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Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, from 'Rurouni Kenshin', is the swordsmanship wielded by the protagonist, Himura Kenshin. Its blade draw is overwhelmingly powerful, and the most terrifying aspects of this style are its speed and ferocity, both of which are utilized to their fullest potential.
Its blade draw is its most formidable technique, known as the "Godspeed Drawn Blade Technique." By the time you realize the speed, the sword has already passed through your body and reached your back, marking the moment of your defeat.
At this moment, Rojen's body is possessed by Himura Kenshin, and in an instant, he has fully mastered and internalized everything about Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.
"Godspeed Drawn Blade Technique!"
"Ryūsōsen!"
"Doryūsen!"
"Ryūtsuisen!"
"Ryūshōsen!"
"Kuzuryūsen!"
And finally, the ultimate esoteric technique, Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki. In an instant, countless figures flashed through Rojen's mind, practicing in the sea of his consciousness, then magnifying and merging with his body.
"Fast!"
"Precise!"
"Fierce!"
A dangerous aura emanated from his eyes, and in a flash, Rojen's figure passed by more than a dozen pirates.
"Ryūshōsen!"
A dazzling sword light bloomed like an ephemeral flower, followed by screams. The area around him was cleared in an instant.
"Damn brat!"
The bald captain stared in fear at the young man approaching step by step, his heart filled with dread.
He fully understood the combat strength of his subordinates—elite pirates who had survived life-and-death situations. Yet, they couldn't even withstand a single breath before falling to the ground.
Who on earth is this kid?
"Ryūtsuisen!"
"Nine-Headed Dragon Mountain!"
One sword move after another blossomed in Rojen's hands, and the nearly hundred charging pirates rapidly dwindled. His superb sword arts and swift movement speed made him like a tiger among men, unstoppable. In front of this tiger, the pirates were like sheep.
Dozens of breaths later, Rojen's mastery of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū became even more familiar, and his fusion with Himura Kenshin had reached its peak.
With every step he took, 3-4 cries of pain followed.
Finally, when only about thirty pirates remained, they looked at the sea of corpses and were overcome with fear.
"Ah, he's not human— he's a devil!"
"He's too strong! We have no hope at all!"
Under such advanced sword arts, they were completely powerless to resist.
"Captain, what do we do?" A pirate cried out in trembling voice.
The bald captain's eyes grew even fiercer. He touched his bald head, hoisted his large sword, and stepped forward. After scanning the fallen pirates, his gaze turned even more menacing.
"Brat, who are you? You're ruthless!"
"A dying man doesn't need to know," Rojen spoke indifferently, not even glancing at the bald captain.
He slowly sheathed his long sword and closed it.
These pirates had lost their courage and were no longer a threat.
"You've got guts, damn it! Do you know who I am?"
"I'm the Ominous Ghost Arno, with a bounty of 35 million!"
The bald captain was enraged. He took large strides and was soon in front of Rojen.
A bright blade light flashed, slashing at Rojen from an extremely tricky angle.
Rojen's eyes flickered, and he sidestepped slightly to dodge the attack. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, but he did not strike.
He seemed to be brewing something, allowing the bald captain to swing his sword repeatedly while he continued to evade.
However, it was clear that although Rojen's body was in constant motion, the cat on his shoulder remained steady, unaffected by the movements.
Ten seconds later, Rojen's eyes grew brighter. The imposing manner he had been accumulating seemed to have reached its peak.
At that moment, the bald captain lunged forward.
In terms of strength, judging by their bounties, they weren't far apart. But in terms of techniques, the gap was vast.
Suddenly, Rojen's eyes narrowed into slits.
The next moment, with a "clang," Rainbow Abyss was unsheathed.
An incredibly dazzling and sharp sword intent surged forth, its mere aura seemingly capable of splitting a person's head.
Before the bald captain, a sword light rapidly expanded. Then, he saw a faint figure pass straight through the center of his body.
"I'm fine?!" Arno exclaimed in fear.
Just then, he heard the sound of a long sword being sheathed behind him.
As the sound faded, he fearfully clutched his neck, where a thin line rapidly widened, and bright red blood gushed out.
"Godspeed Drawn Blade Technique!" Rojen murmured, his eyes focused.
Among Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, the most famous is undoubtedly the blade draw.
The moment the sword is drawn, the enemy's fate is sealed. This domineering, swift blade draw has instilled fear in countless people.
Himura Kenshin was known as "Battōsai" precisely because of this blade draw.
At the same time, the blade draw is the foundation of all Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū techniques.
Just from this initial attempt, this sword art brought Rojen a pleasant surprise.
It was indeed powerful— so powerful that a single strike instantly killed this pirate with a bounty of 35 million, whose strength was not far from his own.
"The Unhindered Sword Method is also strong, but its strength lies in the intricacy of its techniques. However, compared to the domineering and sharpness of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, it falls slightly short."
The two swordsmanship styles are vastly different in nature, yet both are equally formidable.
Of course, the Unhindered Sword Method carries a sense of righteousness and chivalry, upright and straightforward, which indeed lacks the killing intent of the blade draw.
After dealing with Arno, Rojen narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, charging into the remaining pirates.
A moment later, screams rang out continuously.
Rojen would not spare these cruel pirates.
"Killing one to save ten thousand— why not?"
He was not a naive do-gooder, nor was he some savior. But when encountering injustice, he would act. Since he had come across these scoundrels, eliminating them was nothing more than a duty.
As the saying goes, "In solitude, train oneself; in prominence, benefit the world." There is a bit less of the reckless righteousness here, but a bit more of the rationality of self-preservation.
When within one's capabilities, one should consider the surrounding world.
This is the way of life, the way of survival.
Rojen's current strength was not immense, but it was more than enough to kill these pirates, save the civilians of this island, and prevent the innocent people these pirates would have killed in the future.
As for the Marines, their conflict stemmed from differing allegiances.
In just a dozen breaths of time, the remaining pirates were slaughtered by Rojen.
A faint smell of blood filled the air, nauseating to the point of vomiting. The cat on his shoulder disdainfully covered its nose.
"You are safe now"
Sheathing his sword, Rojen walked forward with a smile.
This demeanor, completely different from his earlier coldness, left the villagers momentarily stunned.
(End of Chapter)