The Musou no Hitotachi was truly breathtaking.
Free of distractions.
Free of hesitation.
Just a single slash.
It was the culmination of everything Raiden Ei had devoted her life to mastering.
Even Jingliu, her opponent, had to admit that the craftsmanship behind that strike was nothing short of extraordinary.
In response,
she decided to answer it with a single sword strike of her own.
Her sword moved as her heart willed.
The instant Jingliu leapt into the sky and swung her blade, everyone present felt as though a crescent moon had appeared overhead.
It was a clash between two swords that had each reached the pinnacle of technique.
There was no doubt—the Musou no Hitotachi lost to Jingliu's single slash.
The gap in skill wasn't particularly large.
The true difference lay in the power behind them.
No matter how astonishing the Musou no Hitotachi was, it was ultimately manifested through elemental power.
The power of the Paths, however, carried not only strength, but also the user's will and conviction.
The contest wasn't merely one of technique.
It was also one of resolve.
Jingliu's determination to take revenge upon Abundance had long consumed her entire being.
Only Baiheng's existence had ever caused that conviction to waver.
"What..."
"...is the name of that sword?"
Although defeated,
Ei wasn't especially discouraged.
For those with powerful wills, witnessing something even more magnificent should inspire admiration, not despair.
Ei was exactly that kind of person.
She might have shortcomings elsewhere, but when it came to martial arts, her will was exceptionally strong.
"It has no name."
Jingliu shook her head.
Her swordsmanship was extraordinary, yet she had never intended to pass it down as a formal school.
Anyone who wished to learn—she would simply teach them.
There was no need to give it a name.
Even Flawless Flying Light was merely a title bestowed upon her by others.
She had never sought fame.
The name of her sword style had never mattered.
Compared to Ei,
Jingliu now looked far more like a goddess herself.
Although Ei couldn't understand the words, she grasped the meaning.
Still...
for such an awe-inspiring sword technique to remain nameless...
felt rather unfortunate.
"You are the only person I've ever met whose skill surpasses mine."
Although the gap in overall strength between them was immense, Ei's Musou no Hitotachi was never something ordinary people could hope to master.
Yet after witnessing Jingliu's slash, she had already gained fresh insight.
She even felt that one day she might recreate that strike herself.
She had always been a martial prodigy.
The origin of every sword school in Inazuma.
Naturally, her insight was exceptional.
Seeing Ei's expression, Jingliu immediately understood.
She had learned something.
Jingliu gave a slight nod, acknowledging her.
To gain enlightenment from that single exchange… she truly deserved to be called a fellow martial artist.
Her talent was remarkable.
Still, after meeting someone even more monstrously gifted, Ei's talent no longer seemed quite so extraordinary in Jingliu's eyes.
"If neither of us uses Path powers..."
"...how much better than me would you be?"
Her duel with Ei had been a friendly spar.
But fighting Su Ran...
would be a challenge.
With her fighting spirit ignited,
Jingliu turned directly toward him.
"Want to spar?"
Su Ran didn't mind.
Even if neither of them used Path powers.
"It's not a spar."
"It's a challenge."
"The one who excels becomes the teacher."
"You didn't merely master my swordsmanship."
"You developed it even further."
"I want to see just how frightening your talent truly is."
Jingliu looked at him, eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Su Ran wasn't a pure martial artist.
Nor did he possess the unwavering conviction of someone like her.
Still... his desire to win was incredibly strong.
"Then..."
"Call me 'Master' first."
"If the more accomplished becomes the teacher..."
"then since I'm ahead of you..."
"...I should be your master, shouldn't I?"
"..."
Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile.
There was no way Jingliu could call him "Master."
It wasn't because he wasn't qualified.
It was simply because...his personality was far too bizarre.
Calling someone like Su Ran "Master"
would be unbearably embarrassing.
If word spread that the former Sword Champion of the Luofu had such an eccentric teacher... the Xianzhou's reputation would become...
strange.
Not worse.
Just...
strange.
After all, Genius Society members carried considerable prestige.
As long as they hadn't committed anything outrageous, they generally weren't viewed negatively.
The spectators couldn't understand Jingliu's words, but they understood Su Ran perfectly.
Raiden Ei's brain nearly stopped functioning.
...Wait.
Who's the master?
Su Ran?
That brute-force idiot?
When it came to raw strength, Ei confidently admitted
that even ten thousand versions of herself couldn't defeat Su Ran.
But if they were discussing swordsmanship...she would have said that even the sole of her foot was an unreachable sky for him.
So what was going on now?
How had Su Ran become this woman's master?
On what grounds?!
A sword identical to the icy blade in Jingliu's hand appeared within Su Ran's grasp.
He had never formally studied swordsmanship.
Everything he knew came from Jingliu herself.
Using the same sword naturally suited him best.
"Should we announce our names before we begin?"
Su Ran looked at her with a teasing smile.
"I don't believe you're someone who cares about such formalities."
"...Fair enough."
The very next moment, everyone present widened their eyes in disbelief.
Especially Raiden Ei.
Without using any supernatural powers, she herself had only managed to match Jingliu in technique.
Yet from the very first exchange, Su Ran immediately seized the advantage.
His swordsmanship was fierce, swift, and dazzling.
Watching him felt like witnessing an upgraded version of Jingliu herself.
How could Ei possibly remain calm?
In her memory, Su Ran had never possessed swordsmanship anywhere near this level.
Everything he'd ever done had been nothing but overwhelming force.
As long as he had enough power, nothing else mattered.
And yet now, he was overwhelming someone whose swordsmanship even Ei herself admired.
He had even claimed to be Jingliu's master.
So...
When we first met...
You were just playing with me the whole time, weren't you?!
If your swordsmanship was this incredible...
Why didn't you teach me a thing or two?!
Ei wasn't the only one thinking that.
Mikoshi Chiyo and Kamisato Ayaka had similar thoughts.
Though their motivations differed.
Chiyo simply loved martial arts.
As for Ayaka...
she merely hoped that, during moments like these, she could spend a little more time by Su Ran's side.
After all, it had been a very long time since she had served as his personal attendant every day.
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