Chapter 19 Samurai Hearts – For Revenge (5)

Dohyun, who had withdrawn his sword aimed at Kanbei, turned his head.

Even Dohyun, who didn’t know much about games, could tell that this fight wouldn’t end with Kanbei.

Because there were a total of three Sword Saints here, including Kanbei.

Besides, wasn’t the event in progress called ‘The Trial of the Three Sword Saints’?

Dohyun’s gaze landed on a handsome man with two swords, one long and one short, at his waist.

The handsome man smiled and stood up.

“I am Hojo Mananeryo of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style. It is an honor to witness the new Sword Saint’s sword with my own eyes.”

Swish.

Mananeryo, who drew two swords from his waist, lowered his body and took a stance.

A short sword in his left hand, a long sword in his right.

The short sword flickered behind the long sword, which he held out as if to check his opponent.

Even though he used two swords in the same way, it felt distinctly different from the Sword Saint’s Two Heavens Style.

Dohyun silently lowered his sword and stared at Mananeryo.

Did he interpret that as accepting the duel?

“I’m coming!”

Mananeryo, who threw out a shout, rushed towards Dohyun.

Again, Dohyun didn’t bother to deflect Mananeryo’s sword and confront him.

He only parried a few times when it was truly unavoidable, and otherwise, he only dodged or blocked.

So that the opponent could unleash his swordsmanship.

Now Seung-yeon and the viewers knew the reason, so they were relaxed.

Seung-yeon shrugged.

“My brother is a bit greedy. Seeing him trying to learn the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style after the Two Heavens Style and the Jakye Seomho Style. Originally, you can only learn one at a time.”

-Greed is overflowing ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Two Heavens Style+Jakye Seomho Style+Thousand Fragrance Divine Style=???

-You have to include the Sword Restraint Style too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Mix it all up!

-Swordsmanship stew ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Swordsmanship stew ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Are you crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-LOL ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Dohyun’s demeanor, facing Mananeryo, calmed down.

Thousand Fragrance Divine Style.

The sword of a god with a thousand fragrances.

Dohyun, who saw the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style unfolded by the Sword Saint Mananeryo, realized why that name was attached to this sword style.

The Thousand Fragrance Divine Style was diverse and splendid.

True to the name of a thousand fragrances, it meant that offense and defense were free and the visible forms were diverse.

The short sword in the left hand seemed to be in charge of defense, but it suddenly stabbed in.

If the long sword in the right hand seemed to be slashing, it would soon retreat and stand in a defensive position.

‘It’s a sword that you can’t let your guard down for even a moment.’

This was even more so because the offense and defense conversion shown by the swords in both hands was free.

The sword you thought would defend stabs in at the slightest carelessness.

It confuses the opponent by making it impossible to even guess which is offense and which is defense.

However, Dohyun soon realized that the essence of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style was not in its splendor.

The diverse splendor was only on the surface, and the secrets contained within were completely different when you delved deeper.

He could see that now by looking at Mananeryo’s attack.

“You can’t escape!”

Swoosh!

The long sword held in Mananeryo’s right hand stabs straight at Dohyun.

Then does the short sword held in the left hand stay still? Absolutely not.

The short sword is checking him from a position where it can strike down Dohyun’s sword at any time.

Thwack!

Dohyun, who stepped back to avoid the long sword stabbing at his neck, thought.

‘This is it.’

Never forgetting defense during offense, and never hesitating to attack while defending.

A perfect balance of offense and defense.

That was the core of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style.

And it was also a unique effect of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style.

The correction that allows you to freely switch between offense and defense was the unique effect of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style.

At first, Dohyun recalled that the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style was said to have a good balance of offense and defense, and thought, ‘Why is it getting such an evaluation?’

Because the splendid and diverse style shown through the two swords and the story that it was the most balanced sword style did not match.

But now he could understand.

‘It’s definitely well-balanced.’

The splendor of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style is just a weapon to confuse the opponent.

Dohyun saw through the fact that the essence was an unshakeable balance that could switch between offense and defense at any time.

That’s why he was convinced that people called the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style a balanced swordsmanship.

But he didn’t know.

That the reason why people generally say that the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style is a balanced swordsmanship is simply because the attack and defense corrections according to the stance are appropriately distributed.

It means that they are not delving so deeply into the secrets of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style, realizing its meaning, and speaking.

In conclusion, it was the same to say ‘It’s a balanced swordsmanship,’ but the process to reach that conclusion was as different as heaven and earth.

Of course, even if he knew that, nothing would change.

‘That’s enough.’

He had ‘seen’ enough of the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style too.

As soon as he thought that there was no need to experience the Thousand Fragrance Divine Style any further, Dohyun moved.

There was no ability to stop Dohyun, who had decided to end it with Mananeryo.

Because his swordsmanship level was just equal to Kanbei’s.

Clang-

Dohyun slashed up Mananeryo’s long sword that was slashing at him.

He deflects the right long sword with one sword, and penetrates the defense of the left short sword with the second sword.

If you naturally put it to Mananeryo’s neck, who raised his arms as if in surrender, that’s the end.

It was a much simpler ending than when he faced Kanbei, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Mananeryo was weaker than Kanbei.

It was just that their compatibility was not good.

Dohyun, who had the ability to thoroughly grasp the opponent’s sword and break the balance of offense and defense, was Mananeryo’s natural enemy.

-LOL ㅋㅋㅋ He won in an instant ㅋㅋㅋ

-What? I went to look at something else for a second, what happened?

-You have been “Sword Sainted”······ Press X to pay respects······

-X

-X

“······I lost.”

Mananeryo, whose neck was defenselessly held by the sword, admitted defeat.

Dohyun’s gaze turned to the last Sword Saint as he watched him step back and sheathe his sword.

The only woman among the three Sword Saints.

The woman who received his gaze stepped forward.

“I’m Izumi Mio of the Sword Restraint Style. New Sword Saint. I ask for your guidance.”

-Mio noona is here!

-Mi-hi (meaning Mio hi)

-Mihi!

Clang-

Mio, who introduced herself, drew the sword from her waist and took a stance.

It was a stance commonly called the middle stance, and despite being the most common stance in swordsmanship, Dohyun had never seen it before.

Because ordinary soldiers used spears, and Ninjas used Ninja swords.

There was no way that the Sword Saint who used twin swords, Kanbei who used a 2-meter Nodachi, and Mananeryo who also wielded two swords, one long and one short, would take the middle stance.

“Here I go!”

Swoosh!

Taking a step towards Dohyun, a frontal downward slash.

Dohyun, who was trying to avoid it by moving to the side as he did with Kanbei, flinched and raised his sword.

It was an instinctive action.

Clang!

With the sound of metal, Dohyun and Mio each took a step back.

“Hmm······.”

Dohyun widened his eyes slightly.

Now he knows what a grand success judgment is and is using it well.

The effect that just burst was clearly that of a grand success judgment.

Nevertheless, he and Mio both stepped back one step.

Just like with the Sword Saint Kato.

Even Kanbei and Mananeryo would have flinched at a grand success parry!

‘Is she at the same level as the Sword Saint?’

But in reality, something important was missing.

The Sword Saint’s sword had an intimidating pressure that made him dizzy even while parrying, but Mio’s sword was just ordinary.

Dohyun, who had already fought the Sword Saint Kato at the risk of his life, knew it well.

Dohyun, who became curious, launched an offensive.

It was a different attitude than before, but he judged that this was the most effective way to see the opponent’s sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The continued sword fight proceeded without either side giving an inch.

As if to prove that not flinching at the grand success judgment was not a coincidence, Mio steadfastly endured Dohyun’s offensive.

But for Dohyun, that alone was enough to find out the identity of the strangeness he had felt at first.

‘This is the Sword Restraint Style.’

Sword Restraint Style.

The Je in this sword style is not the Je of emperor.

The Je of restraint!

Sword Restraint. In other words, it means a swordsmanship that restrains the sword.

The biggest feature of this sword style was that it binds and restrains the opponent’s sword with one’s own sword.

Restraining the opponent’s sword has many meanings.

It means that you can restrain everything from small movements to large aftereffects.

That was the identity of the strangeness Dohyun felt when he first parried the opponent’s sword.

‘It even restrained the aftereffects of the parry I used.’

Also, it was the reason why Dohyun’s instinct parried the sword instead of avoiding it.

Realizing that the fight would be quite annoying after being bound once, he chose to confront rather than avoid it.

In order not to be hit by the Sword Restraint Style’s unique effect, ‘Suppresses the opponent’s sword’.

‘That’s why the Sword Restraint Style is······.’

Why is the Sword Restraint Style said to be specialized in protecting oneself?

You can see that by looking at Mio’s swordsmanship.

It steadfastly and stubbornly pushes against the opponent and tries to bind the sword.

There is no violent aggressiveness or diverse splendor, but there is a steadfastness that firmly suppresses the opponent and enforces one’s will.

Since she pushes herself steadily like this without overdoing it, it must be easier to protect herself compared to other swordsmanship.

But.

This is also a sword that does not reach the Sword Saint Kato.

“Hup!”

Clang-!

Mio’s sword is knocked away with a heavy metallic sound by a single sword that twists her body and swings.

Mio, who was holding the sword, also stepped back three steps.

A clearly different result from before when they each stepped back one step!

This was because the power contained in the sword was clearly different from before.

It could be said that it was the difference created by instinctive actions and intentional actions.

‘If you can’t suppress the opponent’s power, the Sword Restraint Style can’t do anything.’

No matter how much Sword Restraint Style it is, it can’t suppress everything.

If that were possible, the Sword Saint would have been Izumi Mio, not Hatsuragi Kato.

No matter how steadfastly you endure and try to restrain the opponent, it’s enough to push harder than that.

Didn’t Dohyun just acquire a swordsmanship that was aggressive and even violent?

‘With the Jakye Seomho Style’s attack method.’

Clang-! Clang-! Clang!

An offensive that pours in like a storm.

It pours in so fiercely as if to say that the previous offensive was a joke.

Mio, who stands in front of it, only shakes back and forth like a boat in a storm.

“Kuh?!”

Clang-!

She was desperately trying to regain her posture, but there was no way Dohyun would just watch it.

In a way, this was Mio’s misfortune.

Dohyun gets stronger as he fights and experiences more swordsmanship.

Therefore, she, who fought last, had no choice but to be in the most disadvantageous position.

“Kyaa!”

Eventually, Mio falls to the floor with a scream.

An undeniable defeat.

It was the moment when the three Sword Saints, the representative swordsmen of the Cheonhwa Group, were all defeated by Dohyun.

“Truly amazing swordsmanship. Indeed, you are the new Sword Saint who defeated the current, no, the previous Sword Saint.”

It was Tengu who stepped forward when the defeat of the three Sword Saints became certain.

Tengu, who joined the conversation with his unique cackling laugh, looked at the Black Wolf.

Not Dohyun, but the Black Wolf.

At the same time as defeating Mio, he had entered the event cutscene again.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask what school of swordsmanship you belong to?”

“The school of my swordsmanship is······.”

The Black Wolf stops speaking.

The game freeze phenomenon that he experienced before fighting the three Sword Saints occurred again.

Since he had experienced the phenomenon once, he didn’t let out a murmur this time.

However, what was a little different from before was that instead of the choices appearing, one of the scrolls used in the Samurai Hearts system was unfolded in front of him.

The contents of the scroll were like this.

─Creating a school of swordsmanship tailored to the player’s tendencies.

Creating a school of swordsmanship!

It means that the rewards for clearing the ‘Trial of the Three Sword Saints’ event are being settled.

And finally, scrolls with new content appeared in front of Dohyun.

There were a total of three scrolls.

‘It’s choices again.’

Dohyun scanned the choices that floated in front of him.