Swordsmanship.
The single word ‘swordsmanship’ spans an enormous range, as there are often several schools of swordsmanship for every single kind of sword, and there are truly an enormous variety of swords.
Especially for Japan, even after the introduction of the gun, swordsmanship continued developing, such that around the Edo era there were said to be 700-some schools in existence.
In contrast, in the West, the development of the gun and gunpowder caused swords to become obsolete, and now the innumerable lost techniques are topics of debate for historians and researchers.
Well then, as for Graios-san who came from a world similar in culture to the West, his fighting style was developed and polished in battlefields, and cannot be said to be elegant at all.
Kicking is only the beginning. Using the sword in his left hand to suppress his opponent’s sword and then punching using his right hand, headbutt as a feint and then actually biting his opponent’s face. He pretty much does whatever he wants.
But with that said, he normally spars against people that he can’t hurt, such as Adachi-kun and the young Yayoi-san, so he reins in that kind of fighting.
Then what would happen if he had a practice opponent against who he does not have to hold back, who it wouldn’t be a problem to reduce to tattered rags?
“…… I understand now that I have severely underestimated the thing called ‘fighting.’”
Currently reflected in the eyes of the shivering nekomimi samurai is a former ikemen collapsed into a tragic heap.
It is the son of a duke from Fitzgald Empire, Roman-san. The protective gear that he was half-forced to put on is now ripped to the point where it serves as much purpose as him being naked, and it would be more difficult to find a spot on his body that is not bruised or hurt in any way.
Then there’s the former emperor who, despite looking unfazed, is actually sweating cold sweat with the realization that he probably went too far.
Apparently because Roman-san made a display that could be reflected as his motherland’s shame, Graios-san drove himself a little beyond what his age would recommend.
Yayoi-san’s poke evoked a quiver, so fortunately he’s still alive.
“What to do about this degozaru?”
“Ahh, I believe Shiina is proficient in healing magic?”
“Do you intend to bring this back as is degozaru? When she sees this, Shiina-dono would most probably drop her thunder on you degozaru.”
Yayoi-san is nonchalantly treating Roman-san pretty horribly with the pronoun choice, but what she is concerned about is a valid worry.
This is the Shiina-san who controls herself with an iron fist. If she learns of Graios-san forgetting himself while ‘Enjoy & Exciting!’-ing, she would for sure drop thunder (magic) on his head while still smiling.
“…… Yayoi. Weren’t you an exchange student at the Magic Academy?”
“You are turning to me now? I am specialized in combat magic, and am not so good at healing magic degozaru. But well alright, let me give it a try. Oh goddess, please show your mercy and listen to our lamentation.”
Despite grumbling about it, Yayoi-san immediately begins chanting as if she’d already expected this to happen.
When she concentrates, the nekomimi that twitch and rotate around as if searching her surroundings are lovely as usual. But she’s concentrating so let’s not touch them, no matter how cute their are.
“——Please envelope your hands around these wounds and grant healing to those who have been struck down.”
As she finishes her chanting, she holds out her hands, and a gentle light envelops Roman-san and heals his wounds.
“Uu…… this place is…… I thought I had died from the torture of a devil from hell.”
“Who’s a devil huh?”
Then Roman-san immediately steps on a landmine right after coming to. The anger gauge of the former emperor that should have already emptied out entirely is once again ignited.
“…… Were you the one who saved me?”
“Umu. We couldn’t very well leave you like that. If you’ve learned your lesson this time, be more mindful of your speech and conduct from here on de—”
“…… Goddess.”
“—goza?!”
Roman-san’s sudden retarded comment causes Yayoi-san to reflexively draw back with both ears and tail ruffled.
“Gold and blue. Despite containing a beast-like sharpness within those pupils, within her dwells true mercy and benevolence. Ahh, my goddess! This very moment, I have met my destiny!”
“I highly recommend that you take that cheap destiny of yours and flush it down a toilet degozaru.”
Roman-san is brandishing his arms and gesturing like the main character of some play, but the Yayoi-san who is currently in love cooldown mode from a recent heartbreak merely calmly tsukkomi-s him.
The sharp difference in temperature is almost enough to generate a tornado.
Miina-san’s popularity was the fault of Aphrodite-sama’s blessing, but apparently Roman-san’s ease of falling in love was all him from the very start.
The hardships of his former fiancée Wilhelmina-san can be imagined. Who can fault her for making a guts pose upon learning of her fiancé’s sudden disappearance?
“Oh, goddess. If it pleases you, please allow me to kiss the back of your hand.”
“I absolutely refuse degozaru.”
“Ohh! How modest you are! Then at the very least, please lend your ears to my song of love, oh beautiful one!”
“Graios-san, please pass me the shinai.”
“There’s no need to be reserved. Here’s a wooden sword.”
Yayoi-san calmly takes a stance with the wooden sword while facing the Roman-san whose passion has begun to burst into flames. The second round between the deplorable ikemen and the nekomimi samurai has just begun.
Today, too, Japan is at peace.
・
・
・
“…… What is with him? Is it Afro’s doing again?”
“Unfortunately, this is his normal self.”
Amaterasu-san is repulsed at Roman-san’s unbearable spectacle, while Tsukuyomi-sama calmly confirms the unfortunate truth.
Aphrodite-sama has gotten the reputation of interfering where she’s not needed, but this time she is innocent.
“But what with Afro and Ishtar1, why do deities of love cause so much trouble? …… We don’t have a deity of love, right?”
“We don’t, so you can rest assured.”
Though some might find it surprising, the Japanese pantheon truly does not have any deities of love, despite having ones for matchmaking.
There is a goddess who goes by the name of Ehime2, but the character for ‘love’ in her name is because she is lovely and not because she governs over love.
“More like, it’s not just deities of love, all gods and goddesses cause trouble frequently right?”
“Please don’t remind me. I’ll lose confidence in my own existence!!”
Tsukuyomi-sama is his usual calm and yuri-loving self, while Amaterasu-sama is her usual easy-to-tease self.
Today, too, Takamagahara is at peace.
1 Ishtar, also called Inanna, apparently did a ton of shit, including stealing, taking over the domains of other deities, destroying things, killing others, and is portrayed in the Epic of Gilgamesh as a spoiled and hot-headed femme fatale who demands Gilgamesh become her consort.
2 According to legend, Izanagi and Izanami birthed the eight islands of Japan, the second one being Iyo-no-futana-no-shima (ie. Shikoku), who had four faces, one of which is Ehime. Wikipedia