Chirururu
On a certain early summer day at 4 PM. The heat in the mountains was already stifling, like it was torturing the whole body. Ichika thought the unusually flowing sweat was due to the hot weather.
‘This is the last set…!’
Before the intense training, warming up the lower and upper body was the routine done in the early dawn before the orphans woke up and in the afternoon after elementary school classes. While other kids carrying randoseru were holding their parents’ hands and going out to play, Ichika was training in an old temple.
“Thirty… four!… Thirty-five!”
Shudder shudder
“Phew… Th-thirty-six!”
In an era where people worldwide could communicate via the internet and know what’s happening on the other side of the Earth in real-time, the old monk living in the dilapidated temple in Osaka, devoid of any electricity, lay on the tatami and scratched his belly.
“Th-thirty… seven!”
A little kid whose head barely reached the waist of an adult man repeatedly practiced the squat position taught by the old monk. If it were the method passed down from the old monk’s youth, he would have had to learn to endure the horse stance for hours, but…
‘…What’s so great about the old method that only wrecks their knees.’
Even during the time when the old monk’s eyebrows were as dark as ink, he couldn’t properly preserve any internal strength techniques, merely following the old training methods that gnawed at his joints. Now, the once vigorous warrior era had completely vanished, replaced by the clouds now hovering above his sky-colored brows.
The distinction between internal and external strength had disappeared.
The distinction between swords and knives was meaningless.
The divide between orthodox and unorthodox schools was laughable.
And beneath the madness of the times, the ending was in vain.
That was the last experience the old monk had with the martial world.
‘Futile… It’s all futile.’
The old monk had no intention of turning the foolish kid he was about to teach into a moron who only knew the old ways, nor did he wish to teach the rigid rules of his sect. It was possible because the old monk, having fled from China to Japan long ago, had opened his eyes and ears.
In an age of madness where poverty was blamed on everything old and everything old was being obliterated,
the old monk was the last warrior who had escaped from that madness.
“Kid, why are you doing that?”
“Th-thirty… thirty… Ah, I forgot! I need to concentrate when doing leg workouts!”
From the day the girl had secretly watched the old monk train alone and entered the temple asking to be taught, he had never seen her properly remember the number of warm-up reps.
“Then why are you voluntarily doing something so tough? It’s already been two years.”
“Uh? Because it’s fun.”
“What’s so fun about it? Aren’t you at an age to be sharing snacks and chatting with friends while rolling around trying to catch butterflies in a flower garden, wondering what you’re going to do tomorrow while basking in the sunset?”
“You really sound like an old man.”
“Hey!”
Smack!
“Ouch?!”
As a joke, the old monk flicked his thumb, and a forgotten peanut came flying out, striking the kid right on the head. Once something he took pride in, that technique was now merely used to tease a spoiled child.
“Ugh, that actually hurt more than I expected!”
“Hey, brat, why are you training in martial arts?”
“I told you it’s fun!”
Ichika wiped her completely sweaty face with the hem of her T-shirt and laughed.
Like a sunflower blooming on a summer day, her smile was refreshing.
“It’s fun to do one more squat than yesterday!”
Loudly, like a cicada that had been buried in the ground for two years, her cheerfulness rang out.
“It’s fun to do one more pushup than yesterday!”
Her laughter was as clear as a summer sky with not a single cloud in sight.
“It’s super fun to throw punches and kicks more accurately than yesterday!”
“….”
“I feel refreshed and like I could fly with freedom!”
What meaning was there in martial arts?
‘Just let your heart lead you wherever it wants.’
The truth that came as an answer to the foolish question sent a shiver through him.
Seeing the girl’s smile made the old monk’s heart ache.
“…You are right.”
＊
“Uh…?!”
“Shh. Be quiet. [Sword] is still nearby.”
One of the magical girls from China, Lina of [Amki], who was just fighting against [Sword]’s magical girl, whispered to Ichika with a grim expression. Ichika, who had just awakened from fainting, gasped for breath and instinctively reached out her left arm to get up.
Flap
But only the blood-soaked sleeve carelessly sliced through the air. Seeing her empty sleeve with a bitter expression, Ichika mumbled as if to swallow her frustration.
“…Damn. With that much setup, I thought we could hold it off even if we couldn’t win.”
She had sent all the citizens to shelters and spent the night laying traps and weapons with the magical girls’ magic. Ichika herself thought it would be difficult to get through all this. Plus, there were soldiers who were on full alert through a state of emergency.
“…I can’t face the dead kids.”
Among the 12 magical girls who supported the fight against [Sword], six had families in Shanghai and made desperate charges, alongside [Amki]’s cover. Also, the magical girl of [Harmony], Lee Meirin, had mobilized all her sound wave auxiliary magic to be heard throughout Beijing, but it was all blocked.
Ten thousand black swords decorated the sky.
They flew down upon the group, each wielding different sword techniques as if they possessed their own will.
The pressure felt like fighting against ten thousand swordsmen.
The magical girl of [Sword] pierced through the sky net set by the Chinese government and magical girls in Beijing with laughter, slowly destroying every facility related to the government.
‘I couldn’t see any way forward, even with my fighting instinct.’
The only thing that reached [Sword], floating and riding a sword high above Beijing’s sky, was Ichika’s fist. Despite trying to narrow down her fighting instinct and draw it into the green storm domain, holding off [Sword]’s magical girl for even thirty minutes was the limit.
“…You cannot stop me.”
Finally, after a fierce battle, Ichika fainted in shock after losing an arm, allowing Lina to escape while making a desperate shot with all the starlight.
“…I requested support from our main force in Russia. I heard the situation there has been somewhat resolved.”
“What about the leader? He should be able to come right away.”
“[Start]’s magical girl has stopped the nuclear threats from Russia and the USA… and then lost contact.”
“Damn.”
It felt grim.
Ichika squeezed her eyes shut with a sigh. Seeing this, Lina quietly surveyed the area.
Wooooosh
Bang bang bang bang bang
The sky over Beijing was foggier and darker today due to the buildings that had been crumbling uncontrollably. Thousands of black swords relentlessly chased the magical girls, pressing the soldiers and girls like a black net.
Shwaaat!
Shwaaat!
It was the sound of the black swords that had killed those in Shanghai that day.
Creak
Lina felt pathetic for hiding helplessly, even though the user of that sword was right in front of her, having harmed her comrades and innocent people. If this continued, [Sword]’s magical girl could hurt more innocent people with her attacks near the shelter.
Lina was only anxious as she couldn’t even imagine the path [Sword] was attempting to take.
“Hey. Lina.”
“What?”
“What’s something in China that would really piss you off if it got destroyed?”
“…….”
There were too many things.
How many people lived in Beijing, and it was the capital of a colossal nation named China. The city’s infrastructure had already been so thoroughly destroyed by [Sword]’s magical girl passing through that it was hard to even guess what was left.
“Too many.”
“Forget about strategies or important facilities. What’s a place so surprising that everyone would faint if she just put a flag there?”
“…….”
Lina had something in mind.
“Forbidden City.”
“The Forbidden City?”
“Let’s respond from there.”
“Can we manage that on our own?”
After all, [Sword] had effortlessly shattered numerous traps, military forces, and even the magical girls’ desperate resistance.
And Ichika, the magical girl of [Freedom], had lost an arm.
“Doesn’t it seem like we have no chance at all?”
“Our purpose wasn’t to win against her from the start. It was to stall for time as much as possible.”
“…….”
“What if we have to do something insane to draw her attention?”
“…Follow me. I’ll guide you.”
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