Chapter 99: The Long-Awaited Duel (Long Chapter)
The air was biting cold, the sunlight blinding. The hem of my charcoal-gray cloth wrap fluttered in the wind. My chest was exposed, revealing lean, well-defined muscles—clothes and shoes I'd scavenged from my previous opponent's body to make moving in battle easier.
I gripped the deep red scabbard tightly in my left hand, while my right rested on the hilt, ready to draw the long blade and cleave through my enemy at a moment's notice.
The fierce wind howled, feeling like a blade scraping against my skin.
The oxygen level here felt at least twice as low as it was back in Chiba; my breathing was becoming a bit shallow and rapid.
I seemed to be at the peak of a high mountain. Two meters behind me was a sheer cliff, the bottom swallowed by a thick shroud of mist. The terrain was triangular and treacherous, the surface pitted with holes from ages of wind and rain erosion. An ordinary person would have struggled just to stand here.
I lowered my center of gravity, scanning the perimeter with the wary, narrowed eyes of a starving wolf.
The near-zero temperature didn't bother my 22-point Constitution; if anything, the chill made my mind sharper.
"Patch, why the change of scenery? Or does this mean Kendo [Master] can finally be trained?"
Previously, the stage was always a bamboo forest with a dilapidated shrine. Now, it was a mountain peak. Before, enemies would ambush me the second I arrived, but I'd been waiting for a full minute now and haven't seen a single soul.
Patch: [Kendo [Master] training has not commenced. Master level for combat skills differs from life skills; it is more comprehensive and rigorous. This session is a 'Master Experience.']
I shifted my gaze downward, feeling the long sword in my hand grow slightly heavier. "Why an 'experience'?"
Patch: [Based on Patch's calculations, Chishima Akishin's Kendo is approaching Master level, but currently lacks the necessary 'qualification.' Therefore, you are permitted a taste of the experience. This is for your protection; if Master-level training were initiated, the subject would be unable to leave Patch's space until the rank is achieved.]
"And what exactly is this 'qualification'?" I asked.
Patch: [...]
The system didn't answer. I stared at that line of dots for a second before looking back at the sword in my hand.
*Tseng!*
I drew the blade halfway. The steel had turned pitch black, the original silver edge now mottled with strange purple flecks. It radiated a mystical, oppressive aura; one look was enough to tell this was leagues above my previous weapon.
And yet, I had the nagging feeling it was the exact same sword as before.
So this is what a Master-level weapon feels like! Even my gear gets a level-up!
"So, where's the enemy?"
My body hovered in that space between relaxed and alert, my eyes never straying from the path ahead.
Patch: [Loading opponent... Loading complete. Your opponent: Sanada Nobushige (Sanada Yukimura).]
In an instant, I felt the presence of another living being on the peak, right in front of me. It's hard to put into words—it was just an instinctual knowing that a dangerous entity had arrived.
My sixth sense was screaming.
My palm tightened around the hilt. As my straw-sandaled feet crunched against the rocky ground, I heard the synchronized sound of footsteps from the front.
An oppressive aura weighed on my heart, sparking a flicker of fear. But more than fear, I felt a surging rush of excitement. My blood began to pump faster.
A real opponent at last!
*Clang!*
I unsheathed the dark purple blade and charged toward the summit, covering the thirty-meter gap in a blur.
*Thump, thump, thump...*
The opponent started running, too. The sun reached its zenith directly above us, blurring my vision for a split second.
Finally, we collided at the highest point of the mountain.
*Clang!*
Three long blades shrieked as they locked together.
I finally got a look at the man. He looked to be in his thirties.
Sanada Yukimura (1567 – June 3, 1615), birth name Sanada Nobushige. Known to the world as the "Last Hero of the Sengoku Period."
His longish hair was tied back, fanning out like a small broom—somewhat like Yasuo's style, but less exaggerated.
He wore the noble samurai garb of the Sengoku era, wielding two *Nodachi* as he held his ground against my long sword.
Sanada Nobushige was a practitioner of *Nito-ryu*—the dual-wielding style.
I'd fought dual-wielding ronin before. They usually fall into two extremes: either they're pathetic, or they're absolute monsters. It's a bizarre, unpredictable style. With two blades, the number of attack patterns multiplies exponentially.
The main reason you don't see it much in normal competitions is that it's incredibly hard to master; usually, by the time someone has the strength to pull it off, they've already mastered a single blade.
Neither of us spoke. The Sanada Nobushige before me was just another puppet created by Patch.
But he was a true warrior, incomparable to those wandering samurai I'd faced before.
I parried with difficulty, shocked to find that my 22-point Strength was actually being overpowered. That was a first.
*Clang!*
Sanada Nobushige suddenly drew his left-hand blade in a lightning-fast thrust. My body signaled a fatal warning. I leaped backward to evade, my sword slashing twice in rapid succession.
*Clang! Clang!*
Two sharp metallic rings echoed as we put some distance between us. I glanced at my wrist; a gash had opened up, blood soaking into my sleeve.
If I hadn't moved just then, he would have cut me down. Even though I'd parried both blades, my wrist was nearly crippled.
My gaze turned colder and calmer than ever before. I might not win this, but... that's exactly what made this battle worth it.
With killing intent overflowing, I took the initiative and swung my blade downward.
*Clang!*
Sanada was forced to use both swords to block. His strength was greater than mine, sure, but not so overwhelming that a single *tachi* could withstand a full-power strike from me.
I lashed out with a kick, and Sanada countered with one of his own. Our shins collided, and we were both pushed back.
*Clang...*
A heartbeat later, we were at it again, blades constantly clashing.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*
The three blades were nothing but a blur of afterimages. Between the sword strikes, we traded a barrage of kicks.
*Shhh~*
Sparks flew as the blades ground against each other. My body was covered in small cuts, my clothes torn to shreds. I couldn't completely keep up with the rhythm of his dual-wielding.
But who cared? My eyes were wide with pure exhilaration. I took a deep breath, let out a guttural roar, and lunged again.
*Clang!*
The massive impact caused a small crack to appear on one of Sanada's blades.
I was throwing everything I had into this.
We locked blades again, a pure contest of strength.
*Thrust.*
My legs suddenly exploded with power. While still locked in a stalemate, I forced a 'Thrust' technique. The consequence was that my legs went numb from the strain, but... it was enough.
*Bang!*
Sanada was shoved back, his two *Nodachi* pressed hard against his chest.
*Shhh~*
I pulled my blade back in a flash.
The sword in Sanada's right hand swung down, severing my left arm at the elbow. In that same heartbeat, my sword lunged toward his chest.
At this range, there was no dodging.
*Puchi!*
The blade sank into flesh, and blood sprayed. I felt a jolt of surprise; the sword had pierced the junction of his collarbone and neck, getting stuck deep in the bone.
Sanada Nobushige actually stood his ground at that final moment.
*Squelch!*
I let go of my sword and stumbled back, clutching my throat with my right hand. In that moment of surprise, his *Nodachi* had opened a jagged red line across my neck.
Blood poured through my fingers and bubbled up in my mouth. I watched as Sanada pulled my sword out of his collarbone and let it thud into the ground. His body swayed, clearly on the verge of death... and then, he gave me a slight, respectful bow.
The corners of my mouth curled up. I tried to speak, but no sound came out. My eyes said it all: *"Just you wait."*
My vision slowly faded to black, the world drifted away, and my body felt weightless. It was the familiar sensation of death. I knew it well.
**The White Space.**
I reappeared in the void, opening my bloodshot eyes and letting out a long, heavy exhale. I reflexively went to touch my neck, but stopped halfway and dropped my hand.
"What a monster... Again!"
In the dimly lit room, I suddenly materialized on my empty bed. I sat up, clicked on the lamp, and scanned the familiar surroundings.
It felt like I'd just come back from a different world—the same feeling I had when I hit Expert rank. I checked my phone; thirty minutes had passed. That was much longer than the usual time spent fighting dozens of ronin.
I'd only fought Sanada ten times. Does quality affect the time dilation?
I didn't have an answer.
Shaking my head, I got up to pour myself a glass of water. I turned off the light and opened the window, letting the night breeze wash over me. Under the moonlight, I stared at the star-studded sky and took small sips of my water.
Back on the bed, I closed my eyes and practiced my breathing. The scenes of the fight with Sanada replayed in my mind. I analyzed them, reflected, corrected my mistakes, and poked holes in my own defense to refine my swordsmanship.
It was a slow, steady process. I did this every time, but today's reflection felt remarkably deep.
Sanada Nobushige was the strongest enemy I had ever encountered in my life, bar none.
Out of ten bouts, he'd slaughtered me three times without a scratch. The other seven times, we'd both gone down together.
If I wanted to move on to the next opponent, I'd have to kill him while taking only light injuries—or none at all.
That wasn't happening anytime soon.
I don't know how much time passed before I finally drifted off to sleep.
Tomorrow was Sunday. Kondo Yuika and the others wouldn't be coming in, so I could finally get some rest. I set a goal: sleep until noon and be a total slob for once.
The next day.
I was still in the middle of a dream when the phone beside my bed started buzzing. I fumbled around blindly to answer it.
"Who is it?"
Kondo Yuika's panicked voice came through the speaker. "Chishima-sensei, did I wake you up? I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"Oh, it's just you, Yuika. It's fine, it's fine. I was just about to get up anyway."
I checked the time: 8:30 AM. I tossed the blanket aside and got out of bed, still in my pajamas. Since I was awake, I might as well stay awake.
"Kondo, what's wrong?"
This was the first time she'd ever initiated a call. Usually, if something was up, Sakurai Kaiko would be the one to tell me. Did something happen?
I kept the phone to my ear as I walked toward the bathroom.
Yuika hesitated, her voice thick with guilt. "Um, Chishima-sensei, I'd like to request a week off. I'm... I'm so incredibly sorry, I won't be able to come to Chishimaya..."
"A week? Kondo, did something happen? Don't worry about the shop, I can handle it..."
I felt a jolt of concern. Knowing Kondo Yuika, she wouldn't ask for a whole week off unless it was something serious.
The line went silent for two seconds. Just as I was about to prompt her again, I heard her voice break. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Chishima-sensei, my family... my family called and said... they said my mother has been hospitalized. I have to go back to see her. I'm so sorry..."
"What are you apologizing for?" I cut her off. "If a family member is in trouble, of course you have to go home. It's fine. What about Kaiko? Is she going with you?"
"Kaiko isn't coming. She's staying to help you, Sensei—"
Before she could finish, someone snatched the phone away. Sakurai Kaiko's voice came blasting through. "Chishima-sensei, Yuika is refusing to let me go with her! Please, talk some sense into her! It's a half-day trip, and we live out in the countryside. There's no way I can just let her go back alone. Sensei, help me out here!"
I heard a scuffle on the other end, followed by the sound of something falling over. Then Yuika was back on the line. "Chishima-sensei, don't listen to her. I'm a high school student; I can handle a trip home by myself..."
"Kondo, Kaiko is right. Let her go with you. I can't let a girl travel that far alone. It's not safe," I said, cutting her off for the second time. "And don't worry about Chishimaya. I was planning on closing the shop for a week anyway... Kondo, don't argue with me. You know I only run this place as a hobby. Closing for a week won't kill me. Now, give the phone to Kaiko. I need a word with her."
"But—"
"No 'buts.' If you still consider me your teacher, then listen to me. Otherwise, just hang up."
Knowing her personality, there was no way she'd hang up on me. I played that card intentionally.
By now, I was in the bathroom, staring at my messy-haired reflection in the mirror.
After a few seconds of silence, Kaiko's voice returned. "Hehe, I knew you wouldn't just sit back, Sensei. Sorry for messing up Chishimaya's business, but Yuika really needs this."
"People are more important than a shop," I said, staring at my reflection. My eyes still held a lingering trace of last night's killing intent. "Kaiko, have you guys asked the school for leave yet?"
"Not yet. I was going to report to you first before asking Tsumugi-sensei. But... it might be a massive pain."
"Is the advisor not going to agree?"
"It's not that, it's just the bureaucracy. A sudden week-long leave requires parental consent. That means the teacher has to talk to the parents. But at Yuika's house, there's only her elderly grandmother and her little brother. And as for me... I don't really want my parents knowing I'm coming home out of the blue."
"Fine. Don't worry about going to school. I'll head over tomorrow and handle the leave request with your advisor personally."
"Really? Thank you so much, Chishima-sensei!" With his backing, getting leave wouldn't be an issue at all.
"One more thing," I said, my expression turning serious.
"Go ahead, Sensei."
"Take it off speakerphone."
"Okay... it's off. Yuika won't hear... Hey! Yuika, stop trying to grab the phone!"
I heard another brief struggle before things quieted down. Kaiko came back on. "Okay, we're good."
I lowered my voice. "Kaiko, if you get home and run into trouble you can't solve, remember to call me. Specifically, if it's about hospital bills and the money isn't enough... call me. Your teacher here isn't exactly hurting for cash. I'm telling you this because Kondo is too proud to ever ask. I have to count on you for this."
"...Sensei, you're actually really soft-hearted, aren't you?"
"Soft-hearted? Not even close. This is just a small favor, and like I said, I have the money. Do we have a deal?"
"You don't even have to ask. Of course. I'm not going to let your kindness go to waste. If things get hairy, I'll definitely call."
"It's a promise?"
"It's a promise."
After hanging up, I stared at my phone and sighed, shaking my head. Sometimes it really feels like the kinder a person is, the more likely they are to get hurt.
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