Another week passed.
Every day...
Ryuu's routine remained unchanged.
At dawn...
He practiced one hundred foundational swings.
Afterward...
He devoted the rest of the morning to the Wind Sword Art—First Form: Gale Slash.
Slowly...
The technique became less awkward.
His draw was cleaner.
His stance steadier.
His movements flowed with the breeze instead of fighting against it.
...
One morning...
His mother arrived carrying a small wooden box.
She placed it in the center of the dojo.
Inside were dozens of smooth wooden balls, each no larger than a marble.
Ryuu looked at her curiously.
"What are these for?"
She smiled.
"A new lesson."
She picked up one of the wooden balls.
"A swordsman doesn't always fight enemies who stand still."
She tossed it into the air.
The ball bounced across the dojo floor in an unpredictable direction.
"Your task..."
"...is to strike each ball before it stops moving."
Ryuu nodded.
"I understand."
"But..."
She raised a finger.
"You are not allowed to cut them."
"You may only touch them with the flat of your blade."
Ryuu blinked.
"The flat?"
She nodded.
"A sword exists to protect."
"If you cannot control your blade..."
"You do not deserve to wield one."
...
The first attempt began.
His mother scattered ten wooden balls across the floor.
They bounced in every direction.
Ryuu immediately moved.
One step.
Draw.
Swish!
Too slow.
The first ball rolled past him.
He turned.
Another slash.
Too much force.
The flat of the blade sent the ball flying into a wall.
His mother shook her head.
"Again."
For hours...
The exercise repeated.
Ryuu gradually stopped reacting to the balls themselves.
Instead...
He watched their movement.
Their speed.
Their direction.
He learned to move before they reached him.
Not after.
By late afternoon...
He struck all ten balls in succession without missing a single one.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Each impact was gentle.
Precise.
Controlled.
His mother nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good."
Ryuu sheathed his katana.
"So this is another lesson for Gale Slash?"
She smiled.
"It is a lesson for every sword technique you'll ever learn."
"A fast sword without control..."
"...is nothing more than a dangerous weapon."
"A controlled sword..."
"...is an extension of its wielder."
Ryuu lowered his head respectfully.
"I'll remember that."
...
As the sun began to set...
His mother handed him a scroll.
It was the same green scroll containing the Wind Sword Art.
"This evening..."
"Read the notes left behind by your ancestors."
Ryuu carefully opened it.
Unlike the first pages...
These contained handwritten observations from generations of Kensei swordsmen.
One sentence immediately caught his attention.
«'The blade reaches its destination before the mind begins to doubt.'»
Ryuu read it several times.
Before the mind begins to doubt...
He slowly smiled.
"So that's why Lightning Sword Art values decisiveness..."
Although he hadn't begun learning it...
He could already see the connection.
Every sword art possessed its own philosophy.
Yet all of them shared the same foundation.
The sword.
...
That night...
Ryuu stood beneath the cherry blossom tree.
The moon illuminated the quiet estate.
He drew his katana.
Closed his eyes.
And performed Gale Slash.
Swish.
This time...
There was no hesitation.
The draw.
The slash.
The sheathing motion.
Everything flowed naturally.
His mother, watching from a distance, quietly whispered,
"You've taken another step."
Not toward mastering Gale Slash.
But toward becoming a true swordsman.
...
The familiar blue system window appeared before Ryuu.
∞ INFINITE EVOLUTION SYSTEM ∞
Training Mission
Wind Sword Art
First Form — Gale Slash
Progress
451 / 1,000
Mastery
Beginner (29%)
Another notification appeared.
Skill Improvement
Gale Slash
Speed: Increased
Precision: Increased
Control: Increased
Sword Heart Synchronization
2.8% → 3.0%
Ryuu quietly dismissed the system.
Three percent.
It still seemed incredibly small.
Yet...
He knew better than to underestimate gradual progress.
A mountain...
Was climbed one step at a time.
A legendary sword...
Was forged one strike at a time.
And a Sword Saint...
Was created through countless days of unwavering discipline.
With his grandfather's katana resting at his side...
The last heir of the Kensei Clan looked toward the moonlit sky.
His journey had only just begun.
But with every passing day...
His blade grew sharper.
His heart grew steadier.
And the wind itself had begun to acknowledge his sword.
End of Chapter 20