Bent over from the blow, Aki grabs Yarimato by his kimono and throws him aside onto the white snow.
Yarimato and Aki were wounded, and while Yarimato tried to get to his feet, Aki tried to endure the pain from his wounds and, standing in place and bleeding, he tried to focus on the battle.
Yarimato, although not wounded by the sword, still received a strong blow to his torso and stomach.
Trying to get up from the ground, Yarimato felt a sharp pain in his torso and, clutching it, realized that he had broken a rib.
There was also a laceration just above his right eyebrow, from which blood flowed directly under his right eye, obscuring his vision.
Yarimato took some snow in his hands and pressed it against the wounds on his face to wipe away the blood.
Leaning on his sword, Yarimato got to his feet.
Putting his sword back in its sheath, Yarimato prepared for his final attack.
Aki, covered in blood, could barely stand on his right leg, as Yarimato had struck him on his right thigh just above the knee, and Aki could no longer put any weight on his left leg.
Aki decides to take off his long cloak, under which was his old kimono, and throwing the bloodstained cloak onto the snow, he grabs the sword with both hands and, shouting again, runs towards Yarimato despite his injured leg.
Yarimato remains in place, holding the sword in its sheath, ready to attack.
Aki swung from above, but Yarimato stepped aside and dodged the blow.
Aki let go of the sword with his left hand and grabbed Yarimato’s thin neck with all his strength.
Holding him, Aki aimed for a stabbing blow, but Yarimato began to lose consciousness from Aki’s powerful grip and could no longer feel his body when suddenly he remembered how Takahashi strikes with his technique.
Yarimato remembers how his teacher cut off Yoshi’s arm with the Wave Strike technique, and this time Yarimato was not afraid.
Yarimato, with his last ounce of strength, pulls the sword from its sheath and strikes lightning fast from bottom to top, and the hand with which Aki was holding Yarimato’s neck suddenly flies away.
Aki swings his sword and manages to pierce Yarimato’s stomach, but having lost his arm, Aki loses all his strength and his sword only pierces Yarimato’s skin with its tip.
Aki doesn’t understand what has happened at first, but slowly turns his head toward his left arm and sees it slowly falling onto the white snow.
Blood gushes from his arm, flooding everything around him but Yarimato is not ready to stop there.
He parries Aki’s sword to the side, and the blade moves away from Yarimato.
Grabbing the sword with both hands, Yarimato delivers a powerful blow diagonally from bottom to top, cutting Aki’s torso and leaving a huge wound across his entire body.
Then, holding the sword behind his right shoulder, Yarimato takes a step and swings with his sword, inflicting another deep wound, cutting open the right side of his torso.
Finding himself behind Yarimato, he holds the sword from below and delivers two cross-shaped blows to Aki’s back, cutting it open and causing blood to spurt out behind the sword.
Takahashi saw his style called Storm, and Yarimato perfectly replicated these wave-like movements, that even the blood flowing from the wound rose like waves in the ocean.
Aki’s sword falls to the ground, followed by Aki himself, who has been completely defeated by Yarimato’s sword.
Falling first to his knees and then rolling onto his left side, Aki grabbed his severed arm and screamed in pain.
Yarimato stood directly above him, looked into his frightened eyes, returned the sword to its sheath, and stood directly in front of Aki.
Yarimato: You said that the weak perish and the strong survive.
So, I hope you understand who among us is strong and who is weak.
But I will give you a chance to prove to yourself that you are not weak, so take your arm and go back to Suzu Jonetsu and show him what I am capable of.
Aki was angry and scared, but he didn’t want to die, so he tried to get out of there as quickly as possible, but before he could get up, his strength left him and Aki lost consciousness again, falling onto the snow-white snow, stained with blood.
Takahashi went down to Yarimato, and Yarimato said, “Takahashi-sensei, I want to ask you to spare his life so that he can return to Suzu and show her what I am capable of. By doing this, I want to show Suzu that I am not the final task, but the final battle for other swordsmen who dare to fight me.”
Takahashi was not happy with this idea, as Suzu would definitely not like it, but he agreed anyway, as Yarimato proved that he had mastered his style and also demonstrated the Wave Strike, which he performed perfectly quickly and powerfully, even remaining on his feet after the battle.
Therefore, Takahashi decides to grant his student’s request.
Takahashi: Since you have mastered the Wave Strike technique and my style, and also remained standing after the battle, you have proven to me that you are no longer the weakling you used to be, and therefore I will grant your wish. New chapters come out on NovelPing first.
Takahashi called the maids and dragged him into the dojo, where they treated all his wounds, stitched them up, bandaged Aki, and left him alone.
Yarimato was also restored, and after exactly two days, Aki regained consciousness.
Gathering himself and taking his arm, wrapped in his cloak, Aki left the mountain in shame, without even thanking them for saving his life.
A month later, Yarimato’s bones had healed, and he continued his training.
Takahashi, as promised, decided to teach Yarimato hand-to-hand combat without a sword and various karate and judo holds.
Yarimato learned many new techniques that would allow him to disarm an opponent without a weapon and light movements that would help throw an opponent off balance.
Although this knowledge was limited, it was enough for Yarimato to defend himself, and he continued his sword training.
It was only in early spring, in mid-March, when the snow had melted and greenery was beginning to reappear, that Takahashi decided to teach Yarimato a second technique called “Waterfall.”
Yarimato and Takahashi were again in front of the dojo, and Takahashi was ready to demonstrate another technique.
Yarimato: So today I will learn your second technique, after which I can begin to master your most deadly technique, Tsunami?
Takahashi: What, you already want to learn the Tsunami technique?
Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were shaking with fear of it?
Yarimato: I’ve accepted it, and since I have something that only you have, I want to be the first to master your Tsunami technique.
Takahashi: I’m glad to hear that, but you’ll still have to learn the Waterfall technique, because Wave Strike and Waterfall are two opposites, and if you know them, then you’ll be able to understand how the Tsunami technique works.
Yarimato: Okay, I will learn the Waterfall technique and then start learning the Tsunami technique.
Takahashi: Okay, let’s get started.