Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Qingxin, having parked the car, kicked open the half-closed iron gate in front of the approaching guards. The guards instinctively gripped their iron bars, but before they could act, the sound of a sword being drawn stopped them in their tracks.

Harunobu swaggered ahead with his disciples toward the dojo directly in front of him. His undisguised behavior naturally alerted the people in the Kujo Dojo. Before he even got close, the Kujo Dojo disciples inside the dojo had already rushed out.

"Who dares to cause trouble here—"

The disciples of the Nine Dojo shouted loudly, raised their wooden swords, and then, looking at the dozens of gleaming real swords in front of them, froze awkwardly in place.

Harunobu had no interest in wasting time talking to these small fry, because Kujo Hideki was definitely very strong. He didn't expect to be able to rely on Hirako to take them down alone, so there was no need to waste time.

"Go and summon Kujo Hidekichi, or do you want to try my sword?"

Considering that Kujo Hidekichi was a Hatamoto samurai, he certainly wouldn't use an ordinary weapon; it would have to be at least a cursed sword. Harunobu has already switched to Hirayukiko's Haruyukimaru.

Therefore, when the demon sword, shimmering with four-colored light, was drawn, the disciples of the Kujo Dojo naturally made the choice they truly believed in. After all, based on the rumors of the past three days, they were quite certain that Taira no Shin was not joking, but would really kill someone.

What a madman! He has no sense of Bushido whatsoever, and no sense of honor whatsoever!

The indignant disciples of the Kujo Dojo quickly ran to report the news, while the remaining nearly one hundred people, led by a few who were probably samurai from other families and could wield real swords, confronted the disciples of the Aozora Dojo.

Although the Aozora Dojo disciples were completely indifferent to these dojo swordsmen who had barely even fought any real people, let alone dealt with monsters, they were mostly admiring the excellent interior design of the Kujo Dojo, discussing where they could be replicated and whether it would be "usable." A few were indeed sizing up those people, but their impatient and arrogant gazes sent chills down the spines of the Kujo Dojo disciples.

What's wrong with these women? Have they gone mad?

It just goes to show that innate battle mania knows no gender. Harunobu also had a headache dealing with his wives who were always thinking about fighting! The main problem was that they sometimes went too far. They were fine against monsters or Yakuza, but not against petty thieves—it was unnecessary.

Qingxin's thoughts suddenly stopped racing, and he looked up into the distance.

Amidst the carved beams and painted rafters, he saw a patch of moonlight spreading toward him, pure as silver and as cold as the night.

—Radiant as a mirror!

Without needing to say more, when Kujo Hideki appeared, Harunobu had already suppressed his faint smile and gripped his sword hilt warily.

The disciples of the Kujo Dojo excitedly tried to approach Kujo Hideyoshi to complain, but Kujo Hideyoshi was also looking serious and didn't bother to talk to the disciples. He simply waved them away.

Compared to the disciples of the Kujo Dojo, the disciples of the Aozora Dojo had already retreated behind Harunobu, giving him enough room to maneuver.

Comparing the two, Kujo Hidekichi suddenly felt somewhat frustrated.

He decided to vent his frustration on Taira no Harunobu.

“Your courage is commendable, but courage cannot bridge the gap in our strength.” Kujo Hidekiri slowly drew his sword from his waist. It was a very peculiar katana, its blade as blue as the sky, while its hilt was as black as ink.

Kujo Hidekiri held his sky-blue sword upright before him, a smug smile spreading across his square face: "Let me show you what the 'Full Moon of the World,' the Dragon Slayer Swordsman, truly is—"

So much nonsense!

Harunobu drew his sword and, amidst the thunderous roar, arrived before Kujo Hideki.

Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Fire Thunder God!

The deafening roar of thunder swallowed Kujo Hideki's nonsense, and the sharp and unstoppable Haruyuki sliced ​​open Kujo Hideki's neck! The enormous head flew into the air, and foul-smelling, sticky blood gushed out like a fountain, soaking Harunobu's hair and upper body.

Everything felt so real. Harunobu could even hear the disciples of the Kujo Dojo screaming, and when he looked over, he could see the genuine panic on their faces.

But this must be a hallucination.

Kujo Hideyoshi is an enemy that even Shiranui Ai doubts he can defeat. He has used the Fire and Thunder God Harunobu countless times. If Kujo Hideyoshi can be instantly killed, then why would Shiranui Ai be so wary of a king-level monster?

Vortigern wouldn't be considered an elite either.

Convinced of this, Harunobu suddenly swung his sword to the right. Harunobu, who should have been slashing at thin air, suddenly bumped into something hard halfway through his swing, and felt a tremendous force pass through him.

really.

Harunobu lifted his foot and stepped forward, simultaneously pushing Haruyukimaru along the still invisible blade of the katana, slashing all the way.

Kujo Hideyoshi, his sneak attack failing, raised an eyebrow and decisively took a step back. At the same time, he exerted force with his wrist, flicking the demon sword, Mirror Heart, upwards to deflect Haruyukimaru, which was about to slice his finger.

"As expected of a dragon-slaying swordsman, he is indeed no ordinary person."

Kujo Hidekiri wholeheartedly agreed, then picked up his sword and walked leisurely behind Harunobu.

However, in Harunobu's view, accompanied by voices that seemed to come from nowhere, more than a dozen Kujo Hidekis suddenly jumped out from all directions and launched an attack on him. Moreover, each of them had an incredibly realistic aura and appearance, making it impossible for him to distinguish them, so he could only treat them all as the real deal.

So he took a deep breath, gripped Harukaru tightly in his hand, and stomped on the floor, shattering it.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the god of fire was enraged!

Countless streaks of dazzling silver-white lightning danced wildly amidst countless deafening roars, instantly engulfing the nine heroes who attacked from all directions—in a mere instant.

Enhanced version of Wind-Riding Sword Technique: Thunder Breathing, Sixth Form: Lightning Boom!

Kujo Hide

Chapter 314

Jie's leisurely steps came to a halt. With a solemn expression, he raised the demon sword, Mirror Heart, and softly chanted, "This world is my world, as full as the moon in a mirror—"

Having just swiftly annihilated the civilian version of Kujo Hideyoshi, Harunobu hadn't even had time to stop when a bright, moon-like mirror appeared before him, clearly reflecting his current appearance, including the exact same look of surprise and wariness on his face.

What kind of trick is this...?

Harunobu stared at the full-length mirror in front of him, puzzled. The next moment, Harunobu in the mirror suddenly revealed a hearty smile.

The author says:

Author's Note: I worked overtime today, and I didn't expect the number of favorites to surpass 3000, so I have to update extra. Including today's extra chapter and the one for reaching 3000 favorites, I'll try my best to make up for it with 10,000 words tomorrow. Please vote in advance! It's almost the end of the month, so please don't save your votes!

Chapter 291: I Hit Myself

Kujo Hidetsugu stood to Harunobu's side and slightly behind, watching him silently. Although he could easily claim victory by delivering the final blow, he didn't intend to. It wasn't because he was kind-hearted or because he and Harunobu had become friends after their fight; he was simply impressed by the swordsmanship Harunobu had just displayed.

His Mind Mirror of Full Moon could create incredibly realistic illusions, but that was just the simplest application. After all, everyone can use their mind, so they would know that these strange phenomena were fake. His real trump card was the "Mirror" technique he had just used on Qingxin.

Those who fall victim to this tactic will become trapped in a cycle of internal mental exhaustion, facing enemies and predicaments they have imagined, fighting until they are mentally and physically exhausted.

Although even Kujo Hidekichi himself couldn't see exactly what was going through the minds of those affected, through some simple experiments, he knew that everyone would initially experience the hallucination of "seeing another version of themselves." After that, it depended on the affected person's attitude towards this suddenly appearing other self; there were even some strange individuals who became sworn brothers with their alternate selves.

However, usually, when faced with an enemy who has already demonstrated the ability to create incredibly realistic illusions, they will choose to attack another version of themselves. In this process, Kujo Hidekichi can happily observe their swordsmanship and, through his third mental ability "Mitsusei," steal the secrets of their swordsmanship.

The world is my world, and your swordsmanship is my swordsmanship!

Therefore, Kujo Hidekichi was not in a hurry to finish off Taira no Harunobu. Given the strength of Taira no Harunobu's willpower, it was impossible for him to break free from the illusion of the Full Moon Mirror! No matter how much he struggled, in the end, he would only be able to see through all of Taira no Harunobu's sword techniques, and then exhaust his physical and mental strength, leading to his direct defeat.

Kujo Hidekiri revealed a confident smile, quietly waiting for Taira no Harunobu to begin his performance.

As for Harunobu, upon seeing his reflection in the mirror, he immediately reached for the magatama in his robes. It was a magical artifact he had specially purchased from a shrine maiden to counter illusions. Ever since he had been tricked by that strange roast chicken shrine maiden with illusion magic, he had become very careful about this kind of defense.

According to the priestess, unless it is an illusion created by a spellcaster stronger than herself, crushing this magatama can definitely dispel it, and the effect will last for at least ten minutes.

Well, to break the shrine maiden's illusion, the magical artifact, which was supposed to be permanently rechargeable, has become a disposable item.

However, after holding the magatama, Harunobu hesitated for a moment and then let go. He couldn't rely on magical artifacts to deal with illusions forever. Putting aside the huge cost, he couldn't expect to never encounter a spellcaster stronger than a priestess, could he?

It's better to take advantage of the current relatively safe situation and try to train your ability to combat hallucinations. Ultimately, these hallucinations are simply the effect of thoughts, and since they are thoughts, they can be countered by thoughts!

Harunobu tried to mobilize his own thoughts, and a cool sensation gradually spread throughout his body as his consciousness drove it. But before him remained the endless moonlight, the bright moon, and himself laughing heartily within it.

"Hey, if you can't even solve this, are you really me?" Ping Qingxin in the mirror sneered. "Those memories of yours are such a waste. How about I come out instead?"

Qingxin ignored him and continued to focus her thoughts on herself.

However, the next second, a familiar sound of shattering glass rang out, followed by a burst of maniacal laughter: "Hahahaha—if you don't deny it, I'll take that as a yes!"

clang!

Harunobu raised his hand to block the oncoming reflection of Harunobu in the mirror. Harunobu and Asada were pressed tightly together, sparks flying as they rubbed against each other with their combined force.

"Ha, not too slow-witted after all—"

In the mirror, Harunobu wore an arrogant smile. Suddenly, he kicked off with both legs and jumped up. He put all his strength on Asauchi, causing Haruyuki to sink down; at the same time, his upper body leaned forward, and his hard forehead slammed directly into Harunobu's face.

Harunobu, having taken the full force of the blow, threw his head back, losing his balance. Meanwhile, the Harunobu in the mirror, still airborne, suddenly adjusted his stance mid-air, laughing loudly, and slashed down with his sword.

"Wind-Riding Sword Technique, kid!"

The blade fell rapidly, and Harunobu, unable to dodge in time, simply lay down on the ground and rolled over, thus avoiding Harunobu's Water Breathing: Eighth Form: Takitsubo in the mirror.

What kind of wind-riding sword technique is that? Even your dad can't tell the difference, you idiot!

Harunobu quickly stood up and assumed a mid-level stance, carefully observing the Harunobu reflected in the mirror as he landed. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't see anything wrong with the Harunobu in the mirror. Even the arrogant and domineering smile on his face was indeed "the way Harunobu should smile."

After all, everything that's happening now is just Harunobu's imagination. In essence, it's not about defeating another version of himself, but rather about him fighting himself.

Of course, it is impossible to find any flaws or oversights in this, and it is even more difficult to detect than in a dream, because this is a conscious act, driven by self-will, imagining the situation of "what if another version of myself appeared".

—Unless it is the thought that has the effect.

So what about our thoughts? Let our thoughts save us!

Qingxin muttered anxiously, but the thoughts filling his entire body only emitted a faint coolness, and the scenery before him remained unchanged. This really annoyed Qingxin, since other people's thoughts were like lightning and moonlight, but his were like air conditioning.

Does a numerically-driven system not deserve any mechanics?

At this moment, Qingxin in the mirror suddenly spoke: "Don't waste your time, just hand over your body obediently, you fool. Someone like you who restrains your mind and pretends to be a good child all day long can never fully unleash your true power. In fact, if it weren't for this knife, you wouldn't even have this level of power now."

Harunobu looked at the Asauchi in his hand in the mirror, his eyes flickering. He didn't know that this was actually himself talking to himself; he only felt that the other self opposite him had hit a nerve.

Could it be some dark side of his? Or is there a Zangetsu Uncle hidden within his asakusa? It can't be that, can it?

"Ignore me? You really like running away." Mirror Harunobu chuckled, hoisting Asauchi onto his shoulder and shaking his head. "You know perfectly well, and I've already told you, the reason your willpower is so weak is because you haven't faced your own heart at all! What you want isn't to protect yourself, but rather—"

"Shut up!"

Harunobu roared and charged directly at the Harunobu in the mirror before him. The Harunobu in the mirror indeed shut his mouth and began to meet the attack, but still looked at Harunobu with a mocking expression.

Breathing of Thunder, Breathing of Water, Flying Heaven Sword Style, Shigure Soen Style, Mugai-ryu… The two Harunobu continuously cycled and alternated their sword techniques, attacking each other. Although this was essentially imagining themselves fighting with both hands simultaneously, to outsiders it appeared as if Taira no Harunobu had suddenly gone mad.

Chapter 315

He started hacking at the air.

Needless to say, Kujo Hidekichi and his disciples were overjoyed. The disciples of Aozorakan were already itching to help, but as Hirako's gaze swept over them, their restlessness subsided.

“Trust Shi Fan, he won’t lose,” Hirako said calmly. “It’s just an illusion created by his mind, don’t worry.”

"Yes, teacher's college representative."

Amidst the disciples' unanimous agreement, Hirayukiko and Hosho Amu turned their gazes to Kujo Hideki, who had been engrossed in Harunobu's swordsmanship when he suddenly shivered.

what's the situation?

No, forget it.

He looked again at the swordsmanship that Harunobu had displayed, and the more he looked, the more confused he became.

No, is this really the Natural Harushin-ryu style? I'm well-read, don't try to fool me! What swordsmanship can switch between seven or eight different styles so seamlessly?! And the number of sword moves is almost a hundred! Even the Katori Shinto style isn't this flashy!

The most crucial thing is, even though I'm focused on helping, I still can't understand your swordsmanship! I can't learn it!

Mindset: Full Moon Mirror increases swordsmanship learning efficiency by 10%.

In Harunobu's mind, the two people who were exchanging blows had already switched to their strongest Wind Control Sword Technique + Thunder Breathing.

The author says:

Author's Note: Setting Analysis: Mental energy is essentially like the spiritual pressure of a Shinigami (death god). The strength of mental energy determines the effectiveness of mental abilities, as well as the ability to overcome and defend against other mental energy. No matter how flashy the mental ability's effect may seem, it will be directly negated if the strength is insufficient. (Therefore, Amu is actually a mental energy killer, Desu).

The strength of one's mental power is determined by the mental strength and confidence of the person wielding it; in simpler terms, it's about the degree of madness—the more mad, the stronger! However, different schools of thought have slight differences. For example, the Shinto school ideally requires "followers" to be mad along with them, while the Mind-Flow school demands that the madness be reasonable and natural, resulting in a seemingly normal kind of madness. As for the Nen-Flow school, it's the most mad, emphasizing the idea that "I think this move is invincible." Therefore, Harunobu's mental power is insufficient because he's not mad enough yet!

Chapter 292: The Feeling of Flying

Since it was essentially a battle against himself, Harunobu couldn't defeat his mirror image no matter how he attacked, because he felt that his other self wouldn't be so easily defeated. It was like playing cards as two people, with the same deck and the same gameplay.

Who wins and who loses depends entirely on one's own mindset and which side one is inclined to let win. The brilliance of Kujo Hidekichi's tactic lies in making people believe that the other self is actually a hallucination, so they instinctively overestimate the enemy, and then, due to the stalemate, they constantly increase their vigilance, ultimately trapping themselves completely.

Purely relying on self-imposed limitations won't break through your defenses.

Harunobu also failed to break through this simple yet troublesome barrier of knowledge, only marveling in his heart that Kujo Hideki was indeed a samurai worthy of becoming a hatamoto—and then fully unleashed the effects of the Wind-Riding Sword Technique.

He had never forgotten Kujo Hideyoshi's existence and had always remained vigilant towards him. Although he didn't know why Kujo Hideyoshi hadn't made a move even after so much time had passed.

But it doesn’t matter.

If I can't dispel your illusions, can't I at least dispel your illusions?

As Harunobu unleashed his Wind-Controlling Sword Technique, the Harunobu in the mirror also activated his own Wind-Controlling Sword Technique and began attacking him. The two stirred up the air currents, which, if it were real, should have created chaos and affected their Wind-Controlling abilities. But in reality, it was only Harunobu using his technique, so he easily detected Kujo Hidekiri, who was watching the scene with rapt attention to his side and behind him, by observing the movement of the air currents.

I can't learn it, I absolutely can't learn it! Damn it! What kind of new sword technique is this?!

Kujo Hidekiri frowned, completely unable to understand Taira no Harunobu's fighting style and how it kept changing. Therefore, he was completely unaware that several gentle breezes had blown past him.

It's normal for it to be a bit windy in spring, it's not like it's a strong wind.