"Kill!

　Hifune wakes up, sweating all over.
　You check your surroundings, but there's no body of your brother or Toushirō. Not even blood or stolen goods.
　Naturally. This is Arkham's city inn. This isn't Toushirō's dojo.

　Remembering that again, Hifune is often stunned, but he quickly remembers what he must do. The time on the clock told the time of the final.

　All she had to do was head to the final of the Arkham Martial Arts Tournament and slay Ronin's son, Will, there.

　What Ronin had done to Hifune, he would do to her.
　You've got to make Ronin feel the same way you did when you took away his happiness.

I have a secret plan for that too. ......

　Staring at the Book of Dragons and Tigers on the nightstand.

I learned the depths of ...... is a deer.

　Hifune had mastered the secrets of the tiger's book his grandfather had left him.
　She had mastered a secret technique that neither the god of swords nor her father could master.

　It's called
"Heavenly breath breath breathable sword
　This is the secret technique that the man known as the "Sage of Swords" devoted his life to studying and perfecting.

　Using this technique, he could kill any man with a single blow. It was a technique that could bring salvation to any man.

　It was just the right move for Hikhune, whose mind was left in a hole after her master was killed. It was just the right move to make the man who killed his teacher's father regret it.

And to bury those raised by the gods: ......

　I don't consider myself inferior to the boy, but the boy was a genius, gifted by the god of swords, the god of magic, and the god of healing. I knew that he was overwhelmingly powerful. That's why I didn't touch him until he had mastered this secret technique.

　But Hifune learned this secret about a year ago. She took the ultimate skill that only one person in the world could master. There was no longer anything to fear.

Master ...... I will definitely take your enemy. I will kill the one raised by the gods and inflict hellish torment on Ronin.

　Hifune swears again to his dead master and unleashes the Heavenly Breath Life Sword.

　The supreme art of battoujutsu, the art of battoujutsu at the speed of the gods, cuts through the air. The speed was so great that space-time seemed to be distorted. A few moments later, a tremendous whirlwind arises. The furniture inside the room is torn apart.

　By the way, even this one is kept to a minimum. Would you be able to blow away half of the inn if you put your mind to it?

The gods have raised me, so wash your head and wait.
　Grumbling, Hifune cleaned up and went to the hall.




　Meanwhile, I was in the backyard of Mr. Weitz's tool shop. There I talk to Dad Ronin.

"I don't think my father killed Mr. Tojiro.

I killed him.

You had a compelling reason to do it. --For example, they were cutting at you.

"Even if it's ............, it's no substitute for killing your friend. I could have cut you down without telling you.
If it had been cut, my father and I would never have met.

Maybe. But you can't change history. Then the best thing to do now is to teach you the secret.

"Depth?

"It's the Heavenly Breath Live People Sword

Such a feat.

Oh, this is the most powerful Battoujutsu. There is no faster sword than this one. Even the soaring falcons can pursue it.

It's an amazing feat.

"But there is also a problem,

"Problem?

That's because I didn't know this secret art. The Book of Dragon and Tiger says this secret technique can only be learned by a truly pure-hearted person. That's probably why Toshiro and I couldn't master it.

I wonder if I can do what you couldn't do,

You can. You were raised by the gods, you know.
　With a wry smile, Ronin teaches you the Heavenly Breath Life Sword from one to ten carefully. From stance to sword grip and return, everything. It's a very simple technique, but halfway through, I notice that it's very simple.

...... That's a technique for swords, isn't it?

Yes. Of course it can be converted to a sword.

Yeah, I understand that, but if you follow this pattern, it's not as deadly as it could be.

Did you notice that too?

"Yeah. You can't beat your opponent with this. On the contrary, it seems to be very weak.



That's the thing. Both Toshiro and I realized it halfway through. We came to the conclusion that there must be a real pattern in the Book of Dragon and Tiger somewhere.

"I see, I guess so: ......, no.

　I tilt my head and say the question in my mind.

"Hey, Dad, didn't Kamiizumi give you the Book of Dragons and the Book of Tigers, and you gave him the Book of Tigers?

Yes, but

The Book of Dragons is also known as the Book of Tricks and the Book of Tigers is the Book of the Heart. You were more talented than your father, weren't you?

It was also in the Master's office.

"Usually I feel like it's the other way around.

"What's the reverse?

Since Toushiro-san is the strongest disciple, I think I should have given him the Book of Dragons, which contains the strongest techniques.

Indeed. But then again, master was a bit of a whim.

I don't know. I guess that means something.

　I often ponder. Why did he give the Book of the Tiger to Mr. Tojiro? Why did I give him the Book of Heart? Then a light bulb goes on in my mind.

That's right!　So that's it!

"Oh, come on, Will. Have you lost your mind?

I know. I found out why you gave the Book of the Tiger to Miss Tohsilou. I know why you gave the Book of the Tiger to Miss Tojiro. And I also know the secret of the Heavenly Breath Life Sword.

"What?　What we couldn't spend half our lives trying to master in a single moment?

I'm sure Mr. Hyphen could have learned it too.

"She has two secret books. I've studied them and practiced for years. Do you think that just because you heard the outline of the inner secrets, it made you think of them?

Well. But it's not that hard to do. And it wasn't my strongest move.

"What?　What does that mean?

That's it. ......

　I whisper to my father. He listens with a sincere look on his face, and his expression is strikingly surprised. I wasn't sure if he was surprised at my talent or at Mr. Kamiizumi's deep thoughtfulness, but he was convinced of my victory.

Maybe you are the rightful successor to the swordsman Kamiizumi. I will not be defeated by Hifune, who has become a swordsman.

Yeah, I'll win. Then I'll free Mr. Hifune from the persistent disease.

"Let him. She's my friend's daughter. And she's the granddaughter of the master.

　Nodding, he returned to the main house, took Luna Maria and the others, and headed to the site of the final.