Chapter 11: Experience beats Skill

I flashed to a petal once again, but instead of charging in, I threw Moye's sheath towards the Zhen and immediately flashed behind Kasumi. As I thought, Kasumi turned to face directly away from the sheath and launched an attack. Grasping the chance, I charged in using Sorahoshi and hit him right on his wrist, successfully disrupting and destroying the Zhen.

"Wow," Kasumi looked at me with a stunned face. "I got outsmarted! I suppose it's time for us to both use our spirits and play fair and square now."

"Uh," I scratched my head and gave an awkward smile.

"Don't tell me..." Kasumi's eyes widened slightly. "You can't use your spirit either?"

Before I could say anything, Kasumi started again.

"I know! You're going for the Absolute Path, right?" Kasumi pointed a finger up.

"What's that?" I asked Moye.

"A path in which you become stronger by never using any outside force and never losing," Moye replied. "If you succeed in the end, you can become invincible. If you fail midway, well... your ego will dissipate and you'll lose your spirit."

"Yikes," I bit my teeth together and turned back to Kasumi. "I'm not doing that. I can use my spirit, but it's not like it'll be of any use in combat."

"Remember what we talked about? Everything has its own Dao. It's alright, just know that I'll still be giving it my best shot."

"Right," I picked up my sword. "I'm prepared."

Kasumi's orange eyes were gleaming, the glow recolouring the metal of my sword. The tip of his white hair was set ablaze. Ink-coloured flames started around him, forming a wing shape behind his back - with only one side.

"Sure looks like the one-winged bird, Bifang," Moye stated.

"Having only one wing doesn't seem to slow him down at all, though," I grunted as I quickly rolled away to dodge his charge.

"Just keep your distance," Moye suggested. "He probably still can only use his Phoenix palms, which is point-blank range-"

Her words were cut off as Kasumi's spirit let out a loud cry and lit the air on fire.

"No way," I started running the opposite direction. "The fire's spreading through the air!"

"Must be a high-tier fire," Moye nodded. "I think it's the Turbid Flames of Yin."

"Yeah, I don't need you appreciating his power," I yelled. "Just help me out!"

"Dude, you have a damn spirit."

"It does nothin-"

"What else do you have?"

She's right. It was the only thing I had.

I sighed and called for my spirit. A few moments passed in my mind; as always, I learned a new sword move.

"Well," I bit my teeth together and took a breath. "Here goes nothing."

I held out my weapon and concentrated all of my power to my spirit. No body motion, no yelling out words while doing my move - just one simple slash.

Before Kasumi realized - before I myself realized - my blade collided with Kasumi, who was immediately incapacitated.

"An excellent fight," Kasumi's spirit was wavering. "I saw the zenith of your sword art for a moment."

Then his spirit dissipated along with the dome. His real body fainted due to spirit overload, and so did mine shortly after, from being exhausted.

Moye told me that Enten, the big bulky guy who I sold the Hellbender core to, offered to carry me and Kasumi back to our tavern.

"What was that slash I did earlier?" I asked Moye after settling down again.

"I've never seen anything like it," Moye replied. "But I was able to see you incapacitate Kasumi in just one single strike. The sword looked like it never left its sheath."

"That much I know. You didn't notice anything else? The colour of the slash? The sound, perhaps? Or maybe its shape?"

"I did hear a sharp sound, but it's hard to describe... it was almost like time was shattered," Moye described. "Might be the sound of unsheathing and sheathing the sword at the same time."

"Do you have any idea where it might be from?" I asked again.

"You sure have a lot of questions, and I sure don't have answers to all of them," Moye sighed. "I do know a certain group of blade-wielders who practice Iaido, and some of them can indeed defeat an enemy with one strike, but I don't think they're anywhere near as fast as you were there."

"Hopefully I can recall it again when I need it," I shrugged.

"You can't rely on your spirit, you know that," Moye spoke again. "Not even I know where you'd end up. The only things you can have just a little bit of confidence in are the sword stances you've already mastered. Even then, it's too arbitrary."

"You're awake?" I turned towards a "soft knock" on my door, which flung it open.

"Kasumi! Do you want to destroy my room?" I stood up. "How are you feeling?"

"Still really tired. Yesterday was far more intense than all of my training back in the mountains," Kasumi replied as he stretched. "A pot of hot tea will instantly wake me up, though."

He said as he took out a small teapot, put some water and tea leaves in, and started heating it with his ink-coloured fire.

"Longjing, the best kind from the best place," he explained, casually using his destructive fire to make tea. "Also, in case you were wondering why the air isn't on fire, that's only when I use my spirit."

"I didn't ask, but that's what I figured too," I nodded.

"If I didn't know you, I'd think you were being rude."

"Then you clearly don't know me very well, since I absolutely am rude."

"Sometimes, being rude is just being honest," Kasumi shrugged.

"Wise man speaking wise words again," I chuckled.