Both combatants were filled with anticipation for this battle, so neither held back. The match began with a powerful, head-on clash.
Mifune's Iaidō was truly impressive; his draw speed was even faster than that impressive Iaidō user Hoshiyomi had faced before, whose swordsmanship was only average.
Mifune's blade was already swinging, while Hoshiyomi had just begun drawing Mikazuki Munechika. This forced Hoshiyomi to et Mifune's ninja blade with the part of Mikazuki Munechika closest to its hilt, striking the middle section of Mifune's blade.
The two blades collided with a crisp clink of tal.
(This was Mifune's current blade, not Kurosawa, which he only used after his battle with Hanzō.)
Their battle seed to completely bypass any feeling-out period.
After the clash, the two ninja blades didn't imdiately separate; instead, they remained locked, engaging in a power struggle, with sparks even visible as their weapons t.
Right from the start, Hoshiyomi was at a slight disadvantage.
Mifune was the aggressor, attacking with the middle section of his ninja blade—the position that allowed for optimal force.
Hoshiyomi, as the defender, was already in a less convenient position to exert force and was using the base of his blade.
He needed to expend much more energy than Mifune just to block the attack.
However, Hoshiyomi was a man who had undergone hellish Taijutsu training.
After a brief stalemate, he ultimately turned the tables through sheer strength.
Not only did he force Mifune's ninja blade away from himself, but he also steadily pressed his own blade down onto Mifune's.
Mifune was surprised that Hoshiyomi could turn the tide with strength from such a disadvantageous position.
Confirming Hoshiyomi's superior strength, Mifune chose to retreat—but he wouldn't expose himself easily.
He used his signature Retreating Splitting Slash, a technique effective for both offense and defense, simultaneously launching a fierce counter-slash to deter Hoshiyomi's pursuit.
After creating a safe distance, Mifune activated Instant Step, leveraging his speed advantage to attack Hoshiyomi again.
This ti, it wasn't a horizontal slash, but a direct thrust aid at Hoshiyomi's face.
Hoshiyomi quickly tilted his head to dodge the thrust.
To prevent Mifune from changing his technique, Hoshiyomi swiftly struck back, slashing at Mifune's arm.
Seeing Hoshiyomi directly attacking his arm, Mifune shifted his straight thrust into an upward sweep, using a movent similar to a reverse Kesagiri to dodge Hoshiyomi's attack.
At the sa ti, he arced his hand in a semicircle in the air, changing his technique into a horizontal slash that targeted Hoshiyomi's abdon.
Hoshiyomi was at the end of his last move, unable to quickly parry.
Seeing Mifune's incoming attack, and with no ti to bring his sword back to block, he chose to draw the kunai from his thigh sheath with his left hand, barely managing to block the strike with it.
But this kunai was rely a common, mass-produced item of ordinary quality.
Mifune's fierce slash imdiately chipped a large gash into it, making it unusable.
Hoshiyomi seized the opportunity, tossing the kunai at Mifune.
As Mifune dodged, Hoshiyomi re-gripped his sword with both hands and unleashed Crescent Moon Slash - Second Form, pressing his attack.
Mifune had just evaded the kunai when he saw Hoshiyomi attack again, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He first blocked the initial downward chop of the Crescent Moon Slash.
As Hoshiyomi transitioned from a downward chop to an upward sweep, Mifune sidestepped and retreated a step, dodging the second part of the Crescent Moon Slash, and simultaneously slamd the hilt of his ninja blade toward Hoshiyomi's head.
Hoshiyomi raised his hand to block Mifune's sword hilt with his palm.
Using Mifune's hand as a pivot point, he pushed upwards, simultaneously raising his leg and kicking Mifune squarely in the chest.
In the second exchange of the match, Hoshiyomi gained the upper hand.
While the description reads as a long sequence, all of these actions were rely the fighters' improvisations, occurring in a matter of re seconds.
Less skilled audience mbers only saw a blur of motion before Mifune retreated, clutching his chest.
However, the powerful fighters and discerning spectators watched in rapt admiration.
Their battle was so fluid it resembled an art form, leaving them completely engrossed, utterly captivated for fear of missing any detail.
Below the stage, Asuka watched the match intently.
Perhaps it was her intense focus, or perhaps Tsunade's pill was taking effect, but she hadn't coughed this entire ti.
Beside her, the Land of Iron leader also watched the match, but his attention was mostly on his daughter.
Seeing that she hadn't coughed for so long, a thought stirred within him.
Could it be that this dical-nin's dicine really works? In that case, should I take Asuka to the Land of Fire to see that dical-nin, just as this Kenshin said?
No, that person is a dical-nin, so they must be a Konoha ninja. It's unlikely that Konoha would let such a skilled dical-nin stay in the Land of Iron for too long.
That ans I'd have to go with Asuka myself. But as the Land of Iron leader, I can't stay away for too long.
So, should I ask this Kenshin to go with my daughter?
This boy doesn't seem like a bad person, but without a compelling reason, it might be hard to get him to wholeheartedly help Asuka.
Just as the Land of Iron leader was pondering these matters, the audience erupted in a gasp, interrupting his thoughts.
He looked up and saw the two combatants in the ring colliding in mid-air.
While the Land of Iron leader was deep in thought, the two had already begun their third exchange.
This ti, Hoshiyomi had leaped first.
He had seen how the Kurogane Ida had used an earthquake to limit Mifune's Instant Step, and he intended to imitate it, using a thod similar to Silver Blade to suppress Mifune.
However, Mifune saw through Hoshiyomi's intentions.
He likewise leaped, slashing at Hoshiyomi.
Seeing this, Hoshiyomi decisively changed his move.
He twisted his waist mid-air, his entire body almost parallel to the ground.
Through this evasive maneuver, he successfully dodged Mifune's swing.
At the sa ti, Mikazuki Munechika in his hand moved.
Hoshiyomi powerfully swung Mikazuki Munechika, his body spinning in the air.
His Mikazuki no Mai traced a circle, cutting sharply toward Mifune.
This was the Dragon Coil Flash: Wintry Wind from the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.
Mifune was also surprised that Hoshiyomi had dodged his attack, but he reacted quickly.
The mont his attack missed, he imdiately protected himself with Chakra.
At the sa ti, he swiftly adopted a defensive stance in the air.
He blocked Hoshiyomi's strike with the shoulder armor on both his shoulders.
Hoshiyomi's strike severed one side of Mifune's shoulder armor, but didn't inflict any actual damage on Mifune.
Both n were slightly out of breath after landing.
Though they hadn't used any devastating techniques so far, the intricate offense and defense, revolving around fleeting openings, had taken a significant toll on both their ntal and physical stamina.
After landing, Mifune glanced at his severed shoulder armor and felt a pang of relief.
Fortunately, as a samurai, he had the habit of always wearing his armor.
Otherwise, with that one strike, his left arm might have been gone.
Still feeling a lingering fear, Mifune couldn't help but speak.
"Kenshin-san's mind is truly agile; I can't compare.
But I won't give you such an opportunity again."
Saying this, he re-adjusted his stance, preparing to launch another attack.
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