The all-powerful middle schooler

"But later I realized that a sword is a weapon, not something used for kendo competitions, but a deadly weapon with ominous uses. The more powerful the swordsman is, the more obsessed he becomes."

Was it the murder weapon?

Saeko Busujima quietly clenched her hands.

Having committed atrocities herself, she understands this all too well: when you have a weapon that can easily harm your opponent, the desire to destroy becomes harder to suppress.

"This is indeed the essence of the sword."

Hasegawa Izumi picked up her teacup and took a sip of hot tea.

The tea was mellow and fragrant, with a lingering aftertaste, clearly a higher grade than the tea he had drunk in the club.

Seeing the carefree and relaxed demeanor of the young man before him, Masao Busujima inwardly admired him.

At least at that age, he was far from having reached that state of mind.

Cultivating swordsmanship is also cultivating the mind, a truth he only understood later.

Unfortunately, he realized this a little too late.

There was a shadow in his eyes.

"So, Hasegawa-kun, what do you think a sword is?"

Masao Busujima peered through the steam rising from the water, looking straight ahead.

"What is a sword? In my eyes, everything in heaven and earth can be a sword..."

He sat amidst the hazy smoke, creating an air of mystery, like a sage preaching and imparting knowledge.

However, this was not enough to convince the father and daughter of Busujima, since what he said was still too incredible for those who had not yet entered the Dao.

"Hasegawa-kun, your swordsmanship is indeed broad, but isn't it somewhat unrealistic?"

What Masao Busujima wanted to express was very simple: such words were too vague and needed to be more realistic.

Even Saeko Busujima, who was awestruck by Hasegawa, found such words utterly absurd.

However, when she thought about how the other person behaved at school, she could understand and wouldn't dwell on it.

"Senior Busujima, why aren't you too fixated on the form the sword takes?"

Hasegawa Izumi retorted dismissively.

"A sword is a sword that you can hold in your hand; it has no other form."

Masao Busujima shook his head.

His limited knowledge is to be expected.

After all, according to Izumi Hasegawa's estimation, the so-called Sword Saint should still be at the level of 'the state of no mind', only more advanced than other grandmasters.

However, it's quite remarkable that they've achieved this level of accomplishment in a world without magic.

I believe that after the change in the climate, their accumulated experience should be able to improve significantly.

“Senior Busujima, you are wrong. The essence of an object is never in the form it presents. After all, its manifestation can be diverse. When you comprehend the way of the sword, you will naturally be able to use all things in the world as swords. This is called… the realm of sword heart.”

The boy's expression remained unchanged.

"I've never heard of it... Never mind."

Masao Busujima seemed to understand something, and his expression changed slightly.

He had also heard the saying that there is often only a fine line between genius and madness, and this was certainly true for this young man.

Only by being so obsessed with oneself that one has unwavering faith in oneself can one reach a level that ordinary people cannot.

Next, the two talked about swords.

However, the other party's answers were always so far-fetched and fantastical, making it seem as if they were living in a novel rather than in reality.

Masao Busujima gradually got used to this kind of conversation. Although he thought that what the other party was saying was all nonsense, some of the theories had some reference value. Moreover, it was originally his initiative to invite the conversation, so he did not interrupt it.

Before we knew it, two hours had passed.

Let's leave it at that.

After taking a sip of tea and putting down the teacup, Hasegawa Izumi suddenly spoke.

Just as he was about to leave, Masao Busujima, who was sitting opposite him, continued, "Hasegawa-kun, I'm still a little unwilling to let you leave like this."

"Oh?"

He stopped and looked back.

Their eyes met, their sharp edges gleaming, as if sparks were flying in the air.

"Hasegawa-kun, let me see your swordsmanship, the swordsmanship that defeated my daughter and made her praise it highly."

Masao Busujima stood up, his eyes filled with ambition for the sword.

"it is good."

He simply replied with a single word.

This also allows for more accurate observations through combat.

Moreover, he has never been afraid of challenges.

"Hasegawa-kun, we don't have any kendo uniforms here, so how about we follow the rules you used when you challenged me: the first one to fall is the loser?"

"I have no objection."

A few minutes later, the two stood facing each other in the empty courtyard, about ten meters apart.

Masao Busujima held the wooden sword with both hands, slightly lowered his body, and maintained a ready posture to act at any moment.

Although he was already a grandmaster and a renowned figure in swordsmanship, his opponent was just a high school student still in school. This serious demeanor seemed rather comical.

However, after learning about his daughter's fight with the other party, he felt that he still had to take it seriously and not make a mistake due to carelessness.

"Hasegawa-kun, a genius is still just a genius; he lacks the maturity of time. Let me tell you that."

He remained confident, he thought to himself.

the other side.

Hasegawa Izumi held a wooden sword in one hand, pointing it diagonally at the ground, with a scabbard tied to her left waist.

This was his special request, because it was related to the swordsmanship he was about to use.

Using a knife to perform swordsmanship may seem strange, but in Japan, the distinction between knives and swords is blurred. A knife is a type of sword, and the way of the sword also includes methods of using a knife.

"Who will win? Father, or Hasegawa-kun?"

Saeko Busujima, who was watching the game, looked hesitant and undecided.

Although she didn't have a good relationship with her father, in fact, her father was one of the top sword masters in Japan, and a genius who was hard to beat from a young age.

Even someone like Hasegawa would find it difficult to overcome the advantages that come with age, right?

That's the most reasonable way to think about it, but she just happens to have higher expectations for Hasegawa-kun.

Perhaps the other party can create a miracle, just like before.

"Hasegawa-kun, watch out!"

"bring it on."

As a gust of wind blew by, the two moved almost simultaneously.

As the distance closed to a certain point, Masao Busujima suddenly vanished, his figure flickering and disappearing. Then, in the next instant, his two-handed sword grip changed to a single-handed drawing motion, and he swung his sword forward with a sudden sweep.

"boom!"

However, it struck the cross-section of another wooden knife.

Her movements, which were unfathomable to others, did not escape the notice of Izumi Hasegawa, who precisely positioned her blade in the path of the opponent's strike.

Such a fast reaction!

Masao Busujima felt a chill run down his spine.

but!

In the next instant, he twisted his feet and spun lightly, seemingly retreating after a brief contact, but quickly regained his composure and unleashed his next move.

"Demon Sword Technique: Sword Thrust!"

He used his breathing technique, and a tearing sound came from his mouth. His speed suddenly exploded, and his clasped hands were thrust forward like an arrow.

Just as the sword was about to strike, Hasegawa Izumi reacted with lightning speed, executing a perfectly timed upward slash with irresistible force, lifting the opponent's wooden sword and easily deflecting the attack once again.

"What!?"

Two consecutive failures dealt a blow to Masao Busujima's confidence.

As if possessing the ability to foresee the future, the opponent knew the flaws in his sword style and repeatedly interrupted his attack at just the right moment.

This is probably the only time he's ever felt this way when his instructor first started learning swordsmanship.

But, how is this possible?

Now that he is a master swordsman of the Poison Island School, he has never felt such a profound sense of awe, not even when he sparred with the Sword Saint!

"Could it be the 'Nine Swords of Dugu'?"

Saeko Busujima's eyes gleamed with a strange light.

She experienced the same situation when she fought against Hasegawa; no matter what sword techniques she used, her opponent could see through them, and she was unable to use them despite her strength.

It seems that even his father's ability to integrate the family's breathing techniques and create a sword style that suits him is now impossible.

"Young man, your reaction time is unbelievably fast. That must be the secret to your strength."

Masao Busujima jumped back to a safe distance, then looked at him with a knowing look in his eyes, as if he had discovered some secret.

In this world, there are always some geniuses who possess talents that are on a completely different level from ordinary people, such as physical talents like reaction speed, hearing, intelligence, and strength. He had seen them before, and they were even much stronger than any Guinness World Record.

But this was the first time he had ever seen someone with such a strong reaction time.

"Just say so."

Hasegawa Izumi neither confirmed nor denied it.

Through the previous conversation, he understood that what he said would definitely be taken as nonsense by the other party, so he decided to use facts to prove himself.

"Young man, you are stronger than I imagined. Then I will give it my all!"

Masao Busujima composed himself, lowered his body, and began to breathe rapidly. His blood was filled with oxygen, and the veins on his hands bulged, causing his physical abilities to increase dramatically.

After the earlier probing, he realized that he had no room for holding back if he wanted to win, so he went all out.

"Since you're taking this so seriously, it would be extremely impolite of me not to respond with swordsmanship."

Seeing the opponent's momentum suddenly rise, Hasegawa Izumi's expression during the battle also showed a serious attitude for the first time.

As a grandmaster, his physical condition at this moment should be close to the limits of human potential.

This should allow him to truly enjoy himself.

"Demon Sword Technique: Yin Slash!"

As he charged forward, Masao Busujima made a sideways movement, a position that conveniently blocked the view of the sword's path, making his strikes more unpredictable.

This was a test of his opponent's incredible reaction ability.

call! !

However, Izumi Hasegawa dodged the sword strike by tilting her head back.

"It's not over yet! Ghost Sword Technique: Lunar Eclipse!"

He smoothly raised his sword and slashed down, the faint sound of it cutting through the air demonstrating its speed; the wooden blade that fell was like a sharp crescent moon slicing through the air.

"not bad."

Hasegawa Izumi commented, twisted his body to avoid the attack again, and used the centrifugal force to spin around before unleashing a slash.

This is the Flying Sword Style—

Tornado Flash!

The blade came with a whistling sound.

"boom!"