Sentarō stared at the bear with such intensity that his pupils dilated. His body trembled—not from the night's chill, but from the raw, suffocating fear that gripped him.
GROOOOAAAR!
The beast's eyes locked onto him, wild and feral, filled with a murderous hunger. Sentarō couldn't move. Every muscle refused to obey, his body frozen in place. The scar on his chest began to throb painfully, dragging him back to the haunting memory of his childhood encounter with a bear.
He wanted to run. He needed to run. But he couldn't.
What are you doing, Sentarō? Move… or you're going to die! he screamed inwardly.
From a distance, a lone figure watched the scene unfold, his voice calm but cold. "He's not moving. Does he want to die…? Or maybe nii-san overestimated the kid."
GROOOOAAAR!
The bear reared up on its hind legs, towering above him, ready to strike. Sentarō's heart hammered in his chest. Move, Sentarō… MOVE!
The beast raised its massive right forelimb, claws glinting under the moonlight, and lunged forward.
SWISH!!
The strike came like a hurricane—yet to Sentarō's shock, he sidestepped it. His body moved on instinct, rolling across the grass before regaining his stance.
"That attack was… slow?" he muttered, stunned at how sluggish the blow seemed. But the bear didn't give him time to think. It charged again, snarling, claws slicing through the air.
SWISH!!
Sentarō leapt aside, rolled, and rose smoothly, his breath steady. "I see… this must be the result of my years of training."
A grin crept onto his face. For the first time in five years, Sentarō felt the weight of his growth. Confidence surged through him. He unsheathed his wooden sword and pointed it at the beast.
"You may not be the same bear that attacked me that day," he said, voice steady, "but you'll pay the price for it."
He shifted into a battle stance—legs wide, knees bent, sword angled just below his waist. His eyes sharpened like blades.
Then, he dashed.
The wind whipped around him as he charged, sword gripped tightly. The bear swung again—
SWISH!!
Sentarō rolled left, narrowly avoiding the blow.
SWISH!! SWISH!!
Two more strikes came in fury. Sentarō backflipped, barely evading the claws. "Damn it… if this beast lands even one hit, I'm dead."
From afar, the observer chuckled. "He dodges well. But dodging alone won't save him."
SWISH!! SWISH!! SWISH!!
The bear's claws tore through the air in a relentless storm. Sentarō could only evade, his movements precise yet desperate.
SWISH!!
He rolled left again—but this time, the beast followed through.
THUD!!
Sentarō barely parried with his wooden sword. The impact sent him flying backward, skidding through dirt before slamming into a tree.
"You've got to be kidding me… just one hit and I—"
Before he could finish, the bear lunged again, jaws wide open.
GROOOOAAAR!
Sentarō dove behind the tree, just as those bone-crushing teeth clamped down where he'd been. Bark splintered and wood cracked.
"How do I beat this thing…?" he panted, panic rising. The fear he thought he'd conquered began to resurface, cold and merciless. His breathing quickened, heart racing, eyes dilating in terror.
Then—an idea struck. He remembered the old swordsmanship manual he'd trained from—the One Sword Style.
"That's right… the One Sword Style."
Before he could finish gathering his thoughts, the bear swung again, tearing through the tree beside him. Sentarō darted toward the forest, leaping over a rope lined with bells. The bear followed, slashing through the rope with a single swipe.
"Damn, it's really powerful," Sentarō muttered, sprinting deeper into the woods. The bear thundered behind him, surprisingly fast. "Even with its size, it's keeping up."
Then another memory flashed through his mind. "That's right… the book mentioned a running technique using breathing and footwork."
He steadied his breathing—long, deep, and rhythmic—and synchronized his strides into precise patterns. In an instant, he made a sharp turn left and vanished from the bear's sight.
From his vantage point, the distant figure raised an eyebrow. "Huh. The kid actually learned the samurai running technique. Guess the nii-san really saw potential in him… but he's not done yet."
The bear growled, confused, scanning the forest. All it could hear was a blur of rapid footsteps circling it.
Then—
Sentarō appeared behind it.
"Hey, beast… I've got you now!"
Before the bear could turn fully, Sentarō struck, his wooden sword slamming into the side of its face.
GROOOOAAAR!
The creature roared in pain and rage, spinning toward him and rising to full height. It swung with all its might.
SWISH!!
The claws cut through the air—but Sentarō was gone.
"Looking for me?"
The voice came from above. Sentarō was airborne, several meters high, silhouetted against the moon.
The observer's lips curled into a grin. "This kid's full of surprises. He's even learned the samurai's multi-jump technique…"
He remembered the explanation from his own training: A technique where a samurai propels himself upward by consecutively stomping and jumping, storing momentum for one final explosive leap.
Below, the bear looked up—too late.
Sentarō raised his sword high over his head, eyes blazing with determination. "You stupid animal… I've got you right where I want you!"
He began his descent, gravity pulling him faster, the wind howling past his ears. All that training… it made me strong. Strong enough to defeat you.
He tightened his grip on his wooden sword, channeling every ounce of strength and willpower.
"One Sword Style…" he whispered.
Then, louder, as his body plummeted toward the bear—
"With this, I overcome my first obstacle!"
His expression hardened into a confident smile.
"Tenkōzan!!" (Heavenly Descending Slash!)
THUD!! CRACK!!
The strike landed square between the bear's eyes, the impact echoing through the forest. The ground trembled as the beast collapsed with a heavy thud.
Sentarō stood there, chest heaving, sword still raised.
The distant figure chuckled softly. "Heavenly Descending Slash… a technique of the One Sword Style that channels a fighter's weight and gravity into a devastating downward strike."
He touched his chin and smiled proudly. "Ujiyuki-nii-san… you really did have a good eye for pupils."