This time, chakra clearly surged along Mifune's blade.
With an explosive burst of Instant Step, he charged at Hoshiyomi like an arrow loosed from the string.
Mifune was nothing like Asuka. His attacks were always wide and direct—never tricky, never sneaky, never hit-and-run. That was likely due to his unwavering Bushido.
Because of that, Hoshiyomi felt free to meet him head-on.
Unlike his fight with Asuka, where he had to remain cautious, this was different.
Though the pressure Mifune exerted was stronger, Hoshiyomi was enjoying this fight much more.
The clanging of steel echoed continuously.
Both of their hands had grown numb from repeated clashes, but they still felt exhilarated. In the heat of combat, even faint smiles began to show on their faces.
This dangerous, blood-pumping rhythm fueled their adrenaline.
The longer the battle raged, the more excited they became.
Their bodies were already marked with numerous wounds, but neither of them showed any sign of backing down.
Below the stage, Asuka watched, a trace of envy flashing in her eyes.
How she longed to experience a fight like this.
But her body, her illness—it meant she would never be able to enjoy this kind of battle.
On the battlefield, the duel continued like a smithing war.
Mifune held an absolute advantage in speed, but Hoshiyomi offset it with his raw strength and a steady stream of simple yet extremely practical sword skills.
The two had already been fighting for nearly ten minutes.
Both were soaked in sweat, stamina draining rapidly.
If they pushed any further, they might both collapse.
After another fierce collision, Mifune, gasping for breath, looked at the equally exhausted Hoshiyomi across from him and said:
"Kenshin-san… our stamina's almost run out.
How about we end this with one final strike—each of us using our strongest technique, one move to decide the winner?"
Hoshiyomi had been thinking the same thing.
Even though he held the edge in strength and technique, it was hard to keep up against a chakra-enhanced Mifune without chakra reinforcement of his own.
Even he was nearing his limit.
Honestly, the only reason he'd lasted this long was because of Mifune's bushidō beliefs. If Mifune had mixed up his tempo mid-attack and suddenly used his ultimate move—Flash (Issen)—Hoshiyomi wouldn't have been able to counter it.
But it was precisely that unwavering Bushido belief that would one day make Mifune the greatest swordsman in the Land of Iron—
The man who would defeat Hanzō in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
There was no need for words now.
Seeing Mifune slowly slide his blade back into its sheath, Hoshiyomi shook off his thoughts and readied himself.
He would meet Mifune's Issen with his strongest technique: Swallow Return.
Flash—a perfect fusion of Instant Step and Iaidō.
It relied on extreme speed and a godlike draw-slash.
In a way, it shared similarities with the Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash.
But that technique was still beyond Hoshiyomi's current ability.
Even if he mimicked the form, he couldn't yet replicate its true power—two synchronized strikes with added control effects.
Right now, the strongest move he could fully execute was Swallow Return.
This final clash would come down to one question—
Could his Swallow Return withstand Mifune's Flash?
Or would Mifune's Flash land before Swallow Return's triple strike was unleashed?
Mifune now stood motionless, eyes closed, gathering strength.
Hoshiyomi, meanwhile, held his blade horizontally near his temple—both hands gripping Mikazuki Munechika.
Neither spoke.
They focused solely on their breathing, calming their nerves for the deciding moment.
The once-roaring audience now fell completely silent.
Even they sensed the climax had arrived.
The competitors who had already been eliminated watched with wide eyes—this was the ultimate duel between the two strongest swordsmen in the Land of Iron. It might be the only time in their lives they would witness something like this.
Even the leader of the Land of Iron stopped his internal deliberations, focusing fully on the ring.
He knew all too well what Flash was.
It was Mifune's only true secret technique.
He had abandoned all other sword arts to perfect this one move.
Since creating it at age eighteen, he had dedicated himself entirely to it.
His dream was to reach a realm where nothing in the world could stand against his blade.
Even someone as powerful as the Land of Iron leader had to be serious to withstand Flash.
What will that Kenshin boy do to counter such a strike? he wondered.
In the center of the stage, the two figures stood like stone statues.
No one could say how much time passed.
Until—
A soft breeze swept across the arena.
All the spectators held their breath.
This was it.
And then, the silence shattered.
Both fighters moved at once.
Mifune's eyes snapped open, a glint of icy light flashing within.
He drew in an instant, vanishing and reappearing before Hoshiyomi like a ghost—his silver-white ninja blade slashing straight across from the waist.
But at that exact moment—
Hoshiyomi struck as well.
In that blink of an eye, it was as if he split into three.
Three versions of Hoshiyomi attacked simultaneously from the left, right, and above.
Three faintly glowing violet arcs of sword light surged forth, sealing off every escape route.
Even a swallow in mid-flight would have no room to evade.
The audience was stunned into silence.
Spectators gaped in confusion, unsure what they had just witnessed.
Fellow fighters were left speechless, overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of that single instant.
The Land of Iron leader crushed the teacup in his hand in shock.
To wield such a profound sword art at such a young age… this boy's talent goes beyond genius.
"This child is terrifying…" (Manual dog-head emoji)
Asuka, too, was frozen in awe at the sight of Hoshiyomi's Swallow Return.
Her thoughts turned to her own technique—Divine Bird Three-Stage Thrust.
She had never been able to execute it perfectly.
The true essence of the technique was delivering three strikes in a single moment—
So fast that even the enemy wouldn't know they'd been hit three times.
To them, it would feel like a single strike.
But in truth, their throat, heart, and lungs would have all been pierced simultaneously.
Asuka had been able to force the move through, but she never felt that sense of perfect synchronicity.
That was also why her father had been able to interrupt her final two strikes.
But now—watching Hoshiyomi unleash three simultaneous slashes in one breath—
She understood.
In that instant, something within her clicked.
If I could see that move just two more times, she thought, I might finally be able to master the true Divine Bird Three-Stage Thrust.
In the tense silence, Mifune's silver blade clashed with the three violet arcs of Swallow Return.
And just like that, everything vanished—like an illusion fading in a blink.
The two stood frozen on the field, locked in their final poses.
Mifune now stood behind Hoshiyomi.
Hoshiyomi, still facing away, remained upright.
In this most powerful clash between them, who was the true victor?
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin