Hundred - Volume 7 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Touka and Gert / Variant / Breaking in 

Early afternoon of the next day. 

Around fifteen minutes before the match of Kenzaki Touka and Gert Abramovic begins. 

Hayato, Emilia, Karen and Sakura were arriving in front of the room where Touka is waiting, just like yesterday. 

*TON* *TON*, knocking the door in front of him, Hayato asks. 

– Can we come in? 

– Yeah, come in. 

What came back was not Touka, but Charlotte’s voice. Maybe she has been doing maintenance to Touka’s weapon, the sword. Hayato opened the door and steps into the room together with three people. 

– Hey, Kirigakure-san broke through the second round. 

– Oh! Is that true!? As expected from Yumina-san! 

When Hayato calls her out to motivate her with rough words, Touka got up from the chair she was sitting, and raised a delightful voice. She has already changed clothes to the custom-made kendo uniform. 

As far as they can see, preparations seem to be in place already. 

– I must do my best in order to advance to the third round too. 

Saying that, Touka suddenly clenched her fists. 

– …what is it? Are you feeling nervous? 

Hayato asked because Touka’s body was constantly shaking. 

– Yeah, a bit… 

Touka answers frankly. 

– Is that so? 

Hayato gently smiled. 

Unlike the preliminaries and the first round, it was a common thing that the opponent is known to be a formidable enemy. However, there’s no way she will fight properly in such a state. 

– For the time being, sit down in the chair one more time. 

– Um, I understand. 

Hayato told Touka to sit once again in the chair. Then, Hayato went around behind Touka and reached out her shoulders. 

– Look, this will calm you down. 

– Hyan! 

At the same time that he starts to rub her shoulders. Touka’s body trembled with a flutter and expressed a seductive voice. 

– He, hey… don’t make a strange voice so suddenly! 

– That’s because Shinshish? is the one to blame. Suddenly touching my body to do weird things?? 

– To do weird things you say…Ha, Hayato’s an ecchi! What kind of things did you do!? 

– No, I thought about calming down her anxiety, so I just massaged her shoulders as everyone does. After all you saw it, right? 

– Fuun… but didn’t seem that the massage was kind of lewd? 

– No, nothing like that! Look, look! 

Trying to convince Emilia who turns her eyes of skepticism, Hayato starts to massage Touka’s shoulders again. 

– …look, what do you think? In this way your body that became stiff will relax a lot and you will calm down. 

– Ye, yeah…. Certainly, I can sense that kind of thing… 

– If so, I’m glad. 

Answering, Hayato looked at the direction of Emilia. 

– Look, you just went were seething with anger because of a massage done like this. But it’s a normal one, right? The problem was because I suddenly massaged her. 

– …but… nuu… nonetheless, this is a little embarrassing… 

– Hey! The hands of Hayato are ecchi after all! Massage my shoulders afterwards. To confirm it! 

– What in the world are you saying… 

Charlotte laughed loudly, looking at the interaction of Emilia and Hayato. 

– Hahaha, Touka-kun seems to be quite sensitive, huh? 

– Muu… is that so? 

Probably she wasn’t aware of that about herself. Touka tilts her head wondering about that. 

– Yeah, very much. But, it was good since it looks like her anxiety has come apart, isn’t it? 

– Yeah, now that you mention it, it’s true. 

Being told that by Charlotte, it was there that she noticed it. 

Touka got up from the chair and bowed her head towards Hayato. 

– Thank you very much, Shinshish?! 

Then, the time for preparation for the entrance has just arrived. An official came to guide her until the end of the field. 

– Okay then, we are going back. 

– We’ll be rooting for you on the top. 

– Yes, I’ll fight to not disgrace Shinshish?’s?? nor Kenzaki Style’s nor Little Gardens’ name, and I’ll seize the victory with these hands! 

Touka declared that to Hayato and the others who are leaving the room. 

When Touka showed up in the Coliseum, her opponent Gert Abramovic was already waiting in the center. 

Gert, dressed in his Variable Suit, glance at Touka while raising his lips to shoot words to provoke her. 

– Coming late, huh, I thought that you ran away. 

– Is there a reason for me to run away? I’m going to win! No matter?? 

Well then, please deploy your respective armaments? 

Obeying the transmitted announcement, Touka grasps tightly her black Hundred and shouts. 

– HUNDRED ON! 

The Hundred grasped tightly in her right hand changes and ends transforming into a black sword. 

Subsequently, Gert who grasped tightly the Hundred in his right hand, flipped it with his fingers towards the air. 

– Hundred On 

Armor appears on his arms and legs. It’s a Hundred of the Martial Arts type, Val Beck. 

– A small fry from Little Garden said that it’s going to defeat me. That makes me laugh. I’ll make you realize the difference in strength…! 

Gert takes a stance to attack Touka from the distance. 

– You wished for it! 

Touka also moved her feet forwards and readied her sword. 

The countdown starts. 

– Touka-san is going to win, right? 

Karen muttered next to Hayato. 

Next to her, it’s Sakura who answered. 

– Yeah, she will absolutely win. She can’t lose to such a guy. 

But that voice, was trembling with nervousness. 

Hayato and the others, as well as every one of the Slayers of Little Garden that are present in the special watching space are equally nervous. 

Hayato gulped his saliva when the countdown was on 3. 

Well then, let the match begin? 

At the same time as the count becomes zero. The announcement echoes with a buzzer. It was Gert who moved first. 

Kicking the field, spreads his arms like a bear and attacks Touka. 

– Your body, I’ll twist it and crush it! 

In order to capture Touka, Gert swung down his arms, crossing them. 

Touka evaded it with a back step, and pulled the arm that was holding her sword, launching a thrust. 

– That’s… 

Looking at Touka’s thrust, Hayato screams instinctively. 

– That was Zaneizan, isn’t it? 

The one who said it. Was Emilia. 

If ordinary people see that, it would have looked like a single thrust. 

But, Touka released two thrusts in an instant. 

– With that skill, the impact received is twice the normal thrust??no, it must be more than that. 

Continuing, Charlotte said that. 

If the individual receiving a direct hit is an ordinary human, it may end up down on the spot. There’s the possibility of penetrating even an E barrier. 

But?? 

Even though he was sent flying to the back, Gert never fell. 

He used both arms on the verge of receiving the thrust, and took a defensive posture. Of course, he also deployed a shield, an E barrier. 

– I thought that you were just a simple stupid brat, but that was splendid. 

Loosening his lips and smiling, Gert said. 

– The pain of now wasn’t so bad! 

– …! 

Gert kicked the ground, screaming and approaching Touka while soaring up a cloud of dust. 

– Uooooooooooooooh! 

The rock-like fist of Gert is going to hit Touka. The attack is somewhat large, but that attack is full of gaps. 

Touka made a jump and dodge it, and turned around behind Gert. To that back full of gaps, Touka begins to attack. 

However, Gert suddenly opened his fists and placed both hands on the ground. 

Rotating his body around them as a fulcrum, he kicked the body of Touka who was trying to launch an attack from the side. 

– Guah! 

Kicking her side, Touka’s body flies backwards. 

After floating around the air for about a second, Touka’s body hit on the battlefield, rolling almost at the very limits of being out of the ring. 

However, it hasn’t become a fatal wound. While rolling over the pursuit of Gert’s knee, Touka stands up. 

Even there, Gert continues attacking, but Touka continued to dodge, watching for an unguarded moment. But, it was hard to make a gap. 

She couldn’t find the timing to attack. 

(Oh right, I’ll do that!) 

The moment she was doing kumite* for the purpose of <<World Martial Arts Tournament>>. 

*TN: ???, paired karate kata. 

She received a technique from Latia, her opponent. She thought that it might be usable for some reason, so she practiced and mastered it. 

– Here I go! 

Touka points the tip of the sword to the ground. 

– What on earth is she…? 

Hayato at the audience seats seems to be perplexed seeing for first time the action of Touka. At his side, Latia shouts. 

– That’s the skill that we worked out together! 

Touka shouts while pushing the sword to the ground. 

– Kenzaki Style New Technique <<Mole Flash>>Doryuusen! 

What she did was the same as Zaneizan. 

Twice in an instant. 

Touka stroke the ground with the tip of the sword. Then, going like a mole, swelled the ground while rolling up a cloud of dust. 

– Tsk! 

Gert dodged that by jumping sideways. 

Of course, that’s how it’s supposed to go. 

Touka has already kicked the ground. A great advantage of this technique is that an intense cloud of dust rolls up and takes away the field of vision of the opponent. 

Understanding that, she can go ahead. Touka jumped after kicking the ground with a *TON*, inside the cloud of dust she somersaults, and while spinning like a tire, she plunges towards Gert. 

– Kenzaki Style New Technique <<Beheading Whirlwind>>! 

– Guah! 

Her sword sent flying the body of Gert. 

– She did it! 

It was Karen that shouted. 

– Nii-san, Touka-san did it! 

Gert’s body, which received Touka’s sword in the nape of his neck, was made to slide on the ground, sending it flying to the corner of the arena. 

– What’s wrong, Hayato? Touka-chan did it, right? 

Sakura asked because, unlike Karen, Hayato froze, he was dumbfounded. 

– Well, it’s like that but still… 

Hayato was on the evasive. 

Looking at that figure, she said. 

– If Hayato-kun doesn’t do it, then I’ll explain it to you. 

– …Charlotte-san? 

– The neck of a human isn’t strong. If you receive such an attack, it wouldn’t be strange for the cervical spine to break and thus, to die. 

– Eh? That’s… 

The color of bewilderment spreads on the expression of Sakura who heard the explanation of Charlotte. 

Karen’s the same. Noticing it, the facial expressions of most the spectators were similar. 

All the spectators are noising from the commotion. 

The conclusion came in the worst form. 

Everyone had thought of that possibility. 

However?? 

– It appears that the match hasn’t ended yet. 

– Huh? 

Hayato, looking to the battle space with the words of Krovahn, noticed that Gert gets out from the soaring cloud of dust. 

Heading to the other side, Touka breaths heavily as her shoulders go up and down. 

– Run, Touka! 

Hayato screams spontaneously. However, his voice doesn’t reach Touka. 

Touka noticed Gert approaching, and that his right hand was drawing near the base of her neck. The big hand of Gert catches the neck of Touka, and lifts her body. 

– Guh, guguah… 

The breathing is being obstructed. The sword slips off from the hand of Touka and made a clattering sound, as she raises an anguished voice. 

– And? Are ya going to give up? 

Gert interrogates Touka while looking at her, lifted high. It was a matter of course to do so. 

However, Touka didn’t seem to do it. 

The flame of her purpose hasn’t disappeared from her eyes. 

– Not yet…! 

Touka kicked Gert’s head. Her foot hits his chin. Gert’s neck bounces backwards, but she couldn’t give any damage. Gert returned his neck to its natural position, and said while smiling with a grin 

– If that’s the case, I’ll make it easy. 

Immediately after Gert started to move his arm, Touka’s body is thrown to the ground vigorously. A crater was made, with her body as the center. 

Touka who’s worn out at the center of that, fell trying to curl up her body. 

1, 2, 3?? 

The count starts. 

If she can’t get up within ten seconds, Touka’s defeat will be decided. 

– What is the current status of Kenzaki Touka? 

It was Claire who raised her voice at the audience seats. She was feeling fear of Touka’s physical safety. Erika answered the question. 

– The Vital does not reach the critical section yet, just barely at the very limit. There seems to be a slight sense of consciousness. 

– Rather, it may be better to lose this way… 

It’s Krovahn that muttered. 

– You, what the hell are you saying. Do you want your comrades to lose? 

Latia glared at Krovahn, criticizing him. Looking at that figure, Krovahn closed partly his eyes as though he was exasperated. 

– What! Didn’t you feel it? Nee-chan, you felt it right? 

– …felt it, what? 

What on earth is he saying, Latia doesn’t know. However, Nesat nodded and continued. 

– I felt it. I feel the same as that time, a bad feeling…. That man, I think he is probably the same as us. 

– ‘The same’, don’t tell me… 

Emilia was taken aback and had her breath taken away. 

– Yeah. 

Hayato nodded to Emilia who turned her face. 

It’s because Hayato understood what Nesat wanted to say. 

She is sure about what she is saying. 

That he is a Variant. 

In addition to that, an artificial Variant?? 

– Nii-san, Touka san is getting up. 

Hayato became surprised with Karen’s shout, and turned his eyes once again to the battlefield. 

Touka got up when the count reached 7, and readied the sword she picked up. Her kendo uniform is tattered. Her body is staggering. But Touka doesn’t seem to give up on the match. 

And then, she kicked the ground together with the announcement informing the resumption and charged to Gert. 

– Haaaaaaa???! 

Touka, who approached Gert, swung the sword down. 

However, Gert never took a defensive posture. 

– Eh…? 

– Are you kidding me? 

Karen and Sakura in the audience seats doubted their eyes. 

That’s because Gert smiled broadly, and took Touka’s sword with just one hand. 

– After all, he was one of those, huh… 

Hayato muttered with a small voice. 

– Hum, in the end that’s what it looks like. 

Emilia also mutters in a small voice. 

Their gazes were aimed at Gert’s eyes. 

Golden shining eyes??. 

That means, a proof that he is a Variant. 

Towards the body of Touka whose body has collapsed, Gert released a roundhouse kick. 

– Guah! 

Touka bounces and falls. Nevertheless, she won’t give up. Standing up for the sake to obtain the victory, she set an attack on Gert once again. 

– Haaaaaa???! 

However, the sword doesn’t have a decent power. Touka’s sword is stopped with one finger. 

Even so Touka didn’t abandon hope, she assaulted with her sword a lot of times, but the situation never changed. 

No matter how many times she swings her sword, all of them are stopped with a single finger. Eventually Gert pulled his arm and shook off the body of Touka, 

– Touka! 

Looking at Touka who was blown off around 5 meters, Hayato thought that it might have been better to fall outside the battlefield. 

She doesn’t need to stand up any longer. 

He wants the match to finish before she gets severe injuries. Not only Hayato, but Sakura and Karen also thought so. And yet, Touka hasn’t given up. 

Standing up without giving up, she murmurs to persuade herself, and slashes at Gert. 

– I won’t lose… If I lose in this way, I’ll be a disgrace to Kenzaki Style?? and to Little Garden…. Besides, I promised to Shinshish? and the others that I’ll absolutely win. That’s why, I?? 

But she couldn’t cause damage to Gert. He grabbed and grasped tightly with his hand the sword that was swung down, and kicked off Touka’s that has lost her balance mercilessly. 

After a few seconds, the body of Touka that floated in the air, hits the ground. He doesn’t want to see such a match anymore. 

That’s why?? 

– It’s enough already, end the match! Stop it! 

Instinctively, Hayato shouted. 

At the same time, the buzzer stopping the match reverberates in the stadium. 

It doesn’t mean that Hayato’s cry went through. 

Touka’s Vital value was below the critical range. 

– Erika, prepare medical staff at once?? 

– Understood. 

Erika tried to rush out of the watching space after receiving Claire’s command. 

– What the hell, that guy! 

Latia’s cry stops Erika’s feet. 

– Huh…? 

Looking back, what was visible to Erika is Gert’s appearance which threw the sword he had in his hand and headed to the location of the collapsed Touka. Gert grasped the hair of Touka and lifted her body, and swung his fist in her abdomen. 

– Wha…!! 

With that action, Hayato’s become speechless. 

The spectators, as well as the staff, were taken aback. 

– Nii-san…!! 

Karen who holds Hayato’s sleeve had tears in her eyes. Sakura next to her is the same. 

She covered her mouth with both hands, and her expression looked like she could cry at any time. 

– What the hell that guy, the match is over, you know! 

Latia got up with a voice of protest. 

– He may not hear you. 

Emilia mutters with a trembling voice. 

– Why, is that? 

Latia stared in wonder. 

– Touka-chan’s attack of a while ago??<<Beheading Whirlwind>>, it’s possible that his eardrums are perforated. Or?? 

– Or, what? 

– That’s… 

Emilia turns her eyes down. 

By looking at that figure, Hayato could see what she was going to say. It means that the power of the Variant has gone wild. Because of that, Gert can’t do simple judgment. And so, Gert hits hard Touka again. 

– Damn, at this rate Touka will! 

Hayato unintentionally put a hand on the Hundred of his chest. 

– Yeah, we can’t leave things like this, because we don’t know what will happen, right!? 

Emilia also lay her hands on the Hundred. 

– Don’t tell me, are you planning to break in? 

Emilia answers Charlotte who asked. 

– It has ended, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Besides, if we don’t break in, Touka-chan’s life will be in danger. Prez, and the others know that as well, don’t you agree? 

– …certainly, I understand it… but breaking in… 

In front of their eyes, there’s a thick tempered glass. It won’t be easy to destroy it. There, a voice echoed. 

– You have my approval. 

– Eh…? 

No way, Hayato thinks. 

A cleared voice with a feeling of transparency, and that it’s familiar. It’s the first time he hears it in a few months, but there’s no doubt. 

Emilia also seems to have recognized who’s the owner of that voice. 

They find her appearance in front of the door nearby. 

— Pope-sama! 

Hayato and Emilia raised their voices at the same time. 

– It’s been a long time, Hayato-san, Emilia-san. 

Maruko and Luka?? 

At the center of the two followers she is hiding her face with a clothing that hangs from her high hat as usual. Nevertheless, Hayato understood that her lips were lightly loosen and that she’s smiling. 

– Is she a person from <<Holy Church>> Puritaria? 

– Yes, she’s Pope-sama. 

Murmuring close to Claire’s ear, Hayato replied. 

A voice resounded there. 

– Hey there, Pope-sama. You came here already. 

– Onii-sama! 

Following the shout of Claire, that voice was from Judal Harvey, the organizer of the tournament. He’s accompanied by his bodyguard Neveah, and gets closer to the side of Hayato and the rest. 

– Thanks for this, Judal-san. I arrived on this island not long ago. Apart from that, there is something that I want to request to Judal-san from this me. 

– Hou, what is it? 

– Please allow Hayato-san and Emilia-san to break in. 

– Haha, I can’t allow that. It’s not necessary. 

– Wha… Onii-sama, what do you… 

– Although one might say that I’m useless, you’ll be end up breaking in no matter what. And since Pope-sama has given her authorization, my approval is unnecessary. 

Then that means that there’s no problem if they break in. 

– Since that’s the case, please leave all the later processing to us. 

The Pope loosens her lips and smiles sweetly. 

– Thank you very much. 

It was Hayato who spoke with words of gratitude. Liddy shouted at the same time. 

– Kisaragi Hayato. Leave it to me. 

Liddy was already holding the Hundred in her hand. 

– HUNDRED ON! 

Shouting, <<Jet Black Heavenly Spear>> Midgard Schrange appears on her right hand. 

– Uoooooo??!! 

Pulling her arm, the point of the spear began to rotate furiously like a drill and touched the glass that connects with the stadium. Although a barrier for protection is deployed in the glass, the Midgard Schrange of Liddy was loaded with energy and break through even that. 

– As expected of the Vice-President. It’s truly a destructive power. 

Fritz whistled with a *Hyuu* looking at the three people that were permitted to jump down through the big hole. 

– We are leaving this to you. Go rescue Kenzaki Touka?? our comrade of Little Garden. 

— Understood. 

Hayato and Emilia answer all together, with their eyes towards the Vice-President. 

– Let’s go, Hayato. 

– Yes. 

They shouted together while jumping down through the hole made by Liddy. 

— HUNDRED ON! 

– I will also go masuwa. 

Following, Claire screams while jumping down through the hole. 

– HUNDRED ON! 

Hayato has Hien. 

Emilia has Arms Shroud. 

Claire has Alisterion. 

The three of them deployed their armaments and got down to the battlefield one after another. 

– ……? 

Gert’s line of sight is directed to each of the three Slayers in the battle space. 

– The match has already ended! Release Touka! 

Immediately after Hayato shouted, he directed the tip of Hien to Gert, and another glass was destroyed from the place where Hayato and the other two jumped down. 

The Slayers of Rasiya were the ones that jumped from there. 

Cezary Gravin and Elena Skalnikore. They haven’t deployed their armaments yet. Still, they landed firmly on the ground. That express that they are good at handling energy. 

– Stop it already, Gert. If you keep doing it, you will be disqualified. 

It was Cezary, the representative of Rasiya’s Slayer unit who told Gert that. Gert’s eyes who received those words returned from the golden color to the original blue. 

– …okay. 

Gert released his hand from Touka’s hair. 

Touka’s body falls to the ground. Hayato cancelled his armament and rushed to Touka. 

– Hey, are you okay? 

– N, nn… 

Holding up the body full of wounds in his arms, Hayato calls her out. However, there’s no reply from Touka. She only moans with pain. 

– A rescue team, fast! 

When Claire shouted to the tournament officials who appeared at the entrance of the battle space, a rescue team who had a stretcher immediately came. 

Charlotte also comes along. 

– There’is a relief room assigned to Little Garden in the basement of this stadium. For now, I will carry Touka-kun there, will you also come with us? 

– Of course. 

Hayato gave an immediate reply. 

– I’ll also go. 

Following, Emilia also answers. She already released her armament. 

– I will also go masuwayo. 

Claire also released her armament and said so. Placing Touka on the stretcher, she is carried to the relief room. Hayato and the others start to walk making sure to follow them. 

And in the middle of that. 

Hayato looked back and stared at Gert. He noticed that. And Gert said. 

– What is it, are you fired up? Fine by me. I still have a lot of power. 

– Kisaragi Hayato, it won’t do any good to fall in his provocation. 

– I know that. 

Calmly answering to Claire, Hayato continues. 

– Gert??you, you are appearing in team battles, right? 

– That’s right. 

– If so, it’s a match. I won’t forgive you. The foes of Touka, I will absolutely destroy them. 

Gert received Hayato’s words, he smiled with a grin and answered. 

– I’m looking forward to it.