Success Rate of Only Ten Percent

With a sharp clang, the katana that had been knocked away stabbed directly into the corner of the platform, its tip embedded a short distance into the wooden floor.

"Phew..." Kurusu Kunoichi slowly let out a breath and calmly sheathed his sword.

Only then did Kibito Aragane realize it.

His sword had just been knocked away by Kurusu Kunoichi.

Kibito Aragane immediately gave a bitter smile, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "As expected, if it's a contest of swordsmanship, I can't possibly beat you, Kurusu."

No sooner had Kibito Aragane finished speaking than the surrounding samurai began discussing it, each wearing an unsurprised expression.

"Kurusu's swordsmanship really is outstanding."

"Even among all the samurai of the Yotsuyu Clan, Kurusu is probably the best when it comes to the sword alone, right?"

"That's why Kurusu became Miss Ayame's personal guard."

"Kibito is impressive too, but if it's purely swordsmanship, Kurusu is still a little better."

The surrounding comments reached Kibito's ears clearly, making the bitter smile on Kibito Aragane's face deepen.

Only Kurusu Kunoichi himself seemed not to have heard the other samurai at all. His handsome face bore an almost cold expression.

Then Kurusu Kunoichi spoke.

"This level doesn't count for anything. Any samurai can reach it. It's only that samurai these days know how to use nothing but Steam Guns and have forgotten that swords are our original weapons."

With that single remark, the lively atmosphere around them instantly cooled somewhat.

The samurai all wore speechless expressions, completely unsure of what to say.

Kibito Aragane also sighed softly. "That can't be helped. Only with Steam Guns can we barely defend the station. With just a sword, dealing with Kabane is truly too difficult."

"I know. I have no objections to the situation itself." Kurusu Kunoichi closed his eyes, his expression still calm as he spoke. "I'm merely ashamed that swordsmanship of this level is praised so extravagantly."

Everyone could hear the sincerity in Kurusu Kunoichi's words.

Clearly, Kurusu Kunoichi held the dignity of being a samurai in extremely high regard and did not wish for that dignity to be disgraced in his hands.

Of course, Kurusu Kunoichi had no dissatisfaction with the fact that samurai generally used Steam Guns now.

After all, they were weapons necessary for fighting Kabane. Kurusu Kunoichi used them himself, so naturally he did not reject them.

It was simply that, unlike the other samurai who relied on Steam Guns, Kurusu Kunoichi did not rely solely on them.

As a samurai, Kurusu Kunoichi believed that only the sword in his hand was his true support.

That was why Kurusu Kunoichi had not neglected his swordsmanship training and had continued honing it all this time.

Therefore, to Kurusu Kunoichi, the Martial Contest held once every ten days was not for venting frustrations. It was meant to test his progress and constantly remind himself not to forget swordsmanship.

Kibito Aragane knew that much.

So Kibito Aragane smiled and said to Kurusu Kunoichi, "Then I, the loser, will step down first. You can continue."

Kurusu Kunoichi nodded. Once Kibito Aragane had stepped down, he looked around and called out loudly.

"Who wants to come up and fight me?"

His words echoed clearly through the surroundings.

The samurai looked at one another, then all revealed awkward smiles.

"I... I don't want to!"

"If it's only swordsmanship, we definitely can't beat Kurusu!"

"Exactly!"

Watching the samurai shake their heads one after another, Kurusu Kunoichi furrowed his brow deeply.

At that moment, a rather innocent voice suddenly rang out among the samurai.

"Can someone who doesn't know swordsmanship go up?"

When that voice echoed clearly around them, Kurusu Kunoichi froze slightly. After seeing who had spoken beneath the platform, his previously cold and serious face went blank.

It was not only Kurusu Kunoichi. Every other samurai, including Kibito Aragane, stood frozen as well, their expressions filled with nothing but surprise and shock.

Amid the crowd of samurai below the platform, one hand was raised high.

The owner of that hand was not any samurai familiar to those present. He was probably not even twenty years old, and he wore strange, unusual clothes.

That was what shocked every samurai present.

And the person raising his hand was naturally Fang Li.

However, Fang Li had no choice but to raise his hand.

Because at the exact moment Kurusu Kunoichi issued his challenge for someone to step onto the platform, the system's voice rang in his mind.

"Number 11273 has triggered a Rank B Side Mission: Martial Contest Arena Battle."

"Mission Objective: Challenge the story character Kurusu Kunoichi."

"Victory Reward: 3,000 Exchange Points."

"Failure Penalty: None."

"Note: Side Mission ranks are determined according to the strength of the Main God Envoy accepting the mission. From highest to lowest, there are six ranks: S, A, B, C, D, and E. The higher the rank, the greater the difficulty. For a Rank B Side Mission, the Main God Envoy accepting it has only a one-in-ten chance of success."

It was because of that message that Fang Li raised his hand to issue a challenge.

Although the success rate was only one in ten, there was no penalty for failure anyway. Why not give it a try?

But to everyone else, who knew nothing of this, Fang Li's challenge was simply a joke.

"Isn't this guy the Wanderer who started mooching meals here today?"

"A Wanderer is challenging Kurusu?"

"Is this guy looking down on samurai?"

The gazes the surrounding samurai directed at Fang Li gradually turned hostile.

Only Kurusu Kunoichi and Kibito Aragane kept their brows furrowed. Though they did not display the obvious hostility of the other samurai, the looks they gave Fang Li were still somewhat stern.

"The Martial Contest is a competition between samurai organized by the Yotsuyu Clan," Kibito Aragane said. "You are not a samurai, so you aren't qualified to participate, are you?"

"You're only a Wanderer." Kurusu Kunoichi spoke even more mercilessly. "Don't overestimate yourself."

"Is that so?" Fang Li shrugged and said directly, "Then come teach this ignorant kid a lesson."

At that, Kurusu Kunoichi narrowed his eyes.

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