Capítulo 10: Type-Moon, the Heroic Spirit I Summoned is Myself
Kondō Shūsuke, eyes wide with confusion, had no idea what was going on.
"I felt an immediate connection with you the moment I saw you. Not becoming your disciple today leaves me with an inexplicable sense of guilt."
Lucian had considered many potential mentors, but despite Watanabe's prestige in kendo, he couldn't fully support Lucian's decision to take on multiple teachers. Thus, Lucian gave up the idea.
After bowing, Lucian raised his head and said earnestly in a childlike voice, "I invited you here today as a way to express my apology."
"You don't need to take it too seriously. After all, my actions were merely to seek peace of mind."
Kondō Shūsuke was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "It's strange. It's not just you—I felt the same way. The day I heard your name, it was oddly familiar, and I felt an immediate connection. That's why I came here in person. When you chose someone else as your master, I did feel a bit of regret, but I understood that you had your own reasons, so more than anything, I wanted to bless your decision."
Lucian was momentarily stunned.
"Child, I accept your sentiments. As for my dojo... it will always be open to you. If you ever need me, you know where to find me."
After saying that, Kondō Shūsuke returned the bow to the four-year-old Lucian, then turned and left the room.
This was the reason Lucian had used one of his precious opportunities to intervene personally—though he didn't really need to. He still had one chance to simulate the event.
However, this was a teacher who, in his final moments, held back the enemy with his own body just to let his students escape.
For that, Lucian felt his actions were justified.
As Kondō Shūsuke departed and Lucian prepared to leave, he noticed another familiar face entering the room. It was an elderly man with a kind smile.
It was the old swordsman from his clan, who had helped Lucian many times during the simulations.
"Little Lucian, are you done with your business?" the old man asked with a wink as he entered the room. "Come with Grandpa, I've got something good for you!"
He led Lucian to the family's shrine, a place of quiet reverence where the family's ancestral spirits were honored. After respectfully offering incense, the old man took Lucian to an enshrined sword.
As Lucian gazed at the sword, he found it oddly familiar.
"Do you know who our ancestor is, little Lucian? That's right, it's Watanabe no Tsuna, the legendary warrior who cut off the arm of the demon Ibaraki-dōji!" The old man stroked his graying beard, pride evident in his voice. "And do you know the name of the sword our ancestor used?"
"...Onikiri , the Demon-Slaying Blade."
In that moment, Lucian realized why the sword felt so familiar—it was the first holy relic he had ever found!
"You know about it? Well, of course, you must have heard about it at home," the old man chuckled, nodding. "Yes, this is the very blade that slayed the great demon—Onikiri ! It's been in our family for hundreds of years. Many have tried to draw it, but the time was never right—until today."
The old man's expression grew serious. "Little Lucian, you are the most gifted member of our family in centuries. To make up for the misunderstanding where we thought you were the reincarnation of a demon, the elders have decided unanimously: from this day forward, you shall be the master of Onikiri ."
Lucian looked once more at the enshrined sword, feeling a strange sense of destiny. He never imagined he'd be so closely tied to this blade!
The old man approached the shrine, respectfully bowing to the sacred sword before removing it from its stand and placing it before Lucian.
"Take it," the old man said with a smile. "From today onward, it will always be by your side."
Lucian hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and took the sword. As soon as his hands touched it, the blade unsheathed itself with a sharp, joyful sound that echoed through the shrine.
The sword had a spirit of its own.
And after being worshiped in the Watanabe family shrine for nearly a century, it had recognized Lucian as its rightful master.
"It seems the sword has accepted you," the old man said, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he witnessed the scene.
"...Onikiri , huh?"
Lucian slowly drew the blade. Unlike its future, where it would be broken and covered in rust, Onikiri was now pristine, its blade long and elegant, marked with strange purple flames that shimmered with an eerie beauty.
"Don't worry," Lucian murmured. "In this lifetime... I won't let you be broken under my watch."
At the age of four, you held Onikiri and began your journey. You traveled to Edo, where you joined the prestigious Hokushin Ittō-ryū school.
Your arrival thrilled the school's master, who made you his personal disciple and taught you without reservation. While learning this new sword style, you secretly continued to refine your natural Ryūshin-ryū techniques.
At seven, you received a certificate of study from your teacher, marking your mastery of some of the school's techniques.
At eight, you received permission to teach the school's name to others.
At ten, you received a full transmission certificate from your teacher, mastering all of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū techniques. You began blending them with your Ryūshin-ryū techniques in search of the ultimate sword technique, causing some delays.
At thirteen, you drew Onikiri for the first time and challenged your teacher, earning the highest honor of the school—a full transmission certificate with no restrictions.
That same year, you regained your full strength as a master swordsman, becoming the youngest in history. You proudly announced your achievement to the nation.
You proved to everyone that you weren't a child prodigy who faded away, and after nearly a decade of silence, your name once again shook all of Japan!
—----
The Late Shogunate, Edo.
Inside the Genbukan, one of the three great dojos of the Edo period, renowned for its Hokushin Itto-ryu swordsmanship.
Today was no ordinary day.
Every disciple in the dojo had stopped what they were doing and gathered at the dojo's sword testing ground, watching from a distance.
The reason? Two people were standing in the arena.
One was an elderly man with a dignified expression—none other than Chiba Shusaku, the current headmaster of Hokushin Itto-ryu.
And the person standing in front of him…
"Master Chiba, please take care of me."
A voice rang out, slightly immature due to the speaker's youth.
Chiba Shusaku's expression reflected both pride and complexity. Standing before him was a boy of only thirteen years.
Because of his age, he appeared small and youthful in front of the older man. His face still carried the innocence of childhood.
But despite his appearance, the boy exuded an incredibly fierce aura. And today... would be the day his sword was unsheathed for the first time!
"I had a feeling it was about time for you to come and earn your Menkyo Kaiden license, but..." Chiba Shusaku sighed, feeling a wave of emotion.
He drew his long sword and, facing the boy, spoke sternly, "Come, Lucian, show me your sword!"
Yes, the boy was Lucian.
And this scene was precisely the moment recorded in the Book of Heroic Spirits, the event that shook all of Japan when Lucian, at thirteen years old, stunned the nation.
"Yes, Master Chiba."
Lucian bowed to Chiba Shusaku once more, then placed his hand on his sword—Oni-kiri.
The moment his hand touched the hilt, it was as if the sword, knowing it would finally be unsheathed, began to tremble.
The sacred sword Oni-kiri seemed... excited!
A faint smile played on Lucian's lips.
He had been nurturing this sword since the age of four, when he had taken it from his clan. Nine years had passed, and now, the sword would be drawn!
With a soft ring, the long blade, engraved with ominous purple flames, was drawn from its sheath.
The beautiful sword immediately captured the attention of most onlookers.
After all, this sword was no ordinary weapon—it was a legendary spirit blade!
As soon as the sword was drawn, the aura that Lucian had been building since the morning surged to its peak!
Calming his mind, gathering his energy, and channeling the power of the heavens and earth through his sword stance... this was the essence of the Ten'nen Rishin-ryu, the sword technique passed down from Okita Soji.
At the same time, in the blink of an eye, Lucian unified his mind, spirit, and power—this was the secret of Hokushin Itto-ryu.
With this calm, focused state, Lucian swung his sword at Chiba Shusaku.
It was the pinnacle of his martial art, his strongest strike!
Facing Lucian's strike, even a great swordmaster like Chiba Shusaku, on par with Kondo Isami, could not take it lightly.
He raised his own sword and countered with the highest secret technique of Hokushin Itto-ryu—Fallen Blossoms!
Clang—!
The sound of weapons clashing echoed as Lucian and Chiba Shusaku switched positions.
All the students of Hokushin Itto-ryu held their breath and watched with wide eyes.
Chiba Shusaku slowly stood up and asked, "Does this strike have a name?"
"Not yet," Lucian replied, shaking his head as he sheathed Oni-kiri.
"I see... let me think."
After a moment of thought, Chiba Shusaku smiled and said, "Since it's such a fleeting strike, let's call it Shasji (Moment)."
"Thank you for naming it, Master," Lucian replied.
By giving the strike a name, Chiba Shusaku was acknowledging that Lucian's swordsmanship had reached the level of a secret technique!
And at the very moment he spoke, the sword in Chiba Shusaku's hand broke in half… the outcome was clear!
...
[You have obtained the highest license from the headmaster of Hokushin Itto-ryu, and having mastered two sword styles and created your own secret technique, Shasji, you feel the time has come.
You now choose to...]
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