Chapter 183

Read many more (at least 15) future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict !

What the Heart Cuts Through, Nothing Can Stand (Guaranteed 44, Please Subscribe!)

"An anomaly? No, what sword technique is this?"

Watching Abel hastily retreat, Koushirou did not give chase but stood still, curiously asking.

"This is the first sword technique I created, named Shadow Strike. How did you see through it?"

Abel didn't immediately launch another attack, as he was eager to know the answer.

However, Koushirou shook his head and said, "I did not see through it, but the moment you stood behind me and drew your sword, I had already sensed it."

Clearly, Abel did not understand.

Koushirou didn't mind giving a lesson to the young man and continued, "I have a secret sword technique, which you might find instructive. Watch closely."

Finished speaking, Koushirou quickly stepped forward and made a slashing motion.

But for Abel, it seemed as though Koushirou held nothing in his hands.

No! Why would I think that?

Abel snapped to his senses, immediately leaped back, distancing himself from his opponent's attack range, and then he saw clearly that Koushirou had been holding the sword Wado Ichimonji all along.

"Is it a trick of the eyes? Or an illusion?"

Koushirou then explained, "In the hidden sword technique, what is hidden is not just the sword, but also the intent."

"Intent?"

Abel frowned and reflected on what had just happened.

Why did he feel that the opponent had no sword in hand?

It felt as if an invisible force had hypnotized him.

Could this intent influence his senses?

He suddenly realized that he might never have really understood what swordsmanship truly was.

This irritated him.

"Let's go again!"

Abel forcefully suppressed his irritation and no longer hesitated, immediately showing his true skills, engaging in combat with Koushirou.

The swordsmanship he acquired from the bloody battles with Night Parade, the Crescent Moon Sword Technique taught to him by Doflamingo, and the three techniques he created himself were all utilized.

But no matter how he varied his attacks, Koushirou could steadily fend them off and counterattack.

This was no longer a mere gap in strength, but overwhelming at the level of swordsmanship.

It was like a top student from a small town who excelled in solving exam questions discussing with a true mathematician how to approach a problem—the student focuses on finding the correct answer efficiently and without error, while the mathematician relishes the entire thinking process and extending to more meaningful questions.

"That's enough for today."

After pushing Abel back again, Koushirou suddenly stood erect with his sword sheathed.

Abel, who was ready to perform the "Infinite Slash," stopped at the other's signal. He hesitated for a moment, then chose to give up.

He came to witness the opponent's swordsmanship, not to make enemies.

Using "Infinite Slash" would mean both a decisive victory and a life-or-death situation.

Moreover, he had to admit, in terms of sword skills, he was far inferior.

This wasn't a gap that could be bridged by mechanically wielding a sword thousands or tens of thousands of times.

Now, he just wanted to know where he was going wrong.

Koushirou thought for a moment and then said, "Actually, your fundamentals are very solid, but you lack deep understanding of swordsmanship."

"Swordsmanship is vast and profound."

"When a swordsman carves out his own path in swordsmanship, he can manifest anomalies within each move."

"Your three self-created sword techniques have already begun to show signs of such anomalies."

"Yet, strangely, despite being able to do this, you still seem like you don't understand anything.""It's as if you were born with this power, so you automatically skipped the exploration process that comes before it."

Upon hearing this, Abel nodded inwardly, realizing it was indeed the case.

Without the 'golden finger', he would probably still be at the initial stage of swordsmanship, unable to even execute a flying slash.

However, the appearance of skills allowed him to write down 'answers' that would normally require many steps to solve, bypassing the process altogether.

Although this answer was undoubtedly correct, because he didn't understand the steps and the process, he couldn't comprehend other people's solutions.

That was the biggest drawback!

As for what's referred to as the 'swordsmanship phenomena', he was able to understand.

For instance, the move "Devil Aura: Nine-Sword Style Asura" created by Zoro in the original work, when used, makes Zoro appear to have three heads and six arms. This is a kind of swordsmanship phenomenon, not that he actually grew extra heads and arms.

Similarly, "Flower Sword" Vista, the 5th division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, always generates a large number of red rose petals around him when he uses his sword techniques.

Of course, these are also swordsmanship phenomena, rather than him scattering petals in the air while cutting down his opponents in a fight.

This also pointed Abel in the direction of where to develop the derivative sword techniques of the Dark Breath.

"I have another question I want to know: what is the ultimate realm of swordsmanship?"

Abel asked again, as he wanted to determine his future choices based on the answer.

Koushirou answered seriously, "In this world, there's a power that can cut through steel, and there are swords that can't cut anything."

"To me, the highest realm of swordsmanship is: cut whatever the heart desires, there's nothing that cannot be cut. If the heart doesn't wish, not even paper will be cut."

Translated, it means:

Whatever your heart desires to cut through, it can indeed be cut through. If you don't wish to cut, not even paper will be cut.

"This seems a bit too idealistic."

Abel felt this wasn't the answer he wanted to hear.

Seeing his disbelief, Koushirou smiled and said, "How about it, would you like to experience it for yourself? Today, I can make an exception."

"Alright, what do I need to do?"

Abel didn't hesitate at all and agreed immediately.

He also wanted to witness what the other party considered the ultimate realm of swordsmanship.

As for his own safety, he wasn't worried.

He couldn't think of any reason why the other would want to kill him.

Nonetheless, as a precaution, he still held the "Perfect Blood of the Devil Progenitor" in his hand, ensuring that he could save himself in the event of any accident.

"You don't need to do anything, just feel this slash with your heart."

Swish!

Before the words were finished, Koushirou slashed like lightning, directly passing by Abel's neck.

With a thud, a head fell to the ground.

Yet, it was not Abel's head, but that of a wooden dummy behind him.

Abel reached out in surprise and uncertainty to touch his neck not finding even a single hair cut, let alone a blood mark.

But just at that moment, he felt very clearly the sharp blade of the other's hand slashing across his neck.

Had the "Perfect Blood of the Devil Progenitor" not been in his hand, he might have doubted whether a wound there had already healed.

"Cut whatever the heart desires, there's nothing that cannot be cut. If the heart doesn't wish, not even paper will be cut."

Abel silently recited these sixteen words, his mind full of thoughts.