As the winner of the Arkham Martial Arts Tournament was being decided and his name was being announced, the man in black stepped onto the stage and undermined our battle.

It would have saved us the trouble of fighting each other, but I never thought we would pull off such a travesty. The Swordsman's granddaughter has a bad name.

　It was the bishop of the Zodiac cult who had driven Ronin to his defeat the other day with his adulterous plan. His name was unknown, but he had a grim face and personality.

But if I handed the boy a Damascus steel weapon and allowed him to continue his journey, my position within the order would drop. We can't let him return alive.

　So saying, the man in black begins to chant a spell. He continues to cast spells with a dour, brooding pronunciation and meaning. Then a man in the hall lets out a groan.

　He falls to the ground and an evil aura emanates from his body.

"Jabba the Fist King! Your fists couldn't even be as powerful as your mouth, but as a substitute?　I will grant you the status of a glorious 24 Zodiac general.

　Then Jabba the Fist King vomited and spat out a pitch-black substance. The amount of vomit was extraordinary, and it seemed to spit out all the water and organs of his body. No - in fact, King Jabba vomited out all his organs and died.

What a miserable thing.

　Lunamaria turned away, but quickly got on the stage and took a fighting stance.

"Master Will, this is Lunamaria,

Thank God.

　Honestly thanking him for his help, I try to return the tondagi to Ronin's father. But it's refused.

You can keep it for a while. I won't help you take down Zodiac.

Why?

　Lunamaria asks.

Because the gods can't get involved in the quarrels of the world below, especially those related to demons.

But they tried to eliminate Master Ronin with adultery.

Well, but we could have avoided that. If I get involved in this anymore, the great men of heaven will have me arrested.

"What the heck,

He may be a junkie, but he's doing the math. I mean, I'm not the kind of guy who struggles with a demon like this, Will.

　As soon as I say this, I unleash my sword flash and deliver a blow to the demon's body.

　The demon Vassago, born from Jabba the Fist King, has a look of anguish on his face. Just as my father declared, my abilities have improved considerably.

Your battle with Hifune made you a very skilled fighter. You used to be the strongest kid in the world but now you've become a swordsman who can add a new best to your head.

　Maybe there's room for this, Lunamaria thought, but the wholesaler doesn't seem to be putting it down. The demon Vassago, born from Jabba, took the form of King Jabba as he filled his body with magical power.

"Good job kid. But my power isn't this great. I can also use my abilities as an alternative.

　Say that and stick out your hands countless times. He's not just moving his hands at high speed. She's actually increasing her arm count and her hand count.

Hundred fists!

　While shouting, the pressure of countless fists approaches. The power is so great that I'm blown away by the wall with no time to defend myself.

Guffaw!

　Me vomiting blood. I've accumulated more power than the devil, but I didn't take into account the dependents. As expected of the previous winner. The synergy between the well-honed martial arts and the power of the demon was terrifying.

　Lunamaria rushes over and cures me, but I quickly push her away and unleash a slash. One of the demon's arms is blown off. A large hole appears where Lunamaria was just now.

(...... This is not good.) If this continues, not only am I in danger, but also Luna Maria is in danger.

　Not only that, but the people in the hall were also harmed. Looks like quite a few of them have escaped. They will be the victims if they continue to flee.

The thirty-sixth total is all that's left to escape.

　In the teachings of the gods, escape is a virtue, but in this kind of situation, it is a shame. He was a son of the gods only if he fought to the end and let the citizens escape. So instead of running away, he confronted the demon, but each time he received a fist. He takes multiple blows to his right arm, his left leg, and his stomach, all of which bleed internally.

　All the while, Lunamaria attacks me with her sacred magic, but the damage doesn't seem to be coming through.

(...... This could be a losing proposition.)

　Just as you think so, a sword flash flies in with uncanny speed.
　The sword flash immediately cut off the right half of the demon's arm. That's ridiculously powerful and fast.

　Who in the world?

　And then I saw that it was Hifune standing there. She staggered to her feet and clutched her sword.

　With a broad smile she said, "Raised by the gods, I will help you.

Raised by the gods, I am with you.

It's the power of a thousand men. But Mr. Hifune is in ruins.

but now is the time to use this sword. It's time to use my father's sword. It's time to save your friends. If my arm breaks off at this moment, I have no regrets.



Mr. Hifune: ......

　I was overcome with emotion, but there was no time for sentimentality. The demon attacked, regenerating my slashed right arm. The hyphen stood between me and the demon and swung his sword at me.
　The cowering demon. There's a small opening.

Will!　I'll stall for time. How long does it take you to deliver a killing blow?

"I will unleash a magic sword filled with forbidden magic. I'll take five minutes, no, three.

"Then make a quarter.

　Saying this, Hifune began to fight the demon. Originally, Jabba, the Fist King, was a biting dog in front of Hifune, and although she may be used to that treatment, Jabba was still strong, having gained the power of the demon.

　But still she was more than an even match. She slashes her opponent to the point and deals damage.

　Meanwhile, I'll chant forbidden spells.
　I chant an explosive counterspell and send it into the sword.

　I choose the explosive because I saw the demon's regenerative powers. You'll have to kill it all at once without letting it regenerate. That would be the right choice, but I will soon regret it.

　It was an even contest at first, but the hyphen was outnumbered.

...... still took some damage from the earlier battle.

　Even opponents who would be overwhelming under normal circumstances are no match for the accumulated damage.

　Even the Swordsman's granddaughter would have difficulty in dealing with the 24 generals.
　Maybe you'll only last two minutes, let alone four.
　Just when you think that, a man enters the fray.
　It was the God of Swords who squeezed the devil's fist as he swung it down on Hifune.

Father Ronin!　God shouldn't interfere in the quarrels of the world below, should he?

Yeah, I know. So now it's not God we're fighting. It's not Ronin, the god of the sword, it's just Law, the fighting enthusiast.

　Such poor excuses make the upper half of the kimono peel off. When you put pressure on it, it makes the top half of your body rise up.

"I'm not trying to save my son or save Hifune, Lord God. It's just that the blood of the fighting enthusiast has been spilled.

　When he says that, he gives a thrust that is unlike any other swordsman.

　Bogo!　With a dull thud, the demon's belly caves in, and Hifune stares at it. He has a thought. He was inspired by your kindness in saving him from his former enemies. But instead of patronizing him, he grabs the devil's arm.

Will, Master Law can't hold the devil down forever. Are you ready?

Of course . . ......, but this state of affairs will hurt my dad too.

"Kaa, don't be pathetic. Rip me apart.

I can't do that.

"Then avoid the moment the sword flashes land.

"That's not--

　I couldn't keep saying, "No way," because I felt like you could, and now was not the time to argue. I felt like I could do it, and now was not the time to argue.

　I believed in you and moved to the Battoujutsu stance.

"You don't mean to tell me, Master Will, that you are using both the Heavenly Breath Life and Magic swords at the same time?

　Lunamaría shouts.

"Oh, it's multiplied!

"I can't!　Using two magic swords at the same time with the speed of a battoujutsu and a magic sword is too much work for your body! It's too much strain on your body!

I don't care if you have a body.

I don't want to . ...... And no matter how many times Master Will uses such a big move in a live performance.

I can. I know a woman who sacrificed herself to save her 'beloved family'.

　I see in the back of my mind the face of Shizuku in Barca village.

　She sacrificed her time for her beloved son. She jumped into danger to protect the son she loved. I remember her words.

"What should I hesitate to do to save my family?　If I was put in a similar situation again, I would make the same choice again. I would save my family the same way again and again.

　In fact, she saved the "village family" Mile. She put the life of a little boy Mile, whom she'd never met, before seeing her beloved son, before me and Luna Maria.

　Her noble spirit of self-sacrifice, I wish I had a fraction of that in me.
　Mile's mother is also a person to be reckoned with. She, too, was willing to sacrifice herself to save her beloved son. Her icy hands, the edge of her skirt as she walked through the rough streets, were one form of "love.

　People call it self-sacrifice, but underlying it was "love".
　Love not only saves people, but also increases the power of those who have love many times over.



　I saw their "love" and felt their love, and it made me feel many times stronger. No, I became stronger. It was by watching them that I was able to see the true nature of the Heavenly Breath Living Man's Sword and the true meaning of the sage Kamiizumi.

　Transform their "love" into power. Loving others proves that making the most of them is the strongest technique. Grant Higo Dontanuki a spell and unleash it with the Kamiizumi-ryu inner secrets.

　The magic sword is released without any hesitation, amplifying its power many times over with the fastest battoujutsu. I silently stare at its trajectory. Lunamaria watched it anxiously, but my fears were not in the least bit unfounded. I trusted my father. Because I knew there was love in him. And I knew that my loving father would avoid it.

　He grinned and kicked the devil in the face. He freaks out slightly. As if watching the moment, my sword flash struck the demon. As the specialized explosive magic sword reaches the demon, Dad Ronin dodges it with a flick of his sword. The sword flash lets out a roar as it hits the demon.


　Boom!


　As the earth-shaking sound of the hall is reflected in the hall, a blast is created in the hall. Citizens who were surrounding the venue desperately grabbed at the objects in place. The man in black says, "Bah, stupid! and blows up and faints. It seems that when you summoned the demon, it took a lot of your strength. He only had the strength of a baby.

　And you know what happened to the demon?


"Dirty fireworks.


　The more Father Ronin expressed it, the more it was scattered.

The demon that had taken Fist King Jabba's body was blown to pieces. There was no way to regenerate.

　So we had won this battle.
　I thrust my right hand out and shouted.

We won!　We won!

　When Lunamaria heard the declaration of victory, she smiled and said, "Will is a warrior hero.

"Master Will is a hero of the Warriors. He won the martial arts tournament, saved the heart of Mr. Hyphen and kept the demons away.

　Dad Ronin nods in agreement as Lunamaría sums up.

"Well, you're quite a man, my son.

　It's a ridiculous term, but no one in the room would deny it. Even the girl who hated me so much just now was silent in her agreement.

That's how I won the martial arts competition and got the Damascus Steel Sword.