Just now, when Azhu had just climbed onto the deck of the ship, she saw Ogata killing the pirates on the ship with energy skills that she could not achieve.
Looking at this scene, Azhu somehow recalled his childhood...
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"Azhu, come here."
"Grandpa, what are you doing?"
"Grandpa is going to teach you something that will benefit you for the rest of your life."
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"Grandpa! Look! I'm using my strength!"
"Well, that's good. But don't be proud. It's easy to get started with this technique, but difficult to master. You still have a long way to go."
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"Azuki! It's time to practice!"
"Woooooa ...
"Don't, don't cry! I've said it before, it's easy to get started but hard to master! If you want to reach the level of grandpa who can apply the force of the burst of energy to weapons at will, there is no other way except to practice hard day after day!"
"R-Right... (sniffles) Is there no... quick way to do it... (sniffles)?"
"No! There is no quick way to master the art of mobilization. If you want to master it, there is no other way except hard practice!"
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At this moment, Azhu felt his mind go blank.
In just less than half an hour, Azhu's brain crashed twice.
The first time was when he witnessed Ogata killing One-Eye and others as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
The second time is now.
I have been practicing the use of my strength since I was young, and have only now finally reached this level.
Roughly counting, this year marks almost the 10th year that she has been learning to use her energy.
The man in front of her had reached the level that she had spent nearly 10 years to achieve in just a few days.
The shock this brought to Azhu was even greater than witnessing Ogata killing One-Eye and others in an instant.
Because he was deeply shocked by the scene before him, he was still hanging outside the boat stupidly without realizing it.
Finally - just like the dry surface of the earth gradually becoming moistened by the overflow of groundwater underneath, Azhu's brain gradually resumed thinking, and the whole person "regained consciousness".
After "recovering consciousness", the first thought that came to Azhu's mind was:
—Grandpa! You lied to me! Didn’t you say that it’s impossible to master the art of movement quickly?!
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Not only was Azuku stunned, but Ogata was also stunned.
However, Ogata quickly recovered, and a look of embarrassment appeared on his face at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He had only dared to experiment with the use of his energy because Azhu was not present.
After all, it would be difficult to explain if Azhu saw that Ogata had reached a level in just a few days that she had not reached after practicing for so long.
Ogata chose to test this new trick on the pirate ship where Azhu was not present just because he didn't want to have to go through the trouble of explaining it to Azhu.
But he didn't expect that... Azhu suddenly appeared just when he was using his strength to kill...
——How should I explain this to Tsukushi?
“Drink!”
At this moment, a loud shout from the side of Ogata brought his mind and thoughts back to reality.
Without even looking at the enemy who was attacking him while emitting Qi, he used a step to dodge his attack and swung his sword to cut his stomach.
Sakakibara Ittoryu, Power·Dragon Tail.
The mail was shredded, the blade lodged deep into the man's belly.
The system prompt sound for gaining experience points rang in Ogata's mind.
——Let’s get rid of these people first and then slowly think about how to explain to Azhu.
Ogata raised his eyes and looked at the enemies who were only 6 left.
The remaining six people all had more or less fear on their faces, but none of them retreated even a step, and all of them held the knives tightly in their hands.
——This group of people are not ordinary...
Ogata narrowed his eyes slightly.
——Most of them were already dead or wounded, yet not a single one retreated...
There were originally 15 of them, and now after 9 of them were chopped down by Ogata, there is no doubt that most of them were killed or injured. Nearly two-thirds of their fighting force was killed by Ogata.
If it were any other organization, they would have collapsed long ago after suffering such heavy casualties.
For example, Yi Tong’s subordinates - more than 40 people, had just suffered double-digit casualties before they all collapsed.
And now the group of people before them had lost nearly two-thirds of their companions, yet no one had retreated yet.
The strong qualities displayed by these people made Ogata look up to them.
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"…Lord Miyabe. The situation is not good." Morimaru leaned his sword on the ground, closed his eyes, and said softly, "There are only 6 of us left. I'm afraid it won't be long before there will be only you and me left."
"Haha." Even though his subordinates had suffered heavy casualties, Miyabe remained calm and composed. After a few chuckles, he said in a half-joking tone, "Morimaru, you are still so amazing. You can tell the battle situation just by listening, and you can even tell how many people are left on our side."
"After all, these ears are the foundation of my 'Blind Sword'." Morimaru said lightly.
After laughing a few more times, Gongbe said slowly:
"You're right. It seems we have underestimated this warrior... I didn't expect that he could even cut through chain mail..."
"I thought that with so many people attacking together, there would be a chance to capture him alive..."
After saying this, Gongbu sighed softly.
"…Morimaru, if we fight him in an advantageous situation, how confident are you that you can capture him alive?"
"Haha." Morimaru shrugged, "It's very difficult. But--"
Morimaru suddenly changed the subject and slowly raised his hand to touch the handle of the katana whose sheath was against the deck. "Although I cannot guarantee success, I can guarantee that I will bet on the name of 'Blind Sword' and give it my all."
Miyabe smiled.
"It's enough to have the determination to fight hard!"
"Hey! You six hold this guy back!"
The second half of Miyabe's words were naturally shouted at the only six people left.
After shouting this, Gongbe turned and ran to the west.
At the west end is the door connecting to the cabin below deck.
Morimaru followed closely behind Miyabe, holding a knife.
"Master Yitong!" Gongbe shouted to Yitong, who had been left behind, as he ran to the cabin, "If you keep sitting on the deck like this, you will really die."
"Ah?" Yi Tong, who had been sitting on the ground in shock, turned around as if waking up from a dream and looked at Miyabe and Morimaru who were about to rush into the cabin, "Wait, wait for me! Don't leave me!"
At this moment, the only people who can give Yi Tong, who is now alone, a sense of security are Gong Bu's people.
As for the six people in front of Ogata - after hearing Miyabe's instructions, they roared in unison in response, then rushed forward and slashed at Ogata with their swords.
Facing enemies coming from six directions, Ogata silently picked up a wakizashi at his feet and assumed the stance of the Muga Nito-ryu—
Wuwo's ​​two-sword style, using energy and flowing.
The flash of swords and blood blocked out the sunlight.
The system sound prompting you to gain experience points will sound 6 times in a row.
Ogata was the only person still standing on the deck of the pirate ship.
Miyabe, Morimaru and Yitong had all entered the cabin just now.
"Three of them ran away..." Ogata murmured as he threw away the two knives in his hands, both of which had suffered serious damage.
Just as Ogata was about to catch up, he suddenly remembered a little guy who seemed to be hanging on the side of the ship...
Azhu (observing secretly.jpg): (°ー°〃)
Ogata turned his head and looked at Azhu who was still hanging outside the side of the boat and "secretly observing" him.
After realizing that Ogata was looking at her, Azhu was stunned for a moment, then silently lowered her head, hiding the part below her eyes under the deck, leaving only her eyes exposed.
"Well, um...you don't have to worry about me..." Azhu said this in a cautious tone.
Looking at Azuki who was looking at him with eyes full of complicated emotions, Ogata sighed silently:
"Azuki, you should go back to the smuggling boat first. A lot of pirates have just escaped. There is still a possibility that the smuggling boat will be attacked. Go back and protect the boat with Isshiki and the others."
"If you have anything to say, wait until you've dealt with these pirates."
"...I understand..." Azhu obediently lowered his head completely under the side of the boat.
For some reason, facing the current Ogata, Azhu couldn't say a single word of "no".
After confirming that Azuku had really left the pirate ship, Ogata unsheathed the Daishakuten and rushed into the cabin where Miyabe and others had just entered with his sword in hand.
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"Morimaru, from now on... I'll be thanking you for your hard work." Miyabe said softly.
"Yeah." Morimaru slowly opened his eyes, revealing dark eye sockets without eyeballs, "I should have been executed by the government 25 years ago."
Morimaru gave a flat smile.
"Thanks to that adult's help, I am lucky enough to survive until now."
When talking about "that sir", Morimaru's tone was filled with deep respect.
"I, who should have died, have long since stopped fearing powerful enemies and death."
Clank, clank, clank…
Morimaru slowly pulled out the katana that he usually used as a guide stick.
Hidden in the sheath is a black sword with the blade dyed with a special black paste.
Because it was covered in black paste, the blade did not reflect any light.
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——It’s so dark…
After entering the pirate ship, the first thought that came to Ogata's mind was that it was so dark.
Perhaps because it is daytime and fewer people are staying in the cabin, there is an oil lamp hanging on the wall at long intervals in the corridor of the cabin.
The oil lamps used for lighting were made of ordinary materials and emitted very weak light, making the entire cabin extremely dim.
But fortunately, although it was dark, I could still see the road clearly.
Relying on the dim light, Ogata slowly walked forward towards the depths of the cabin.
The reason for entering the cabin was to chase Yi Tong and others.
However, after walking in the cabin for a long time, Yi Tong and others did not meet any of them. Instead, they encountered a lot of remnants of pirates who had just fled and were hiding in the cabin.
Ogata had no other way to communicate with these human traffickers except "swinging the knife".
Just keep moving forward and killing along the way.
The road to find Yi Tong and others can be described as a "bloody road" paved with the blood of these pirates.
After killing several people in a row, Ogata finally heard the sound of footsteps coming from the depths of the corridor in front of him, approaching slowly.
Along with the footsteps, there was also a hoarse middle-aged male voice:
"I haven't felt so bad about being blind in a long time."
"If I had the chance, I would really like to see with my own eyes what kind of hero a swordsman who can cut through chain mail is."
"It is an honor for me to be able to fight against a young hero like you at this age."
Ogata hurriedly looked forward in the direction of the sound, and saw a figure swaying in the darkness deep in the corridor in front of Ogata, and slowly revealing his figure - it was Morimaru.
Morimaru, holding his black knife, walked out of the darkness and stood under an oil lamp.
Because Morimaru was standing under the oil lamp, Ogata was able to see Morimaru's face clearly.
——This guy... turns out to be blind...!
Ogata's pupils shrank subconsciously because he was shocked by the scene before him.
Morimaru had kept his eyes closed when he was on the deck just now, so Ogata didn't notice that there were no eyeballs in Morimaru's eye sockets, nothing in them.
While Ogata was still stunned by Morimaru's true appearance, Morimaru slowly raised the sword in his hand above his head and assumed an upper stance.
"Blind sword."
"Morinsimaru."
"Please give me more advice!"
Click!
After he announced his home loudly, the sound of something being chopped into pieces was heard.
The thing that was chopped into pieces was an oil lamp.
After announcing his home address, Morimaru chopped the oil lamp next to him into pieces with a knife.
There was a dim oil lamp placed at regular intervals along this corridor, so after this oil lamp was chopped to pieces, the large area around it, centered around the lamp, fell into darkness.
And Ogata happened to be shrouded in this darkness.
The light was suddenly taken away and he could no longer see anything. This sudden change caused Ogata's face to show surprise and seriousness at a speed visible to the naked eye.
——Could it be?!
The enemy is a blind swordsman, and the enemy artificially created a dark environment - these two factors combined together made Ogata quickly associate what this blind man wanted.
Ogata quickly drew out the Great Freedom Sword and switched to the Two Sword Style.
While drawing his sword, Ogata quickly stepped back, leaving the position where he had just stood, preparing to evacuate the darkness.
But he had just taken a few steps back when what happened next perfectly matched his previous imagination - a sharp sound of breaking wind came from the left side.
Reflexes and agility worked together at this moment: Ogata's body reacted faster than his brain.
Ogata quickly raised his Great Freedom and rushed towards the sound of breaking wind that was attacking him, subconsciously using the Blade Counter.
clang!
The black swords of Daijizai and Morimaru collided in mid-air, creating sparks.
——Did you actually block my attack...? !
Morimaru's face became more solemn due to the failed attack. He put away his black sword without any desire to fight, and retreated quickly, putting some distance between himself and Ogata.
Morimaru's speed and reaction were very fast. As soon as he quickly retreated, Ogata's Daishakuten passed by the place where he had just stood.
——Damn it, I can’t tell where he is…
Ogata looked around seriously.
——No wonder that guy painted the knife black... This way the enemy can't judge his position based on the reflection of the blade...
——Now that guy has the advantage of position... He can "see" my position, but I can't see his position...
Through the brief confrontation with Morimaru just now, Ogata was certain of two things:
The first thing - Morimaru can rely on something to confirm Ogata's location, it could be sound or smell.
The second thing is that Morimaru can take silent steps, and it is extremely difficult for Ogata to determine Morimaru's position through sound.
After Morimaru shattered the oil lamp, Ogata immediately retreated, preparing to leave the darkness that was extremely advantageous to Morimaru.
But just as Ogata took a few steps back, Morimaru's slashing attack arrived.
Even though he was no longer standing in the same place, Morimaru could still find his position accurately - this meant that Morimaru definitely had some way to confirm Ogata's position.
And when Morimaru attacked just now, Ogata didn't hear any sound of Morimaru's footsteps at all - Morimaru could move silently, and his speed was not slow.
Ogata is a veteran of many battles, but this is the first time he has fought a battle where he is blind while his opponent can "see" him.
What Ogata didn't know at this moment was that it wasn't just that he looked serious.
His current opponent: Morimaru, also has a solemn expression on his face.
——This person is indeed a master.
Morimaru, who was standing at a distance from Ogata, still maintained his upper stance. The fingers of his hands holding the sword tightened and loosened, secretly relaxing the muscles in his fingers and arms.
Just now, it was not only Ogata's extremely fast reaction speed that surprised Morimaru, but the reaction force transmitted back from the sword also made Morimaru feel stunned.
Morimaru, relies on listening to the sounds to judge the positions and movements of others.
For him, hearing whether someone draws a knife and which hand is used to hold the knife is just a piece of cake.
So just after Ogata drew out the Great Freedom, Morimaru was the first to sense that Ogata was using the Two Swords Style.
——As expected of a dual-sword swordsman...his arm strength is truly admirable!
——It’s a pity… that attack just now didn’t knock him down…
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——The blind man must be very anxious now.
Ogata thought to himself.
——The longer this battle drags on, the better it is for me. Once my eyes adjust to the darkness, his only advantage will be gone.
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——When the warrior's eyes adjusted to the darkness, that was the moment of my defeat. If I fought head-on, I wouldn't have any chance of winning.
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——The blind man will definitely want to win quickly. He will probably pin his hopes on the next attack.
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——Win quickly! Defeat him with the next strike!
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Ogata/Morimaru: ——The next strike will be the one that decides the outcome!
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At the same time, the two made the same judgment and shouted the same words in their hearts.
Morimaru held his black sword high and approached Ogata at a leisurely pace with his self-created "silent steps".
As he approached Ogata, he listened attentively to Ogata's breathing and the sound of wind caused by the movement of his limbs to confirm Ogata's location.
--Um?
It would have been fine if he hadn't heard it, but once he did, it was unbearable - Morimaru discovered that Ogata was standing still and couldn't move.