Smack!
Smack!
The wooden sword smashed into the training post again and again. Each impact carried heavy force, making the thick wooden pillar tremble violently. Thin cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, as if it could collapse into splinters at any moment.
[Ding! Total sword swings: 400]
[Reward: Strength +3, Stamina +3]
The system prompt echoed in Ryukawa's mind.
A warm current flowed through his body, washing over his muscles, bones, and organs. He could clearly feel himself getting stronger.
"Huff…"
Ryukawa withdrew his wooden sword and exhaled deeply.
With a thought, his status panel appeared in front of him.
[Host: Ryukawa]
[Strength: 36 (+8)]
[Speed: 35 (+7)]
[Stamina: 39 (+9)]
[Skill: Swordsmanship Lv8 (+1 level)]
[Total sword swings: 400]
"Compared to me an hour ago… I'm way, way stronger now."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ryukawa couldn't help but grin.
At this point, he was almost certain—
He could defeat Kuina easily right now.
Of course, since he'd already agreed on a duel in three days, he wasn't about to rush over and "give his cute junior sister a lesson" ahead of schedule.
"At this rate… just how strong will I be three days from now?"
A spark flashed in his eyes.
Even he found it hard to imagine.
By noon, Isshin Dojo was empty. The other disciples had already gone home at their parents' call.
Among all the students, only Zoro, Kuina, and Ryukawa actually lived at the dojo.
So.
By midday, the dojo felt especially quiet.
Kuina and Zoro had also gone off to conduct their own training—they each had different methods and didn't want to spend their time on repetitive swing drills like Ryukawa.
Right now—
Ryukawa was the only one still practicing his swings.
Just then—
An elderly man quietly stepped into the dojo as if he'd lived here all his life. Without a sound, he walked right up to Ryukawa's side.
Ryukawa was still mid-swing and didn't notice his presence at all.
That alone was proof.
This old man's strength was far beyond Ryukawa's current level.
The old man was none other than the one who had come from the back courtyard—
Shimotsuki Kozaburo.
"Boy."
Kozaburo spoke.
The single word nearly made Ryukawa jump. His swing stopped mid-motion. He turned his head—
And finally saw the old man standing beside him.
"Huh? When did he…?"
Ryukawa stared.
This old man… was strong.
So strong his presence completely slipped past Ryukawa's perception.
But his face—
Looked familiar.
"You are…"
"The dojo master's father?"
Memory flooded his mind, and the words left his mouth almost instinctively.
"You've got decent eyes, at least," Kozaburo said.
He looked Ryukawa up and down, examining him carefully.
Then, with a small grin, he asked, "Want to learn a killing move? No matter how solid your basics are, if you don't have a proper finisher, you'll always be at a disadvantage in real combat."
A killing move…
Ryukawa's heart stirred.
Now that he knew who this old man was, there was no need to be wary.
If his guess was right, this should be—
Kozaburo.
The very same name that had forged itself into sword history.
He vaguely recalled—
Wado Ichimonji was said to be the work of a swordsmith named Shimotsuki Kozaburo.
And now, that very famous sword was in Koushirou's possession.
Putting that together, this old man was not only incredibly strong—
He was also a master swordsmith of the highest order.
"Boy, yes or no—give me a clear answer."
Kozaburo waved a hand, cutting off Ryukawa's drifting thoughts.
"If you're willing to teach me, sir, I would be deeply grateful," Ryukawa replied without hesitation.
Just as Kozaburo said—
No matter how strong your fundamentals, you needed deadly techniques to fully unleash your true combat power.
Swordsmanship existed to cut down opponents.
Without a killing move, swordsmanship felt incomplete.
"You'd better watch closely. I'll only teach this once."
Kozaburo casually picked up a wooden practice sword from the side.
The moment it entered his hand, although it was just wood, it felt as if a sharp, unmatched edge awakened within it. A terrifying sharpness filled the air, spreading in all directions.
"This technique is called…"
"Ittoryu — Iai One-Sword Slash."
Kozaburo swung.
The wooden blade cut through the air in a simple, clean motion.
In his hands, that ordinary wooden sword felt like the sharpest blade under the heavens, tearing the very air apart.
At the same time—
A pale blue sword aura coiled around the wooden blade and exploded outward. It shot forward like a compressed shockwave, racing five meters ahead and slamming into a wooden training post.
BOOM!
The pillar was blasted apart instantly, exploding into flying chunks and splinters.
Fragments rained down across the floor.
The entire dojo shook faintly, like a brief, localized tremor.
"Looks like I really am getting old… my control is slipping," Kozaburo muttered. "Good thing I didn't wreck the whole dojo… or I'd have a hard time explaining that to Koushirou."
He lowered the wooden sword and turned back to Ryukawa.
"Did you see clearly?" he asked. "I'll be back in three hours. Then I'll personally check how far you've gotten with that technique. Don't disappoint this old man."
With that—
He turned and walked away, not bothering to check if Ryukawa had truly understood anything.
In truth—
The only reason he'd suddenly felt like teaching Ryukawa such a technique was simple curiosity.
He wanted to see—
Whether the so-called "peerless genius" his son praised so highly lived up to the title.
"Getting started with Iai One-Sword Slash isn't that easy…"
"Back in Wano, even among the many samurai with outstanding sword talent, the best of the best needed half a month of effort just to barely get to an entry level."
"Not to mention…"
"This time, I only demonstrated it once."
"Let's see how much this kid can absorb from just that. That'll be enough to tell whether he's truly as gifted as Koushirou claims."
With these thoughts in his mind, Kozaburo stepped out of the dojo.
Once again, the huge dojo was left with only Ryukawa inside.
"What a terrifying killing move…"
"He wasn't even serious and just casually swung once—and the destruction was already that scary. If I can learn it, my strength will definitely take a huge leap."
Ryukawa's eyes burned as he stared at the shredded remains of the training post.
But then—
A problem surfaced.
He tried to recall it carefully.
Right.
How did Kozaburo swing just now?
"Wait… I think… I forgot everything?"
Ryukawa stood there, stunned.
And that was that.
The move was incredible, but he couldn't remember the details.
So—
He simply shoved Kozaburo's demonstration to the back of his mind.
As always.
Day after day.
He lifted his sword—
And swung.
Again.
And again.
Endlessly.
Only swinging his sword gave Ryukawa the visceral sense—
That he was always, constantly, unceasingly getting stronger.
Until finally—
Surprises always arrived suddenly and without warning.
[Ding! Total sword swings: 600]
[Reward: Ittoryu — Iai One-Sword Slash (Entry Level)]
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