The thick, heavy gate was blown away.

As the four of us walked inside, we were met by defensive drones.

Against the drones that fired their lasers all at once, our Flashes descended.

The slashes reached the garden trees and even the building, carving up the magistrate's mansion.

Spotting a sniper on the roof, I sliced the fired bullet in two.

"So they were lying in wait. Their hearing seems to be pretty good."

As I walked forward slowly, there were no non-combatants in sight.

It seems they knew we were coming and had evacuated in advance.

In their place were bodyguards and soldiers.

When they appeared at the windows, weapons in hand, Fuuka unleashed a Flash.

As the bodyguards and soldiers who had appeared for but a moment were cut down, Rinho opened her mouth.

"Elder Brother, I'll go this way."

The direction she pointed was to the right side of the mansion.

Fuuka drew his sword and indicated the left side.

"I'd prefer this way."

I can sense the presence of the Original Issen-ryū's disciples in that direction.

If we split up, they'll likely make a move.

"Do as you please. But if you find the master of the Original Issen-ryū, let me know."

Fuuka looked bored.

"First come, first served, right? I want a shot at the master, too."

Rinho also agreed with Fuuka's opinion.

"It's not fair that you get all the good stuff, Elder Brother."

Yes, I am a cunning man.

"And what of it?"

When I gave them a smile, they averted their gazes.

Having gotten their consent, I took Ellen with me and entered the mansion.

"I'll teach the scum of the Original Issen-ryū what the real Issen-ryū is all about."

◇

From high up in the sky, the Guide and Gudwar watched as Liam and his group stormed the magistrate's mansion.

"The show is about to begin."

The Guide spread his arms, overjoyed that Liam had walked right into his trap.

Perhaps he might just tear his way out.

However, a massive enemy army was closing in on this location.

Even if he managed to escape this predicament, Liam was a cornered rat.

Gudwar was thrilled by the clash between Issen-ryū practitioners.

"Fight. Spill more blood. Conflict is my entertainment. Your purpose in life is to entertain me at the risk of your own lives."

Gudwar, who saw humans as nothing more than tools for his amusement, was curious to see how Liam would die.

The Guide didn't care how, as long as Liam died.

"There's no escape, Liam. Today is the day you die!"

◇

Fuuka was walking through the courtyard of the magistrate's mansion.

After splitting from Liam and the others, he advanced alone, dealing with the drones and bodyguards that attacked him.

The sight of enemies falling one after another just by Fuuka's passing would be incomprehensible to an ordinary person.

When Fuuka stopped, several Flashes were unleashed just a few dozen centimeters in front of him.

The ground was carved up and gouged out.

Lifting his head, he saw the disciples of the Original Issen-ryū on the roof of the building.

Among them was one of the senior disciples he had met before.

"Did you really come barging in? You guys are true idiots."

The disciples of the Original Issen-ryū roared with laughter.

Fuuka let a faint smile grace his lips as he unleashed a flurry of Flashes with his two swords, carving up the surroundings.

However, his opponents were from the same school.

They intercepted his slashes with their own Flashes, and he failed to take down a single one.

Fuuka was not surprised by this.

The disciples of the Original Issen-ryū, seeing this, were certain of their victory.

After all, there were ten of them.

Even if each one was inferior to Fuuka, the difference in numbers was overwhelming.

The senior disciple looked at Fuuka and curled his lip.

"To split your forces when you're so outnumbered... it seems you know nothing of strategy. Or have you grown arrogant in your skills from a lack of worthy opponents?"

Accused of arrogance, Fuuka quietly drew his two swords.

He took a stance with his twin blades.

The Issen-ryū was a school with no stances.

As the senior disciple showed a puzzled expression, Fuuka, despite being at a disadvantage, was smiling.

"You're a chatty bastard. Hurry up and come at me, you small fryyyy!!"

Fuuka's Flashes were unleashed all around, and the disciples tried to block them just as before.

However, several of them failed to block completely and were cut down, blood spraying into the air.

The senior disciple looked over in surprise to see that their swords were broken.

The senior disciple turned his gaze back to Fuuka and gritted his teeth.

Fuuka, on the other hand, looked dissatisfied.

"Only three of you? That's fewer than I thought."

Seeing Fuuka take his stance again, the senior disciple shouted to his allies.

"Attack all at once! Don't let him counterattack!"

Seeing his enemies get serious, Fuuka wore a ferocious smile.

"You should have done that from the start."

◇

Meanwhile.

A single man had come to where Rinho was.

"Only one for me? I guess I drew the short straw."

As Rinho expressed her disappointment at having only one opponent, the man introduced himself.

"I am the number one disciple of the Original Issen-ryū. Don't lump me in with the rest of that rabble."

The grim-faced man identified himself as the top disciple.

Rinho's interest was slightly piqued.

She unleashed a test Flash, and the man deflected it.

Sparks flew between the two, but they were all erupting near Rinho.

It was Rinho who was being pushed back.

"It seems you really are the number one disciple."

"You do well for a little girl. I could even make you my disciple."

The man's offer sent Rinho into a rage.

With her long, silky navy-blue hair and calm attire, Rinho was often seen as prim and proper.

Since Fuuka preferred flashy clothes, they appeared as polar opposites.

However, it was Rinho who was more easily swayed by her emotions.

Rinho's expression vanished.

"Don't get carried away, you piece of trash."

As Rinho released her killing intent, her hair swayed slightly.

The tense air inside the mansion instantly turned frigid.

The number one disciple remained composed even after seeing this.

After all, he believed himself to be strong.

"You're good-looking, so I thought I'd make you my mistress. What a shame."

Sparks flew between the two once more.

They exchanged Flashes, clashing with one another.

The mansion's hallway was scarred, and the glass shattered and blew away.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were also being carved to pieces.

When the number one disciple took a step forward, Rinho took a step back.

Seeing this, the number one disciple furrowed his brow.

"I won't forgive anyone who defies me. Prepare yourself, little girl."

He took a step forward, and Rinho took a step back.

Rinho's expression grew grim, and she broke into a cold sweat.

◇

I stopped in front of a large door.

"Ellen, you wait here."

"Master?"

"—Nineteen of them. Considering the numbers Rinho and Fuuka are dealing with, is the last one the magistrate in the back? Get away from here."

"B-But!"

"Right now, you'll just be in the way."

When I glared at her, Ellen looked down and ran away.

Watching her leave, I thought I might have been too harsh, but it couldn't be helped.

—I don't have the luxury to be lenient right now.

Sensing the strong presence of the Issen-ryū, I opened the gate by myself and stepped inside.

Waiting for me were nineteen disciples of the Original Issen-ryū.

The large door closed with a thud, followed by the heavy sound of metal.

Apparently, they had locked it.

"What a pointless thing to do."

I couldn't understand the point of locking me in when a door could be blown away with a single Flash.

When I looked ahead, several men stepped forward.

They seemed stronger than the others.

"Welcome, Lord Liam."

"When you say my name, add '-sama' to it."

I had no desire to see a fallen version of the Issen-ryū.

The disciples were angered by my attitude, but the three in front of me were different.

They were smiling.

"My apologies. We are senior disciples of the Original Issen-ryū. That makes us fellow practitioners, doesn't it? We shall respect you as our senior."

Even as they called me their senior, their faces, which suggested they saw themselves as superior, irritated me.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Why aren't you attacking?"

Smiling smugly, the senior disciple offered me a deal.

"It's simple. How about we make a deal in exchange for your life?"

"—I'll at least hear you out."

"Our lord, the magistrate, greatly admires you, Lord Liam. He said he would be willing to overlook this incident if you join forces with him. Well, you'll be working for the magistrate from now on, of course."

He admires me? That's certainly an interesting story, but how presumptuous to offer to spare me.

On top of that, he wants me to serve under him?

—A mere magistrate shouldn't get so cocky.

"This is a waste of time. Release my master at once."

"That's impossible. I said it was a deal, but we have the overwhelming advantage here."

"What?"

Anger welled up inside me at this enemy who was so sure of his superior position.

The senior disciple began to speak glibly about the current situation.

"A fleet of sixty thousand ships is gathering on this planet. They are all fleets of lords from the Calvinist faction. I look forward to seeing what happens when we hand you over to them."

In my mind, the fate of these men was sealed.

"I see. In that case, I'll defeat you all here and rescue my master. It's as simple as that."

The senior disciple shook his head.

"Negotiations have broken down, then."

The disciples of the Original Issen-ryū unleashed their Flashes all at once.

The room they had prepared must have been specially reinforced, as it only ended up with a few scratches.

A Flash was unleashed right next to me, leaving a scar on the floor.

"Nineteen people attacking at once is quite a spectacle."

Invisible slashes.

The marks of a school that prioritized killing the enemy over flashy moves were carved all over the room.

The senior disciple was smirking at me.

"Do you still wish to continue?"

"Of course."

As I started to run, Flashes were unleashed one after another.

Scars appeared where I had just been, and I ran around the room, dodging.

Sparks continuously flew around me as I intercepted only the slashes that were about to hit me directly.

It must have looked like a strange spectacle, as if fireworks were chasing me wherever I went.

Seeing me like this, the senior disciple laughed and mocked me.

"You can't win by just running away! The power that defeated the Sword Saint isn't so great after all!"

I had known for a while that fighting fellow practitioners was difficult.

But to think they would be this troublesome when gathered in such numbers.

Individually, they were no match for Rinho or Fuuka, but with nineteen of them, I felt a danger I had never experienced before.

"Tch!"

I ran up a pillar, jumped, and ran along a wall.

I felt like I had become a ninja.

My opponents attacked me at will, while I was busy just intercepting their attacks.

I was at an overwhelming disadvantage.

As I continued to run around the large hall, the surroundings became covered in scars.

The disciples of the Original Issen-ryū were making a fool of me.

"Is this the feared Liam?"

"This proves we're stronger!"

"The Original Issen-ryū is the ultimate sword style! Prove it by taking Liam's head!"

"I'll be the one to take Liam's head!"

"No, I will. If I take his head, I'll get a reward from the magistrate!"

They were even competing over who would kill me.

How many fools were there, aiming for my head for a reward that a mere magistrate could offer, which couldn't be much.

Before I knew it, my kimono started to get torn.

"To be cornered this easily..."

I was getting fed up with my own lack of skill.

At this rate, I'll never master the Issen-ryū.

I drew my sword and lunged at one of them, but there was something strange about his movements.

The opponent who blocked my strike was quite flustered.

"Hic!?"

The enemy had a frightened look on his face, but I had to leap back as Flashes flew in from all around.

As I immediately started running again, the senior disciple was berating the opponent I had attacked.

"What are you doing, you disgrace!"

"S-Sorry!!"

A swordsman capable of unleashing a Flash was so easily thrown off balance when an enemy got close? I think I'm stronger, but is that even possible?

Questions popped up one after another, but I shook off the distracting thoughts and focused on the battle.

"A little more. Just a little more."

I was reaching my limit, and my breathing became labored.

My body was screaming in protest.

Even when I dove into the enemy's Flashes and dodged at the last second, my clothes were still getting cut.

A scratch appeared on my cheek, and blood flowed, but I paid it no mind.

"Just a little more. Just a little more and—"

The enemy, losing patience with my refusal to fall, seemed to have decided to spread out, surround me, and strike me down.

Unable to intercept all the Flashes coming from all four directions at once, I was wounded.

From there, the enemy's Flashes began to hit me one after another.

The last time I saw my own blood fly was during the harsh training days with my master.

I could hear voices from all around.

"We did it! We've defeated Liam!"

"Not yet! The wound is shallow."

"No, he can't move anymore. I'll take his head."

Bleeding and on my knees, my consciousness was hazy.

I was reminded of the hard, grueling days of training.

Suddenly, Master Yasushi's face came to mind.

He was smiling and saying something to me.

"That's right. A long time ago—"

There were words Master Yasushi had taught me.

It was back when I had just learned to unleash a Flash and was practicing constantly.

I had once begged him to tell me how I could unleash a Flash like his.

However, instead of telling me, my master taught me something else.

"Lord Liam, sometimes it is important to stop and think."

I tilted my head at that.

"Stop and think?"

"That's right. The truth is not always singular. Things show different faces depending on how you look at them. Martial arts is about doubting what you've believed until now and improving upon it. When you're stuck, first, doubt yourself."

"Doubt myself?"

"That's right! First, doubt yourself! Do you understand? You understand!"

As I recalled this memory with my master, the flow of time around me seemed to slow down.

Doubt? Myself? My Issen-ryū?

Perhaps I, who could never surpass my master, had been doing something wrong?

In fact, hadn't I been wrong from the very beginning?

"Could it be... that Master never drew his sword from the beginning?"

That was the moment I realized the truth.

An enemy had come up to my side, raised his sword, and was about to bring it down on my neck.

At the same time, an electronic voice came from the training armor I wore under my kimono.

"Training armor has exceeded its limits. Initiating forced purge."

Freed from the load I had been bearing, I cut down the approaching disciple of the Original Issen-ryū not with a Flash, but with my sword.

The senior disciples and other disciples were astonished.

But I stood up and looked up at the ceiling.

"The truth is a cruel thing."

I had realized the truth of the Issen-ryū.