Aoishiro web novel

Ayashiro: Good morning...

Syouko: Good morning...eh, Ayashiro, are you not feeling well this morning again?

Ayashiro, who came to greet us, had a complexion as bad as yesterday's.

Syouko: Was it because of the test of courage?

Ayashiro was the type to be frightened, so because of that she might not have been able to sleep well.

Ayashiro: No...yesterday was fine and I was planning on sleeping soundly but...

Syouko: .....

Continuing from yesterday, the reason Ayashiro was feeling bad was because of...

Yasumi, who was sleeping in a neighboring futon was really not a morning person. I could hear her breathing in her sleep, but her complextion didn't look bad.

Anyways, there was no reason to wake Nami.
I put my ear near Yasumi's and while shaking her, I used a low voice to call her.

Syouko: Yasumi, it's time to get up.

Yasumi: Fui...Momo-chan...your voice changed...?

Syouko: It's me, Yasumi.

Yasum: Fue...?

Yasumi: Eh!? Eheheh!? Syouko-sempai!?

Syouko: Morning, are you awake?

Yasumi: Ah...eh...eh...g...good morning...

In the morning, she was turning red and blue, but her condition didn't seem bad.

Syouko: Yasumi, on the other hand, looks ok.

Yasumi: Eh?

Syouko: Ayashiro doesn't feel that well this morning too.

Ayashiro: It's not that bad...

Syouko: Do have any clues as to why?

Ayashiro: Clues?

Syouko: For example, what we were talking yesterday morning, a girl with long hair...

Momoko: Yes! Yes, yes! I saw it! I, Akita Momoko, saw the rumored ghost girl in a public place!

The one who raised her hand was not Ayashiro.

Syouko: Eh? Momoko?

Ayashiro: Momo-chan? You saw it?

Momoko: Today, at early dawn, I woke up because my throat was dry. I got out of my futon and went outside.

Momoko: Then, when I returned to my room, I thought "Huh? Something's strange..." and got an uncomfortable feeling.

Momoko: I'd shut the shoji doors, but there seemed to be something like transparent moonlight shining inside.

Momoko: I thought maybe someone woke up and was sending a mail from her cell phone or something so I entered the room and...

Momoko: Above Hime-sempai was something like a human-shaped glowing shadow...!?

Momoko gave an over-dramatic scream.

Momoko: Yes, it was without a doubt, the ghost girl. She was semi-transparent and because of the light, her face was indistinct.

Syouko: You couldn't see her face?

Momoko: Her long hair was also in the way.

Momoko: But from what I could see, she had good style and the first suspect on my list would be Nami.

Ayashiro: ...Eh...to?

Syouko: So what happened after that?

Momoko: Like a vampire in a movie or manga, it neared Ayashiro-sempai's neck, but I mustered up my courage and thought to drive it away.

Momoko: I screamed "Uoohhh", pointed at it, and it just disappeared.

Syouko: Did anyone hear that voice and wake up?

Silence...

Syouko: ...It's zero, huh?

Syouko: And then?

Momoko: Osa-sempai, do you believe me...?

Yasumi: Momo-chan, fight!

Momoko: Ooh...

With that little shout, Momoko recovered and continued her explanation.

Momoko: And soon after that, I heard some rustling and when I concentrated on my hearing, I heard a faint, weird sound coming from outside.

Momoko: Buoh.....Buoh.....

Momko: It wasn't the ushi-oni demon that Migi-san was talking about but I thought it sounded like it was going to attack the temple.

Syouko: .....

Momko: Uwa...I knew sempai wasn't going to believe me, since you think I'm the type of person who tells lies.

Yasumi: Momoko-chan...

Syouko: No one said anything about not believing you. Speaking about that sound, I heard it too.

Yesterday night, during the test of courage, I saw some bizarre things.
A thing that looked like a small oni, and for a second, a small human-shaped shadow.
And also Nami, who had a too-pale face.
In addition, for a second, the smile on her lips, were those fangs peeking out like a vampire?

Syouko: Ayashiro, let me see your neck for a second.

Ayashiro: Eh?

I lifted her chin and looked closely at her neck.

Syouko: I don't see anything...that looks like a wound.

I lightly brushed my hand over her neck. Her skin was smooth and I didn't feel anything catch on my fingers.

Ayashiro: I don't feel anything painful...

Syouko: But instead of a vampire, it's more like...

Perhaps it was because my touch was causing a ticklish feeling, but Ayashiro was frowning and her expression looked it was trying to endure. For a second, her body shuddered. Under my palm, beyond her white skin, I could tell that Ayashiro's warm blood was flowing...

Syouko: Ah...

Ayashiro: Syouko-san, what's wrong?

Syouko: Ah...nothing...

That couldn't have happened.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai?

Syouko: I was just thinking about something.

Yes, I was just thinking too much.

Syouko: In addition, since this has happened for two days in a row, we'll have to come up with some counter-measures.

For now...

Syouko: I'm going to go discuss this with the monk.

If we couldn't solve this by ourselves, we should also discuss this with adults.
Though he said he didn't have any spirtual sense, we didn't have any either and with an old man's wisdom, he could rack his brain for some ideas.
After the monk wakes and rings the bell, we'll do something about this.

Ayashiro: What about the morning run?

Syouko: Please wait for a moment. We'll decide after I come back.

Syouko: Whatever we decide, Ayashiro, you should rest for today again.

Ayashiro tried to smile to show she was ok, but it looked a little pitiful.

Syouko: .....

That smile tugged at my heart, and I couldn't stand looking at it. I left the room as if I were running away.
The monk should be at the altar bell.

Yuukai: This temple doesn't have any secret teachings, unlike the Tendai or Shingon sect. We don't have Buddhist rites for burning incense either.

It doesn't seem there's anything for fending off ghosts besides Kumouchi.

Yuukai: Oh yes, why don't you sit down?

Syouko: Sit?

Yuukai: Yoga from India is said to be good for the body and it's become popular. Have you heard that?

Syouko: Hah...

Yuukai: In Zen Buddhism, there are also secret techniques for self introspection.

Sickness starts from the spirit. Ghosts were are said to come from "spirits".

Yuukai: There's two types of sitting positions, lotus position, and half-lotus position.

Yuukai: Young ladies, you're not used to sitting like this, so I don't mind if you sit in half lotus position.

After that introduction to us newcomers, it was time to sit down and meditate.
Though we weren't doing anything special, just sitting, it was a little tough.
And though we were newcomers, the monk was only lenient in the beginning.
Our feet became numb and we wanted to squirm, but when we did that, the monk gave a warning.

Yuukai: Hah...!!

Momoko: Pigya...!?

In addition, the one who received the most warnings from the master-swordsman monk was Momoko, who couldn't settle down. It was probably because of her so-so form.

Momoko: Uhi, Uhyaya, my foot...it's become numb...

Syouko: I'm a little used to sitting in seiza, kneeling position but...

Syouko: Nn..Nn...

My foot was also a little numb, but not so much that I couldn't stand up.

Syouko: Ku...

Syouko: Ayashiro, are you ok?

Ayashiro: It seems...I also...won't be able to move...for a while...

Momoko: Though sitting in meditation (zazen) is over, we're still sitting. It's like a sitting spiral...!

Momoko, who tried to force herself up, fell over, as her foot slipped.

Momoko: Uoh...Ow...Ow...!

Did she hit her butt? Her numb foot? Or both?

Yuukai: Fufufu...it's hard if you're not used to it.

As the monk tapped us on the shouldrers when giving out a warning, he talked with us.
Ah...I remembered something.
Besides talking about Ayashiro, there was something else I need to tell the monk.

Syouko: Actually, monk, I don't know if it's related or not, but...

I told him about what happened at yesterday's test of courage.
I didn't know if was just coincidence, or if it was inevitable. The moment I put my hand on the trunk...

Yuukai: I see. So the blossoms of the Tokosaki no Tsubaki fell.

And it wasn't just one or two flowers. Though it was in full bloom, all the blossoms fell from the branches.

Syouko: Monk, I'm sorry.

Yuukai: There's nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything beyond touching the trunk, right?

Yasumi: Sempai, really only touched the trunk for a moment.

Like what Yasumi said in my defense, I only touched the tree but...
At that time, it's like I was entranced. It wasn't normal...
But before I could say that, the monk resolved the matter.

Yuukai: Then it was just an unlucky time. All wordly things are transitory, everything is constantly changing. It's the fate of things that have a shape to someday be destroyed.

Syouko: Ok...

Yuukai: If you want to talk about abnormal, a tree that continually blossomed from year to year would be considered abnormal.

Yasumi: There are flowers that bloom year round, but it doesn't mean that they never wither.

Yuukai: Sickness and death don't just affect humans, they affect all living things.

I breathed a sigh of relief at the monk's tolerance.

Yuukai: Well, as long as the tree still has life, when it turns to spring, it might blossom again. Tsubaki were originally flowers that foretold the coming of spring.

Japan, which is a long island running in the north south direction, also has a time when the tsubaki blossom.
They bloom starting from the south and going north.

Syouko: But still...they were precious flowers.

Yuukai: What...even if there's one less, it doesn't mean they're all gone, right?

Yuukai: About the Tokosaki no Tsubaki, it was said to be given to Shoushinji, along which a portion of the Kurou-ryuu sword skills, during the time of Terauke Seido (Temple Registration System).

Yuukai: On Urashima, in the forbidden land of Kurou-sama, which are also the private lands of Nekata-san, I've heard there are many Tokosaki no Tsubaki blooming in the forest there.

Syouko: A whole forest of...

Crimson tsubaki...
The forest of Tokosaki no Tsubaki I saw in my dream.

Yuukai: Do you remember the hinokusuri I told you about before?

Yuukai: Don't you think it's weird that Kurou-ryuu was distributed from the island, but not the way of creating the medicine, which is a more useful thing?

Yuukai: After Yasuhime-sama left the island, the head of the Nekata family, who had the hinokurusi, cured the sick people of their disease and gained both status and trust, but...

Yuukai: It's said that the color and efficacy of the medicine is not from the earth, but comes from the Tokosaki no Tsubaki.

Yuukai: So even if it's a precious thing, you can't just pick it up and...

Syouko: Tsubaki...

Syouko: But monk, according to your story yesterday, in Yasuhime's tsubaki truee, the oni that was the cause of the disease...

Yuukai: You mean Matamu?

Syouko: That Matamu was sealed in the tsubaki. So if I caused the flowers to fall, then...

Yesterday, there was a frightening sound coming from Urashima...
I didn't mean any of what I said as a joke. The monk tapped his head and gave an awkward smile.

Yuukai: Captain-san is acting like she believes the story.

Syouko: It's not that...

Yuukai: It's my fault for telling such stories to such sincere ladies.

I wonder if there was a commonsense explanation for the events.

Yuukai: In the middle of the night, you heard an eerie noise that sounded like Matamu roaring, right?

Yuukai: That's a phenomenom called the roar of the island. For the local people, it's a sound that reminds them of this season of the year.

Yuukai: It's said that at the time of Kurou-sama's festival, a storm will come and the wind will pick up...

Yuukai: Captain-san. You've blown over the opening of a beer bottle or any other bottle like that, right?

Syouko: Ah...

Yuukai: To it simply, the principle is the same. Urashima has many caves within it and is seems they're connected by complicated tunnels.

Yuukai: They're mostly maintained by Nekata-san. It's also forbidden land.

Syouko: So the island is like one big whistle...

Yuukai: It's announced at the start of the festival that it's like a conch shell of fate.

With that easy to understand explanation, I was a greatly relieved.

Syouko: I see...so the legend about the oni's grudge has this sort of trick to it.

Yuukai: Hanako-san told me that if you use logic to dismantle old folklore and legends, over 90 percent are from an event that has some evidence or are from manners and customs.

So the real identity of the ghost is like some dried up pampas grass...
Like if in the countries of the East and West, people saw many one-eyed, one-legged, gods of metallurgy, it's because one saw a furnace and hurt his eye or stepped in something and hurt his leg, or due to some business like that.

Yuukai: Anyways, so what Captain-san did to the Tokosaki no Tsubaki has no relation to anything, so please relax.

Momoko: White rice with slices of salmon on top!

The main dish this morning was broiled salmon.
With miso soup and diced eggplant, and the leftover pork from yesterday, it made for a lot of toppings and was more than enough volume for breakfast.
There were also other pickled vegetables like cucumbers and other vegetables prepared.
There was pickled daikon radish too.

Momoko: This is a Japanese-like breakfast! You did it, Zawacchi! Nice menu!

Starting with yesterday's pork dinner and continuing with fish today, Momoko was very satisfied.

Yuukai: Iya, iya, with the manager-san cooking, it's so delicious, I've eaten too much.

Migiwa: Yes, yes, it makes me want to stay here forever.

Yuukai: That's true. Would you like to become my daughter?

Aoi: I'd like to have Aizawa-san as a bride...

Zawacchi: That's not allowed! To the dorms, Zawacchi is an extremely popular and necessary person!

Momoko, who was the number one monopolizer of Zawacchi, grabbed her arm and pulled Zawacchi towards her.

Yasumi: Wait...Momo-chan!?

Migiwa: Pupu, Osa's group sure are good friends with each other.

Syouko: Eh?

Migiwa: It really feels of a all-girls high school.

Well, it's true that Seijou had a large number of rich, young girls, and was without a doubt an all-girls high school.

Aoi: By the way, everyone...

Aoi: About the plans from now on...

Syouko: You want to end the training camp early...?

Aoi: If it turns out to be nothing, then that's fine...but the parents will also worry...

To be in a far away place and be in the middle of a typhoon where we couldn't move, would certainly cause parents to worry.

Momoko: Especially Hime-sempai's family.

Migiwa: What? Is Hime-sempai's family strict?

Syouko: Rather than strict, it's like they're trying to take good care of a family cat.

Ayashiro: I also wanted to stay in the dorms like Momo-chan and Yasumi-chan.

Migiwa: Is your home far away?

Ayashiro: It's not so far that I can't commute...

She had to wake up earlier and also had to return before her curfew was over, so it was troublesome.

Syouko: But because of that, you received permission to join the club you wanted, right?

Migiwa: Heh...so that's how it was.

Aoi: As the advisor, I didn't even know that.

Ending that conversation, we returned to the main topic where we had to decide what to do.

Yasumi: I think...

Yasumi displayed a troubled expression.

Yasumi: I think it's better if we returned to Seijou earlier...

She said it reservedly, but clearly stated her opinion.
Sensei nodded to Yasumi, and then looked at me.

Aoi: What does Osanai-san think?

To continue the training camp, or not...

Syouko: If we have extra time, I'd like to stay a little while longer and see how it goes.

It's true that the wind was picking up, but the weather was still not that bad. There wasn't a feeling of anything dangerous so if we cut our time short now, we'd surely regret it.

Nami: .....

And there was also Nami.
We still didn't know anything about her. She had become close to both Yasumi and me and if both of us left, she'd surely be lonely.

Nami: .....?

Nami was having a hard time with the salmon bones, and I patted her head. Aoi-sensei couldn't win against a crying child and the head of this place, so she gave a little sigh.
In the end, the majority of the people, including me, didn't want to cut the training camp short, she we would stay a little longer to see how things went.

Aoi: Ok, then sensei has to go out to take care of some business, so don't push yourselves too hard.

Syouko: We'll just be doing our normal, morning practice so I don't think they'll be a problem.

Aoi: True, though Akita-san seems like she might do something troublesome during free time.

Aoi: Osanai-san, I'll leave the rest up to you.

Syouko: Let's start with warm-up exercises.

Because of what happened before, I wanted to prevent any injuries while sensei was not here. Today, I'll also have them carefully do warm-up exercises.
There was not a cloud in the sky and the brilliant sun was shining down as always.
But, the wind was stronger than yesterday...
In a few days, would a storm really come?

Yasumi: Time's up! Please exchange places!

Since we've decided to stay and watch the situation, I should just concentrate on practice.
No matter how carefully you did warm-up exercies, if you were distracted, you wouldn't be able to prevent getting hurt.

Nami: .....

Nami was moving her arms and standing next to Yasumi, who was wearing jerseys and had her beloved stopwatch in one hand. Moving her hands up and down, her sleeves were fluttering which seemed to be hindering her.

Syouko: Nami also wants to try?

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, no matter what, that's...

Yasumi gave me an awkward smile as she untangled Nami's sleeves.
It's true that Nami's clothes would make it hard for her to swing a bokutou, but...

Syouko: When I started learning kendo, I was about 5 or 6 years old.

When I started, I was half the age of Nami, who looked to be 10 to 12 years old.
It wasn't an unreasonable thing to do.
If she was interested, it was fine to let her do some practice swings. I also held a bokutou and copied Natsu nee-san as she was doing practice swings.

Syouko: Ah...but I wonder if there's a lightweight bokutou that a child could use.

Yasumi: Was your sensei Natsumi-senshu (Team Member Natsumi)?

Syouko: And also Akiko-san.

Syouko: If we start from the beginning, the reason I learned kendo was because Akiko-san liked sword fighting.

Syouko: Fuyue oji-san...Akiko-san's younger brother and who had a large age-difference from her, was Natsu nee-san's father. I first started learning kendo from him.

Migiwa: Heh...

Migiwa, who wasn't there a while ago, unexpectedly appeared.

Yasumi: Migiwa-san...

Migiwa: Is it ok for me to observe a bit too?

Syouko: I don't really mind, but...

Migiwa: Then, if you'll excuse me for a bit.

Migiwa put both hands behind her back and slowly walked behind the team members who continued practicing. She looked at them with a director's eye.

Migiwa: Heh...I see...

Migiwa: Momo-chi's movements are beyond ordinary...

At times, she looked around with a sharp glance.

Migiwa: Oy...Hime-san.

Ayashiro: Yes?

Migiwa: Hime-san's movements are graceful. It seems you're completing the movements within your mind.

Migiwa: In other words, Hime-san is not imagining facing an opponent.

Migiwa: For example, when practicing swinging, Hime-san isn't imagining cutting anyone

Ayashiro: Ah...you know that...

Migiwa: So...is is really martial arts then?

Ayashiro: ...It might not be.

Migiwa was saying stuff like she was in charge.

Syouko: Wait a minute, Migiwa.

Migiwa: What? Do you not like it when an outsider is making observations?

Syouko: That's not it. You should give advice in a proper way.

Migiwa: Was I saying something in a bad tone?

Syouko: If I didn't see you do it, I wouldn't have talked to you about it.

What she was saying wasn't wrong, but she should say it in a proper way.

Migiwa: Don't worry. I won't give bad advice to your girls.

Migiwa: Ah...the girl over there, you...

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, time's up.

Yasumi blew her whistle and everyone took a ten-minute break.

It's true that during the training camp, we're not wearing our protectors, but in order to prevent summer lethargy, we should be careful to stay hydrated.
I've left the break times up to Yasumi, so for someone who has bad luck, I've picked a good time to become captain.
Though I didn't have as many connections as Akiko-san, in this world, fate is more important than luck.

Then, talking about the fate on this trip...

Syouko: Migiwa, do you have experience in this?

Migiwa: I might not have experience in kendo...

Migiwa: But, using the tools of kendo and abiding by its rules, I don't think I'd lose to any of you.

That was definitely an answer that was looking to incite a response. However, I was not so childish as to let that get a rise out of me.

Momoko: Mu...

Momoko: No matter the case, you wouldn't win against Osa-sempai.

Migiwa: Yah...well after seeing your practice session, I don't think Osa, who is supposed to be strong, is as strong as I thought she'd be.

She didn't hold back her words, and if I had to say, that was the way I expected her to talk, but...

Migiwa: Coming this far to train and you go on a test of courage? Or go bathing in the sea? It's great that you've made such good memories in the summer...

With those words that looked she wanted to pick a fight, exactly was she planning?

Migiwa: They're heavy, hot, and besides that, they smell. You didn't have to bring those protectors, since you'll stop training after the morning.

Migiwa: It makes me want to laugh if that's the way you're going to become stronger.

She was saying show me your ability with your own hands.

.....

Saying that much, even I was annoyed, and I was also interested in how strong Migiwa was.
In the end, we decided to have a match.
Migiwa was holding the bokutou with one hand and playing with the tip.

Migiwa: Heh...as expected, a bokutou is light.

Syouko: It weights over 420 grams.

Migiwa: It it were a real sword, it'd weight over 1 kilo, right?

Syouko: ...well...

Anyways, the conversation stopped there.

Yasumi: Both of you, bow!

Since Migiwa was new to kendo, we decided to omit the crouching at the beginning of the match and started in a fighting stance.

Yasumi: Begin!

Holding the stopwatch in one hand, Yasumi announced the start of the match. At the same time, I rushed forward with a men-strike, head on.

Migiwa: Oh..to.

Migiwa nimbly dodged and jumped backwards.
That movement at the first breath of the match was not from kendo.
I continued with a barrage of strikes, but she weaved, and lightly dodged.

Momoko: Migi-san moves in a weird way.

Ayashiro: Do you mean her feet?

The movement of her feet was not like how we moved in kendo.

Migiwa: Hah!

To my blind spot, to my blind stop, she kept moving around.
If that was the case...

Syouko: I switched from striking at the head to striking at the body with a dou-strike. Different than the small to large movements of a men-strike, or kote-strike, a dou-strike could connect and also be hard to dodge.

Migiwa: Tsu...

As I thought, I'd connected. However, the following strikes missed and hit nothing but air.

Syouko: Too light...

I'd only grazed her and it was not a telling blow.
Even if it weren't a kendo bokutou, but a real Japanese sword, the result would've been the same.
For example, if Migiwa had been wearing something like a protector, she wouldn't have received anything beyond a light scratch.

Migiwa: Well, it's about time for me to start.

Syouko: .....!?

Migiwa's eyes suddenly thinned.
It gave an impression of a mischievous cat that was going after prey.
And the type of cat would be a wildcat.
As usual, Migiwa was moving with mysterious footwork. Slowly, slowly, she kept moving to my right.
As she was circling, she reduced the circumference. and shortened the distance between us.
How many centimeters were left between Migiwa and me?
The tip of her bokutou, which was pointed at me, caught my eye.

Migiwa: They say the Oujin-ryuu style looks like a jaryuu (snake dragon).

Oujin-ryuu...?

Her movement caught my eye. I don't know if it was to provoke me, but like a dragonfly resting its wings, she turned the tip of her sword in small circles.

Migiwa: This is the eye of the snake.

Syouko: .....

Migiwa: Hey, Osa, did you know?

Migiwa: Snakes, you know...use their stare to freeze an opponent's movements.

I wondered if she was talking to confuse me. I didn't think her movements with the bokutou had any meaning.

Syouko: .....

I kept my silence and in order to catch her movements, I honed my five senses.
Her arms were longer, but I had a technique to compensate for that.
My reach with the sword was longer.

Syouko: ....Ku...

I couldn't use that advantage.
I don't know if it was because my body didn't want to settle down, but my rhythm was taken and the tip of my sword wavered.
But with Migiwa's movements, she should have some sort of delay, and an opportunity should have opened.
However, the tip of her sword didnt' slow down. And by just drawing circles, it felt like the area that she could defend was expanded.
I couldn't find an opening and could only grit my teeth.

Momoko: What Migi-san is doing? Is that the legendary Engetsu Sappo!?

Yasumi: Momo-chan, she already called it the "eye of the snake"...

Turning the end of her sword over, and over was probably a tactic used to distract me.
This is bad. This is bad.
Seeing this from a far away point of view, my whole body would be captured...

Migiwa: Hey, Osa, you're not going to attack? You don't have to go easy on me.

Migiwa: The attack you just made, you stopped before hitting, so it'd be a light attack, right?

Syouko: .....!

Since she wasn't wearing a protector, I wanted to stop just before hitting her, but since she said that, I had no choice but to really attack.
If she came any closer, then the advantage of my reach would be lost.

Syouko: Su...

Syouko: Hah...

I took a deep breath and prepared myself.
I pointed the sword Migiwa kept dodging at the sky...

Ayashiro: Jyoudan! (overhead stance)

Yasumi: No way...there not wearing protectors...

Momoko: Osa-sempai's gotten serious.

Migiwa: Hyuu...~

I was planning on stopping before I hit, but I wished she wouldn't take me lightly.

Syouko: Meh.....!

Migiwa: Isn't the distance a little far?

Ayashiro: That's not true!

Momoko: It's Osa-sempai's special technique!

Yasumi: It's what Narumi-senshu used to beat all of Japan, a one-handed strike!

Rushing forward as fast as you can, you close the distance between your opponent.
Letting go with your right hand, your left hand can extend your reach by around 30 cm.
Going past the enemy's defence, the sword was like a lance...

Migiwa: The reach is extending.....!?

Migiwa's eyes widened and one edge of her lips lifted up.

Migiwa: ...Just kidding...

She made a small movement and dodged the path of my attack and moved to my side.
Looking at me with cold, glittering eyes, she whispered.

Migiwa: That swordsmanship...I've seen it before.

Syouko: Ku...

Migiwa: Well, for a novice, you're not bad, but...

Migiwa: Compared to the ken oni (sword demon), you're too weak.

Ken oni...?

Migiwa: I might've been mistaken, so I wanted to check to make sure.

Shoot...
The end of the sword was pointing at me.
At this point, I think I've lost.
I had unconsciously changed my jyoudan stance which was for attacking to a chuudan stance, which was for defending.
I'd been taken in by Migiwa's technique.
Once again, the tip of Migiwa's sword started to rotate.
I couldn't move.

Migiwa: Hey, Osa, do you know about the "sword"?

"Sword".....?

Migiwa: That face says you don't know. Your presence and swordsmanship are the only things that resemble it, the inside seems to e completely different.

Resemble...resemble what?

Migiwa: Then...I'll end this match without hurting you.

Syouko: Nah....!?

Syouko: This is bad, makiwaza!? (disarming an opponent by twisting your sword around their own)

At the same time that the bokutou left my hand and flew into the air...

Aoi: Kora.....!

Under the blue sky, Aoi-sensei's angry voice echoed.

Aoi: What are you two doing!

Syouko: Ah...Aoi-sensei...

Aoi: Osanai-san, you said you wouldn't do anything dangerous...

Though Aoi-sensei had immediately run up the stairs under the blazing sun, she wasn't the least out of breath and proceeded to give us a long scolding.