Chapter 70

"――Let's do it!"

With a traditional shout, Rio confidently entered the Miloto dojo. Behind him, Shiraha yawned as she followed, and a few curious townspeople and tourists trailed behind her.

Waiting for Rio, who had come with such a large group without much thought for the dojo's size, was the guard from yesterday.

"You're here!"

The guard, who had seemed thoroughly delighted when they met in the inn's dining hall last night, stood up. Young men who appeared to be students paused their training and lined up against the wall. It seemed Rio had informed them in advance that he would be challenging the dojo.

Rio looked around the dojo. Having only entered a village dojo a few times, he found the atmosphere refreshing.

The dojo was spacious with high ceilings. Along the walls, there were training tools and other devices whose purposes were not immediately clear. They appeared well-used but well-maintained, exuding a sense of dignity, as if they had been used by many swordsmen.

The guard retrieved a wooden sword.

"I already talked to the master and got his approval, but a sudden meeting has gathered all the important people in town, so he's not here right now."

"If he has business, there's nothing we can do."

"Yeah. Something seems to be happening in Sanankumayu. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Yebus, the acting master of this dojo."

"I'm Rio. This is my sister, Shiraha."

Deciding that using a pseudonym would be rude, Rio used his real name and chose a suitable wooden sword from the ones hung on the wall.

Seeing that Rio was serious, Yebus swung his wooden sword lightly and stood in the center of the dojo, seemingly amused.

The sound of the door closing echoed, and turning around, Rio saw Shiraha, who was annoyed by the tourists, closing the dojo's door.

"Does your sister use a sword too?"

"She uses a self-taught style, like me. It's a bit unconventional, though."

"Sounds interesting."

Yebus, who seemed intrigued by the sword Shiraha used, smiled at Rio.

"I'll be your opponent until the master arrives. If you have any questions, I'll answer them."

"Let's start, then. I don't want to disturb the students."

"Quite considerate for someone challenging a dojo."

"Is that setting still in play?"

Laughing, Rio held his wooden sword in a standard stance and faced Yebus.

As expected of an acting master, Yebus showed no openings. His wooden sword, held in a standard stance, was broad and had a slightly longer handle.

Judging that the reach difference with Yebus, who was more than a head taller, was insurmountable, Rio decided to take the initiative.

Activating his body enhancement, Rio kicked off the floor. Yebus, surprised by the lack of sound, immediately directed the tip of his wooden sword at Rio's feet. As an acting master, his instincts were sharp.

Rio feinted to the right and shifted his body to the left, circling around to Yebus's side.

Yebus, pulling back his right foot to match Rio's movements, seemed caught off guard by Rio's speed and his defense was lax.

Rio stepped into the turned body of Yebus. From a standard stance, he thrust the tip of his wooden sword at Yebus's right shoulder, where his defense was weak.

Yebus raised his wooden sword to block, but his reaction was too slow, and he was on the back foot.

However, Rio was not complacent and kept a close eye on Yebus's wooden sword.

That's why Rio noticed it—the sudden acceleration of Yebus's swing.

Judging that it was too late to react, Rio's movements were quick.

He pivoted on the heel of his left foot and pulled back his wooden sword. Yebus's wooden sword sliced through the air at high speed, barely grazing Rio's tip.

The wind from the swing ruffled Rio's bangs.

If he had insisted on the thrust, Rio's wooden sword, which was far less powerful, would have been sent flying towards the ceiling.

Yebus reversed his right hand and, holding the wooden sword with one hand, brought it down from a high position.

Rio calmly crossed his feet and moved to the side, shifting his body just enough to avoid the downward strike.

Yebus, surprised that he missed, smiled slightly.

In the next instant, the trajectory of the wooden sword changed, and it swung horizontally, aiming for Rio's torso.

This was a unique counterattack of the Miloto style, which focused on enhancing the flexibility of the wrist and arm through body enhancement.

Holding his breath, Rio thrust his wooden sword into the floor as a third leg, crouched to dodge Yebus's horizontal swing, and simultaneously delivered a low kick.

However, Yebus showed no interest in Rio's kick. With his legs enhanced through body enhancement, Yebus's legs were impervious to Rio's kick.

As a guard, his stance included body enhancement to prevent damage in hand-to-hand combat.

Indeed, Rio's low kick had no effect on Yebus's legs.

But that was fine.

Rio's foot stepped on Yebus's toes.

Even if body enhancement prevented damage, being weighed down by his entire body would prevent Yebus from moving.

Rio, pulling back his wooden sword from the floor, stomped with his supporting foot and thrust at Yebus's abdomen with the force of a body check.

Yebus's sword tip was far away after the swing, and it was impossible to pull it back in time.

However, in the next instant, Rio's wooden sword was deflected from below.

Thrown off balance by the impact, Rio quickly shifted his center of gravity backward to rapidly retreat.

Creating distance from Yebus, who was in close proximity, would broaden his field of vision.

Rio understood what had blocked his thrust.

"Handle strike..."

Yebus, immediately judging that he couldn't swing his wooden sword again in time, held the tip with his left hand, moved his right hand to the middle of the blade, and used the lever principle to strike Rio's wooden sword away.

When Rio's low kick was delivered, Yebus had completed the series of movements outside of Rio's field of vision without hesitation.

Without pursuing the retreating Rio, Yebus relaxed his stance.

"I thought your self-taught style would be something different, but you move well and understand the structure of the body to stop movement. I lost sight of you for a moment and broke out in a cold sweat. Most of all, your eyes are good. I can see your eagerness to learn and absorb everything. Kalil had the same look in his eyes."

Yebus looked at Rio with admiration and then with a regretful expression.

"If you had talent, I would have welcomed you to the dojo, but you lack the talent compared to Kalil..."

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

Rio shrugged in agreement.

The students watching from the wall murmured.

It seemed hard to believe that Rio, who had engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the acting master Yebus, lacked sword talent.

However, from Rio's perspective, it wasn't even a match. Just the handle strike alone clearly showed that his attacks were being read.

Yebus smiled wryly at the murmuring students.

"Regardless of your physique, the low limit of your body enhancement is a deal-breaker in the Miloto style. I understand why your self-taught style took that form. It's very rational and interesting."

Yebus instructed the students to resume their practice and invited Rio to the wall.

"Your ability to move so much despite the low limit of your body enhancement is likely due to your understanding of footwork and joints. I want to learn that. In return, I'll teach you the Miloto style's five-point enhancement method."

"Is that okay?"

"The guard's sword style is so widespread that you might hear about it somewhere else even if you don't learn it here. However, practicing with a half-understood method could damage your body, so I want to teach you responsibly."

Grateful for the offer, Rio called Shiraha and followed Yebus.

While listening to Yebus's lecture, Shiraha suddenly glared out the window.

"He's coming."

"Who?"

Just as he asked, a cool sound and a refreshing breeze blew in through the window. At the same time, a commotion approached quickly.

The commotion, which sounded like a scream, finally came from Yebus.

"Lord Sufan!?"

Outside the window, the divine spirit Sufan had descended onto the hedge.