Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 5 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4 – Third Day of Training Camp

On the morning of the 19th, the third day of the training camp, just like in the first day, the Mountaineering Club and the Magic Arts Club went trail running together. Apparently, First High’s Mountaineering Club’s training is a cycle of running, climbing, running.

But neither Alisa nor Mei participated in today’s trail running. The four of them went for a short hike on a course less difficult compared to the Mountaineering Club.

Once it became noon, the Mountaineering Club + Magic Arts Club returned from trail running. For some reason, the number of people had increased since they left.

Five women they had no recollection of. They wore training clothes with mismatched designs and small rucksacks. Their shoes were for running, not climbing. With the exception of the design of their clothes, they looked similar to the female club members of the Mountaineering Club.

They were a little older. In the range of 20 to 25 years old, perhaps. Among them, a beautiful and slim woman, strikingly eye-catching in both atmosphere and figure, was talking familiarly with the Mountaineer Club’s alumna. Probably another graduate from First High? Alisa, who had returned to the training institute ahead of the others, thought so.

That beautiful woman waved to the alumna — Alisa couldn’t hear her voice, but she was likely saying goodbye — and walked by in front of the training institute with light steps. The other four followed after her. However, their steps were heavy. They also had well-trained bodies. They weren’t lacking exercise. Had they run that hard? If that’s the case, the slender body figure of the woman in front is hiding physical abilities that are at odds with her looks.

Ahead of that path is a rental lodge for families. The five of them are probably staying there. Likely not for leisure, but for a training camp with few members.

Alisa stopped speculating about the five strangers right there.

“Mina, good work.”

While saying that, she held out a chilled towel to Marika, who stopped in front of her.

“Thank you.”

Marika sincerely thanked her and took the towel. She was smiling, but she was out of breath.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so well...”

“It’s rough, but I’m fine. If I overdo it and get hurt at this point, I will lose everything, right?”

The regional qualifiers for the Martial Magic Arts National Tournament are right after this training camp. Specifically, in four days from now.

“If you know then it’s fine.”

Alisa’s expression slackened after hearing Marika’s response.

“By the way, who were the people that were with you guys?”

Alisa’s curiosity shifted to the five people from earlier whose identity she doesn’t know.

“With us? Aah, They’re from the Chiba Dojo.”

“From the Chiba Dojo?”

Alisa also knew of the renowned ‘Chiba Dojo’ and ‘Chiba Family’.

Chiba Family, the ‘Magic Swordsmen’.

Known for their expertise in close quarters combat magic using swords, many of their disciples are in the police and the national defense forces. In particular, it is said that the Chiba Family’s swordsmanship is an essential skill for magician police officers, just like judo is for non-magician police officers, and it is rumored that the Chiba Family’s influence within the police surpasses that of the Ten Master Clans.

It would have been weirder if Alisa didn’t know about them, considering she lives with the Head of the Juumonji Family as his sister.

“Looks like the daughter of the Head of the Chiba Family is coming to hold a training camp with a small number of people.”

“I see.”

“I heard that she used to be in the same class as Saijou-senpai for three years back when they were in First High. Seems they got along well.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Alisa’s first ‘I see’ and the second ‘I see’ had different tones.

Marika also had a smile that appeared to be enjoying this.

In the end, these two were also high school girls who like that kind of topic.

◇ ◇ ◇

Continuing from the previous night, everyone had lunch at the Touhou Tech training institute together. At the table, they heard from the Mountaineering Club that they’re planning to have a barbecue tonight. Chika and Chigusa, when invited by Mountaineering Club President Tamori, immediately replied “We’ll be there”.

In the afternoon, the Magic Arts Club is scheduled to do practice spars in the training institute’s gymnasium, while the Mountaineering Club is heading out without a vehicle to buy foodstuffs and charcoal for the barbecue.

Though, for some reason, Leo was present in the gymnasium after lunch.

In the gymnasium, Leo observed the Magic Arts Club’s spars from the wall opposite where Alisa’s group was. He had a serious expression, but he didn’t look that enthusiastic to Alisa.

It was about five minutes after the spars began.

A single woman wearing training clothes entered the gymnasium. At first, Alisa thought it was a club member who had been out, but she realized when she stood next to Leo.

(That woman is the one she said was from the Chiba Family...)

A beautiful and slim woman, both in figure and atmosphere.

She was still far, but seeing her from a distance closer than before, she has a strong-willed face with clear facial features. Her bangs are divided to the left and right without hiding her face and her semi-short hair style that only goes slightly past the nape of her neck also gives a sense of her frank personality.

She stood without relaxing. While she had a straight posture, she didn’t seem to be putting any extra strength anywhere. That must be what’s called her ‘natural stance’.

Simply put, she was an attractive woman.

That woman spoke to Leo, who grimaced. He briefly retorted and she immediately talked back. Alisa couldn’t hear what they were fighting about from the wall on the other side. But, from the movement of Leo’s lips, she saw what appeared to be “Stop messing around.” and “Selfish woman, just like always, huh?”.

Before long, Leo, fully resigned, shook his head and walked towards Club President Chigusa. The woman followed after him.

Leo talked to Chigusa who opened his eyes a little and made an expression of surprise.

Chigusa called Chika over and they had a conversation.

Because of the orientation of Chika’s body, Alisa couldn’t see her expression, but, somehow, Alisa had a feeling she was smiling. Not an insincere smile or a bitter smile, a smile that looked like she was having fun.

“Everyone, attention!”

Chika shouted out while clapping her hands together.

The club members all simultaneously stopped their spars and turned towards Chika.

“I believe the third-years know, but this is Chiba Erika-senpai. She graduated from our school the year before last and is attending Magic University.”

As Chika had said, no reaction in particular could be seen among the third-year students. In contrast, a stir was brought up among the second-years.

“For today only, Chiba-senpai will be instructing you.”

The commotion completely quieted down.

After a short period of silence, a male second-year student timidly rose his hand and said “Kitahata-senpai”.

“...Do you mean that Chiba-senpai will be instructing us in swordsmanship?”

“Sword or not, either is fine.”

It was Erika who replied in a friendly tone.

A silent commotion spread among the club members. There were also those who showed they were opposed to it, though they didn’t say it out loud.

“Now, my juniors, let’s get started right away. Come at me one at a time.”

While saying that, Erika stepped forward to the center of the gymnasium.

Both male and female club members stepped back towards the wall as if she was pushing them, but at the same time she stopped, a single male student stepped forward.

It was the second-yard student who asked a question not long ago. At that time he had been calm, but from his face that is filled with fighting spirit, it seems that he holds a strong animosity. Directed at Erika of the Swordsmen Family, for boasting that it didn’t matter if she was unarmed.

“Chiba-senpai, one round with me, please!”

“How will it be?”

Erika asked with an expression that showed she felt nothing but a gentle breeze from that violent hostility.

“Unarmed, of course!”

“Okay, come at me.”

With a light tone to the end, she urged him— the boy interpreted it as a provocation — and the male club member threw a punch at Erika. He didn’t carelessly rush straight ahead, he swung his body left and right and adjusted his pacing.

The boy feigned a jab with his left fist and unleased a front kick with his right foot. There were no unnatural points in the form of his jab, there was nothing wrong with it as a feint.

However, as if she had understood everything from the start, Erika stepped forward at the same time as the motion of the front kick.

With her arms still naturally down.

If the jab had carried on as it was, it would have been in direct course to her face. The right front kick being as it is — from the boy’s perspective, she cut across the left side.

Erika pushed her upper body forward[4] and hit the boy on the forehead with a knife-hand strike. It looked like she only hit him lightly and, from his expression, he didn’t seem to be in any actual pain from the strike either.

But with that, the male club member, who was raising one leg, lost his balance and fell backwards.

“Oh, pretty good. You have the art of falling down pat.”

Erika didn’t have a teasing tone, she was seriously praising him. Though it was the tone of an adult praising a child.

“It’s my loss.”

But the boy straight-forwardly admitted defeat. There was a difference in ability and position that made him unable to do otherwise.

“Me next, please!”

The next challenger stood in front of Erika. At the same time as she nodded, that club member kicked the floor.

When all male club members, with the exception of Club President Chigusa, fell in battle, challengers stopped coming forward. Erika took on nine people in a row and her breath wasn’t even disturbed. Well, they all admitted defeated after one clean blow, so it took less than a minute per person.

“Aren’t any of the girls going to try me?”

All the female club members who had been encouraging and cheering with shrill voices until then sunk into silence. But that doesn’t mean all of them were hesitating, there were also some who couldn’t bring themselves to say anything due to other girls’ complexion.

Marika was among those.

“Hmm, then, you there. The one with the bob cut.”

“You mean me!?”

Erika wasn’t making a face that was easy to read, but she was pointing at Marika.

Marika and Erika faced each other with a 60-centimeter weapon in hand. It was a short bamboo sword.

That they faced each other with swords was Marika’s wish.

She had no thoughts that Erika wouldn’t be a worthy opponent if she was unarmed. After seeing Erika handle the boys, Marika understood she was a first-class practitioner of martial arts, even unarmed.

But Erika is the eldest descendent of the Chiba Family. Her real strength lies not in unarmed hand-to-hand combat, but in swordsmanship. Marika thought that it would be too much of a waste if she were to miss this opportunity to experience the true skills of the ‘Magic Swordsmen’.

Even if it’s a bamboo sword, if you are hit hard enough without protection, you will be injured. Not just internal bleeding, the skin can also tear. Marika is wearing not only protectors to protect her forearms, but also long clothes and knee-length spats.

On the other hand, when it comes to Erika... Putting aside that she is not wearing any protectors, she was lightly dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. She hadn’t changed since she faced the male club members bare-handed.

This appearance could be taken as looking down on her opponent, but Marika didn’t feel offended. She just concentrated on the fight ahead of her.

“You can start any time.”

Erika urged Marika to begin.

“— I’m going!”

Marika answered straight-forwardly, not making use of any ploys.

Marika has no knowledge of swordsmanship nor experience in kendo. She knew that it would only be awkward for her to wield a sword. So, not caring about her form, she swung the bamboo sword. She used the bamboo sword not as a ‘sword’, but as a ‘club’.

Naturally, it didn’t hit Erika. It looked like she just slightly hit the side of Marika’s bamboo sword with hers, but that alone made Marika’s body fall forward.

Marika planted her feet on the ground to stop her fall and from that position launched a turning back kick[5].

There was no resistance from the kick launched by intuition, without looking at the opponent. She understood it had been dodged.

In the next moment, Marika’s body lost its support.

She felt like she was floating. Instinctively she went for a safe fall.

The impact on the floor was softer than she expected.

“You shouldn’t move based on assumptions.”

With the tone of a coach, Erika said that to Marika, who didn’t understand what had been done to her.

“When you’re moving by intuition, you have to properly read the movements of your opponent.”

“Yes!”

Marika quickly stood up and replied. Many female club members would have answered ‘Yes, ma’am!’ in this kind of situation, but Marika hadn’t been corrupted that much yet.

“Also, it’s not wise to kick someone with a blade carelessly. You could get your leg cut off.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind!”

While replying so, Marika realized how she was brought down.

Her leg had been swiped with the bamboo sword. If that was a real sword — thinking about it that way, she naturally tensed up.

“Please, one more time!”

Marika, once again, enthusiastically but carefully challenged Erika.

“Your feint is too obvious. You relaxed your muscles too early.”

“Don’t retreat in a straight line against someone faster than you.”

“Don’t turn in the same direction. Make your dodging more irregular.”

“You’re moving too much with your preliminary motions. It’s exactly when you get tired that you need to be more careful.”

“It’s important to not let your opponent read your rhythm, but you have to follow your own rhythm.”

Erika coached Marika every time the bamboo sword struck her.

Each time Marika had replied with “Yes!”, and even her voice couldn’t hide she was tired anymore.

“Marika, it’s about time you show me your real fighting style.”

It was almost five minutes since the personal coaching session began. At first, Erika called Marika ‘Tookami-san’, but at this point she was addressing her familiarly without honorifics.

“Throw away the bamboo sword, is that what you mean?”

“I’m telling you to use your shield magic.”

”You could tell...?”

The surprise in Marika’s face was not small. Marika had still not used ‘Reactive Armor’ during the training with Erika.

“Of course I could tell. Your way of fighting has the tendency of assuming that you’re completely covered in strong armor, you know?”

A commotion occurred among the spectating club members. Even Chika, who got along with Erika back when she was attending First High, couldn’t hide her surprise.

“—Then, I’m going all out.”

Along with that shout, Marika put the bamboo sword down and put on ‘Reactive Armor’.

“Heeh... a ‘hybrid’.”

Surprise was mixed in Erika’s voice for the first time. A ‘hybrid’ is a magician who also possesses the abilities of a psychic, a new concept that spread gradually recently, specifically in the last one to two years.

Applying the strictest definition of having both magic and psypowers, Marika is not a hybrid. Marika can only activate ‘Reactive Armor’ without using a CAD. But seeing the apparent trait of handling the barrier magic like a psypower, it was understandable that Erika misunderstood her as a hybrid.

However, Erika’s surprise was not that large. When she was in her third year at First High, she trained a real hybrid called Yaguruma Saburou, and since she entered Magic University she’s met many martial arts practitioners who use techniques that are like magic with the old concept of ‘qi’. If anything, these experiences were the cause of misunderstanding Marika as a hybrid.

Erika parried Marika’s upper kick with her bamboo sword.

Unlike before, Marika didn’t fall over.

With no pause, Marika unleashed a combination of middle kicks.

Erika’s bamboo sword creaked from blocking the kicks. The sword didn’t break from blocking the kick with the magic armor that surpasses steel because of Erika’s skills in smoothly deflecting the power.

Erika dodged a lower left thrust that was like an uppercut just with footwork and Marika approached her with a right middle punch.

Erika’s sword hit Marika’s forearm.

Just after, Erika slipped through Marika’s right side, and as she looked back, Marika attacked her with a spinning kick.

Erika bent over and avoided the kick. This was the first time she has moved her body either up or down in such a significant way.

Erika went on the offensive. With her short bamboo sword, she successively struck Marika’s body.

She continuously attacked Marika not just on the head, chest, and forearm, but also with techniques areas unrelated to kendo strikes, slashing diagonally, thrusting the sword, and attacking the hips.

But no signs of discouragement could be seen in Marika. Despite being in the midst of successive techniques, she forcefully counterattacked.

“Uh oh.”

Raising her voice by reflex, Erika avoided Marika’s middle strike.

She retreated in a straight line.

Marika chased her faster than she could think the words “that’s my chance”.

She advanced onward with large steps and unleashed an upper punch — as a feint for the middle front kick.

‘Got her!’, Marika thought.

However.

Marika’s kick pierced through Erika’s afterimage.

“That was a good punch just now.”

Hearing a voice from behind, Marika hurriedly turned around.

Marika hadn’t seen Erika move around to her back.

“But the kick after that was unacceptable.”

“...What was bad about it?”

Other than the fact she’s gently sticking out the bamboo sword in front of her with one hand, Erika’s posture was one of complete exhaustion. Her goal must be for me to ask questions, Marika interpreted it that way.

“When you go for a kick, you stand on one leg, you know? If your opponent avoids it, you aren’t able to move right away.”

“That’s true, but...”

Though she agreed, Marika couldn’t accept it immediately. If that is a weakness, kicking techniques couldn’t be used in general.

“I’m not trying to tell you to keep both feet on the ground and move without lifting them whenever possible. Not all battlefields are on flat floors. And it’s not my intent to deny all kicks.”

At this point, what Erika was trying to say was completely lost on Marika.

Marika gave Erika a questioning look and Erika responded with a mischievous smile.

“Marika. Why do you have to support yourself with a pivot foot — with only the strength of one leg? We’re magicians, aren’t we?”

The moment she finished speaking, Erika shortened their distance and unleashed a front kick with her right leg.

Marika, taken by surprise because it wasn’t a strike with the bamboo sword, blocked it while stepping backwards and killed the power of the kick.

Erika, before she lowered her right leg, kicked in front of her with the left leg.

Techniques that use feet as pivots for successive jumping kicks are not out of the ordinary. It is a rather usual combination.

But the kicks Erika unleashed, one after another, were not like that. Her body flew forwards.

The distance was shortened more than Marika had fallen back, as she dodged the overhead front kick by ducking.

From her hunched position, Marika prepared to use a low kick, aiming for the moment she landed.

But Erika dodged her kick and her body kept flying ahead without falling at that spot.

In midair, Erika turned around and faced Marika, landing outside of her strike range.

“We can move without having our feet on the ground.”

Right after saying that, Erika slid with both feet and drew closer to Marika.

Her feet weren’t moving. Erika’s legs were floating with a small gap to the floor.

She was faster than a full speed dash.

Marika couldn’t avoid Erika’s imminent bamboo sword. If she hadn’t deployed ‘Reactive Armor’, Marika wouldn’t have avoided falling unconscious from pain.

“— and, well, it is as you see. I didn’t become able to do this until after I graduated high school either, so I can’t say it’s something to brag about.”

“...What did you do just now?”

Marika’s body was shaking. Of course, not due to damage.

She trembled from excitement. Her exhilaration towards Erika’s technique was uncontrollable.

“It’s not that difficult. I’ll teach you later.”

Marika immediately put herself on guard.

Because the atmosphere around Erika had suddenly changed.

“Hey, Erika!?”

Leo, who had been spectating until then, interposed with an anxious voice.

“But I wonder if there’s something else I must teach you before that?”

Erika ignored Leo’s voice. Her tone was gentle as she talked to Marika, but her gaze was sharp and she was oozing heavy pressure from her entire body.

“Though this is something I could say to that idiot over there too—”

Erika turned to Leo.

“What!?”, Leo howled.

Erika ignored that too.

“— You shouldn’t overestimate ‘shields’ and ‘armor’. At least in the world of martial arts, there is no such thing as perfect defense.”

Why is she saying something so obvious, Marika thought. Marika doesn’t consider her ‘Reactive Armor’ to be invincible. The thought that Erika was meddling unnecessarily even crossed Marika’s mind.

On the other hand, Marika’s tension only increased. Maybe it should be expressed as a sense of danger.

Sweat slowly spread across her back. Not because of the midsummer heat. She realized it was cold sweat.

“I’m coming.”

Erika announced in a calm voice.

In the next moment, Marika was assaulted by a feeling of despondency.

Marika became unable to stand and fell to her knees.

She wasn’t in pain. But she really felt she had been attacked. Not the feeling of ‘being struck’, the feeling of ‘being cut down’.

Something was cut down in the core of her body. As a result, she was unable to stand up. — Marika perceived it that way.

Marika only now realized Erika was standing right in front of her.

At that moment, the armor of ‘Reactive Armor’ disappeared. Marika didn’t do that consciously, the magic had stopped renewing and terminated by timeout.

(I was cut through the ‘armor’...?)

It’s not that the magic was broken, nor that it was nullified, the attack passed through while still clad in armor. Recognizing this, Marika felt like the ground was suddenly crumbling beneath her feet.

Marika was overwhelmed by panic.

“Can you stand?”

But that panic vanished as a hand, held out to her, appeared in her view.

In its place, a deep impression of ‘amazing’ boiled up inside her.

“— I can.”

Marika, whose feet didn’t have enough strength, got on her feet by sheer will.

Fixing her knees in place with willpower so that she wouldn’t accidentally burst into laughter from relaxing, Marika faced Erika and deeply bowered, saying “Thank you very much”.

“Yeah, good work. I’ll coach you in ‘Glide‘ later, okay?”

‘Glide’ must be that sliding movement magic.

“Umm, can I ask just one thing?”

But there was something Marika wanted to ask at any cost right there.

“That just now was a technique. It wasn’t magic.”

Erika replied to Marika’s question before she asked it.

“A technique...”

“Yeah, a technique. Of swordsmanship. A technique that can be used even if you’re not a magician, which can defeat magicians. The Chiba Family praised itself for such grandiose ‘Ethereal Hidden Sword Techniques’, but it’s not even something unique to us. Embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Just like Erika’s words, her smile seemed a little embarrassed.

“Umm, what is that technique called?”

“In our school, it’s called ‘Shadow Slash’[6]”

Erika, looking embarrassed, averted her eyes and shouted “Who is the next challenger!?”.