As a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters, Zephyr naturally had the right to apply to Marine Headquarters for resources.
Famous Swords were rare, but at Marine Headquarters, any Marine captain with a good record could apply for one. That went without saying for Zephyr, who had worked tirelessly for the Marines for so many years.
Sengoku, who had nominally become Fleet Admiral, didn't know why Zephyr was applying for an allocation of Famous Swords. But it was only one sword, so he didn't look into it too closely and approved the request outright.
When Zephyr tossed the long sword in his hand to Wood, Wood carefully caught it and drew it from its scabbard.
"Tenku, one of the 50 Grade Swords. The blade is 1.3 meters long and eight centimeters wide, with a chaotic floral pattern and small T-shaped marks along the edge.
"As it happens, this was one of the spoils I took in battle back then. Its previous owner was a pirate with the skill of a Swordsman.
"Judging by its grade, it might not measure up to that little girl Gion's Kompira, but it should still be able to give it a run for its money."
Taking Tenku from Zephyr, Wood could tell even without Zephyr's explanation that the sword in his hands was a rare, fine blade.
Tenku's blade was somewhat longer than an ordinary long sword, yet the sword itself was quite light. The moment it entered Wood's hand, it gave him a strange feeling.
"I see. This is a Cursed Blade..."
Swordsmen were undoubtedly keenly attuned to the swords they wielded. The moment Wood took hold of Tenku, he clearly sensed the ominous aura emanating from it.
A "Cursed Blade" was still a Famous Sword, but unlike ordinary Famous Swords, it brought misfortune to the swordsman who wielded it.
Though both were Famous Swords, mastering a Cursed Blade was far more difficult than mastering an ordinary one.
It was like riding a wild, unruly horse. It might be strong and powerful, but sometimes it could throw its rider to their death.
"That's right. Tenku is indeed a Cursed Blade. The resources in the stockpiles have been allocated to the various Marine Branches being built in different regions lately.
"Now, this is the only Famous Sword left in Marine Headquarters' stockpile.
"Even though it's a Cursed Blade, it's only a 50 Grade Sword. There shouldn't be any trouble if you use it for just one fight."
Zephyr didn't deny that Tenku was a Cursed Blade. He had originally applied for a Great Grade Sword, but Tenku really was the only one left in stock.
"Teacher Zephyr, I have a request. If I can defeat or draw with Gion in this spar, could you award me Tenku?
"Or let me buy it from Marine Headquarters at market price."
Hearing Wood's words, Zephyr, who had his arms folded across his chest, was clearly taken aback.
"You know Tenku is a Cursed Blade, and you still want to own it? You even intend to buy it?"
It would have been one thing if Wood didn't know how to recognize a sword. But the instant he took hold of Tenku, he'd already sensed that it was an ominous Cursed Blade—and now he still wanted to buy it!
"A sword is a weapon for killing, and therefore an ill-omened thing in itself. If a swordsman can't even subdue the blade in his hand, how can he ever become a 'Swordsman'?
"It's the swordsman who wields the blade, not the blade that controls the swordsman. The moment I took hold of this sword, I knew it had chosen me. And I believe it's the sword best suited to me!"
Wood gripped the sky-blue hilt. The slender blade traced a silver arc through the air, and a sharp Sword Aura shot along the ground, gouging a deep furrow before him.
Cursed Blade Tenku was called Tenku because it drank human blood. Whenever it left its sheath, blood was sure to follow.
Either it would gorge itself on its opponent's blood, or it would turn on its master and drink the blood of the one who wielded it.
Wood's casual test swing made Gion tremble with excitement. Her earlier guess had been right: Wood truly had the swordsmanship to give her a full-power fight.
He could unleash Sword Aura, and with that kind of power, he wasn't just a "Swordsman"—he was a Swordsman of considerable skill.
Before Zephyr could even announce the start of the spar, Gion, who had long been unable to contain herself, drew Kompira in an instant and flashed in front of Wood.
With both hands on her sword, Gion brought down a powerful overhead slash. In the same instant, Wood held Tenku horizontally and blocked her strike.
Kompira and Tenku ground against each other, sending sparks flying. The next second, the two separated after that single clash and launched into a dazzling, high-speed sword duel.
The clanging of colliding blades rang without end. The spectators around them could see only the two standing in place; they couldn't see the swords in their hands at all.
There was no other reason—their swings were simply too fast. The spectators' eyes could no longer follow the paths of their attacks.
Wild Sword Aura ravaged the area, and External Slashes, the mark of a Swordsman's skill, carved deep furrows into the ground around them.
No one was too surprised that Gion was this strong. She had always been the most gifted and capable person in their class.
But Wood, her opponent, also displayed such astonishing strength, leaving everyone present utterly stunned.
As far as they could remember, Wood had always been thoroughly average. Among the elite still here, he was the undisputed bottom of the class.
Yet this very bottom-ranked trainee was now displaying strength they couldn't believe. He was not only holding his own against the invincible Gion in their eyes, but as time passed, he was even beginning to suppress her!
They were both Swordsmen, and their speed was more or less evenly matched.
But men had a natural advantage over women in strength and stamina, and Wood in particular had undergone extremely rigorous physical training every day for the past few years.
A blue slash skimmed past Gion's hair and carved a furrow several meters long in the ground beside her.
This was the first time since their duel began that Gion had dodged one of Wood's slashes instead of taking it head-on with Kompira.
Gion wasn't stubborn. Once she realized she was at a disadvantage in strength and stamina, she naturally stopped trying to match Wood blow for blow. Instead, she broke into a rapid run on her long legs.
"Ittoryu Iaido: Jumping Rabbit!"
Gion's rapidly moving figure picked up speed as she raced around the arena, like a rabbit darting wildly about. She was so fast that a series of afterimages lingered in the air.
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