Leaving the handicraft shop, it was already noon.
Hajime wandered through Tokyo Prefecture and eventually stopped at a street stall for a hot bowl of udon.
With steam curling from the noodles, he considered his next move.
Since he was already here, he might as well visit a kenjutsu dojo.
Spar a bit, pick up some pointers.
Was technique useful or not?
That strictly depended on the situation.
If the gap in strength between two fighters was night and day, technique meant nothing.
But if their physical abilities were close, technique was everything.
The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps were ultimately just ordinary humans.
No matter how rigorously they trained, they were not demons at the end of the day, even the Hashira still possessed human frailties.
Given this, acquiring refined swordsmanship skills remained absolutely necessary.
Although he had already studied under Jigoro for two years, Jigoro was ultimately just a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, not a Kengo.
In terms of Kendo techniques, he might have fallen short compared to a Kengo who exclusively specialized in Kendo.
(Kengo is a distinct Japanese term that translates to a master swordsman or an expert in martial arts.
While Kendo is the discipline/art itself, a “Kengo” refers to a highly accomplished individual who has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship)
He had just arrived in Tokyo Prefecture, however, and he did not know the area well.
He had to ask someone for clear directions.
After finishing his udon, Hajime paid for the meal.
As he walked, he left the urban area and arrived at a secluded, quiet park.
He spotted an old man sitting on a public bench, eyes closed, soaking in the sunlight.
The old man had streaked crimson hair.
A faint cross-shaped scar marked his weathered face.
Unlike most people who wore a mix of Japanese and Western-style clothing, he wore only a simple red kimono.
Hajime felt hesitant about disturbing the old man’s rest.
But with no one else around to ask, he walked over.
“Excuse me, sorry to bother you.”
The old man opened his eyes, saw Hajime, and smiled warmly.
“Oh, what is it, young man?”
Despite the cross-shaped scar on his cheek, he inspired no fear.
His voice was gentle, and his smile was incredibly warm.
“Could you tell me about the famous Kenjutsu Dojos in Tokyo Prefecture and how to get to them?”
“Young man, what business do you have at a Kenjutsu Dojo?”
“Nothing in particular.
I just want to study more and improve my skills.”
The old man noticed the long, cloth-wrapped object slung across Hajime’s back.
A lifetime with swords let him see through the disguise at a single glance.
“Times have changed, young man.
The era of the katana has passed.”
“Old man, you misunderstand.
I practice this purely as a hobby, with absolutely no other intentions.”
“I see.”
The old man cheerfully pointed out the most famous Kenjutsu Dojos in Tokyo Prefecture.
Worried Hajime might not find his way, he even kindly offered to guide him there.
Hajime hastily declined, thanked the old man, and took his leave.
The old man watched Hajime’s retreating figure.
“Who was that boy?”
The old man turned his head.
Beside him stood an elegant older woman holding a box of freshly bought, steaming hot takoyaki.
“A very polite boy.”
Following the old man’s directions, Hajime found a Kenjutsu Dojo.
He glanced up at the large signboard hanging above the entrance, confirmed it was the right place, and walked inside.
Two months later, inside the Shiba-ryu Kenjutsu Dojo.
Sunlight streamed through the paper windows on both sides, filling the quiet room.
Around the perimeter, the disciples sat upright and solemn, their eyes fixed on the two figures standing in the center.
Each held a wooden training bokken.
One was their respected Master, Shihan.
The other was a youth wearing a red haori.
He looked barely fifteen.
Anyone seeing him would assume he was just a naive beginner fresh off the streets.
But no one present dared underestimate him.
Two months ago, Hajime had appeared in Tokyo Prefecture and started challenging kenjutsu dojos one after another.
At first, no one took him seriously.
He was so young, even if he’d been practicing in the womb, how much practical experience could he have?
But the laughter faded quickly.
In just over a month, the youth had swept through the other kenjutsu dojos in Tokyo Prefecture, defeating several universally recognized swordsmasters.
Those who’d come to watch him fail stared in absolute disbelief.
Some dojos he hadn’t yet visited simply shut their doors out of caution.
Finally, with nearly every kenjutsu dojo in Tokyo Prefecture defeated and none left to challenge, Hajime arrived at this last and largest one: the Shiba-ryu Kenjutsu Dojo.
The disciples felt the atmosphere grow heavy.
“Can Shihan win?” someone asked, his voice lacking confidence.
“Shihan is one of the Eastern Top Five,” another shot back defensively.
“This brat picked up a few sword moves in some backwater and dares to challenge him.”
“Just watch.
One round.
Shihan will show that delusional brat the gap between heaven and earth.”
The disciples whispered among themselves, certain their Master had this in the bag.
It would be an sure win.
At that moment, the two in the center finally moved.
Shihan Showakawa raised his bokken into a high jodan stance, drew a sharp breath, and launched himself at Hajime.
A sharp-eyed disciple called out immediately, “There it is!
The Secret Technique of the Shiba-ryu, Sute-no-Tachi!”
“Sugoi” exclamations erupted from around the tense dojo.
The so-called “Sute-no-Tachi” was a strike abandoning all defense for full-power offense.
The core philosophy was simple: “either I die or you do.”
Because of this, it had a more colloquial name among those who spoke privately, Extreme One-for-One Trade.
As head of the Shiba-ryu, Shihan wielded this Secret Technique with ease.
As he charged at Hajime, his sword momentum and fighting spirit reached their peak.
The watching disciples even felt an illusion: even a wild boar standing before Shihan would be cleaved in two by this single, devastating strike.
Yet Hajime showed no tension.
No seriousness whatsoever.
He moved too.
Compared to Shihan’s speed and loud kiai, Hajime generated no grand display.
(In kendo, kiai is the explosive shout made during an attack.)
His bokken tapped Shihan’s hand and leg.
Twice.
*Smack.
Smack.*
Then the two figures crossed.
Hajime stood perfectly balanced on the dojo floor.
Shihan, as if suddenly losing his footing, faceplanted hard, failing to even keep a grip on his bokken.
“Master!”
The disciples froze in shock.
This was a result they had never imagined.
After a long moment, they snapped out of their daze and rushed forward to surround him.
Shihan, still flat on the ground, stubbornly refused their help.
He stayed facedown without a word, his expression pure mortification.
“Thank you for the match.”
Hajime bowed slightly to Shihan out of politeness, dropped his bokken, and walked out of the dojo.
The disciples wanted to stop him, but remembering that even their respected Master had lost, and so decisively at that, they parted to make a path, letting Hajime leave undisturbed.
Hajime’s undefeated streak across Tokyo Prefecture over the past two months wasn’t due to weak opponents, it was pure overwhelming strength.
During this time, he had learned Total Concentration: Constant, and his physique was now far beyond what any ordinary person could match.
Take Shihan’s Secret Technique from moments ago.
Others might have found his speed blindingly fast, struggling just to track the movement.
But to Hajime, whose physique had undergone a transformation, Shihan was simply too slow.
That was exactly why he could cut through the attack so effortlessly.
He closed his eyes, taking stock of the skills he had acquired over the past two months through the System.
[Total Concentration: Constant: D]
Techniques developed by the Demon Slayer Corps to enable humans to fight Demons.
It primarily strengthens cardiopulmonary function, allowing the blood to absorb massive amounts of oxygen.
This instantly boosts physical abilities, temporarily granting stamina on par with a Demon.
Total Concentration: Constant is a higher level of Total Concentration Breathing, a state where the user maintains total focus on their breathing even while asleep.
[Nameless Sword Technique: E+]
A sword technique created by an obscure swordsman who consolidated and organized the various Kenjutsu schools of Tokyo Prefecture.
Because its creator lacked renown, the technique goes unrecognized by others.
[Meikyo Shisui: ???]
A swordsman must possess a sound mindset.
To reach the pinnacle of Kendo, one must stay calm at all times.
The heart of Kendo is like a precious mirror resting at the bottom of a deep, clear pool, it must remain perfectly pristine to reflect the vast world clearly from within the water.
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