Chapter 80

"Where'll ya go now Hisashi? Are ya going back to the dungeon?" Ryuya said while they ate on the mountain. He invited him earlier to eat at his house but Hisashi doesn't want to risk encountering Ichika.

"Yeah. You told me that there are strong storms on the sea that connect the continent so I have to prepare for a few days. I also have to look for a boat, though that one is pretty easy as I can just buy one from a fisherman." Hisashi said he bit on his roasted boar.

"Ya idiot. If you think that a small boat like that would be enough, then you'll die in no time. Unless ya have yer brother's luck to be sent ashore the other side, you'll drown indiscriminately. Ya'd rather cross the ice-cold desserts up north. Or go to the volcanic planes southwest of the Han country. As far as I'm aware, that's the route most explorers go through to reach another continent. After all, the foggy area west of the Han is as much dangerous as the sea, if not more." Ryuya warns him.

"It doesn't matter what I do. As long as it's my fate, I'll arrive there one way or another." Hisashi spoke, mimicking a mysterious tone.

"Fate my ass. Ya don't even have yer life settled up. Aside from yer dungeon, you are rarely in, ye'r a vagabond, wanderin' around mountains looking for somethin' to entertain ya. What's worse is that entertainment isn't even normal like drinkin' booze or fightin' schools or whatever. Let me guess, you still haven't gotten your zetten figured out?"

"What's wrong if I haven't had my zetten? Even if you haven't lost your fire sorcery and at the same time have that eye of yours, I'll be you and brother at the same time just like before." Hisashi said as he laughed under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that. But zetten is a reflection of yerself, yer inner self. It's the sign that yer body and mind has become one with the other. It's not a shame to be late on havin' and achievin' it, but don't act like ya can control yer fate. Fate plays a cruel joke after all." Ryuya said seriously to his friend.

However, even after a long time, Hisashi didn't answer. Ryuya acted as if he didn't see this and hit his friend in the shoulder, getting his attention.

"Why don't we spar? I've only spared with yer brother. Just like before, we can only use ki and swordsmanship. Let's see how much you improved." Ryuya said with a smile. Although he was smiling, he was eyeing Hisashi with utmost care. He hadn't noticed it before in the cathedral but he sensed that Hisashi had gotten stronger after getting his 'scroll'.

It wasn't unusual, after all, having a scroll means having your own spell making you stronger. But Hisashi was a different case. And the reason that Ryuya hasn't noticed it is because of his now non-existent mana. Hisashi's ki was still the same but he had felt that the coldness he was feeling ever since earlier was coming from his friend.

"I have to organize my things in the dungeon and I have to prepare for departure. I only stopped here for that and scroll. You know that." Hisashi answered.

"Ouch, ya didn't come here to see me? Yer friend? Shut up and get up. It's just a short one. I need some exercise after eating a whole boar for ourselves." Ryuya said as he removed the string that was on the katana given to him by Hisashi. It was locked there as he didn't really need to use it and for it to not fly unexpectedly if Hisashi was ever to need it. He can summon it wherever he is after all.

Hisashi sighed deeply but simply finished his food and stood up. He takes out a katana with a kusarigama wrapped around it. He removes the chain and sickle before checking the katana's condition.

"I still haven't lost, Ryuya. Just to let you know." Hisashi said as they walked to a more appropriate location. Ryuya simply sneers as he knows that his friend wasn't just bragging about sparrings but also about his adventures whether it is about simple challenges or life and death scenarios.

"Ready to mark this as your first."

The two readied as they held their swords and took their own stance. They didn't need to count for the start of the battle to commence. The first to attack was Hisashi, who even without the use of mana, flashed to Ryuya's face.

Ryuya simply smiles as he parries his strike before adjusting his katana to block Hisashi's incoming front kick. It pushed him a few steps back as his friend followed up with another attack. Without a break, Hisashi used his foot to hook some dirt on his sandals and flicked it on Ryuya who just recovered from his kick.

Ryuya simply backs away as he swings his sword and a sound of metals clashing sounded. Ryuya has predicted that Hisashi would simply attack instead of repositioning before the attack, causing Hisashi's barrage to stop.

"Ya haven't changed. I thought that ya would. After all those travels, ya haven't learned anythin'?" Ryuya snarkily remarks. Hisashi didn't even answer as he pushed Ryuya away. He also jumped a few steps back and the two took their stance once again. As if the first exchange didn't happen, the two aimed their sword against each other for the second time.

This time, Ryuya was the first to move. He puts his sword in an Iai position without sheathing it. He puts his weight and power onto his legs as he launches causing cracks in the ground. Hisashi didn't face it head-on as he threw himself backward.

[One-Sword Draw Style: Ryu no Ryoiki] (Dragon's Domain)

A circular gust of wind ran past Hisashi's face as his back was bent. He twists his body as his feet leave the ground. Around them, a couple of tree trunks were slashed, albeit shallow. With his right hand on the sword and free on the other, he uses it to spin himself sideways and with this momentum, he kicks Ryuya's face.

It almost hit when Ryuya redirected the kick with his left hand weaving just above his head. The two quickly recovered from their short exchange as they once again exchanged attacks.

With Hisashi's own fighting style of incorporating the use of everything he can in his arsenal, he was managing to put pressure on Ryuya. Given its flexibility, unpredictability, and adaptability, it was a sword style… a fighting style that anyone would have a hard time fighting head-on.

Ryuya on the other hand adapted the Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Style which was also the one they taught to the Samurai. He knows other sword styles too and incorporates some of their moves into his fighting style. Seeing how he was keeping up with the ferocious style of Hisashi's, it just goes to show how much mastery he has over his sword skills after being exposed to it for years since he was a kid.

After clashing for minutes, the two were now far from where they started. Just now, Hisashi uses a tree as a foothold and launches a horizontal slash onto Ryuya's way. However, Ryuya was a bit faster as a vertical slash made Hisashi's grip on his sword to be ruined. Ryuya quickly spins his arm to send another attack but Hisashi's counter-attack was faster.

Hisashi kicks his friend's arm to the ground as he succumbs to gravity. This causes Ryuya's body to be dragged down and his face writhe in discomfort. His grip was loosened up too and Hisashi used his other leg to kick the sword to Ryuya's way with its dull edge.

It became a projectile weapon but it wasn't effective as Ryuya simply spun around and flipped to kick Hisashi by the body, making him release his arm. Just when Ryuya thought that it was over, Hisashi came in with a punch.

Unable to dodge, he simply blocks it but the force and the surprise made Ryuya lose his balance. Hisashi comes in with a left hook when Ryuya dodges it. He follows with a grab as he attempts to get his arm for a submission.

He successfully managed to grab him by the arm but he suddenly lost his balance once again and saw that Hisashi had hit him by the legs. With this, Hisashi didn't let his advantage be wasted as he hit Ryuya by his face as he was flung across the battlefield before hitting a tree.