Kiri (
Summary[]
Yura tells his three colleagues behind him to proceed with the operation and call Hokuto over. The Hishaku medic acknowledges it and tosses a seed into the air, which rapidly unfolds into a wall of trees that separates Yura and Uruha from the three other Hishaku members. Hearing them speak, a nearby Hakuri recognises they have a plan, and Kiri notes such a thing seems likely given the presence of prepared Kamunabi traitors. Turning to one of said traitors before her, the tall woman with knives, Kiri questions how long she has been serving the Hishaku for. The woman responds rather than serve, she simply agrees with the Hishaku, especially regarding the events of 18 years ago.
She kneels down, which Hakuri recognises as the position she had taken to unleash a burst of speed to attack Kashima. Kiri also recognises it, having worked with the knife-wielder in the past. Remembering the mission Kudo had given him, Hakuri alerts Kiri to the fact that he needs to make it to Shinuchi. A lion head suddenly rears its mouth behind him and Kiri cleanly bisects it, before realising Hakuri's identity as Hakuri Sazanami and agreeing to keep him safe.
Kiri's blade is the five-shaku odachi Onichika (Oni-chan for short). While there are many innate drawbacks to using a two-metre long sword, including difficulty in close-quarters combat or restrained indoor areas, and its weight impacting its handling and attack speed against more mobile enemies. As for why Kiri uses such an unwieldy weapon, she states it is because 'it's big and cute'; and also to directly spite her grandfather's words that women couldn't wield swords by using one of the largest types of katana.
Kiri's swordsmanship
Her arrogance was entirely justified by her skill; as explained while the lion heads attack. The drawbacks of using an odachi are primarily debilitating when wielded at the hilt. In contrast, Kiri centers the sword around herself and dances with it, as if tying it to her body. In this manner, Kiri is able to eliminate the drawbacks while maximising the advantages of her odachi's length; as if Onichika were rampaging independently. Through one swift motion, Kiri spins Onichika onto her back, right hand stretched to her right holding the grip while her left hand moves to the left to support the back of the blade. Lion heads attack from the left and Kiri lowers Onichika in parallel to her body on her left side before swiftly slashing upwards to her left, destroying the heads. In several more slashes, Kiri eliminates several more heads.
The still-crouching knife-wielding sorcerer notes her form is unassailable. Uruha takes a moment to watch from his own battle, remembering that Kiri had been determined to destroy the Iai White Purity Style from a young age. In fact, when tying wishes to a tree, a young Kiri had proclaimed she would just do that, Uruha unnerved as he wondered whether he was included in that. Spotting Uruha's distraction, Yura forces his blade forth, Uruha's blade knocked out of position and his sheathe moving to intercept, before Yura pivots and kicks Uruha back.
Uruha suddenly notices an invisible force weighing down on him, and Kiri begins feeling the same. Seeing Uruha's discomfort, Yura smirks and notes it is what happens after destroying a lucky charm. Thinking back to the lion dancer heads, Uruha realises there must be sorcery involved that punishes those who attack them. Kiri identifies the same, especially given how easy they had been to slice. Kiri notes that while she can still move for now, she had only dealt with half of them, and clues on that the traitorous knife-wielder's strategy is to wait until she was fully weighed down before moving in.
More heads move in and Kiri leaps into the air, one arm balanced on Hakuri's head. Noting she had to prioritise, Kiri slashes out a square-shaped tile around Hakuri before he falls down to the floor below, just as several heads bite down on her body. Kiri is discomforted and more importantly, restrained by the blow, Hakuri shouting out at the sight. The knives-wielding sorcerer immediately charges in and stabs forward, but one knife is impaled on Kiri's arm, the hand on the end holding the other knife away from Kiri's head. Kiri smirks and comments she is used to speed, and the knife-wielding sorcerer is shocked Kiri could block with one arm. Kiri voices her satisfaction she can deal with all her adversaries at once, while the knife-wielding sorcerer is surprised at the trap but decides she will be fine as soon as she frees herself.
Kiri's grip, however, only tightens, Kiri stating she will not let her adversary go. Her right arm, Onichika still in hand, spins around as Kiri leans into the hole in the floor, and in one swift motion Kiri slashes through the heads and lands feet-first next to Hakuri, Onichika impaled through the heads and the knife-wielding sorcerer. Weighed down but smiling, Kiri tells Hakuri it's time they moved out, Hakuri relieved she was okay. Abruptly, Hokuto leans an arm on Hakuri's shoulder, and asks where Uruha is.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- The other three sorcerers leave as part of the Hishaku's operation, one tossing a seed to summon a wall of trees to prevent Uruha from reaching them should he get past Yura.
- The knife-wielding sorcerer prepares to engage while the lion heads attack Kiri.
- Kiri's fighting style is revealed: dancing with her odachi Onichika and using its length to her advantage rather than her detriment.
- Kiri effortlessly slashes through half the lion heads but feels a weight pressing down on her, which she and a similarly-affected Uruha recognise is caused by slashing through the lion heads, which Yura compares to lucky charms.
- Kiri slashes the ground under Hakuri to get him to a lower floor before letting the remaining heads bite down at her.
- The knife-wielding sorcerer charges in and attempts to decapitate Kiri but her knives are stopped by one of Kiri's arms.
- Kiri's other arm spins around with Onichika in hand as Kiri leans back into the hole, landing on her feet with Onichika impaling the heads and the knife-wielding sorcerer.
- Hokuto arrives at Hakuri and Kiri's location and asks where Uruha is.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
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