Raikiri 4

「With my great weakness, I will break your invincibility!」

The words he had said before the match, it was in genuine seriousness.

She didn't need Reverse Sight to read his body signals. The soul that was approaching informed her eloquently. Ikki Kurogane would make one slash in this match, to decide the last stroke. His aim was to intercept the Raikiri she would unleash.

In that case, the match is simple.

She would feint with Raikiri, retreat a long way back, and have him miss with all his strength. And if she teased the exhausted Ikki from outside his range, he would not be able to do a thing. The match would be her win―that kind of thing….

Don't joke around!

Touka didn't even glance at that plan. Raikiri, which had not been broken in close range even once yet, dominated this territory. If an enemy invaded, what feudal lord would shamelessly flee his domain? Close range was Touka's strongest distance. If she ran away, where would she fight from? More than anything else―against someone pushing his heavily wounded body yet still using all his might, if she discarded her invincibility in the face of such a proud knight's challenge, how could she boast of that kind of victory!?

Ahh, that's right.

I don't want to just be Hagun Academy's strongest! I'm going to defeat this proud knight, and go on to become a Seven Stars Sword King!

In that case―


I'll take you on! With my invincible Raikiri―!!!


She spread her stance, and sent a flash of lightning into the scabbard that held Narukami. She prepared her trump card. To throw out the blow that brought down every opponent without exception. That posture of readiness to draw a sword, Touka intercepted Ikki who was approaching with coiling wind around him. She was the same as her opponent, risking everything on one slash!

Mutually and reciprocally, carrying themselves proudly, fighting fair and square. This was the righteous path of knights!


And―right now, two knights were confronting each other on that path.


Ikki had thrown out the fastest of his seven personal techniques. The seventh secret sword, Raikou. With a speed that showed no swordsmanship, it was an invisible sword. That speed, it was like lightning that drilled into earth within the blink of an eye.

But even so, the name of the technique meeting that Raikou was coincidentally Raikiri. An artful sword draw that splits even descending lightning.

The speeds of both parties were that of peerless superhumans. In that case, the decision of which one was superior was left to the weight of hope that each sword carried. The prayers of other people who prayed for their victory wholeheartedly. And the hopes of themselves, wanting to win against the enemy in front of their eyes. All of that was entrusted to the sword of their souls.


"AHHHHHHH!!!"

"YAHHHHHHH!!!"


The two knights put their entire bodies into it, and followed through with their slashes! The flash of lightning from the attack released by steel. The mutual strike that crossed the shortest distance―Raikiri was just slightly faster!

―Not good!

Ikki knew this.

―This wasn't enough!

Before his eyes that already could not perceive color, a blade of shining plasma was approaching. Before that speed and power―

―He couldn't reach it!

He would be defeated. The Raikiri that followed through would show neither hesitation nor mercy. A complete swing that would kill without remorse. Such a beautiful, beautiful swordsmanship.

Touka Toudou, Raikiri… this girl was truly strong!

―But so what!?

He already knew that. That she was strong, and that he was inferior to most, all of it. However, did Ikki turn his eyes away from that reality?

No!

He continued to fight. He did not retreat one step from that unbearable reality. That was why he knew. Because Ikki was like that, he knew what he should be doing right now.

If he was inferior, he should gather his strength. If he was imperfect, he should strain his power.

One minute was too long. Right now, he just needed one second!


―So be it, he'll sharpen his soul.


Vision, taste, hearing, touch, smell―right now he didn't need any of them. In this instant, he didn't even need to breathe. Abandoning all of those things, he concentrated the strength left over.

All of his flesh. All of his brain. All of his blood. All of his cells, everything from them.

His personal vitality, stamina, magic power, potential, he mustered all that he had―



―And for an instant, he broke past his limits!!!

The flash of lighting from colliding steel. That air that was blasted away. The collision gave birth to lightning and thunder that could be witnessed hundreds of miles away, carrying away all color and sound―


*crack*


In the long silence afterward, the shrill sound of steel breaking echoed in the venue.

And then… the sound of someone falling.

The spectators who had shut their eyes at the dazzling radiance timidly opened their eyes again, and looked toward the ring.

The thing that had been broken was―Narukami.

The one who had fallen midway on the righteous path of knights was Touka Toudou, the Raikiri.