Ryu was too absorbed in his training that it took quite some time before he finally noticed the system's notification. He heaved a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and stared at the floating system.
'One with the Sword?' Ryu thought, intrigued. After reading the content of the system, Ryu calmly swung at the air once more. He could clearly feel the difference in his attack speed. Matter of fact, he had felt like his attack speed was gradually increasing the more he trained. But what intrigued him, even more, was how the sword felt; it was as if his sword was another limb, no longer an object. Each attack he made, he did it flawlessly, with far more precision than before. Every strike completely followed what his mind and body wanted.
He had thought that this ability had come from his steadily-increasing swordsmanship and believed it made sense. After all, that last session of training had improved his swordsmanship tremendously, not including his other martial arts. He had pruned his swordsmanship and managed to remove many superfluous movements in his attacks in the span of the last 10 hours or so. He was even able to seamlessly corporate the fireball skill into his swordsmanship without hindering it.
'Good,' Ryu thought, before glancing at the timer, noticing he only had a few minutes left, 'Whatever was to come next, I feel like I could manage. Even if the All-Sensing had some magical ability, I don't believe it would be enough to stop me, especially after that last training session.'
Ryu calmly put the sword into his inventory and sat on the ground. He inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Ryu thought that, since he only had a few minutes left for the next fight, he might as well meditate. He had never meditated in his life, but he had read countless times- both in real life and fictional books- about how useful it was. Besides, his new ability mentioned how one should first train their mind in order to master the sword.
Ryu wasn't entirely sure if what he was doing was correct, but after a few seconds of trying, all the distractions around Ryu slowly ceased to exist. Now, the only thing he could hear is his own heartbeat, as well as his pulse.
'I suppose all the books were correct,' Ryu thought, 'It strangely does make me calm. The sound of my heartbeat is oddly soothing.'
Ryu hadn't noticed it before, but upon entering this state where all distractions and even his mind cleared, Ryu felt like his body was restless. He had unknowingly been on edge ever since he had appeared at this tower, and that restlessness grew with each passing moment, with Ryu completely oblivious to it.
Ryu continued to inhale and exhale slowly, his mind only focused on his heartbeat. With time, he had begun to visualize his heart by only hearing the beating. He could see, and predict when his heart would beat. Although it had only been for a few seconds, Ryu felt like his tense body had begun to become relaxed more and more. Of course, he wasn't completely relaxed yet, but it was much better than before.
'Now,' Ryu began to remember his training, and how he had removed many superficial movements that he didn't even know he had in his combat style, 'What other shortcomings do I have?'
He tried to see what other weaknesses he had, and what shortcomings his opponents could exploit. 'I guess my fireball skill is quite predictable since I have to mutter the name of the spell,' Ryu thought, 'But, I cannot completely remove that weakness. The best I could do is minimize that weakness by muttering it as quietly as possible.'
Ryu continued to think about his weaknesses, but he found that other than his fireball skill, he couldn't really find any other weakness.
'My range? I suppose the sword has a short length. But, the fireball takes care of that. It might not be perfect, but it is better than nothing. I recall seeing a skill in the shop that lets me shoot blades of wind or energy whenever I swing my sword. That would undoubtedly be helpful, especially considering my new One with the Sword skill.'
He continued to think, trying to find what he could improve upon. As a few minutes passed, Ryu calmly opened his eyes, and in front of him was the system, floating in the air.
[The Sense Enhancement training match
Time Remaining: 00:00:32
Would you like to start the duel now?
Ryu read the content of the window in silence. Then, he opened the shop with a thought and looked at his points.
'Over 200 points.' Ryu noticed his points and closed the shop without a second thought. He decided to be frugal and spend as little as possible until he had gained at least 400 points. There wasn't a magical skill he could buy right now, nor were there any weapons or equipment that had caught his eye.
Truthfully, he was already competent with his broadsword. And a gun really didn't suit him, even if it was overpowered. He wanted to get stronger, hone his combat skills and get more experience. If the worst happened, then Ryu might buy a handgun and attempt to instant kill the All-Sensing, if the latter proved to be a foe far beyond his caliber.
"Alright," Said Ryu, excitement slowly welling up inside of him, "Might as well start now. A few more seconds wouldn't be of much use."
Although about 10 seconds remained for the countdown, Ryu chose to start early. He didn't think the remaining time was going to be useful in any way, and really, he felt like his entire body was itching, itching for something, itching for a fight. With a thought, Ryu clicked the 'yes' button.
*Swish!*
Like every other time, Ryu's surroundings suddenly changed. He was no longer in the resting room, where the gray walls made him a bit depressed, but now he was in the empty, excessively large arena.
Immediately upon arriving at the arena, Ryu winced and closed his eyes, a contorted expression on his face.
'Shit, It's way stronger than I thought.' Ryu wanted to massage his eyes, but due to the system, he wasn't able to move an inch. He was having a splitting headache, and the reason for that is;
'I didn't think my eyesight would be THAT much better.' Ryu blinked a few times, the headache slowly dissipating. Everything in the arena, from the ground, to the tall figure standing 50 meters away, to the abnormally large walls of the arena a few kilometers away, Ryu could see everything in perfect detail. It was as if distance didn't exist for Ryu, as he could see something that was 1 meter in front of or a few kilometers away, both in perfect detail.
Of course, Ryu didn't expect this, and it was quite difficult to get used to it now. Still, he had managed to somewhat suppress that headache, and finally turned his attention to the abnormally large man that was 50 meters away from him.
[Please get ready. The countdown will start now.]
Exponentially tall, standing at a height of at least 2.5 meters, and every inch of his body with the exception of his head was covered in armor akin to the Japanese's armor. Even when he was covered in armor, one could easily tell that this man was built like a mountain, and his stature would make anyone feel intimidated.
Voluminous, dark hair that was messy and free, like a lion's mane. The man had low facial hair, only having a well-kempt goatee. He had blurry, brown eyes that were filled with ferocious light. This man emitted pure strength, and a normal person would feel suffocated just by being near him.
[Three]
Ryu's mind was alarmed upon gazing at this man, and he felt like his instincts were warning him. Ryu felt like there was something around this man, for every split second, Ryu could've sworn he would see the scenery around the man change from the calm arena, to a battlefield filled with the corpses of many martial artists. This man emitted the scent of death, causing Ryu's hair to stand on end.
'This man is dangerous, exceptionally so.' Ryu didn't let his eyes leave the man, and he strengthened his grip on the sword as the timer began to count down.
[Two]
Ryu noticed the man's expression change suddenly. He originally had an expressionless look on his face, but a moment after, his face contorted a bit, as if annoyed or confused about this. Then, the man's eyes-which were incredibly blurry, clearly showing that he was blind- moved and met Ryu's gaze.
[One]
Ryu's eyes widened upon seeing this, and his instincts screaming intensified. Despite Ryu knowing he himself was stronger than this 'All-Sensing' guy, he had still felt a suffocating pressure, as if this man's existence alone was suppressing Ryu due to his sheer strength. Ryu clenched his teeth at this pressure, and he narrowed his eyes, a small light starting to shine in them.
Although Ryu felt this man was extraordinarily powerful, he didn't feel fear. He was anxious, sure, but at the same time, he was also feeling a bit excited at what this man might have. It wasn't like with Naruhito, where Ryu felt an impending sense of doom that overridden every other feeling he had, and made him want to end the fight as fast as possible. No, here, Ryu didn't really want to immediately end the fight by charging his fireball. He already had 3 tries left, so he might as well use one of them to hone his experience.
'Besides, I doubt that charging my fireball would go unnoticed by this behemoth. I don't think I would be able to hit him if I attacked from afar.' Although Ryu didn't know how the 'All-Sensing' would 'sense' his attacks, but considering his Touch Enhancement was at level 9, and he also had a body control level of 9, Ryu thought that this guy would be able to sense his attacks pretty easily, regardless of the method.
[BEGIN!]
Despite the announcement of the system, Ryu hadn't moved an inch, neither did the All-Sensing. Both of them simply 'stared' at each other, despite one of them lacking a sense of sight. Ryu's gaze didn't leave the All-Sensing's, and he stayed in his position, unmoving. The reason for that is... he couldn't find any gaps in his opponent's defense. It was as if this All-Sensing guy was a perfect being, lacking any imperfections whatsoever.
Suddenly, Ryu's eyes widened, and he noticed the All-Sensing's body slightly move.
"It's odd," The man stated, a hint of confusion in his tone, "I can clearly tell you are talented, and experienced with the sword. Matter of fact, your martial arts are far too stunning for your age, that even I am surprised. But what I am surprised by more," The man narrowed his eyes, "Is how your body language betrays everything that I am seeing."
A confused look was painted across Ryu's face, and he looked at the man was uncertainty. He didn't think the man would immediately start talking, and he didn't know how this man knew Ryu was experienced with the sword. Moreover, everything this man had said was confusing to Ryu. Ryu's body language betrays everything this man is 'seeing'? Ryu didn't know what that meant. He immediately remembered Tokugawa, and thought this man in front of him could read Ryu's own body, although he didn't know how.
"Maybe I should explain it a bit more properly," The man chuckled, "Your body is a contradiction. You are clearly excited for this fight, and I can feel that you were born for fighting. But at the same time, there is hesitation in your body, as if you are not used to this, as if... you are not used to killing."
Ryu's mind was alarmed the moment the man had said this, and he gulped. He didn't know what this man was saying, or why he was even saying it, but for whatever reason, he felt like he was telling the truth. Ryu truly felt hesitant about killing, despite him knowing that he would die if he didn't kill his opponent. Even after killing Comby, Tokugawa, and Naruhito, he still felt hesitant. Ryu knew he shouldn't feel like that, but he couldn't stop it.
"Ho, it seems I am correct." A satisfied grin appeared on the man's face before he continued, "I wonder, how many have you killed till now?" The man brought his hand to his chin and calmly stroked it. He closed his eyes and let out a hum. He had stayed like that for a few seconds, appearing so engrossed with his thinking that he appeared to have forgotten Ryu's presence, for he chattered away to himself under his breath the whole time.
"Two? No, wait, three! That's how many people you have killed till now, right?" The man finally opened his eyes and stared at Ryu's, a confident look on his face.
"How on earth did you know that?!" Ryu blurted out in astonishment, his eyes widened upon hearing what that man said. He was utterly confused, how could this man had known Ryu had killed 3 people till now? Ryu thought this man might have used a magical ability, but he got no notification from the system! If so, then how?!
"Bwahaha!" The man let out a thunderous laugh, which caused Ryu to wince a bit due to his enhanced hearing. He looked delighted, just like a child who got a new toy, "That's a perk you get from experience. You are skilled with the sword, and many other martial arts, that's true. But, you lack true battle experience. No doubt, if you could survive our battle, then with time you'd achieve the same thing as I do."
This man was awfully cheerful, as if he didn't know that this was going to be a battle of life or death. He was way more lively compared to everyone Ryu had fought, and this, had caused his anxiety to lower a bit. However, this man's friendliness also caused a small tinge of guilt to appear within Ryu's heart.
"Regardless," The man murmured, and lightly touched the ring in his hand, "Although you are inexperienced, and have many weaknesses in your mentality, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. My instincts are clearly warning me that you are..."
The ring that this man had touched began to glow very brightly. The man had lifted his eyes, and in just a blink of an eye, a four meter long spear made of unknown material appeared within his hand.
"...Dangerous." The man finished his sentence, and swung his spear with ferocious power before planting it on the ground. Ryu's mind was alarmed upon noticing this spear, and had thought this man had a system just like himself, but he quickly shook that thought away.
Ryu had read many novels, and although they couldn't be attributed to be accurate at all, he remembered reading about rings that functioned similarly to his inventory system. "Space Rings" they were called, and based on how that man's ring shone, Ryu naturally thought this was one such ring.
'Still, what the hell is this spear?!' Ryu's thoughts were utterly shocked by the length of that spear. Although he wasn't a weapon's expert, he knew that no spear should be that long. Mostly because it would hinder one's fighting due to the extraordinary length. However, Ryu's shock died down a bit upon realizing this wasn't the normal world he was used to. People here could move faster than sound, shoot fireballs, or move while lacking a sense of touch. Most likely, this man would efficiently use that spear way better than a normal spear.
"I don't usually use my spear," The man started, as he swung the spear once more, showing his extraordinary power, "I mostly use my hand-to-hand martial arts, but you, your martial arts and talent are frightening. Congratulations,"
The man pointed his spear at Ryu, and a heavy pressure wore down on Ryu's body, "You have gained the qualification to face the spear of I, Honda Hiroshi!"
The pressure that engulfed Ryu's body was incredibly intense, and Ryu didn't know what was happening. It was as if there was a mountain pushing him down. Ryu gritted his teeth, and stared at Hiroshi with eyes full of resolve.
'The hell is this?' Ryu thought, as he began to slowly resist the pressure, 'What kind of magical ability is this? Is it even a magical ability? The system didn't show any notification!'
"Tell me, boy," The man started, "What is your name?"
"Ryu," While gritting his teeth, Ryu managed to spit out. The pressure that was weighing him down was incredibly powerful, and he found it hard to even move.
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow at what Ryu had said, and he felt quite offended. "Boy, what is your full name?"
"Ryu," Ryu muttered through his gritted teeth, "Just... Ryu."
"Hmm..." Hiroshi tilted his head to the side, and eventually nodded. He didn't think Ryu was trying to offend him purposely, or anything like that. Perhaps this boy had some dark history and didn't want to mention his full name, his family or clan name. Although he felt a bit annoyed at this, Hiroshi eventually suppressed his annoyance, and he simply pointed his spear at Ryu
"Now, Ryu..." The man trailed off, as a cocky smile appeared on his face. Beneath his armor, Hiroshi's muscles started bulging out, and Ryu felt like all the hair on his body stand on end, "Everything till now, I was just guessing by seeing your body, among other things. Of course, that doesn't come close to seeing you in action."
Hiroshi's grip on his spear grew much stronger, and he took a weird stance; he spread his legs a bit, and grabbed his spear with both of his hands, his spear pointing at Ryu's chest. Ryu felt like the pressure on him was intensified, and he had to grit his teeth even more. Upon glancing at Hiroshi, Ryu felt like something was wrong. Even ignoring this supernatural pressure he was feeling, Hiroshi... felt strong. Incredibly strong, despite his strength stat being lower than Ryu.
"Let's see how truly amazing you are, brat." Hiroshi took one step forward, but that one step made Ryu felt like he was being suffocated, "Consider this attack... my official greeting!"
Then, upon saying that, Hiroshi simply struck his spear forward with disgusting momentum. Despite him seemingly just striking the air, and despite being over 50 meters away from Ryu, Ryu's instincts immediately ringed and screamed the moment he saw Hiroshi strike his spear.
Unconsciously, by pure instincts, Ryu's body leaned slightly to the side even though his entire body was being pressed down by this man's pressure.
*Swish!*
What happened next was too stunning, as a powerful air pressure passed right beside Ryu at an incredible speed, fluttering his clothes and hair in the process.
"What in the..." Ryu muttered, stupefied with what had happened. He slowly glanced at his right arm, and noticed there was quite a formidable cut there, as if he was struck by a really sharp blade.
Ryu's eyes shook at the sight, 'The hell is this?!' Ryu thought in a panic, 'Was it a wind attack? Is he able to manipulate the wind itself? No- no that doesn't make sense, it doesn't seem like a mere wind manipulating ability... It looks like..."
Ryu shuddered the moment he came to the realization of what just happened. This attack wasn't made with any magical ability, rather, it was made by... the pure strength of Hiroshi's attack. That attack just now contained so much power that even the air pressure it generated was incredibly deadly.
Ryu immediately returned his attention to Hiroshi, his eyes shaking slightly at this man's bizarre display of strength. He didn't know how this man could generate so much power, especially when his strength stat was lower than Ryu's.
"Hey," Hiroshi calmly said, his eyes, now cold and deadly, looked like as if they were piercing Ryu's skull, "Nice dodge. It seems you are the real deal, after all."