Chapter 34

After subduing Sōji, Xinxin and the others continued to advance. The base of Shishio Makoto covers an area as large as a town. It took the group nearly ten minutes of continuous running to reach the next obstacle, which clearly demonstrated the scale of Shishio's power. It's no wonder Saitō Hajime would lament the government's incompetence; a fugitive like Shishio could gather such a vast force, indicating the corruption of the entire Meiji government. However, Xinxin and the others had no time to dwell on these political matters. Standing at the entrance of the room, Yumi introduced the situation to Kenshin, Xinxin, and Leftsuke.

"This is the room where the strongest of the Ten Swords, Seta Sōjirō, is located. Even you will meet your end here this time."

Hearing this, Leftsuke looked at Kenshin and asked, "I remember hearing this name before. Is he very powerful?"

"Yes, he was the one who split my reverse-blade sword in two." Hearing this, Leftsuke's face instantly showed a look of shock. "But this time, I have the secret technique, Tenshin Agatsuma, and the true reverse-blade sword. I will not lose to him." Just as Kenshin was about to push open the door, Xinxin stopped him.

"Master?"

"After dealing with Sōjirō, we will face the real Shishio. Your task is to settle the grudge that has lasted from the Bakumatsu period to today. In your current state, you have a high chance of losing to Shishio. Even if you defeat Sōjirō, you will surely be wounded. Fighting Shishio in such a condition is no different from suicide. So, this time, I will take on the challenge." With that, Xinxin stepped forward and pushed open the door. Sōjirō had been waiting for them for a long time.

"I am truly glad that you all made it here safely. Although it's not a duel with Himura, I will give my all if you, Tendou, wish to challenge me." Sōjirō still wore his ever-present smile, but Xinxin knew the story behind that smile very well.

"Oh, by the way, you don't need to worry about the Aoi-ya. Our forces have already failed. Because of this, I need someone to do the work of the Ten Swords, so I can't spend too much time on you, Mr. Tendou." As he spoke, Sōjirō approached Xinxin, who understood what was about to happen. ...

The twenty meters between them seemed to vanish in an instant. In the blink of an eye, their figures had already crossed paths. The cane sword and Kikuichi-monji were drawn simultaneously, clashing in mid-air. Their figures separated, and both landed steadily on the ground. The cane sword in Xinxin's hand and the Kikuichi-monji in Sōjirō's hand were both unscathed. Sōjirō's Kikuichi-monji was a top-tier katana, one of the finest swords in the Rurouni Kenshin world. Xinxin's cane sword, while also top-tier, was slightly inferior to the Kikuichi-monji. However, with Xinxin's mastery of Ki, it could still match the Kikuichi-monji.

"It seems Mr. Tendou's sword is no ordinary weapon. However, no matter how skilled you are, you cannot defeat Lord Shishio. Moreover, even if you use your full strength, you might not win against me." Sōjirō's figure instantly disappeared, and the tatami floor was quickly marked with over a dozen indentations in just a few seconds. His speed was beyond the range of normal human vision, truly superhuman. But...

"Superhuman speed, indeed, is impressive, but..."

Sōjirō's Kikuichi-monji was firmly held between Xinxin's thumb and index finger. No matter how Sōjirō changed the direction of his force, the blade in Xinxin's hand did not budge. "If that's all the speed you have, you cannot defeat me." With that, Xinxin flicked the sword out of his hand, and Sōjirō quickly retreated ten meters away, still smiling.

"I didn't expect Mr. Tendou to be so powerful, but I wasn't using Shukuchi just now. That was the third form before Shukuchi, which is why my sword was caught. This time, I will use the second form before Shukuchi. Be careful." With that, Sōjirō's figure disappeared again, and the sound of the tatami being crushed echoed around Xinxin.

"You still haven't learned, have you..."

Xinxin gripped the cane of his cane sword and pushed off with his feet, disappearing from the others' sight. In just a few seconds, the room was filled with the sound of at least ten collisions. Only during each collision could the onlookers see the figures of the combatants; otherwise, they could only see the deep indentations in the floor.

"Why don't you draw your sword and fight me, Mr. Tendou? Do you also adhere to the principle of not killing?"

After a clash, seeing that Xinxin was still fighting with the sheathed cane sword, Sōjirō asked with a smile.

"I am not a penitent like your foolish disciple who adheres to the principle of not killing. I adhere to my own principles. Whether I kill or not is not important; what matters is whether I am truly following my heart."

"Then why didn't you draw your sword this time?"

"The correct thing you believe in is Shishio's theory of the survival of the fittest, right?" Seeing Sōjirō's nod, Xinxin continued. "The survival of the fittest is indeed a law of nature, but humans have surpassed other creatures precisely because they have moved beyond this law. Strong humans care for the weak, and humans care for each other. This is why the human population has grown and thrived. If we followed Shishio's theory, it would be a living hell, with countless weak people dying at the hands of a few strong ones. Is it the fault of those who are not suited for battle? Answer me, Sōjirō." Xinxin's tone was unusually firm. If the survival of the fittest were considered the truth in a species, it would be a terrifying thing. Xinxin secretly resolved that even if Kenshin did not kill Shishio, he would.

Hearing Xinxin's words, Sōjirō's emotional fluctuations became apparent, no longer the emotionless Sōjirō who faced Kenshin. For the Ki Tenshin-ryu, showing emotions means being predictable in their moves. In the next few strikes, Xinxin easily dodged the attacks without even raising his hand.

"So what? The one who saved me was not you, but Lord Shishio's philosophy of the survival of the fittest and a sword." Sōjirō slashed, and Xinxin dodged, taking advantage of the pause as Sōjirō landed to grip the handle of his cane sword. In an instant, nine sword marks appeared on Sōjirō's body.

"Why didn't you kill me? Do you think you've won?" Sōjirō's clothes were cut in eight places, and a strand of hair on his forehead was severed. Xinxin's cane sword pointed at Sōjirō's throat. Xinxin did not use the Ki Tenshin-ryu's Kyūren no Kyūsei but the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's Kyūryū Sen, which would have likely dismembered Sōjirō with just the nine sword auras.

"Although I don't know your story, it's now the Meiji era. If it's not too late, try to believe that we will protect you." Hearing Xinxin's words, Sōjirō finally broke down. Although Sōjirō was known as the Heavenly Sword and killing was a daily occurrence, the first time he killed his adoptive parents, his face was not filled with the false smile he wears now, but with tears. Sōjirō was not a bloodthirsty killer but a fragile person who became a demon out of necessity. However, Xinxin's words also triggered a backlash against the survival of the fittest ideology that had been instilled in Sōjirō for years. Now, Sōjirō was filled with killing intent, and his face no longer wore the false smile but the expression of a killer.

"I will kill you, Tendou. Your words have truly angered me. Now, the truth doesn't matter. With my next move, I will kill you." Sōjirō stepped back, slicing the broken tatami with his sword. He sheathed the Kikuichi-monji and assumed the stance of a sword-drawing technique, but his right hand was lower than usual.

"Be careful. This is the only move I have named, Shinten Satsu. As the name suggests, the victim will die instantly, without even feeling pain."

"Indeed, with the speed of Shukuchi and a high-speed sword-drawing technique, achieving this is not difficult. So..."

Xinxin took off his windbreaker and threw it to Kenshin, his aura instantly surging to several times its original level. Xinxin's light blue Ki windbreaker was no longer the initial version; the current windbreaker weighed 100 kilograms, and the springs attached to it, which counteracted the force of movement, were twice as strong as before. Without the windbreaker, Xinxin's speed exceeded Sōjirō's Shukuchi by two levels.

Kenshin, who caught the windbreaker, almost fell over. After all, Kenshin weighed only about 50 kilograms, and being hit by a windbreaker twice his weight from the air would have knocked him down if not for his strong body.

"This windbreaker is much heavier than Master Hiko's cloak..." Kenshin muttered to himself, holding the windbreaker.

"The true answer, I will find with Shinten Satsu." Sōjirō used his full strength, without any extra movements, and his body instantly disappeared from the spot.

Seeing Sōjirō charge at him, Xinxin also assumed a sword-drawing stance, but his method of attack was not a sword-drawing technique. Xinxin used his hand as a sheath and swung the cane sword at high speed, releasing a three-meter-long, highly condensed crescent-shaped sword aura that slashed at Sōjirō. Full-speed Shukuchi made it difficult to change direction. Seeing the sword aura heading towards him, Sōjirō had to use Shinten Satsu prematurely. As the sword aura and the Kikuichi-monji made contact, Xinxin appeared in front of Sōjirō, raising his cane sword and slashing from the upper right, forming an X with the previous sword aura at the same point on the Kikuichi-monji.

"Ki Tenshin-ryu, Ki Baku Jūji." Xinxin had thought of many ways to counter Sōjirō's Shinten Satsu. Ordinary Ki Tenshin-ryu techniques were hard to match the Kikuichi-monji, which was of a higher grade than the cane sword. A direct clash would likely result in a draw due to the Ki. However, using the secret technique, the power of the Heavenly Sword, was too strong and could have killed Sōjirō, which did not align with Xinxin's intentions. Therefore, he created a new move. First, he used a sword-drawing technique to release a condensed sword aura, then accelerated forward while releasing the sword aura, and slashed from another direction at the point where the sword aura and the opponent's sword met. The first sword aura, combined with the second slash and the sword aura on the blade, destroyed the Kikuichi-monji, which was of a higher grade than Xinxin's weapon. The effect was excellent. Xinxin's blade hit the first sword aura, amplifying its power like a hammer driving a nail. After neutralizing the sword aura, a clear crack appeared where the Kikuichi-monji and the sword aura collided. Then, Xinxin's cane sword, enveloped in a sharp sword aura, struck the crack in the Kikuichi-monji, shattering it. The Kikuichi-monji behind Sōjirō was broken, and Sōjirō was hit by the cane sword and flew back.

"I... lost... It seems you were right, Mr. Tendou." Sōjirō, who had been lying on the ground, woke up under Yumi's care and looked at Xinxin.

"No, if you judge the correctness of your life philosophy based solely on the outcome of a battle, that is far from enough. If the answer could be found so easily, many people would not still be in confusion. Your life philosophy should be found by yourself, not imposed by others or determined by a few battles." Xinxin put on his windbreaker, restored the springs, and left with Kenshin and the others.

"Such a strict person..."

The group arrived at Shishio's office and found that Yumi, who had been taking care of Sōjirō, had already taken a shortcut to get there. Shishio had been waiting in the arena for a long time. Opening the final door, a pungent smell of gasoline filled the air. The arena was built on a cliff, with no way out except for the entrance where Xinxin and the others had entered. The arena was surrounded by chimneys spewing flames, raising the temperature to around 40 degrees Celsius, with the ground temperature reaching a scorching 60 degrees.

"Looking at your wounds, can you still fight?" Shishio laughed, seeing the injuries on Kenshin's body.

"Don't worry about me. Speaking of wounds, you're not in much better shape, are you?" Kenshin retorted, noting that Shishio's skin was burned and he could not even sweat to cool down. This comment clearly angered Shishio.

"Ha ha... Well, since you put it that way, there's no need to hold back. Let's begin."

Both charged at each other. The two, who were once hitokiri during the Bakumatsu period, like yin and yang, were about to settle their long-standing grudge.

Physical Condition:

Heart Coins: 1075

Rurouni Kenshin World

Name: Tendou Xinxin

Gender: Male

Physical Attributes:

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

Detailed Attributes:

Strength: 93 (10) - Affects burst strength, pure strength, and strength beyond limits.

Agility: 104 (10) - Affects speed, reaction time, and intuition.

Stamina: 98 (10) - Affects endurance, recovery speed, and the ability to withstand certain techniques.

Skills:

Swordsmanship: Ki Tenshin-ryu

No-sword style: Capable of handling various weapons without a sword.

Mastery of all cold weapons

Mastery of all firearms

Martial arts master: Proficient in various hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Mechanical expertise: Can master most high-tech devices within ten seconds.

Acquired Heart Powers:

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

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

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

Equipment:

Kikyō Senmitsugetsu: A long sword condensed by the power of the Infinite Heart, surpassing the limits of human craftsmanship in the Rurouni Kenshin world. It comes with the principles of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, allowing the user to perform secret techniques without the need for life-or-death decisions.

Special Items:

Broken Reverse-Blade Sword: The sword broken during Kenshin's battle in the New Moon Village, a divine sword crafted by Arai Seikū. Can be repaired for 5 Heart Coins.

Note: The Rurouni Kenshin world is nearing its conclusion. The next world is C3. New month, seeking recommendations, favorites, and reviews.

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