บท 86: This Is No Longer Sparring
Taking in a deep breath, Mitsuna thought.
'I think this would be a good time to upgrade my style.'
She supported her sword with her left hand, holding the middle section of the blade with her fingers.
Dashing towards Natash, Mitsuna thrust her sword by pushing the pommel with her right hand, still supporting it with her left hand. Missing the mark just as predicted, Mitsuna turned the sword using her right hand by turning the pommel.
Pushing with her left hand, Mitsuna managed to scratch Natash who didn't see the sudden horizontal slash coming.
Backstepping the slash of Natash's scythe, Mitsuna was forced on the defensive.
Blocking the sword strikes while dodging the scythe, Mitsuna kept supporting her sword's blade with her left hand.
While enduring the onslaught of attacks, Mitsuna missed a step as she backed away and started falling.
Seeing Natash's scythe heading for her eyes, Mitsuna blocked it with her sword.
As she hit the ground, she kicked at Natash's legs and made some distance.
Checking her sword, she found that it had been chipped.
'Tch. I just got it.'
Getting back to her stance, Mitsuna raised her sword while supporting the blade.
Raising the sword near her neck, she crouched down a little.
'I got a little time here. I need to use my aura more efficiently. Right now we are only exchanging blows, no Techniques.'
Closing her eyes and focusing, Mitsuna pulled on her aura and made it cover her blade.
A slight dark blue and orange glow appeared on it.
Opening her eyes, Mitsuna took a glance at her blade.
'This is awful, if teacher were to see this I would be on hunting duty for a year. Just pulling on it doesn't do much. Sigh, I need to train my aura more.'
Looking back at Natash, Mitsuna noticed her stance. It was... different.
The scythe increased in length and blade shape, making it a different weapon entirely.
Natash stood with her knees bent a little, her back was straight. Her left hand held her sword straight, pointing it forwards while the scythe's blade was resting on the guard.
'Thank the gods that our swords are wooden. Although I don't know about her scythe.' Mitsuna thought with a chuckle.
Waiting for Natash to attack, Mitsuna lost the smile on her face as she completely focused on the fight.
'Alright.'
Natash crouched down, her hands still holding her weapons in the same way. She jumped with all her strength and launched towards Mitsuna.
Replying to her charge, Mitsuna started sprinting while slightly changing the angle of her sword.
Moments before the collision, Natash smashed the ground with her leg and suddenly changed direction slightly.
As fast as she could, Mitsuna yet again slightly changed the angle of her sword.
The collision was avoided as they both passed each other.
Standing up, Mitsuna turned around. The clothes on her upper half had a large gash that revealed her stomach up to her left shoulder.
Mitsuna did not retain any injuries.
Natash on the other hand had a similar wound and a slight cut that drew blood.
'Looks like my accuracy is pretty good.'
Getting back into her stance, Mitsuna glanced at a new notification.
['Accuracy' has been implemented into Sword Style: Cresent.]
[Sword Style: Cresent 1/7
Effect 1, Accuracy: It is difficult for your opponent to dodge your attacks.
+40% Accuracy in all activities.]
'That's nice.' Mitsuna thought as she focused back on Natash.
Seeing her turn around with a small cut on her chest, Mitsuna lowered her weapon.
'Looks like the aura helped a little at least.'
"Okay, Nat. Now is definitely my win."
"..."
"Oh, and do me a solid and don't tell teacher about how I used aura." Mitsuna stuck her tongue out as she approached Natash.
Placing her sword on her belt, Mitsuna held out her hand.
Natash received it warmly. Mitsuna helped her up and received a hug.
"I'm sorry, yes. So, so sorry, yes."
"Nat? Are you okay?"
"The... the voice... it wouldn't stop. It kept demanding more. Forcing me to take... 'that'. Teacher... she... she."
Patting her head, Mitsuna comforted her.
"It's fine. It's fine. When teacher comes back I'm sure you can make up nicely."
Even though Natash was taller and Mitsuna was facing Natash's shoulder, she still comforted her and let her rest her head on her shoulder. Mitsuna was standing on her toes to let that happen.
'Does she have an illness? Like schizophrenia? She doesn't seem fine.'
"She... Teacher can't."
"Can't?"
"She isn't coming... back. I- I..."
"What do you mean?"
"..."
Holding the sniffling Natash's shoulders, Mitsuna asked again.
"Natash? What do you mean she can't come back."
Looking at Natash who was hiding her face, Mitsuna was going to ask again but Natash suddenly turned eerily silent.
"..."
"..."
Mitsuna felt heat in her arm.
Looking down she found a scythe piercing her arm.
Pushing Natash away, Mitsuna jumped back.
"What the hell?! Nat!"
Natash's eyes lost their shine and now only held yet black eyes.
Feeling a crumbling sensation, Mitsuna looked at her arm only to see it slowly shattering.
Holding it tightly with her other hand, her sword fell to the ground.
Mitsuna looked at Natash in a mix of emotions.
...
A while back. I was lost in the forest. Before that... I don't remember much. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.
I am named Natash. While I was lost and starving, a boar had found me and tried to attack.
At that moment I was saved by a little girl.
She took me to a lone house owned by an angel.
I found out her name was Mitsuna. I like her.
Mitsuna was living with her teacher. She later told me that her parents sent her here, maybe they hated her and wanted to get rid of her? I felt pity.
Her teacher showed me her sword skills and I was amazed. It was crazy. Beautiful and elegant, fast and strong. I wanted to be like that.
Mitsuna's teacher was amazing. She offered to teach me and I accepted. Now Mitsuna's teacher was also my teacher.
For a while, I and Mitsuna trained together. Although it was hard, it was also very fun to see each other grow. Like... sisters.
On one day, our teacher gave us a difficult task. It revolved around stamina.
I could do it within a few tries thanks to my unique skill. It made it so that every time I fail at something, I either gain a skill or one of my skills get stronger.
Mitsuna took her time as she rested for a long while, I was worried she would fail but during the last few minutes, she completed it without much trouble.
It was great to see her do well. I felt like a proud big sister... but for some reason, I felt something else. I wanted to fight her and I did not know why.
That was when the voice showed up.
It told me that it was... higher than god?
It... told me to... hurt others. Kill them.
I did not want to listen.
After a while. During my second week with my... family. The voice... gave me something.
It was a fruit.
It told me to eat it. It told me that the apple was my last chance.
When I tried to refuse, the apple turned to a mist and attacked me. Before I could make a noise, it entered me.
Afterwards, I noticed something change.
My status was strange and a lot bigger. And my mind. It... hurt.
For some reason, after the voice made me take the apple, I suddenly wanted to fight. To... Kill.
My Style changed. It was named [Death].
I started training out in the forest where I couldn't hurt anyone. I was scared to use my Techniques. I didn't know if those changed as well.
At one point, I returned home in tears. I was scared. Luckily no one noticed.
I didn't want others to find out. And somewhere in my heart, I felt.....
At one point. My teacher confronted me. She said I was acting weird. She said my Style was different to what I had stated.
I was going to try to explain why I had to lie. But the look in her eyes sturred something.
A picture of my past flashed up and I was filled with anger.
I stormed out and saw Mitsuna. Something in my heart started to hurt.
I couldn't stop my own mouth from moving.
'I' challenged her to a spar.
I had little control over my body. The voice hadn't spoken to me in a while but I still felt its presence.
During the night time of Sunday. I woke up my teacher and challenged her to a spar.
We went deep in the forest to avoid waking Mitsuna up. She was sleeping so well, I didn't want to disturb her.
After starting, I couldn't keep up.
I pushed myself to the limit and was slowly catching up. At one point I noticed her smile.
The spar lasted for a long while, almost until dawn.
We had exchanged a few blows but nothing serious.
Teacher then used a Technique. We had refrained from them for a while but I guess she wanted to get it over with.
She swung her sword and the hit landed.
I didn't expect it. It hurt. More than when she forced those memories into my head.
Maybe that was the reason for all this... suffering.
In the spur of the moment, I swung my sword and my Technique hit her in the stomach.
The same Technique hit the surrounding trees. It was an illusionary slash that travelled through air. Since it was an illusion it didn't do any physical damage, only mental. But even mental damage can still drain your Health.
The trees surrounding the area turned to dust. The trees have minds of their own as well it seemed.
And teacher, she. She took longer.
She coughed up blood.
In fear. I don't remember if it was fear of myself or... the voice, I ran. Home.
I sat down and tried to calm down.
After a while, I accepted what happened. I- I somehow felt relieved.
Mitsuna woke up so we went to the same location.
Teacher was still there, alive. But thanks to Illusions, Mitsuna could not see her. In fact, she hopped right over her.
During the fight, I felt the same way as I did with teacher.
Mitsuna wasn't stronger or faster. She wasn't as talented either. She just had more skill than she led on.
During our last exchange, I received a blow that drew blood.
Something snapped. And so did something else.
I broke down, my illusions disappeared. Although Mitsuna failed to notice, I think.
Even though I had been a terrible person, a killer, Mitsuna comforted me.
She really is kind.
I told her what happened. Or at least, I tried.
But before I could fully explain, I heard the voice again.
And this time, it was loud.
My mind changed.
The voice no longer asked me to do anything. It ordered me.
And I could not fight back.
The emotions I felt were amplified.
Every thought I had was no longer speculation but in my mind, it was fact. Fact that I could not argue against. I did not know why.
Mitsuna said her family sent her here. They hate her. She hates them. I hate them.
Teacher didn't trust me. She is evil.
Mitsuna won't forgive me. She is mean.
I need to leave. I need money for that.
Sell things. Sell people.
I got hurt. I need to be stronger. I need to kill.
I made a scythe of illusions and stabbed Mitsuna.
The effect was immediate just like with the trees.
I didn't want her to die. She was my sister. That thought pulled through.
I cut off her arm that I had stabbed with my wooden sword.
She screamed in pain.
I felt a calling.
A calling to the South.
I left.
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