, and ultimately, he falls into the stomach to have his life dissolved. Yet, he did not have the eyes of someone pointlessly resisting such despair.

"But, there aren't many options, are there?"

Even without considering that gaze, Yae does not underestimate the 『Sword Demon』 enough to think it ends here. She had long discarded Heinkel's assessment of Wilhelm, and instead, evaluated him herself amidst the life-and-death struggle.

Therefore, she remains wary of two attacks from the 『Sword Demon』, who is helplessly falling. One is that he might kick off the wall and unleash a sword strike equivalent to the one that knocked Yae underground. The other is, as shown on the surface, he might throw his sword aiming for Yae's life. And whichever of the two it is, it comes immediately, in the blink of an eye.

"――Shi"

Drawing a circle with her extended black foot, creating three lines of wounds on Wilhelm's cheek, the 『Sword Demon』 swings his twin swords downward, deflecting the steel threads, and his strong legs rhythmically press the soles of his shoes against the wall. With a slightly bent knee, storing enough leg strength, the 『Sword Demon』 dashes through the air—just before, two swords thrown from his raised arms streak toward Yae's life.

Two streaks of silver light raced through the air, aiming for her, but Yae evaded them with a series of dance-like movements. Using the web of threads as a foothold, she flipped through the air, narrowly avoiding the blades that passed just beneath her legs and arched back. Then, she struck the approaching 『Sword Demon』 with her steel threads entwined around both feet.

Wilhelm, having let go of his sword and unable to counter the steel threads, twisted his body, protecting his head, and slipped through the web with minimal damage. However, Yae was no longer in his path, having bounced away using the threads, and the unarmed 『Sword Demon』 could not reach her.

Having successfully defended against two cautious attacks, Yae thought it was still too early to feel relieved.

"――Ooooh!"

Kicking off the wall, Wilhelm, who had missed Yae, leapt towards the opposite wall of the cylindrical hole. There, the twin swords he had thrown earlier were embedded, and grabbing them, Wilhelm kicked off the wall again. Pursuing Yae, who had escaped diagonally upward, Wilhelm took a trajectory upwards with bullet-like speed. ――He continued to kick off one wall to the opposite wall, repeating this motion, rapidly closing in on the ascending Yae.

"You've got to be kidding...!"

Yae's throat trembled with astonishment at Wilhelm's sheer brute force as he pursued her. Kicking off the walls and ascending with triangular jumps was something Yae could also do. It wasn't particularly surprising. What was astonishing was that Wilhelm was doing this in a place where Yae had intricately woven countless steel threads. Naturally, without the luxury of careful examination, flying through could result in being torn apart by the threads. Yet, Wilhelm showed no fear. Why? ――Because he had once fallen through this space, grasped the location of the threads, and was leaping up without hitting them.

This was a terrifying combatant, possessing an extraordinarily keen sense of battle and observation, combined with the decisiveness to risk his life without hesitation on what he had confirmed with his own eyes. As the 『Sword Demon』 fearlessly dove into the storm of silver threads, Yae, seeing no other choice, reached for her trump card――,

"――U, ya"

Using the threads to propel herself, Yae leapt high into the air, extending her arms and legs in an inverted position. She intertwined the steel threads shot from her twenty fingers with the pre-laid threads, pulling her limbs inward. Yae's skillful manipulation of the steel threads allowed her to bind over a hundred ruffians at once in a forest battle by using the way the threads intertwined and the surrounding objects. With such force that it seemed as if her bones and muscles might tear apart, she tightened the steel threads all at once.

In an instant, within the cylindrical hole leading underground, the snapped steel threads rampaged wildly and irregularly. It was a thread-cutting strike that utilized the tension of the taut steel threads snapping, like slicing sausage with threads, tearing through the entire space in a way even Yae couldn't predict the trajectory or number of strikes. And then――,

"A capable maid adds a little extra!"

Looking down at the space being crushed by countless thread strikes, Yae brought the rings on her hands to her lips and kissed them. ――Immediately, flames traveled along the threads extending from the rings, and a moment later, an explosion of fire erupted. In addition to the rampaging thread strikes, a scorching inferno that burned everything to ashes――Yae's merciless Shinobi technique, having revealed two trump cards, enveloped and scorched the figure of the 『Sword Demon』 in crimson light.

"As expected――"

Unable to maintain her vow of non-lethality, Yae felt a pang of regret at the outcome of the battle. However, she had realized it the moment the fight began. This was not an opponent she could defeat while aiming to avoid killing. Only by intending to kill could she choose between life and death against such an opponent. Therefore――,

"Let's keep this a secret from Heinkel-sama――"

"――Fine. He should know that I am here as well."

In an instant, the slashing light of the 『Sword Demon』 burst through the explosive flames, grazing Yae who was suspended in mid-air.

"――Ugh"

Yae, unable to deflect the power of the keen sword flash that swept across her torso, spun around, blood spiraling in a manner unlike her usual dance, her eyes wide open in a groan of confusion about what had transpired. What had happened was clear. The enemy had survived both the storm of steel threads and the subsequent explosion. The question was how it had been accomplished.

Wilhelm's final leap was a vertical jump, differing in trajectory from his previous diagonal leaps off the walls. To achieve such a jump in this pit, he had no choice but to use the same method as Yae—bouncing off the steel threads as a foothold.

"How did you... use my threads?"

"I've seen it many times. ――Your threads are fearsomely sharp weapons, but with a specific angle and application of force, they can bind without cutting."

Wilhelm's answer was a precise understanding of the properties of Yae's steel threads. What was remarkable was his ability to discern this in a short time during battle and his willingness to risk his life on something uncertain without hesitation. Additionally, what was puzzling was――,

"Then, the fire?"

"I cut it."

The response was blunt and unavoidable, leaving Yae to sigh in exasperation. It was probably not a lie. The answer was given with such confidence. As she accepted this, a certain phrase suddenly resurfaced in the corner of Yae's mind. It was something she had once discarded as useless――,

"――Dad is strong. Ridiculously so. You and that Aldebaran guy are probably quite something too, but still, I'm more afraid of Dad. That's what the 『Sword Demon』 is."

It was an exaggerated statement, but Heinkel's assessment was accurate. Though she couldn't admit that he was stronger or scarier than Al, at least, he was more terrifying than Yae.

――At this moment, Yae Tenzen made a miscalculation.

It was that she had estimated Heinkel's opinion to be only half-credible. And above all, Wilhelm's skill had become more refined than during the White Whale battle, the 『Sloth』 subjugation, or the defense of the Watergate City. It was something Yae had no way of knowing, but he was approaching the peak of his prime during his active years—the era when he defeated the 『Sword Saint』.

Therefore, the battle between the 『Crimson Cherry Blossom』 and the 『Sword Demon』 that began at the Barielle Mansion――,

"――Zuaaah!!"

The 『Sword Demon』, who thwarted the completion of the dance with his sword flash and stained the core of the crimson cherry blossom with blood, emerged victorious.