Akatsuki Translations

Coral, a country bordering Murakumo, the hegemon of the eastern lands, was one of the Southern Mountain Alliance countries, formed by the gathering of small southern nations.

In that land ruled by people with reddish-brown skin, religious doctrines worshiping demonic gods formed the foundation of society.

At Uzumi Castle, an ancient fortress placed on the Alabaster Road, which served as the key to Coral’s border defense, a large number of soldiers were stationed and trained day and night, dreaming of recapturing Ode, a territory that had been seized by Murakumo in past wars.

Ba Ryouki, a veteran general from Shanoa, a country allied with Coral, entered the gates of Uzumi Castle with fewer than twenty subordinates in tow.

Clad in light armor made of thin wooden boards inserted between two layers of woven leather, his head completely bald from forehead to crown, and stroking his white beard that extended to his chest, he entered the castle with a sharp gaze, carrying the renowned sword ‘Iwanawa’ on his back. As he passed through, cheers erupted from the soldiers lined up to greet him.

“It’s Lord Ba Ryouki!”

“It’s really him! The Sword Saint Ba Ryouki!”

Ba Libi, his nephew and trusted subordinate who had entered alongside him, excitedly called out to him.

“As expected of you, Uncle.”

“Hmph, I’m only being praised for my past reputation. Don’t get carried away.”

Ba Ryouki admonished his excited companion.

At the end of the line, a burly warrior monk stood with his arms outstretched to welcome them.

Ba Ryouki quickly dismounted from his horse and walked on foot to respond to the greeting out of respect for etiquette.

“Oh my, you’ve come all the way from a distant place. I am truly grateful for your visit, esteemed veteran general. I am the Black Monk General A Zan, the current Commanding General of Uzumi Castle.”

Shaking his double-chinned jaw, the man who introduced himself as A Zan wore a fluttering robe with a golden breastplate on top, and from his shoulders hung a long cloth called a ‘rank sash’ indicating his rank as a warrior monk. Its color was dyed black, signifying the highest rank.

“I am humbled to receive such a welcome. I, General Ba Ryouki, have been appointed as an envoy from Shanoa to assist you. I would be grateful if you could allow me to join the ranks of the brave soldiers of Coral.”

As Ba Ryouki spoke humbly, A Zan smiled with pleasure.

“You’re too modest. I’ve heard that even at your age, there are no swordsmen in Shanoa who can match you.”

A Zan’s words were meant to honor him, but his nephew Libi seemed dissatisfied with them.

“Not just in the south, but in the entire world, there are no swordsmen who can rival my uncle!”

Ba Ryouki immediately rebuked his nephew.

“Stop it!”

Wanting to apologize for the rudeness, Ba Ryouki observed A Zan’s expression. However, he burst into a hearty laugh.

“So young, so young! No, no, I was indeed too modest. Please forgive me.”

In front of the many soldiers watching, A Zan even bowed his head, claiming that the fault was his own. At this, enthusiastic applause erupted from the surroundings.

–What a sly man.

While inwardly making a jab at him, Ba Ryouki pressed down on his nephew’s head and deeply bowed in apology.

Ba Ryouki, despite being born into a lower-ranking monk family, had made a name for himself with his swordsmanship and had slain many renowned Brights from the hostile north.

After achieving numerous military exploits and serving as the head of the King’s direct subordinate unit, the ‘King’s Guard’, he was even invited by the king of the great country that ruled the southwest to be granted a title and territory. However, when Ba Ryouki declined this offer, citing his loyalty, the southwestern king, moved by this act, bestowed upon him the treasured sword Iwanawa. With this, Ba Ryouki’s name, which had been known only to those in the know, resounded throughout the world as a hero.

After receiving a lively welcome from the soldiers upon the arrival of the renowned hero, Ba Ryouki settled down in the reception room with Libi by his side.

After finishing a sweet confection made by finely grating a transparent, fragrant root and kneading it into the dough, which was served with tea, A Zan pouted his lower lip, showing a dissatisfied attitude.

“While I am grateful that you, Lord Ba Ryouki, have personally brought the King’s Guard with you, the number is… somewhat lacking compared to what I had expected. If I remember correctly, there was an agreement to lend us a military force equivalent to a thousand cavalry, and funds were provided from our country’s treasury.”

Ba Ryouki placed his tea bowl and looked straight at General A Zan.

“I have selected and brought with me seventeen Stellar Knights who possess exceptional talent even among the King’s Guard. With the addition of myself, Ba Ryouki, I believed we would be able to achieve results that do not fall short of the promise.”

‘Stellar Knights’ or ‘Stellar Warriors’ were military ranks and positions equivalent to Brights, widely existing from the west to the north and east.

To be honest, Ba Ryouki did not think that the seventeen Stellar Warrior troops he had brought with him were equivalent to a thousand cavalry, but he gazed into A Zan’s eyes without showing a hint of his true feelings.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to come in person, Lord Ba Ryouki. Thanks to you, morale is high. With this, we should be able to strike a blow against the detestable Murakumo army. This time, I’ve urged the home country to strengthen the Stellar Warriors as well. I can already picture the flustered faces of those fellows!”

A Zan grinned with a smirk. In his mind, he was probably already seeing himself being praised by soldiers rejoicing in victory.

Ba Ryouki had always thought that many of the countries belonging to the Southern Mountain Alliance lacked the brains to face reality. In Ba Ryouki’s assessment, even the frequent conflicts with Coral didn’t seem like Murakumo was putting in much effort.

–I just hope it doesn’t turn into an unnecessary provocation.

“Still, Shanoa never seems to catch a break.”

A Zan suddenly said, returning from his daydreaming.

“Both people and countries have their good times and bad times.”

“Indeed. However, the princess who succeeded the ‘Chrysoberylite’ is still a child not even ten years old. I can only imagine the worries you must have as her guardian. It must be quite a strain on your aging body.”

In response to A Zan’s words, which were consistently grating, Libi, who was sitting quietly next to him, clenched his fists. Ba Ryouki stepped on his foot discreetly to admonish his nephew, and met Libi’s dissatisfied sideways glance.

“I am grateful for your concern, General.”

Ba Ryouki was already beginning to see through A Zan’s personality upon their first meeting. His attitude seemed humble and subservient at first glance, but like the flashy breastplate he wore, he had a strong desire for self-assertion and enjoyed subtly putting others down with his words.

From the perspective of Ba Ryouki, a pure military officer, this man with a strong inclination towards being a cunning bureaucrat was an unpleasant type, but it wasn’t a particularly rare personality among those in high positions.

And his series of unpleasant remarks were not off the mark.

Ba Ryouki’s home country, Shanoa, was struggling with debt due to the previous king’s extravagant spending and prolonged poor harvests. The country’s power had declined, and the one chosen as the successor to the deceased king was a young princess who still had a childlike innocence. The princess’s birth mother, who had married into the royal family from another household, seized the real power in the palace. After installing her powerless daughter as the successor, she made the decision to easily borrow money from Coral, which was an ally but harbored ulterior motives.

Ba Ryouki was now being sent out with only a small force as repayment for the debt.

“We will likely engage in battle with Murakumo soon. Well, first, I want you to rest and recover from your journey. Before that, if the veteran general is willing, I myself will give you a tour of the castle.”

The tea remaining in the bowls had already cooled. It seemed like a good time to stand up.

“I would be grateful for the tour.”

Despite the general himself volunteering, there wasn’t much to see inside the castle. However, Ba Ryouki took an interest in one place where he saw an ominous number of guards keeping watch over a prison cell tucked away in a corner.

“What is that about?”

When Ba Ryouki stopped and asked, A Zan puffed out his chest as if he had been waiting for the question.

“Are you familiar with the ‘Ga Tribe’, veteran general?”

“They were the clan that used Triskelions, weren’t they? Their bloodline has long been extinct.”

The ‘Triskelions’ were creatures that didn’t belong to the category of Rabidaemons but had independently evolved in the Abyss. They excelled in agility, utilizing their adept two legs to run through the Abyss at all times. Their third auxiliary leg, folded under their chest, specialized in leaping and could easily traverse rough terrain. As a creature for human riding, they were on par with horses, if not superior.

The Ga Tribe, which ruled over a small village, was an excellent tribe that had passed down the art of taming these Triskelions for use on the battlefield for generations. However, this became their undoing. Amidst the schemes of various countries seeking to absorb the Ga Tribe, they ultimately met the fate of annihilation.

A Zan grinned with a smirk.

“It turns out there was a survivor. According to the story, he had been wandering around different countries, taking on shady jobs to make a living. But due to his difficult personality, he kept changing employers and accumulated grudges. Just as he was about to become homeless, I invited him in.”

Ba Ryouki furrowed his brows.

“Judging by this situation, it seems contradictory. Locking someone up in a cell isn’t what I’d call inviting them in.”

However, the words laced with criticism didn’t reach A Zan.

“Oh, it’s just a little trick I employed. I got him drunk, sealed his stone during that time, and restrained him.”

A Zan proudly recounted his cowardly method while wringing his hands.

“May I take a look?”

“As you wish—you there, let the veteran general pass!”

Leaving Libi, who had wanted to accompany him, behind, Ba Ryouki followed A Zan’s lead.

The inside of the cell had poor ventilation and was filled with a smell reminiscent of a pigsty. The survivor of the Ga Tribe in question was sitting in the darkest room at the very back, with both hands chained and suspended.

He had dark skin and bluish-black hair. As he slowly raised his face, fierce eyes like those of a tiger shone. A single mole was engraved on his clean-cut chin. While his full figure was not clear as he was sitting, judging from his robust physique and long, slender legs, he was likely quite tall. His left hand, where a Miracrystal should have been, was fitted with a special glove called a ‘crystal seal’ that had the effect of weakening the power wielded by those possessing Miracrystals.

In the dimly lit room where light couldn’t reach, the man calmly lifted his head, glaring, and grinned with his sharp canine teeth exposed.

“Old man, are you the piece of trash they’re praising as the Sword Saint? The guards have been prattling like women since earlier.”

A Zan immediately kicked the iron bars.

“Watch your mouth! Someone like you, a ruffian, has no right to speak so lightly to him.”

Ba Ryouki restrained A Zan and met the prisoner’s gaze head-on.

“I heard you were a survivor of the Ga Tribe. Is that true?”

“Huh? What if I am?”

“I just thought it was a shame to see you like this now. You got involved with the wrong people, young man.”

At those words, the man’s mouth curved downward, his face distorting with fierceness.

“Don’t say things you don’t understand. More importantly, you’re that Ba Ryouki, right? I’ve heard that name many times since I was a kid. A hero who rose through the ranks with his swordsmanship, and a battle maniac.”

Confirming what he said, Ba Ryouki nodded.

“I won’t deny it.”

The man laughed defiantly.

“Old man, fight me. I want to make a name for myself by defeating someone like you.”

Ba Ryouki immediately replied to this.

“I refuse.”

“Why?! I’m strong!”

“I’m not saying it to belittle you. I could tell with one glance. You’re someone who uses your fists as a technique, not a sword or spear.”

The man’s thick fists were engraved with countless scars that had healed.

Among those in the south, including Ba Ryouki, who possessed a power equivalent to Crynetic energy called ‘Stellar Arts’, many had the quality of physical enhancement.

In this man’s case, it could be inferred with near certainty that his power was related to arm strength.

As the man said, Ba Ryouki had a fondness for battling strong opponents. However, fighting against someone who didn’t use a weapon wasn’t something he particularly desired.

In front of Ba Ryouki, who had refused the duel, the man mocked him.

“You’re just making excuses and running away. It’s no wonder you’ve survived this long by selectively choosing your opponents.”

Suddenly, a staff swung from the side and struck the man’s face.

“For a stray mutt like you to say such insolent things when you should be silent!”

Poked by the blunt end of a spear, a purple bruise appeared on the man’s face.

Ba Ryouki grabbed the staff and stopped it.

“I don’t like one-sidedly tormenting the weak.”

Even before A Zan, the captive man barked.

“I’m not weak! Damn it, take that back!”

Leaning his body forward as if to rip the chains apart, he shouted with bloodshot eyes, exposing his fighting spirit. His appearance was that of a wild beast.

“General, let’s go. This is not a place for a hero to stand. Oh, I plan to personally take care of this one from now on. For his insolent words, I’ll make him thoroughly regret it then.”

A Zan spoke with a vulgar smile on his face.

“I’m not in a position to interfere, but a warrior should be given a fitting end.”

“Yes, of course. After I extract information about the capture and breeding methods of the Triskelions from him.”

With the man’s incessant shouting and provocative voice at his back, Ba Ryouki left the prison.

Rather than the man who was cursing him with foul language, Ba Ryouki’s aversion towards A Zan was growing. He sincerely thanked God that the general, who claimed to have a hobby of torturing prisoners, was not a compatriot of his own country.

*

The Abyss, dyed in gray, was still dominated by a gloomy atmosphere even as spring arrived. However, enticed by the warmer climate, those engaged in trade were diligently advancing along the Alabaster Road with their heavily loaded wagons.

Shuou had paid a small fee to a caravan heading towards Ode, his new place of assignment, and was hitchhiking on a wagon loaded with cargo to reach his destination.

“Hey, brother, you’ll be able to see the Great Mountain soon.”

Called by the wagon driver, Shuou poked his head out of the wagon and saw a colossal mountain towering in the distance ahead.

“It’s huge.”

The ‘Mount Vajra’, located beyond the hazy air, had a sense of weightiness that made one want to describe it as a wall rather than a mountain. The peak extending high into the sky was so obscured by clouds that it was impossible to discern what it looked like.

“It’s hazy and blurry from winter to around this season. But in summer, you’ll be able to see it more clearly.”

Shrouded in clouds and looking down upon the earth, the sight of Mount Vajra elevated Shuou’s mood.

He was now, truly, setting foot in an unfamiliar land he had never seen before.

Probably gonna upload chapters on Mondays and Thursdays