Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 327- Summer Days

Yamato, a land with four seasons: cherry blossoms in the spring, blaring cicadas in the summer, the vividness of the autumn leaves in the Fall, and the pure snow of winter. Every summer, they celebrate the Solar Festival in honor of their head goddess, Amaterasu.

Zing-zing-zing-zing!

The cicadas blare off in the distance.

"…I’m so bored," Haku says lazily, lying down.

"You could have—Bam! Bam! Gone with your mother to the wedding?" Retsu said, hitting a practice dummy with his fists.

"I personally would be happy to have such a large family," Musashi said while doing pushups with her fingers.

"Don’t you already have a big family? I mean, you have several little brothers and sisters at the orphanage?"

"Ah, true; nonetheless, having such a large family is great; you are surrounded by love."

"It’s not that it’s just... Well, I knew my dad's new wife as my aunt, so it's... hard for me to get used to, you know?"

"I do not," Musashi said.

"Maybe it is simply an adult thing?" Retsu added.

"Ahh! That’s what my uncle said, and his wife said!" Haku gets up, scratching his head. "Hey, do you guys wanna go to the Solar Festival?"

"Hmm...no, I think I will train."

"Yes, your mom was very insistent that you keep working hard," Musashi said, getting back on her feet. "We have the summer tournaments in three weeks, and Lady Ai was not happy you decided not to go to the wedding." She began to do stretches.

"Come on, it’s just for one day. You should take breaks to rest your body. Also, I can just make it up to her and aunt—I guess my new mom later."

"As your very strict and skilled mother said, ‘A day’s worth of training is two days longer you live.’." Retsu glances at Haku. Besides, I know my body well enough to know when it requires rest."

"Same," Musashi added.

"You know she just ripped that off from what my dad says, right?" Haku rests his head.

"That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold some weight," Musashi said, now doing handstand push-ups.

"Fine, I’ll go myself."

Haku goes inside while Musashi and Retsu train.

He goes and picks out his clothes, which were a blue and black jinbei. He goes and takes a bath.

After getting himself ready, he leaves his home and heads to the Solar Festival in Fuyukusa.

Chatter! Chatter! Chatter! Chatter!

Chatter! Chatter! Chatter!

Chatter! Chatter! Chatter! Chatter!

Stalls littered the once-booming streets with delicious food and games. Haku bought a Hyottoko to hide who he is as if he didn’t, they would give him special treatment. At the school, most wouldn’t spar with him simply because he was the heir to the Kyūjouno Family.

"Hey, how much for some Yakisoba?"

"20 valis!"

"Here you go."

He pays for the food and continues to walk around.

'I should attend Haru High School. They always have some fun stuff, like the sparring matches.’

Walking to the east of the city was where Haru High School was located for ages 14 to 18. The school is where the students of the city of Fuyukusa go to learn what they wish to pursue in life at Natsu University, where they will be fully taught.

The high school was built like a Japanese school. There were several people inside, with crowds of people all lined up for something different.

"Damn, I guess I have to go around."

While walking around the side of the school to go to another entrance, he sees a bunch of men in black suits escorting a girl with straight black hair kept up by an elegant pin.

"Oh? Have I never seen her before?"

She wore a blue kimono with koi on it. She turned around and spotted Haku, and he realized she had an eyepatch over her right eye. It was a shame she did not have it, as Haku could see the most beautiful shade of blue in that one eye that shimmered like a gem.

She turned back and kept walking, leaving Haku stunned for a moment.

‘She’s new…huh? Why is my heart racing? Hmmm...’

"Tsk! Whatever."

He continued to walk ahead, entering the school and going around.

‘Haunted houses, maid cafés—this isn’t very fun.’

"Hey, did you hear they are having demonstration matches in the sword gym!"

"No way! Do you think Date Shigezane will be showing off with Kamiizumi, Yagyu, Ito, or even Toda?"

"Probably! You know how those sword nuts are! I heard they were already scouted to join Lady Amaterasu’s court!"

"No way!!"

Overhearing them, Haku decided to head there.

"Sounds interesting."

Arriving at the gym, there were a fair number of people. Haku slipped through the crowd and arrived at the demonstration.

"Haa!!"

Clack!

Several people were demonstrating.

"Wow! So cool!!"

"Did you see their swordsmanship?"

"So amazing!"

Everyone was fawning over their performance—all but two people.

‘What boring swordsmanship.’ Thought Haku, watching.

She has the skill, but compared to what his mother could do, it was like day and night, especially if they would even dare to compare it to his father’s skill with the spear.

One would think it's unfair to compare mere students to his own parents, but that is how he makes comparisons. Cirrus and Ai are his gold standard which everyone is compared to in his mind.

"Alright, does anyone want to try their hand?" said one student.

"I want to."

Everyone looked at the same girl he saw a while ago with the eyepatch as she walked up to the fighting area.

"Miss Date, please!" said one of her guards.

"No! I wish to partake as well!"

"Mairu."

An older boy with similar features walked into the ring.

"Shigezane, I want to have a match as well!"

The two had similar features, in particular, but they also seemed to know one another by first name.

"You are far too young; go and enjoy the festivities. Koba, take her."

‘Oh? She’s a noble? Heh~,’

She looked around desperately to see everyone looking at her when she locked eyes with Haku.

‘Oh, shit—'

Luck shines on him this day.

"You, boy!" she shouted, pointing at Haku. "Come down here and duel me!"

Everyone then looked at Haku with his mask still on.

"I uh… I don’t wanna." He said.

His voice filled the silenced gym.

"What are you, a coward? Are you afraid a little girl could beat you?"

‘I know what she’s doing? Does she think I don’t understand provocation?’

"No, I just wanna—" As Haku was going to walk away, she shouted.

"Fine! Go and run with your tail tucked between your legs!"

He stopped in his tracks and gave her a sharp glare.

"Hah!?" Much like his mother, he has a competitive spirit.

She could feel a slight chill run down her back.

He briskly walked over, grabbed two bamboo swords, and stood on one side of the ring.

"Pick it up." He tosses one of the bamboo swords at her.

"Hey! You're not going to fight my little sister!" Shigezane walks aggressively toward Haku. "Do you under—Bam!!"

Haku strikes him on the chin, knocking him out without even looking.

"!!" Many were stunned at this feat, while several swordsmen were in awe of its elegance.

"Pick it up. Anyone who gets in the way, I’ll fucking knock your ass old ass down."

Mairu picked it up and walked up to him with a big smile on her face.

"Thanks for getting rid of my big brother."

"Why don’t you tell me your name so we can get introductions out of the way?" He gets into a nonchalant stance.

"My name is Date Mairu, and I shall win!"

She charges at him, and he meets her strike.

Clack!!!

"Good strength, but." He then slightly slants his bamboo sword while moving forward.

"!"

He then stopped as he reached her midsection.

It wasn’t even a minute, and he already took the win.

"There, are you happy? I’m leaving." As he turned, Mairu shouted once more.

"Rematch!! Get me another bamboo sword!"

Haku turns around to see her with two swords in hand.

‘Oh? Is she like Musashi?’

Musashi herself is one hell of a battle junkie, out of every student in Aki Middle School, Musashi has dueled Ai and just about everyone at the school.

"You have more spirit than I gave you credit for."

"Fight me!!"

She came at him again with two overhead strikes. Haku evaded this time, and she quickly sidestepped away, but Haku wouldn’t let her grow the distance.

"Far too inexperienced to use those swords efficiently."

"Haa!!!"

She used both of her bamboo swords in a horizontal slash.

Haku dropped like a sinking stone to evade her strikes.

He then swiped her legs, causing her to fall.

"Kya!"

Thud!

Haku gets up again.

"You wanna try again, girl?" He points his bamboo sword at her.

"My name is!" she gets back up. "Date Mairu!! Hand me another sword!"

They kept going, and with each defeat, she added another sword until, eventually, she had six, three in between her fingers. With every sword added, it seems her skills improve each time, but when she got all six, her skill was something Haku took great interest in.

Clack!!

Clack!!!

Clack!!!

Clack!!!

Clack!!!

The sounds of bamboo striking quieted the gym as these two prodigies of the blade clashed with one another.

‘This is fun!! Very, very fun!

Under his mask, Haku was smiling ear to ear, as was Mairu in this bout, and they kept going until they both were exhausted.

"Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!"

They look at each other once more before her older brother comes through, now having regained consciousness.

"You have some gall to hit me. Do you know who I am? And what my family belongs to!"

"Huff! Huff! I don’t really care."

His face grew angry.

"Take off that mask now!! Or I'll have you beaten for hitting the Date Clan heirs!"

Haku walks up to him.

"Do you think you have any actual power in this city? Who the fuck do you think a kid like you who isn’t even the strongest in their clan can order me around?"

"And who are you, child?! Some simple street rat!"

"Heh," he says, looking around, and everyone wants to know as well. The guards had gone and blocked the way out. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Are you also deaf? I said, take off that mask this instant!"

‘How annoying.’ Haku wished to knock him out again, but seeing as he was already tired, he didn’t want to run.

Haku slowly reaches for his mask and removes it, tossing it to the ground.

Clack!

Clack!

"!!"

Immediately, the room fell silent. Everyone quickly prostrated themselves and shouted.

"Our deepest apologies, Young Lord!"

Shigezane and Mairu were confused by this sight.

"Oh? So I fell for your provocations, Mairu." Haku said, walking away.

"Y-you! Who are you!" shouted Shigezane, scared.

"My name is Kyūjouno Hakushika."

"!!!"

They could feel their blood run cold. They may be from a clan, but they were nothing when compared to one of the nine noble families, especially the Kyūjouno.

Their clan was not in Fuyukusa but more in the southeast.

"Welp, goodbye; I still have places to head to." He simply walked away, saying nothing else.

Cirrus made sure of one thing: that no image of his children circulated. He has his people make sure to purge any images of them to give them a layer of safety in anonymity. The only people who know who they are, are the people of Fuyukusa.