Chapter - 14

Ayase decided to show Kaito the stances before trying the secret technique, which she learned from him when she enrolled into Hagun Academy, while waiting for the other disciples. Ayase aimed her wooden sword, and opened her stance a tiny little bit. She lowered her waist a bit and released strength from her shoulders. She traced the movements of Kaito from within her memory of that day. One by one, carefully.

But―

"No."

Kaito immediately rebuked.

"Don't loosen your hand when you release strength from the shoulders. Tighten your wrists more, but don't put too much force. All while keeping the stances in mind."

"Th-That is difficult."

"If you can't do it, then you won't be able to master the secret technique. I'll show you how it's done one more time."

After saying that Kaito reached for the wooden sword that was setup on the wall, but―

*Stare*

"…."

*Stare―*

"…I get it, I get it. I won't swing it, okay."

Kaito surrendered by raising both of his hands up to Ayase, who was looking at him from the back with a look of reproach in her eyes.

"For goodness sake, you really resemble your late mother in that regard. Your mother, too, reproached me by sending glares like those rather than saying it with her own mouth."

"It's only natural, because Mother taught me that if Father ever tried to do something stupid, I can stop him by doing that."

"It's not funny to be dominated by both generations of mother and daughter."

Kaito sighed once, and moved towards Ayase's back. He hugged her from behind and held on to her hands, which were gripping the wooden sword.

"Listen well: keep your wrists at this angle. The vital point behind this secret technique is not to disturb the stances by inserting too much power."

While explaining the vital point of the secret technique, which he had entrusted her with when she was going to go to Hagun, Kaito was simultaneously helping Ayase with her posture. Feeling the sensation of rough and stiff palms that were wrapped around her hands...

…They are big, Father's hands.

Ayase loved that sensation which could not be referred to as gentle.

Now that I think about it…. It's been a long time since the he last taught me this way.

"…Fufu."

When she became conscious of that, for some reason she became extremely happy. Ayase squeaked out a smile.

"What happened? Laughing all of a sudden."

"It's nothing. I just thought it's been long time since Father taught me various things in this manner. I was somewhat happy about it."

Ayase suddenly leaned on Kaito's thick chest and brought her face closer.

*Ba-bump Ba-bump* While listening to her beloved father's heartbeat―

"…It would be nice if such a gentle time continues forever."

She whispered to herself.

"…."

Words from Kaito didn't follow. Of course, because Kaito knew that wish couldn't come true. Of course, Ayase, too, knew that. Kaito no longer had very long to live. The time when this heartbeat, which she was listening to right now, would stop was steadily approaching. That is why Kaito had taught the immature Ayase the secret technique which she could not handle right now.

For how many more years would Father be able to live?

She had already made her resolve to part with him. But that was why Ayase wished that the last day to be as tender as this moment.

-And that wish was betrayed in the cruelest of ways.

In that moment, the sliding door of the dojo suddenly opened. Ayase and Kaito turn their eyes over to the entrance, thinking that finally the disciples had come. Certainly, there was one of the disciples there. It was Sugawara.

But―

"Su-Sugawara-san―!"

Ayase's face turned pale in an instant. That was because Sugawara was there in a form that was painful to look at with bandages and gauze all over his body and face.

"Those injuries, just what happened?"

Kaito, who was shocked too, rushed to Sugawara's side.

Upon seeing his instructor run up to him, Sugawara for almost burst into tears, and...

"Instructor…. I, I am so sorry!"

Just like that prostrated, almost like hitting his head on the floor of the dojo. Although his face couldn't be seen, his sobbing voice could be heard.

Kaito immediately understood that it wasn't something trivial.

"Raise your head. These injuries… it seems you didn't get these by falling down or something. Just what happened?"

"Th-That is, we were done in by that man who came by yesterday…."

"What…!?"

"Yesterday night, when we were on our way back from dojo, he was waiting to ambush us seven…. Then, all of sudden he attacked us with a stick! That guy is insane! Without any hesitation he tried to smash other people's heads. He is insane, mad I tell you…. That's why, with no other way out, all of us fought back, but…."

Sugawara sobbed heavily once at that point, and―

"We were helpless! All seven of us together weren't even able to touch him when he wasn't using his ability, nor was he even covering his body with mana."

"…!"

Ayase gulped, shocked upon hearing those words. Including Sugawara, other disciples too, like Ayase, had been learning the sword of Ayatsuji since their childhood―and for them to be that helpless against someone.

That guy, he was that strong….

"Even though we were trained by Instructor for so many years… we were played around with by that delinquent! I am very sorry!"

"You don't have to apologize anymore! More importantly, are the others all right!?"

"…Nitta was beaten to a pulp and that's why she was treated with a capsule, but all of the others were hospitalized. "

Capsules could only be used by claiming health insurance; otherwise it would be very costly. Therefore, it seemed within the seven of them, with Sugawara and Nitta out, five of them were still confined to bed. The ones with severe injuries were diagnosed with injuries such as their arms would never return to normal, et cetera.

After confessing all of that, at last Sugawara raised his head.

"Sensei… we were able to come this far because we admired you. We wanted become proud men like Sensei, but… I really don't want to say this but just what were we doing for so many years…!?"

He asked Kaito while weeping.

"…."

Upon seeing her elder-pupil's miserable figure, Ayase was at a loss for words. The head coach, Sugawara who taught Ayase the sword, couldn't be seen anywhere. Those eyes were stained with fear and despair. His heart had been twisted so much that he won't be able to return to his usual self anymore. Wrong, it was not just Sugawara―

"I am sorry. We won't touch the sword from now on…."

While crying heavily, Sugawara pulled resignation letters for seven people from his pocket. Yes, just like Sugawara here, the other six, who were not present, also had their hearts broken.

"Cruel…."

Why did he do something like this? How can someone do something like this? Even though everyone gave their best since childhood and walked straight down the path of the sword. How can someone play around with peoples' hearts and break them? Ayase could not comprehend it.

And the man who did such incomprehensible things―

"Haha! I came around at an interesting time."

""!?""

He appeared in the dojo as though he was aiming for such a timing.

"To think everyone quit, maybe I bullied them a bit too much."

"Hi-hiiiii!"

The moment Sugawara saw that figure, he screamed like a girl flapping his four limbs to hurry inside the dojo.

"Hey, hey, don't run away like that. You'll hurt my feelings."

Kuraudo stepped inside the dojo while laughing in a vulgar manner.

"D-Don't come, please don't come inside, hi-hiiiiii!"

"S-Stop! He's getting scared!"

Not being able to see the pathetic figure of her comrade who had had always walked down the path of the sword with her, Ayase stepped forward to protect Sugawara.

But her shoulder was grabbed by a rough hand. It was Kaito.

"What business do you have here?"

"The same business as yesterday."

"I thought I had refused."

"I just thought if I drop by today I'll get a different answer. Hahaha!"

"I see. So, just to drag me out you did such things to my disciples?"

"Ya. But yesterday I wasn't able to get my hands on that woman there."

"…Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you do such things? Aren't you a Blazer? Be it school or the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, you should not be lacking in opponents wherever you run wild. In spite of that why do you obsess with me so much?"

"Don't ask me something weird again, old man. Does the edge of a warrior's heart dull when he retires?"

"…!"

At those words, Kaito slightly widened his eyes.

"Haha…. Well, it's all good. The reason is simple, it's because I want to show off my strength, my power. It does not matter if they are Blazers or normal people. I want to show it to every single one who catches my interest!"

Ayase burned with anger at Kuraudo's motive, which he had just spoken about as though snarling at kaito.