V2C2

Chapter 2 – Yatagarasu Girl, Having a Reunion With the Empress of Martial World

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1

Their method of transportation changed completely from walking to sailing.

Yukino went out to the deck of the sailing ship that was catching the wind and also riding the sea current. She took a deep breath. The smell of sea water and refreshing sea breeze filled her lung.

「Unlike before, we are moving really fast and comfortably!」

「Well of course, after all we are boarding a large sailing ship that is in the category of over technology in Hyperborea……」

Unlike the exhilarated Yukino, “Onee-sama” who was riding on her shoulder looked gloomy.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but to Yukino the back of the blue jay looked dejected. Her tone when talking also felt heavy.

「It’s lucky that we managed to catch a trading ship of our city──the Capital of Pleasure. We could also change its course directly to Houraiha Island by wielding the special privilege of the country’s big shot……」

Island One, Island Two, Island Three, and then Houraiha Island──.

It was the name of the islands where the Earthians built their Forbidden Realms in disorderly fashion.

All those islands together were called as Claw Archipelago.

The wooden sailing ship that Yukino and others boarded was going around the coastal part of Claw Archipelago to buy and resale merchandises everywhere it went.

「Well, Island One is mostly uninhabited wasteland or a desert, so this ship doesn’t really go there. Island Two where our capital and the Capital of the Dead, and also Capital of the Round Table are located is the island with the most city and country.」

「Then, Island Two must be the island with the most population and prosperity.」

「……I wonder about that. In that regard, there is a great disparity of wealth between the people in Island Two, so to be frank, it might be Houraiha Island that is number one.」

「No way-. In my imagination that place is a dreary island that only have a pirate den!」

「You will definitely feel shocked when we arrive there Yukino. You should also be able to keenly feel how horrific that honorable master is then……uuu. It feels like I’m being completely manipulated by Rokuhara-san and Stella to dance on the palm of their hand──」

「You’re overthinking it Onee-sama!」

Riona fell into despondency. Yukino gave her an encouragement with slightly monotone voice.

She wasn’t good with lying and acting from the start. Fortunately Onee-sama who was being crushed under the pressure of 『going back to her overly dreadful honorable master』 didn’t notice it.

Anyway, this was their fourth day since their sea voyage began.

Yukino heard that Houraiha Island would come into view soon and she intentionally moved to the ship’s bow.

「What’s that!? There are so many ships like that!」

The coast of the island finally came into view.

It was a small island that reminded her of Enoshima──everywhere at its shore was turned into harbor. Sailing ships of large size, medium size, and small size were gathered together and moored at separate locations based on their size.

This sailing ship of Yukino’s group made its way through near this island.

「Houraiha Island is the place where the shipbuilding industry is the most advanced in Hyperborea.」

Riona opened her beak and taught her that.

「They don’t only do pirate business. The ships are indispensable item for trade and world exploration. Actually the ship that we are using right now was also purchased from the Sea King’s Capital.」

「O-Onee-sama, is it alright to do business with the pirates like that!?」

「The relationship of the Capital of Pleasure with honorable master’s place isn’t bad by any means. Since the ancient time, pirate is also an occupation that doubles as merchant of the sea.」

「Haaa……」

「By the way, the island just now is one of the seven islands that are surrounding the main Houraiha Island. The main island’s land that is as big as Awaji Island will come into view soon──that’s the Sea King’s Capital.」

A land that was ruled by a godslayer and one of the forbidden realms.

The time for her to march into the headquarters of her archenemy had finally arrived. Yukino suppressed her nervousness and clenched her right hand.

The divine sword of salvation that resided in this hand, the time to draw it out to subjugate a devil king was finally approaching──

Just as she thought that, the bright voice of a young man entered her ears.

「Oh. I can see Luo Hao-oneesan’s ship! Let’s go eat some pork steamed bun after so long!」

「Agreed! That woman is really an annoying fellow, but the Sea King’s Realm is blameless from her fault. To be blunt, with the exception of our capital this capital is far better than the rest!」

Rokuhara Ren cheerfully clapped his hands while on his left shoulder Stella was also making merry.

Yukino was immersed in a grim feeling as the hero of salvation, but they spoiled the mood completely. It made her mood worsened slightly.

「Look here Rokuhara-kun, and also Stella-chan, Onee-sama and I are going to risk our life for real after this. You two can act a bit more considerate──wait」

Something flew into her sight. Yukino became speechless just for a moment before,

「W-what, what in the world is that~~~~~~!?」

She pointed in astonishment.

An absurdly gigantic ship was moored along a cliff that wasn’t small at all.

Estimating it by sight, the length of the ship from its bow until its stern was a hundred meter long at the very least. The shape of that ship was like a box that reminded her of a coffin.

It had no mast, or sail, or even oar.

Its size and shape were similar to the tanker ship that sailed the sea at modern earth.

But, this was Hyperborea. Furthermore the giant ship before her eyes was obviously made from wood ──Riona sighed while telling the dumbfounded Yukino.

「That is the so called Noah Ark. It’s the private boat of my honorable master.」

「Noah──that one that appear in the bible!?」

「Yes. The godslayer, sect founder Luo Hao encountered Noah-san by some chance several years ago. It seems she defeated him due to some reason. From that she stole one of the abilities──authorities that he had.」

「Aa……」

Yukino recalled.

The godslayers usurped the divine authority of the god they murdered. It was something that was taught to her by Old Priest Ootomo, a god descendant of Universe 966 that she dearly missed.

「Noah-san isn’t exactly a god, but he is a legendary existence that is equal to the like of angel, so it seemed he manifested as a divinity. And then, the authority of『creating a ship that has mystical power』 that he had became hers……」

「Then, that big ship was created by herself using that power!? Like DIY!?」

「Apparently. By the way, it seemed that the heretic Noah who fell into madness was super atrocious existence who made his prided arc to run wild aimlessly and caused large flood everywhere it went. I heard that my master, Luo Hao-sama used her fist to send him flying together with his ship right from the front……」

Riona spoke of her master’s heroic tale with a terribly gloomy tone.

Yukino gulped.

「So the heretic gods, and their archenemy the godslayers──are that kind of existence……」

Soon they would confront such transcendental existence.

Yukino imagined the threat that was waiting for her in the near future and shivered at this late point.

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「Now now. It’s pointless to be that tense even before meeting her.」

Rokuhara Ren said that lightheartedly. Then Stella who sat on his shoulder also spoke with a casual tone.

「Right right. You should fill your stomach first with this dishes that are hard to find anywhere else before they get cold. After all this might become your last meal.」

「Please don’t say such thing that can invite bad luck!」

The “blue bird” Riona immediately argued back.

They had arrived safely at the harbor of the main island, the Sea King’s Capital and landed without any accident. They then entered some random restaurant and ordered a lot of dishes that were lined up on their table.

Boiled gyoza. Dongpo pork. Sichuan style huiguorou (twice cooked pork) that used garlic leaves instead of cabbage.

Tomato and egg stir-fry. Cloud ear mushroom and pork stir-fry.

Steamed bun. Beef noodle. Rice that was served in rice bowl, etc, etc──.

It was unbelievable that she could face such orthodox Chinese foods in a restaurant of the mythological world Hyperborea.

Yukino moved her chopstick with a conflicted feeling.

It was a fresh cooked rice that she hadn’t eaten since so long. She brought the glistening cooked white rice to her mouth and tears unconsciously gathered in her eyes. She had secretly sought for this taste all this time. She also loved bread and noodle, but she had extraordinary attachment to rice that was the staple food of Japan.

The collection of small dishes with thick flavor starting from huigourou were also the best match to be paired with the rice.

The indescribable feeling of satisfaction from it was something that she couldn’t taste until now in this Hyperborea no matter what she ate. But, when she thought that this was the result of the culture that was created from the knowledge that was passed down by a godslayer and『the cause of the curse that was put on Onee-sama』, her feeling became really complicated──

Even so Yukino ate the dishes with gusto.

……It was strange. Since she saw that giant ark from nearby and listened to an anecdote about the godslayer Sect Founder Luo Hao, her heart and body was gradually entering a state of war preparation bit by bit.

She had to stock energy while she could right now in preparation for that time.

That was why she ate and ate.

But she didn’t eat greedily with bad manner by any means. She properly chewed the numerous dishes with grace that was befitting for a god’s descendant, tasted them properly, and steadily turned them into her own flesh and blood.

The act of eating was becoming a『battle preparation』for Yukino right now.

The proof of that was how her heart and body were getting sharpened.

Her senses too. That was why she could hear it clearly.

The light footsteps of someone who entered inside the restaurant──they were too light. It was almost completely soundless, so light like a feather that was swaying in the air before touching the ground. Ordinary person wouldn’t be able to hear it by any means.

The way the feet moved, the positioning of the center of gravity, they were all absurdly smooth.

This person most likely could easily cross even on top the surface of a lake that became thin ice in the middle of winter. This person definitely wouldn’t show an unsightly sight of breaking the brittle ice with his walk.

If there was a single leaf floating on a water surface, this person would be able to calmly leap on it.

And then that person would be able to continue ride on it without sinking.

That person would also be able to walk on top of snow without leaving any trace. Furthermore he would do it calmly like walking on a hard road without denting the fluffy snow at all.

That was a walk that was only possible for those who had mastered Hohou──the technique of『Walking』 to the extreme.

Walking technique was the basic among the basics for every martial art.

However, the number of people who could reach this domain that was one of the deepest and most profound secret techniques was almost nonexistent.

Such person was also almost nonexistent even among the people around Yukino. Yes, a martial artist who could “use” such technique to this level should be nearly at the same level of Mononobe Yukino who was a descendant of a sword god──

The owner of the footstep right now had arrived to right behind the table where they were sitting.

Yukino asked without even looking back.

「……Could it be that you are, Luo Hao-san?」

「Oi oi. Don’t ask something stupid like that. I’m only coming here to take a look at my sister disciple’s bird life and the faces of some nostalgic people──I’m just a human okay?」

Such curt reply came back.

And then Riona’s round bird eyes widened in surprise and she looked up to the ceiling.

「So you are here just as I thought, Yinghua-niisan. Geez, things are becoming even more troublesome with this!」

She grumbled.

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2

「……Hmph. To think that the hero-sama this time is a『woman』.」

Yukino finally turned around. There was a very handsome man standing in front of her.

He looked like someone at his early twenty, but his voice sounded adorable despite his slender body and well-ordered face.

He had black hair and Asian features. With his looks, he might become extremely popular among the girls if he became an idol. However, that was only if his terribly obstinate look and rude stare that seemed sarcastic toward Yukino could be corrected.

Yukino didn’t even flinch and spoke back coldly.

「Oh. From your appearance you seem to be an Earthian too, but the first thing you say is that kind of discriminatory remark? Could it be that you are an old-fashioned person who came from an era before 21 ^st century?」

「Don’t be stupid. I have been very well-informed of how amazing and terrifying『woman』 can be since I was three years old.」

The handsome man who seemed to have bad personality answered with a bitter tone.

「I’m Luo Yinghua. Do you know that before that talking bird became my shaoshimei (younger sister disciple), I was the only direct disciple who served beside my master Luo Hao? Aa, dammit. I have enough of this kind of life already! All the women around me starting from my shifu(master) are all strong woman or overly strong woman, what’s more, they always drag me intro troublesome things and work me hard like a slave!」

「I-is that so……」

The unexpected confession made Yukino to be troubled instead.

She thought that this man was going to pick a verbal quarrel with her, and yet that didn’t seem to be the case.

By the way, this Lu Yinghua must be Chinese.

He was wearing a street fashion style that consisted of black hoodie, black skinny pants, and a jacket with camouflage pattern.

Meanwhile, Riona pleaded at her elder brother disciple who was unexpectedly seemed to be an unlucky and troubled person.

「Wait a second! Please don’t call your adorable sister disciple as bird like that!」

「You are always cheeky and not really cute at all. And for some reason today you even bring a troublesome bomb like the devil king extermination hero with you.」

「This person is fundamentally a foulmouthed person huh……」

Yukino muttered. Then she suddenly noticed.

「You──how do you know about my identity!? I have just arrived here!」

「My shifu isn’t just a godslayer, she is also an owner of clairvoyance that can somehow see thorugh all creations of this world. It’s not strange at all for her to give me an order like go take a look because she has received a divine revelation of the hero’s descend.」

Yukino turned speechless from Lu Yinghua’s words.

Most likely Luo Hao was the same like her comrade in Universe 966, a descendant of god of wisdom, Old Priest Ootomo who received various kinds of revelations due to his outstanding clairvoyance ability.

Absurd anecdotes about Sect Founder Luo Hao had been mentioned one after another since before she met the person herself.

It was to a degree that she got a vague fear from wondering just how much a great figure this person was. Lu Yinghua set aside the shuddering Yukino and bowed his head respectfully.

For some reason he was bowing toward Rokuhara Ren and the small goddess sitting on his shoulder──.

「It has been a long time, Ren-san, Stella-sama.」

Furthermore he also said this together with a formal martial artist greeting where he placed his right fist over his left palm!

「Please don’t hesitate to call me anytime if you have any need during your stay in this island.」

「Then I won’t hesitate to do so♪ Your master is really annoying, but you are a very thoughtful man, and your face is also not bad. I shall even allow you to serve at the side of a goddess like me. Be thankful.」

「Hahaha. You really take a liking to Ying-kun aren’t you, Stella.」

The small goddess said her praise with an aloof face, while her partner the young man was smiling cheerfully.

Rokuhara Ren noticed Yukino’s suspecting gaze and winked before smoothly saying this.

「Are you surprised? Actually Ying-kun and I were senior and junior in the same high school. We also went to the same club, that’s why he is really helpful like this with us. Right──?」

「Yeah……that’s right, Ren-san.」

Lu Yinghua fell into thought for a moment as though recalling the past.

Then he bowed his head respectfully once more and words started to flow out from his mouth smoothly.

「Yes. It’s only natural for me to be helpful for my senior who accompanied and sweated together with me in the anime research club. This junior Lu Yinghua shall continue to provide support to my senior from here on too.」

「Yep yep. We are comrade who has stuck together through thick and thin, like when we have that 36 hours anime viewing marathon with just both of us.」

「There was also that time when Ren-san charged into the carnage by himself for the sake of the wounded me. All of those are good memories.」

「Err……my extracurricular activity in school is mostly sports-oriented, so I don’t really know about the cultural-oriented club activity.」

Yukino interrupted the harmonious conversation between the two men.

Both of them were handsome men with well-proportioned body. So to speak they had trained slender macho body, so they seemed to be unrelated with indoor otaku hobby, and yet──

Yukino tried asking her biggest question even while feeling puzzled.

「Is anime club’s activity really that hard?」

「It might be hard to believe, but it’s unexpectedly like that.」

「Yeah. Aren’t you glad female hero? You have learned something new today.」

Ren’s tone was cheerful like usual. In contrast Lu Yinghua’s words were filled with a small thorn like usual.

He clearly didn’t have any good will toward her. That was just fine──Yukino thought with a fierce smile. From the start she came here to pick a fight with his master under the guise of direct talk!

Yukino stood up from her seat.

「Well, that’s fine. I have a request to this rumored master. Quickly dispel the curse on Onee-sama and return her to her original body──that’s my request. If she is also a godslayer, then I can also point the sword of salvation at her while I’m at it……bring me to that person’s place right away.」

「Yukino! Be a bit more indirect when picking a fight!」

Onee-sama=blue bird chided her in panic.

However Yukino paid her no mind and said further.

「If you refuse──it will be a bit vulgar but, perhaps I’ll beat you down with force to do as I say.」

「Hah. The hero this time is really hot-blooded huh.」

Lu Yinghua lightly laughed.

「Well, you don’t look like a war god from your appearance──at best you feel like a god descendant, the same kind like shaoshimei. ……Alright then, female hero. I’ll directly check whether you really have the caliber to bear the title of devil king extermination or not.」

The next instant, Lu Yinghua’s figure vanished with only his voice left behind.

「You see! Devil king extermination is a great enterprise that cannot be realized except by a monster who can take on Campiones like my shifu or honorable uncle all at the same time and still overwhelm them with pure strength! You still don’t really understand that aren’t you!?」

「There won’t be any problem if I just learn it from here on!」

Yukino retorted back while started running.

She was chasing after Lu Yinghua. He jumped until the window in one breath so quickly that it looked like he vanished in the eyes of the surrounding before leaping out of the window.

Yukino who was watching that from start to end also moved with equal speed.

She moved to the rooftop of the Chinese restaurant in the Sea King’s Capital of the heroic world Hyperborea──.

……Yet.

After the two martial artists vanished, Riona who was still really despondent whispered to her 『fiancee』.

Of course this conversation wouldn’t reach the ear of Yukino.

(As expected from Nii-san. He instantly matched his story with us……setting aside why you chose anime club of all things.)

(Hahaha. It was just for adlib when we hadn’t even prepared anything beforehand, so it’s enough, enough.)

(We can’t possibly expose Ren’s true identity to that annoying girl. ……That guy is really quick-witted. As expected he is a useful man. It’s really a waste that he is a disciple of that witch!)

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「Hee! This island is really thriving!」

Yukino looked around at the city from high up. She was terribly impressed by what she saw.

The Capital of Pleasure that was also located at the coast also had a large harbor. More than a hundred ships, big and small were anchored and waiting for the time to sail out.

However the harbor of the Sea King’s Capital had seven or eight times more ships gathering here.

The city was also amazingly thriving. There wasn’t only large roads inside the city, there was even waterways stretching around in lattice shape.

There weren’t just people, horses, or cattle, there were even ships going around inside the city.

Low-rises houses were scattered everywhere with high buildings that had four or five floors could be seen here and there.

Such sight felt strangely nostalgic. It was because of the wooden buildings──pagodas that looked really similar with the ones that she often seen in Kyoto or Nara.

Right now Yukino was standing on the roof of a “certain five-storied pagoda”.

The laid out roof tiles were undoubtedly created from hardened clay. There were even lion statues placed at the corners of the roof.

This Sea King’s Capital was completely filled with Asian structures that reminded her of ancient China.

Also, she wasn’t the only one who climbed until this pagoda’s roof.

There was a handsome man who jumped from roof to roof and ran up this tower’s──vertical wall as though he was running on the ground and arrived on this roof before her.

Lu Yinghua stared at Yukino who was impressed by the prosperity of the capital with irony in his gaze.

「But of course. After all this place is where shifu is residing.」

「There must be a lot of people who looked up to Luo Hao-sensei and gathered here along with many merchandises to create a city this splendid.」

「Hmm……that’s a part of it, but that’s not all.」

Lu Yinghua shrugged.

「In the past, that person killed a god of good harvest from somewhere and plundered that god’s authority. After that the place where shifu lived instantly had abundant harvest with good quality, the economy there also rapidly became profitable, and the place even developed to be a large metropolis.」

「A godslayer can even do something like that!?」

「Yeah. My shifu personally named that authority as Fleeting Dream of Riches and Honor. I thought that authority would never activate during my lifetime though……」

He spoke of his teacher’s great achievement with an exasperated tone rather than with pride.

But, Lu Yinghua showed no opening at all even while making small talk.

Even though his whole body was slack in a relaxed state, he was staring fixedly at Yukino with a sharp gaze.

Currently the two of them were standing on tile roof──

Furthermore they were standing on the sloping part that tilted at the angle of 70 degree.

The footing there was really unstable. Furthermore Yukino was taking position that was several meter higher than Lu Yinghua.

Moving from high up to lower position would be faster and the momentum would also help with the speed.

That was why Yukino was clearly in better positioning, and yet Lu Yinghua was observing her with completely composure.

「it looks like I’m also older than you.」

Lu Yinghua made a come hither gesture with his hand.

「I’ll let you make the first move. Show me what you got, hero-sama.」

「Oh, do you really want to do that? If you say something like that──」

Yukino grinned. An ebony wooden sword appeared in her right hand.

「I’ll finish this in a single stroke!」

She had finished swinging her wooden sword before she finished speaking.

She stepped to right in front of Lu Yinghua who was standing some distance away from her in one breath while brandishing her sword above her right shoulder in a Hassou stance, then she unleashed a down swing──.

The speed of Yukino’s first stroke, its severity, its lack of mercy.

It was similar with the first strike that was said to be often used by the practitioner of Jigen Style at Kyushu, Satsuma.

In addition Yukino’s sword was in the domain of 『Unyou』 that was considered as the supreme speed of the style. Unyou, that meant lightning speed.

……Lu Yinghua dodged this powerful strike in a hair’s breadth.

Not only that, he circled to diagonally behind Yukino with a movement that drew half a circle and struck with his left palm that had its fingertips bent──

The fingertips that struck like a bird of prey’s claws were going to gouge at Yukino’s side until the kidney within there. Just before that happened.

Yukino took half a step forward until she was almost over the roof edge and somehow dodged the counterattack from diagonally behind her. She turned around and faced Lu Yinghua once more.

This time Yukino held her sword in front of her stomach with its tip pointed toward the opponent’s eyes to protect herself.

The black tip of the wooden sword was pointed toward the forehead of the Chinese martial artist to hold him in place. If he moved to attack, this stance was ready to thrust anytime to stop him in his track.

「This is the first time this happen outside my training with Momotarou-sensei.」

Yukino was smiling for some reason.

「To think that you almost took the post-initiative from me . Even though I was always in the side of taking the post-initiative.」

「Hmph. It looks like you were raised in a very lukewarm environment huh.」

In contrast Lu Yunghia was the very picture of calm.

The direct disciple of godslayer shrugged and spoke with a bored look.

「A martial artist of your level──well, there aren’t that many of such martial artist, but you will be able to find several if you go to the right place.」

「For example, someone like you……」

「Well yeah.」

Yukino understood why she was smiling.

That was because she was confronting an opponent who was nearly equal with her for the first time. In her homeland Universe 966, she was recognized as the greatest swordsman, the heaven-sent child of sword god for the longest time.

Godou Momotarou who later on became her teacher that she looked up to──was a war god who came from other universe.

This was the first time Yukino met someone who was also a human who existed in the same level like her!

She was greatly exhilarated by this situation. Yukino became aware of that and she once more──smiled cheerfully.

It wasn’t a smile to endear herself to other people. It was a smile that slipped out simply because she was happy.

The young man Lu Yinghua watched that with a sour look. He didn’t even take a stance. His hands were hanging languidly at both his sides. He didn’t show any sign of pulling out weapon.

「You──Lu-kun is it? Are you fine staying unarmed like that?」

「Don’t be stupid. I have been initiated in the supreme martial art, Twelve Divine Palm Strikes of the Phoenix. If I take out a weapon when merely facing a wooden sword, I’d be severely punished later on by shifu.」

「I-I see.」

Yukino almost smiled wryly at the revelation of that hidden circumstance before she noticed.

In other words he feared his master’s power harassment rather than her swordsmanship. What a great humiliation. She was burning in anger as a descendant of a sword god.

It was the, Lu Yinghua started to walk forward slowly.

「Anyway I’ll take a look of how great the skill of the female hero-sama actually is for a bit more.」

Every single step he took was slow. He was heading straight toward Yukino.

His imposing footsteps were truly the gait of a king.

Furthermore his median line, the line from the top of his head until his groin wasn’t wavering at all. His walk was also unwavering. There wasn’t any opening at the slightest.

Even if she struck during his walk, she would have the table turned on her instead──.

Yukino was assaulted by an ominous premonition. She had the superior reach with her ebony wooden sword. She should be able to obtain the initiative no matter what she did. And yet,

She was pressured by Lu Yinghua’s brazen walk and it created a single instant of hesitation in her.

That was why, her one handed thrust from her middle stance was dodged again in a hair’s breadt.

On top of that Lu Yinghua circled to diagonally left behind Yukino again. His right arm that was dangling down loosely twisted like a whip──

Unleashing a hand thrust toward the side of her face.

He performed Go no Sen at her once more! Yukino was washed in humiliation.

But, it was also a fact that she had expected this flow of event to happened in the middle of this battle──that was why she didn’t use both her hands to thrust but only her right hand.

Using her free left hand, she brushed away Lu Yinghua’s strike!

「So you won’t let me to “checkmate” you that easily huh……」

「Obviously! Don’t underestimate me!」

Her honor as woman would become obsolete if she withdrew here.

Yukino took a middle stance like before once more with her spirit of rivalry burning inside her.

She fell behind the enemy with this stance just now. In order to repeat that once more, Lu Yinghua also walked in that kingly way once more.

This time for sure──Yukino thrust her wooden sword with  both hands.

Double handed thrust. Thrust. Thrust.

The three stage thrusts that were launched in a single stroke close the distance to Lu Yinghua’s forehead, throat, and navel!

It was swift triple thrusts that happened in an instant.

Furthermore she thrust using only the strength of her body trunk that was produced from the pit of her stomach and the momentum of her forward step.

Pulling back a foot backward, twisting the waist, such gestures and pauses would allow the opponent to predict her next move. Her thrusts had no beat at all in them because she had reduced her movement’s presence and rhythm to the extreme.

Only a master could draw out their maximum strength with such minimum movements.

That was why──Lu Yinghua’s reaction was slightly delayed even though he understood that Yukino was attacking with thrust. He couldn’t dodge with steps that drew a circle like before. He stepped back as much as Yukino stepped forward to dodge the thrust. He dodged the next thrust in the same method. He dodged them in a hair’s breadth.

Lu Yinghua escaped from that predicament, but he clicked his tongue in vexation.

「Trying to pay me back the exact amount like that, you’re really a strong-willed girl.」

Three stage thrusts. Even though he was given three chances like that, this time he was unable to take the post-initiative from her.

That was why he was vexed. His fighting spirit burned. Lu Yinghua’s eye glint clearly became sharper than before in his gaze toward Yukino.

Yukino shook in warrior’s excitement from that powerful gaze of a formidable opponent who rivaled her in strength.

Aa──how fun. She wanted to immerse herself in this game forever. Her feeling from her existence as the heaven-sent child of a sword god was rushing through her body and heart. And then.

Lu Yinghua who had been making a fearless look until now suddenly lost the color of his face.

「What!?」

「…………ah」

Before she realized it, many sparks were emitted from Yukino’s whole body.

The crackling sparks were of course small lightning. They were the symbol of the sword god Take Mikadzuchi. In addition the ebony wooden sword also vanished on its own──

「The divine sword of salvation……seriously?」

Lu Yinghua whispered in a stupor.

A 『sword’s handle』 was naturally jutting out from Yukino’s left hand. Her right hand was unconsciously grabbing it and pulling it out easily.

Right now, the divine sword of salvation Take Mikadzuhi was shining radiantly in Yukino’s hand.

It was a large katana with a length of blade that surpassed one meter, however its blade was thin and elegant to the extreme. It was a weapon that was forged from an unknown metal that contained a platinum radiance.

Yukino who had unsheathed it completely muttered 「Oops」.

「I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to pull this out, but it looks like this child also wants to have a turn. It might be pulled out by my eagerness……」

She apologized before adding further.

「How about you also use some kind of weapon if you want?」

「That’s not funny.」

It was a suggestion that she made in accordance to the spirit of fair play. Lu Yinghua curtly refused it with a grimace.

「There is no way I can mess around with a monster who took out the greatest and strongest paid item unconsciously like that without any preparation beforehand. Enough, enough. My work is finished here!」

Lu Yinghua declared that brusquely before he yelled to the sky.

「That’s how it is shifu! It looks like this girl is really the real thing!」

.

──That seems to be the case……

.

「Eh……!?」

Yukino was dumbfounded.

A magic at the level of voice coming from the sky wasn’t surprising at all for her. It was a common thing for her and other god descendants.

But, the beauty of that voice was like the melody of Chinese zither. She even felt sublimity from it.

Yukino gulped at the descent of the beautiful voice that could even move her emotionally.

.

──Riona……

.

「Y-yess~~~~~!」

The blue bird literally came flying when the beautiful voice called for her.

She landed on Yukino’s left shoulder and desperately replied while her small body was trembling fiercely.

「W-what is it, honorable master!?」

.

──Come to me together with her. Hurry. As for Yinghua, take care of that aforementioned matter……

.

「Yes-, I shall immediately head there without delayy~~~~~!」

For that Onee-sama to be so servile to this degree──

Right after Yukino felt such astonishment, the “blue bird” aka Riona and her were enveloped in blue light and they flew to the sky.

「If you have already eaten the poison, you should eat the plate too! Now that it has come to this, we will go to her right away in one go!」

Riona used flight magic.

.

3

At the Sea King’s Capital that was also the headquarters of the pirate group.

There was a very magnificent palace at the center of it. Yukino recalled the Forbidden Palance that she saw during her sightseeing at Beijing.

Whether it was the size or the architectural style, they had a majesty that was comparable with the imperial palace of China in its heyday.

「That’s just the government office. The dwelling of honorable master is at another place.」

That was what Riona said.

The light that was enveloping Yukino and Onee-sama kept flying and passed above the grand palace. And then the place that they arrived at was a mountain.

The mountain was located at the north of the capital──they stopped at around seven-tenth of the way from the base to the mountain’s summit.

A refined mansion was standing there, surrounded by the dazzling greenery of trees. There were several wooden bungalows inside its vast ground, furthermore, the mansion was even equipped with well maintained garden and pond.

It was elegant to the extreme. It was refreshing to the extreme.

It had a refinement that was worthy for the like of ancient noble to live in.

And then, the woman who was the owner of the mansion was standing above the gravel that was spread out on the garden.

「What’s the matter Riona?」

She was wearing a cloth that was similar to Japanese clothes the way its collar was joined together at the front, but its bottom part was long like a long skirt.

The cuff of the gown she was wearing was also extremely long. The outfit looked extremely feminine with how fluttery it was. The garment she was wearing was wholly made from pure silk, so that impression deepened even more. The miniscule amount of luster that was only possessed by the finest quality of clothing was also enveloping the woman.

However──the woman’s eye glint was sharp like a dragon. And the strength in her voice surpassed its beauty.

「I should have given you this order before haven’t I? That you mustn’t return until you can dispel my curse with your own power. And yet, you are still in that pitiful form even now……」

The woman’s gaze was only fixed toward “Onee-sama”.

Yukino who was serving as the bird’s perch──with the blue bird riding on her left shoulder while her right hand was still holding the unsheathed divine sword of salvation didn’t enter the woman’s eyes at all.

She was being underestimated! She wasn’t considered a threat!

Yukino was enraged. In contrast Riona was desperately defending herself.

「That’s because there are various circumstances~~~」

「I’m still talking. To think that you dare to interrupt the words of the supreme king, there is a limit in how insolent one can be. Know some shame!」

「Nnpiiih!」

Onee-sama’s small body was sent flying with a scream.

Even though she was only scolded by the woman who was her teacher. Yukino realized. Her voice turned into a shockwave that collided on her direct disciple.

The blue bird aka Riona was toppled over. Right now she was lying on the ground at Yukino’s feet with her eyes rolling dizzily.

But, Riona didn’t stop talking even then. It must be the remain of her original confidence.

「There are really a lot of things that have happened~~~. Like meeting with Yukino over there, or the matter of divine sword of salvation, a lot of things……」

「So you still don’t understand. You really don’t know when to keep your mouth shut……」

The whisper of lamentation toward her disciple’s poor performance produced a small shockwave.

The colorless and formless shockwave flew in the speed of sound──Yukino cut it off. She swung the divine sword of salvation Take MIkadzuchi with just a snap of her wrist and swept the air below her.

「Sorry to interrupt in the middle of your talk, but allow me to join in too.」

「…………Hou.」

The owner of the graceful and beautiful voice naturally had a beautiful face too.

However, right now such thing didn’t really mean anything for Yukino.

A steep sacred mountain certainly looked beautiful in appearance when one stared at it from afar. But, in the end that impression only formed because of the far distance between the mountain and the viewer. After all the climbers who aimed to reach that mountain’s peak would keenly feel the severity and dreadfulness of the mountain trail that they faced directly in front of their eyes rather than the mountain’s beauty.

「You are Sect Founder Luo Hao……aren’t you?」

Yukino endeavored to keep her voice as dignified as possible.

But, her voice was slightly hoarse. In contrast, the godslaying fairy replied with an elegant voice.

「……Now then, hero of devil king extermination. It’s unbecoming for this supreme ruler Luo Hao, but I have to admit that I’m slightly at a lost.」

「Why?」

「Should I treat you as the true hero or not? To be honest, you seem very unreliable compared to the hero king of salvation who I once faced in the past. You are like a freshly born fish, a hatchling chick. By all rights, for you to exchange words directly with this Luo Hao──is extremely presumptuous.」

It was worthless talking with the like of you.

Yukino looked daunted from being told that clearly. However.

「And yet……fufufufu. The divine revelation of Karai Seigou(火雷噬嗑) came down to me. The divination sign mentioned the sudden appearance of a great enemy that will bite and chew──」 (TN: I don’t know what those kanji refer to, but their literal meaning is fire, thunder, bite, eat. Google-sensei also told me that the last two kanji is one of sixty four hexagram or something.)

The smile that was formed on the lips of Sect Founder Luo Hao was chillingly callous.

「Furthermore, even the divine sword of salvation showed itself on its own in respond to the spirit of the girl in question……. You are truly a mysterious existence.」

「Mysterious, you say?」

「Yes. Even though originally you shouldn’t have the caliber for that at all──the faction at the side of 《fate》 is unanimously protecting you in order to turn your existence into the hero of devil king extermination. The treatment that you are receiving from them already goes beyond mere favoritism. It won’t even be an exaggeration to call it an over favoritism.」

Yukino was offended by the words of Sect Founder Luo Hao.

A “favoritism” that was going beyond the limit would become a bother to the recipient instead. That should be what she meant when she said over favoritism. Then.

「Don’t speak nonsense-. I came to this Hyperborea in order to save my homeland Universe 966! The worlds and people that got swallowed by chaos should be saved if I can annihilate all of you godslayers!」

Yukino finally spoke heatedly with awe-inspiring and fierce tone.

「If there is a power helping me to accomplish that mission, then I’ll greatly welcome it no matter what!」

「Fu──h. Aa……how adorable.」

Surprisingly Sect Founder Luo Hao was directing a compassionate gaze toward her instead.

However, the glint of her eye was also filled with pity that accompanied that compassion. In addition there was also a thick ferocity that was like dragon and tiger lurking in it!

「Are you really alright with that? Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you come to regret those words. Yes……taking up the massive undertaking of devil king extermination means being counted as one of the archenemies of this me. Now that we have faced each other like this, we absolutely have to decide who is the victor and loser here!」

Sect Founder Luo Hao spoke sonorously.

「My surname is Luo, my name is Cuilian. My formal name is Hao──I’m also the teacher of that girl over there. ……Riona, you must have resolved yourself by bringing this hero before my presence correct?」

「Aa~~……yes. Well, I thought that we are in the same boat anyway, so why not.」

Onee-sama was trembling fiercely until just now.

However, it seemed that she had finally regained her “old self”. She flew to Yukino’s shoulder and replied candidly.

「I also secretly thought that with honorable master’s personality and Yukino’s overly optimistic train of thought, sooner or later things will become like this.」

「I understand. Then, let’s make a bet.」

Sect Founder Luo Hao pushed forward her nicely shaped right hand.

She raised index finger, middle finger, and ring finger and spoke with some enjoyment in her voice.

「After this I shall unleash three moves on the two of you. If both of you can still stand on this land after taking on all of them──Riona. I will dispel your curse.」

「Eh? Just taking on three moves is enough?」

「Honorable master’s three moves……u-understood. Yukino, we’re going to endure it with all of our strength!」

Yukino felt let-down, but Riona was expressing her nervousness in contrast.

「……Well, we too have that Super Saiyan skill that we also used the last time. If we use everything that can be used, it should be possible enough for us……!」

「Aa, also Riona」

Yukino listened to the whispering of the blue bird and the sect founder’s muttering at the same time.

「In order to evaluate the “bottom-line” of you and──that Mononobe what’s-her-name girl this time, I had removed “anything” that might become a hindrance in my examination. Do your best while keeping that in mind.」

「Heh?」

Riona was completely taken aback by the sudden announcement from her teacher.

「Ee~~~~~~~hh!? That’s just too brutal!」

.

「……So, Lu-kun is in charge of entertaining us?」

「Yes, indeed. Well, please keep me company for a while as payback for me matching my stories with yours just now. I won’t take much of your time.」

「Certainly the bird girl and the annoying girl will be defeated handily without Ren’s assistance……」

Rokuhara Ren, Lu Yinghua, and then the small goddess Stella.

All three of them were locked together in a “grey space”.

Ren was looking around with unusual restlessness. Yinghua was joining his hands together behind his back in a standing by posture. Stella was sitting on Ren’s right shoulder with an exasperated face.

They were in a restaurant near the harbor just a moment ago.

In order to contact his partner who vanished from before his eyes, Ren sent his thought toward Toba Riona. However there was no reply at all──.

Lu Yinghua observed Ren’s expression and spoke.

「I was ordered to sever the bond between Ren-san and shaoshimei by deploying the barrier of Kochuu no Ten(The Sky Inside the Jar) that was entrusted me from shifu. Well, it’s possible for Campione to break through it by brute force if they feel like it though.」

The wonder child of martial art world continued with a respectful tone.

「But according to shifu, she has also already taken that into account. She mentioned that the business would already be done by the time the barrier is broken……」

「I seee.」

Ren nodded.

Godslayer=Campione possessed strong resistance against the like of magic or curse. If they unleashed their strength toward the space, even magic that affected wide range could also be blown away.

But, this barrier must have also taken that into account in its creation──.

Ren came to an understanding and grinned.

「Got it. Then I want to use this situation more meaningfully now that I’m here anyway.」

「And by that, you mean?」

「Recently my chance to meet Ying-kun is also few, and we have finally met like this now. And so……accompany me for a bit of sparing okay?」

「Oh, that sounds interesting.」

Stella vanished from Ren’s left shoulder after hearing her partner’s suggestion.

Ren launched two left jabs at empty air without any reserve and swayed his body rhythmically. He was shadow boxing like what he did everyday in his club activity during high school.

Lu Yinghua’s eyes widened in surprise.

「Sparring……Ren-san is telling me to do boxing with you? With martial art!?」

「Yep yep.」

「That’s, I’ll do it if you order me to do it, but」

The direct disciple of a Campione who always acted arrogantly was unusually bewildered right now.

「For you to ask something like that from me, if you are asking me that in the meaning of playing around──」

「Nope. I want you to do it with all seriousness.」

「Oh man……. I’m aware that Ren-san is quite good in boxing. Well, perhaps if you seriously put your all into boxing, you will be able to become Japan’s champion at least by relying on just your talent. Going any further than that will depend on your luck and diligence though──. But, as expected……」

「At present, my skill is far below Ying-kun, right?」

Ren grinned widely.

Lu Yinghua mentioned Japan’s champion by adding 『at least』 in the same breath. As expected from the wonder child of the martial art world, the way he could act so condescendingly was really like him.

Naturally, his true strength was also something authentic──

Then Lu YInghua nodded in understanding and shrugged.

「I see, so there is something that Ren-san want to ascertain even knowing that?」

「Hahaha. As expected you really catch on quick♪」

「Very well then. This Lu Yinghua shall give it his all with my meager strength.」

Right after that.

Yinghua swiftly moved forward and stepped into right in front of Ren. It was the kingly walking technique that he showed in his match against Yukino just now.

From there his right hand’s palm thrust forward without any preliminary movement at all.

His hand’s movement was really soft. And yet it moved straight through the shortest distance and instantly inflicted a powerful impact on Ren’s heart──or that was how it should be.

Because that palm thrust was a secret technique of dark strong fist that was comparable to the no beat sword thrust that Mononobe Yukino displayed.

But Ren had vanished from before Yinghua’s eyes when he realized it.

*Tap*. A weak jab pushed on the back of his head from behind. The wonder child of martial art world was dumbfounded and turned around. Rokuhara Ren lightly smiled.

「The move that I showed just now──」

Lu Yinghua spoke with sparkling eyes.

「It was a similar move with that female hero that I executed in order to show that I can do anything that she can. But it doesn’t work at Ren-san huh?」

Yinghua asked while his whole left arm twisted like a whip.

It was a backhand blow that came from his loosely dangling arm suddenly snapping into motion. However he didn’t clench his fist to strike at Ren’s face with a slap!

However Ren vanished once more and Yinghua got poked again on the back of his head.

Yinghua turned around lightly and raised both his hands.

「I surrender. It seems that you have gotten really used with your new authority too……」

「It’s a bit hard to handle, but I’m managing it somehow. This seems to be really useful if it can also work at someone of Ying-kun’s level.」

Ren winked playfully and nodded at the godslayer’s disciple.

.

4

*DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!*

.

A knuckle that was shining gold brightly came flying together with a terrific booming sound. Furthermore that knuckle was at the size that could punch the face of a giant──.

Yukino was immediately blown away from that powerful blow.

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?」

The whole body of sect founder Luo Hao immediately shined bright.

The light then took the form of a clenched fist that flew toward Yukino like a full powered right straight.

──It was a direct hit. However, the divine sword of salvation somehow deployed a divine protection for her.

Yukino’s torso and limbs were enveloped in faint radiance that became a protective force field that shut out physical damage.

But, Yukino’s whole body felt so hot like it was burning even with that divine protection on her.

It also felt like her limbs were in pieces. A terrific impact collided on her in full right from the front and she couldn’t even grasp how was her own body’s state right now. Because the great damage had gone beyond her limit, she could only perceive the pain as『heat』──.

(Get a hold of yourself, Yukino!)

“Onee-sama” who was fused with Yukino’s body scolded her.

(The divine sword’s protection is working, and honorable master has only made her first move! You are a strong girl, you can still go onnnn!)

「T-thank you, Onee-sama. But……」

Yukino weakly protested with her hazy consciousness.

「My body is in a bit of bind, so can you do that thing for me……?」

(Aa……you mean the Super Saiyan technique.)

Riona’s telepathy answered her apologetically.

(I’m sorry, I can’t do that today. The power source of that skill has been moved somewhere else……)

「I-is that so……? Is that skill depend on something like the waxing and waning of the moon……?」

(Something like that-. It’s a powerful and delicate magic, so it’s affected by various things like the moon and the stars’ positioning!)

Yukino’s mind was in a daze due to the pain.

She could only mutter absentmindedly. Even the worried voice of Onee-sama sounded like she was talking of the happening of a different planet.

──What a situation she was in.

Mononobe Yukino was the heaven-sent child of the sword god. She had no rival at Universe 966.

But now, she had been cornered until she was just a step away from KO just from a little hit from a godslayer/Campione!

「Fufufufu. Amazing, you are still conscious after that.」

She could hear the haughty voice of the Sect Founder Luo Hao.

「I struck with the intention of not giving a care even if you are consigned to oblivion from that blow, but you are quiet tenacious. But, it doesn’t look like you have the strength left to stand up and receive my second move……」

She didn’t seem to have any intention to deal any additional blow.

Sect Founder Luo Hao should be looking down at the downed Yukino right now with a calm and self-possessed gait.

「……What kind of ability it was just now?」

(Actually it’s an absurdly simple authority. It raise honorable master’s physical strength to a phenomenal level as though she is the Deva king herself……. But, she can also wield stupidly powerful strength that normal flesh and blood muscle cannot endure by any means.)

Onee-sama answered Yukino’s question with rapid talking.

(For that kind of situation she manifest her power through shadow clone or aura limbs like what happened just now!)

「My first authority, The Divine Might of Vajrapani──I tried unleashing it for a bit just now. How does it feel? I hope it can pass the evaluation of the new hero……」

Sect Founder Luo Hao spoke with some amusement in her tone.

A depressed telepathy that felt like the sender was at holding her head at her wits’ end came from Riona.

(Uwaaa. Honorable master, she is even making a joke.)

「Is that……unusual?」

(Yes. It’s a super strange occurrence that is at the level of planets lining up in a straight line. It looks like that she is getting excited by the arrival of the devil king extermination hero……)

Yukino’s condition was far from giving any evaluation right now. She painfully realized the overwhelming difference in strength between them.

She who was proud of her swordsmanship──although it was an attack that was far outside her expectation, she couldn’t even dodge the right straight of the fist of light and got hit fully.

Yukino realized. It was because of Sect Founder Luo Hao’s martial arts.

Just a little while ago, Yukino herself had executed a no beat thrust. This was a similar technique──no, the technique that was used to unleash that fist was even more refined than hers.

The gesture, pause, presence, and rhythm, everything that could be used by the opponent to predict the next move had been erased to the extreme.

That was “no beat”.

It was a strike that drew out the maximum power with the smallest movement that was only possible for a master to do. That was why──Yukino was late in reacting even knowing that the attack was coming.

「This is a failure of a lifetime……」

It seemed there was a teaching『weapon was the extension of hand』 in Chinese martial art.

Become able to handle a weapon as though you were controlling your own hand. But, Sect Founder Luo Hao could control even the aura that was welling up from her body as though it was her own hand!

Mononobe Yukino still hadn’t reached until that realm of mastery…….

(Yukino. I’m applying healing magic on you right now. You should feel it soon!)

「Thank you……I’m feeling it. The pain is slightly receding……」

Yukino slowly lifted her body and stood up somehow with legs that she couldn’t put any strength into.

Riona who was fused with her body was applying healing magic from inside. But, it also meant the recovery of her sense of pain at the same time──

「Aa……ouch ouch ouch……」

Every single joint in her body was creaking. Dull pain was running through her chest area.

Perhaps some of her ribs were broken. However, she somehow stood up on her feet and took the orthodox middle stance once more with the divine sword of salvation.

Then Sect Founder Luo Hao narrowed her eyes in pleasure.

「So you stand up. Very good. A weak enemy who is beaten up with just one move don’t have any qualification to call herself a hero, much less exterminating devil king. For the time being I shall recognize you as a brave warrior.」

「B……because I have endured a single attack from you……?」

「Of course. A technique that is wielded by the emperor of martial art world has that much value in it.」

A big talk──those words didn’t sound like one anymore.

Certainly a great figure like Sect Founder Luo Hao was permitted to say such words. Even Yukino who should be her archenemy was thinking that. It was then,

The godslayer who was peerless under the heaven began to recite words delicately.

「Strength pass through the mountain, spirit cover the world……. Time bring no benefit, it goes contrary to your wishes」

That singing voice was comfortable. Furthermore it was overflowing with majestic elegance──

It contained『beauty』 that instantly attracted the heart of the listener. However, Yukino was bewildered why Sect Founder Luo Hao suddenly started doing something like singing.

「The staying of Xiang Yu’s horse out to be regretted. Fear, horror, regret thyself──」

Wind came and blew violently when Yukino came to her senses.

Furthermore the violent wind was roaring toward Yukino’s direction. The skin on her whole body was feeling stining pain when exposed to the howling wind.

The divine sword of salvation shined and enveloped Yukino’s body in the light of divine protection.

「What in the world is this!?」

(This is the second authority of honorable master, The Great Law of Dragon’s Flute and Tiger’s Howl! It’s a powerful move that turn her voice into the wind and also shockwave!)

「So this is what struck Onee-sama before this!」

「The soldier of Han, already conquer the land, singing voices from north, east, south, and west……」

The song of Sect Founder Luo Hao reached the climax with a well-trained voice.

The might of the violent wind and shockwave instantly climbed up drastically. Yukino almost got sent flying once more──however she endured.

「Please, divine sword of salvation Take Mikadzuchi! Protect me!」

She prayed to her beloved sword that she held in the orthodox middle stance and poured her spiritual strength into it as a god’s descendant. The light of divine protection became even more radiant and increased in solidity──

「The great king’s entire spirit, can’t control the life of mere lowborn!」

(No good, Yukino! This is still the beginning, the Great Law of Dragon’s Flute and Tiger’s Howl of honorable master is going to become even more destructive than this!)

「Unbelievable──then, we can’t defend against it anymore!?」

Yukino almost despaired, however she immediately shook her head.

She came here not just for the sake of Universe 966, it was to regain the safety of the whole multiverse and her important people.

Even Momotarou-sense said that she would surely be able to do it if it was her──

「……My memory is a bit vague to recall whether Momotarou-sensei really said those exact words or not but, it raise my tension if I believe that so I’ll just think that he really said it! Sensei has guaranteed it, so I’m surely able to do it! The bottom line of Mononobe Yukino’s strength──isn’t this shallow!」

Yukino rewrote her own memory to suit her own convenience while letting out piercing cry of fighting spirit. It was then.

.

*Kara kara, kara kara, kara kara, kara kara*

.

The sound of something rotating──wooden wheels rotating reached Yukino’s ears. Even though there wasn’t any wheel around here anywhere.

At the same time with that auditory hallucination, 『strength』 welled up from deep inside her body.

(Yukino’s ki and spiritual power are rapidly increasing──w-what is going on here!?)

「I-I also don’t know!? Onee-sama isn’t the one doing this!?」

The whole body of Yukino that was making a stance with the divine sword of salvation.

The body of the high school girl was starting to spark with static electricity.

The surging electric currnt burned the surrounding air and struck the ground. It was really wild.

This ceaselessly surging out lightning was forcing back the violent wind. Unlike before, it also became able to oppose the shockwave of the demonic wind without any difficulty.

Yukino gasped when she noticed that.

「The essence of my──sword isn’t protection! I have to become the sword to crush evil and display holiness!」

She stepped forward the moment she realized that.

In order to change from being at the receiving side to the attacking side.

Yukino radiated electricity while closing the distance of 5 ken──around nine meter in a single leap. She unleashed a no beat thrust toward Sect Founder Luo Hao.

It was a sure-kill sword. But before it landed, Sect Founder Luo Hao astonishingly thrust out her right palm.

She slapped the tip of the divine sword from the side using her four fingers other than the thumb. The way she moved her fingers was like when flicking someone on the forehead.

Amazingly, Yukino’s thrust was flicked away by those four fingers’ trashing.

But──Sect Founder Luo Hao also stopped singing when intercepting Yukino. For the time being she managed to endure the second authority the Great Law of Dragon’s Flute and Tiger’s Howl!

「Not only you were able to endure through my second move, you even made me use my palm strike……」

Sect Founder Luo Hao muttered.

「This is──the words of my stepbrother who once defeated the hero of devil king extermination in the past. 『The true essence of the divine sword isn’t in defending but attacking』. Not only you immediately realized that truth, you even made use of that terrifying Great Law of Covenant……I see. Your bottom line is deeper than I thought──」

「Y-your little brother won against the hero? Besides what’s this Great Law of Covenant!?」

「Thinking again, certainly there are two godslayers in this place……」

「!?」

The sect founder muttered several things that couldn’t be ignored.

Yukino was bewildered. Even so she was shocked by those last words.

There were two godslayers here? Where in the world the other one could be? Could it be──that other one was observing Yukino’s action even now!?

Yukino raised the divine sword of salvation in upper head stance and broke into a run.

She threw away her defense in order to challenge her terrifying archenemy with a single decisive stroke. She changed her own body into a charging lightning attack!

「In that case──I’ll make you tell me everything, Sect Founder Luo Hao!」

(W-wait a second Yukino, just because you are stronger when attacking, as expected this is just too crude! The opponent is my honorable master you know!)

「You are a very interesting girl. Well, but」

Golden aura blew out from Sect Founder Luo Hao’s whole body once more.

That light took the form of an opened hand and became a palm strike toward the enemy right before it. It attacked Yukino──.

「There is no denying that you are careless and thoughtless. ……O hero who descended from the bloodline of sword god. Let’s test whether you can cut through the first palm of Twelve Divine Palms of the Phoenix, Feng Yi Tian Xiang (Phoenix Wings, Heaven Phenomenon)!」

Even the speech of the sect founder became demonic wind.

The palm strike of light and the shockwave sent the high school girl with the divine sword of salvation flying high to the sky.

Although she had swung down the divine sword of salvation, she couldn’t erase the palm strike or the shockwave.

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?」

(I told you! We are going to fall into the sea at this rate Yukino! Yukino! Wait, so you finally fainted!?)

The body of the high school girl was flying high in the sky. Her altitude was easily more than 10 km high.

As the name suggested, the Sea King’s Capital was near the sea.

Yukino’s body flew through the air so far that they even left the city. She hit the deep blue sea surface of Hyperborea and sank down──.

.

(Uuu. As expected from honorable master, she is seriously going for the kill!)

Riona’s soul groaned inside the sinking Yukino.

Surprisingly the aura palm that Sect Founder Luo Hao unleashed was still going strong and taking a firm hold on the body of the unconscious Yukino.

She wouldn’t be able to make any movement even if she was actually conscious.

(Even if I try to rescue her with my technique, the current me isn’t strong enough……. If it’s like this, I can only use as much water accident repellant technique as possible and leave our fate to luck-)

In order to escape from the tight grip of death, Riona began to struggle in desperation.

(O Great God of Arms, I beseech your aid to usher us in toward the country of the rising sun! O manifestation of Seiryuu──I implore for the divine protection of the pious dragon queen! Err, after that, after that……)