On the Road to the Academy (6)
Is this what it feels like to have a lavish multi-course meal laid out before you?
The guys in front of me were far from anything resembling "high-class," whether you judged them by strength or anything else. But to me right now, they were the ultimate feast.
Truth be told, I was loving this moment.
Battōjutsu—no, all swordsmanship—was created to kill people.
No matter how you dress it up as self-defense or mental discipline, that core truth doesn't change.
Of course, I know full well how reckless it is to say you enjoy slicing people open, to revel in the act of murder.
But after all the training I've poured into this Battōjutsu, the moment had finally come to unleash it in real combat, to see it shine. How could I not be thrilled?
If truly wielding Battōjutsu means being labeled a reckless, cruel piece of trash, I don't give a damn.
"Die so I can enjoy my Battōjutsu!!"
"What a crazy bastard... Kids! Kill him!!"
At the boss's command, the dogs and bandits charged at me all at once.
The first to enter my range weren't the bandits—it was those dogs, similar to the one from before or maybe a bit bigger.
They bared their razor-sharp fangs, as if declaring they'd tear me apart.
Four of them—perfect. Plenty to slice up however I wanted.
Sever one head straight down the middle.
Dive in and bisect the torso sideways.
Next, a simple beheading.
The one that leaped extra high? Gutted it, spilling entrails everywhere.
In an instant, all four dogs turned into a gruesome mess no one could stomach, spraying blood and guts across the ground and sky.
"...F-fuck, what the hell?"
The moment I butchered the four dogs in a flash, the bandits—who'd been charging with murder in their eyes—skidded to a halt.
They glanced back and forth between the dog corpses on the ground and me, eyes bulging, then yelled at their boss behind them.
"B-boss!! Is this guy a mage?!"
"What?"
Back on Earth, they said advanced Battōjutsu was indistinguishable from magic. But in a world where magic actually exists, what kind of nonsense was this...?
"......"
I half-hoped the boss would blurt out something like, "That's Battōjutsu, the supreme sword art!" But he just stood there, stunned like I'd smacked the back of his head.
They froze, the bisected dog carcass between us, staring silently in my direction.
The awkward silence dragged on until I got fed up and considered closing the distance myself.
"You idiots! You're all fucked now!!"
I whipped around, wondering who said that. It was Bandit C, the traitor who'd led me here.
Maybe thrilled he wasn't on this side of the dogs, he screamed in half-mad glee.
"I survived!! I fucking survived!! This is how you live life, you bastards!!"
Realizing I'd come here because of him, the bandits started roaring back.
"That trash traitor!!"
"We'll kill you!! We'll make sure you die!!"
"Kill me? Bullshit!! Your future's rolling around on the ground with those dogs—!"
Bandit C's words, spoken with utter confidence in his survival, cut off there.
"You're no use to me now that I'm here."
My Battōjutsu sliced his head sideways. His face slid off in a horrific split, exposing the cross-section of his eyeball and brain.
"No need to say it—I won't accept surrender or negotiate. Just die like this."
The bandits' faces stiffened even more, some losing the will to fight entirely and dropping their swords carelessly.
"D-don't panic!"
I thought it'd end lamely, just pounding on demoralized punching bags, but the boss raised his voice, rallying them a bit.
"Spread out to the sides!! Flank and target the ones behind him!!"
I glanced back, but Hori and Boris showed no fear or anxiety—just that same "this'll be fine" look.
Maybe they were too fearless, but in a way, it made sense.
With me—the master of the supreme sword art, Battōjutsu—right here, why would they be scared?
"Grab hostages! That'll give us room to negotiate!!"
"Yes, sir!!"
Seeing a faint path to survival, the bandits split left and right with determined eyes.
Surprisingly disciplined.
I watched them approach without moving, letting them get close on purpose.
And when they were right there...
"Sorry in advance."
"Huh? Kyaaah!!"
"Ooooh!!"
I hurled Hori and Boris skyward—high enough they'd float for a good while.
Now the ground held only the eight bandits lunging for them.
Four left, four right—no more obstacles. I drew my sword, aura infused.
Shing—
A sharp slash rippled out like waves from a droplet hitting water, carried on some inexplicable wind.
That hand-feel, even without direct contact.
The sensation of severing guts and spines tingling in my palms—I couldn't help but smile.
The bandits' bodies split at the waist; their upper halves slid limply to the ground.
"Ucha!"
I sheathed my sword and caught the falling pair, setting them down gently.
"How was flying for a bit?"
"...Refreshing."
"More importantly, what the hell were you doing...?"
"What else? Battōjutsu."
Battōjutsu: Ripple Battōjutsu [Rank: B-]
Infuse your sheathed sword with aura, then explode it outward on the draw to slash surrounding enemies. No need to draw for this one—drawing it out first is actually faster.
Shut your mouth.
What do you know about Battōjutsu?
The instant he drew and all eight of my men were bisected at the waist, the fighting spirit in my chest melted away like snow in spring.
No, it wasn't just me.
I didn't need to check their faces to know everyone had lost the will to fight.
Dangerous...
Even grabbing hostages would be tough now.
And even if we did, with that guy's zero hesitation for killing, he'd probably just cut through them too.
No point scheming with my men as bait—it'd be futile.
Dead by him or by me, same end.
Hell, they'd probably think disobeying orders and fleeing gave them a better shot.
What we needed here was escape.
And to do that...
"Hey, everyone inside!!"
"Huh?! Boss, what're you—?"
"You saw that technique? Useless against him in a group! I'll handle him alone!!"
"Alone? How the—?"
My men stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
If I were one of them, I'd be doing the same.
"Can't run from him anyway. Gotta fight! You're in the way—get inside!!"
Hesitating at first, they slowly shuffled into the cave one by one.
"Listen up. If I'm not back in 3 minutes—no, 2—bolt from the hideout and run. Got it?!"
"...Y-yes, sir!!"
I barely held back a laugh at their teary replies.
Stupid fucks... Did they really think I'd sacrifice myself for them?
If that were the plan, I'd have told them to scatter right here, not head back to base.
Even scared shitless and brains frozen, they were idiots.
"...You think you can take me alone?"
"Yeah."
He didn't like me daring to face him solo—his face hardened as he assumed a stance.
I raised my greatsword, channeling aura into my legs like I was about to charge...
"Pick one—me or those guys!!"
Then hurled the greatsword forward and bolted into the nearby brush with everything I had.
Now he had two choices.
Chase and kill me.
Or let me go and slaughter the men in the hideout.
Option one: If he didn't kill me in 2 minutes, his men escape, and the two behind might get offed too.
Option two: I get away, but he captures everyone in the hideout, reclaims the carriage and loot.
Which was the bigger win with fewer risks? Obvious.
Idiot... Dragging dead weight like them is why you're screwed!
I sprinted full tilt with that thought, but my escape didn't last.
"Huh?"
Mid-stride, the ground surged up and engulfed me.
No—not the ground rising.
Those two feet striding toward me. It wasn't the ground; I'd been dropped flat on it.
"G-gaaahhh!!!"
Excruciating pain shot through my legs—I couldn't hold back the scream.
They're gone. I knew without looking.
"W-what the fuck did you do to me...?!"
"Battōjutsu: Vacuum Slash."
That was the name of the technique that severed my legs from afar?
He drew his sword slowly, like giving a demo—and in the next instant, my head was flying.
No pain once it detached.
Just a hazy, dreamlike embrace, like drifting into deep sleep.
Last thing I saw before my head hit the ground: him heading back to the hideout.
Ah, those bastards are done for...
Don't meet me in hell, fuckers.
Battōjutsu: Vacuum Slash [Rank: B-]
Launch an aura slash at distant foes on the draw. Power drops with distance. No real point in drawing for it.