Chapter 69

"Remember that feeling well; that is the Iron-Cutting Realm of a Sword Hero."

Nezumi sheathed his blade, yet his words left Luo En stunned.

"... Eh?"

"What 'eh'?" Nezumi lit a cigarette. "Whether it's sword momentum, sword intent, or iron-cutting, in the end, this so-called swordsman realm is merely a sensation regarding the sword."

"The Iron-Cutting Realm of a Sword Hero requires intense spirit and will; even holding a wooden stick, if I wish to cut, I can sever steel. This is the heroic spirit belonging to a swordsman! On the Great Sea, swordsmen who reach this realm are called Sword Heroes."

"Of course, for a swordsman to reach such a realm is by no means simple; it requires long tempering and exceptional talent."

Nezumi exhaled a ring of smoke.

60, Nezumi: I seem to have gotten myself into trouble (2/5)

"Your talent and aptitude are entirely sufficient, and you have already mastered sword intent; the only thing lacking for the Sword Hero realm is the heroic spirit required to step into it."

"I previously deliberately suppressed your emotions, letting them accumulate and build up until they erupted; I intended for this single strike to let you personally experience what a Sword Hero is, and what the Iron-Cutting Realm truly is."

Looking at Luo En with a complex expression, Nezumi said, "I just didn't expect you to be able to unleash this strike so quickly."

"Does this mean I've now stepped into the Sword Hero realm?"

Luo En couldn't help but ask.

Nezumi shook his head. "How could that be?"

"That sensation was merely an instant, gone in a flash; you only entered the Iron-Cutting Realm for a moment. To truly..."

Nezumi's words were not yet finished.

A slash swept past before him.

The cigarette dangling from his mouth split in two and fell.

Another crack over ten meters long appeared on the ground before him.

"Is it like this?"

"................!"

Nezumi's jaw dropped, his chin nearly smashing through the floor in shock.

"!!!!"

"How is this possible?!"

Chahun witnessed this scene with his own eyes, his eyeballs bulging as if they were about to pop out.

Although Momousagi and Hiroyama had seen it once before, seeing it again still left them utterly shocked.

"That child... has indeed stepped into the Sword Hero realm."

Completely losing his composure from shock, Nezumi stared blankly at Luo En, his voice trembling:

"Y-y-y-you, how did you do that?!"

"Just as you said: remember that intense feeling, erupt it in an instant, and send it out along with the slash."

Luo En tilted his head as he looked at him.

"No, impossible; the emotions you erupted before were clearly those I had suppressed for two months, which already erupted once; how could they erupt again?"

Nezumi found it unbelievable.

Hearing his words, Luo En grinned at him:

"If we're talking about rage, I have as much as I want. Especially every time I see Mr. Nezumi's face and this hairstyle, I can't help but... get angry!"

"It feels that as long as you are here, Mr. Nezumi, I can easily accumulate rage and become familiar with that sensation of eruption."

Listening to his words, Nezumi's eyes gradually widened.

Under the dim moonlight.

Luo En held Lei Qie, tilting his head, his eyes glowing red, his entire body seeming to emit a dense black-and-red ghostly aura.

He tilted his head and grinned at Nezumi.

"There's still time; practice with me a few more times, Mr. Nezumi."

Gazing at Luo En's red-glowing pupils and his brilliantly eerie smile, an inexplicable chill spread through Nezumi's heart, making his scalp tingle and his hair stand on end.

Could it be... that his two consecutive months of frantic suppression had gotten him into some terrible trouble?!

Luo En, his eyes glowing red, shifted his form and appeared before Nezumi, raising his blade to slash.

It was a simple cleave, yet the movement was incredibly clean and decisive, without the slightest drag or hesitation.

After all, over these past two months, Luo En had practiced this simplest of slashes no less than one hundred thousand times.

He had also realized something.

This kind of simplest, wide-swinging slash was best suited to erupt one's own momentum and power all at once.

This kind of simple slash was also what could most easily bring one close to the essence of the sword path.

If one always relied on sword techniques to fight enemies, always considering how to increase the power of sword techniques, it would instead cause Luo En to gradually deviate from the essence of the sword path, walking onto a flashy but insubstantial road.

Nezumi's guidance of Luo En over these two months had effectively corrected him, pointing out the correct direction for him to walk the path of the Sword Hero.

Although he clearly understood in his heart that Nezumi had indeed helped him greatly.

Luo En still did not intend to let the matter rest there.

At the very least, he had to make him lie down a few times!

"Shine! (Die)"

The Lei Qie in Luo En's hand traced a perfect arc, cleaving from top to bottom onto the blade Nezumi raised to block.

Clang!

Accompanied by the crisp sound of blade colliding with blade.

The two sword momentums collided violently.

Rampaging winds surged outward from where the two clashed, stirring up dust from the ground.

Staring at the two figures on Harbor No. 4 — one large, one small — their bodies flickering as they clashed with swords.

The slashes they swung ravaged the surroundings, the ground being cut open again and again, kicking up gust after gust of wind.

On the courtyard wall.

Momotake's jaw hung slack, dumbfounded, and he muttered blankly:

"I'm… not dreaming, am I? That kid is actually going blow for blow with Kagemaru?!"

Fire Mountain scratched his head, his face full of a wry smile.

"This really is… astonishing."

After her shock gradually settled, Peach Rabbit Kijino calmed her heart, her captivating beautiful eyes fixed on Luo En — that figure flickering about the field, ignoring defense entirely, launching a rainstorm-like assault on Kagemaru without pause.

Watching Kagemaru being forced into a rather sorry state by that offensive of his.

Peach Rabbit couldn't help the slight curve of her beautiful eyes, the corners of her lips lifting into a charming smile.

"Luo En, is it… what a truly surprising little fellow."

Their duel lasted some ten minutes; Kagemaru found an opening, used Soru to leave the place, leaving behind only one line.

"I have nothing more to teach you. From tomorrow on, you don't need to come."

"Hah… hah… hah…"

Luo En, his right hand gripping Lei Qie, lay spread-eagled on the pitted, uneven surface of Harbor No. 4, his little face full of exhilarated laughter.

"Hahaha."

"I finally landed a cut on that guy."

…………

Elsewhere.

"Pfft! Kagemaru, your hair… hahaha."

Momotake caught sight of Kagemaru's mohawk, now half its original length, and couldn't help bursting into laughter.

61. A heart like bedrock, intent sharp enough to cleave iron (3/5)

Peach Rabbit also covered her mouth with a quiet laugh.

"That kid must have deliberately aimed his slash at your hair."

Fire Mountain said with a chuckle. "Looks like he'd been nursing quite a grudge against you before."

"Shut it!"

Kagemaru's face went black as coal. "Don't even mention that kid to me. Who would've thought he was that petty — if I'd known, even if Teacher Zefa had given the order himself, I still wouldn't have taught him."

Hearing the name Zefa.