Episode 54: I Am the Successor of Satsuki-ryu!
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“So, do you have anything to say, Kaichou?”
“Ah… ah…”
Kazuma had his sword pointed at Hayato, who was on the ground with his hands planted. No matter how you looked at it, it was completely Hayato’s loss. It was such a thorough defeat that there was no room for excuses.
“Satsuki-kun… Just who in the world are you?”
“Well, let’s see~. Actually, would you be surprised if I told you I’m a Hero who returned from another world?”
“Are you perhaps crazy in the head?”
He had expected it, but as he thought, he was deemed a crazy person.
“(Well, that reaction is only natural.)”
If he showed them magic, they’d probably believe him, but unfortunately, magic couldn’t be used in the Virtual Space. So, what to do then? That was already decided.
“Well, that was a joke. To tell you the truth, I’m a practitioner of a secret assassination art passed down from master to a single disciple since the Asuka and Nara periods, you see.”
“I want to say you’re lying, but… from what I just saw, it doesn’t seem like a lie either. Which one is true?”
“Which do you think it is?”
Even if he said that, there was no way to judge. Kazuma’s movements were too different from an ordinary person’s. It was as if he were a veteran warrior who had truly been fighting continuously. The idea of a Hero from another world was, as expected, too absurd, but hearing about a secret assassination art passed down to a single disciple, there was something strangely fitting about it.
“I’ll believe you.”
“Oh? I thought you’d press me a bit more. That’s surprising.”
“Hahaha… Well, after boasting like that, and then this pathetic display, you know.”
“You went down three seconds after we started!”
“Don’t say it! I’m actually pretty seriously depressed about it! After saying all that, getting instantly killed like this… I feel like such a jobber, it’s unreal!”
“Ahahahaha! I don’t mind, so it’s fine!”
“Stop it! Because I mind!”
Hayato, who was quite seriously depressed, was feeling down after hearing Kazuma’s words. He might seem to be joking around, but the confidence from before had vanished from Hayato’s eyes. It seemed that being defeated by Kazuma from the Support Course without being able to do anything had really gotten to him.
“So, Kaichou. Do you understand my strength now?”
“More than enough. Frankly, I think you could even beat Souji.”
“Well, I probably can. Unless he has a Gift that stops time or something, I won’t lose.”
“If something like that existed, no one could win…”
Kazuma could pseudo-stop time. It wasn’t about stopping the world, but rather stopping the target’s perception of time. However, it was a magic close to invincibility, as those whose perception of time was stopped would fall into a state where they couldn’t understand what had happened. It didn’t work on the Demon Lord, but that was an exception among exceptions.
“Well then, now that you understand my strength… shall we get started?”
Kazuma, stretching his body with a groan, directed a refreshing smile at Hayato while emitting an unsettling aura.
“Um… what?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’? You already have a vague idea, don’t you, Kaichou? Isn’t it special training to face Souji-senpai~?”
Originally, it was supposed to be Kazuma’s special training. Hayato had planned to train Kazuma so he wouldn’t be immediately defeated in the Crown Battle.
However, upon learning Kazuma’s true strength, Hayato’s plans went completely awry. It changed from Kazuma surviving to training Hayato to a level where he could defeat Souji. From Hayato’s perspective, it was incomprehensible. Hayato couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way.
“Man~, Virtual Space is great, isn’t it! Unlike real time, you can train almost infinitely! And what’s more, you can die as many times as you want. Ah, how wonderful! But, not being able to experience real death isn’t good. If that’s the case, complacency will arise from thinking ‘I won’t die anyway.’ That’s no good. So, in the mornings, we’ll have actual combat with me in the Virtual Space. And in the afternoons, let’s have practice matches in reality!”
The eyes of Kazuma, who spoke so eloquently, were tinged with madness. He was not sane. Hayato understood instinctively. The one before him was undoubtedly a strong person, and a madman. Words would no longer get through to him. He had no choice but to give up and accept it. Because there was no other way for Hayato to be saved.
“Ah, ahahahaha~… Please go easy on me.”
“Don’t worry! I’m used to it!”
“(Used to what!? Could it be, has he killed someone before? If so, can he discern the very line between life and death? If that’s the case, I might have awakened someone truly terrifying…)”
Hayato lamented, wondering if he would even be alive by the time of the actual Academy Battle Tournament. It was still too early to lament. Because the hellish special training hadn’t even begun yet.
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From the next day, Kazuma and Hayato’s intense training began. After quickly finishing breakfast, Kazuma and Hayato would get into the VR machines and begin trying to kill each other in the Virtual Space.
Kazuma’s combat power was considerably reduced because he couldn’t use magic, but he could still use the martial arts he had cultivated in the other world. In addition to that, he could use weapons like swords and spears, so he wouldn’t lose.
Hayato’s Threads were powerful. However, they weren’t unbreakable. He could make them sturdy, but from Kazuma’s perspective, it was like child’s play. For Kazuma, who had fought thread-users in the other world, Hayato’s techniques were still immature and naive.
Sharper, more delicate. He needed Hayato to become skilled enough to be called an invisible assassin, or it would be problematic. Kazuma thoroughly pushed Hayato to his limits.
“Too soft! You think you can kill me with this level of skill?!”
“Guh!”
In the jungle area, Kazuma swung his sword, slashing through the Threads Hayato unleashed, and roared. Hayato’s Threads, which he had unleashed from all directions to try and restrain Kazuma, were easily cut, and he wore an expression of anguish.
“Thinner! Sharper! And more flexible! Threads that can be cut by a dull blade like this won’t work on Souji-senpai!”
Kazuma said that, but the sword he held was a masterpiece crafted by a modern swordsmith using Ibinom carapaces. It was an item capable of slicing through even iron as if it were butter. Only Kazuma would call such a thing a dull blade.
Having wielded Holy Swords and demon swords that were the stuff of legends in the other world, all swords in this world were nothing but dull blades to him.
“How about this!”
“Do you think you can defeat me just by creating distance?!”
Towards Hayato, who leaped backward and fired bullets of Thread, Kazuma took out shuriken from his breast pocket.
“Shi!!!”
Kazuma threw a shuriken to block the Thread bullets Hayato had fired, and at the same time, aimed another shuriken he had held ready at Hayato’s forehead.
“Uwah!?”
“Don’t look away! Your physical abilities are inferior to mine! That means I can easily get into your guard!”
“Iih!?”
Hayato ducked his head reflexively to avoid the shuriken, but before him, Kazuma was raising his sword. Evasion was impossible. Hayato unleashed his Threads, thinking he had no choice but to defend, but it was too late against Kazuma, who was already in an attack stance.
“Die!!!”
“Ah…”
Hayato, letting out a dazed death cry, was split open from the head by Kazuma and died. If this were a class, he would log out of the Virtual Space and that would be the end of it, but unfortunately, this was training.
Hayato, who had disappeared into particles of light, revived again. Before him stood Kazuma, his sword sheathed, arms crossed.
“Not good at all.”
“Isn’t your character too different!? You’re like a different person only when you’re fighting.”
“Both are me. It’s just that when I fight, a switch inevitably flips.”
“You’re the type who changes completely when they grab a steering wheel, aren’t you… Still, Kazuma-kun, you’re very versatile. To think you can master any kind of bladed weapon.”
Since starting the hellish training with Kazuma, Hayato had deepened their friendship, and now called him by his first name. He had called him “Master” once, but Kazuma had asked him to cut it out, so he was calling him by his name normally.
“Our school, the Satsuki-ryu, which has continued since the Asuka and Nara periods, is an assassination art, you see. If I can’t master anything other than firearms, my master will kill me.”
The school Kazuma mentioned was complete nonsense, but it wasn’t entirely a lie. In the other world, Kazuma had studied under a Sword Saint, a Martial King, and a Sage.
Their education was Spartan. It was fundamentally about learning through the body, so if he couldn’t use the techniques beaten into him, he really would have been killed. Of course, not by his masters, but by monsters.
“Just how insane is that school…”
“Kaichou. Humans can be killed easily, you know~?”
Yes, humans are fragile creatures. You can kill them just by stopping their breathing for three minutes, and you can kill them by twisting their neck. You can even kill them easily with a small stone found lying around.
“That may be true, but when you say it, Kazuma-kun, it’s very convincing.”
“Hahaha. You seem to have some leeway. Shall we start again right away?”
“I’m sorry! Just a little more break!”
Their positions had completely reversed. In terms of seniority by age, Hayato was two years older, but this world was based on meritocracy. The stronger one was justice. In that sense, Kazuma was superior to Hayato.
“Hey, Kazuma-kun.”
“What is it?”
“Aren’t you the Crimson Knight?”
“Unfortunately, no. I’m just a slightly strong ordinary person.”
“No, no, if you’re an ordinary person, then what on earth am I!? A water flea, perhaps!?”
“Besides, President, you saw my combat data and stuff, right? I think my only Gift was Transposition, wasn’t it?”
Magic cannot be used in VR machines. In the first place, it cannot be detected. If magic could have been detected from biometric data, Kazuma would probably be pursued by the government by now.
“Well, that’s true, but… When I’m shown that much skill, I can’t help but be suspicious, or rather…”
Hayato was a witness to the Crimson Knight who fought the Humanoid Ibinom. Therefore, when he saw Kazuma’s abilities, the shadow of the Crimson Knight inevitably flickered in his mind. Recalling that overwhelming power, Hayato couldn’t help but suspect Kazuma.
“I kind of get what you’re trying to say. But that doesn’t matter right now, does it? More importantly, please focus on training. If you don’t become strong enough to beat Souji-senpai, winning will be nothing more than a pipe dream!”
There’s one thing Kazuma wanted to correct: Souji was not an enemy. To be precise, he was a worthy rival, and in the future, they would be comrades fighting together for Japan. In other words, the premise was wrong. The Academy Battle Tournament was ultimately for competing, not for defeating others.
However, in order to win, Souji was an opponent he absolutely had to defeat. Of course, it wasn’t an absolute necessity. In a Crown Battle, you just needed to defeat the player holding the Crown. That meant he didn’t necessarily have to defeat Souji.
If that were the case, it would be simple, but this was a matter of a man’s pride. He wanted to win against that man, to win against that rival; it was simply a matter of that.
“That’s… right! Yeah! For now, I’ll focus only on defeating Souji rather than worrying about you, Kazuma-kun!”
“That’s right! That’s the spirit! Alright then, here I come!”
In the perfect environment of the Virtual Space, Hayato spent an enormous amount of time with Kazuma. Though it was mostly just him getting killed.
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“Hayato, are you okay? You seem kind of down…”
During lunchtime, Shiori, looking worriedly at the listless Hayato, called out to him.
“Ah, Shiori. I’m fine. More importantly, how are things on your end?”
“No problems here, but… Could it be that Satsuki-kun’s special training isn’t going well?”
“No, if anything, it’s going too well. Hahaha…”
“Then why are you so listless?”
“Huh? You think so? I’m energetic, though.”
He clearly wasn’t energetic. In fact, he looked as haggard as a sick person. Hayato, who also looked like a withered old man, slowly ate his lunch.
Meanwhile, Kazuma was wolfing down a mountain of lunch. The other students were surprised by his competitive-eater-level food intake, but Kazuma paid them no mind and continued to eat the side dishes on his plate.
“Satsuki-kun looks energetic, though… Hey, Hayato. Are you really okay?”
“Yeah. There’s no problem at all, so don’t worry.”
Hayato smiled brightly, but to Shiori, it looked like the fleeting smile of someone who had accepted their impending death.
“Thanks for the meal! President! When lunch break is over, please come to the training room!”
While clearing his dishes, Kazuma called out to Hayato in a loud voice. Hayato, whose shoulders twitched with a start, answered with a pale face.
“O-Okay.”
“Well then, I’m heading off!”
Waving one hand, Kazuma left the cafeteria. The remaining members turned their gazes towards Hayato, but he finished his lunch, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
Shiori, after seeing Hayato hastily clear his dishes and leave, made a decision. There was no doubt that Kazuma was the reason Hayato had become strange. Therefore, she would head to the training room where the two of them were, and if worst came to worst, she firmly clenched her fists, resolving to beat Kazuma up.