CHAPTER 318: FAVORITES TO WIN

 

～AUN’S PERSPECTIVE～

「I believe we should begin by familiarizing ourselves with this year’s favorites to win…」

「You mean those guys everyone’s been talking about around town?」

I looked up from the wooden board bearing the Martial Tournament Regulations as I spoke.

Looking around, I saw the warriors who had finished registering chatting with their companions, tending to their weapons, or quietly stoking their fighting spirit.

Naturally, every single person there had come to win. It was a gathering of people who firmly believed that they were the strongest.

The favorites were those who stood head and shoulders above even that crowd.

「They have proven records to support their reputations. Several of them are here right now.」

Zen turned his gaze toward an especially massive man.

「The first is Onigawara Gantetsu, the current head of the 【Onigawara School】, the largest school of unarmed combat.」

Unarmed combat meant fighting with nothing but one’s own body instead of wielding a weapon. And he was the head of its largest school…

「In Bukyo, it is known as the school that has mastered Takeshi.」

「Takeshi?」

「Meeting force head-on and crushing it with even greater force. You could say that they turn their entire bodies into weapons.」

Zen lightly clenched his fist before continuing.

「His exceptional physique and stats grant his attacks overwhelming power. Furthermore, he is highly skilled at transitioning from defense to offense, making him exceedingly difficult to overcome in a head-on confrontation. He reached the quarterfinals last year as well.」

「I see. A natural-born power fighter.」

「However, he is by no means slow.」

「Oh?」

「Many martial artists in Bukyo dislike the expression ‘relying on brute strength.’ The greater the power one possesses, the more diligently one must refine their technique. The Onigawara School is the ultimate embodiment of that principle.」

He sounds like fun.

I don’t mind guys willing to trade blows head-on. Hell, I kind of want to train at his school myself.

「Who’s the second?」

「Kazehaya Sakuya, heir to the 【Kazehaya School】, one of Bukyo’s foremost schools of iaijutsu.」

The person he indicated was a slender woman carrying a katana at her waist.

「Oh! If she uses iaijutsu, then…」

「Indeed. It is a technique you use frequently as well. However, I suspect her philosophy toward it differs from yours.」

Zen raised his index finger as he spoke.

「The Kazehaya School follows the principle that ‘the first strike is supreme.’」

「Oh? So she finishes the fight in a single blow?」

「Precisely. In most cases, the fight is already over the instant she draws her blade. Furthermore, Sakuya-san can unleash a wide variety of techniques from exactly the same stance. In other words, she has mastered go no sen—seizing the initiative after her opponent moves. To put it simply… she can wait to see what her opponent plays in rock-paper-scissors before changing her own hand.」

I see.

Her style looks similar to mine, but it’s actually quite different.

I generally treated iaijutsu as one technique among many and searched for the optimal move as the battle unfolded.

Naturally, whenever I drew my blade, I intended to finish my opponent with that strike. But I also considered what I would do next if they blocked it.

The Kazehaya School, however, never considered a second strike. Its practitioners came to end the fight from the very beginning. And since they specialized entirely in iaijutsu, I had to assume that Sakuya surpassed me in that one discipline.

「How did she do last year?」

「She reached the semifinals.」

「So she’s already a complete monster.」

「Indeed. And considering that she was only seventeen, it is obvious that she has grown stronger since last year.」

Zen stated that without the slightest hesitation before turning his gaze back toward me.

「The third is Kirigakure Sasuke, Lord Kurofuyu’s foremost disciple.」

「People were talking about him in town too. He’s one of those ninja, right?」

「Yes. The Kirigakure clan keeps every detail about itself concealed, including the location of its village. All that is known about them is their name and the creed they call shinobi.」

「So they’re something like Bukyo’s scouts? I’m picturing him fighting like Nelfie.」

「That would be accurate. Scouting and assassination are their primary duties. Consequently, theirs is not a school that wins through head-on confrontation. It is a school that ensures victory before it ever fights.」

「Ensures victory before it fights?」

「Indeed. Kirigakure Sasuke will likely have the greatest advantage during the Shurasaki Festival’s preliminary round. After all, he merely needs to take the Oni Tags from his opponents. There is no reason for him to fight them head-on.」

「Ah, you’re right. If I imagine Nelfie fighting in these preliminaries, she’d definitely have the advantage.」

「That does not mean they are weak in a direct confrontation. In fact, Lord Kurofuyu’s martial prowess is said to rank among the two finest in all Bukyo.」

This is bad. The more I hear, the more people I want to fight.

It was a damn shame that I wouldn’t be able to face every one of them… Hm?

Oh, right. The preliminary round is a free-for-all between all the contestants. I can just pick a fight with them whenever I find them.

As I entertained that thought, Zen took a long breath, paused, and then opened his mouth.

「And finally—Hozuki Retsuma.」

The instant he uttered that name, several nearby warriors instinctively turned toward us.

「…Is he famous?」

「The word ‘famous’ does not begin to cover it.」

Zen smiled quietly.

「He is considered the clear favorite to win this year.」

「I see.」

「The Hozuki family is a prestigious warrior house that has supported Bukyo for generations. Its history predates the unification of Bukyo, and it has produced countless generals and master swordsmen.」

「So he comes from a long and distinguished bloodline.」

「Indeed. And Retsuma-sama is hailed as the greatest masterpiece in the family’s entire history.」

「Their greatest masterpiece?」

「He began distinguishing himself as a martial artist at sixteen and won the Shurasaki Festival at twenty-three.」

「What?」

「That same year, he challenged the Naraka Dungeon and returned alive.」

Naraka… It was said to be the most difficult dungeon in existence.

If I remembered correctly, only two people had ever conquered it.

「You said he returned alive, so he didn’t actually conquer it?」

「No. However, merely returning alive from the Naraka Dungeon is enough for one to be hailed as a hero.」

So that’s how difficult the dungeon is.

「He has entered the Shurasaki Festival twice since then.」

「What happened those two times? Did he win?」

「No. I am told that he lost in the finals to a member of 【Four Seasons】 on both occasions. And this year, after an absence of several years, he is apparently entering the Shurasaki Festival in perfect condition.」

That was why he was the clear favorite.

It all made sense now.

「Wait. 【Four Seasons】 is participating again this year, right? You didn’t mention any of them among the favorites…」

When I asked, Zen narrowed his eyes slightly.

「None of the four members of 【Four Seasons】 will be participating this year.」

「None of them?」

「Correct. The Shogun himself will naturally be attending as a spectator, so I expect two of them to accompany him as guards.」

Several warriors around us gave small nods at his answer.

Apparently, this was common knowledge.

「Why aren’t they participating?」

「It is said to be due to a direct command from the Shogun. They are likely carrying out a mission of some kind at present.」

「A mission that takes priority over the Shurasaki Festival?」

「The reason has not been made public, but… 【Four Seasons】 is, first and foremost, a unit under the Shogun’s direct command. It is only natural that they prioritize their duties.」

「Still, doesn’t that mean something’s going on in Bukyo?」

「That… I cannot say.」

A brief silence followed.

A vague unease stirred deep within my chest.

It wasn’t quite a bad feeling.

It was just…

Something is in motion.

That feeling alone remained.

「Well, there is little point dwelling on it now. Let us return to our previous topic.」

Zen smiled as if to dispel the atmosphere that had settled over us.

「Of all the contenders I have mentioned, I believe Hozuki Retsuma-dono is the one you must be most wary of.」

「He’s really that strong?」

「Indeed.」

Zen answered without the slightest hesitation.

「Even if one of the members of 【Four Seasons】 had entered this year, Hozuki Retsuma-sama would still have been the foremost favorite to win.」

Not even one of the warriors around us voiced any disagreement.

In other words, he truly was that powerful.

「Now that’s interesting. I’d like to face him head-on.」

「Everyone feels the same way. And for that to happen, we must make absolutely certain that we advance through the preliminary round.」

The corners of my mouth rose before I could stop them.

There are people here stronger than me.

Just thinking about it made my blood race.

—Powerful opponents I had yet to meet.

I had come to the nation of Bukyo precisely so that I could surpass them.