Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Qingxin pinched the two unlucky little faces: "Alright, it's time to go."

The main competition of the Tianlan Trial starts at 9:00 AM and continues until all participants have determined their winners. That means today is the round of 300 to 150. Tomorrow is the round of 150 to 75, where some participants receive byes and others participate in a revival round. The losers can play another round, and the final winner challenges one of the byes; the winner then advances to the next round.

The group from Aozorakan arrived at Ueno Park without incident. The park, which had been a scene of devastation from the bombing, had been almost completely restored after a day and a night. Apart from the wreckage of the airship that had not yet been removed, it didn't look like a murder weapon when compared to its harmonious surroundings; it looked more like some kind of avant-garde art exhibition.

Well, if we disregard the fact that it and its owners caused 135 deaths and over 400 injuries, then it is indeed quite artistic.

The bell announcing the start of the match interrupted Harunobu's gaze at the wreckage. He returned to the familiar VIP box, which remained exactly as he had left it yesterday, including the water stains.

The smell has mostly dissipated.

Harunobu pointed at Kinoshita Ren and Chiba Hiromu, who stuck out their tongues and began cleaning up the mess. Nobody was helping them; it was so frustrating.

The seemingly invisible Haru Tsuchimikado and Kaguya Fujiwara skillfully found their designated spots and dejectedly picked up their teacups. To be honest, they were practically wishing someone would come to their house to cause trouble, just so they could make their appearance. Unfortunately, for some reason, those guys they never stopped monitoring even when they went to the Special Higher Police seemed to have truly vanished.

Fujiwara Kaguya could understand to some extent; after all, even her uncle, Kujo Hidekichi, had been beaten to his knees by Taira no Harunobu, so it was normal that others wouldn't dare offend him. Tsuchimikado Haru, however, couldn't understand why those annoying guys were being so reasonable this time.

They drank tea, watched the play, chatted and flirted, and pointed at the matches below from the balcony of their private box. Finally, Qingxin's name came over the loudspeaker.

Aozora-kan! Taira no Harunobu! Clash! Iga-kan! Hattori Ichizo!

Hattori Ichizo? Iga-kan?

Could he really be a descendant of Kotaro Fuma?

Harunobu perked up; he had initially thought he would only encounter some weaklings before the top 20. After all, the organizers had already selected top seed players, so they certainly wouldn't let him meet other strong opponents—like Genkuro—in the top 100.

Because this means someone will inevitably lose, and the ranking will be fixed at the top 100. The positive impact of such a nationwide competition on the participants' reputation is just as significant as the negative impact. Not to mention, this is the Tenran Shisei, a direct examination to the Emperor, which could very well affect their official positions.

Therefore, whether from the perspective of the competition's popularity or the organizer's own personal safety, he would never allow such a strong player to be relegated to the top 100 due to luck.

So, is this Mr. Hattori really a strong person?

Harunobu curiously carried Asagi onto the arena, and his opponent, Hattori Ichizo, entered the ring around the same time. Hattori was dressed in a completely black ninja outfit, complete with a half-face mask and a metal headband.

However, their strength is quite weak.

Although there was some mental reaction, its strength was even inferior to that of Hayashi Uemon. Was he really just a Kabuki user after all?

Although he felt a little regretful and confused, Harunobu did not show it and politely completed the name-calling segment with the other party.

Hattori Ichizo drew his katana and wakizashi from his waist, crossed them in front of him, and made an X shape.

Dual-wielding? I've never heard of any dual-wielding style having this starting stance.

Harunobu became increasingly puzzled, but that didn't stop him from striking a lightning-fast pose.

A muffled rumble of thunder erupted, eliciting cheers. The Dragon Slayer Swordsman's supporters shouted loudly, a large portion of which were women's voices, drawing sidelong glances.

"Now—the outcome!"

The referee lowered his raised right hand and took a step back.

The muffled thunder roared as it unleashed its accumulated power. Harunobu skillfully drew his katana from his waist and slashed at the enemy's neck, which was shrouded in black.

Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap Flash!

Then, unsurprisingly, Harunobu's vision blurred. Hattori Ichizo, who had been standing in front of him, disappeared, while more than a dozen Hattori Hanzos appeared elsewhere.

A clone? An illusion?

never mind.

Harunobu took a deep breath, stomped his right foot on the hard surface of the arena, and then thunder roared—

Thunder Breathing - First Form - Thunder Flash - 20-hit combo!

Amidst the thunderous roar that even drowned out the loudspeaker announcements, twenty gleaming silver blades crisscrossed, slicing through the necks of the newly appeared Hattori Ichizos. They finally stopped just before the throats of the Hattori Ichizos, who had raised their hands.

“There’s no need to kill someone, buddy,” Hattori Ichizo said, still shaken. “It’s illegal.”

"Don't worry, I'll have time to stop. Besides, the arena has defensive spells set up, so it should save your life." Harunobu put away his acrobatic strike, paused, and added, "Even if I make a mistake, we can just say you're a spy. Anyway, you look like a ninja, so everyone will believe it."

Hattori Ichizo's lips twitched: "Dude, what you're doing—"

Halfway through his sentence, Hattori Ichizo suddenly exploded into a cloud of smoke with a bang, engulfing the arena. Immediately afterward, a loud, intense explosion came from within the smoke.

Hattori Ichizo, with a clear footprint on his abdomen, was sent flying off the stage.

"Is this magic? Is it allowed in the competition?"

As Harunobu emerged from the smoke, he asked the referee, who looked troubled but hadn't yet spoken. Then, Hattori Ichizo's voice, who had just been sent flying, rang out again from the arena: "This isn't magic! It's swordsmanship!"

Harunobu looked in the direction of the sound and found that it was Hattori Ichizo, who had just "exploded." He, or rather it, was now completely naked, revealing the ball joints underneath and the strange device that was still emitting lingering smoke.

What kind of physical ninja?

Chapter 309: Spider Slicer (4K)

To be fair, Hattori Ichizo did leave a deep impression on Harunobu; even magic might not have been able to make such a lasting impression. After all, such a large and lifelike doll, even with a voice, seemed out of place in this era.

Unfortunately, although Harunobu doesn't mind...

Chapter 333

He understood, but to others, it clearly couldn't be considered swordsmanship. So Hattori Ichizo was quickly taken away along with his doll.

This minor incident didn't have a significant impact, and the competition continued. Following Qingxin, the disciples of Qingkong Pavilion took to the stage one by one. However, compared to yesterday, they seemed to be luckier today, facing opponents of lower strength.

The repeated shouts of "Winner! Aozorakan!" flooded the entire venue, even creating an echo. This greatly displeased many people, especially a certain Mr. Genkuro who wished to remain anonymous.

Of the twenty-eight disciples from his Genryukan school who qualified for the main tournament, only sixteen remain. Excluding Genkuro and the four seeded players, of the remaining twenty-three who qualified through the preliminary rounds, eight were eliminated by disciples from the Aozorakan school.

As a result, Genkuro's face didn't look good all day. The Genryukan disciples who were serving him were all silent and trembling, wishing they could bury their heads in their chests.

Seeing his disciples like this, Genkuro became even more furious!

As samurai, we should be brave and diligent, fearless in the face of death, and utterly loyal! As the saying goes, to die is an honor, to live is a disgrace! Those who hesitate and cower in fear when faced with difficulties—how can they be worthy of being called samurai!

He's not even as good as Taira no Harunobu!

Thinking of Taira no Harunobu, Genkuro became even angrier. He had originally thought that the "Dragon Slayer Swordsman" would be an exceptionally skilled samurai—and indeed he was—so he was even more furious at Taira no Harunobu's womanizing and unambitious behavior!

Genkuro, a true old Japanese samurai.

Just as Genkuro was about to explode with anger, he suddenly heard the faint sound of a knife being sharpened, which made him look over. The sound came from the corner of his private room, where a somewhat haggard-looking man was carefully sharpening a katana in his hand.

"Ichimura, what are you doing? Are you only now remembering to maintain your weapons?!" Genkuro's voice was relatively normal at first, but then it suddenly became louder, and he was bursting with anger.

It's not his fault, because the man sharpening the knife—Ichimura Inoue—often makes these kinds of mistakes, and everyone is used to him doing things haphazardly.

As always, everyone else was waiting to see a good show, but Inoue Ichimura was uncharacteristically calm this time, and actually answered Genkuro's angry question with composure: "Excuse me, Master. I was just using this as an excuse to calm myself down. The next number should be mine."

Before the words were even finished, a loudspeaker in the private room announced: "Genryukan! Inoo Ichimura! Matchup! Aozorakan! Tachibana Nako!"

Genkuro suppressed his anger: "Go, but don't embarrass me!"

"Yes! Normal!"

Inoichi Ichimura stood up, shook off the knife powder, bowed respectfully to Genkuro, and then confidently left the private room. This was completely different from his usual somewhat slow and timid demeanor, immediately sparking a discussion. Genkuro would have stopped this unseemly commotion, but considering Inoichi Ichimura's expression just now, he was also a little puzzled.

While there are samurai who experience a sudden enlightenment and become completely different people, there is absolutely no such encounter that could trigger an enlightenment in Ino-Ichimura.

In any case, the match is about to begin.

Nako Tachibana confidently stepped onto the arena, gripping her famous sword, Yukigiri, and looked at her opponent. He wore a simple kendo uniform from the Genjo tavern, with a long sword and a short sword at his waist, signifying his samurai status. She wondered which samurai family would be called "Ino-o" (Pig Tail), perhaps a branch family.

Thinking it over, Tachibana Nako politely called out the name first: "Natural Harukin Style - Communication University of China! Tachibana Nako!"

The person opposite also bowed slightly and responded with the chant: "Genden Ittō-ryū - Ultimate! Ino-o Ichimura!"

The referee raised his right hand and drawled, "Now—the winner!"

As the referee retreated, Nako Tachibana suddenly felt a chill run down her spine from the blatant gaze of Inoichi Mura. That gaze, which seemed to want to devour her whole, contained nothing but the purest and most direct hunger.

It was as if she were facing not a human being, but some kind of hungry beast, eager to feast!

However, Tachibana Nako prefers to use another adjective: monster!

Of course, Ino-o Ichimura couldn't possibly be a yokai. As a former yokai herself, Tachibana Nako was quite certain of this; his unusual behavior must stem from the sword in his hand. Something whose mind had been devoured by the remnant soul within the demon sword, transformed into a pathetic puppet… that was Ino-o Ichimura now.

Nako Tachibana slowly drew her Yukigiri sword from her waist, assuming a mid-stance, and her mind began to work. The Pure Water Swallow, imperceptible to mortals, took flight, circling the arena with a high-pitched, clear cry. With each cry, Nako Tachibana's aura became more spirited and confident, and the rhythm of her Water Breathing became longer and more sustained.

Thoughts and Thoughts: Timely Rain and Azure Swallows!

Ichimura Inoue seemed oblivious to this, raising his demon sword above his head and assuming a standard high-level stance. The sound of flowing water followed, and before Tachibana Nako's eyes appeared a beautiful landscape painting: lush green forests, juicy fruits, and terraced fields stretching from the horizon to the sky; a clear stream flowed down from the mountaintop, all the way to Tachibana Nako's feet.

Thoughts: Mogami River!

The atmosphere in Ino-ochi Village calmed down, and their gazes softened considerably, which surprised Tachibana Nako.

However, the things that need to be done will not change.

The two walked slowly forward, cautiously closing the distance between them amidst the chirping of swifts and the babbling of the stream. The tips of their two knives remained perfectly aligned, without the slightest deviation, leaving no opening for attack.

Finally, the distance between the two was reduced to the point where the tips of their blades were almost touching, which is what is known as Honma.

Japanese Kendo categorizes the distance between combatants into three levels: Honma, Kagamima, and Shikimama. Honma refers to the distance between two people when their swords are almost touching; this is the last safe zone, allowing for some room to dodge and conserve energy.

The "mirror distance" refers to a distance where the two sides are almost like looking in a mirror. At this distance, both sides can strike and stab the other's hand and forearm at any time. In the heat of sword fighting, being injured in the hand or foot can almost determine the outcome of the battle.

The distance between life and death is when you reach a point where you can directly attack vital organs. Like in a sword-fighting film, two people reach out to grab each other's swords, thrust with wakizashi, or seize each other's wrists—that's the distance between life and death. At this distance, as the name suggests, it's a distance where life and death can be decided at any moment.

The atmosphere froze. Inoue Ichimura stared intently at Tachibana Nako's hands, trying to find even the slightest opening, but after a while, he gave up. He couldn't understand how a woman could possess such strong mental fortitude. Even if she was a swordsmanship prodigy, how long had she been learning swordsmanship?

He has been practicing swordsmanship for over ten years!

Inoichi selectively forgot that he had almost never engaged in any bloody combat, let alone fought against yokai. Even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered; while Tachibana Nako's personality appeared soft, that was only because of her gentleness.

Essentially, she still retains the nature of her former yokai—so she is never afraid of necessary battles, and even enjoys the fighting.

Therefore, the moment when Inoichi Ichimura lost his composure was captured by Tachibana Nako.

The soft, watery breath surged within a single breath, transforming into boundless power that propelled Tachibana Nako's limbs. The snow-cutting sword, which had been pointing diagonally at Inoichimura's brow, was swiftly lowered and positioned against his heart.

Water Breathing - Seventh Form - Shizuku Ripple Strike - Curved!

Like the natural flow of a tide, yet as swift as a flood, Yukichi transformed into a beam of light, bypassing the hard "reef" and rushing irresistibly toward Inoo Ichimura's chest.

In places where there is no water to control, Water Breathing is more useful than Shigure Soenryu.

The swift, hovering high in the sky, let out a triumphant cry, folded its wings, and soared straight towards the pig's tail.

Chapter 334

The heads of a village. The once beautiful, verdant foothills have turned withered and yellow, and the babbling brooks have dried up rapidly, revealing cracked riverbeds.

Off the field, whether they were swordsmen who could sense changes in thought or ordinary people, the moment they saw this sword strike, they all felt that the outcome was already decided.

Only Tachibana Nako, who drew her sword, and Harunobu, who had been watching her closely, noticed that something was wrong.

Inoue Ichimura's eyes returned to their previous monstrous look—cruel, greedy, and inhuman!

Demon Blade —

The barren foothills crumbled, and the dried-up riverbed shattered. A gigantic, twisted, colossal spider leaped out and bit down on a swift that was flying straight towards it.

Spider Cut!

The demonic sword, which should have been unable to block Yukigiri at all, suddenly lit up with an eerie purple light, unleashing a crescent-shaped blade of light that struck Yukigiri. The fine sword managed to block the blow without breaking, but the struck blade was deflected from its path.

In the end, the decisive blow pierced through Inoichi's shoulder, only tearing the fabric.

Seizing the opportunity, Inoue Ichimura immediately swung his sword upwards, the incredibly sharp demon blade aimed directly and directly at Tachibana Nako's chest and abdomen. If this strike landed, it would mean disembowelment.

Everyone gasped in astonishment at this incredible reversal. Moreover, unlike Hattori Ichizo's previous trickery, the demon sword has always been considered part of a samurai's strength.

Therefore, this is not considered a foul.

Nako Tachibana wasted no time on regret or remorse. She quickly adjusted her breathing and tried to reverse her movements and reposition herself as soon as possible. However, she had used too much force and hadn't held back at all, so her efforts were largely ineffective.

It’s over.

Lost.

Despite being a direct disciple, he's now sitting at the same table as Kinoshita Ren and Chiba Hiroshi—

Damn it, the Holy Son is going to laugh me to death!!

Inoue Ichimura savagely unleashed his demonic sword, striking the suddenly illuminated golden defense. This was a spell set up in the arena, activated when a fatal attack occurred or when one side shouted the activation phrase, protecting the victim or the one who initiated the shout.

The power of this spell was, of course, very high. So when the demon sword landed on it, it was deflected, and the eerie purple light dimmed by more than half, clearly indicating that a great deal of power had been expended.

Nako Tachibana was now truly filled with remorse; she never expected to stumble like this! Damn it!! For the first time in a long time, a hint of murderous intent arose within her. The last person to receive such treatment was Suzuki Ippei, who was already enjoying a VIP seat in the Special Higher Police's black jail.