Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 51

Chapter 51 – The Test of Courage Begins (Part 7)

"Ugh, this is seriously messed up..."

Using the skill Sensory Link, I dove into the memories of the person who once wielded this demonic blade—no, the samurai now possessing it—and the sights that unfolded made me feel nauseous.

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"Charge! Take the castle!"

"Find the princess no matter what!"

The main keep was engulfed in towering flames, enemy troops surged forward, drenched in blood spray, and countless bodies were strewn across the ground.

It was a sight far too brutal for someone who’d lived in peaceful, modern-day Japan.

—And yet I remained calm.

Was it because the one I was linking senses with had become desensitized to such horrors? Or perhaps…

As those thoughts passed through my mind, I noticed two figures—a man and a woman—desperately running through the mountains not far from the battlefield.

One was a lightly-armored young samurai wielding a fine blade reminiscent of the current demonic sword. The other was a girl around my age, clad in an elegant kimono.

"Princess, we’re almost at the cherry blossom tree! Please hang in there!"

"Hah… hah… I understand…"

While encouraging the breathless girl, the samurai cut down enemies that blocked their way.

"Kanbee, this way!"

Then, a voice called out to the samurai. When I followed the sound using the Sensory Link, I saw an older samurai clad in impressive armor and helmet.

"Lord Okajima! You're safe!"

"Yes, I barely managed to escape. And you, Princess—are you hurt?"

"Thanks to Kanbee, I'm unharmed. What about Father…?"

The girl asked anxiously, and the older samurai smiled with an almost inappropriate serenity.

"You needn’t worry. His Lordship is safely hidden somewhere the enemy will never reach."

"I see… Kanbee, let us go to Father at once."

"Understood. Lord Okajima, I hate to ask, but would you please lead the way—?"

Kanbee, the young samurai, suddenly felt something wrong in his abdomen. Looking down in confusion, he realized...

...a blade was impaled deep in his stomach—the one held by the very man called Okajima.

"...What… is this…?"

"I’m sending you to the same afterlife where His Lordship now rests. Be grateful, and die quickly."

With that, Okajima twisted the blade further into Kanbee's body.

"Kanbee!"

"Gah… P-Princess… run…!"

"Stubborn fool. But with that wound, he won’t live. Now then, Princess, this way."

The princess rushed to Kanbee’s side, blood trickling from his mouth. Okajima, meanwhile, looked down on the dying samurai with a twisted sneer, reaching his hand toward the princess.

"Okajima… you…!"

"Please rest easy, Princess. The new lord of this land will treat you well—as his concubine."

"You… betrayed my father and this country?!"

"Not a betrayal. Leaving this country in the hands of that fool king would’ve doomed it. I simply acted accordingly."

The princess, having lost the samurai she revered like a brother—perhaps more—glared at Okajima with burning hatred.

Then, as if making up her mind, she grabbed the short blade at Kanbee’s waist and drew it.

"Y-You…!"

"Then I shall go to my father as well. Thank you for guiding me."

Without hesitation, the princess plunged the blade into her own chest, collapsing over Kanbee’s body.

"Lord Okajima, what…?"

"...She took her own life. Damn it! That wench dared trample my kindness…!"

"Um, what should we do now…?"

"Cut off her head and bring it back to the castle. That should silence the remaining resistance."

"...Understood."

He gave the order, then spat on her corpse.

As Okajima stepped back, watching his men prepare to decapitate the princess, something happened.

"Gaaah!?"

One of the retainers standing near her body suddenly spewed blood and collapsed.

"Guh!?"

"R-Run… guh!?"

One after another, Okajima's men were cut down. And the attacker—

A single blade floated mid-air, cloaked in black smoke and blood.

The blade glared at them—despite lacking eyes—and moved on its own.

"A… a cursed blade…!"

Someone muttered those words.

And then, panic ensued.

The retainers fled in terror—including Okajima himself.

"Don’t let that thing get near me!"

"You’ll NOT… ESCAPE…!!"

Okajima shouted as he ran down the mountain, ordering his men to block the blade.

But the samurai's soul—now a cursed spirit—was bound like a restless ghost and couldn’t stray far from the princess.

"Princess… Princess…"

Eventually, the blade pierced the ground beside the princess’s corpse and continued to weep endlessly.

Through the Sensory Link, I learned the truth.

Even after being stabbed a second time by Okajima, Kanbee hadn't immediately died. He remained conscious long enough to witness the princess take her own life.

The samurai’s soul continued to grieve. And curse.

He cursed the ones who caused this. His fate. The unfulfilled promise with the princess. His own powerlessness.

And so, he didn’t notice.

The soul of the princess, too, stood beside him—never ascending—gazing at the blade with sorrow.

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"...Phew."

I’d seen enough.

I activated my skill, targeting everything in this scene.

"Dispel."

At that moment, everything—except the blade and me—shattered like glass.

The samurai’s spirit, once a mass of black smoke, was ripped from the blade.

"Wh-What is this!?"

"We can finally have a proper conversation now, sir samurai."

I gave the now humanoid spirit a theatrical bow, while activating Cognitive Obstruction to speak calmly.

"You’re the one from earlier… What sorcery is this? Not even the exorcist who sealed me could do something like—"

He was clearly bewildered, though a trace of rationality had returned to his face.

—Well, being suddenly freed from the cursed blade after centuries would do that.

As I turned to face him again, I thought back on what I’d seen:

The sword itself wasn’t inherently cursed. The black smoke, the armour—it was all the samurai’s doing.

Once I knew that, it was simple: just use Dispel to sever the spirit's ability to possess objects.

Now, the sword was nothing more than a rusted blade, and the soul could be safely reasoned with.

"Well, let's just say I have my ways. How do you feel now?"

"...Hard to say. But this is the clearest my mind’s been since I became a vengeful spirit. So… why have you come into my heart?"

"To help you resolve your regrets, of course."

"My… regrets?"

"Yes. You can’t move on because you left something unfinished, right?"

The samurai fell silent.

(No rush. We’ve got all the time in the world.)

For him to even listen to the intruder who barged into his soul... Cognitive Obstruction was really doing work.

—Just then...

"...I couldn’t fulfill my promise to reach the cherry blossom tree with the princess. That’s what weighs on me most."

"I see. And if that could be resolved, you’d be able to pass on?"

"But how? Her soul is no longer in this world…"

"Actually, I think it can be resolved."

He looked utterly stunned.

"What… did you say? You can grant this wish…?"

"Yes, but I’ll need your help."

"If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it! Please… help me find peace!"

The samurai dropped to his knees, begging.

"Raise your head. Like I said—I came here to help you with your regret."

"Thank you… thank you! Please, help me move on!"

...Perfect. That seals the deal.

With confirmation in hand, I released the Sensory Link and let my consciousness return to the real world—

—To finally resolve the lingering sorrow of the samurai and the princess.

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🗒️ Translator's Notes

1. Sensory Link (感覚連結 / kankaku renketsu):

Formerly rendered as “Sensory Sync” or “Sensory Sharing.” This skill allows Iori to connect to the sensory experiences (memories, perceptions) of people, objects, or spirits. “Sensory Link” is a cleaner, more intuitive English phrasing that reflects a magical connection without sounding overly sci-fi.

2. Historical Warfare Setting:

The flashback is a strong homage to Sengoku-period (Warring States era) Japan, with castle sieges, betrayal by retainers, and princess suicides to preserve honor. Readers familiar with jidaigeki (period drama) tropes will recognize the setup of a loyal retainer (Kanbee) and his doomed mission to save a noble lady.

3. Kanbee (官兵衛):

A very classical name, often associated with tacticians or loyal vassals in historical fiction. Possibly a reference to Kuroda Kanbee, a real Sengoku-era strategist.

4. Princess's Suicide:

Her act is culturally significant. In Japanese historical settings, noblewomen sometimes took their lives to avoid capture, dishonor, or forced marriages. The word is not explicitly used, but this is akin to “jigai” (自害)—ritual suicide, often done with a blade to the chest or neck.

5. Okajima:

A common samurai surname. His betrayal mirrors classical “uchi-gatana” stories where trusted retainers turn on their lords for power. He represents the corrupt ambition that breaks bushidō (samurai code).

6. Cursed Sword Trope:

The demonic sword haunted by a sorrowful spirit is a staple in Japanese fantasy. Think of blades like Muramasa, believed to thirst for blood. Here, the blade is not inherently cursed—it’s Kanbee’s lingering soul that caused its corruption.

7. Dispel (解除 / kaijo):

A powerful purification or banishment magic that breaks lingering spiritual ties. In JRPGs or fantasy anime, this skill would usually be used to cleanse status effects or curses. Here, it functions narratively to unshackle the spirit from the sword.

8. Cognitive Obstruction (認識阻害 / ninshiki sogai):

A previously seen skill Iori uses to remain unnoticed or distort perception. It also seems to aid in allowing smoother communication with hostile entities by calming their thoughts—something like magical empathy shielding.

9. Cherry Blossom Tree (桜の木 / sakura no ki):

A powerful symbol in Japanese culture—often representing fleeting beauty, the transience of life, and emotional closure. That the princess and Kanbee were trying to escape to the sakura tree underscores its significance as a spiritual resting place.

10. Vengeful Spirit (怨霊 / onryō):

Common in Japanese ghost lore. Spirits who die with strong grudges often return as onryō. This chapter shows a classic example: the blade becoming cursed due to Kanbee’s inability to accept the past and move on.