KATANAGATARI 1

Against the exact same move in the exact same circumstances, he would respond in the exact same way, being no veteran─she had been certain that he would swat away the Legion.

And Meisai’s next move was precisely the one Shichika had anticipated at the beginning. In other words, after her sword she shot forth, unarmed, and at terrific speed─but on her last step, she leapt into the sky and caught the sword midair.

The Sentoryu.

Even a soaring katana─belonged to it.

“Rolling Thunder!”56

Shichika countered her sword with a Fatal Orchid.

With the utmost respect, with the fastest move available to him at that moment.

A rigid stance, as if his legs had grown roots─paired with a twisting of the hips so furious they threatened to tear free.

In your face.57

The heel of his hand shot forth from Form One!

“Kyotoryu─Kyoka Suigetsu!”58

■　■

Togame had lost sight of Shichika and Meisai no sooner than their duel began, but as her innately serious and scrupulous personality would not permit her to leave her post as official witness and referee, she wandered the grounds, nearly reduced to tears─until she found them.

By then, it was all over.

What she saw when she arrived in the vicinity of the teahouse was Shichika Yasuri in a relaxed stance, staring at his left hand, freshly drenched in blood, and Meisai Tsuruga lying on her back, clinging to Sento the Legion─the imprint of a hand forced through her ribcage.

“Shi-Shichika.”

“Hey, Togame.” Hearing her voice, Shichika looked toward her with an invigorated smile. “I won,” he reported his victory with pride. “No room for a bad call, as you can see.”

Togame─gazed upon the body of Meisai Tsuruga.

By now, demonstrably a corpse.

Meisai Tsuruga─Mistress of Triad Shrine.

Former brigand.

Togame knew little of the woman’s early years─but enough to hazard a guess. No, not just about her─the Schemer was certain that all thousand of the Kuromiko serving the shrine had personal circumstances rivaling, even surpassing her own reasons.

Parents murdered.

Families massacred.

Lineages eradicated.

Such tales─were common at this shrine.

And yet.

Togame had brushed it all aside, for the sake of her own reasons, her own ambition, her own revenge.

“Shichika, did you really─” she began to ask.

Did you really need to kill her?

She almost asked─her katana.

In her thirteen years among the brigands, Meisai Tsuruga had slain countless innocents─a crime that could never be forgiven no matter how she apologized or atoned.

No matter how many of the girls at Triad Shrine she assisted by turning the Legion’s poison into medicine─her efforts were hypocritical.

No, apology and atonement were in and of themselves hypocrisy.

Meisai Tsuruga bore the burden─of a crime that could never be forgiven.

And yet.

Togame had no right to judge.

She was only here─to take the sword.

To further her self-centered59 agenda.

“Huh? What’s wrong? Togame.”

The look on his face─was honest and undisturbed, not what you would expect from someone who had just taken a life.

A sword that could kill─without due resolve─relinquishing nothing.

A katana did not choose who to kill.

But─it chose its owner.

In which case─she had killed Meisai Tsuruga.

And this road─Togame herself had chosen it.

She had walked too far along it to turn off or turn back.

If her resolve could be compromised by such trifling disturbances─she would have given it up long ago.

“Shichika─”

Togame stifled the emotion in her voice.

Swallowing her cowardice,60 she spoke with bravado.61

“Well done.”

1 鞘尻 SAYAJIRI butt end of the sheath 尻 SHIRI buttocks

2 無地 MUJI “no ground” not patterned

3 暗号 ANGŌ “obscure numeral”

4 鎖刀 KUSARI GATANA “chain katana” (not a real word, unlike kusarigama)

5 鎬造 SHINOGI ZUKURI sword having a long groove running near the ridge

6 三ッ棟 MITSUMUNE when the edges of the ridge are planed to form three longitudinal surfaces

7 小乱 KOMIDARE “minor riot”

8 二刀・十文字斬り NITŌ JŪMONJI GIRI slashing 十 JŪ, the two-stroke character for “ten,” using two swords

9 奪刀術 DATTŌJUTSU “sword-robbing technique”

10 御託を並べて GOTAKU WO NARABETE spouting cant; 御託 GOTAKU originally, oracular utterances

11 中段 CHŪDAN sword raised to stop a body blow

12 尋常に JINJŌ NI play fair

13 戦士 SENSHI warrior

14 機動力 KIDŌRYOKU mobility

15 地抜き JINUKI reverse display 地 JI (back)ground 抜き NUKI pulled out/pulling away

16 駆け引き KAKEHIKI dealing, horse trading

17 一刀・一文字斬り ITTŌ ICHIMONJI GIRI slashing 一 ICHI, the one-stroke character for “one,” using a single sword

18 二の太刀 NI NO TACHI “the second sword”

19 あふれている AFURETE IRU to be overflowing

20 ありふれている ARIFURETE IRU to be ubiquitous

21 圧殺 ASSATSU being crushed to death

22 地形効果・千刀巡り CHIKEI KŌKA SENTŌ MEGURI pun on 銭湯巡り SENTŌ MEGURI public-baths touring

23 場面回想 BAMEN KAISŌ to recollect scenes from the past

24 護神 GOSHIN guardians of the gods

25 護身術 GOSHIN JUTSU self-defense technique

26 護神術 GOSHIN JUTSU “god-guarding techniques” a pun on self-defense

27 空前絶後 KŪZEN ZETSUGO never before or since

28 言語道断 GONGO DŌDAN not an option

29 放浪児 HŌRŌJI “wandering child”

30 戦災孤児 SENSAI KOJI a child whose parents fell victim to war

31 弱き女たち YOWAKI ON’NA TACHI “women, who are weak” or “women in weak positions”

32 改心 KAISHIN “renewed heart”

33 根城 NEJIRO “root castle” base of operations

34 全否定 ZEN HITEI complete negation

35 行動原理 KŌDŌ GENRI behavioral principle

36 政治家 SEIJIKA politician; the JFK allusion that follows is the author’s and not a localization

37 渡りに船 WATARI NI FUNE a boat at a river crossing

38 危ない橋 ABUNAI HASHI “dangerous bridge” common figure of speech for a risky venture

39 伊達に DATE NI for show

40 根回し NEMAWASHI “spreading roots” often used to mean “getting people on board beforehand”

41 無益な殺生 MUEKI NA SESSHŌ (set phrase) killing living things when there is no benefit

42 武士道 BUSHIDŌ the samurai code

43 戦利品 SENRIHIN spoils of war

44 最後通牒 SAIGO TSŪCHŌ “final notification” translation of the Western word used in int’l relations

45 共同合作 KYŌDŌ GASSAKU joint effort, collaborative work

46 愛用 AIYŌ “lovingly used”

47 瑕疵 KASHI flaw; blemish

48 あとの祭り ATO NO MATSURI “post-festival”

49 窮屈 KYŪKUTSU hemmed in

50 偽装 GISŌ “fake attire” disguise, camouflage

51 魑魅魍魎 CHIMI MŌRYŌ evil spirits of the hills and streams

52 矛盾 MUJUN “spear shield” (the word alludes to an imaginary contest between a spear that pierces all shields and a shield that blocks all spears)

53 人斬り包丁 HITOKIRI BŌCHŌ “man cleaver”

54 虐げられる SHIITAGE RARERU to be oppressed overtone of 虐待 GYAKUTAI abuse

55 確信 KAKUSHIN “definite belief”

56 空中一刀・億文字斬り KŪCHŪ ITTŌ OKUMONJI GIRI (空中 KŪCHŪ midair, in the sky) slashing 億 OKU, the many-stroked character for “hundred million,” using one aerial sword

57 単純にして明快 TANJUN NI SHITE MEIKAI clear and simple; often just 単純明快 TANJUN MEIKAI

58 鏡花水月 KYŌKA SUIGETSU “Mirror Flower, Water Moon” i.e. reflections, the mere image

59 自分勝手 JIBUN KATTE doing as one pleases

60 弱気 YOWAKI “weak ki” timid

61 強気 TSUYOKI “strong ki” bold