The Weapon Of Sword Legs

Rikyou coughed up blood and collapsed, and the second Sword-Leg Spider also fell. It seemed that I alone had survived.

“This has become a bad situation. Since it is better to assume the other outer disciples know that I went out together with Rikyou, I have to report this to the elder.”

I recovered Rikyou’s treasured sword. After that, I collected the sword legs from the two Sword-Leg Spiders. The sword legs were heavy, slender double-edged swords. I already knew how sharp they were from the way the Sword-Leg Spider had slammed them into a tree trunk.

The Sword-Leg Spider’s power probably played a part too, but an ordinary sword would not bite twenty centimeters into a tree trunk. I examined the four sword legs I had collected. None of them seemed to have any chips in the blade. One of the sword legs had even clashed with Rikyou’s treasured sword, so I had expected that one to be chipped, which made this unexpected.

“So that means the treasured sword and the sword legs are about equally hard and sturdy.”

Having four of them was reassuring. However, these sword legs were only about fifty centimeters long, so they were too short to use as ordinary swords.

Rikyou’s treasured sword was the easiest to use, but making it my own seemed difficult. I slung the recovered weapons over my shoulder and started back.

On the way, I encountered a Piercing Wolf, but I killed it without much trouble and returned to Gyorei Cave. I first went back to the Wallside Hall and hid the sword legs in the ceiling space. Carrying only Rikyou’s treasured sword, I headed for the Main Hall.

When I entered the Main Hall and went to Elder Tsuen, the elder was speaking with Elder Mon. Elder Mon was a bewitching beauty. Every time I saw her, my heartbeat quickened. Was she using some kind of charm technique?

“Elder Tsuen, I have a report.”

Elder Tsuen looked at my face with an expression that said, “Do not disturb me.”

“Did something happen?”

The one who spoke to me was not Elder Tsuen, but Elder Mon.

“Today, I went Sword-Leg Spider hunting together with Senior Brother Rikyou, but… unfortunately, Senior Brother Rikyou was killed in a counterattack.”

When he heard that, Elder Tsuen’s expression changed.

“Killed in a counterattack… do you mean he died?”

“Yes. He ended up caught between two Sword-Leg Spiders and was stabbed from behind by a sword leg and died.”

Anger rose on Elder Tsuen’s face.

“You went with him, did you not? Why did you not help him?”

Hearing that, Elder Mon let out a sigh.

“Elder Tsuen, please calm yourself. This one is an outer disciple. If he had challenged a Sword-Leg Spider, he would have been killed instantly.”

“Guh, that is true enough. Then tell me the details.”

“The two of us entered the Demon Riot Grassland and headed for the grove where it was said Sword-Leg Spiders could be found. I, I asked whether I should help with the hunt, but Senior Brother Rikyou said he would fight alone and that it would be enough if I helped when it came time to butcher it.”

The two elders nodded. It must have sounded believable to them.

“What happened after that?”

“Only Senior Brother Rikyou entered the grove, and after a while a Sword-Leg Spider came out from the grove. Since he could not win fighting it head-on, he ran around and fled into the grove. Then Senior Brother Rikyou appeared there and began fighting the Sword-Leg Spider.”

What I was saying was not a lie, but parts were missing here and there.

“What proof is there that Rikyou died?”

Elder Tsuen leaned forward and pressed me. At that point, I held out Rikyou’s treasured sword that I had brought with me.

“Th-this is Rikyou’s treasured sword… so it was true.”

Elder Mon had an expression as though she were thinking something over.

“You did well to make it back alive.”

“I was lucky.”

When I said that, Elder Tsuen glared at me. He looked displeased that I had returned alive. This elder might become an enemy. I needed to be careful.

“That is enough. Go.”

Elder Tsuen drove me out of the room. When I returned to the Wallside Hall, I took out the sword legs I had hidden in the ceiling space. I did not need all four. I would sell two, use one in place of my mountain knife, and turn the other into a polearm like a glaive by attaching a long shaft to it.

The next day, I wrapped the four sword legs in a cloth and went into the city of Boushin, heading for Master Zaoshi’s smithy.

“Hello.”

“Oh, outer disciple Kou. Are you replacing your weapon?”

“I want to sell some weapon material, and I want you to make me a new weapon.”

“Weapon material, you say? White Wolf claws?”

“No, this.”

I took the sword legs out of the wrapping cloth I was carrying and lined them up on the stand.

“Hm? Are these the swords of a Sword-Leg Spider?”

“That’s right. I’m thinking of selling two and turning the remaining two into weapons.”

I explained what kind of weapons I wanted.

“One will be a short sword, and the other will have a long shaft attached and be made into something like a broadsword, right?”

It seemed that here, a long-shafted sword like a glaive was called a broadsword. I sold two sword legs for twenty-two gold coins, and since the cost of making the new weapons was eight gold coins, I ended up with fourteen gold coins.

While my new weapons were being made, I continued hunting Twin-Spear Deer. Then, at last, I found a Twin-Spear Deer in the demon realm. Twin-Spear Deer were fast on their feet, so if I did not kill one in a single blow, it would escape.

An ordinary yōma would come at me instead of fleeing, but this Twin-Spear Deer would run if it judged something to be dangerous. I erased my presence and approached the Twin-Spear Deer.

When I had closed to about eight meters away, the Twin-Spear Deer, which had been grazing, twitched and lifted its head. I instantly refined the qi I had been suppressing and sent it into my legs, then burst forward as if flying.

Closing in until it was almost within arm’s reach in nearly an instant, I slammed the White Wolf Warhammer into the Twin-Spear Deer’s neck. Qi Claw Strike activated, and the Twin-Spear Deer collapsed, flesh and blood spraying from its neck.

“Phew, I got it. Now I can make the Qi Prosperity Pill.”