The fierce battle inside the kendo hall continued for a full hour before gradually coming to a stop.
Neither of them had worn face guards, but aside from being drenched in sweat, Ririko's head was unexpectedly unharmed. Other than some dull pain in the flesh beneath her chest and hand guards, she was fine.
Only Uesugi Tetsu had been beaten up all over again.
[Your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +178!] [Your skill, Tennen Rishin-ryū proficiency +112!]
Yet as he watched the two soaring proficiency figures, Uesugi Tetsu felt that Ririko had not been exaggerating earlier. He had gained a great deal from this.
To suppress his own strength to her level, Uesugi Tetsu needed not only precise control over his power, but also careful observation of exactly how much strength Ririko could currently exert.
Ririko's movements were extremely refined. She could often make one point of strength produce the effect of two points or even more. An ordinary Uesugi Tetsu would certainly have been helpless against her.
But things were different after he used the Soul Soothing Incense Ash.
With his physique far superior to his opponent's, Uesugi Tetsu could clearly observe the paths and techniques behind Ririko's exertion of force.
After enough repetitions, he could roughly estimate that her physique was around 10 points, then steadily maintain his own strength at the same level as hers.
--And then get beaten up again to gain experience.
"What I want is for you to maintain a consistent level of strength output no matter how badly you're beaten."
After tossing him a clean towel, Ririko said, "Uesugi-kun, this isn't something you can accomplish through Willpower alone. You have to make your body remember this feeling."
"That way, even if your emotions run wild during a fight to the death,