Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 3===

Who was this pretty boy who looked like Ushiwakamaru?

Besides, where was this place? Hatsune believed that her "simple" personality, capable of easily ignoring these questions, was her strength.

A terrifying trial was about to begin. These trivial details were inconsequential.

How to teach this arrogant boy a lesson was what she really should think about.

"I'd be a disgrace to my Tachibana ancestors if I allowed this relic to remain buried in obscurity."

Hatsune drew out the tachi he had given her.

Excessive trust in the opponent's goodwill would be very dangerous, so Hatsune swung the blade to test it.

The tachi felt fine to use. For example, if the rivet securing the tang was loose, the blade could slide out of the handle during a swing. Fortunately, there were no such problems.

Hatsune raised the tachi without worry.

Pointing the sword's tip at the handsome face of Ushiwakamaru (?), she said, "Let me test how good you are."

Then Hatsune dashed rapidly at the boy.

At the same time, she executed a lethal two-handed thrust, aimed to pierce the boy's beautiful face.

The opponent had lent his own weapon to Hatsune in a show of self-confidence. As a member of the Tachibana clan, Hatsune did not have the decency to show kindness to such an arrogant enemy. Reading Hatsune's offensive, the boy backed away to evade the tachi's tip.

"I'm in no position to criticize others..." The pretty boy said with a wry smile, "For a lass, you really have quite the fierce temper."

"What are you talking about? Fights are won by preemptive strikes!"

In showdowns between master swordsmen,	one seldom attacked lightly.

To avoid being counterattacked, there was a preference to let the opponent attack first, then find an opening to retaliate. This concept was known as ''go no sen'' in Japanese swordsmanship.

However, Hatsune had attacked right off the bat, everything be damned.

A lucky hit would have led to an immediate victory. This was also the principle of fighting with real swords.

"My clan hates biding time for an opening and not attacking."

"I actually agree on that point, but I think women should be a bit more demure."

"I've heard plenty of such nagging advice!"

While holding her own in the verbal exchange, Hatsune did not stop moving.

The boy had backed away and Hatsune chased after him.

Hatsune's high slash swept horizontally at the side of the boy's pretty face, but he evaded in the nick of time with a slight twist of his upper torso. Then Hatsune feigned an attack at his arm but actually executed a diagonal slash at his right shin. This strike was dodged too.

The boy moved sideways by an inch or so, once again evading with the slimmest of margins.

"Another one!"

"Hahaha. So here we have a vicious horse that kicks!"<!--じゃじゃ馬 also means shrew, unmanageable woman, etc, but I think a horse fits the kicking imagery better-->

Hatsune had switched to a low kick, intending to shatter the boy's kneecaps. The boy jumped back again, evading the kick.

So far, all her attacks had been one or two centimeters from striking the enemy.

Yet the boy was denying Hatsune success.

In addition to outstanding eyesight, he possessed animal-like speed and flexibility. Without natural talent, training alone would never attain this level of martial arts.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare his agile movements to a cat's or a monkey's. His reflexes and kinetic vision rivaled that of animals too.

"As expected of the Kurama tengu's disciple..."

As a young boy, Ushiwakamaru had mastered the arts of war under the tutelage of Kurama's great tengu.

Recalling the scene from noh theater, Hatsune used her own trump card.

Although it was not as lofty as "an ultimate secret technique," it was quite useful&mdash;

"Hiyahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh?"

The pretty boy showed a change in expression when he lightly dodged Hatsune's horizontal slash.

He finally put away his irreverent attitude. After attacking the boy in a rapid succession of left and right diagonal slashes, Hatsune switched to stabbing at his heart with a single-handed thrust.

The boy evaded all attacks deftly without complacency in his countenance.

He was no longer flaunting his confidence by dodging attacks by the slimmest of margins Instead, he maintained a distance of a few dozen centimeters to evade Hatsune's tachi.

"Your petty tricks are pretty amusing."

Glancing furtively at Hatsune's stance, the boy muttered to himself.

He was truly extraordinary to have seen through Hatsune's trick already. If Tachibana Hatsune was a sparrow chirping on a branch, he would be a phoenix soaring the sky. That was the massive disparity between them.

However, the disparity was not entirely impossible to bridge. It was too early to give up yet!

"How about this!?"

Hatsune entered a mid-level seigan stance, sweeping her sword at the boy sideways.

His defensive maneuver was even more impressive. Jumping swiftly in the air, he flew over Hatsune's slash lightly.

More unbelievably, he stepped on the tachi that was swinging towards him and leaped again from the back of the blade.

Then he ascended high into the air like a bird before somersaulting and landing behind Hatsune.

"!?"

"A pretty good idea. Too bad it doesn't work on me," said the boy casually.

Hatsune recalled a legend where Matsubayashi Henyasai, a master swordsman in the Edo period, had used a similar stunt.

Henya was a nickname that compared his speed and agility to a bat's.

"You jumped all over the place and confused that big guy Benkei too..." Hatsune sneaked a quick glance at her hands holding the tachi.

The boy had lent her a tachi with a handle measuring thirty centimeters or so. During the series of offensives earlier, Hatsune had slightly adjusted her grip's position with every strike.

"This isn't enough If even Musashibō Benkei's naginata failed to touch him."

Since the handle was thirty centimeters long, gripping the sword near the guard or towards the end would change the overall reach of the blade. Hence, Hatsune would slide along the handle before attacking, adjusting the position of her grip flexibly to make minor adjustments to the tachi's offensive reach.

This variability of ten-odd centimeters was surprisingly effective at disrupting an enemy's defensive instincts.

Experts with exceptional eyesight were especially sensitive to minute changes and thus even more easily affected. This was a practical combat technique that could only be used with a Japanese sword with a long handle.

Understanding their gap as martial artists, Hatsune licked her lips.

"Little lass, I will keep my earlier promise."

The pretty boy took out a fan from his bosom.

Rather than a metal fan with a steel frame, it was simply a Japanese paper fan. Without opening the fan, he stared at Hatsune.

"Wielding a sword against you would be a taint against my reputation.  However, know that I, Kurou Yoshitsune, am on a completely different level when armed."

Finally introducing his name and title, the pretty boy ceased all movement.

With a sharp expression, the boy exuded a calm and collected aura as he observed Hatsune's every move. Hatsune was a bit miffed that all he had taken out was a fan, but there was no helping that. Kurou Hougan had decided this was "plenty enough."

"Looks like I'll have to take a gamble and go all-out in offense..." Hatsune murmured and began to strategize.

However, all she could think of was what her friends had said. Masatsugu had said the final result ultimately depended on Tachibana Hatsune's own ability. The princess had commanded her to succeed without fail. Rikka believed that what truly mattered were one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier&mdash;

"Okay!"

Having made up her mind, Hatsune straightened her back.

Then she tossed away the tachi in her hand, dropping it into the river below the bridge.

"What the heck?"

"I can find a way without relying on this kind of thing."

Furthermore, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"Your turn to attack. I'm not going anywhere. Bring it on any time!"

"I never thought Japan would ever produce a idiot who'd brazenly speak to me like this."

The boy showed surprise but a smug smile surfaced on the corners of his lips.

The pretty boy with the name of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune approached with agile footwork. In front of Hatsune, he swung down the fan in his right hand with lightning speed.

The fan, a handicraft of wood and paper, struck Hatsune squarely on the head.

The sound of slicing could even be heard, normally not possible with a fan.

"Owww!?"

The violent impact shook Hatsune's skull and brain, making her see stars.

Unbelievably, a paper fan could inflict such a heavy blow. Truly a wondrous feat of peerless proportions. However, Hatsune mustered a Tachibana youngster's fortitude.

Hatsune imagined the fan swung down by Kurou Hougan's right arm as a katana.

She succeeded in executing a barehanded technique for countering an armed opponent. Hatsune had reasoned that her head or face would have been the most likely targets since the enemy was attacking her with a fan while she was sitting on the ground. Determined to grab his arm even at the cost of getting hit, she simply waited for him to come to her instead.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Hatsune leaned back, pulling Kurou Yoshitsune's right arm along while scissoring her legs around his shoulder region&mdash;

The boy almost fell over forwards. Thus, Hatsune was hanging on his arm.

Suspended in midair, Hatsune naturally fell. The instant her back hit the ground, she rolled, taking Kurou Yoshitsune with her. The two of them entered a state of ground fighting.

Applying pressure to his elbow joint, Hatsune executed a flying armbar.

The Ushiwakamaru version of Kurou Yoshitsune was small in stature. Besides, a fighter from the Heian period probably would have no knowledge of a flying surprise assault from Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hatsune's correct call had created the opening for victory. However, her attack only succeeded halfway.

"Tsk!"

Before the joint was locked completely, Kurou Yoshitsune swung his right arm vigorously.

Hatsune had almost straightened his elbow but could not budge his arm any further. Despite a boy's appearance, Kurou Yoshitsune's arm strength was extraordinary. Hatsune could not overpower him no matter how hard she tried.

However, Hatsune said proudly, "How's that? This finally counts as catching you, right!?"

"Indeed, I cannot deny that," young Kurou replied unhappily.

"Yes!"

Knowing she had succeeded, Hatsune cried out in excitement. She happened to be executing ground skills on the bridge. Releasing the boy's right arm, she extended her limbs, simply lying on the ground in a star jump posture.

Her fatigue was intense but matched equally by her sense of accomplishment.

While Hatsune was lying there grinning to herself, Kurou Yoshitsune immediately stood up.

"By the way, I can't believe you dared to take my attack."

He glared down coldly at Hatsune with words of praise.

"Of course it was scary, but this ritual is ultimately just a test."

Although there is a risk of death, it was ultimately just a test&mdash;

Hatsune recalled Akigase Rikka's advice.

"By my guess, it shouldn't be too harsh. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't use a fan, right?"

A paper fan could not kill, which was why Hatsune dared to take the gamble.

Seeing Hatsune lying on the ground with a silly grin, the young Kurou went "I see."

"You really are an idiot."

"Hold it right there. Aren't you being way too rude to a lady&mdash;?"

Hatsune was about to protest when she jumped in surprise.

The young Kurou walked over to a railing on the bridge and swung the fan in his right hand. Struck by the fan, the thick timber crumbled and collapsed after tiny cracks appeared.

Also the destruction was confined to just that one spot.

This attack was more powerful and shocking that its appearance had suggested.

Hatsune slowly got up, staring at the tragic state of the railing.

"......"

"Whether I'm using a fan or a twig, I can easily shatter the skull of a little lass. I deliberately held back to see what ridiculous idea you were thinking about. Lass, you managed to pique my curiosity. It counts as your win."

"R-Really?"

"On further thought, idiots are less likely to be hit by stray arrows on the battlefield."

"Th-That's definitely a discriminatory remark! Jumping to conclusions is not nice!"

"Don't be too hasty to deny it. Despite being an idiot, indeed, you do have a smart side, which makes you a capable idiot. I shall render my assistance to you for the time being. Do your best."

After mocking Hatsune, the young Kurou's body gradually grew big.

This growth was not maturation but the expansion of body size. He turned into a winged giant soldier standing eight meters tall, very similar to the appearance of the Kamuy, Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion.

Similar, but not identical&mdash;

After watching the transformation to its conclusion, Hatsune lost consciousness.


When she woke up, Tachibana Hatsune found herself lying on the tatami floor in the dojo.

She had fallen asleep unintentionally. The blue scroll still clutched in her right hand was the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation.

Furthermore, Hatsune felt it vaguely.

Inside the scroll was a strong will as well as a warrior's fierce emotions, thirsting for battle.

Inside her dream, she had met the general, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. This was proof that his mighty name had recognized the latest successor.