Talent for Battle

The swordsman who had slashed at Hakuji had never expected the boy before him to evade his strike. In that instant of distraction, Hakuji's fist landed squarely on his jaw.

The powerful impact rattled the swordsman's skull, and an irresistible wave of dizziness washed over him. Unwilling to accept defeat, he shot Hakuji a vicious glare and tried to summon his last bit of strength to swing his blade again.

Hakuji would not give the swordsman a chance to counterattack. Seeing that he still had strength left, he spun around and kicked him in the right cheek.

That kick instantly robbed the already-dazed swordsman of his ability to fight. He released his Katana and fell backward, his eyes vacant.

"This brat isn't simple! Get serious—don't let your guard down!"

Seeing their three fallen companions, the remaining two swordsmen became deeply wary of Hakuji. It was not that Hakuji was overwhelmingly strong; they had simply underestimated him from the start.

"Tch, we underestimated him! Hey, show him what we can really do."

"You don't need to tell me. I'll go first!"

The moment the swordsman got serious, his presence changed completely, and Hakuji sensed a trace of danger. He was fighting with only his fists, while his opponent wielded a Katana sharp enough to cut through iron. There was no need to discuss who held the advantage.

Hakuji still stared fearlessly at the swordsman charging toward him, calmly adjusting his breathing. Even the slightest mistake would cost him his life, so he absolutely could not afford to make one.

"One-Sword Style: Iaido!"

Seeing Hakuji trying to evade, the swordsman smiled and unleashed the fastest sword technique at his disposal.

"Hmph, so you have some skill, but we're professional swordsmen. There's no way you can dodge a slash that fast."

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