Akatsuki Translations

Twenty days had already passed since Ba Libi and his uncle entered the Uzumi Castle.

With the declaration of war imminent, the Uzumi Castle was bustling with activity as war preparations were underway.

Due to the nature of the land, warfare in the Abyss had been conducted in a very simple manner. That is, simply clashing head-on to determine victory or defeat.

The route of advance was predetermined, rendering surprise attacks and assaults meaningless. Even if one attempted to exploit a gap and unexpectedly advance troops, they would easily be exposed once reported by lookouts. Therefore, it made no sense. Rather than going through the trouble, it had become a tradition between nations to arrange their forces at an agreed-upon time and date, and then engage in a straightforward, primitive battle to determine the victor.

In Abyssal warfare, where it was difficult to confront the enemy through cunning tactics, the most important factor was the quality of the soldiers. It was no exaggeration to say that victory or defeat hinged on the number and proficiency of the troops classified as “Solid,” composed of individuals possessing Sunstones.

The Southern nations, particularly Coral, were greatly inferior to Murakumo in both the quantity and quality of their Solid troops, known as Stellar Knights and Warrior Monks.

In the South, those of the upper class who possessed Sunstones had no obligation to serve in the military. The number of those who had talent but shunned the bloody battlefield and did not strive to use their power for the sake of the nation far surpassed those who stood at the opposite end.

The number of troops that could be deployed in the Abyss was limited, and that number varied greatly depending on the width of the path. Even if one prepared enough infantry to fill the wide Alabaster Road, they would simply be mowed down by the Solid-level troops, represented by the Crystaliers, who excelled in long-range bombardment. Naturally, every army had limitations on the number of infantry they employed. They were organized into small units and were expected to play a role only in slowing down the Solid cavalry troops who roamed the battlefield.

The infantry units were mainly composed of commoners or those below, classified as “Soft” level, possessing Dunstones. The cavalry and artillery units were composed of those belonging to the noble class, classified as “Solid” level, such as Brights and Stellar Knights. Although Coral was at a disadvantage against Murakumo, the great nation that ruled the entire eastern region, in terms of both Solids and Softs, the two major types of troops, no decisive conclusion had been reached in the long-standing conflicts between the two.

One reason for this was that in battles fought on the Alabaster Road, a limited space laid upon the Abyss, the number of troops that could be deployed simultaneously was limited, so national power did not necessarily have an impact. Another reason, according to the wise men of the South, was that in this war, Murakumo was reluctant to commit its supposedly abundant Solid-level forces.

It was an opinion that might spoil the mood of those belonging to Coral if spoken in front of them, but as a matter of reality, many believed that Murakumo was underestimating the defense of Ode. Ba Ryouki, Libi’s uncle, was also one of those who held such a view.

However, it seemed that Coral did not intend to enjoy this stalemate forever. At this point, they had summoned many capable individuals who should have been defending their home country and forcibly brought in reinforcements by granting Shanoa a favor. The number might not have met expectations, but without self-praise, the Stellar Knights dispatched by Shanoa were the elites, ranking among the top in their country. Moreover, Ba Ryouki himself, who had reached the realm of a living legend in his skill, was scheduled to participate in the battle.

There was a chance of victory, Libi thought. By demonstrating the power of Shanoan soldiers and adding glory to Coral’s victory, the prestige of the Ba Tribe would shine even brighter if they could return home with magnificent achievements.

Thinking of his body growing dull day by day, Libi headed to the training grounds alone. Lately, the behavior of the soldiers stationed in the Uzumi Castle seemed strange, and it wasn’t solely because the war was approaching. The basis for this thought lay in the presence of a typhoon-like figure who had appeared in the Uzumi Castle: A Shara, the daughter of the Commanding General and granddaughter of the King of Coral.

From the day Shara suddenly appeared and attempted to kick Libi in the face, she had been repeatedly challenging the soldiers to fights on a whim, beating them down, and returning to her room with a disappointed expression. Her opponents were diverse, ranging from ordinary soldiers with Dunstones to Warrior Monks who claimed to have mastered martial arts from some sect. Many of them boasted of their skills, only to suffer a crushing defeat against the young princess.

Gradually, as Shara appeared in the training grounds, those of respectable ranks began to flee, fearing that their names would be tarnished. This became their silent protest, making the princess, who was absorbed in testing her skills, experience boredom.

It wasn’t that Libi didn’t have a bad feeling about it, but when he visited the training grounds, he found countless soldiers lying on the ground, unconscious, with training wooden sticks in their hands. In the center stood Shara, her beautiful copper skin glistening with sweat. Noticing Libi, she raised her voice, her eyes gleaming like a child planning mischief.

“You were called Rimi… or something, right?”

“It’s Ba Libi!”

Despite being from different countries, Libi responded bluntly to someone he should have treated with respect under normal circumstances.

“Look at these grown men, in this state against a child. It’s not even enough for a warm-up.”

“Using the power of the Sunstone you were born with to torment those who don’t have it is nothing to boast about.”

Libi thought he had hit a sore spot with his words, but Shara’s composed demeanor remained unshaken.

“I’m not using the power of the stone. This result is solely from using my self-taught Circle Fist.”

Hearing her say that with such confidence, Libi was at a loss for words.

Shara picked up a wooden sword lying on the ground and threw it to Libi.

“You’re supposed to be a relative of the Sword Saint, aren’t you?”

It was clear from Shara’s provocative gaze that she was inviting him to a fight. Normally, Libi should not have taken this bait, but with his frustration towards her building up, he actually welcomed this situation.

“We’re both born with Sunstones, so don’t hold back.”

“Of course!”

Libi didn’t assume a sword stance. Instead, he picked up another wooden sword rolling on the ground and assumed a dual-wielding stance. Both swords were heavy enough to require two hands to handle, but Libi effortlessly lifted one in each hand.

The power of the Miracrystal inherited by the Ba Tribe was too plain and lacked distinctive features. Unlike Shara, who gained a remarkable enhancement of a specific body part or could manipulate forces existing in nature, it vaguely enhanced overall physical abilities, making it a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.

Their arm strength was greater than that of ordinary people, but it couldn’t compare to those who had power specialized in it. Their leg strength surpassed that of ordinary people, but it was no different from having nothing in front of someone with talents like Shara’s. They also gained a slight enhancement in their five senses, such as eyesight and sense of smell, but it was only a marginal improvement compared to ordinary humans.

At first glance, it seemed mediocre in every aspect. However, in cases where one excelled in the art of wielding a weapon, like Ba Ryouki, this characteristic proved to be rather effective. Libi took pride in the fact that he had honed his skills based on those teachings for many years, and it also served as his confidence.

“Here I come…”

With those words, Libi assumed a stance, thrusting out the two large swords.

Shara stood in a natural posture, placing her open palms on her hips and sliding her left foot forward. Instantly, that foot transformed into a powerful kick, assaulting Libi. Libi reflexively used the two swords as a shield, but the thunderous kick easily disrupted his upper body’s balance. Shara advanced half a step and launched a second kick, but Libi utilized the weight of the deflected swords to arch his upper body and narrowly evaded it at the last moment.

The fierce kick passed right in front of Libi’s face, followed by a unique whooshing sound, like glass shards scraping against iron armor.

Ba Ryouki held Shara’s talent in high regard. Libi felt envious of his uncle’s rare, unrestrained praise for her, but now, he was experiencing firsthand that his uncle’s words were by no means an exaggeration.

Seeking to break free from the pressured situation, Libi ran across the courtyard at full speed to create distance. He dashed to the central part of the training grounds, where a large stone statue stood, and turned around after regaining his stance. However, Shara had followed him closely, and her right kick was instantaneously executed, sending one of the swords Libi held flying with a single strike.

Nevertheless, Libi saw this as an opportunity to turn the tables. He raised the remaining sword above his head, gripping it with both hands, and made a move to finish his opponent with a single blow. However, this proved to be a bad move and instead gave Shara a decisive chance for victory.

A kick from the opposite leg, executed without any preparatory movement, struck Libi’s abdomen. Unable to endure the pain and nausea that assailed his stomach, Libi hunched over. At that moment, the raised sword lost its target, and Libi, losing sight of it, ended up forcefully smashing the heavy greatsword against a nearby stone statue. The statue, pierced by the sword’s original weight and Libi’s arm strength, shattered cleanly from shoulder to waist, revealing a miserable state of destruction.

The shattered statue was a historical piece created in honor of Coral’s founding king. Libi had witnessed many soldiers stationed here at the Uzumi Castle putting their hands together in prayer before this statue, separate from Mount Vajra.

Apart from the agony caused by the fierce blow to his abdomen, Libi looked up at the destroyed statue with a pale face.

“H-how… I… apologize…”

As Libi writhed in pain, trying to express an apology to no one in particular, Shara stopped him.

“Don’t push yourself. Even though I held back, you took my kick head-on. Stay still.”

Libi didn’t even have the luxury of feeling pathetic about himself, kneeling on the ground and holding his stomach in front of a young girl. Overwhelmed by both defeat and blunder, Libi continued to utter incoherent words in a state of confusion.

“Calm down. You’re just rambling nonsense,” Shara said, patting Libi’s back.

Gradually, along with the subsiding pain, Libi regained his composure.

“I-I’m so sorry… I’ll go to the Commanding General right away to report this incident and apologize.”

As Libi tried to stand up in a hurry, Shara held him back and laughed cheerfully.

“Nothing in this world is unbreakable. Don’t fret over trivial matters. I’ll report to my father that I did it. He can never raise his head to the blood flowing through me.”

“B-but…”

Shara removed her hand that had been pressing on Libi’s shoulder and instead extended it to help him stand up.

“I underestimated you. If I had been slower in retracting the leg I used for that last kick, I might have taken your attack. That judgment of yours wasn’t bad. From today onward, I shall engrave the name Ba Libi in my memory.”

Her smiling figure, without a speck of dirt. In Libi’s eyes, a halo seemed to shine behind Shara.

“Lady… Shara.”

The words that shouldn’t have existed welled up from the depths of his heart, and Libi hurriedly shook his head. The feeling of submission he felt towards a girl nearly a decade younger than him. Strangely, Libi didn’t find it unpleasant.