Illimitable Until Death - Chapter 11

With a crisp sound of “ka,” the flying katana pierced directly into the corner of the platform, embedding its tip into the wooden floor.

“Phew…” Konochi Kurusu slowly exhaled, smoothly sheathing the sword with calm movements.

Only at this moment did Araka Kibito realize it.

His katana had just been knocked away by Konochi Kurusu.

Instantly, Araka Kibito let out a bitter smile, spread his hands, and made a helpless gesture. “Indeed, it’s unlikely for me to win against you in Swordsmanship, Kurusu.”

As soon as Araka Kibito finished speaking, the surrounding samurai’s began discussing with unsurprised expressions.

“Kurusu’s swordsmanship is truly remarkable.”

“Even among all the samurai’s of the Yomogawa Family, Kurusu is the most outstanding in terms of swordsmanship, right?”

“That’s why Kurusu became Lady Ayame’s personal guard.”

“Although Kibito is skilled, when it comes to swordsmanship, Kurusu is slightly better.”

The discussions from the surroundings reached Araka Kibito’s ears clearly, intensifying the wry smile on his face.

Only Konochi Kurusu himself seemed completely unaffected by the discussions of the surrounding samurai’s, his handsome face carrying an almost cold expression.

Then, Konochi Kurusu spoke.

“This level is nothing at all. As long as one is a samurai, it can be achieved. It’s just that most samurai’s nowadays only know how to use steam guns and have forgotten that the sword is our true weapon.”

With these words, the lively atmosphere around instantly cooled down.

The samurai’s one by one wore expressions of speechlessness, not knowing what to say.

Araka Kibito also let out a sigh and spoke, “It’s inevitable. We can only barely defend the station with steam guns. It’s too difficult to deal with Kabane with just a sword.”

“I know, I don’t have any objections to this situation either.” Konochi Kurusu closed his eyes and calmly said, “It’s just that when swordsmanship of this level is exaggerated like that, I personally feel a bit ashamed.”

From Konochi Kurusu’s words, everyone could sense a feeling that came from the depths of his heart.

Obviously, Konochi Kurusu held great respect for the dignity of a Samurai and didn’t want that dignity to be tarnished in his hands.

Of course, Konochi Kurusu didn’t harbor any dissatisfaction with the fact that most samurai’s nowadays use steam guns.

After all, it was a necessary weapon to deal with the Kabane, and Konochi Kurusu himself could use it as well, so he naturally didn’t reject it.

However, unlike other samurai’s who relied solely on steam guns, Konochi Kurusu relied not only on them but also on his sword.

As a samurai, Konochi Kurusu believed that his true reliance was in his sword.

Therefore, he never neglected his training in swordsmanship and had been honing his skills all along.

For Konochi Kurusu, the Martial Arts Tournament was not meant for venting frustrations but to test hia own progress and constantly remind himself not to forget the importance of swordsmanship.

This point was also understood by Araka Kibito.

So, Araka Kibito smiled and said to Konochi Kurusu, “As the loser, I’ll withdraw for now. Please continue.”

Konochi Kurusu nodded and, after Araka Kibito stepped down, he surveyed the surroundings and spoke in a loud voice.

“Who wants to come up and fight with me?”

These words echoed clearly in the surroundings.

The samurai’s looked at each other and eventually burst into forced laughter.

“I… I don’t want to, really!”

“We can’t possibly match Kurusu in swordsmanship!”

“That’s right!”

As the samurai’s shook their heads one by one, Konochi Kurusu furrowed his brows deeply.

In that moment, a naive voice, compared to the samurai’s, suddenly spoke up.

“If you don’t know swordsmanship, can you still come up?”

When this voice echoed clearly in the surroundings, Konochi Kurusu was momentarily taken aback. And when he saw the person in the audience who spoke, his previously cold and serious expression couldn’t help but freeze.

It wasn’t just Konochi Kurusu, even the other samurai’s, including Araka Kibito, were stunned. Their facial expressions showed not only surprise but also astonishment.

In the midst of the crowd of samurai’s, a hand was raised high.

The owner of the hand was not a familiar samurai to anyone present. They estimated the person’s age to be under twenty, and he was dressed in peculiar attire.

That was the reason that astonished every single samurai present.

And the person who raised his hand was none other than Fang Li.

However, Fang Li had no choice but to raise his hand.

Because at the moment Konochi Kurusu made his declaration, calling for someone to challenge him on stage, a voice from the system resonated in Fang Li’s mind.

“Number 11273 triggers B-rank side Quest: Arena Battle in the Martial Arts Tournament.”

“Quest details: Challenge the plot character Konochi Kurusu.”

“Victory reward: 3000 Exchange points.”

“Failure penalty: None.”

“Note: Side Quest ranks are determined by the strength of the Main God’s Envoy accepting the Quest, with six ranks from highest to lowest: S, A, B, C, D, and E. The higher the rank, the greater the difficulty. For a B-rank side Quest, the success rate for the Main God’s Envoy accepting the Quest is only ten percent.”

It was because of this message that Fang Li raised his hand to challenge.

Although the success rate was only ten percent, there was no penalty for failure anyway, so why not give it a try?

However, for the rest of the unaware people, Fang Li’s challenge seemed like a joke.

“Isn’t this guy just a wanderer who started hanging around here today?”

“A wanderer challenging Kurusu?”

“Does this guy look down on the samurai’s?”

The gazes of the surrounding samurai’s towards Fang Li gradually turned hostile.

Only Konochi Kurusu and Araka Kibito kept their brows furrowed. Although they didn’t show obvious hostility like the other samurai’s, their gaze towards Fang Li also became somewhat serious.

“The Martial Arts Tournament is a competition among samurai’s organized by the Yomogawa Family,” Araka Kibito said. “You’re not a samurai, so you don’t have the qualifications to participate, right?”

“You’re just a wanderer,” Konochi Kurusu added without holding back. “Don’t overestimate yourself.”

“Is that so?” Fang Li shrugged and said directly, “If that’s the case, then why don’t you teach this ignorant kid a lesson?”

Upon hearing this, a glint appeared in Konochi Kurusu’s eyes.