Everyone in the arena watched without blinking, waiting for the final outco.
Suddenly, with a sharp snap, Mifune's ninja blade broke cleanly in half at the center.
That sound was like a signal.
In the next instant, there were two faint shh noises as blood spurted from both fighters' waists.
Both n clutched their wounds and collapsed to the ground simultaneously.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Had the battle ended in a double knockout?
Even Asuka covered her mouth in shock.
The speed of their final exchange had been too fast—even she hadn't seen clearly what had happened in that split second.
Instinctively, she looked to her father.
The leader of the Land of Iron gave a small shake of his head.
"Mifune's swordsmanship is still not profound enough."
Asuka was stunned.
She had assud Mifune-senpai would be the winner.
She couldn't help but ask, "Are you saying Kenshin's swordsmanship is more profound than Mifune-senpai's?"
The leader shook his head again.
Nearby contestants leaned in, eager to hear his explanation.
"Mifune didn't lose due to a lack of swordsmanship… he lost because of a weakness in his spirit."
Just as the Land of Iron leader said, the fallen Hoshiyomi began to move.
He remained on the ground for a mont, catching his breath, then slowly propped himself up using Mikazuki Munechika, rising with effort.
Mifune had not lost consciousness either, but after struggling for a long while, he still couldn't stand.
His injuries were more severe than Hoshiyomi's.
Not only had he been wounded in the side, but his right arm bore a deep, bone-deep slash.
He tried to support himself with his broken blade, but after several failed attempts, he slumped back to the ground with a bitter laugh.
"I've always pursued a realm where nothing in this world could hinder my blade…
But in the end, I failed to sever the hesitation in my own heart."
Yes—at the most critical mont, Mifune hesitated.
He had thought he could cut through Hoshiyomi's Swallow Return.
But when those three strikes sealed off every possible avenue of escape, his survival instinct took over.
Instead of committing to a full-force, one-for-one exchange, he instinctively tried to dodge using Flash.
Had he truly gone all-in, he might've pulled off sothing like Arthuria vs. Sasaki Kojirō— Holding steady and clashing directly against all three arcs of the Swallow Return with sheer sword technique.
At worst, it would've ended in mutual defeat—or a draw.
But Mifune had violated his own creed by choosing to evade.
He believed that no sword technique, no matter how fast, could truly strike three tis simultaneously.
So he had gambled on avoiding the first arc and counterattacking afterward.
But that mont of retreat was the first step down the path to defeat.
Issen relied on the montum of Instant Step to generate unparalleled cutting force.
Mifune's sudden directional shift robbed the technique of its edge.
Though he managed to block the first arc and heavily injure Hoshiyomi, the remaining two slashes—blindingly fast—left him severely wounded.
The second strike shattered Mifune's ninja blade and carved a wound into his side.
The third would have ended his life.
But Hoshiyomi pulled back just in ti.
Mikazuki Munechika stopped after cutting through Mifune's armguard, leaving only a deep, bone-revealing wound.
In the end, Mifune hadn't been defeated by Hoshiyomi.
He had been defeated by his own wavering heart.
That realization plunged him into despair.
He even felt he was no longer worthy of holding a sword—and thoughts of seppuku took root.
He gripped his broken blade tightly and shouted, preparing to drive it into his stomach—
But just then, a beautifully crafted ninja sword flew through the air, knocking the broken blade from his hand.
Hoshiyomi stood firm, his voice calm but sharp:
"It was just one defeat.
If you'd choose death over a single failure…
You won't beco a hero.
You'll beco the laughingstock of the Land of Iron for generations."
At that mont, the Land of Iron leader also leapt onto the stage.
He didn't speak imdiately—he simply slapped Mifune across the face.
The impact sent the already-downed Mifune flying several ters.
When he hit the ground, he seed to snap out of it and bowed his head deeply.
The leader turned his back to him and said slowly:
"Only blades that endure the harshest trials can be passed down through generations.
People are the sa.
Only those who hold true to their beliefs and continue refining themselves will be rembered forever."
Hearing that, Mifune trembled.
He raised his head again, eyes full of tears.
"I, Mifune, will forever uphold my master's teaching.
I will never abandon my belief again."
The leader nodded with relief, then ordered dics to tend to Mifune's wounds.
After Mifune was carried away, the leader turned toward Hoshiyomi.
"You've done well.
I hereby declare you… the champion of this year's Kenjutsu Tournant."
He also gave a glance to the event host, who imdiately understood and shouted loudly:
"Ladies and gentlen!
The Kenjutsu Tournant has officially concluded!
Let us give a thunderous round of applause to our champion—Kenshin!"
After the match, Hoshiyomi was a bit worried he'd get mobbed by the crowd before he could even make it back to the inn.
Thankfully, the Land of Iron leader had prepared for that.
The top five contestants were escorted through a special route straight to the the General's mansion— No chance for the eager crowd to interfere.
Inside a guest room in the General's mansion, Hoshiyomi was treating his wounds.
He applied the dicinal powder Tsunade had prepared for him, wrapping thick bandages around his waist.
Lobo stood nearby and asked:
"Are we heading back to Konoha after eting the leader?
Or are we staying in the Land of Iron a while longer?"
Hearing the question, Hoshiyomi hesitated.
He decided to open the Sword Heart System—and was shocked by what he saw.
His experience bar had nearly reached its limit.
Interdiate Swordmanship: 440 / 500.
He checked the system log.
The fight with Asuka had earned him 27 EXP.
The battle with Mifune had given him another 33.
Just those two opponents had provided 60 EXP—nearly as much as two full compatibility upgrades with Mikazuki Munechika.
He also had one remaining chance to receive guidance from the Land of Iron leader.
Though this ti, he planned to focus on learning Instant Step techniques, so the growth might be more limited.
After a mont's thought, Hoshiyomi said:
"We'll stay a little longer.
I can feel I'm close to a breakthrough.
And unlocking the full power of the Sixth Gate is going to take more ti anyway.
Might as well finish that here before heading back to Konoha."
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