「Ahh…」
In Excelara, the only city-state existing in the great desert, a parched voice bringing to mind the desert’s dry winds leaked from the man’s lips. He was a thin man reminiscent of an ancient tree that had already dried up centuries ago, withered and thin yet still eluding a sturdy and robust presence.
On the man’s well-tanned skin, other than his bones and veins, the only things you can see are his minimal, yet well-tempered muscles peeking through. The white dougi and hakama he is clad in seem as though they are his burial clothes yet at the same time they also seems as though they are a priest’s pure garments. He sits still on a 5 x 5 wooden flooring, carrying a katana blade on his hand.
The man thinks back on his life.
He was born as a slave without even the knowledge of his own parents and was severely oppressed until the day of his escape. He was born in this world as a being without the common blessing known as Skills, a Blank. Even after his escape, he stole, robbed and begged, living the life no proper man can be proud of. His only salvation was that he was never driven to do more heinous acts.
To this kind of man, the one who showed him the path he must take was a swordsman from another world. Demonstrating great knowledge surpassing the kings and nobility, and the techniques and technology that enables one to achieve various things without relying on Skills. Having been exposed to these, from that day on the man looked upon the otherworldly swordsman as his master and accompanied them in their various travels.
During his training with the sword, the man had freed beastkin, Blanks, slaves and many others that were oppressed. Ignoring whether or not his means were right or wrong, among them he had found many comrades and his two beloved children. For his children, and for his comrades, the man created this city. Giving all the homeless a home to return to and giving the oppressed a place to live as freemen.
There were good times, and there were bad times. There were happy times, and there were sorrowful time. He had done many proud deeds, and also some deeds that he could never be proud of. But even among these, the creation of this city was his greatest pride.
The more he looks back, the more he truly realizes that he had spent half of his life in building up this city.
However, that time has now ended. The man had already left this city to his son, daughter and his comrades. With this city, he no longer has any business left. And more importantly, his body is already reached its limit.
「Fuu…」
The man slow exhales. As though he’s polishing of the excess power from the last reserves of his body, it was a breath that would send chills to anyone who beholds it. It was as though it was the man’s final breath, a counterpart to a newborn’s first cry.
In the eyes of the man that built this large city-state in this desolate land, there dwells still an unquenched thirst as he started standing on his feet. His movements were extremely smooth, and on his hand is a blade resting in its purple scabbard.
「…」
He no longer made a sound and even his breath has returned to its normal slow pace. The man feels joy in dedicating his few remaining time to the sword. After all, it is what he had devoted his the other half of his life to.
He draws the blade he has spent half a century with and fastened its scabbard to his sash. Armed with the cold gleaming sword, the man’s blood started boiling from within.
Ahh, how fun! Grasping a sword, swinging a sword, being in combat, it’s too much fun!
In his body, his unbecoming excitement and his elderly composure gets absorbed into another whirlpool of power. Clad in a repulsively violent and divinely solemn air, the man slowly raises his sword.
The perfect sinlge stroke, Shiden Single Sword Style: Raindrop.
After halting for a single beat, the sword raised up high started to fall. Briskly and ferociously, with enough vigor to slay down even the gods, he swung down his sword. The blade falls smoothly unshaking, going even further beyond the realm of Masters, controlling even the smallest twitch of the body.
Suu…
It was a stroke that seemed to cut even the distant horizon and following it was an extremely modest sound unfitting of this stroke. As though air, sound or even time itself was cut, silence fell. Eventually, the man relaxed, releasing the tension, and gracefully sheathed his sword.
「Fu…Fufu…fuhahahahaha! Ha ha ha ha ha!」
The man wildly laughed. He laughed exceedingly happily, as though he’s going to use up the remaining embers of his extinguished power. He was staring at right before him, at the approximate space where the sword’s point probably touched.
「Ha ha ha ha! I won.. I defeated Master! Ha ha ha ha ha!」
What the man was staring at was not just any empty space. On that space, an unnatural spectacle certainly exists. It was a thin cut floating on nothing but empty air. The swaying faint seven colored scar is the proof that the man’s sword cut open a rift in space. It was a stroke that cut the open the space that even his Master thought was impossible.
「I should name it the Shiden Single Sword Style: Raindrop Variant: Rainbow Drop.」
Smiling to himself, satisfied with a cheap name that his pupils would be bewildered at, he finally used up the last of his strength and collapsed.
「Instructor! Are you alright, Instructor!?」
Reacting to the sound of his cinder-light body hitting the floor, a faraway voice called for him. It was a young girl’s voice.
「Instructor…!」
With almost enough force to break the sliding doors, a girl entered the small room. It was a beastkin girl having indigo blue hair plaited with a rouge string.
「Someone, call brother! Call the bishop and the Medical Chief too! Hurry!!」
The girl ran to the man and helped him up. She yelled to the top of her lungs, calling for someone to help. Perhaps surprised by her scream, the pupils training in the other rooms started to show signs of flustered movement.
「Haha… Nazuna, look.」
The man disregards the flustered girl’s concern and with his thin boney finger, he points to the empty sky.
「T, Thats!」
Seeing the still visible wound floating in space, a surprised voice escaped from the girl’s lips. However, there was no sign of confusion in her voice. From a few years back, she already had the somewhat absurd hunch that, if it’s her teacher, he would someday probably be able to at least do so.
「I’ve finally beaten Master…」
「Yes, you did it!」
The girl nods while helping his body to her knees and casted Heal on him. However, she soon stopped her spell. Realizing from her teacher’s light weight and her Healing Magic’s lack of response, the girl was unable to hold back her tears.
「Don’t cry, Nazuna… I want you to be happy…」
「Y, yes. Of course, I’m happy…!」
「I could only reach this far… If it’s you and Kariya, you can do much…*cough*」
Before the man could finish, he choked. A deep colored liquid flowed from his pale colored lips.
「Instructor!?」
「*cough*cough*… We’re still at the dojo right now, but let’s make this an exception, okay?」
The girl immediately realized the meaning of his sudden words. He’s telling her to forget about the dojo’s rules just for this occasion.
「Yes, tousan!」
The girl gently wiped her father’s mouth with a handkerchief.
「Tousan, brother’s going to arrive very soon. The bishop and the Medical Chief are coming too. Please don’t worry, everything is going to be fine!」
Large drops of tears spill from the girl’s eyes. She herself understands that even the bishop and the Medical Chief can no longer help his condition. Still, she couldn’t stop saying so.
「Nazuna… I’ve ended up, having to give you, the most painful job…」
「Please don’t mind, please allow me handle it.」
「Take it.」
The man nudged the sword in his hand to the girl. He has no longer any power left to even lift it.
「The Mayumigiri Tsunamori!?」
This sword is not one of the imperfect katanas that this city worked hard to reproduce. It was one that his Master brought to this world, a genuine katana from another world. His Master proudly boasted that this was a work of an unparalleled genius who left the Koaoe faction and forged blades while travelling the world. Its name was said to have originated from the fact that the blade was able to fell a Mayumi tree with a single slash.
「The other one in my study… Kagumomaru Tsugane… please, give it to Kariya.」
His Master’s favorite sword Kagumomaru was the work of the son of Tsunamori, the creator of the Mayumigiri, Tsugane. Its name came from the rippling pattern on its blade, looking as though they were rolling clouds.
「From now on, you are Ooshi Blade Arts… and Kariya is Shiden's Head Instructor.」
「Yes, understood…!」
「Kariya liked the outside… right? And Nazuna… you like it here… right?」
「Ug… a…」
An incomprehensible wail left the girl’s lips and disappeared to the sky. Her brother certainly does prefer being outside the city and she certainly does prefer staying inside. The Shiden Sword Style is the swordsmanship from another world, in its nature is wandering and the promotion of its teachings. Ooshi Blade Arts a style that the man devolved by incorporating Magic into Shiden Sword Style, and it duty is to serve as the pillar of Excelara’s technology. It's clear to anyone, that the man’s bestowal of the blades are already intended to be his final words.
「Fu…」
The man gently smiles.
「I left clues… behind the hanging scroll…」
Up until now, the man had, hidden the school’s book of secrets in various places. What he gave to them were only keys. The process of finding them is yet another part of their training.
「We will definitely find it all! We’ll inherit and spread the teachings! We will definitely succeed your will!」
「Really…? Thank you… but, please don't forget… your own happiness…」
Hearing the hurrying footsteps from afar, the man felt his heart overflow with regret. He wanted to see his son for the last time. It was his only regret.
「Nazuna… take care of Kariya… He doesn't look like it… but he’s pretty fragile, you know…」
Every breath he takes burns the remaining embers of his life. So just being alive needed this much energy, huh. Belated as it may, he man was surprised at this realization.
「I haven’t done… anything father-like but… Nazuna… Kariya… I love you.」
Saying the last words he wanted to say the most, the man’s flame of life disappeared.
「I love you too, tousan… I love you! I… I… uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!」
The girl’s loud cry could be heard even at dojo’s main street. Before anyone could notice, the sound of flustered footsteps had disappeared. In its place, the rare sound of raindrops started to be heard in the city.
The man’s name is Excel Jin Miyama
He was the Assistant instructor of Shiden Single Sword Style and the founder and Head Instructor of Ooshi Blade Arts.
He was the man who created a city-state in the Great Desert and introduced the world to the fresh concept of technology.
And was a madman who would happily challenge the strongest of enemies with just a single sword.
This was the end of the journey of a man who fell in love with the katana.
Or maybe just its beginning…
Heya! Happy Anniversary to Me!
This is the first chapter for a new series, “The Scriptures of the God of Technology ~ The Girl, the Sword and the Ode of the Gods” written by Hitohibiki Itaru! Still from Narou.
I’m still technically on a break, just posted this as a gift (to myself)! So before anyone asks, no Succubus until I officially, properly come back, Sorry. Also, I have stocks on this, so unless I do the stupid (which I usually do) there won’t be any problems with both this and Succubus.
Well then, see you later~