Uppercut!

Severing Wind?

It certainly was a fine, resounding name.

Knowing that Xia Xi had once trained in the Wind Breathing Style, the swordsmith nodded to himself.

And naming his Nichirin Blade right away suggested he was someone who cherished his weapons.

"Since this is an entirely new type of weapon," Yumaru continued, "everything is new, from the forging and quenching processes to many of its load-bearing structures and the balance of its center of gravity."

"Even with repeated calculations and trial forging, we cannot guarantee that the first version is perfect."

At this, he could not help recalling the unusual requests he had received before.

Soft whips, maces, steel wire, syringes...

Compared with those bizarre Nichirin Blades, meteor hammers, axes, and even this punch dagger were relatively easy weapons to make.

"So please be sure to pay attention to how it feels in your grip during actual use, the inertia when you swing it..."

"Please keep detailed records of even the slightest discomfort or irregularity."

He smiled, though no one could see it through his mask.

The ugly mask turned toward Xia Xi, his gaze seeming to burn even brighter.

"This is merely a 'prototype.'"

"The true finished product requires the wielder's personal involvement in adjustments and feedback."

"Master Xia Xi, if you ever have the opportunity to visit the Swordsmith Village, please discuss your insights from actual combat face-to-face with the village chief and the swordsmiths."

"When that time comes, we will surely forge you a one-of-a-kind Severing Wind, a weapon that truly feels like an extension of your own body!"

Xia Xi nodded and said somewhat distractedly, "I'll keep careful records. If I ever get to visit the Swordsmith Village, I hope you'll be willing to offer me your guidance."

Huh?

Sure enough, picking up a different type of weapon brought new notifications to the system panel.

[Switched to a new weapon type]

[Current type: punch dagger (standard)]

[Mastery of sword forms associated with Breathing Styles greatly decreased: 100% → 13%]

[Can be gradually improved through combat and training]

Just as Xia Xi had expected, switching weapon types outright meant he probably would not be able to use his Breathing Style sword techniques for a while.

After all, compared with a punch dagger...

The moves used with a samurai sword differed fundamentally in both how force was generated and how the body moved.

Xia Xi set down his new Nichirin Blade.

Then he drew Sandai Yasushi from his waist and made a few slashes through the air.

Sure enough.

[Switched to a new weapon type]

[Current type: samurai sword (standard)]

[Mastery of sword forms associated with Breathing Styles greatly increased: 13% → 100%]

[Mastery of this weapon has reached its maximum]

It seemed proficiency was calculated independently for each weapon.

Seeing this, the swordsmith opposite him assumed Xia Xi was comparing how the old and new weapons felt, as well as the differences in their materials.

He bowed to Xia Xi.

"Then I shall take my leave and disturb your training no further."

After paying his respects, he left the quiet room as silently as he had arrived and disappeared into the night.

Watching Xia Xi make one motion after another like a child with a new toy, the Mist Pillar, Igarashi, spoke from beside him. "Is this the path you intend to explore next?"

"A gauntlet that can cut? Or perhaps an unconventional short weapon with cutting capability."

"I do not mean to question your choice."

"But... isn't replacing your samurai sword with a short weapon somewhat rash?"

"It's not really a replacement." Xia Xi nodded. "Think of it as a secondary weapon. A samurai sword has never felt quite right in my hands, after all."

"The blade is sharp, but it chips and breaks easily."

"And in terms of penetrating armor, attack speed, and transitions between moves, it falls well short of a short weapon."

Igarashi reminded him, "But you must understand that in combat, the fighter with greater slashing reach always has an inherent advantage. A punch dagger cannot compare with a samurai sword in that regard."

Xia Xi nodded. "I understand. Every extra inch of reach is an extra inch of strength."

It was like basketball: someone taller, with longer arms, could always reach the hoop sooner.

A long weapon could strike an opponent before they got close, and its tip could also deliver a faster, harder blow when swung.

It usually offered a greater margin for error, too.

But...

"Back where I'm from, that proverb has another half."

"Every inch of length adds strength; every inch smaller adds finesse."

Length naturally had its advantages, whether in battlefield clashes, head-on charges, or fights on open ground.

But in complex terrain, the advantages of short weapons could not be ignored either.

Fighting someone in an alley or a dense forest, for instance.

Short weapons allowed their wielders to move nimbly through confined spaces, while long spears and great halberds could barely move at all.

Short swords, daggers, and even butterfly swords were agile, portable weapons.

They had emerged to meet the needs of combat outside pitched battlefield engagements.

Easy to learn, quick to strike, suited to both attack and defense.

They also demanded little stamina from their wielders and had a low barrier to entry.

Just look at Assassin's Creed, where all those assassins used hidden blades concealed in their sleeves.

Many combat personnel in the real world also carried tactical knives to handle complicated situations.

"Most importantly, I've long since grown used to fighting by knocking my opponents down with my own fists."

In 2099, what weapon did players of action fighting games trust most?

Their peerless iron fists, of course, honed over long careers training as Fighters, Monks, and Street Fighter martial artists.

After that came the American-style Iaido of the Magnum Style.

Besides, he was hardly some rigid traditionalist. He still carried three Supreme Grade Great Blades on his back.

Igarashi looked thoughtful after hearing this.

"Every inch smaller adds finesse?"

For him, this was a new line of thinking he had never considered.

Yet he had never heard Xia Xi's proverb anywhere in the Far East.

Could it have come from Ryukyu, or an Ainu tradition?

He did not dwell on it. The young swordsman in glasses extended an invitation to Xia Xi.

"Kurumaji, care to try a little sparring?"

At that, Xia Xi broke into a confident, excited smile. "That would be perfect, Senior Brother Aizen."

Compared with the tedium of striking a wooden dummy alone...

Sparring against a real person offered noticeably more experience and much better training results.

And with a suitable sparring partner...

With Igarashi Usen being one of the Nine Hashira, Xia Xi did not even have to worry about hurting him by using too much force.

"It's Usen, Kurumaji."

The young man corrected him helplessly.

In the courtyard, the maple leaves had yet to turn red, but the air already seemed to have solidified.

Xia Xi held Severing Wind's handle lightly, alternately loosening and tightening his fingers as he adjusted to the feel of his new weapon.

"Senior Brother, I won't hold back once we start. Be careful not to get hurt."

Opposite him, Igarashi pushed up his glasses and nodded. "It's all right. Give it everything you have."

At that moment, the young swordsman had merely assumed a simple opening stance.

He stood like an ancient tree rooted in the courtyard, his gaze behind his lenses as calm as still water.

"Begin, Xia Xi. Let me see how this short weapon of yours truly compares with a samurai sword."

The instant those words fell, Xia Xi moved.

He used no Breathing Style.

He relied only on his powerful physique and the special footwork he had learned and refined in other games.

His whole body seemed to glide along the ground.

In an instant, he covered nearly ten meters, ducking low into the opening beneath Igarashi's guard.

He threw a punch.

It was like a cannonball poised to fire.

An ordinary person might have chosen to raise their sword to block first or dodge sideways.

But Igarashi did not.

Through his Pre-Initiative perception, he could clearly see that Xia Xi's punch was merely a feint.

Sure enough.

Xia Xi's left punch was a fake. The real killing move came from his right fist.

A short, sharp thrust from below, at a treacherous angle!

Uppercut!

Igarashi stepped back half a pace as casually as if he were strolling through a garden, letting the fierce gust from the punch brush the hair over his forehead.

He raised his sword into a sweeping sideways cut, its gleam spilling forth like flowing water.

Yet Xia Xi neutralized that cut as well, stepping straight inside his reach and intercepting his wrist with a precise elbow strike.

The vast majority of slashes and techniques required space and distance to execute fully.

If someone could enter the range where they generated force before that force took shape...

Even the most exquisite technique would fall apart on its own.

The Mist Pillar lightly retreated another step, escaping Xia Xi's relentless barrage that followed him like a shadow.

Yet he could not help musing inwardly.

His junior brother seemed far beyond his peers in both technique and experience.

That combination of feints and real attacks, along with the method and timing he had used to stop his sword draw...

Those were not skills one could develop without hundreds of real battles.

No, perhaps even that is nowhere near enough combat experience.

For an ordinary person to reach such a level, they would probably need a thousand, perhaps even several thousand, life-and-death battles.

He silently marveled.

This junior brother of mine truly is a monster through and through...

Naturally, Igarashi had no idea just how many games Xia Xi had ground through during those compressed stretches of time.

In a sense, he really could be considered an ancient veteran of a hundred lifetimes and countless battles.