Failure Born of Arrogance

Yasuo's longsword carried immense strength. Though he did not look particularly burly in the game, and even seemed somewhat lean,

that was not actually the case. Li Ke knew just how astonishing the muscles on Yasuo's body were. They simply could not compare to those people whose muscles bulged unnaturally.

So the instant he saw Yasuo grip his sword with both hands, Li Ke knew he absolutely could not take that strike head-on!

Qi surged through his body. Although the him in his memories had been highly proficient in using this power, Li Ke could still feel its unfamiliarity. He could not wield it as naturally as he wished.

The reason was simple. His body was different from that of the person in his memories. His aptitude, physique, even the length of his arms and the distribution of his muscles were all different.

It was only natural that it felt unfamiliar.

But it was enough.

Li Ke spun around swiftly. He was thirty percent faster than before, allowing him to easily evade a strike he should have been unable to dodge.

"Good!"

Yasuo shouted. His missed sword swiftly swept sideways through the air. This movement was actually extremely difficult and exhausting, yet Yasuo performed it with effortless ease.

The sword that should have struck the ground slashed toward Li Ke's shoulder. Li Ke raised his own sword to block again, while his footwork began to shift.

Another crisp metallic ring sounded as Yasuo's attack was blocked once more. In the instant before Yasuo could redirect his blade, Li Ke stepped forward, placing his foot where Yasuo had intended to step. The longsword he had held crosswise to block Yasuo's sharp blade turned with the motion and sliced toward Yasuo's arm.

This was the union of footwork and swordsmanship, one of the most essential techniques of the Wind-Riding School.

Sweeping Blade!

A technique that allowed one to slash an enemy while passing by them without suffering so much as a scratch. It looked exaggerated in the game, but its practical application was simply this.

Faced with danger, Yasuo showed not the slightest panic. Even now, he had not gotten serious. As Li Ke borrowed his own force to slash back at him, Yasuo moved even faster.

"Hahaha!!"

Couldn't pull his sword back?

It did not matter!

He raised his elbow and twisted his body. Yasuo dodged Li Ke's sword by a hair's breadth, then struck Li Ke's cheek with his elbow without hesitation.

The instant Li Ke felt his grip empty, he raised his arm to block, bracing it against Yasuo's arm so that the far more powerful elbow would not hit his body.

But unfortunately, the gap in their strength was still far too great!

His arm was overwhelmed in an instant. Li Ke had no choice but to twist aside and evade, but that gave Yasuo an opening. He raised his leg almost immediately and kicked Li Ke in the chest.

Li Ke did not react in time, but instinctively drew his scabbard with his left hand and held it before his chest, lifting himself slightly onto his toes.

A tremendous force slammed into him, sending Li Ke flying out of his house like a kite with its string cut. Yet he did not fall when he landed. Before touching the ground, he had already assumed his stance, and the instant he landed, he sheathed his sword.

He was going to use the technique he had obtained through "simulation."

Iaijutsu.

In the real world, Iaijutsu was actually an assassination technique. It was the sort of skill where one suddenly drew a blade and killed someone during negotiations.

It sounded cool and formidable, but the actual movement was not stylish at all. It was also rather despicable.

But that was not the case in the world called Arad.

Gather Qi as much as possible, build up as much force as possible, use the scabbard's psychological effect of storing power, and at the instant the sword was drawn, unleash the greatest possible eruption of Qi and strength.

This was the only technique the him in his dreams had learned on the Arad Continent.

"Not bad. After getting sick, your reactions and strength have both improved."

Yasuo rotated the sword in his hand as he walked out of Li Ke's house. Looking at Li Ke, who stood poised in place, he grew increasingly excited.

Li Ke had become stronger.

Whether it was his strength, his reaction speed, or even the instinctive movements he made without thinking, everything felt completely different from before.

That made Yasuo greatly anticipate what would come next.

That was the kind of person Yasuo was now. All he wanted was to prove that he was the strongest by defeating powerful opponents. So even though Li Ke had done nothing to wrong him or offend him, Yasuo still wanted to defeat him!

Otherwise, how could he prove that he was a genius?!

"Let me see how far you can go! Let me get a little serious!"

Yasuo rushed toward Li Ke. He felt that he had already figured Li Ke out. Though Li Ke's strength and speed could now keep up with his movements, once he got serious, Li Ke would still lose!

With a step forward, Yasuo shot toward Li Ke like an arrow, his blade sliding into its scabbard.

That was right. He would crush Li Ke head-on with Iaijutsu! He would use the very move Li Ke believed could defeat him to defeat Li Ke!

Arrogance and contempt!

With only a single exchange of glances, Li Ke understood what Yasuo was thinking. Anger at being looked down upon instantly rose in his heart.

No matter how he looked at it, Yasuo's act of exposing his weakness before him was an insult—how much intent could a sword hurriedly shoved back into its scabbard possibly accumulate?

Emotion drove will, will drove the body, and the changes in his body stirred the Qi within Li Ke.

Cracks began to spread across the scabbard Yasuo had kicked. The Qi Li Ke had accumulated inside it turned violent, blasting open the cracks and reducing part of the scabbard to fragments.

In Yasuo's eyes, the instant Li Ke's eyes widened, violent currents of Qi wrapped around his entire body.

He realized something was wrong, but he still had faith in his own strength.

Thus, the two swordsmen drew their swords at the same time.

A clear sword cry rang out again, and light flashed across the courtyard.

The swordsmen passed each other, blades humming. Countless petals scattered through the courtyard from their clash, and beneath the moonlight, it seemed as though snow had fallen there.

A slight breeze stirred a lock of Li Ke's hair. An intact flower struck that strand, carrying it gently to the ground.

Yasuo, meanwhile, stared at the broken sword in his hand in disbelief. Its break was so clean, so painfully final.

The blade's surface remained smooth as a mirror, allowing him to see the shallow cut on his cheek.

A curved section of blade reflected light endlessly in the sky, humming as it fell between the two men, who stood with their backs to each other.

"How... is that possible?"

He could not help muttering to himself. He remembered clearly that Li Ke had not even been fit to carry his shoes. His strength, speed, and reactions had all failed to keep up with his. Even now, that was still true. If only he had taken this seriously...

"Because you didn't pay... cough... You were too arrogant, Yasuo."

Looking at the cracks on his own sword, Li Ke could not help sighing softly. He was poor, and repairing this sword would wipe out what little savings he had.

He wondered whether that drunkard Yasuo still had any money in his pockets. Otherwise, uncle here was going to get angry.

Naturally, he had no intention of speaking kindly to Yasuo.

Yet Yasuo was the sort of person who could not accept defeat.

"Enough nonsense! Again!"