"What kind of joke is this? Asking me to fight Zoro?" Ian felt deeply dissatisfied. This script wasn't right!
Ian knew that the current Zoro wasn't a true swordsman yet; the battle would be nothing more than a children's scuffle that he could win with a single move. But that wasn't the point! If he defeated Zoro now, how would that spark between Zoro and Kuina ever ignite? Without Kuina, how would Zoro find the drive to grow stronger after the frustration of losing to her? To Zoro, at this age, the difference between losing to a boy and losing to a girl was monumental.
Knowing it wasn't the right time to face him, Ian shook his head and said, "I won't fight him!"
Koshiro looked at Ian with a strange expression, unable to fathom what was crossing his mind, but he said nothing. Given Ian's refusal, he called for Kuina. Always obedient, she stood up and replied, "Yes, Oto-san!"
As soon as Zoro saw Kuina, he grew furious and shouted at Koshiro, "What?! Aren't you going to be my opponent?"
Koshiro laughed. "Kuina is a girl, but she is more powerful than many adults in this dojo!"
Zoro glared at Kuina gloomily for a moment before finally yielding. "Fine, I understand!"
"Then, please step inside," Koshiro concluded, turning to enter the dojo. Zoro and Kuina followed him.
Upon hearing of the challenge, Ian and the other disciples sat cross-legged to watch. Except for Ian, the other children looked at Zoro with a mix of curiosity and indignation. Zoro looked incredibly arrogant, yet for some reason, Master Koshiro had allowed the duel.
In a corner of the dojo stood a barrel filled with bamboo swords. Koshiro pointed toward it. "Choose a weapon. You may use whichever you like!"
"Seriously?" Zoro spat out the leaf from his mouth, walked over, and pulled out a large shinai.
Then, the boy took three swords in his left hand, three in his right, and one more in his mouth. He stood ready, leaving everyone in the dojo wide-eyed with shock. As he bowed before the altar, a sword fell from his mouth; when he bowed to Kuina, another one dropped. Yet, his expression remained dead serious.
"What is he doing? This guy is a fool!" the students whispered. Ian remained silent; the nickname "distracted moss-head" clearly dated back to his childhood...
After the salute, the duel began. Unsurprisingly, Zoro was swiftly defeated. Kuina's first strike forced Zoro to defend with only two swords, and her second sent every single weapon flying from his hands.
"Da... Damn it!" Zoro stared at Kuina's calm face, refusing to accept defeat. He scrambled up, grabbing two swords to face her again.
Koshiro was surprised. He hadn't expected Zoro to be so resilient; given the massive gap in strength, most would have lost their nerve. Kuina was also taken aback to see Zoro adopting a standard Nitoryu (Two-Sword Style) stance.
"Have you studied Nitoryu?" she asked.
"No!" Zoro replied fiercely. "Today is the first time I've ever held a shinai!"
"The first time?" Koshiro repeated with a smile. Ian knew what the master was thinking: someone who could instinctively adopt such a stance without a teacher possessed a talent equal to Kuina's.
Zoro had only one thought: "Damn it, I'm strong and I'll be even stronger in the future! How... how can I lose to a girl here?!" With that thought, he roared and charged at Kuina, only to receive a direct wooden strike to the face.
"Ouch! That looked like it hurt..." the disciples winced. "Why didn't he dodge?"
Zoro fell to the ground, trembling. Ian saw his frustrated face; the poor kid fought like a wild boar, relying solely on brute force without any technique. It was only logical he would lose.
"One point! That's it!" Koshiro declared.
Zoro lay on the floor with a red mark on his face. Kuina pointed her sword at him and said, "You are clearly a beginner, and yet you want to use Nitoryu at only ten years old!"
Zoro slowly came to, and upon hearing her, he gripped Kuina's shinai, still loath to accept defeat. "What's wrong? Do you want to go again?" she frowned. Unexpectedly, Zoro let go of the sword and said, "Damn it, a loss is a loss!"
"Exactly, well said!" Koshiro praised.
"Fine, I'll join you guys! Any objections?" Zoro sat up and crossed his arms, looking at the master.
"None at all!" Koshiro nodded, accepting him as a disciple.
Kuina ignored him and turned to leave, but Zoro shouted after her, "I'll train hard and defeat you! Remember that!" Even as he said it, blood was streaming from the poor kid's nose.
"That day will never come," Kuina replied coldly before walking away.
"Ian, take him and tend to his wounds," Koshiro ordered. Ian nodded and approached Zoro. "Come with me." With his battered nose, Zoro followed meekly. In the back room, Ian cleaned the blood and stuffed cotton into his nostrils.
"Who is that girl?" Zoro asked.
"That's Kuina, the Master's daughter. My sister, and your future 'big sister'."
"Ha! I won't call her sister!" Zoro grunted. "Sooner or later, I'll beat her!" With the cotton in his nose, he looked almost cute. Ian smiled and continued preparing the medicine in silence. Suddenly, Zoro asked, "Hey, you... why didn't you want to fight me earlier?"
Ian thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Because I don't fight idiots!"
"What did you say?! Who are you calling an idiot?"
"You," Ian said. "If I'm not mistaken, you got lost getting here, didn't you?"
Zoro was stunned. "How... how do you know that?"
Ian sighed. How do I know? Because your lack of a sense of direction is more famous than your swordsmanship. He was certain Zoro had stumbled upon the dojo purely by accident after getting lost. Finishing the treatment, Ian patted his head. "Get some rest."
"Damn it! You're not much older than me, why are you treating me like a kid?" Zoro protested.
To me, you are a kid, Ian thought as he left the room.
The next day, Ian woke up before dawn to train alone. Seeing the determination in Zoro and Kuina had moved him. He realized that even with the System, without faith and perseverance, he would never be truly strong. Zoro's appearance had awakened his desire to win; he couldn't let a kid who had just touched a sword for the first time surpass him.
And so, Ian's first morning exercise began! His goal: one thousand swings! Ian gripped the wooden sword and began moving rhythmically. He did it slowly, concentrating on every motion, just as Koshiro taught: true swordsmanship isn't just about appearance; it's about focusing the spirit into every strike until it becomes muscle memory and instinct.
After an hour, he hadn't even reached five hundred. He was drenched in sweat, his muscles were trembling, and his arms felt heavy as lead. A voice in his mind pleaded with him to stop, but remembering Zoro's face, he caught his breath and pushed on.
"Endure! You can do this!"
In that moment, Ian was so focused that he didn't notice the system notifications echoing in his mind:
You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +5!You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +5!You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +5!