One's Own Failure Is Naturally Terrifying, But a Friend's Success Is Even More Heartbreaking

Tokugawa Ririko, whose smile was almost uncontrollable, readily agreed.

She walked to a corner alone and continued her daily suburi practice.

The sound of air being cut nearby made Uesugi Tetsu click his tongue in annoyance.

It was the same principle as a college student who could sleep soundly amidst the noise of a blue-switch keyboard but couldn't sleep all night due to their roommate turning pages.

Uesugi Tetsu focused his attention on the Soul Soothing Incense Ash, which was now glowing, and soon, a prompt for [Use?] popped up.

Uesugi Tetsu blinked in surprise. So he could use the Soul Soothing Incense Ash himself?

Isn't this thing supposed to be a material for upgrading Demon Incarnations? Wouldn't eating it send someone straight to the afterlife?

Although Soul Soothing Incense Ash was a necessary material for upgrading Demon Incarnations, it wasn't actually precious at all.

On the contrary, it was the kind of common item you'd get nine out of ten times in a ten-pull from the gacha.

He narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment before Uesugi Tetsu clicked to use it.

In just a moment, Uesugi Tetsu felt the world before him transform from a blurry 1080p to an incredibly clear 4K, with countless subtle movements flowing through his five senses.

And as Uesugi Tetsu gripped his bamboo sword, Ririko's words and hands-on guidance from not long ago became clear in his mind.

All the movements, all the theories, seemed to become exceptionally simple.

"I understand."

He murmured.

Ririko, who was practicing suburi, stopped and glanced at him. "Understand what?"

"Stance, grip, center of gravity, suburi, stepping..."

As if reciting a menu, Uesugi Tetsu listed all the fundamental skills Ririko had just taught him, causing her expression to become increasingly complex.

She covered her mouth, her body shaking for a while before she spoke seriously, "Tell me more, I promise I won't laugh out loud."

Uesugi Tetsu didn't reply to Ririko. He knew this state was definitely time-limited, and Soul Soothing Incense Ash was a consumable.

So he had to engrave these insights into his body before the effect wore off.

Under Ririko's amused gaze, Uesugi Tetsu activated his Ki-ai Technique, maintained a state of mental clarity, and began to stand up, grip his sword, and swing it through the air...

Thus, Uesugi Tetsu's swordsmanship level rapidly transformed from that of an ordinary person with no understanding of swordsmanship to that of a sword enthusiast who had practiced for one to two months.

Ririko's expression shifted from barely holding back laughter to seriousness, then to confusion, and finally to silence.

When all of this was over, time...

Ririko stared blankly at her phone.

Only an hour had passed.

As the effect of the Soul Soothing Incense Ash wore off, the world before Uesugi Tetsu blurred significantly.

He then realized he was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water, and his muscles ached intensely, as if Ririko had beaten him up.

However, it was all worth it.

[Under the effect of the first use of Soul Soothing Incense Ash, through arduous training, your proficiency in the skill Ki-ai Technique (Fragment) has increased by 18!]

[Ki-ai Technique (Fragment) (Beginner 74/100)]

[Under the effect of the first use of Soul Soothing Incense Ash, through arduous training, your proficiency in the skill Tennen Rishin-ryū has increased by 50!]

[Swordsmanship · Tennen Rishin-ryū (Not Yet Mastered 51/200)]

[Under the effect of the first use of Soul Soothing Incense Ash, through arduous training, your Willpower has increased by 1!]

Not only had the proficiency of both skills increased significantly, but his Willpower had also gone from 7 to 8.

Uesugi Tetsu turned to look at Ririko, forcing a smile, and said faintly, "I told you, let me be quiet for a while to sort out my thoughts."

Ririko was bewildered.

In just one hour, he had surpassed a month of her day and night efforts.

When he swung his sword once, it was equivalent to her swinging a thousand, even ten thousand times.

Effort, it turned out, was truly insignificant in the face of talent.

The clown, it turned out, was me.

In the silence, Ririko suddenly spoke, "Tetsu, come on, slap me."

"Huh?"

Uesugi Tetsu hadn't reacted yet.

"It really is reality," Ririko sighed. "If this were a dream, I would have already been beaten into a pulp."

Ririko paused and then asked, "Do you want to learn more today?"

"Spare me, I can barely lift my hands."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head, wiggling his limp arms.

"Mm."

Ririko nodded, silently disassembling her bamboo sword. She meticulously polished and buffed every part, then reassembled the tsuba, nakago, and tsuka-ito. Finally, she attached the ito string used to straighten the bamboo sword.

Uesugi Tetsu watched Ririko, who was focused as if engaged in a major battle, and felt that something was off.

But he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

He had only been practicing Kendo intently just now; he hadn't provoked Ririko in any way, had he?

After a while, Ririko placed her bamboo sword in its bag and walked to the door with a soft puchi-puchi sound. She looked back with some confusion, "Uesugi-kun, aren't you coming?"

Uesugi Tetsu pondered for a few seconds, then decided to ask directly, "Is something on your mind?"

Ririko stared at him for two seconds before abandoning her pretense of waiting. "Like you said, let me have some quiet time to sort out my thoughts first."

Uesugi Tetsu had no reason to stop her, so he nodded. "Tomorrow, I'll teach you breathing techniques."

The Kendo girl let out a bright laugh, pushed open the wooden door forcefully, and her voice carried from ahead:

"See you tomorrow then, Uesugi-kun."

Uesugi Tetsu watched Tokugawa Ririko's retreating figure. He had originally planned to treat her to some yakiniku later that evening.

But, oh well.

Since Ririko had left first, he might as well find some time to go to the sports field and explore the new map.

Once the shrine at the spawn point was lit, it wouldn't be necessary to enter Tokoyo only from designated locations.

For example, Uesugi Tetsu could now enter Edo Castle even while at the Kendo hall.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Uesugi Tetsu found a dark corner in the sports field and lay down.

He mentally clicked the [Enter Tokoyo] option, and his vision went black once more.

New map, commencing!

The fresh scent of thatch mixed with a pungent smell of sulfur filled his nostrils. Uesugi Tetsu felt dizzy from the irritation and, without a second thought, put on the Laughing Brahma mask.

He sat up and looked around.

He found himself in a small thatched hut, but the interior furnishings had changed.

Besides the usual old tatami mats and straw piles, and a low table, there were even two or three broken chairs leaning against the wall.

"This map is set at least after the Meiji era."

Uesugi Tetsu mused. The sights before him confirmed that different eras indeed coexisted within Tokoyo.

Although chairs had been introduced to Japan from Tang Dynasty China as early as the Nara period, they only became popular in common households after the Meiji era, when Western culture began to heavily influence the country.

Hopefully, the mobs in this area don't use American Iaijutsu...

With that thought, Uesugi Tetsu began searching for the shrine.

First time is unfamiliar, second time is familiar.

Before long, Uesugi Tetsu lit the shrine.

His eyes lit up.

[You have lit the shrine of Arakawa Ghost Village.]

[Current Area Unlocked: Arakawa Ghost Village (One Star)]