Chapter 25

"Challenge me, ronin." Rai Jūta glared at Kenshin, but to his surprise, Kenshin sheathed his sword.

"I have no interest in drawing my sword just to show off or compete. As this reverse-blade sword demonstrates, I do not use my sword to kill."

Upon hearing Kenshin's response, Rai Jūta turned and ordered his disciple, Yutaro, to remove the dojo's sign. This action immediately caused dissatisfaction among the dojo's students, but Rai Jūta's earlier behavior made the apprentices hesitant. Kamiya Kaoru, unable to stand it any longer, decided to challenge Rai Jūta, but Kenshin stopped her. Kenshin then proposed a practice match using bamboo swords at the dojo, hoping to avoid a real fight. Eager to face Kenshin, Rai Jūta agreed to the terms, and the two decided to settle it with a single strike. During the match, Kenshin did not attack, only dodging Rai Jūta's strikes, which made Rai Jūta increasingly frustrated.

"Why don't you fight back? Are you playing with me?" Rai Jūta demanded.

"I've already said that I have no interest in drawing my sword just to show off or compete."

Realizing Kenshin's intention to force a draw to prevent him from removing the dojo's sign, Rai Jūta raised his bamboo sword and struck forcefully. In Kenshin's eyes, a part of Rai Jūta's bamboo sword suddenly twisted. Having experienced the bloodshed of the Bakumatsu era, Kenshin's sixth sense warned him of the danger. The sword aura enveloped the bamboo sword, and Kenshin quickly dodged the strike while using his own bamboo sword, imbued with sword aura, to deflect Rai Jūta's attack. The deflected bamboo sword cut into the dojo's floor, leaving a deep crack. Failing to hit Kenshin, Rai Jūta realized he could not guarantee victory, especially since his best move had failed to force Kenshin to attack. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Rai Jūta left the dojo with Yutaro.

Seeing Rai Jūta leave, the dojo's students sighed in relief. Some carried the injured Maekawa to the doctor, while others gathered around the crack in the floor, pointing and discussing it.

"This is..." Kenshin suddenly thought of something.

"Rice Straw Blade." Shin walked forward. "A destructive technique using the whirlwind created by high-speed sword swings. Some techniques in the Yuki Tenken-ryu are inspired by the principles of the Rice Straw Blade. It seems you've attracted another trouble, Kenshin..."

A few days later, Shin learned that Kenshin had met with Rai Jūta, who wanted Kenshin to join his Shin Koryu and eliminate all other sword styles to ensure the tradition of swordsmanship. Since this would inevitably lead to the sacrifice of innocent people, Kenshin firmly rejected Rai Jūta's invitation, and the two parted on bad terms. However, Yutaro, Rai Jūta's disciple, joined Kenshin and the others at the Kamiya Dojo. Rai Jūta had only wanted to use Yutaro's family's wealth and had not taught him any sword techniques. When Yutaro used a bamboo sword, his incorrect grip caused some laughter.

In just ten days, Yutaro, who had trained at the Kamiya Dojo, was able to outperform the highly talented Yahiko, showcasing an extraordinary talent. This was partly due to Shin's frequent visits to the dojo and occasional guidance. Having spent twenty years in the world of Rurouni Kenshin, practicing Yuki Tenken-ryu daily and possessing a vast knowledge of sword techniques, Shin's guidance always addressed Yutaro's most significant issues, leading to his rapid progress. On the tenth day, after a practice session, the group went to improve their living conditions at the Akabeko. On the way back, Yutaro recounted his encounter with Rai Jūta. In the past, Yutaro and his father were robbed by bandits. Just as Yutaro was about to be killed, Rai Jūta appeared and scared the bandits away with a single strike. Yutaro then became Rai Jūta's disciple. As he spoke, Rai Jūta suddenly appeared behind them and struck with a Rice Straw Blade, but Kenshin and Shin, with their heightened senses, easily dodged the attack.

"Finally showing your true colors, Rai Jūta," Sano said coldly, while Yutaro tried to defend his master.

"No, my master just wanted to greet you. That strike was very light, right, master?" Yutaro looked at Rai Jūta expectantly, but received only silence. The long crack on the ground contradicted Yutaro's words.

Rai Jūta ignored Yutaro and struck again with a Rice Straw Blade, but Kenshin, who had already seen through the technique, easily dodged it. The Rice Straw Blade, a whirlwind created by the high-speed movement of the blade, had a limited range and was too slow for Kenshin, who could use the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Even when Rai Jūta used a dirty trick to throw sand, Kenshin read his move and dodged, then countered with a Tornado Flash Slash, which grazed Rai Jūta's abdomen, causing him to kneel and gasp in pain.

"It seems the Rice Straw Blade alone can't kill you," Rai Jūta said, placing his sword on his right side in a drag position. "But my Rice Straw Blade secret technique is far more than that. Secret Technique—Flying Rice Straw Blade!" An invisible whirlwind struck Kenshin, surprising him, but Kenshin, familiar with such attacks from his youth, easily dodged it. However, Yutaro, who was behind Kenshin, could not react in time. Just as the Flying Rice Straw Blade was about to hit Yutaro, a cane appeared and struck the whirlwind, dispersing it.

"Do you know? If I hadn't blocked that, Yutaro's arm would have been crippled," Shin's voice was unusually cold.

"Do you really think I wanted to take him as my disciple? It's already difficult to make money with swordsmanship, and the Shin Koryu needs a lot of funds. So I found his father and staged a show for them. Even if this is exposed, I can find more suckers to fund me." Rai Jūta's words not only angered Kenshin and the others but also infuriated Shin, who rarely lost his temper. For his own selfish desires, he had harmed others, which Shin always despised.

"Is that so? I doubt you've ever killed anyone. Talking so much to an opponent who hasn't fallen shows that you don't understand the burden a killer carries. Your immaturity and ignorance almost cost a young boy who truly wanted to learn swordsmanship his dream. You call yourself a killing sword? I'll show you the true power of a killer." A powerful aura pressed down on Rai Jūta, making him feel incredibly heavy.

"I... I won't lose like this! Flying Rice Straw Blade, random strikes!" Three Flying Rice Straw Blades formed a reverse triangle and struck Shin.

"Three Flying Rice Straw Blades? Arrogant fool." Shin swung his cane, releasing a three-meter-long blue sword aura that collided with the three Flying Rice Straw Blades. The whirlwinds were no match for the solid sword aura and were easily dispelled. The sword aura, undeterred, continued its path, cutting a deep groove in the ground and striking Rai Jūta. Rai Jūta, reacting quickly, placed his sword horizontally in front of his chest and used his left hand to block the sword aura.

However, even a high-quality katana was no match for Shin's sword aura, which was fueled by anger. The katana broke, and half of it was thrown into the air. The sword aura then struck Rai Jūta, though it was not sharp enough to cut him in half, the force was still considerable. The sword aura did not dissipate upon impact but dragged Rai Jūta's body forward, causing a series of bone-cracking sounds. When the sword aura finally dissipated, a deep red indentation was visible on Rai Jūta's chest, and he fell unconscious, foaming at the mouth.

"Is he... dead?" Yahiko poked Rai Jūta with a bamboo sword, but there was no response.

"Don't worry, this guy is tough. This won't kill him, but his swordsmanship career is over..."

A few days later, due to business, Yutaro followed his father to the German Empire. Perhaps this was the will of the world, but the outcome was still good. At least Yutaro did not suffer the same fate as in the original story, where his right hand was damaged by the Flying Rice Straw Blade. Because of the incident with Rai Jūta, Yutaro left with the determination to return to the Kamiya Dojo to learn swordsmanship, and his name was added to the dojo's student list. As for Rai Jūta, he was arrested by the police for fraud, violating the sword ban, and malicious injury. He would likely be in prison for at least a decade.

Today, the Tendou Tofu Shop was as busy as ever. With a shortage of staff, Shin and Zanbu were quite busy, and Zanbu's arm was not fully recovered, so he could only use one hand to serve the customers, who filled the shop.

"Phew... Finally done." After hours of work, the last customer left, and the two could finally take a break. At that moment, a tall man with small eyes lifted the shop's curtain.

"Excuse me, are you still open?" The man, wearing a police uniform, probably came for a meal after working overtime. Thinking this, Zanbu quickly approached the seated customer.

"Of course, we're still open. What would you like... You?!"

The officer removed his hat, revealing a face that looked gentle but carried a hint of menace. "I'm the new officer, Fujita Goro..."

Physical condition:

Heart Coins: 1080

World: Rurouni Kenshin

Name: Tendou Shin

Gender: Male

Physical Attributes:

Physical strength is about nine times that of an average person.

Detailed Attributes:

Strength: 91 (10) - Affects burst strength, pure strength, and strength beyond limits.

Agility: 100 (10) - Affects speed, reaction time, and intuition.

Stamina: 95 (10) - Affects endurance, recovery speed, and the ability to withstand certain techniques.

Abilities: Yuki Tenken-ryu

No-sword style

Mastery of all cold weapons

Mastery of all firearms

Martial arts master

Heart Powers Obtained:

Killing Heart LV2: Does not waver in most situations when killing others, has resistance to certain illusions, and gains minor recovery from killing.

Compassion Heart LV2: Compassion is a necessary heart for a strong person, has resistance to certain illusions, and gains minor recovery from helping others.

Ordinary Heart LV1: Daily life can cultivate one's character, has resistance to certain illusions, and can gain the favor of ordinary people.

Other powers not yet activated.

PS: Please recommend, collect, and review.

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