"Well said! Let's have a deep exchange then, with our katana!"
A glint flashed in Sasaki Kojiro's eyes as his previously lazy and decadent demeanor suddenly sharpened, like an unsheathed blade.
In an instant, two sword lights flashed back and forth at the ancient temple gate.
Over an hour later, Ryou reappeared at the bottom of the stone steps.
After a prolonged struggle, he was finally caught off guard by the experienced Sasaki Kojiro, whose fierce thrust disarmed Ryou, sending his katana flying. Immediately after, a precise downward slash split Ryou diagonally from his left shoulder to his right side.
Yet, he did not immediately return to the temple gate. Instead, he looked at the large katana in his hand with a puzzled expression.
The bound feeling he had earlier had surfaced once again.
With confusion in his heart, Ryou charged up the steps once more.
As they clashed again, Sasaki Kojiro, being a master of the way of the sword, quickly noticed his distraction. After parrying his blade, Sasaki Kojiro suddenly leaped back, withdrawing from the fight. A trace of helplessness appeared on his face.
"Is dueling with me that boring for you?"
"No, it's just..."
Ryou hesitated for a moment before sharing the doubts that had been troubling him.
After listening to his explanation, a fleeting look of satisfaction passed through Sasaki Kojiro's eyes. However, he kept his expression neutral, shrugging his shoulders.
"Who knows? I'm not good at teaching others, so you'll have to figure it out on your own."
"You...!"
Ryou gritted his teeth, looking at the faint smile on that face opposite him. For some reason, he felt a strong urge to punch it.
They resumed their duel.
Ryou lasted longer this time, but he still couldn't grasp that crucial point.
What he didn't realize was that on his system panel, the skill [Advanced Cold Weapons Mastery] had started flickering.
After a few more rounds of combat and getting killed again, Ryou felt as if there was a thin barrier in front of him. He was so close, yet he couldn't quite break through it.
The more this happened, the more his stubborn nature kicked in, making him increasingly calm.
The next time he stood before Sasaki Kojiro, Ryou found his focus so intense that it almost reached an altered state.
Suddenly, Sasaki Kojiro seemed to slow down—not just him, but even the flow of the surrounding mist became distinctly visible. Everything became crystal clear.
A flash of insight struck his mind.
"So that's how it is!"
Ryou abruptly stepped back, creating some distance, and then burst into laughter—both self-mocking and genuinely joyful.
Then, he did something that stunned Sasaki Kojiro.
Clang!
He directly thrust his large katana into the ground.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing? A swordsman abandoning his sword is the same as abandoning his life! Are you planning to give up?"
As a pure swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro frowned upon seeing his action.
Yet, Ryou simply raised his fists, adopting a standard fighting stance, and with a smile, he said:
"Sorry about that, but I was never really a swordsman. I'm just a warrior. I'm not suited for the elegance of the way of the sword. I just need to see my enemy and kill him!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Ryou's body tilted slightly, and he pushed off with his foot. He seemed to teleport, appearing instantly in front of Sasaki Kojiro.
But fast as he was, Sasaki Kojiro was even faster. As if he had anticipated his sudden attack, he raised his katana and made a clean, sharp thrust. It was as if Ryou was deliberately running into the blade.
However...
Not only did Ryou not slow down, but he accelerated towards Sasaki Kojiro's sword, his body shifting ever so slightly to the side.
"What?!..."
Blood splattered. But by the narrowest margin, the sword tip that had been aimed at Ryou's heart missed by a few centimeters, piercing through his body instead.
A look of surprise crossed Sasaki Kojiro's face. His blade had failed to hit a vital spot and was now stuck in Ryou's body!
Just as he instinctively tried to pull out his blade, Ryou was quicker, gripping his wrist firmly. With blood dripping from his mouth, Ryou looked at him with a fierce expression.
"This is an ugly way to die."
A bitter smile appeared on Sasaki Kojiro's face as he relaxed his body and ceased resisting.
In the next instant, Ryou's fist slammed into his face.
Bang!
Then came a second punch, a third...
By the time he finally stopped, his fists were a bloody mess, and before him stood the corpse of a man whose head had been beaten to a pulp.
Sasaki Kojiro's corpse shattered into countless fragments before reforming at the temple gate.
As he revived, Sasaki Kojiro instinctively touched his face and then seemed to sigh in relief.
"Hey, do you have any idea how to go easy? I'm half your master, you know. What you did was practically defying your teacher!"
Sasaki Kojiro grumbled.
"Sorry, but you're too strong for me to hold back."
Ryou shrugged, without the slightest bit of sincerity on his face.
"You little punk."
Sasaki Kojiro was immediately exasperated, though he eventually shook his head with a wry smile.
"It seems that, whether in life or death, my judgment in choosing disciples is as poor as my taste in women!"
Then, Sasaki Kojiro's expression turned serious, and he asked solemnly:
"Did you find it?"
"Of course. It turns out that this kind of combat suits my nature and abilities best."
Ryou replied, raising his fist.
"Seriously, if my master knew that I trained a boxer, he'd probably jump out of the grave to kill me."
Sasaki Kojiro said, though, despite his words, his face showed a smile of genuine satisfaction.
Then, his figure began to fade, indicating that Ryou had passed the dream trial in this unique manner, leading to the disappearance of the illusory Sasaki Kojiro.
"This is the path you've chosen. Walk it with unwavering determination!"
With these parting words, Sasaki Kojiro's figure vanished completely.
"Yes, Master."
Ryou respectfully bowed towards the spot where Sasaki Kojiro had disappeared.
Although he wasn't the best teacher, Ryou had learned a great deal from him.
It wasn't until that moment that he realized that Sasaki Kojiro's way of the sword wasn't necessarily suitable for him.
It was like Scathach—who possessed the [Wisdom of Dún Scáith]—who, in theory, could master any weapon, but still excelled most with the blood-red demonic spear in her hands.
Ryou was the same. He had no innate talent for the way of the sword or spear.
What he was best at had always been enduring the enemy's attacks with his formidable defense and regenerative abilities and then retaliating.
An eye for an eye, blood for blood!
But did passing the dream trial mean he had just gone full circle back to square one?
"Of course not."
Ryou muttered to himself as he clenched his fist and punched forward.
Boom!
A sudden airburst echoed through the air, but what was even more surprising was that two fist shadows were unleashed, one slightly lagging behind the other.
His physical attributes hadn't changed, but the speed, precision, power control, and combat experience of his punches had all greatly improved.
If the Ryou before entering the dream trial was someone who relied on his strength and robustness, charging recklessly and acting impulsively, then the current Ryou had become a skilled hand-to-hand combat expert with extensive practical experience.
"A work in progress, huh," Ryou mused, shaking his head with a bitter smile. He knew that Sasaki Kojiro had already perfected the miraculous move [Tsubame Gaeshi] while still alive. In other words, Kojiro had achieved that feat without relying on the attributes of a heroic spirit's body!
He had reached a level nearly equivalent to the Five Great Magics with just his mortal flesh.
Throughout history, countless geniuses have existed.
Ryou was merely expressing his admiration.
With persistence and the system on his side, even if his talent was ordinary, he was determined to reach the pinnacle one day!
As soon as he exited the dream trial, a flood of system notifications appeared.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the [Dream Trial]! All restrictions on the Descent Card [Sasaki Kojiro] have been lifted! Possession time has been extended to 1 hour! Noble Phantasm unlocked]
Ryou was overjoyed—finally, he could use the Noble Phantasm.
The power of a Descent Card is vastly different depending on whether the Noble Phantasm can be used or not.
Especially in the Kabaneri world, where all levels were capped at C-rank, Ryou had been cautious, fearing that after being downgraded, the Noble Phantasm's power would be insufficient, leading to his demise.
But now, things were different. Sasaki Kojiro's [Descent Card] had a Noble Phantasm, [Tsubame Gaeshi], which was not restricted by any level. This was crucial!
With the full unlocking of this [Descent Card], Ryou now felt more confident about completing the hidden quest.
At that moment, another system notification popped up.
[Congratulations to the host for breaking the limit and acquiring the skill [Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery].]
Ryou immediately felt his body become extraordinarily agile.
Unlike an enhancement of his attributes, this was an increase in his control over his own body.
He could feel that he could control every muscle in his body, performing actions that were previously difficult or impossible.
To fully master his enhanced powers, he needed some time to adjust.
The Kabane was no longer a challenge for him; he needed to find an opponent with comparable strength.
Ryou quickly came up with an idea.
He got dressed and left the bedroom.
It had to be said that the Prince he had ordered to be silenced truly knew how to enjoy life.
The entire palace was luxuriously built, and it seemed to have been designed by a skilled individual. It was grand but not vulgar.
As far as the eye could see, the courtyard's rockeries, ponds, small pavilions on the lake, and distant lofts were all arranged harmoniously, like a slowly unfolding painting, providing a pleasing view.
But Ryou wasn't here to enjoy the scenery.
He hurried through the courtyard to a secluded spot in the garden.
Hiss!
A strange sound faintly came from a distance.
He turned past a cluster of bamboo, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.
He saw a figure moving swiftly between several pine trees—it was Ais.
Her hair, as golden as silk, drew a beautiful golden trail in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees as she moved.
Perhaps even a true angel wouldn't look as divine.
Ryou didn't disturb her and simply watched her practice quietly.
Unlike the hopeless case that was him, Scathach held very high expectations for his Kouhai.
With her talent and persistence, Ais was growing rapidly, almost as quickly as him, despite not having the advantage of the system.
What's truly frightening isn't a genius, but a genius who works harder than everyone else!
If Ryou didn't have the system as his ultimate cheat, he would have been surpassed by Ais long ago.
Whenever Ais had free time, she would either keep practicing, go out like Ryou to slaughter Kabane, or complete the assignments given by Scathach.
"Since you're using a rapier, you must bring out its full potential—speed, precision, and lethality!"
That was Scathach's exact words.
Then Scathach taught her a training method.
It involved piercing eye needles with her rapier, and only a strike that pierced a single needle at a time was considered successful.
The tip of Ais's sword, the [Despair] Sword, was as thin as a pinky finger, while the distance between the eye needles was just about the same, leaving her with a margin of error no greater than a couple of strands of hair.
It required perfect eyesight, body flexibility, and coordination.
If it was Ryou trying this, he'd have no hope of success without several years of practice.
But Ais managed it in just six months, and she even sought to perfect it further.
Ryou watched as Ais's wrist barely moved, and a dozen silver stars instantly enveloped a patch of needles.
Each silver glint precisely struck a needle—no more, no less—exactly 16 needles.
She was now able to unleash 16 blows in nearly an instant, and each one accurately hit an eye needle.
Tap!
Ais landed lightly on the ground.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Ryou suddenly started applauding.
Unfortunately, his kouhai wasn't impressed with her senpai's act.
"What do you want?"
If he hadn't known her well, Ryou might not have caught the slight tone in her voice.
"Nothing much, just thought I'd spar with you."
Ryou smiled.
Since they were both restricted to C-rank, Ais was the perfect sparring partner for him.
Ais's eyes brightened, making him feel a bit concerned.
It seemed like Ais had no interest in anything except getting stronger, which wasn't good.
At the very least, Ryou hoped she would have some normal hobbies for a girl her age.
Before he could collect his thoughts—
"Alright."
Ais replied briefly, then raised her [Despair], and with a powerful push of her foot, she charged directly at him.
"!"
Ryou instinctively summoned the long katana to block in front of him. After fully unlocking the [Descent Card], Sasaki Kojiro's weapon had become something he could summon at will.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the two weapons collided heavily.
Ryou had to push aside any stray thoughts.
With his kouahi as his opponent, if he didn't go all out, he would lose!
In the quiet forest, sword and blade lights flashed continuously.
From time to time, the sound of metal clashing echoed through the air.
After sparring for a while, Ryou began to feel a headache coming on.
Ais seemed a bit too obsessed with getting stronger.
Even in a sparring match, she showed no mercy.
This forced him to give it his all.
But soon, Ryou noticed Ais's weakness.