Ever since he lost his two ultimate techniques, Tachibana Kyūjō felt like half of his being had vanished.

Every move he made felt awkward.

Every battle felt like stepping into a warzone... without a sword.

That day, Kyūjō experienced something he hadn't felt in a long time—

The sting of being overpowered.

And just as he'd warned, Shimotsuki Kōshirō was not the kind of man to make empty promises.

From that day onward, no matter what Kyūjō was doing inside the dōjō—whether he was training, eating, or even just lounging around—

As long as he was under the same roof as Kōshirō, a surprise attack could come at any time, from any direction.

Without warning.

— — —

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Two months had flown by.

It was a quiet night inside Dōjō Isshin.

Kōshirō, ever relentless, moved silently—like a seasoned assassin.

Through the stillness of the night, he crept closer to his disciple's bed.

He raised his shinai with the precision of a killer...

Only to freeze.

A pair of clear, sharp eyes stared back at him in the dark—calm, alert, unwavering.

"You're still awake, Kōshirō-sensei?" Kyūjō spoke without emotion, still lying in bed, but eyes locked onto his master.

Kōshirō answered quickly, trying to play it cool. "Ah—what a beautiful moon tonight, don't you think? I just wanted to check if you were sleeping peacefully. I'll leave you be now."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and swiftly exited the room.

Kyūjō kept his gaze fixed on the door, his eyes half-closed but alert, not trusting for a second that the old man was done for the night. Only after Kōshirō's presence faded did he finally let his eyes close.

Outside, Kōshirō allowed himself a quiet smirk of satisfaction.

— — —

Over the past two months, Kōshirō had launched a total of 519 ambushes on Kyūjō—an average of 8.65 times a day.

During the first two weeks, every single strike hit its mark.

But little by little, even without his former ability Kenshin Tōmei, Kyūjō's body began to adapt. Through raw instinct and relentless training, he started reading the rhythm of battle.

Now, even for a master like Kōshirō, sneaking up on him wasn't so easy.

— — —

The next morning, Kyūjō followed his teacher in silence as they climbed a narrow path into the mountains behind the dōjō.

They eventually reached the summit, where the view overlooked a forest bathed in golden light.

Kōshirō turned to face his student, his expression calm but filled with hope.

"Kyūjō... your growth is remarkable. I can feel it. Your Kenbunshoku Haki... it's on the verge of awakening."

"All you need now... is that final push."

His voice carried quiet conviction as he continued.

"Some people awaken it through a life-or-death struggle. Others, through patience and time. I'm giving you two choices."

"Do you want to take the slow, steady route? Or do you want me to force you past the threshold... in a real fight?"

Kyūjō didn't hesitate.

"I ask for your guidance, Sensei."

As he spoke, he calmly drew his sword from its sheath.

Seeing this, Kōshirō's face stiffened.

"Kyūjō. This isn't a spar. To awaken Kenbunshoku, you'll have to bleed for it."

"I won't kill you. But if you can't break through... I won't be holding back."

"These wounds will be real. The pain—undeniable. Are you prepared for that?"

Kyūjō's face remained still. Calm.

He gave a small nod, then spoke only a single sentence:

"Raise your blade, Sensei."

Kōshirō stared at the boy—a ten-year-old, standing tall with unwavering resolve, his sword pointed straight at his teacher.

It was hard to believe... but then again, from the moment Kyūjō had arrived at the dōjō, he'd never felt like a child.

Was it his unnatural talent? His unnerving mental maturity?

Whatever the reason—Kōshirō had made up his mind long ago.

As his teacher... he had to believe.

Believe that Kyūjō could surpass the limits of what a human could be.

Because this boy—this genius—was destined to change the world.

— — —

With one smooth motion, Kōshirō drew his blade—Wadō Ichimonji—and pointed it directly at his student.

No words. No hesitation.

He charged.

Kyūjō inhaled deeply.

He activated the technique he had kept hidden all this time—Breath of Thunder.

His body vanished in a blur, sword slicing toward his teacher like a bolt of lightning.

It was the first time Kyūjō had used this ability in front of Kōshirō. Explaining its origin would be... complicated. So he hadn't.

Steel clashed against steel in a whirlwind of light and speed. Sparks exploded in the air with every impact.

But no matter how far Kyūjō had come, his small body couldn't match the raw strength of a swordsman like Kōshirō.

Without even using his full power, Kōshirō easily overpowered him, forcing Kyūjō back again and again.

His range narrowed with every exchange.

Then—Kōshirō's blade began to bite into him.

Shallow but sharp cuts opened across his arms and torso. Real pain. Real blood.

And yet... something began to shift.

As the pain spread through his body, it was like his five senses unlocked something deeper.

His vision sharpened. His hearing refined.

He could hear Kōshirō's heartbeat. Feel the subtle movement of wind. Even the crunch of grass underfoot rang clearly in his mind.

Kyūjō's movements changed.

More precise. More economical. More lethal.

It was as if one of his feet had already stepped into the Transparent World.

Kōshirō's brow rose ever so slightly, a flicker of hope lighting up in his gaze.

But he didn't let up. In fact, he escalated.

With a clean, powerful swing, he unleashed a strike beyond what Kyūjō's young frame could withstand.

The moment their swords met, the sheer force launched Kyūjō into the sky.

But Kōshirō wasn't done.

In one seamless motion, he unleashed two crescent-shaped slashes of compressed air—one from the left, the other from the right—intersecting toward Kyūjō mid-air.

The blades tore through the sky, aimed directly at his defenseless body.

Kyūjō's pupils narrowed. This is too much, Sensei!

Kōshirō, however, was confident. He knew he could still save him before impact if things went wrong.

But before he could move—

Kyūjō closed his eyes.

Time... slowed down.

In that absolute stillness, something inside him stirred.

Kenbunshoku Haki—awakened at last.

But that wasn't all.

Kenshin Tōmei—the sixth sense he once had in another world—had never truly vanished.

No.

The two systems—one born of this world, the other from the multiverse he'd once traveled—had fused within him.

Kyūjō's sensory perception... evolved.

He could now sense killing intent, feel movement, predict threats—

And still retain the razor-sharp observation of Kenshin Tōmei.

From the union of these two forces, a new ability was born—

Something this world had never seen.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Join my Patreon here:

🔗 [patreon.com/FaaanzKun]

✅ Enjoy 70+ chapters ahead of WebNovel

✅ Get 2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon

✅ Be the first to enjoy the new 3rd arc after One Piece before anyone else

Join my Ko-fi here:

🔗 [ko-fi.com/faaanzkun]

Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —