N-M Chapter 75: The Battle and Inuyama-kun's Past
Chapter 75: The Battle and Inuyama-kun's Past
The following morning, Titus went to the Yakudo Kendo Dojo.
He will undergo the "Hundred-Strike" trial there.
The term "hundred-person fight" means fighting one hundred people, which is pure and straightforward.
Of course, all one hundred of them were skilled swordsmen in the yokai.
The guide was Shimazu Akira, who walked in front of us dressed in a kimono like a traditional woman.
Suddenly, she stopped, but without turning around, she looked straight ahead and said:
"Inuyama-kun also participated in the 'Hundred Battles' trial, but ultimately failed."
Titus was slightly surprised and asked:
Why did he fail?
"Is the 'Hundred Strikes' of the Yakuza a mandatory trial on your side... like a coming-of-age ceremony?"
Akira Shimazu replied:
"Inuyama-kun was exhausted in the final round and lost to his master, the previous generation of the Kagami Shinmei-ryu lineage."
"The 'Hundred Battles' is the certification of the strongest in the Yakuza. The challenger will challenge the one hundred strongest people in the Yakuza with their own strength. In other words, passing the 'Hundred Battles' means becoming the number one person in the Yakuza."
Titus thought the title of "Number One in the Yakuza" was pretty cool, and his fighting spirit immediately soared.
"It seems that Inuyama-kun is a strong person who dares to climb, and I acknowledge his willpower."
"I'm really looking forward to facing him."
Shimazu Akira shook his head and said:
"Inuyama-kun is not that kind of person... If he were willing to climb higher, he would never stop at being a sword-wielding guard."
"Back then, he wanted to prove his strength through the 'Hundred-Fold Fight' to leave the yakuza world and completely break away from the underground assassin community."
"Because my father said that only the strong have privileges."
Titus asked curiously:
"Why did he leave the Yakuza? Aren't you people the ones who value Bushido the most?"
"So, isn't his behavior... heretical?"
The wooden handle in Shimazu Akira's hand trembled slightly, and the orange-yellow lantern connected to the handle also swayed slightly, even though it was still early.
She replied:
"Mr. Jack is right, Inuyama-kun's behavior does indeed deviate from the Bushido we believe in."
"His reason for doing such a thing is simple: he fell in love with an ordinary woman, an outsider who had left the world of assassins, and fantasized about running away with her."
Shimazu Akira slowly turned around and said seriously:
"If you have the ability, please shatter Inuyama-kun's illusions!"
Titus clicked his tongue, realizing he was the one who broke up the couple...
At the same time, he also sensed an unusual meaning behind Shimazu Akira's words.
he asked:
"Giving Inuyama a talking-to was just a side effect, but... is this 'Hundred-Fold Challenge' only allowed once per person?"
"Since Inuyama-kun was defeated by his master, why didn't he dedicate himself to training for a while before fighting again, instead of becoming completely demoralized as you say?"
Akira Shimazu replied:
"The 'Hundred Battles' has no restrictions; anyone in the yakuza world can take on the challenge, even the lowest-ranking street thugs."
"And the reason Inuyama-kun lost all fighting spirit was because that girl died..."
Titus seemed to have watched a hundred episodes of a tragic samurai drama, and after a moment, he savored the moment:
"Lead the way, I'll give your Inuyama-kun a good talking-to~"
Shimazu glanced at Titus, but didn't argue, and walked straight into the kendo dojo.
Before long, Titus arrived at the 'Hundred Battles' training ground, where a large rectangular training area of 25m x 25m was in front of him.
One hundred yakuza warriors dressed in white training uniforms and holding sharpened iron swords sat around a rectangular field, with Shimazu Koji standing four or five meters behind them.
He was the witness and referee of this trial, and behind him was a one-meter-high wooden sword platform with a sword rack on it, on which was the demon sword Onikiri.
The demon sword Onikiri has its hilt wrapped with blood-red silk threads, which are said to not only have the practical function of fixing the sword and assisting in drawing it.
Japanese Shintoism also firmly believes that vermilion can ward off evil spirits, protect the wearer, and ward off evil.
As for why Onikiri needs to suppress evil energy, we must mention its reputation as a blade that can slay all evil spirits in the world!
During the Heian period, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, the head of the Kiyokawa Genji clan, was obsessed with the ways of Yin and Yang and the art of deception.
He went alone to Mount Ōe to use Onmyōdō to bind the great demon Iitsuna Onikiri and forge it into a sword spirit, which he then incorporated into his sword. From then on, Onikiri and Minamoto no Yorimitsu fought across the world and eliminated countless evil spirits.
Thus, the demon sword Onikiri, a blade capable of slaying all evil spirits under heaven, was born.
The Yakuza clan firmly believed in this fantastical, almost mythical legend, and revered the demon sword Onikiri as their ancestral weapon.
According to the clan rules of the Extreme Path, only the head of each clan or the strongest member of the Extreme Path can wear the demon sword Onikiri.
This also subtly aligns with the word "ultimate" in the concept of the ultimate path; of the three thousand great paths, one chooses one to reach the ultimate.
The ultimate path pursues the ultimate in everything—
Onikiri is here to slay all evil spirits in the world!
Bai Fanda is known as the ultimate expert in the extreme path!
Titus stared at the demon sword Onikiri and thought to himself that Shimazu Koji was indeed capable, giving away the ancestral weapon token so readily.
This is the bond he speaks of, this is the Bushido that Yakuza believe in.
I would gladly drag my entire family into an endless abyss...
Titus, dressed in a simple black training uniform, walked barefoot to the center of the rectangular training ground and stood there, holding an ordinary iron sword that was no different from that of a Yakuza warrior.
Commonly known as a slightly more powerful open-edged sword than a blunt sword.
The term "hundred-round fight" does not refer to a hundred people rushing in at once, but rather to a fighting style similar to a series of attacks.
The challenger faces ten opponents at a time, and this continues uninterrupted for ten rounds, totaling one hundred opponents, to pass the trial.
With a command from Koji Shimazu, the first round begins!
Five warriors attacked from both the front and the rear, thrusting forward simultaneously!
Titus unleashed an astonishing leaping power, soaring nearly 2 meters into the air.
He had wanted to use this move for a long time. He landed on one foot, pressing down on all the swords, and looked down proudly at the warriors!
The warriors, unable to move their swords upwards, simultaneously drew their swords, intending to stab again!
Using the momentum from his previous stomp, Titus leaped forward, flipped in mid-air, and channeled all his strength into his right foot to deliver a powerful kick, a move he inherited from the nameless master of Qinghe, aimed at a warrior's chest!
With a loud bang, the samurai was shot into the load-bearing wall behind him!
And this was only after Titus had held back.
Leaving the trial grounds in any way is considered a fall. The warrior coughed up blood, got up, bowed, and slowly walked to the side to sit cross-legged and wait.
With such terrifying leg strength, the moment the Cloud-Piercing Stomp landed, everyone's expressions changed towards Titus.
Even Shimazu Koji, the head of the Yakuza family, couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration, after all, this was exactly what he had said:
"The strong always have a certain privilege."
If the warriors had previously regarded Titus as a highly skilled fighter, now they would unleash their full power to hunt down this ferocious beast!
In the blink of an eye, a warrior strode forward, gripping his sword with both hands, and unleashed a fierce downward slash with the Tang Bamboo Slash.
Titus didn't move an inch, wielding his sword with one hand and slashing upwards.
Such an arrogant response!
The blades clashed with a resounding clang of metal, and Titus's sword sliced through the warrior's sword as easily as cutting tofu!
This light, effortless single-handed upward strike met the full-force Tang Bamboo Slash with both hands without the slightest hesitation!
The samurai's hand, gripping the broken sword, suddenly loosened; the intense and rapid recoil from the impact made it difficult for him to hold on tight.
The broken sword clattered to the ground, and the samurai suddenly realized that a gleaming blade was firmly resting against his neck.
His throat bobbed, and he unconsciously swallowed.
The fear of death overwhelmed him instantly!
After all, everyone was really fighting with real swords and spears. Although there were no explicit rules for the "Hundred Battles", blood was inevitable in every trial!
The iron sword flipped over, its blunt back gently grazing the throat, then sliding down the neck, chest, and ribs.
The samurai's back was soaked with cold sweat. Coming to his senses, he bowed as well and quickly left the arena.
Titus stood leisurely in the center of the warriors, one hand behind his back and the other holding a sword.
Waiting for the enemy to arrive...