二十八話
〝怯えてこそ、剣士なのだ————〟
勝ったと思った。瀕死の重体。
これは勝負があったと確信を抱いた。
しかし、間違いなく致命傷を喰らったその状態で、必殺の一撃が俺目掛けて飛び出して来たのだ。そしてそれは見事、俺の左腕を潰した挙句、こうして俺に「怖い」と、怯えの感情を抱かせてくれた。
とんでもないヤツである。
胸中に留めていた感情を吐き出しながら、体勢を立て直し立ち上がる。
甲高い奇声を上げ、救援を求める魔物に対して自分よりも格上であるという認識はあった。
恐らく勝てないかもしれないと。
けれど、心のどこかで思っていたのだ。
技さえ当たれば負ける事はないだろうと。
......その慢心が、仇となった。
身体を斬った。致命傷を与えた。
だから、追撃はない。
その理屈は、理論は、論理は————一体誰が決めた? 答えは単純だ。
誰も決めてない
。ただそれが、当然であると俺が決め付けていただけの一方的な偏見。
「くそったれ」
毒を吐き出し、頭を一度リセット。
そして、思考を巡らせた。
————ここからどうする。
と、自問を始める。
恐らく、程なく此処へ〝ミナウラ〟の魔物が殺到する事だろう。元より俺の個々としての能力は決して高くはないというのに、その上、この状態で多対一で相手をする事は間違いなく不可能。
呆気なく数に圧倒されてお陀仏が順当だろう。
だから、逃げろ逃げろと本能が警笛を鳴らす。
今の俺の手に負える範疇を既に超えてしまったのだと、左の腕から伝う痛みと共に虫の知らせのような声がやってきていた。
「......うるさい」
黙殺出来なかった訴えに、反応する。
一旦黙れよその雑音。
そう強く思い込む事で漸く、本能からの訴えに背を向ける事が出来た。
魔物が押し寄せる。
よくもやってくれたなという思いが思考を埋め尽くしていた。けれど、逃げるといって、果たして〝ミナウラ〟の何処に逃げる場所があるのだろうか。
......恐らくは、ない。
だったら、答えは決まってる。
俺にとっての脅威は今のうちに一つでも減らしておこう。殺しておこう。
つまり、——————叩っ斬るッ!!!
そう、自答した。
「根本的な解決は〝痛い目〟を見る他ない。......先達の人間はよく言ったもんだよ。だから、常識は、捨てる事にした。だから、翼は片方斬り落としたけど、お前は飛べると仮定しとく」
それは『星斬り』の男の言葉。
そして漸く、ハラが決まる。
オーガとの一戦からもう二年が経った。
魔法を使えるようになった。
経験を積んだ。知識をつけた。
あの時よりもずっと、精神も成長した。
でも、————
変わらないんだ。あの時から、何もかも、変わらない。変わっていやしない。
変わらず俺は、まだ弱い。
その事実に対する認識を揺るぎないものへと変える。そして。
だからこそ。
「手負いだろうが、関係ない。お前は強いから、だから、真正面から正々堂々不意打たせて貰おうか————!!」
強いお前が悪い。だから、文句は受け付けないと手前勝手な暴論を吐き散らしながら、俺は唇を盛大に歪め————
「とり、あえずッ!!! その口斬り落とすッ!!!」
大地を踏み締める。
そして————肉薄を開始。
だらり、と力なく垂れ下がった左腕へ一瞬だけ視線を向け、止血をする為にも早く終わらせなければと己を更に追い込む。
早く早く早く早く早く。
その二文字が忙しなく俺を急き立てる。
時間はないぞと己に強く自覚させる。
そして。
「————ひとまず、黙れよお前」
ひたすらに甲高い奇声を上げ続ける魔物との距離を刹那の時間でゼロへと変化。
そのまま、無我夢中に叫び続ける魔物の身体を飛び乗りながら移動。程なく、頭部へと到達。
腹の底に響く冷ややかな声を伴い、ダン、と蹴りつける事で身を乗り出し、無骨な剣を振り下ろす挙動を見せる。
それと同時に
言葉に反応し、生まれ、集約を始める光の粒子。それは俺の右足の甲付近にて姿を晒した。
「俺の魔法は、こういう使い方も出来る」
創造する剣の柄を蹴りやすいように厚くする。
そして————宙へと身を乗り出し、斬りかかろうとする俺に気付き、漸く奇声を止めて反応を見せた
「——————ッ!!?」
次いで言葉にならない悲鳴が上がる。
そして、放った一撃によって痛苦に悶える巨体。がむしゃらに放たれる追撃。
の巨体を駆け上がり、身を宙に投げ出した俺に避ける手段はない。
程なく無様に叩きつけられ、俺の身体が投げ飛ばされる未来が————
「————もう出し惜しみはしない」
......やって来る事は、なかった。
理由は、宙に身を投げ出しておきながら、俺は更に上空へと逃げるように飛び退いたから。
「お前のように飛べはしないけど、何も、宙で戦えないと言った覚えはないよ」
足下には光の粒子が。
剣を創造——足場に変えて蹴り付け——剣を創造——足場に変えて蹴り付け。
そして—————ここに来て初めて、
見晴らしは良く、お陰で周囲からゾロゾロと此方へ集まって来る魔物らしき姿も見受けられる。
......さっきまで気配すら感じられなかったというのに、いくらなんでも早過ぎる。
可能であれば、愚痴を溢してやりたかった。
そんな折、パカリと開く顎門。
姿を覗かせる整然と並んだ鋭利な牙。
思わず声が漏れた。
赤く染まった気体のようなものが
の口内で集約を始めていた。キィン、と聞き慣れない金切音のような音すら聞こえてくる。———恐らくは、火炎放出の前兆。
しかし、関係ない。
斬れ斬れ斬れ斬れ斬れ。
呪詛のように胸中で言葉が繰り返される。
たとえ何であろうと、叩っ斬れと。
そして俺はその言葉に従うようにみしり、と軋む音すら黙殺して剣の柄を一層力強く握り締めた。
「上、等ッ............!! それじゃあ勝負といこうか
何とも単純明快。
逃げるぐらいならと迎え撃つ体勢を整える好戦的な敵を見据える俺の唇は、頰が裂けでもしたかのように歓喜に歪んでいた。
赤い閃光が視界に入り混じり、辺りに満ちる熱気がこれでもかと肌を焦がす。
俺に出来る事は剣を生み出し、振り下ろし、斬り裂いてしまう事だけ。
故に、火炎ごと俺の眼前に立ち塞がる障害は例外なく、何もかも斬り裂いて退かしてしまえ。
Chapter 28
"To be scared is to be a swordsman--"
On the verge of death, I was here thinking that I'd won.
I was convinced that this was definitely a competition, but, without a doubt, that monster was still able to deliver a serious blow to me despite being in that mortally wounded state.
And the monster did so successfully, crushing my left arm until immobile, putting me in a state of utter fear.
It sure was one hell of a monster.
I regained my position and stood up, letting out the emotions I had been holding in my chest.
I was well aware that I outranked the monster, which was making high-pitched, strange noises and calling out for help.
I probably wasn't going to win.
But somewhere in my mind, I thought...
As long as I could hit the target with my technique, I would never lose.
...That pride of mine paid off.
Its body was mutilated, and I inflicted a fatal wound.
So that monster was supposed to not pursue me any longer.
But who the hell came up with such logic and theory?
The answer was simple. No one did.
It was just a one-sided prejudice that I assumed was completely natural.
"Damn you."
I spit out the venom and cleared my mind once and for all.
Then I let my thoughts run wild.
--What should I do from here?
I began to ask myself.
The monsters of Minaura would probably come flooding here soon enough.
I would be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, and I would probably end up dead.
And so my instincts began to go off, telling me to run away.
It was already beyond my current control, and a buzzing sound forbade me with the pain that was traveling down my left arm.
"...Shut up."
I responded to a cry that couldn't be silenced.
Shut up for once, noise.
And by convincing myself of this, I was finally able to turn my back with the appeal of my instincts.
The monsters were rushing in.
I was filled with frustration, thinking about where in Minaura could I escape even if I wanted to?
...There was probably no place for me to go.
That was why the answer was a given.
I was going to reduce the threats locked on to me now, even if I ended up just killing one of them.
In other words-- Slash my way through them!!!
And so I readied myself.
"The only fundamental solution I see is to learn from the pain because that's always what the more experienced people before me say. That's why you must decide to truly abandon your common sense. So even though you cut off one of their wings, you still have to assume that they still can fly."
Those were the Star Slayer's words.
And finally, my resolve was set.
Two years had already passed since I fought the ogre.
I had learned to use magic.
I gained experience, and I gained knowledge.
My spirit had grown much more than it was then.
But-- I hadn't changed...
Nothing had changed since then.
I was still the same, old, weak me.
And it would turn my perception of that reality into an unwavering one.
That's why I...
"Regardless of whether I'm wounded or not, it doesn't matter. You're strong, so allow me to take you by surprise, head-on, fair and square--!!!"
So, I contorted my lips in a grandiose manner while spewing out a selfish tirade about how I wouldn't accept any of its complaints later.
"I'm... going to cut off that mouth of yours for the time being!!!"
I stomped on the ground, kicking up a clod of earth backward.
Then-- I began to close our distance.
I looked at my limp left arm for a moment and pushed myself further to finish this battle quickly in order to tend to the bleeding.
Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.
Those two words rushed me.
I reminded myself that time was running out.
And then...
"--First of all, shut the hell up, you."
My distance from the monster, which continued to make high-pitched strange noises unceasingly, turned to zero in a moment's time.
As it was, I moved while jumping over its body, and soon after, I reached its head.
Accompanied by a chilling voice that reverberated in the pit of the monster's stomach, I leaned forward while kicking him with a thud, then swung my sword downwards.
And at the same time, I delivered my incantation.
Particles of light that reacted to my words were born, began to consolidate, and manifested themselves near the back of my right foot.
"My magic can also be used this way."
I thickened the shaft of the sword I created so that it would be easier for me to kick.
Then-- I leaped into the air, noticing that I was about to slash its head, the monster finally reacted to me by finally stopping its call for help.
"----?!?!"
A wordless scream resounded.
Next came a follow-up blow released by the monster, with its huge body writhing in pain, serving as its defensive mechanism after taking my attack by surprise.
There was no way for me to avoid it as I ran up the monster's massive body and threw myself into the air.
The future that I was struck down in a vicious manner, and my body being mercilessly flung away...
"I'm not going to spare you any longer."
...didn't come into reality.
The reason being, while I threw myself into the air, I jumped back to escape further up into the sky.
"I can't fly like you, but I didn't say I couldn't fight midair."
Particles of light beneath my feet came to life and formed a sword with an extraordinarily wide blade, which I then kicked to boost myself up.
Create a sword. Use it as a foothold. Kick it to gain movement and boost myself up. Repeat.
And for the first time since I came here-- I finally looked down at the monster.
Because of the good view, I could see what seemed to be many monsters coming from the surrounding area.
...I couldn't even feel any sign of them until just now, which was too soon, to say the least.
I would've overloaded them with complaints, if I could, and told them to go fuck themselves.
At that moment, the monster's jaw opened with a snap.
Its sharp fangs, neatly lined up, revealed themselves.
An unintentional cry escaped me.
A reddish gas-like substance was beginning to gather in the monster's mouth.
I even heard an unfamiliar scraping sound, and perhaps-- it was the sign of flames being released.
But it didn't matter.
Slay, slay, slay, slay, slay.
Like a curse, the word repeated itself in my heart.
Whatever came my way, slay it, it said.
And as if obeying the words, I clenched the hilt of my sword even tighter, silencing even its creaking sound.
"Great...!!! Let's play then, monster!!!"
It was that simple.
My lips twisted with joy like my cheeks had been split open as I looked at my belligerent enemy who was preparing itself to intercept me rather than to evade and flee.
Red flashes of light mixed with my vision, and the heat that filled the area burned my skin like roasted meat.
All I could do was create a sword, swing it down, and slash through it.
Therefore, I shall tear through any and all obstacles that stand in my way, along with the flames, without exception, and end it once and for all!
Star-Slaying Swordsman
星斬りの剣士
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/star-slaying-swordsman/
Action Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Shounen
Adapted to Manga Dark Fantasy World Male Protagonist Mature Protagonist Medieval Philosophical Romantic Subplot Sudden Strength Gain Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transplanted Memories
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7336gg/
アルト／遥月