Leaving and Returning to the Village

"Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host. You have completed the main quest, Million Draws. Current draw count: 1,025,007. The basic quest for the Iai Style is complete. Reward: advanced Iai sword technique, Iai: Hayashizaki Muso-ryu Mastery. You have obtained the title of Iai Style Sword Master."

"Ding-dong! Congratulations on becoming a qualified swordsman. You have received a new main quest: Embrace All Styles. Note: A swordsman should learn from the strengths of many schools to make up for their own shortcomings. (For every two sword techniques from different schools you integrate, you will receive ten lottery draws.)"

"Ding-dong! All draw counts have been automatically exchanged for lottery draws. The draw quest has been canceled."

"Ding-dong! Congratulations on receiving 103 lottery draws."

"Iai Sword Master title: A Sword Master proficient in Iai-do sword techniques. Note: While wearing this title, you have a 50% chance of comprehending an Iai Style sword technique during battle."

"Hayashizaki Muso-ryu sword techniques: Koiguchi no Kiri, Nukitsuke, Kirioroshi, Chiburi, Zanshin, Noto. Note: Each technique is at the Sword Master Grandmaster level."

He sheathed his sword and went home.

He had gained a great deal from the battle.

After completing the third stage of the draw-sword quest, Baiyu had finally escaped the tedious repetition of drawing his sword. The quests ahead, however, would be even more difficult.

Integrate sword techniques from two different schools...

Combine Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu with Hayashizaki Muso-ryu?

There were some points of overlap. The supernaturally fast draw-sword slash displayed by Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki had some similarities to Hayashizaki-ryu.

But they were only similar. Mastering and integrating them would be incredibly difficult.

The system had gone all the way, even changing the only lottery system...

"Iai Slash is, in essence, about speed. Every sword style has its own way of drawing the blade quickly. That's why Hayashizaki-ryu, a style of Iai-do, can be integrated with other styles so quickly. But... combining two different styles? That's a real headache!"

Just thinking about it gave Baiyu a headache.

Hayashizaki-ryu was the ancestral school of Iai-do.

According to its name, Hayashizaki referred to a deity, while the dream came from the story of someone "drawing his sword and slashing at his own shadow."

Hayashizaki-ryu represented the essence of Iai Slash. Its moves were simple, but every one was essential to the practice of Iai.

Other schools made Iai Slash more concise, incorporating it into their own styles until it took on a completely different form.

All Iai techniques had their roots in Hayashizaki-ryu. Baiyu felt the system's step-by-step guidance had a deeper purpose.

If he kept training this way, he would surely grasp the essence of swordsmanship.

With that in mind, Baiyu returned to the shrine.

Miroku had known the instant Moryo died.

There was no excitement or shock, as though it had all been expected.

What she felt was a sense of relief throughout her whole body, as if her shackles had been broken in that moment.

At the entrance to the shrine, beside the torii gate,

Itachi stood by the stone steps, leaning against the gate as he quietly watched the scene before him.

Miroku sat on the steps with her daughter in her arms, smiling tenderly as she played with little Shion.

The others tacitly kept quiet. The atmosphere was peaceful, with Shion's cheerful, bell-like laughter filling the air.

"You're back. Is that monster dead?"

Itachi straightened and spoke.

As his voice fell, Baiyu appeared right in front of him.

"You don't know yet?"

Baiyu asked, looking toward Miroku. By rights, the shrine maiden should have sensed Moryo's death.

"I forgot to tell you..."

Miroku said apologetically. Itachi had been silent the whole time, standing quietly beside her.

He hadn't even greeted Shion. His cold expression kept everyone at arm's length.

"The mission's complete. We can go back now."

"Complete?"

That meant Baiyu had defeated the monster. Itachi hadn't contributed anything to this mission.

Even during the battle, he had only survived thanks to Baiyu.

Though Itachi was mild-mannered, a wave of envy and resentment rose within him now.

He envied Baiyu's rate of growth and hated his own uselessness!

Itachi tightened his grip on his sleeve. That burning drive stirred within him once more.

The strength Baiyu had displayed made him seem like an entirely different person from the one Itachi had first met.

Itachi had originally been stronger, but now the situation was completely reversed, and the gap between them kept growing.

Pride was carved into the bones of the Uchiha Clan.

It was the bearing that centuries as a prestigious clan had instilled in them.

I'll stake my name as a genius on catching up to Baiyu!

The turmoil in his heart subsided in an instant. Itachi then asked,

"When are we heading back to the village?"

Baiyu was about to answer when little Shion suddenly ran over.

"Big brother! Can I train with you?"

Little Shion hugged one of Baiyu's legs and looked up at him innocently.

Baiyu smiled and replied, "Sure. When you're older, come to Konoha. I'll teach you swordsmanship then."

As he spoke, he glanced at Miroku from the corner of his eye.

This woman's up to something!

She's even using Shion to test the waters.

Little Shion was so young. How could she know what training was?

Children are better off growing up with their mothers.

Baiyu hadn't been an orphan in his previous life. Compared with his life as an orphan in this one, he knew all too well how much better it was to have parents around.

"Are you leaving now?"

Miroku came over and asked, pretending not to notice Baiyu's warning glance.

Itachi didn't answer. Instead, he looked to Baiyu.

Baiyu was the team captain, so the decision was his.

"Yeah. We've been away for a while, and the trip back should make it almost exactly a month."

Baiyu said,

"Remember to send the mission reward to the village. The original fifty million, plus the additional mission reward. Actually, just give me the extra reward directly. Send the other fifty million to the village."

Baiyu had originally planned to have Miroku send all the remaining money to the village.

But after considering the village's tendency to skim off the top, he decided to take it back himself. If it didn't go through the village, there'd be no processing fee.

"How much can you spare for the additional reward?"

Baiyu asked. After spending this time here, he understood that the Land of Demons wasn't wealthy.

It was in the north of the continent, a very poor region. This would be Shion's territory in the future, and Baiyu didn't want to strip it too bare. He'd take only what it could afford. If it sparked unrest, little Shion would be the one to suffer.

A flicker of surprise crossed Miroku's face, but she answered seriously, "The shrine maidens of the Land of Demons have never really governed the country. They only collect a certain amount of tax to keep the country stable. So the money for missions comes from the Shrine of the Priestess's private funds. At the moment, we could probably spare another hundred million."

"Then a hundred million... Wait, Itachi, do you have anything that can carry all that money?"

Baiyu suddenly remembered how painful it had been to carry the hundred million last time.

Back then, he'd only had to move the money from outside to inside the room. Now he'd have to take it from the Land of Demons all the way to Konoha...

"No. Even the Ninja Cats couldn't carry that much."

Itachi shook his head and answered honestly. He didn't have many sealing scrolls left, and they couldn't hold that much money.

"..."

Baiyu felt his heart start to cramp. After a moment of silence, he calmly said, "Then just keep it here for now. I'll collect it when you get to Konoha or when I have time to come back."

After completing the handover and receiving confirmation stamped with the seal of Shrine Maiden Miroku, Baiyu and Itachi departed.

Shion was reluctant to let Baiyu go. She kept crying and calling him "Big brother!" In the end, she made an agreement with Baiyu to go find him when she was older, then fell asleep in Miroku's arms.