Tokyo, District 19.
Sakuragawa Private Academy, Kendo Hall.
At the center of the first-floor dojo hall, a group of boys were swinging their swords in practice.
And yet, for reasons unknown, even though they were doing nothing more than basic drills, the shouts they let out with each swing were unusually grandiose.
"Starburst… Stream of Desperation Slash!"
"Secret Art—Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash!"
"Thunder Half-Moon Slash!"
"Iaijutsu—Lion's Song!"
"Water Breathing—Decapitation Flow!"
"Haaah! Beast Breathing! Beast Breathing!!"
The last one in particular roared with such ferocity that his face twisted grotesquely, and when he swung, his entire body lurched forward two steps—almost tripping flat on the floor.
Not far from them, seated on the edge tatami of the hall, was a boy with strikingly handsome features. He watched them with a calm, almost leisurely expression.
It was obvious that the ones swinging their bamboo swords had no idea why he'd told them to shout those ridiculous move names. And he, of course, had no interest in explaining.
After a while, he stretched and stood, raising his arms in a lazy yawn.
But when his eyes returned to the boys, they narrowed.
"Kōsaka Maki, what exactly are you doing?"
Among the trainees, a crew-cut boy had been trying to hide behind the others.
While the rest had swung twice already, he hadn't even managed one.
Hearing the sharp voice of the handsome boy, Kōsaka Maki hurriedly raised his bamboo sword high above his head, only to realize too late—the boy was already standing right in front of him.
Kōsaka froze and straightened reflexively.
The others sensed something was off and stopped swinging.
"Kōsaka-kun, why are you slacking off?"
The handsome boy's expression was solemn.
"Minister, I wasn't slacking—I just…"
Kōsaka tried to defend himself, his voice weakening as it trailed off.
"I just thought…"
"That even though we're only practicing suburi right now, you're making us yell out all these absurd move names… doesn't that seem a little pointless?"
The boy's brows furrowed.
"Kōsaka-kun, you think shouting them is pointless?"
"And why do you think that?"
"Do you really believe the content of the shout matters?"
"The point of shouting as you swing is to channel your kiai! Do you understand kiai?"
"Kiai helps you unleash your strength. It unifies body and spirit. It projects your will and intimidates your opponent!"
"That is the heart of swordsmanship—not the words themselves, but the spirit behind them."
"But if you can't even put energy into your voice, that only proves you won't give your all in training either. And people who train halfheartedly—don't improve."
"I… is that so?!"
Kōsaka's face went pale. He stepped back instinctively and bowed deeply.
He hadn't understood a word, but it sounded convincing.
"I'll train properly from now on, Minister!"
The others, too, suddenly looked enlightened.
Watching Kōsaka lift his bamboo sword seriously, they all raised theirs again in unison.
"Good. That's what I like to see."
The boy nodded approvingly.
"As your senior, I would never mislead you."
"Now—one hundred more swings, each of you."
"Yes, Minister!"
The boys shouted in chorus, then returned to their drills, yelling with renewed vigor.
"Excellent! That's the spirit."
The boy smiled, nodding.
Then he turned his back, suppressing laughter.
Mislead you? Of course not.
I was only messing around… and indulging in a bit of nostalgia for my lost youth.
His name was Morikawa Yu.
Once, though, he had been Sumoto—a soul from another world, reborn here.
In his previous life, he had been utterly ordinary.
An ordinary childhood. Ordinary school life. Nothing special.
By luck alone, during the year of his college entrance exams, the police academy expanded its recruitment. Thanks to decent scores, he was admitted and eventually became a police officer, sworn to serve the people.
But the job hadn't been smooth. The pressure was immense.
And then… one day, he woke up here.
Reborn as a first-year high school student in Japan, attending an elite private academy—yet ostracized, with no real friends.
To change his fate, he'd joined the school's Kendo Club. In two years, he'd earned the respect of his teachers and become the club's minister.
Now, he was guiding the new freshmen through their first basics: suburi, the fundamental swinging practice upon which all kendo is built.
Glancing at the group once more, Morikawa Yu shook his head and turned away.
He yawned—
And then, a clear, cold voice echoed in his ears:
"System activated. Host, please check immediately."
System?
Morikawa froze.
Before him, a translucent, azure-blue screen appeared.
He instinctively looked back toward Kōsaka and the others—but they showed no reaction, still focused on swinging.
So it really was a system. Though… why so late?
It's been two years since I transmigrated.
Still, better late than never.
He focused on the screen, reading the text displayed:
Name: Morikawa YuIdentity: Gale SwordmasterStyle: Wind-Control Swordsmanship [Ultimate Intent]Skills:
Way of the Wanderer (Passive: Gain sword power while moving; generates a shield)
Recall (Active: Mark a location. After marking, you may instantly return to it. Location cannot be changed for 24 hours.)
Learnable Skills:
Steel Flash [Lv.1]
Wind Barrier [Lv.1]
Forward Slash [Lv.1]
Skill Points Available: 1 (One skill may be learned)
Divine Equipment Shop: LockedSkins: LockedTalents: LockedSummoner Skills: Locked
Gale Swordmaster System?
Wait… don't tell me I'm… Yasuo now?
Morikawa Yu chuckled, closing the screen.
The "Gale Swordmaster" was a champion from League of Legends—a high-damage, highly mobile fighter notorious for being difficult to master.
But when played well… he was exhilarating.
Yu had loved that game in high school, though he'd abandoned it after entering the police academy and then becoming a detective—life had been too busy.
Now, to suddenly gain this system—it was like a long-lost joy had returned.
Taking a breath, Yu returned to his spot on the tatami and watched the freshmen's practice.
The system said he could learn one skill now.
If only I had enough points to learn them all…
Maybe he should just pick one and test it on them?
He thought about it, then dismissed the idea.
No point bullying freshmen. There would be plenty of chances to spar seriously later.
Time passed. When Kōsaka and the others finally finished, Yu guided them properly this time, correcting their forms with earnest patience.
"Alright, remember those details. Each of you, find the feeling again on your own."
"If you want to rest, drinks are in the fridge on the second floor."
"If you don't want to wake up tomorrow with arms too sore to lift, don't forget to stretch."
"Yes, Minister!"
They answered together.
Yu checked his watch, then walked to the entrance of the dojo and slid open the door.
Outside, in the distance, a group of people was already approaching the hall.