The Great Tengu, the eldest of them all, issued a proclamation to the residents of the Hidden Realm of Cel. A representative was to be chosen and made to compete against Suiboku’s disciple. When the people of the hidden realm learned of this, an uproar broke out. Because they lived with almost no contact with the outside world, the mere mention of an exchange match sent them into a frenzy of excitement.
If the opponent had been Suiboku himself, it might not have caused such enthusiasm. Fukei had visited this land some years earlier, so the adults of today still remembered him well. Suiboku, who had defeated that very Fukei, seemed utterly impossible to beat.
But if it was only his disciple, then perhaps there was a chance. If they won, it would be a spectacular upset.
The villagers, brimming with excitement, began making preparations and putting their appearances in order. The practitioners of the consecrated path donned the attire of shrine maidens and priests, and the practitioners of the Rapid Iron Style dressed like warrior monks. Normally, both groups wore the clothes of ordinary villagers or farmers, but now they had changed into formal ceremonial garb.
As for the Tengu, they remained clad as ascetics, gathering together in formations of three. Everyone sat atop cloths spread across the grassland, motionless as they waited for the festival to begin. There was no sound at all, yet the spectators’ fervor threatened to overflow through their gazes and trembling bodies.
“Suiboku, who once visited this land, has come again, bringing his disciple with him. In order to test the extent of that disciple’s abilities, a match has been arranged.”
The Great Tengu served as the master of ceremonies, but his expression was far from solemn; a broad smile sat upon his face. He was clearly unable to contain his anticipation at seeing how his village’s representative would fare against Suiboku’s disciple.
“We Tengu will provide Divine Ginseng and noble treasures, while the Consecrated Maidens will offer support. We will marshal the full strength of the hidden realm for this battle, though the one who will actually fight is but a single practitioner of the Rapid Iron Style.”
Who would fight had already been decided. The combatant was fully armed with noble treasures, making it obvious even before the announcement. Even so, everyone found themselves holding their breath.
“Rapid Iron Style user, Eighth Rank—Locomo Lloyd!”
Among the many practitioners of the Rapid Iron Style, the one whose name the Great Tengu called was Locomo Lloyd. He was just shy of middle age, and his raw physical abilities had declined slightly from their peak. However, years of rigorous training had honed his technique, and in terms of actual combat prowess, he could confidently be said to be at his strongest now.
“I am Locomo Lloyd,” he said.
That was precisely why he stepped forward with confidence.
“I am Suiboku’s disciple—chief combat instructor of the Sepaeda House, one of the Four Great Noble Houses of the Arcana Kingdom. My name is Sansui Shirokuro.”
While feeling a flicker of surprise that the Rapid Iron Style even had formal ranks, Sansui drew the attention of everyone around him and drank a Golden Balm right before their eyes. Even knowing that this act demonstrated his immaturity—proof that he could not yet use even the basics of alchemical arts—he still presented himself as he was, raising his wooden sword to a middle guard.
“Lord Suiboku’s martial renown remains in this village. To have the honor of opposing you, his acknowledged disciple, brings me great joy.”
“I will do my utmost, however unpolished I may be, to live up to those expectations.”
It could be said that the battle had already begun.
Having been raised in the hidden realm, Lloyd had a keen eye for noble treasures. He could tell immediately that Sansui carried none at all, and was equipped as lightly as he appeared. Lloyd surmised that it meant Sansui had great faith in his own strength.
Likewise, Sansui was carefully observing Lloyd. The clothes Lloyd wore were themselves noble treasures, and he could sense what felt like even more noble treasures concealed beneath them. Furthermore, from within Lloyd’s body, Sansui sensed a rich, abundant circulation of ki and blood. He had likely consumed both Coiled Peaches and Divine Ginseng prior to this battle. On top of that, he was receiving an overwhelming supply of support from all of the Consecrated Maidens in the audience.
Come to think of it, this is my first time fighting an opponent like this.
An enemy who was himself a master, heavily armed, enhanced by medicines, and further bolstered by constant external support. He was well and truly armed, mobilized to the fullest. In the most literal sense, he was fighting not alone but with the support of many.
So this must have been what it felt like when Master faced the Rapid Iron Style...and when Fukei did as well. How far can I go with the strength I have now?
It was said that when Suiboku previously visited this place, he had already been a fully fledged Immortal. Though he had not yet reached the stage of creating techniques uniquely his own, he had been a rampaging god who had mastered countless Arts in his homeland. Even that Suiboku had been forced into a hard fight against the Rapid Iron Style—and here Sansui was, going up against its descendants. Simply lining up the facts, there was no chance of victory.
That is precisely why this has meaning.
With respect for the descendant of the warrior who had torn off his master’s arm, Sansui maintained the highest level of vigilance.
He carries many noble treasures whose purposes I can’t discern. If he has measures against Immortal Arts—against Immortals themselves—then even using Flash Step directly won’t secure a win.
The Great Tengu Cel and Suiboku stood side by side, watching from afar.
This battle was, for both sides, something that could be called a proxy war spanning two and a half millennia. It was not a conflict, but a contest—and precisely because of that, there was a heartwarming feeling that came with it. Both of them smiled as they declared the start.
“Then...begin!”
This warmth, however, belonged only to the observers. The ones actually competing were deadly serious.
“Rapid Iron Style...”
Lloyd thrust both hands forward. Without changing that posture, he spread his hands and activated Fury, manifesting the Rapid Iron Style.
“Great Solid Ring—Eightfold Defensive Barrier!”
Sansui, who had not been told the details by his master, had intended to respond without surprise no matter what technique appeared. But when he saw it, his eyes clearly widened in shock.
It was the first time he had seen it in this world. Something that had been extremely common in his original world, he was now seeing again for the first time in five hundred years... Floating around Lloyd were eight shining gears. They had no visible axis, made no discordant sounds, and rotated slowly and smoothly.
So, just as spellcraft creates walls or armor, the Rapid Iron Style creates gears and uses them for defense and offense? A massive rotating gear striking the human body would certainly suffice as an attack. And if they’re placed on all sides, they function as a defense as well. And more than that...
The problem was that his path to the opponent was cut off.
I can’t move to the other side of those gears with Flash Step.
Flash Step was essentially a form of “warp,” but it came with several restrictions. One could not move beyond the range of one’s sensory perception, nor move directly upward or downward, and—most importantly—neither enter nor exit a space completely enclosed by walls. This latter condition also applied to lattices and similar boundaries; in essence, one could not move through a place that could not be entered or exited by walking.
Therefore, it was impossible to use Flash Step to move directly to Lloyd’s side while he was protected by the surrounding gears.
Saiga or Shouzo might be able to find a way to break through them...but I don’t think I can. Still, it doesn’t seem as bad as the Drunken Fist Style. Unlike that technique, which knocks you down just by getting close, this seems purely defensive—or perhaps interceptive. I should be able to use Flash Step for evasion, and even move directly in front of the gears without issue.
This technique, too, was ultimately a human art. If so, it would not exceed the limits of humanity. By comparing it to techniques he already knew, noting their similarities and differences, Sansui searched for a way to overcome it.
I can sense intent from those gears. They probably have the ability to react on their own, but that freedom must make them hard to control. It’s the same type of technique as Tahlan’s Shadow Summoning.
Sansui lowered his sword from his middle guard stance. Still holding it in his right hand, he let his left hand hang loosely at his side, grasping nothing. It was what was commonly called a “no stance,” and he was convinced it was the optimal posture in this situation. The crouching start was the most obvious example, but any “stance” had the weakness of revealing one’s next action to their opponent, and of creating a delay if one then opted to move differently.
The “no stance,” meanwhile, looked like nothing more than standing idly, yet it could flow into any action at all. In that sense, it was far superior; however, Sansui did not use this stance very often. His master, Suiboku, had warned him he should not.
“They say true masters don’t take a stance, but you do, Master?”
“Hmm? I don’t have to if I don’t want to. But even if you prefer it, it’s better to not use the ‘no stance’ too often. If you do, the opponent will misunderstand and think you don’t take them seriously.”
He had been taught that it was discourteous, but now Sansui advanced slowly while maintaining the stance deemed improper. He believed that, for the opponent before him, it was precisely what was necessary.
“Defensive Rotational Formation, three plates.”
As Sansui calmly closed the distance, Lloyd repositioned three of the eight gears that had been circling around him, placing them directly in front of himself.
“Mirror Spin Barrage!”
Next, he began spinning the gears on the left and right simultaneously, in opposing directions. Then he slowly brought them closer to the central gear.
This is—!
Overwhelmed by a fierce sense of déjà vu, Sansui braced himself for the moment that was about to follow. And then it came. Like a pitching machine launching a ball with its rotating rollers, the left and right gears forcefully fired the central gear forward.