CHAPTER 294: THE SUIGETSU PRODIGY

 

After finishing our fight with the kamaitachi, we set off toward the next town, guided by the child we’d rescued.

「My name’s Souji! I’m ten years old!」

Souji puffed his chest out as he introduced himself, recovering his energy like his earlier fear had been a lie.

Though, the way he kept sneaking glances at us as he walked suggested he still hadn’t fully relaxed inside.

「The Suigetsu Dojo is in the town next to the port town. It’s called Tsukikage Town.」

「So it’s not in the port town, huh.」

「Yeah. There’s a big dojo right in the middle of town, so if it was a port town it’d just get in the way, or so they say.」

I kept walking, nodding in agreement.

According to Souji, the Suigetsu Dojo was one of the most prestigious in Bukyo—something anyone who aspired to the sword had heard of at least once.

「The assistant instructors are all crazy strong too—like monsters! But, uh… the one I think is the most amazing is—」

There, Souji lowered his voice a little.

「Suigetsu Zen-sama—the 【Sword King】.」

At that title, I couldn’t help exchanging a look with Kinu.

「They say he doesn’t talk much, and just drawing his sword makes the air go all prickly!」

「Huh…」

Kinu, listening beside me, gave a small acknowledgement.

We knew that reputation was ‘for public consumption’, but it wasn’t exactly worth correcting.

Besides—Zen really was stoic, and he really did give everything his all. He was undeniably good-looking, and his skill was the real deal. From the outside, people might read that as ‘cool,’ and paired with the fact he’d earned the 【Sword King】 title at the youngest age in history, it made sense the kids looked at him with pure admiration.

As we continued, scattered single-story houses began to appear, slowly increasing in number. Within minutes the road had been neatly leveled, and the scenery shifted into proper streets with buildings packed tightly on both sides.

Tsukikage Town felt calmer than the port town.

The streets were orderly, free of pointless noise. Even the people passing by looked like they carried themselves with straighter backs.

And then—

At the center of town, it was there.

「…Whoa…」

The sound slipped out before I could stop it.

A vast compound enclosed by high walls.

On the black-lacquered gate hung a dignified wooden placard with no unnecessary ornamentation.

Suigetsu Dojo.

From inside came the dry crack of wooden swords striking, and sharp, spirited shouts.

Just this area alone—the air was clearly different.

「…Pretty amazing, right?」

Souji continued, sounding proud.

「This is the Suigetsu Dojo!」

The moment I stood before the gate, my back straightened on its own.

This is the ‘center of the sword’ in Bukyo—its presence alone made that feel true.

「Alright…」

I tightened my focus and stepped through the gate.

Immediately, there was a small building like a guard station, and a gatekeeper with the bearing of a proper samurai bowed once.

「Your business?」

「I’m Domeki Aun. I received a message from Suigetsu Zen in the port town, and I came to see him.」

The instant I gave my name, the gatekeeper’s air shifted. After a brief, appraising look—as if weighing my worth—he nodded quietly.

「Please wait a moment.」

He likely went to call Zen. Instead, a woman appeared and guided us deeper into the dojo, into a tatami room.

There were no extra decorations at all—just one aged hanging scroll on the wall.

The cleanly arranged room was filled with a taut stillness.

As I sat down with Kinu and Yura, Souji straightened his posture and sat formally as well.

…This is unquestionably a first-rate dojo.

The training sounds drifting in from outside were steady and rhythmic, and the voices carried no hesitation.

You could feel it—everyone here was chasing strength.

And then, a short while later—

From the far end of the hallway came a single set of footsteps.

Measured. Unwasteful.

Just that alone told me the person approaching wasn’t ordinary.

The sliding door across from us opened quietly.

「Sorry to keep you waiting… Aun, it’s been a while.」

The one who appeared was a young man whose aura had grown calmer than before—yet who still couldn’t fully hide the depth of his presence as a swordsman.

The way he wore his refined Japanese attire showed a different side from when I’d met him in the Kingdom of Alto.

…He’s gotten a lot stronger.

His gaze was sharp and clear.

Every motion—flawless, with no openings.

—【Sword King】 Suigetsu Zen.

I heard Souji suck in a breath.

As everyone in the room turned their eyes to Zen, Zen’s gaze slowly left me… and then, the next instant, stopped dead.

Who it stopped on—

Was Yurai.

「………」

Zen’s eyes widened, and he froze completely.

「………Huh?」

A beat.

「………Um.」

Two beats.

And then—

「BFFOHH—!?」

A jet of red sprayed violently from Zen’s nose.

「Wha—!? H-Hey, Zen!?」

「S-sorry!! N-no, it’s not—this isn’t what it looks like!! Um, it’s a biological phenomenon!! …Y-Yes, an inevitable byproduct!!」

The ‘prodigy’ rattled off nonsense at full speed, flustering like a panicked kid.

And the momentum didn’t stop there…

「W-wait, what is that kid!? A new type of mofu!? Huh, is it mofu!? It is, right!? It is!! U-um, can I… can I pet—can I pet them—」

「No.」

「Right!!」

He wore such a radiant smile it was almost refreshing.

The blood dripping from his nose didn’t even seem to register to him anymore.

Watching that whole sequence, even Kinu—normally the calm one—had her expression twitch slightly.

Even so, she forced her voice out.

「…Your nose. You’re bleeding.」

「…! S-sorry!!」

As if remembering something critically important, Zen hurriedly pressed a folded paper to his nose.

The solemn atmosphere from moments ago was gone without a trace.

In the midst of this chaos, Yurai simply looked up at Zen, curious—

「Kyauun?」

—And let out a small cry.

「—!!」

The 【Sword King】 collapsed slowly from the knees.

「…I can’t… It’s too precious…」

「H-hey. Pull yourself together.」

「So fluffy… and so cute… I’m… I’m melting… I can die happy…」

I strongly agree that Yurai is precious, cute, and fluffy beyond reason.

…But, Zen. That face isn’t okay.

Your handsome features are completely falling apart.

From those flawless movements a moment ago, he’d transformed into a man on all fours, his entire body nothing but openings.

Staring at him, Souji spoke in a daze.

「…They said Suigetsu Zen-sama, the 【Sword King】… was a quiet, cool kind of person…」

To Souji’s lament-like mutter, Kinu replied with a breezy face.

「Mm. …That’s probably someone else.」

And I gave a small shrug to match.

「At the very least, that isn’t the ‘Suigetsu Zen’ we know…」