Half a month quickly passed.
Inside the dojo.
Kuina, dressed in a white training uniform with short blue hair, looked at the 60kg stone dumbbell in front of her and took a deep breath.
Then she raised her hand, grasped it, and exerted her strength.
This time, she finally managed to lift it with one hand.
"Yes!"
Kuina felt happier than ever at that moment.
But when she saw Ron next to her easily lifting the 200kg stone dumbbell, her joy instantly disappeared.
Noticing her gaze, Ron turned his head and smiled at her while still holding the massive dumbbell that was bigger than his entire body.
Kuina couldn't help but mutter under her breath:
"Monster!"
At dinner that evening.
As usual, there were only Ron, Kuina, and Koushirou at the table.
Ron and Kuina were both busy stuffing food into their mouths.
Koushirou looked at them and smiled wryly.
"I'm not surprised that Ron is like this, but Kuina, why are you doing it too? You weren't like this before. Even if you're trying to catch up to Ron, you don't have to copy everything he does."
He seemed worried. At this rate, would they even have enough money for food?
It was clear that they would need to recruit more students in the spring.
...
That night.
In the dojo.
Kuina was practicing her slashing technique.
Ron, wearing his white training uniform, sat cross-legged nearby, with the famous sword, Raikiri, resting on his knees.
He closed his eyes and, following the sword meditation technique taught by Koushirou, cleared his mind. At the same time, he unconsciously began using the Sun Breathing technique.
Gradually.
His mid-length black hair started to move despite the lack of wind, and Raikiri trembled slightly on his knees.
This state lasted for quite some time.
Suddenly, Ron's eyes snapped open, and he drew his sword in a flash!
A slash accompanied by lightning and fire briefly illuminated the air.
With this slash, Ron felt his internal energy surge, as if he had broken through a bottleneck.
[Host: Ron.
Age: 8 years old.
Vitality Points: 100.
Sun Breathing Technique Mastery: 9%]
After spending a month in Shimotsuki Town, Ron's vitality finally reached 100, up from 98!
"Ron, what was that just now...?" Kuina asked, dumbfounded as she looked at Ron and the Raikiri in his hand.
"That was the Force Stage."
Koushirou walked in, his gaze fixed on Ron with an expression of shock. "I had high hopes for you, but I didn't expect you to reach this level so quickly."
"Sensei, what is the Force Stage?" Ron asked curiously.
"The Force Stage is the first step toward becoming a true swordsman," Kuina said, her expression complicated.
"Indeed," Koushirou nodded and raised three fingers. "To reach the level of a swordmaster, there are three stages you must go through."
"The Force Stage is the first. When you strike with your sword, an aura or phenomenon will appear along the blade, like the flames in your slash just now. As for the lightning, I believe that comes from the sword you're holding."
Koushirou explained to Ron.
"The ability to generate an aura or energy wave with a slash is one of the signs of entering the Force Stage."
"And what about the second and third stages?" Ron asked, his interest piqued.
"The second stage is called the Will Stage, a level beyond the Force Stage. The aura in your strikes becomes more vivid and controlled. Like this."
Koushirou picked up a bamboo sword and slashed the air.
A strike formed into a blue dragon, which soared forward, smashing a nearby wooden rack into several pieces.
After unleashing this strike, Koushirou looked at Ron and smiled.
"There are many swordsmen across the seas, but only a few can reach this level."
"The Force Stage, the Will Stage, and the third... is the Iron-Cutting Stage."
"The Iron-Cutting Stage?" Ron's eyes widened slightly.
"Yes." Koushirou nodded. "When you can cut through steel with a wooden stick, you've reached the Iron-Cutting Stage."
"A swordsman who reaches the Iron-Cutting Stage can be considered a true swordmaster."
After hearing this, Ron looked down at Raikiri in his hand, lost in thought.
...
That night.
Ron couldn't sleep. He lay there with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the stages Koushirou had mentioned.
"The flames from that slash weren't a sign that I've reached the Force Stage. I've seen similar flames when I used Flame Dance before, so it's probably a result of me unconsciously using the Sun Breathing technique."
"Koushirou must have mistaken it for my sword aura, but in truth, I haven't reached the Force Stage yet."
Ron thought to himself.
"But thanks to this misunderstanding, I now have a clearer understanding of the path to becoming a swordmaster."
"Coming to this dojo was definitely the right choice. Now my goal is clear."
A glimmer of determination flashed in Ron's eyes.
Now, he had two objectives:
Continue to train his body.
Increase his vitality!
Sharpen his swordsmanship.
Reach the Force Stage as soon as possible!
...
While Ron was lying awake, setting his training goals, Kuina was in another room in the dojo, speaking with Koushirou.
"Father, that sword Ron is holding... it's not ordinary, is it?" she asked curiously.
"So, you noticed it too," Koushirou nodded. "Indeed, that sword is not ordinary. It hasn't been seen in the world for centuries."
"That sword... what exactly is it?" Kuina asked.
"It's like your Wado Ichimonji. It's one of the Great Grade Swords, called Raikiri. Legend has it that its edge can tear through thunder itself."
Koushirou's words left Kuina wide-eyed in shock.