I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At this point, Prajna suddenly raised her voice, her tone becoming exceptionally excited.

"Master! Why don't you understand?"

"This is your fault! You failed to properly assess my strength!"

"That knife... Vairocana rightfully belongs to me!"

"I am the true master of Vairocana!"

"Why do you refuse to acknowledge my strength?!"

"Why won't you let me inherit your mantle?!"

"Why was Vairocana passed on to that Juqingdeng?!"

"Could it be because that Tachibana Aoto is stronger than me?!"

Prajna became more and more agitated as she spoke, her eyes wide with fury as she glared fiercely at Qingdeng.

Kiryu, without fear, raised his gaze and met Hannya's eyes openly and honestly.

Yes, you're right.

"It is precisely because Tachibana-kun is stronger than you that I passed on Vairocana to him and regard him as my rightful successor."

Upon hearing this, Prajna immediately burst into laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Before the Kiryu boss finished speaking:

"Furthermore, when I said you went astray, it wasn't because you disagreed with my assessment of your abilities, nor was it because you tried to forcibly seize Vairocana."

“I can understand and forgive all of your actions.”

"What I cannot tolerate is... that you actually joined the Law Extermination Party! And that you are working for the Law Extermination Party!"

The Kiryu boss lowered his eyelids, his facial lines suddenly tightened, and his cheeks were filled with a cold and stern expression.

"To be honest, after learning that you have become a member of the Faju Party, I understand how parents feel when they find out that their children have become Yakuza."

"Compared to the persecution of the party, I'd rather you become a Yakuza!"

"Even without my explanation, you should know what kind of organization the Law Suppression Party is, one that disregards human life, right?"

Upon hearing this, Prajna raised an eyebrow in surprise, then laughed heartily.

"What? Master, so it turns out you're angry about this?"

"That's right, I did join the Party that punishes the law."

"But so what?"

Whether the "law-punishing party" is a friendly association that helps those in distress or a den of evil that commits all kinds of crimes, I don't care!

“I admit that my attempt to forcibly seize Vairocana and leave my sect was indeed impulsive and driven by passion.”

"However, looking back now, I am incredibly grateful for the decision I made back then!"

"It was only after leaving your side that I discovered how vast the world is!"

"To my shame, I was indeed too arrogant at the time, and I mistakenly thought that I was one of the strongest swordsmen in the world."

"It wasn't until later, by chance, that I met Shuten-dōji and realized how insignificant I was!"

"As for the Ōtakemaru I met later, he really opened my eyes!"

"Despite having physical defects, he possesses such terrifying, almost godlike power!"

"These two are monsters among monsters! They are the true chosen ones!"

"Their strength deeply moved me!"

"Compared to them, I'm still far behind! I can become even stronger!"

"I joined the Fōshū-dōji so that I could spar with Ōtakemaru and Shuten-dōji at any time!"

"As long as I can become stronger, as long as I can become the strongest swordsman in a thousand years, I'm willing to do anything, let alone risk my life for the cause of punishing the wicked!"

Mr. Kiryu listened quietly without making any response.

After Prajna finished speaking, he slowly said:

"...That's it."

Prajna frowned:

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Prajna, this is what disappoints me the most."

The Kiryu boss cast a sharp, piercing gaze at Hannya, his eyes gleaming.

"Your eyes can only see yourself, and you are obsessed with power."

"I was convinced that I could become stronger by improving my strength and agility and continuously refining my swordsmanship."

But is that really the case?

"After all these years, you're still stuck in the same place."

"Self-discipline...no, Prajna! I can say with certainty—you haven't become stronger!"

"You are no different now than you were back then! Still just as weak!"

The resounding and forceful tone of his words momentarily stunned the atmosphere.

Hannya stared blankly at Kiryu, his expression dominated by intense bewilderment.

Then, he chuckled "Ha!" and then burst into loud, angry laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Am I standing still?

"I haven't gotten stronger?"

Am I still so weak?

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The woods were filled with Prajna's laughter, which stirred the wind.

After a while, Prajna gradually stopped laughing—at the same time, the confusion on his face gradually turned into resentment.

"Master, you really dare to say that."

"Over the past few years, I have devoted myself to cultivation, and it has been a long and difficult journey to reach my current level."

"So, in your words, I'm the one who's stuck in the same place?"

"In that case... Master, why don't you use your own body to feel whether my strength has actually increased!"

Having said that, he raised his left hand and pressed it against the scabbard of his sword at his left waist, then reached for the hilt.

"Master, you've come at the perfect time."

"I just happened to bring my beloved knife with me this time!"

As he spoke, he raised his left thumb, pressed it against the hilt of the sword, and with a clang, the sword was drawn from its sheath, revealing a copper retaining clip.

Then, with a crisp clanging sound, Prajna slowly pulled the knife out inch by inch.

The blade reflected a chilling light, its eerie gleam traversing the air before piercing Kiryu's eyes.

Kiryu, the owner of the Yamada Asaemon family and a connoisseur of countless swords, immediately recognized the sword.

"Kochikame?"

Prajna grinned:

“That’s right! It’s Nagasone Kotetsu! A genuine product forged by Nagasone Okisato himself!”

Nagasone Kosato – the legendary swordsmith who made "Kotetsu" famous.

The "Nagasone Kotetsu" that Kondo Isami possessed was merely a counterfeit Kotetsu—though a counterfeit, it still possessed extremely sharp lethality!

It's easy to imagine how terrifying a genuine Kotetsu would be.

"This precious sword was a gift from Orochi after I agreed to join the Fazhu Party."

"Master, you must be careful."

"The sword in my hand is a top-grade Kotetsu sword; it wouldn't be at a disadvantage even against Vairocana!"

"Now that you have given away Vairocana, with that inferior knife at your waist, you might end up with your knife destroyed and yourself killed if you're not careful."

The Kiryu boss responded calmly:

"You don't need to worry about that."

The moment after he finished speaking, he also used his left hand to hold the scabbard of the sword at his waist and reached out with his right hand to draw the sword.

At the same time, his aura rose higher and higher as the sword was gradually drawn from its sheath.

While sensing the imposing aura emanating from Kiryu, Hannya excitedly shouted:

"Master, although you look much older, your strength is still formidable!"

"Ha, ha ha ha! I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

"Ever since I left my sect, I've been thinking about fighting you again every single moment!"

"Let me make this clear from the start: I won't go easy on you just because you're old or because of past relationships!"

Kiryu's boss held his head high and chest out:

"Don't worry, just use whatever tricks you have up your sleeve!"

"Today, let us, master and disciple, settle our score!"

After shouting, he lowered his waist, gripped the knife with both hands, and struck a unique pose with blue eyes.

"The Swallow's Lingering Heart"

"Yamada Asemon Yoshitsune!"

Seeing this, Hannya sneered and stretched the muscles in his shoulders and neck. Then, just like Kiryu, he lowered his waist, gripped the sword with both hands, and assumed the unique Blue-Eyes stance—the two of them held their swords in exactly the same way.

"The Swallow's Lingering Heart"