Golden hot wind swept across the barren land, where exposed rocks endured the merciless scorching. Bushes rustled along the riverbank, and tumbleweeds rolled over the stone flats, getting wet in shallow puddles.
Everything was just right, as if born for this moment.
As if one of the two dying here would be natural, inevitable, and right.
The key to the Way of the Blade lies in Saki no Sen (Before the Before).
This means having your prediction ready before the enemy even makes a move.
Simply put, it means I guessed the move you were preparing and readied a countermeasure.
Legend has it that Yagyū Munenori, the founder of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, reached the pinnacle of this realm, combining swordsmanship with the Buddhist Zen Concept of Mu no Shin (Mind of No Mind) to achieve a superb reactive ability of striking after the opponent.
The moment the enemy swung their blade, their defeat was already sealed.
But unfortunately, Mitsuhide couldn't spot a single flaw in Goro's movements.
His posture was rigid and meticulous, steady as a boulder on a mountain peak. This guy was clearly someone who had deeply cultivated swordsmanship.
He wasn't like the Tyger Claws who wielded katanas like bats.
Hmm, just as expected, he's tricky.
Mitsuhide confirmed his assessment once again.
A novice unfamiliar with blades, or even an ordinary swordsman, would completely expose the trajectory of their impending swing through the position of their wrist, forearm, or even their footwork before they even moved.
And when the opponent actually swung their blade, the veteran swordsman would strike after the opponent, as if mocking a child, instantly cutting off the opponent's arm or head from a blind spot with lightning speed.
But this Goro Takemura didn't show a single flaw.
He was too skilled.
All Mitsuhide could say was... The two took small, deliberate steps, closing the distance between them.
People fighting with blades rarely focus on the opponent's eyes; their main attention is usually on the opponent's forearms and footwork.
Passionate staring only happens before the drawing of the blade.
As the two gradually approached, Mitsuhide's heart grew heavier.
Dragging this out further wasn't an option.
As the saying goes, "Long deliberation leads to bad moves." Not acting now would only put him at a greater disadvantage.
By then, forget waiting for Takemura's flaw; his own flaws would be fully exposed.
It's fine, he had an advantage too.
Unlike Takemura, he was wearing armor.
Full armor versus no armor—the advantage was his.
Even if he took a few cuts from Takemura, as long as he landed one blow on Takemura, the outcome would change drastically.
Therefore, Mitsuhide decided to strike first.
Damn it, he would fight him to the death.
Ah!
Like a gong sounding in the night, Mitsuhide howled like a wild boar, raising his Long Blade and hacking down toward Takemura's head.
The downward cut traced an arc of white light in the air, the blade slamming toward Goro Takemura with fierce momentum.
Seeing the blade head descending, Goro Takemura neither dodged nor flinched. His eyes were as still and silent as stagnant water, and his wrist sank slightly.
With a clang, Goro raised the Long Blade in his hand. He didn't hack or chop; he simply used the back of the blade to block the middle section of Mitsuhide's Long Blade.
This was the principle of powerful force against weak force. Goro timed his position perfectly, targeting the part of the blade near the hilt where the momentum was weakest. With just a slight effort from his wrist, the powerful, heavy strike from Mitsuhide was easily neutralized and deflected to the side.
Worse still, Takemura, having parried the attack, was now in a position with his blade raised high.
Mitsuhide, whose strike had just missed, was still in the process of recovering his blade, leaving his entire left side exposed to Goro Takemura's blade due to the missed attack.
Just like what a person's brain would think upon seeing a hammer and a watermelon on a table.
Mitsuhide caught the raised blade in his peripheral vision, his heart pounding. He barely had time to think, "Oh no."
It happened in a flash. Seeing that his life was about to end by the blade, Mitsuhide's soul leaped in terror, and his Internal Drive Engine spun rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, he barely managed to pull away. Takemura's low-roaring downward slash scraped Mitsuhide's body as it fell.
Damn it.
Mitsuhide retreated repeatedly, finally avoiding the sharp edge.
Takemura, whose first strike failed, intended to slash again in pursuit, but ceased when he saw Mitsuhide disengage.
The two resumed their standoff.
The difference was the look of lingering fear on Mitsuhide's face.
Oh my god.
This Little Mouse was seriously almost done for.
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