Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Although Suzuki Ryuichi was fast, he couldn't outrun a bullet, especially at this distance. So he took the full force of the M1911's shot, and his chest, forehead, and other parts of his torso were instantly riddled with more than a dozen bloody holes! Thick, hot, dark red liquid, like magma, dripped from it, etching craters the size of an index finger into the deck.

Unfortunately, just as Ryuichi Suzuki didn't expect Nako Tachibana's secret weapon, Nako Tachibana also didn't expect Ryuichi Suzuki's physical abilities to have reached such a level.

Despite having more than a dozen bloody holes in his body, Suzuki Ryuichi did not fall to the ground. Instead, he stubbornly maintained his consciousness and was even able to shout.

"asshole--"

Ryuichi Suzuki roared, flapping his wings wildly, creating an even more violent gust of air that swept across the entire area like a storm. This caused Nako Tachibana, who had just abandoned her M1911 and leaped high into the air with Chidori in her hand, to freeze in mid-air.

The prepared Water Breathing: Eighth Form - Takitsubo has become useless because it cannot bring Suzuki Ryuichi into its attack range. Now, even if it wanted to transform into the Seventh Form - Shizuku Ripple Strike, it would be too late.

Nako Tachibana bit her lower lip in frustration, as did Yuzu Tachibana, who was in the meditation room at Aozorakan.

It was so close!

But it was too late for resentment. Tachibana Nako was once again pulled back by gravity, her feet firmly planted on the deck. Suzuki Ryuichi, on the other hand, raised himself back to fifteen meters above the deck, roaring in shock.

"Come out, all of you! Kill them!"

Harunobu had previously cleared out the Yakuza and Tongxinhui members in the secret passage, but this cargo ship naturally also had its share of troublemakers. Suzuki Ryuichi had been confident he could easily deal with Harunobu and Tachibana Nako, so he didn't want to waste his men. But now… feeling the excruciating pain in his body, Suzuki Ryuichi dared not launch another dive attack.

Even his disciples are equipped with such weapons, so how could the headmaster, Taira no Nobu, not have them? Judging by his own experience, Suzuki Ryuichi simply didn't believe that Taira no Nobu would entrust his only winning weapon to his disciple!

As Suzuki Ryuichi roared, the soldiers, though their legs trembled with fear, swarmed out of the ship's cabin, most carrying clubs and swords, while a smaller number were armed with long and short guns.

Nako Tachibana looked at Harunobu with resentment: "Teacher, I'm sorry..."

"As far as the Water Sword: Middle Transmission is concerned, you have done very well." Harunobu slowly drew the Asagi, his breathing long and even. "But as for the magical artifacts on your body, and that pistol from earlier, I am a little disappointed, Nako."

“Yes… Teacher’s College.” Tachibana Nako lowered her head, clenching her fists so tightly that the hilt of the Chidori Maru in her hand emitted a faint groan, but the sorrow in her hand was far less heavy than the sorrow in her heart. Even if she relied on Teacher’s College to take action, it could be considered revenge, but why… did she feel so empty inside, as if she was about to lose something important?

A deep, overwhelming sadness, as vast and profound as the ocean, flooded her heart.

In the meditation room of Aozorakan, Tachibana Yuzu pouted and kept wiping away her tears: "It's okay, there's still a chance... Waaah."

"Don't cry... You still have a chance." Harunobu glanced at the small fry surrounding him. "But whether you can seize the opportunity depends on yourself."

"Shifan?" Tachibana Nako looked up in surprise, staring blankly at Harunobu, noticing that Shifan's starting stance was a bit off. It wasn't the sword of lightning, nor the sword of water.

"Watch carefully, I'll only demonstrate once." Harunobu held the asabi in his left hand with the blade facing outwards, his stance extremely casual. It was less of a swordsmanship stance and more of a haphazard way of holding the sword, and even worse, he was holding it upside down.

However, Harunobu's powerful aura was not to be underestimated, and no one dared to ignore the fighting stance of Taira no Harunobu, whose reputation was built on blood and death.

Ryuichi Suzuki hovered in the air, roaring as he gave the order: "Attack! Attack! This guy is just one person! With only one sword! Don't be afraid!"

Regardless of their inner grumbling, the henchmen still launched an attack while shouting and yelling.

The quickest attack, naturally, is the action of armed henchmen pulling the trigger.

At that moment, Harunobu was moved.

The playful gesture instantly turned into a storm, and Harunobu was spinning around in place.

what?

Both Suzuki Ryuichi and the henchmen stared in astonishment at Hiraharu Nobu, who was spinning in place, completely bewildered by what he was doing. Even if this could hold off the close-range henchmen, could it really stop bullets?

Although they were puzzled, they didn't mock Harunobu. Harunobu had already proven his strength with his battle achievements; even if he suddenly stripped naked and danced, they would only think he was using magic.

The good news is that they won't be proven wrong.

The bad news is that they will never have to worry about their faces again.

As Harunobu turned, the Sumida River suddenly became agitated, with countless streams rising up and converging in front of him, then turning with him.

It only takes a moment.

Whether it's the bullets that arrive first or the small fry that rush up later, they can only "sigh in vain" at the rapidly spinning water barrier.

Harunobu's voice drifted slowly from behind the water feature: "Shigure Souen Ryu, Seventh Form, Bubuki Ame!"

This technique uses high-speed rotation to create a barrier of water that rotates at the same speed, thus defending against enemy attacks. It can also deflect bullets. However, there must be enough water nearby, as the Shigure Soen-ryu technique cannot create water out of thin air.

As the last syllable of Harunobu faded, the water barrier collapsed with a roar, turning into a flood that submerged the deck.

Suzuki Ryuichi descended from the sky, taking advantage of Harunobu's attention being drawn to the small fry, and silently pounced down, grabbing at Harunobu's unsuspecting back of the head. But Harunobu simply sidestepped, perfectly dodging the silent grab.

"Timely rain falls on the swallows - the fourth type - five winds and ten rains".

Focus on listening to detect the enemy's breathing and heartbeat, thereby determining the enemy's attack route and position, and then devising defensive, dodging, or even counter-attacking techniques.

Then Harunobu spun around and thrust, and before the blade even got close to Suzuki Ryuichi, the water he created hit Suzuki Ryuichi's chest and abdomen, causing the scales to become slightly dull and cracked.

"Timely rain and swallows flow, type one, axle rain".

Ryuichi Suzuki flapped his wings swiftly, managing to dodge Asauchi's sword tip before it struck him. At the same time, he spat a burst of flame at Harunobu, trying to distract him from the approaching minions.

Harunobu simply took two steps to the side, then tossed the asaka (a type of halberd) he was holding in his right hand to his left, swung it to the side, and severed the head of the enemy closest to him. He then tossed the asaka back to his left hand.

"Timely rain falls on the swallows - the fifth type - May rain".

Just like the unpredictable rain in May, the May rain allows for the free switching of weapons, creating various unpredictable blade paths based on the battlefield situation.

The fodder soldiers lined up to be delivered to their deaths, and each time they got close, Asanobu would strike them precisely in the neck or heart. Of course, they weren't entirely without retaliation; the gun-wielding fodder soldiers cowered in the back and kept firing, but this only gave Harunobu the opportunity to showcase his other sword techniques.

"Timely Rain and Swallow Flow - Type Two - Reverse Roll Rain".

"Timely rain flows like swallows, the ninth form reflects the rain."

"Timely rain, swallows flow, eighth type, sudden rain."

"Timely rain falls on the swallows..."

Finally, the last remaining small fry was nailed to the cabin door by Harunoku Shigure Souen-ryu · Third Form · Reservation Rain, along with over a hundred people.

Chapter 203

The blood stained the water on the deck and also reddened Ryuichi Suzuki's eyes.

"Ping! Qing! Xin!!" he roared furiously, "I'm going to kill you!!!"

"Mmm." Harunobu pulled out the ashen sword he had just kicked away, shaking off the blood. "That completes the demonstration of all the moves. Have you learned them?"

A system notification sounded: "Tachibana Nako has mastered [Shigure Soen-ryu - Middle School Edition!]!"

Before Nako could speak, Harunobu nodded: "Looks like you've learned it. Now, let's begin your second round, Nako. This is your last chance."

He flipped Suzuki Ippei, who had almost drowned, onto his back, and Harunobu calmly crossed his arms and continued to watch the show.

Ryuichi Suzuki was drenched in sweat.

The author says:

Author's Note: The two chapters together cost 6500 RMB. Although I still didn't finish, this was truly my limit. The main problem was that although there was no traffic yesterday, I went to my aunt's and grandmother's houses for the holiday, and didn't arrive at my hometown until after 7 PM. Then, after dinner and cleaning up, it was past 8 PM. I didn't even take a shower before finishing writing this past midnight. Please forgive me. Finally, considering how hard I've worked to speed things up for everyone, how about some votes?

Chapter 190: The Azure Swallow Chases the Dragon (4K5)

Shigure Soenryu's expressiveness finally made Suzuki Ryuichi realize the gap between him and Harunobu. The expansion of his "power surging out" was punctured in that instant, and he deflated like a punctured balloon.

He had already fought very well; even his previous leniency was based on the premise that Tachibana Nako was indeed no match for him. After Tachibana Nako revealed a method that could threaten him, he immediately went all out, even calling on his subordinates to gang up on her.

But there was nothing she could do but open the letter.

Even though he still has a trump card up his sleeve, thinking about the amazing water barrier just now, Ryuichi Suzuki doesn't think his acid-fire breath can kill in one hit.

So now he only has one option left—run away!

Run away immediately!

Even if Ping Qingxin is strong, he can't fly. He just needs to fly away as soon as possible!

Just as Ryuichi Suzuki was about to put this idea into action, he suddenly felt a heavy sense of crisis coming from... Harunobu Taira's gaze.

A thunderous roar exploded in his ears, and he remembered.

Taira no Shin's strongest move, a secret sword technique that surpasses human reflexes—Fire and Thunder God.

Can he escape it?

grunt.

Ryuichi Suzuki swallowed hard; the flesh beneath his scales was oozing sweat, almost suffocating him. Just as he was about to make a desperate gamble, Harunobu spoke.

"Ryuichi Suzuki, fight my disciple. If you win, I'll let you go this time."

Suzuki Ryuichi's heart skipped a beat, and he hesitated, saying, "How do I know if what you're saying is true or false?"

Qingxin shrugged indifferently: "You can choose not to believe me, then I'll just have to see if you fly faster or my sword is faster."

Ryuichi Suzuki was speechless; he dared not gamble. The strength and speed that Hiraharunobu had just displayed, coupled with the various intelligence he had gathered before, made him completely unwilling to gamble on whether he could evade the Fire and Thunder God.

In his silence, Tachibana Nako also remained silent. However, Tachibana Nako's silence stemmed from a profound inner turmoil: Shigure Soen-ryu… such exquisite, such powerful swordsmanship.

The water can be manipulated freely, transformed into blades, barriers, and mirrors... but in the end, it is still water, and the one who controls it is still the one wielding the sword.

Water is ever-changing, with no fixed shape.

The SR-level genius had a flash of inspiration and grasped the profound and mysterious concept of "one thought." Qingxin's diligence points also increased dramatically.

While it sounds like a long story, it actually happened in the blink of an eye. Suzuki Ryuichi remained silent, but the energetic young girl version of Tachibana Nako had already assumed a proper mid-level stance and formally announced her name: "Natural Haruko Style, First Generation – Tachibana Nako! Reporting!"

The powerful voice proclaiming the name caused ripples on the surface of the floodwaters covering the deck, and also made Suzuki Ryuichi, who was still struggling with his thoughts, tremble. This momentary opening was seized by [Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart], and the raised blade instantly drew a circle in the air, stirring up a stream of water from the floodwaters.

Time Rain Swallow Flows - Type One - Axle Rain!

Although not as exaggerated as Harunobu's, thanks to the precise calculations of her Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, the swirling water still rushed into the sky along with the leaping Tachibana Nako, striking Suzuki Ryuichi, who was momentarily stunned.

The rapidly spinning water, carrying immense force, struck Suzuki Ryuichi's chest and abdomen, but it wasn't enough to break through his scales. Reacting with a dull pain, Suzuki Ryuichi quickly turned to the side, dodging the Chidori-maru that followed the water. Furthermore, since Tachibana Nako's strength was no match for Harunobu's, the impact on Suzuki Ryuichi wasn't enough to paralyze him. So, while dodging, he also kicked Tachibana Nako in the waist.

But Tachibana Nako, who had already seen him use this move to dodge Harunobu's attack, was already prepared. The moment Suzuki Ryu turned to the side, the [Axle Rain], which was originally a thrust, suddenly turned into a horizontal slash.

Water Breathing - First Form - Water Surface Slash!

The silvery light flashed and twisted, and Suzuki Ryuichi hastily flapped his wings, trying to change his posture again, but it was too late. By failing to create significant distance in his attempt to counterattack, he was destined to be unable to dodge this attack.

Ryuichi Suzuki immediately realized this, and not wanting to be disemboweled, he could only grit his teeth and fold his wings in front of him to serve as a shield.

Bang! Squeak—

Chidori-maru slashed into the dragon's wing, but only made it halfway before being blocked by the tough wing bones, failing to sever it completely. At that moment, Tachibana Nako's jumping strength was completely exhausted, and gravity recaptured her, pulling her towards the deck.

Chidori, which she was holding tightly, successfully detached from the wing bone under the force of gravity, even leaving a vertical wound on the dragon's wing. When it was completely detached, a large amount of blood gushed out from the gap and fell into the already bright red water on the deck.

Naoko Tachibana landed safely, splashing up bright red water droplets. Her loose clothes were also soaked by the water, clinging tightly to her stunning figure.

But right now, Suzuki Ryuichi couldn't focus on that at all. The pain of Chidori-maru's sword piercing his wing bone was driving him almost insane. To make matters worse, his wounded wings were affecting his flight. Now he could finally stop worrying about that—because he was certain he couldn't outrun Harunobu's sword.

Feeling Harunobu's unwavering gaze, Ryuichi Suzuki's will to survive surged. All he wanted now was to defeat this troublesome woman in front of him and then beg for Harunobu's mercy and compassion.

A samurai who loves to meddle in other people's business wouldn't go back on his word, would he...?

Suppressing the pain, Ryuichi Suzuki spread his wings and swooped down toward Nako Tachibana.

A straightforward and unadorned attack.

Admittedly, Ryuichi Suzuki acknowledged that his fighting skills were inferior to those of Harunobu's disciple, but his physical abilities far surpassed those of the woman. This had already been proven in their previous encounters, which was precisely why Ryuichi Suzuki had considered launching a counterattack earlier.

Although his counterattack had failed, Ryuichi Suzuki still didn't think he would lose. He had only been distracted earlier; he hadn't expected Nako Tachibana to have a hidden move.

He was now completely focused and exerting all his strength. How could a mere mortal possibly withstand his immense power? She wouldn't even have time to react!

boom!

A powerful claw grazed through Tachibana Nako's hair and slammed into the air. Just as Suzuki Ryuichi lunged, Tachibana Nako took a step back at the perfect moment. Then she turned her body and gathered all her strength into Chidori Maru, who had also spun around once—and slashed!

Chidori-maru was inserted into Ryuichi Suzuki's side.

Shigure Sonobu Ryu - Fifth Form -

Chapter 204

Five Winds and Ten Rains + Water Breathing - Sixth Form - Twisted Vortex!

Chidori Maru stubbornly broke through Suzuki Ryuichi's scales of defense, slicing into the tender pink flesh. The renowned sword, forged through countless trials, trembled, bathed in the viscous, crimson blood, as it pushed deeper inside.

Ryuichi Suzuki's eyes widened in disbelief, and he instinctively flapped his wings to strike Nako Tachibana. The dragon wings, covered in backward-growing thorns, also possessed great destructive power, so Nako Tachibana drew her Chidori Maru and retreated to avoid this desperate attack.

The outcome can basically be said to be decided.

His wing was injured, and he had a large gash on his side, bleeding uncontrollably. Even if Tachibana Nako didn't attack, the blood loss alone would be enough to kill Suzuki Ryuichi.

But Suzuki Ryuichi clearly couldn't accept this outcome. He roared and spat out a mouthful of flames, scorching his wound and sealing the bleeding. Immediately, black scales covered the charred flesh again, and everything seemed to have returned to normal.

However, judging from his posture, the wound under the scales had clearly not fully healed; at least it was still painful and still affecting his ability to exert force.