Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 135: Martial Arts
In the forest at midnight, several shadows silently raced without a sound. These figures were clad in armor, each wielding a large spear, all identical in shape. Despite the long spears, which would typically be cumbersome in the forest, they handled them with skill and maintained their swift pace.
The armored figures suddenly changed direction in unison.
Ahead of them stood a creature known as magic eater, holding a mace-shaped staff. The staff was too short to be considered a club, roughly the length of one arm.
As the armored figures closed in, they raised their spears in unison.
In response, the magic eater gripped the staff tightly, preparing for what was to come.
A tense atmosphere filled the space between the two parties.
Unfazed by the overwhelming pressure of the confrontation, a young man stepped out from the forest.
It was Lucius.
“This magic eater wields a staff, huh? That makes it five confirmed weapon types: swords, spears, bows, shields, and staffs.”
Tonight, Lucius had already hunted down about 27 of these monsters, each one wielding one of these weapons. While there might be other types of weapons, it was certain that most of the monsters carried one of these five.
The first to move was the magic eater.
Gripping the end of the staff, it thrust it forward. The armored soldiers, who had been standing a distance away, quickly evaded. The ground where they had just been standing was gouged deeply, as if struck by a sharp stick.
—It’s using magic energy to launch an attack.
Creatures with magic bows also used their magic to turn it into arrows and shoot them. As for the monster, it appeared to be manipulating invisible magic energy with its staff as though it were a solid, extending rod.
Although the tip was invisible, it resembled Nyoibou, the magic staff of the Monkey King, Son Goku.
The monster continued its attack, now raising its staff and bringing it down hard on the stomach of one of the armored soldiers, sending it flying.
The armor’s stomach caved in with the force of the blow.
Was it a form of intimidation or a motivational act?
The monster let out a shrill, screeching scream.
However, the armored soldier showed no signs of pain.
The soldier, whose chest had been struck, grabbed the tip of the staff.
Since the magic energy had solidified, it was now something tangible that could be touched.
With the staff held in place, the magic eater could no longer move.
Seizing the opportunity, the other armored soldiers quickly closed the gap and pierced the monster with their spears.
The magic eater’s body dissolved into the air, and its staff turned into a mix of rusted iron and soil, returning to its original form as a magic weapon.
Lucius, who had been watching the entire sequence, looked up and saw the moon leaning toward the west.
If this continued, it would disrupt tomorrow’s plans.
Wasting time due to lack of sleep would serve no purpose.
—It’s time to call it a day.
Lucius left the forest alone.
When the trees casting dark shadows disappear, a large rocky mountain comes into view.
On the mountain, lights that seem to carry the breath of humans flicker here and there.
Below it stretches a void of darkness.
The great hole, wrapped in the night’s darkness, looks far more ominous than when seen during the day.
Lucius glares at the bottom of the great hole.
“………Something’s there.”
He doesn’t know exactly what it is.
During the day, he had been overwhelmed by the sight and had overlooked it.
What he feels are the discomfort in his eyes and a slight pain running through his left hand.
Chi You is on alert, and the Evil Dragon is stirred.
Though he senses something, Lucius proceeds towards the village of Musumura.
One day since arriving at the sanctuary.
So much has happened. He just wants to sleep like a log tonight.
From tomorrow, he’ll need to get down to serious business.
—
The next morning.
Lucius is in the yard, swinging his sword.
He never neglects his training in swordsmanship, spear fighting, and ritual arts.
This is the same even when traveling.
While he also practices archery and grappling when he has the tools and the opponent, he has neither right now.
The cool wind of early summer morning drifts.
Lucius swings his sword down, slicing through the air as though splitting the wind.
Straight, precise, and with no compromise.
“Nice swordsmanship.”
When he turns around, Pallavis is standing there.
He’s holding a large magic spear.
“Good morning, Pallavis-sama. Was I being too noisy?”
“No, I’ll join you in a bit. Also, just call me Pallavis.”
Pallavis walks slowly to stand before Lucius and then takes a stance with his magic spear.
Ad
“Join me in training.”
It looks like he’s serious.
The corners of Lucius’ mouth curl up.
This is just what he wanted. While solo practice is fine, sparring with someone is crucial.
Besides, it’s a great opportunity to assess the strength of a holy warrior from the Republic.
“I’m ready.”
“Anytime.”
Lucius steps forward and swings his sword.
An overhead strike.
Pallavis effortlessly avoids it with minimal movement.
— He’s good.
The exchange lasts for less than a fraction of a second.
Lucius realizes that Pallavis is an exceptionally skilled practitioner.
He shifts to a higher gear.
A rightward slash.
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This time, it’s an even sharper blow.
Pallavis deflects it lightly with the shaft of his spear.
Lucius ups the intensity.
Next is an upward cut.
Pallavis blocks it again with the shaft of his spear.
However, the spear shakes violently from the force exerted by Lucius’ sword.
Lucius himself is not using his full strength, but still…
— Strong.
It’s not just skillful.
It’s powerful.
Lucius, who has spent much time in battle, can sense this.
If Pallavis wanted to, he could likely retaliate.
Lucius steps back, and Pallavis taps his shoulder lightly with the tip of his spear and then speaks.
“Your swings are faithful to the basics. However, the way you link your slashes is practical and rough. It’s not the kind of swordsmanship meant to master the theory of the blade, but rather a sword swung to survive. Still, it’s well-formed.”
— He’s right.
Lucius learned how to fight when he was moving as a guerrilla in the mental world created by Samael.
“At least, you have two mentors. One taught you how to make use of your strengths, and the other taught you how to cover your weaknesses. That’s what I can tell.”
Lucius opens his eyes wide.
“How can you even tell that…?”
“Just a hunch. There were two slightly different styles of blade work mixed in your movements. Sometimes, it’s just a natural habit, so it’s not always accurate.”
“No, you’re correct. The first style I learned from my father and the second one was taught to me by someone named Yu.”
“I see. You should be grateful to those mentors. If they hadn’t truly cared about you, they wouldn’t have been able to teach you like that.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I see… Also, stop being too formal. I decided to go with the story that you’re my relatives from other parts of the Republic, so if you act too distant, it’ll be suspicious. It’s fine within the city, but it could raise suspicion with the people in the Holy Capital.”
“Understood… I’ll keep that in mind.”
Pallavis smiled broadly at Lucius.
“Lucius, can you channel magic into that magic sword?”
Lucius nodded in affirmation, and then he condensed a line of light on the blade of the sword, creating a shining edge.
“Nice flow and activation. It’s unfortunate that the sword’s magic is of an elemental type, though.”
“Flow and activation?”
“I see, the kingdom doesn’t know much about martial arts techniques. I suppose that’s to be expected.”
Pallavis casually drew symbols in the dirt with the tip of his spear.
Written in the dirt were five words: Flow, Activation, Unity, Seal, and Boundary.
“These five words are the techniques used in martial arts for handling magic weapons. ‘Flow’ is the technique of channeling magic into a magic weapon, the very basics. If this isn’t mastered, everything falls apart. As you know, when magic is infused into a magic weapon, its hardness, durability, and cutting ability all increase.”
“That makes sense, in a way.”
“‘Activation’ is that.”
Pallavis pointed to the line of light surrounding Lucius’s sword.
“This light?”
“That’s right. ‘Activation’ is the technique used to activate the magic properties of the weapon.”
“I see.”
Lucius looked at his magic sword. He had only thought of it as a sword with magic properties, but now he realized that there was a system of techniques behind it.
“Next, can you do ‘Unity’?”
“Unity? What’s that?”
“It’s the technique of incorporating the magic sword’s magic into your body. It’s a technique for body strengthening, healing, and magic sensing.”
—Incorporating the sword’s magic into my body?
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Lucius felt a sensation he had never experienced before. He had assumed that body-strengthening techniques couldn’t be used by humans. These were techniques that converted magic power into worldly strength, and they could only be activated within the bodies of monsters. Even if one contracted with a familiar, it shouldn’t work for a human.
—Could it be…?
The incredible movements of Pallavis he had seen yesterday—those were likely the result of body strengthening.
“I’ve never tried it,”
Lucius admitted.
“It’s simple. Just flow the magic into the sword, and then use the activation to return that magic to yourself.”
Pallavis explained.
“Got it.”
Lucius channeled magic into his sword. He tried to activate the spell inside it, feeling the sword subtly glow. Then, he tried to draw the magic back into his right hand while maintaining the activation.
But the result was just magic energy. He didn’t feel any changes in his body.
“How is it?”
“It seems like it didn’t work.”
“This is strange. If you can activate the ‘Activation’ step, you should be able to do ‘Unity’ naturally.”
Pallavis’s gaze sharpened. His eyes were fixed on the magic sword in Lucius’s hand.
“Lucius. Try channeling magic again.”
“Uh, yes.”
Lucius followed his instruction and channeled magic into the sword once more. Pallavis crouched down, closely watching the blade.
“Most likely, that sword… is dead.”