Sasaki Kojiro—this name is practically a household name in Japan, a legendary swordsman said to have been able to cut down swallows in mid-air with his blade. However, such a swordsman seems to have never actually existed in history. He is likely a figure born from oral legends and folklore.
But that doesn't matter. In that worldview, as long as the legend is passed down, as long as the concept of "Sasaki Kojiro" exists, then he can exist.
「Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal」—when Li Mo saw this, he realized it was a Noble Phantasm from the Fate universe. It was the sword technique of a nameless swordsman who achieved the same feats as Sasaki Kojiro.
"Honestly, is this thing really meant to cut down swallows? Are we sure it's not meant to slay dragons or something?"
Li Mo muttered to himself.
He was currently in the clubroom of the Service Club. The spacious classroom had piles of miscellaneous items stacked in the back, with a long table in the center. Well, it wasn't really a long table—it was just several desks pushed together. On it sat a tea set, with fragrant green tea brewing inside.
The room was empty except for Li Mo. It was just after lunch break, and Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to have gone to the staff room first and hadn't arrived at the clubroom yet. As the only club member present, Li Mo held his phone, watching an anime. The paused screen showed a swordsman in purple clothing performing a triple slash against a certain Saber.
—Dimensional Folding Effect.
Why does a swordsman's technique involve such a high-concept term?
Li Mo then picked up the pineapple bread he had bought and quickly finished it, washing it down with the tea he had brewed himself.
He turned off the anime video. He decided to go back and thoroughly research the topic later, and maybe stop by a manga shop to see if he could buy a set of the *Demon Slayer* manga.
Yes, in this world, *Demon Slayer* existed as a manga. As for why such a profound topic existed, that wasn't something Li Mo wanted to think about. Right now, everything was just speculation. He'd think about it when he could look down upon the multiverse from a higher perspective.
For now, he was thinking about where he could practice 「Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal」. If he hadn't joined a club, joining the kendo club would have been ideal, but reality was what it was.
Li Mo picked up a light novel and continued reading, though his mind was elsewhere. For example, what should he do about his studies? He had spent three years in the demon-slaying world, and most of his knowledge had faded. Fortunately, the entrance exam was over, and the midterms were still a ways off.
But... damn, what about Yukinoshita's tutoring?
No matter who you are, it's awkward when you can't answer even the simplest questions.
In three years, all he had learned was how to slash and kill. Could he really tell Yukinoshita that he had been learning swordsmanship for killing?
—Forget it, I'll just wing it.
Human thoughts are always jumping around. For example, seeing form-fitting clothes can lead to wild imaginations—this is the inherent flaw of humanity. After deciding on his approach, Li Mo wore an expression of fearless determination.
Actually, Li Mo was surprised that he could seamlessly transition from fighting and killing yesterday to sitting in school today... Shouldn't he have some kind of PTSD or something?
But after thinking about it, most of his encounters with demons ended with a single slash. He had hardly been injured, except for that one punch from Akaza that had pierced through him, which was healed after leveling up.
He lifted his shirt and touched his abdomen, where Akaza had punched through him. He could have seen through the hole to the other side.
That had really hurt.
Suddenly, Li Mo shivered. That memory was quickly buried deep, something he didn't want to recall.
"What are you doing?"
A cold, clear voice suddenly rang out in the room. Looking up, Yukinoshita Yukino stood at the door. Looking down at himself, from her perspective, his hand on his belly must have looked strange.
Li Mo calmly replied, "Nothing."
"Is that so? I hope you're not doing anything strange in the clubroom," Yukinoshita said, stepping past Li Mo to her seat.
"I'll start eating!" she said, opening her lunchbox.
From the side dishes, it was clear she had brought it from home.
Li Mo leaned on the table and said, "Yukinoshita, do you think I've changed at all?"
"Changed? What kind of change? You've gotten a bit more muscular since yesterday?" Yukinoshita scrutinized Li Mo, then quickly dismissed her own guess. "How could that be? What kind of change could happen in a day?"
"Is that so? Yukinoshita, I hope you won't get angry today."
"Huh?" Yukinoshita sharply caught the keyword.
Angry? Why would I get angry? Is it about the tutoring?
"Did you not do the problems yesterday?"
Li Mo said, "It might be worse than that."
Yukinoshita's gaze changed, shifting from that of a classmate to something more like a strict teacher. She quickly finished her lunch and said seriously, "Then let me see just how bad it is!"
The difficult moment had arrived.
When the problems were laid out in front of Li Mo, he stared at them, and they stared back. If the problems could talk, they'd probably say, "Hey, buddy. What's the point of just staring at me? Start solving me already!"
Li Mo was completely clueless, holding his pen but unable to write anything.
"These are the points from yesterday. You should have already mastered them," Yukinoshita said quietly.
Li Mo said, "Ah, well... hehe."
Fortunately, Yukinoshita was a patient person. Realizing that Li Mo had forgotten these points, she began explaining them again. Her tireless attitude made Li Mo think she would make a great teacher.
It's just that he, the "student," wasn't exactly outstanding.
Lunch break ended quickly. Yukinoshita said, "Let's stop here for today. You've forgotten more than I expected. Did you hit your head yesterday? Otherwise, I'd have to question whether your brain has developed properly."
Li Mo said, "Yukinoshita, I think I can explain."
"Go ahead."
"I traveled to another world yesterday, one with man-eating demons, and spent two or three years slashing my way through the Meiji era. Look, I even have muscles now."
Yukinoshita said, "Sure, sure, dear time traveler. Is that your excuse for forgetting everything? It seems you really did fall out of bed last night. How old are you to still have that happen?"
—Of course, no one believes the truth.
Thinking about it, how could something like time travel really happen? Even I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't experienced it myself.
"Yukinoshita, just assume I fell out of bed last night."
As the saying goes, just wing it.