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Gin's words stirred up a storm of fury among the samurai of the Land of Iron.
"Who does this brat think he is!?"
"This kid is provoking the Land of Iron!"
"Kill him!"
The crowd roared in outrage, and several people drew their long swords, ready to charge onto the platform.
However, Gin remained unfazed by their insults. Seeing them on the verge of attacking in unison, he sneered and taunted them.
"What's wrong? You samurai of the Land of Iron can't handle criticism? Ganging up on the outnumbered? Is this the so-called pride of the Land of Iron?"
Gin's words, though infuriating, forced the crowd to calm down.
In the Land of Iron, honor was held above all else.
If they attacked him in a group, they would only prove his words right.
"You brat! Which shinobi village are you from!?"
Toda, still kneeling on the ground, now had a wound on his chest where his armor had been sliced open.
His accusatory tone made it clear that Gin was no ordinary samurai. Samurai were nearly extinct outside the Land of Iron, with only a few true warriors remaining in the service of nobles.
This boy's strength was beyond those samurai. He clearly possessed chakra.
"Me?"
Gin spun his sword skillfully before sheathing it.
Toda hadn't even seen when Gin had drawn his blade.
In just an instant, the fight had been decided.
Gin's voice echoed calmly.
"I didn't come here as a shinobi, but as a warrior."
If they wanted a fight, then he would see it through to the end.
He had confidence when facing the Land of Iron. They didn't have anyone on par with a true Kage-level shinobi; at most, their strongest fighters were elite jōnin.
While he couldn't defeat an elite jōnin yet, it would be hard for them to defeat him as well.
Strength was the source of Gin's confidence.
"It's swordsman, not warrior!"
Sakumo called out from below, correcting him.
In the shinobi world, there were no "warrior," only swordsmen or swordmasters.
However, Sakumo's interruption caused Gin's forehead to twitch with irritation.
Clenching his teeth, Gin pointed his sword at Sakumo.
"If you think you're so great, why don't you come up here, you bastard!!"
Sakumo rubbed his chin, his hand moving toward the hilt of his sword.
It wasn't impossible.
"Never mind, forget it."
The moment Sakumo touched his sword hilt, Gin waved his hand in surrender.
He knew he couldn't beat him.
He didn't want to invite unnecessary pain.
Sakumo withdrew his hand from the hilt, knowing full well that he was stronger than Gin. But there was no need to push the issue further.
Gin shifted his gaze from Sakumo to the crowd.
It wasn't fear, but a strategic decision to postpone the fight.
"Who's next? Come at me!"
Gin's anger was boiling, and today he intended to vent it all.
"Kid, I'll teach you a lesson."
A man completely covered in armor, wearing a demon-faced helmet, stepped forward. His face was completely hidden.
"It's Master Sōki!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Master Sōki, teach him a lesson!"
"Kill him, Master Sōki!!"
"Restore the honor of the Land of Iron with his blood!"
The crowd rallied around Sōki as he stepped onto the platform. Even Toda bowed respectfully to him before retreating.
The stage was now set for Gin and Sōki.
"Kid, you're far too arrogant. Leave your life here."
Sōki drew his katana, his voice cold as he spoke.
No one had ever dared insult the Land of Iron like this, not even shinobi from the great villages.
"You'd better worry about your own life first."
For the first time, Gin drew his Kusanagi sword, adopting a serious stance.
Sōki had triggered a sense of threat within him, though it wasn't overwhelming.
Still, how many strong fighters did the Land of Iron have?
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Sōki charged forward, his katana flashing as he closed the distance.
The two clashed in an instant, their swords becoming a blur of afterimages.
Sparks flew as their blades collided.
The longer the fight went on, the more Sōki's heart sank. Gin's swordsmanship was precise and powerful.
With each clash of their blades, Sōki's hands trembled from the force.
Gin delivered a horizontal slash, which Sōki barely deflected, but Gin immediately followed up with a thrust.
Sōki dodged, only to be met with a downward slash.
Rolling awkwardly across the ground to avoid it, Sōki tried to regain his footing, but Gin was already upon him.
Sōki was forced to remain on his knees, fending off Gin's relentless attacks, unable to stand.
Gin gave him no room to breathe, chasing him across the platform like a spinning top.
Sōki's demon-faced mask fell off, revealing his rugged, furious expression.
"Enough!"
Sōki roared in frustration.
Gin's response was a swift horizontal slash that cut across Sōki's throat.
Sōki's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend that this boy had actually dared to kill him.
His hands instinctively went to his throat, trying to hold his head in place, but the cut was too deep.
Blood began to pour from the wound as the gash on his neck expanded.
Swaying on his feet, Sōki collapsed, his head rolling off the platform.
Below, Sakumo slapped his forehead.
"This is going to be a problem."
He hadn't expected Gin to actually kill one of the Land of Iron's samurai.
Gin, completely unconcerned, even smirked as he looked down at the crowd.
"What's the matter? You can kill me, but I can't kill you? Where's the logic in that?"
If someone tried to kill him, there was no way he would let them go.
Gin was someone who always paid back in full.
"I'll take you on, kid."
At that moment, another figure leapt onto the platform.
Unlike the previous two combatants in heavy armor, this man wore simple cloth robes, his figure lean and wiry.
"It's Ichirō, the Grand Swordmaster!!"
Someone in the crowd shouted his name, breaking the tension left by Sōki's death.
A Grand Swordmaster was considered the pinnacle of the Land of Iron's swordsmanship.
Gin couldn't help but scan the crowd.
Who were these people? Every one of them was more powerful than the last. Why hadn't anyone mentioned their names earlier?
He was starting to feel uneasy.
Hopefully, the next person wasn't going to be the Sage of Six Paths.
Gin wasn't afraid of this so-called Grand Swordmaster—it wasn't like they were from One Piece.
But he was starting to fear the crowd.
Ichirō wasted no time. He drew his sword and rushed forward, his blade wrapped in wind chakra.
"This feels familiar," Gin muttered with a grin.
Wind-based swordsmanship.
"I used to be better at that than you!!"
Unfortunately, his chakra nature had since changed.
Though he hadn't mastered the Tenma Technique (Heavenly Demon Technique), he had already completed the nature transformation.
He could no longer use Breath of Wind.
But he had something even stronger.
Gin's breathing shifted, and the area around him darkened ominously.
Sakumo narrowed his eyes as he watched from below.
"This chakra… it's so dark."
He had never felt anything like it before.
He'd have to ask Gin about it later.
By this time, Gin had already drawn his blade and charged forward to meet Ichirō.
"Breath of the Moon."
(End of Chapter)