A true expert's skill is immediately apparent.
Aoki Tsuki had already anticipated the Tatewaki's strength; the two were evenly matched in swordsmanship.
During this time, he inquired and learned that the guy with the Tatewaki was actually a disciple of the One Sword Style. If he couldn't defeat them in the previous attacks, he would be able to hold them off.
The opponent will then successfully build up their momentum and unleash a fatal blow.
Just as I thought of this, the figure with the Tatewaki disappeared from my sight, and a calm voice sounded from my side and behind me.
" One Sword Style: Instant Flash"
The silvery-white blade gleamed with a chilling aura, and the air crackled with a sound like fabric being torn.
"Sudden Rain Suction - Countercurrent Fang "
A massive blue fang, formed from Chakra and swirling air currents, thrust forward from below, meeting the lightning strike head-on.
Boom...
The violent collision caused a deafening explosion in the air, and amidst the raging winds, a white dragon's head suddenly burst forth.
" Dragon Pursuit!"
roar...
Faced with the frenzied slashing of the storm, the Tatewaki retreated repeatedly, simultaneously swinging his sword left and right to intercept, like a small boat in a downpour, which might be swept away and capsized by a giant wave at any moment.
Having seen this move before Tatewaki, I secretly assessed the situation and realized that there was no good way to deal with it except to tough it out.
"Breath of Cold Rain - Cloud Piercer "
Before the offensive was over, Aoki Tsuki's breathing rhythm changed, and he suddenly exerted force in his back, changing his sword strike from a slash to a thrust.
Faced with this sudden and terrifying thrust, Tatewaki seemed to have anticipated it. The first step in learning One Sword Style is to cultivate courage. He remained calm even with the blade at his side, thus unleashing a desperate counterattack.
He took a step to the side, spun around, and then slashed down.
" One Sword Style: Shadow Break"
Aoki Tsuki saw a flash of light pass before his eyes.
Click...
His new sword, which he had just received from the Takumi Village, was broken in two. This was the first time his sword had been broken in battle since he had mastered swordsmanship.
He was always the one who broke other people's weapons.
"Hold!!"
When he devised this plan, he never imagined he would encounter someone so fearless, daring to dance on the edge of a knife.
"Now! Rain Cutter!"
With only half of the blade remaining, Chakra spread out from the broken edge, replenishing the rest, and launching a counterattack at the limit.
The Rain Cutter" move requires you to get close enough to ambush the enemy.
"What?!"
Tatewaki was shocked. He had thought victory was in his grasp after his last-ditch counterattack severed his opponent's blade, but his opponent followed up with a last-ditch counterattack as well.
He only had time to pull back one step, raising his sword and holding it upright in front of him.
Click...
Without the support of power and skill, the pure defensive power of the blade is limited and cannot withstand the opponent's horizontal slash.
A fracture occurred.
Pfft...
A blade of Chakra grazed across his abdomen, leaving a deep wound and splattering blood.
"Ah...!!"
Tatewaki on one knee, knife in hand, one hand supporting the broken blade, the other clutching his abdomen, and let out a scream.
"Wow...! The Tatewaki is injured..."
"It's over, he's going to lose. He was about to win just now."
"Stand up and keep fighting!!"
Some fans who supported Tatewaki couldn't help but shout loudly upon seeing this.
Perhaps because they are both from the Land of Iron, they naturally hope that their own country's warriors will win the final match.
Chairman Okisuke commented, "The fact that they were able to launch a counterattack under those circumstances shows that both of them have top-notch adaptability."
"Sir, the outcome is decided. Shall we stop the match?"
Mifune shook his head. "In battles between samurai, injuries are inevitable. Unless one side is unable to fight any longer or voluntarily surrenders, it's best for others not to interfere."
"But continuing the fight is pointless..."
"This young man possesses the most important characteristic of a samurai: he knows the path he must take and remains loyal to his own code."
As they spoke, amidst everyone's anticipation, Tatewaki used his clothes to tie up the wound on his abdomen, held the knife in both hands, and prepared to fight again.
"Brother with the Tatewaki, why are you doing this?" Aoki Tsuki said with a complicated expression.
Tatewaki took a deep breath and replied, "Giving it your all is the greatest respect you can show your opponent. That's what you told me. This next move is my strongest strike."
"Alright, let's settle this with one decisive blow."
Aoki Tsuki held the broken half of his sword upright in front of him. 'Although the effectiveness of this move is somewhat reduced without the rain, it's still enough to deal with you.'
" Moon Shadow!"
He harnessed his powerful mental strength to control Chakra, concentrating it on the blade, which then erupted with a dazzling white light.
With extreme speed, a huge crescent-shaped Vacuum Blade was unleashed.
This cannot be achieved without extremely strong Chakra control.
" One Sword Style: Sky-Splitting Slash"
Man and sword become one; with an iron will of martial arts, one wields the blade in hand to unleash a mountain-splitting strike—the strongest attack technique of the One Sword Style.
boom!!
The black broken blade cleaved through the massive crescent blade, but it was powerless against the shockwave it carried.
The broken sword's body flickered like a candle flame in a storm, as if it might go out at any moment.
"Well...!!"
Tatewaki sighed inwardly; the broken blade was simply unable to unleash the full power of this attack.
The crescent-shaped giant blade deflected the moment it approached the body Tatewaki, and suddenly vanished before slicing into the ground.
Suddenly, he seemed to see a dark world, with a bright moon hanging high, filled with buildings that looked like a steel jungle, and there seemed to be the sound of flowing water.
"Was this a psychological attack? I didn't expect your martial will to be so strong. I've lost!"
In their final strike, both of them surprisingly used a technique that combined their martial arts will.
This is the path every samurai must take after honing their swordsmanship to its peak; if they cannot understand their true inner pursuit, they will stop here.
Aoki Tsuki sheathed his sword and comforted him, "Brother Tatewaki, your move was quite powerful... it even cut off a small tuft of my hair..."
puff...
Upon hearing this, Tatewaki was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately fainted.
"Heh... I finally broke through this guy's psychological defenses."
Aoki Tsuki glanced furtively at the ripped opening in his shirt; if he hadn't dodged quickly, he would have lost an arm.
His hair has been repeatedly tempered with Chakra, making it even tougher than steel wire.
From the stands, Mifune nodded in satisfaction and said, "These two young men have already touched upon the level of sword intent in their swordsmanship. Very good."
"It's actually reached this level?" Okisuke exclaimed in amazement.
Among the samurai class of the entire Shinobi World, only a handful can reach this level of swordsmanship. Once they reach this level, their strength will experience a qualitative leap, and ordinary ninjas will be no match for them.
This is the realm of martial arts that all samurai strive for.
Rikaku referee walked over to the Tatewaki, knelt down to examine his injuries, waved for the medical team to carry him away for treatment, and then announced the result.
"The outcome is decided. I hereby declare Rōgetsu the victor of this Swordsman Tournament."
The entire audience rose to their feet and cheered in celebration of this moment.
" Rōgetsu..."
" Rōgetsu..."
"Haha... Thank you everyone for your support, thank you... thank you..."
Aoki Tsuki kept bowing to the audience around him. He needed to be humble, especially at times like these, as his good reputation depended on them spreading it.
The reputation gained through competition is more dubious than the titles earned in battle, but he doesn't mind.
From then on, his name would be known among the samurai.
Some casual fans took the opportunity to come to the venue to take photos with Aoki Tsuki, and he readily agreed. He was busy for almost an hour before the event ended.
"Your Excellency Rōgetsu, Lord Mifune has hosted a banquet for you. Please follow me."
"Okay, okay."
Being received by such a legendary figure, Aoki Tsuki naturally dared not be negligent. Although he said he was coming to challenge Mifune, it was really just talk.
Mifune's strength completely overwhelms him now, so he can't afford to suffer.
Upon arriving at the banquet hall, they found it filled with people, including the top ten from the tournament, and even Tatewaki was participating despite being injured.
When the main character of the banquet arrived, everyone cast inquiring glances at him. Some looked at him with dissatisfaction and hostility, while others were filled with curiosity.
"My name is Rōgetsu. I have met Lord Mifune. This is a letter that Master Tesshin asked me to deliver to you."
Aoki Tsuki took Tesshin's letter out of his pocket and handed it over, intending to take the opportunity to get closer to him.
As expected, after reading the letter, Mifune nodded solemnly and said, "I am aware of the matter. I will intervene. Senior Brother Tesshin has already informed me of your purpose in the letter."
Do you have any requests?
As the ultimate winner of the Swordsman Tournament, the Land of Iron samurai order is willing to give them face as long as they don't go too far.
Aoki Tsuki then revealed the purpose of his trip to the Land of Iron.
"I will send someone to assist you tomorrow, but as far as I know, this kind of ore is hard to find; it's all about luck."
"I understand, thank you for your generous help, Lord Mifune."
Mifune nodded. There was no way the Land of Artisans could have such outstanding talent. This young man was clearly entrusted by Tesshin to represent the Land of Artisans in the competition.
This is nothing.
"Your swordsmanship has reached a very high level. I hope you can stay true to your original aspirations and strive for even greater heights."
Aoki Tsuki replied, "To comprehend the way of nature, to borrow the power of heaven and earth, and to integrate it into one's own martial will—this is the path I will take next. My sword can become even faster and stronger."
His ultimate goal was to cleave the void with a single slash.
"Hmm, it seems you have a clear vision for your path, that's good." Mifune nodded with satisfaction.
After a brief exchange, the banquet began.
After sitting down next to Tatewaki, Aoki Tsuki took the initiative to say, "Brother Tatewaki, you must keep up the good work and never give up. Next time, no one will be able to compete with you."
There's always a sense of showing off.
Having adjusted his mindset, Tatewaki took a small sip of his wine and replied:
"My purpose in participating in the competition was simply to hone my swordsmanship. Rankings and such are completely unimportant. Afterwards, I will travel to various countries and will not participate in any more competitions."
"Oh, I see. Well, maybe we'll meet again someday, haha..."
The guy with the Tatewaki clearly has his own path to pursue, and it's impossible for him to fool him into joining a terrorist family.
Aoki Tsuki had no choice but to give up.