205　Bishamon Match Part 4

Arc 10: Title Defense

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【Sword-drawing】 (STR+DEX+AGI+VIT)/5.12+remaining SP/10^4（fire power when using a sword at the belt 128％）

《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful area of effect attack.
《Dragon Horse》 Range attack in all directions.
《Rook Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power)  Extremely powerful Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Bishop Sword-drawing》 Quick and powerful thrust.
《Gold Sword-drawing》 Counter (Single attack + defense)
《Silver Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Powerful Sword-drawing attack.
《Knight Sword-drawing》 Large movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Lance Sword-drawing》 Movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Soldier Sword-drawing》 Sword drawing attack (Single attack)






　Bishamon Tournament, the final.

　As the current Bishamon is absent, the winner of this match will be awarded the title of “Bishamon” for 【Sword-drawing】.

　The one facing me is Akaneko. For her, it was a challenge she had been waiting for.


"You've made quite a lot of progress."
"It was you, teacher who told me to have a professional attitude."
"That's why I'm praising you. That's your talent."
"My talent?”
"Yeah."


　She can become like that by simply telling her to.

　Akaneko doesn't seem to realize it, but it's an incredible talent.

　She is good at grasping the essence of things and getting to the heart of the matter. Therefore, she can imitate anything easily and quickly. In addition, she has excellent perseverance, so even if it is difficult, she will not give up and will see it through without complaining.

　An ordinary person would not be able to last. However, she keeps going. The difference is too great.


　I taught her the most efficient way of thinking and encouraged her to persevere.

　Don't you get excited just thinking about it?


"That talent can also be a weakness. You are easily influenced, so removing these impurities regularly is a good idea."
"Teacher always gives me difficult assignments."
"In the end, you've become stronger because you can handle them no matter what."
"……Certainly."


　Yes, you've become stronger.

　If you think back to the Azami and Mamushi battles, it's obvious.

　Every little detail has been attended to. There is nothing I can complain about. You could even say it's perfect. It's truly the work of a professional.


　I left most of Akaneko's training to Miroku. Because it wouldn't be fun if I, who would be facing her in the Bishamon battle, knew too much about her moves. However, I did specify the rough outline of the training menu. Specifically, I have already conveyed the framework of the Seven Zero System. Of course, this was in order to take countermeasures.

　Assuming that Akaneko had completed the training menu and mastered everything…… Akaneko would still not have shown even a hint of seriousness.

　According to Miroku, she's a flower about to bloom. In other words.


"I guess that means Miroku has recognized you as a full-fledged pro."
"Indeed."

　I guess so.


"――Bow to each other!　Get ready!”

　We took our positions following the referee's commands.

　Akaneko was very relaxed.


　If I tell her to relax, she will relax.

　If her father Kenshin tells her to “slay the outsider”, she will mercilessly slay the person.

　If she was told to fight, she did.

　If someone told her to gouge out her eyes, she would have tried to do so.


　……Why is it that everyone on that island has a quirk or two?

　Like a poisonous insect, for decades and centuries, the samurai on the island have been fighting each other, and only the strongest have survived.

　She is a bundle of talent who stands out from the crowd, and after half a year she has come to know the world outside and has grown up rapidly.


　There is no longer any need to say much.

　She's a pro now.
　From here on, it's just a matter of the two professionals putting on a great show.


"Well, shall we have soba or udon?"
"Fufu. Do as you please."

　A sense of trust that allows you to leave everything to the other person.

　I wonder how long it's been since I felt this way.



"――Begin!”

　Well, the match has started.

　Let's use the Seven Zero System.


　First move, Rook.

　The odd-numbered moves are my turns, and the even-numbered moves are Akaneko's turns.

　In the second move, Akaneko also played Rook.
　Third move, Rook cancellation to Dragon King.
　Fourth move, Rook cancellation, and then closing the distance.
　Bishop from the Dragon King cancel in the fifth move.
　Sixth move, 0.01 seconds later, Bishop.

　As a result, a Counterbalance.


"Good, good!"
"You too."


　She doesn't change her expression or overreact. She knows it all.

　Counterbalancing the Bishop's thrust is a high-level technique, but for her, it was just something she did because she could.

　Even the most sophisticated techniques can be handled with ease once you've reached this level.


　Seventh move, Silver.
　Eight move, Soldier.

　Well, that's quite a change for the connoisseur.


"Oh, that one?”――I asked her with my eyes.
"Because I like it"―― came the answer from her eyes.

　Yeah, if you like it, there's nothing you can do about it.


　In the 9th move, the Silver was canceled and a Lance was played. If I continue to attack with Silver, it will be counterbalanced, and I, who have a longer stagger phase than that of the Soldier, will be at a disadvantage.

　Tenth move, retreat then a Knight.


"I see."
"Yes."

　Akaneko's research hand has come out. Because the 10th move is difficult, it is evaluated as “for experts only”, but did Akaneko choose Soldier for the 8th move because she had prepared for it? I see, that's an excellent move. By preparing a Knight while retreating at this timing, is her aim to jump out of range of my Lance and attack from there?

　Well, that's not going to happen.


　Eleventh move, stand by.


"Ah......"
"Yes, indeed."

　Naturally, the Seven Zero System is also aware of these changes.

　The trick is that if you use your Lance to move and escape outside the range of the Knight's lunge the moment Akaneko jumps, you can get the initiative later. If she has trouble waiting here, she can't really be called a researcher. There should still be some way for her to continue.

　And as expected, Akaneko let out just one word and quickly moved on to the next move.

　As expected of a professional, she doesn't show it in her expression. However, I can somehow tell that she is thinking that the situation is a little more difficult than it seems, but……


　In the twelfth move, Knight leaped to the side.


"Exquisite~."

　I couldn't help but say it out loud.

　She jumped to a truly exquisite distance. If she cancels the Knight in mid-air and immediately starts preparing Dragon King, it's a distance where I might or might not be in time to stop her. For the time being, I guess you could call it a “Seven Zero System Crush”. It was probably the change she had been waiting for. Or, perhaps this was Miroku's idea……


　At the 13th move, Lance to move towards Akaneko.
　At move 14, the Knight was canceled in mid-air and Dragon King was prepared.
　Fifteen move, drawing the sword without using any skills, preparing Soldier while closing the distance.
　Sixteenth move, Gold from a Dragon King cancel.


"Did you get scared?” I asked with my gaze.
"No way," came the reply.


　Akaneko saw that the Dragon King wouldn't make it in time, so she changed her aim to a counterattack. Perhaps, this is what she was planning to do if I rushed in with the Second Slash of Soldier.


　But…… I guess she was a little bit too early.



　In the 17th move, the Soldier was canceled, and I prepared Dragon Horse after retreating one step.


"!”

　Akaneko's eyebrows twitched.

　She probably thought "Ahh, damn it!” as her opponent took advantage of the moderate distance she created.

　There is only one way to stop it, but what will Akaneko do?


　Eighteenth move, Knight from Gold cancellation.


　I guessed so. However――


　19th move, after waiting for 0.67 seconds, Dragon Horse was canceled and then Silver was used.
　The 20th move, the Knight moves.
　The 21st move, Silver activated.


　――That's the first round.


"What a disappointment!"
"Is that so?"

　The Knight and Silver exchanged blows, dealing heavy damage to Akaneko.


　Akaneko uttered words that seemed to be an expression of regret and self-blame, but even as she did so, she was still moving her body.

　I, too, while smiling foolishly, am also aiming to chase her down.


　The 22nd move, from sheathing the katana to Gold.
　Twenty-third move, Soldier.
　24th move, Gold cancellation to Soldier.
　At move 25, Lance is played after the Soldier is canceled.
　26th move, Silver from canceled Soldier.
　At move 27, the Lance is canceled and a Soldier is played.


"……"

　That must have been a close call. This time, it showed on her face. She was fooled by the fake Lance, so it's only natural.


　Once this happens, there's no stopping it.


　28th move, Silver is activated.
　29th move, Soldier activated.

　As a result, a Counterbalance.


　The 30th move, Akaneko is in a stagger state.

　The 31st move, Bishop. And with this――



"Thank you."


　――Checkmate.




"――That's enough!　Winner, Second Firstest!”


　It was a very good game.

　I'm glad that the audience also seemed to be having a great time.


　Now, let's wake up my cute apprentice.


"Hey, Akaneko. You said what a disappointment during the match."
"……Y-yeah."

　I poured a potion into her mouth and revived her from her fainted state (stun).

　Then, when she got up, I told her the answer to the question she had been bothered by recently.


"Don't compare yourself to me. It doesn't make sense. You say things like that because you're looking for differences between us."
"However…… I feel like something is missing from me right now."
"You idiot. If you say that, there are too many."
"…………?”

　Akaneko makes a face that says she doesn't really understand.

　Oh, come on…… You thought you could fill in the tiny gaps with the simple phrase “something” and be on par with the world's best?

　As expected of my disciple. She's weird in the head.


"First of all, there is a lack of ingenuity to entertain the audience. You are too focused on winning. It is not okay to neglect either. Put all your effort into both. Next, the vocabulary of your Game Plan is extremely poor. Learn more Game Plans, learn more move patterns, and improve your application skills. The rest is up to you. Stop letting your negative reactions show on your face. It would be good if you were aware of this and could control it to your advantage, but as it is now, your inner thoughts are spilling out. Also, the way you move your feet when you're backing up is a little strange. Is this a remnant of the Tobatsu-style?　Did Miroku not say anything?　That's not a good habit. You should fix that too. Well, there are still tons more. Do you want to hear it?”

"Later on, please, later on, I beg of you……"

　Akaneko was so embarrassed by the fact that she had been criticized in front of so many people that she turned red and hung her head in shame.


　……Ah, I remember it vividly.

　Perhaps it was because of the katana at my waist, but it felt like it had happened only yesterday.

　These are painful memories of my youth.


"So you've realized your conceit, have you?"
"……Absolutely, to the point of being sick of it."
"You must be feeling more comfortable."
"……Yes, strangely enough."
"But don't take it easy. You'll be worse."
"Yes."
"Don't worry, it'll be back to normal by tomorrow morning…… but."
"Yes……"
"Be frustrated. Tormented to death. It's necessary."
"Yes……!”


　You're going to go down the same road that I went down.

　It's going to be tough for you my disciple, but I'm sure you can do it.

　Don't worry, we'll be there for you. So, I want you to grow up in peace.


　Watching Akaneko grit her teeth and tears welling up in her eyes, I strongly thought to myself that――




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Thank you for reading.
The 467th Summer Title Tournament has now come to an end!

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Cheat sheet

Status Details

HP　Hit Points
MP　Magic Points
SP　Stamina Points
STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power.
DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate.
AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate.
INT　Attack Magic skill power.
LUK　Good luck, critical rate.
VIT　Simple defense.
MGR　Magic defense.

Skill Ranking

From lower (16th) to higher (1st) class, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade

• 16th class
• 15th class
• 14th class
• 13th class
• 12h class
• 11th class
• 10th class
• 9th class
• 8th class
• 7th class
• 6th class
• 5th class
• 4th class
• 3rd class
• 2nd class
• 1st class
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5
• Grade 6
• Grade 7
• Grade 8
• Grade 9 (Can challenge Title when all related skills are at this level)

Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

1. Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
2. Lance(Kyousha)
3. Knight (Keima)
4. Silver General (Ginshou)
5. Gold General (Kinshou)
6. Bishop (Kakugyou)
7. Rook (Hisha)
8. Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
9. Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

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List of Swordsmanship skills

【Swordsmanship】　Damage： STR Dependent.

《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack forward + stun.
《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack in all directions.
《Rook Swordsmanship》　Very strong single-target attack.
《Bishop Swordsmanship》　Quick and powerful penetrating attack.
《Gold Swordsmanship》　Ranged attack in all directions.
《Silver Swordsmanship》　Strong, single-target attack.
《Knight Swordsmanship》　Precision attack＋added damage against vital points.
《Lance Swordsmanship》　Penetrating attack.
《Soldier Swordsmanship》　Normal attack.

(Rook＋Knight, Silver＋Knight, Lance＋Knight, Soldier＋Knight are possible for Combine)

List of Jojutsu (cane) skills

【Jojutsu】Thrust・Strike・Sweep

《Dragon King Jojutsu》　Extremely powerful wide-area attack
《Dragon Horse Jojutsu》　Wide range defense + knockback
《Rook Jojutsu》　Very powerful ranged attack
《Bishop Jojutsu》　Rush piercing attack
《Gold Jojutsu》　Very strong defense
《Silver Jojutsu》　Powerful ranged attack
《Knight Jojutsu》　Rush attack
《Lance Jojutsu》　Piercing attack
《Soldier Jojutsu》　Conventional attack

List of Spearmanship skills

【Spearmanship】

《Dragon King Spearmanship》　Extremely powerful single-target attack
《Dragon Horse Spearmanship》　Powerful long-range attack (shockwave)
《Rook Spearmanship》　Rush attack (charge thrust)
《Bishop Spearmanship》　Powerful ranged attack (Cleave)
《Gold Spearmanship》　Counterattack (Counter)
《Silver Spearmanship》　Powerful single-target attack (charge thrust)
《Knight Spearmanship》　Forward leaping attack (leaping thrust)
《Lance Spearmanship》　Ranged attack (Cleave)
《Soldier Spearmanship》　Normal Attack (Thrust)

List of Archery skills

【Archery】

《Dragon King Archery》　Powerful on-impact ranged attack.
《Dragon Horse Archery》　Powerful piercing ranged attack.
《Rook Archery》　Very strong single-target range attack.
《Bishop Archery》　Strong piercing range attack.
《Gold Archery》　Range attack with added knockback.
《Silver Archery》　Strong single-target range attack.
《Knight Archery》　Precise sniping range attack.
《Lance Archery》　Piercing range attack.
《Soldier Archery》　Normal range attack.

List of Shield Arts skills

【Shield Arts】

《Dragon King Shield Arts》　Very powerful ranged attack to the front.
《Dragon Horse Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense + all-range attack.
《Rook Shield Arts》　Powerful forward Rush attack (VIT converted to STR and added to net STR)
《Bishop Shield Arts》　Great Reinforced Defense (16th class: 250% ~ Grade 9th: 600% Defense)
《Gold Shield Arts》　Range homing defense ＋ Knockback（While active, attacks within a certain range would redirect themselves towards the shield）
《Silver Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense (parry grace time reduced by 0.01 second, successful parry triggers counterattack effect)
《Knight Shield Arts》　Defense + Knockback.
《Lance Shield Arts》　Piercing Reflective Defense
《Soldier Shield Arts》　Normal defense.
Success condition for parry: Activate the skill 0.287 to 0.250 seconds before the attack reaches the target.

List of Magic skills

【Magic】 (Four attributes: fire, water, wind, and earth)
Advantages and disadvantages: Fire>Earth>Wind>Water>Fire
・First Form　Normal Attack （Preparation time： Super short. Cooldown： Super short）
・Second Form　Extended range attack （Slow. Long）
・Third Form　Strong single-target attack （Short. Short）
・Fourth Form　Powerful extended-range attack （Super slow. Super long）
・Fifth Form　Very powerful extended-range attack （Slowest. Longest）

【Magical Magic】
《Combine》　Combines two magic skills into a single attack.
《Synergy》　Overlays two magic spells on top of another magic spell.
《Charge》　Magic attack that increases in magnitude the more it is charged up.

List of Martial Arts skills

【Martial Arts】　Attack：(STR+DEX+AGI)/2.56

《Dragon King Martial Arts》　A very powerful wide-area attack in the front (shockwave)
《Dragon Horse Martial Arts》　Accelerated forward strike (Dash Punch)
《Rook Martial Arts》　Very powerful single-target attack + charge (Punch)
《Bishop Martial Arts》　Omni-directional attack (Roundhouse kick)
《Gold Martial Arts》　Short-range attack plus defense (Tackle)
《Silver Martial Arts》　Strong single-target attack （Punch）
《Knight Martial Arts》　Forward jumping attack （Jumping kick）
《Lance Martial Arts》　Short-range attack (Kick)
《Soldier Martial Arts》　Normal attack （Punch）

List of Sword-drawing skills

【Sword-drawing】 (STR+DEX+AGI+VIT)/5.12+remaining SP/10^4（fire power when using a sword at the belt 128％）

《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful area of effect attack.
《Dragon Horse》 Range attack in all directions.
《Rook Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Bishop Sword-drawing》 Quick and powerful thrust.
《Gold Sword-drawing》 Counter (Single attack + defense)
《Silver Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Powerful Sword-drawing attack.
《Knight Sword-drawing》 Large movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Lance Sword-drawing》 Movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Soldier Sword-drawing》 Sword drawing attack (Single attack)

List of Thread Manipulation skills

【Thread Manipulation】
《Dragon King Thread Manipulation》　The most powerful single attack, limited to the restrained target.
《Dragon Horse Thread Manipulation》　Simultaneously emits multiple threads, forcibly restraining the touched object.
《Rook Thread Manipulation》　Very powerful single attack using a bundle of threads
《Bishop Thread Manipulation》　Powerful penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Gold Thread Manipulation》　Thread restraints on objects within a 4-meter radius.
《Silver Thread Manipulation》　Powerful single-target attack with a bundle of threads
《Knight Thread Manipulation》　Manipulate monsters, humans, and puppets using strings for a certain period of time.
《Lance Thread Manipulation》　Penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Soldier Thread Manipulation》　Single target attack with a bundle of threads
(Gold + Lance or Bishop can be Combined)

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