The evening breeze blows.

The falling cherry blossoms that swept up floated from the eaves of the porch into the tea room.

Iinuma closed his eyes slightly.

Ryota Kato also stopped his attack and relaxed the muscles all over his body, preparing them to explode again.

And then!

Prepare for your failure, boy!

In the midst of the colorful falling cherry blossoms, Iinuma Xun slowly opened his eyes and stared at each other with a slight scrutiny.

He had a very strange feeling.

Although he didn't have the upper hand, if he tried his best to fight to the death, he would be seriously injured, but he would definitely be able to kill Ryota Kato.

It's not that I don't admit that Ryota Kato is stronger, and it's not that I think Ryota Kato is inexperienced.

But in the fight, Isuna Iinuma can sense the idea of "I can defeat this person in a life-and-death battle".

It's a mystical and mystical feeling.

It's like my mother asking him to meditate, and occasionally he will have a sudden epiphany.

In Iinuma's opinion, Ryota Kato's sword is certainly ruthless and domineering, and it is decisive in killing, but the sword that is cast does not have a "heart".

In other words, Ryota Kato's sword did not resonate with his heart.

No matter how sharp the attack is, it is just a simple skill, and it does not contain its ambition.

Defeating such an opponent will not bring you gains!

The feeling of Xuan and Xuan lingered in Iinuma's mind, so he opened up the space and prepared to have a heart-to-heart battle first.

First mess with their spirits, drive them crazy, and then beat their bodies!

"Kato-san......"

Suddenly, the young man said with pity in his eyes: "I think, you are very lonely!"

"Huh?"

Ryota Kato's eyes were stunned.

Boy, what kind of dick are you talking about?

"It's pitiful...... Iinuma continued, "From your sword, I feel that nothing in your life so far is worth remembering......"

Belch......

For a while, Ryota Kato was really asked.

When most people are asked this question, they immediately recall that there is anything worth remembering about themselves.

If so, then remember it.

If not......

That's pathetic.

Ryota Kato thought about it carefully, and a look of nostalgia appeared on his face.

His life so far, except for the shining point of kendo, is all trivial and not worth mentioning...... He didn't know how beautiful the sunset on the Seto Inland Sea was, how gorgeous the Yae cherry blossoms in Hokkaido were, and he hadn't even climbed Mt. Fuji.

In such a boring gray life, the only color ......

The high school he attended was a regular public high school in Yotsuya, Shinjuku, and most of the students couldn't get into college.

Diagonally across from the back entrance of the school, there is a long ramp lined with plane trees that leads to a top private high school called Higashi Maizuru.

Almost all of the children who study there are children of upper-class families or wealthy families, and as long as they don't make a big difference, they can basically go directly to university. They are all well-toothed, cleanly dressed, and bored in speech.

But there is one exception.

It was a girl with long black hair.

Ryota Kato doesn't know her name, but she is often seen walking alone along the long uphill road in front of the school gate with an oboe on her back.

She looks like she is also the daughter of a rich family.

The face is exquisite, the schoolbag is expensive, and there seems to be an innate elegance in the gestures.

She must have grown up with flowers and applause.

But for some reason, she always goes in and out alone, and rarely smiles on her face.

It seems to be helpless, but it is still alone.

The sunset that falls on her every day makes her as beautiful as an ice blue flame, unreal to the point of sadness.

Throughout his first year of high school, Ryota Kato could only look at the world of magnates on the high platform from afar, in this ordinary and ordinary world.

In the second grade, he became a senior in the school's kendo club.

After he defeated everyone and became the head of the kendo department, he immediately led the kendo club to Higashi Maizuru Middle School for exchange and exchange.

Didn't see her for the first time.

But it doesn't matter, there is a second time, a third time......

On a sunny afternoon in November, Ryota Kato led a team to Higashimaizuru for exchange.

This time, in the atrium of the school, he met her.

With an oboe in her arms, she spoke to a teenager on a bench, with the usual smile on her face as an honor student with an A on her report card.

That smile, accompanied by Haydn's short G piano sonata on the loudspeaker of the radio department, became the most heartwarming legend of the end of the twentieth century in November 1999.

Later, Ryota Kato would still watch her from a distance at the back door of the school, but she never entered Higashi Maizuru again.

He became more and more reticent

Try not to let your anger become too colorful, and be careful not to let yourself be noticed by your classmates and teachers.

He knew he didn't have the life to go to college.

He knew that as soon as he graduated from high school, he would have to integrate into the world of fierce strife, and he would start a lonely battle called "life".

Therefore, he must become more indestructible than anyone else.

Day after day, year after year.

His expression grew stiffer and numb, and his eyes glowed with a lizard-like cold light.

He thought he had forgotten.

I don't think there will be any more intersections.

Until, almost twenty years later, by chance at a funeral......

※

In the quiet of the night, the cherry trees stand quietly.

The breeze blew the petals into the room, and the waxed wooden floor was full of petals.

Ryota Kato looked nostalgic and slightly melancholy.

Iinuma looked at him and said, "Yes, I admit that your swordsmanship is excellent, but only excellent!" The realm of a kendo master is not something that can be achieved by immersing oneself in swordsmanship. A real master swordsman, who has been pursuing the integration of heart and skill all his life, your sword only has skills, and it is not integrated into your understanding of life, so your sword has no heart! ”

"I don't have the heart to ......," Ryota Kato muttered in a low voice.

Isun Iinuma went one step further and shouted, "You don't have anything worth mentioning in your life except for the sword, don't you! ”

"No!"

On Ryota Kato's forehead, the green tendons burst out.

Iinuma shouted back: "Stop quibbling! How sad it is for you to have no heart for your sword skills! ”

“……”

Ryota Kato's eyes gradually welled up with anger.

In the afterglow of his gaze, he saw Kyoko Hanajo, who was looking at Isuna Iinuma with a worried face, and looking at her with the tenderness that others would never have.

He suddenly swelled up with resentment against the injustice of the world.

I hate this unreasonable world.

Hate this world that never has mercy on the supporting characters......

If, if, if I had been young enough to drive a big G, instead of that damn commoner's son...... Ryota Kato's gaze gradually became fierce, and even brought a trace of killing intent.

He slowly raised the bamboo knife and pointed at the young man opposite: "Then I'll let you know why my sword has no heart......

"Boom!"

The night sky, which had been clear, suddenly exploded into thunder.

The thunder seemed to echo Ryota Kato.

The lightning flickered, illuminating his whole being.

The powerful battle intent condensed into a black mist again, and wriggled behind him with teeth and claws, making him as terrifying as a demon god.

In an instant, the sense of oppression he gave people was raised by a whole notch.

- Master oppression.

He had been a little sad before.

Therefore, after thirty years of sword practice, he has not been able to set foot in the master realm.

Now, he has turned his grief into resentment and integrated the injustice he realized from life into his sword skills.

He finally stepped into the realm of masters.

His sword is even more murderous.

Perhaps, from now on, he is no longer the swordsman of the new Yin Current.

What he wants to cultivate is the Shura Dao......

“…… Gan! Play big! ”

Looking at Ryota Kato, who suddenly had an epiphany and seemed to have changed from a swordsman to a demon, Iinuma scolded himself secretly.

But......

I want this effect!

Then, without fear, he raised his knife and attacked first.

Memories of killing this kind of thing really have a buff bonus, so, you, a new master, hurry up and let me play with a buff too!

- Kato-san, become my sedan chair bearer on the road to master!