Chapter 4: Sorcerer Battle

“I used my smartphone to quickly put together some info from the historical records and documents. I’m sending the data over now.”

Hiryuuin Yuubi tapped at her smartphone, sending the information to Shiga Inui and Mineki Shian.

“…Hey. Was this your doing?”

She glared at Shiga Inui, as if to ask if he was the one who had taught her mother how to use a smartphone.

“Yeah, that was me. I was using it and the Family Head got super interested, so I taught her.”

He said he taught her how to use the smartphone.

“Why is my mother in my chat room?”

“I showed her how.”

Shiga Inui operated his smartphone. A look at his screen showed the name and profile picture of Hiryuuin Yuubi, who was already his ‘friend’.

“You’re friends with my mother?”

“Ah… well, yeah.”

His tone was evasive. A bad feeling creeping over her, Mineki Shian snatched Shiga Inui’s phone and checked its contents.

“Ah, hey!!”

Mineki Shian was speechless. It was an exchange between Shiga Inui and Hiryuuin Yuubi.

Tatsuki: How about this?

Osozaki: Whoa, that’s hot.

Tatsuki: Kufu.

Tatsuki: If you win the next battle… I’ll play with you like this.

Osozaki: You’re the best.

…Several photos were attached.

Hiryuuin Yuubi was wearing a sailor uniform. Not only that, but she was striking seductive poses in an outfit so form-fitting it looked as though her rear and bust would be exposed. She was a widow, but her body remained forever youthful. Seeing her own mother with the expression of a female in heat, seducing a man, was difficult enough to endure, but more than that—

“You… what are you making my mother do?”

An iron claw clamped down on Shiga Inui’s face.

SQUEEZE

Her fingertips dug into his skull, tightening their grip.

“Agagagah! N-No, you’ve got it wrong! After I taught her how to use the phone, she asked, ‘What do you want as a reward?’ so I just asked for something hot, there was nothing more to it!! She was the one who decided on the details!!”

“But your wish is what started it all!”

She delivered divine punishment to the man who was so faithful to his libido. Shiga Inui’s face was slammed into the tatami mat.

Dealing with them would only derail the conversation, so Hiryuuin Yuubi continued.

“From past intelligence, we’ve learned some details about the Abarabana family. If we trespass on their territory, a barrier jutsu will activate… The sorcerer’s name is Abarabana Taiju, the current head of the family and a practitioner whose existence has been confirmed for one hundred and fifty years. The principle of the barrier jutsu activated by trespass is the ‘Kyuukon Shuujuu Genrei’… It’s a rather grand technique that absorbs the spirit energy of any sorcerer who enters their domain.”

To protect their own territory, sorcerers use principles that affect other sorcerers. The effect within the territory grows stronger the closer one gets to the sorcerer who cast it. For this reason, a territory where a barrier principle has been deployed for a long period of time is described as a ‘Castle’.

“There’s more information; you all should look it over… And now, for this battle, we will decide who will carry out the ‘Castlefall’.”

Castlefall. That is the name given to an assault on a territory. The Castlefall is considered complete when the head of the family who protects the castle is slain and the barrier principle is dispelled.

“Now then, my beloved daughter, my dear Inui, and Yakumitsu, this trio will form the core of our squads… If you achieve great things, a fitting reward shall be yours.”

At last, the preparations for the Castlefall were complete, and they moved to battle readiness. The Sorcerer Family War was about to begin.

Several hours before the conflict began.

Within Mokuren Academy, built on the Abarabana clan’s territory, wanton cries could be heard.

Male and female students alike were drowning in lust throughout the school. They had incorporated the sexual arts passed down from ancient China, the Bouchu-jutsu, into their daily lives.

Female students being embraced by men while filled with revulsion; male students drowning in arousal and immorality, taking women as their lust dictated. This act, performed to strengthen their spirit energy, likely made the place look like some kind of sorcerer production factory.

“We have about fifty sorcerers who can participate in the battle.”

He handed over the documents. He placed a cup on a table set up on the rooftop. A silver-haired girl checked the roster, on which the students of the academy were listed.

“This is a small number… Taking on the Hiryuuin clan with this will be difficult.”

She slammed the documents down in front of the male student. Then, she pointed her fingertip at the empty cup and extracted her spirit energy. The spirit energy, now a viscous fluid, began to pool in the cup.

“Have the students participating in the battle drink this. It should provide a certain degree of enhancement.”

After her declaration, she licked a remaining droplet from her fingertip with the tip of her tongue.

“Thank you… Abarabana-sama.”

The male student bowed his head and spoke words of deep admiration.

(A miracle drug and a potent poison… it shortens the lifespan of those who drink it, but… oh well, does it matter?)

Her name was Abarabana Tenri.

She was a child created from the genes of Abarabana Taiju, one of the Ten Houses that ruled this territory.

At eighteen, she was of an age to graduate, after which she was scheduled to act as her father’s deputy in his duties as head of the family.

Born with bad legs, she used a cane to get around.

With her delicate frame, she was unable to use “dynamic” spirit energy—the source of her abilities which included categories like “attack” and “enhancement”—and instead specialized in the “static” power that included “defense” and “regeneration.”

It was said that as a sorcerer with no combat ability, her future was to be a tool for producing heirs or a pawn in a political marriage to seal an alliance, but she despised and rejected such a self-pitying fate.

To overturn the simplistic future others envisioned for her, she honed her wisdom and cunning, and has now been entrusted with managing the territory around Mokuren Academy, her skills having been recognized by Abarabana Taiju himself.

Ever since, she has held absolute confidence in her own talents—a confidence that at times turned to arrogance.

Mokuren Academy.

It was an institution run by the Abarabana clan’s bloodline, with a total of about three hundred students.

Outwardly, it was an academy with a strict culture, and for that reason, its academic standards were high, with many students going on to enroll in famous universities.

But its other side was different.

This academy had fallen, primarily due to her arrival.

“We will build a workshop. We will manufacture sorcerers and strengthen our forces.”

Taking the stage in the gymnasium, that was the first thing she declared.

At first, the students, not understanding what she meant, laughed.

“First, we will build the bodies necessary for a sorcerer. Once a certain level of aptitude is discovered, we will move to the second stage and perform the Bouchu-jutsu. I ask that all female students cooperate fully with the males for this purpose.”

Gradually, her words, which had seemed like a joke, began to creep the students out.

She spoke in earnest. It was precisely because it didn’t seem like a joke that the students fell silent.

And so, the enhancement period was implemented the very next day.

Male students were forced into physical conditioning, while female students were gathered in a single classroom for the Bouchu-jutsu, where incense with the effects of an aphrodisiac was burned to stimulate their libido.

Along with the sweet scent, soft and saccharine voices began to leak out.

Her actions, which disregarded all ethics, would likely be considered tame from the perspective of other sorcerer families.

Many sorcerer families discreetly engage in far more inhuman acts… however, this large-scale production of sorcerers using unrelated minors was something only she could accomplish.

Brainwashing the students’ guardians with her techniques, negotiating with the city hall to manipulate residential records… if she so desired, she could even make it so the students had never existed at all.

It required enormous time, effort, and funds… but by claiming it was part of the Bouchu-jutsu, she ensnared the higher-ups by pushing the female students on them.

As a result, she transformed the academy into a sorcerer workshop.

This was a testament to Abarabana Tenri’s skill, and at the same time, an action born of possessing a technique that brought about abnormalities in the psyche.

And above all, it was made possible by a mind and a nerve that, despite her angelic beauty, could commit inhuman acts.

“Now then, arrange for half of the students to be held up by public transportation… Yes, they may use the train, so first, send students there.”

Abarabana Tenri rose from her chair.

She exited the rooftop, leaning on her cane.

“I will return to the main house and issue orders. It is more advantageous for us the closer I am to Father.”

Thanks to Abarabana Taiju’s ‘Kyuukon Shuujuu Genrei’, any sorcerer who intrudes upon the territory has their spirit energy absorbed.

Every sorcerer, aside from his own kin, is subject to this power.

As one who carries the blood of the family head, she is immune to its effects.

Calmly, she made her way toward the main house, leaning on her cane.

They used public transport.

Some went on foot, some by train, some by car.

They moved in a dispersed formation.

This was also a way to diversify risk.

If they moved as a single unit, there was a chance they could be restricted by the enemy’s interference, or even wiped out all at once.

Shiga Inui headed out by train, while Mineki Shian traveled by car.

Hiryuuin Yakumitsu, being on foot, had departed a little earlier.

With ten soldiers assigned to each leader, in modern times, this qualified as a large-scale troop movement.

Shiga Inui sat on the train.

It was a weekday, but for some reason, the cars were not crowded.

Arrangements by one Hiryuuin Fuuki and groundwork by Abarabana clan members stationed in the enemy territory had been made to keep people away.

It was likely done to protect the people of the land who knew nothing.

(I’d rather just blend in with a crowd, though.)

Sitting on a spacious seat, Shiga Inui let out a breath.

For them to be here, when things were being guided so that no one else was, could only mean one thing: they were sorcerers.

The train stopped.

A number of people entered the car where Shiga Inui was seated.

Almost all of them were male students, clad in the blazers of Mokuren Academy.

“…”

Shiga Inui stood up.

Looking at the Mokuren Academy students, he sensed the faint flow of spirit energy from them.

“Seriously? Every last one of them is a sorcerer?”

The moment Shiga Inui muttered this, the academy students channeled their spirit energy.

Trees sprouted from their palms, tapering to sharp points like diagonally-cut branches.

Shiga Inui was one against many.

Originally, Shiga Inui, as a leader, had been assigned soldiers.

But, citing a preference for acting alone, he had dispersed his own forces, giving them to Hiryuuin Yakumitsu and Mineki Shian.

Shiga Inui kicked the window and leaped out of the train.

Fighting inside the confined space of a train car was difficult.

Lightly cloaking himself in spirit energy, he climbed onto the roof of the train.

CRASH

With a sharp sound, the Mokuren Academy students also gave chase.

“Here you go!”

He kicked one of the Mokuren students in the face as he tried to climb up, attempting to knock him off the train.

However, the Mokuren student extended his palm. From his fingertips, vines sprouted and wrapped around Shiga Inui’s ankle.

At the same time, sprouting roots from their feet to withstand the wind velocity, the other Mokuren Academy students charged toward Shiga Inui, brandishing the tips of their wooden weapons.

If he moved now, the vines wrapped around his leg would pull him off the train.

On the other hand, if he prioritized cutting the vines, he’d be stabbed from behind by wooden spears.

Without hesitation, Shiga Inui grabbed the vines on his ankle.

Not missing the opening, multiple Mokuren students attacked from behind.

Shiga Inui hurried to cut the vines… no, he wasn’t hurrying. In fact, he didn’t even try to cut them, but instead gripped them tightly.

With his physical abilities enhanced by spirit energy, he lifted the Mokuren student who was acting as an anchor.

Then, turning around, he pulled the vines up and swung them.

The owner of the vines, the Mokuren student, was flung into the air, and like a pendulum, the vines struck the other students who were coming at Shiga Inui, sweeping them off the speeding train.

Shiga Inui let out a short breath. That single action had consumed a lot of his stamina.

This, too, was likely because his own power, his spirit energy, was being absorbed for having entered the territory.

Shiga Inui gazed down at the Mokuren students falling onto the tracks.

(They’re not even screaming… Are they brainwashed? So they’re forcibly turning students into sorcerers, is that it…?)

Watching the multiple Mokuren students emerging from the train, Shiga Inui glared, a look of displeasure on his face.

“Sorry, guys, but you can’t win… I’ve reviewed the documents. I know all your moves.”

He had confirmed the principles held by the Abarabana clan through literature and records.

The technique known as the Plant Principle was a common art possessed by the Abarabana sorcerers.

‘Sashieda,’ which sprouts thin, sharp wood from the body.

‘Tsuta,’ which is often used for restraining targets or for movement.

In addition to these, Shiga Inui had inputted various other abilities into his memory.

“If you still want to fight, then get ready for a grave… a wooden one!”

Shouting, Shiga Inui broke into a run.

The first battle had erupted.

The first to arrive at the Abarabana estate was Mineki Shian.

She got out of the car and stood before the Abarabana clan’s home.

(My spirit energy is being drained pretty heavily… If I don’t end this quickly, I’ll run out of fuel and be crushed…)

Thinking this, she stood before the gate.

Then, the heavy gates opened on their own, and a man and his soldiers emerged.

“I have been waiting for you, member of the Hiryuuin clan!”

He shouted, and the gates closed once more.

The man who had come out shed his kimono, becoming half-naked.

“Asagi Mario. Who is it that I face?”

The large, bald man bellowed.

Mineki Shian stepped forward.

“That would be me.”

“I’ll have you know, I am a Shougou. Send an opponent of equal or greater rank.”

Sorcerers possess ranks.

Depending on the level of that rank, the use of superior arts becomes possible.

From the bottom:

‘Shigou’

Activation of arts through standard application of a principle.

‘Kigou’

Application and derivation of a principle, possession of multiple arts.

‘Shougou’

Manipulation of shikigami for the purpose of expanding and strengthening arts, consuming vast amounts of spirit energy.

‘Dengou’

A barrier art that establishes the laws of a principle in a space by infusing spirit energy with the principle and dispersing it into the surroundings.

And though details are omitted, the system is a five-tier evaluation, with the highest-ranking title being ‘Jingou’.