bookbashuk Page 63
Page 63
However, Goto Ichiri chose a completely different approach.
That is, using a wine bottle as a guitar slide tube.
This guitar technique is commonly seen in blues guitar playing.
Boqi's guitar has a fixed bridge, unlike a double tremolo guitar where a broken string will immediately pull the guitar forward, and the broken string happens to be the thinnest one.
Therefore, using a wine bottle as a slide can help check whether the string is out of tune within an acceptable range, and then move to a higher position to complete the performance.
But this does not apply to Koshimura Sawa.
To accommodate the structure of the sword and the impacts during combat, his bridge is fixed, and the crank can only be pressed down, not raised.
This is what is known as a single-locking tremolo guitar.
Once a string breaks, it will produce a very noticeable out-of-tune sound.
...But so what?
The opponent was already at their last gasp.
As long as one spell can be cast...
if only--
The performance continued, the cans scraping against the strings producing a grating glissando.
The sword was wrapped in wisps of leaping blue electric arcs. The spell did not collapse due to the mispronunciation; instead, it became even more violent, frantically drawing magic power from Koshimura Sawa.
It seems to be no longer just the simple [Thunder Sword].
Instead, it brings destruction... a bolt of lightning!
Guitar hero, lend me your power!
"Damn it!!" The samurai finally understood the purpose of the soda can, mustered his last bit of strength, and charged forward, sword in hand. "He's just a brat, how could he possibly—"
The only response he received was the crackling of electricity.
A dazzling flash of lightning instantly left a blank space in the field of vision.
A1 high-flash, please!
As the flash faded, the sword light, crackling with electricity, tore through the air, instantly traversing the seemingly insurmountable distance and occupying his entire field of vision.
The sword is no longer controlled by a person...
Rather, it is the sword that drives the person!
How could that be? —Moon*Ripples⑶俬冥VII二?er司?把④〥—!
The samurai hastily raised his sword to parry.
However, the anticipated power struggle did not occur.
The violent electric current, like a venomous snake, climbed down the metal blade. The high-voltage arc instantly pierced through the wooden handguard and plunged into the samurai's arm holding the sword, causing him to lose control of his body.
Immediately afterwards, the already battered shamisen let out a mournful cry of despair and snapped.
To the samurai's horrified gaze, the upper half of the blade spun and flew backward, slicing through the night sky and embedding itself diagonally into the soil of a distant flowerbed, trembling slightly.
"Who do you think I am?" Koshimura Sawa sneered.
"I'm—a legend in the world of girl bands!!!"
Without any fancy techniques, the mutated [Thunder Sword?], accompanied by a whistling wind, pierced into his chest without any resistance.
A deafening roar shook the heavens, accompanied by a torrent of thunder.
A dazzling arc of electricity erupted from his chest and instantly spread throughout his body.
The skin around the wound began to visibly char, carbonize, and peel off, and the air was filled with the stench of burning and the fishy smell of ozone.
The samurai finally released his grip on the hilt of his sword, and like a puppet without its strings, he fell backward.
"...What's that?" Chihaya Aine had just arrived in the planetarium's lobby when she was startled by the sudden flash of light. Looking at the figure standing in the center of the plaza, she exclaimed, "...Wait, that looks like...Sawarin?!"
"Koshimura-kun!" Takamatsu Akari clenched her fist and said without hesitation, "We have to go help him!"
Nagasaki Motoyo quickly dispelled the silence spell placed at the doorway.
Without a word, the girls picked up their instruments and dashed off like arrows released from a bow.
"I don't understand." The samurai lay helplessly on the cold ground, staring at the black sky.
The night sky was bathed in the glow of city lights, and the vast stars were no longer dazzling. However, the Summer Triangle, hanging high in the sky, was still clearly visible.
"With such power, such dazzling talent... such a bright future..." He couldn't help but grit his teeth, his heavy breathing like a broken bellows, "Why are you risking your life against a nobody like me!"
"Why should I do this for a group of people... complete strangers who won't even say thank you...?"
“You seem to have misunderstood something,” Koshimura interrupted him.
“That’s because…” He raised his hand and pointed to the door of the astrology hall behind him.
"—Takamatsu Akari is my wife!!!"
"..."
silence.
"Heh..." The samurai suddenly grinned, revealing an extremely absurd smile. "He's a real... madman."
"Thank you for the compliment." Koshimura stepped forward.
So, stepping on his chest, I pulled out the guitar sword.
Slash downwards.
The head rolled to the ground.
Koshimura let out a long breath, and the blood-stained guitar sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a clatter.
He staggered back two steps and sat down on the flower bed next to him.
Looking up, I saw the girls standing dumbfounded at the entrance of the planetarium.
------
"Aya, go faster! Floor it! Floor it!" On the speeding motorcycle, Hikawa Hina shook Maruyama Aya's shoulders vigorously, her blue hair dancing wildly in the wind. "Our lovely junior is still waiting for us to save her!"
"Hey, stop making noise, this is crucial!" Maruyama Aya was dizzy from the shaking, her voice trembling with tears under her helmet, "This is already the car's maximum speed, what more do you want from me?"
"Can't you go any faster? The person on the other side has the title 'Disorderly One,' and you're only level 2!" Hina Hikawa's voice was full of anxiety. "Ayana, is your precious motorcycle only capable of this level?"
Maruyama Aya's hand on the handlebars suddenly paused: "You said it yourself."
Hikawa Hina: "?"
Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?
She watched as Maruyama Aya reached out and pried open an inconspicuous cover under the motorcycle's dashboard, revealing a striking red button.
"Overload mode, activate!" Maruyama Ayaka shouted, pressing the button forcefully.
The motorcycle engine roared furiously, spewing out a stream of scorching blue flames from the exhaust pipe, instantly blurring the surrounding scenery into indistinct lines.
"Wait—!!!" Hikawa Hina quickly hugged Maruyama Aya's waist tightly, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes, which were stinging from the wind. "I didn't tell you to drive this fast, ahhhhh—"
------
The screeching sound of rubber rubbing cut through the night sky as Aya Maruyama executed a perfect drift, bringing her motorcycle to a stop on the road in front of the planetarium.
"Phew..." She let out a long breath, took off her goggles, and revealed a worried expression. "The location shows this is it... I hope I can still make it..."
"Ugh... Ugh—" Hikawa Hina wobbled as she climbed off the back seat, barely managing to stay upright by holding onto the car body. "Ayana, how come there are two of you..."
"Damn it... there's no time." Maruyama Aya ignored her, grabbed the microphone from the storage box, jumped out of the car, and strode towards the entrance of the planetarium.
The stench of blood in the air made her heart tighten instantly.
"Wait for me, Aya... Ouch—" Hikawa Hina, fighting off nausea, slung her guitar over her shoulder and jogged to catch up with her, only to bump into Maruyama Aya, who had suddenly stopped. "What's wrong...?"
She raised her head and looked ahead.
"ah..."
Nagasaki Motoyo knelt on the ground, letting Koshimura's head rest on her thigh clad in black pantyhose, carefully wiping the bloodstains and dirt from his face with a wet wipe: "How is it, Koshimura-kun? Is this angle okay? Is anything uncomfortable?"
"Perfect... Oh right, Aine, don't forget to massage your left leg too. Have you eaten? Does it hurt? Ouch, ouch—" Koshimura Sawa suddenly sat up.
"I'm already being kind by giving you a massage, Sawarin, and you're still being picky?" Chihaya Aine rolled her eyes, but her movements unconsciously softened as she carefully avoided the scrapes on his leg. "Honestly, you're still being stubborn even with injuries like this..."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong, Lady Aine. Why don't you go and rest over there?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't press..." Chihaya Aine muttered softly.
Koshimura Sawa breathed a sigh of relief, lay back down, and looked at Shiina Ritsuki, who was standing to the side with one hand on her hip, impatiently stamping her foot. She weakly stretched out her hand: "Ritsuki, I want some water..."
"Huh?" Shiina Tatsuki frowned, her purple eyes looking at him with displeasure. "Can't you drink it yourself?"
"Please... I'm injured, I can't even open a bottle cap right now." Koshimura pointed to the bloodstains on his body.
"What a nuisance!" Shiina Riki complained, picking up an unopened bottle of mineral water, roughly unscrewing the cap, and shoving it into Koshimura Sawa's hand. "Here! Drink it! You might as well choke to death!"
"Thank you." Yuecun Ze took the water and took a sip. "By the way, Lixi, I think I have low blood sugar... I'd like to eat some fruit... pre-cut fruit would be even better."
"Hey, don't push your luck, you bastard!"
"Koshimura-kun..." Takamatsu Akari cautiously stepped forward, "Is there... anything I can do for you?"
Shiina Tatsuki quickly reached out to block her: "Akira, get away from this person who has ill intentions towards you."
Aya Maruyama: "..."
"So that's it, this must be the Disorderly One!" Hina Hikawa finally came to her senses, looked at the person surrounded by several girls, and shouted, "Ayana, go for it!"
Chapter Sixty-Five: Declaration of Independence
Misaka Hatsuka: Koshimura-kun... is that you in the news?
Koshimura Sawa: The one who is alive is me.
Triangle Emerging Flower: ?
Misaka Chuka: Anyway... although I knew you seemed pretty amazing... this really surprised me.
Triangle Chuhua: Cat giving a thumbs up.jpg
Triangle Chuhua: I heard there's an Adventurers' Guild awards ceremony tonight. Mana and I will definitely go and support you!
Koshimura Sawa: ...Thank you.
He had just returned home from the hospital last night and immediately searched online for all information about the "Black Gu" and the "Eternal Moon," even going through all the past news about the Toyokawa family.
Unfortunately, nothing was gained.
It was as if someone had deliberately hidden these things; apart from a few novels published on the forum, filled with high school students' wishful thinking, there was no useful information to be found at all.
Calls to Wen Shui and Yan Yan went unanswered as their phones were switched off.
...that's really strange.
However, things have come to a close now, so I can finally relax a bit...
He had just moved his finger to the power button on his phone when he saw the news pop up in the notification bar.
[Update on the large-scale kidnapping case: Victims have been properly cared for, and the mastermind is still under investigation...]
He was about to click to take a look when he heard footsteps coming from the front of the classroom.
Kawakami Sadahiro slammed a stack of lesson plans onto the podium, cleared her throat, and scanned the classroom.
"Before we begin today's morning meeting, let's talk about something."
"I'm sure everyone has been following the large-scale and heinous kidnapping case that has occurred in the past few days," said Sadayo Kawakami with a serious expression. "Fortunately, thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, the incident has been resolved satisfactorily, and most of the victims have been safely rescued."
She turned her gaze to the back of the classroom: "Among them, Gao Songdeng, a classmate of ours... was also one of the victims of this incident."
Dozens of eyes instantly focused on Gao Songdeng.
The girl instinctively shrank her neck, quickly closed the pencil case full of stones, and pulled it closer to her body.
Why are there talismans now?