Chapter 428 Ogata: A big step forward to the unparalleled world! [Explosion 1W]
"Mamiya..." Asai, who had just been briefly bandaged by Lin, pressed his own wound and walked towards Mamiya with a surprised look on his face, "Is that... the 'selfless state'? You are also like Mr. Gendai.
Does that mean you can enter the 'no-self state' at any time?"
"How is that possible..." Mamiya said angrily, "It took Genichi a full 30 years to reach that state."
"It has only been 4 years since I learned the source of breathing."
"How could it be possible to reach that level?"
"There is a transitional stage from being unable to freely enter the 'selfless state' to being able to freely enter the 'selfless state'."
"In this transitional stage, after maintaining the state of breathing of the source for less than a quarter of an hour, you can automatically enter the 'selfless state'."
"I just... barely reached this stage."
"Now, I am not able to successfully enter the 'selfless state' every time."
"Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it fails."
"Probably one out of three times will fail."
"So I was very lucky just now."
Mamiya smiled.
"If you failed to enter the 'selfless realm' just now, that would be troublesome. Apart from Miss Atachi's short blunderbuss, there should be no other way to defeat Shintaro... Cough cough! Cough cough cough!"
Before Mamiya finished speaking, he started coughing violently.
"Hey, are you okay?" Asai knelt down and patted Mamiya's back gently, "You look uncomfortable."
"The 'selfless state' will consume physical strength rapidly..." Mamiya smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, physical strength is my weakness."
"So I can't maintain the 'selfless state' for too long. After releasing the 'selfless state', I will be very tired..."
"Okay, stop chatting." Lin, who was currently helping A-Machi treat his wounds, said, "Nanbei, please help Kuro treat his wounds."
"Yes." Asai nodded.
"Shintaro has been killed..." Makimura's wound had been simply bandaged by Lin just now. Makimura stood up while covering his wound, and continued, "I don't know if Brother Ogata successfully defeated Shun.
Where is Taro..."
"When Shuntaro is defeated, this battle will be our complete victory..."
…
…
Time rewinds back to when Ogata and Atachi had just found the key to remove the shackles of "Ku"
"Ah-Machi, go rescue the Kus, and then go support Miss Lin and the others."
Ogata suddenly said this while handing the big box in his hand to Omachi.
"Then by the way, I told Miss Lin and others that Shuntaro was held back by me, and asked them to concentrate on dealing with Shintaro."
Hearing Ogata's words, Atachi was stunned for a moment.
"...Hmm." Atachi looked at Ogata with some complicated emotions for a while, then nodded, "I understand. I wish you good luck in martial arts."
Atachi hugged the big box tightly in his arms and ran towards the depths of "Kuga Village".
After Omachi left, Ogata turned his head and looked at Shuntaro who was not far away.
"Let's find another place." Ogata said to Shuntaro, "It seems a bit narrow here."
"...Come with me." Shuntaro said, "I know a good place."
Shuntaro, who was leading the way, led Ogata in a direction away from the "Kuga Village".
After arriving at a place where even the "Kuga Village" could not be seen, Shuntaro stopped.
Ogata looked at the extremely spacious surroundings. There was nothing around, no trees, no grass, and only thick soil under his feet.
It's indeed a good place.
Ogata thought to himself.
A great place to chat with people and... fight.
Shuntaro stood about 10 steps away from Ogata.
He looked Ogata up and down again with eyes full of complex emotions, and then
"Should I call you Majima Goro...or should I call you Ogata Issei?"
No matter how many times Shuntaro glanced at it, the sword on Ogata's waist was Goro Majima's sword.
And he just heard the voice of Ogata and Omachi talking, no matter how he heard it, it was Majima Goro's voice.
"It doesn't matter what you call me," Ogata said, "But for me, I still prefer others to call me Ogata Isei. After all, Majima Goro is just my pseudonym."
Speaking of this, Ogata paused.
Then he asked Shuntaro in return.
"I have a similar question to ask you."
"Should I call you Shuntaro, or should I call you Goryoku?"
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, a wry smile appeared on Shuntaro's face.
"...When did you know that 'Go-ryu' was 'Shuntaro'?"
"Last night, I cut the cloth you were wearing to cover your face and saw half of your face."
In just over 2 hours last night, Ogata and Shuntaro played two games in succession.
The first scene was when Uncle Qing was rescued.
The second scene is when Ogata tries to save Taifu.
In the first duel, Ogata was lucky enough to use a knife to cut through the black cloth Shuntaro was wearing to cover his face, and he saw half of his face.
Although he only saw half of his face, Ogata recognized this person immediately.
It was Goroku who met him on the banks of the Rashomon River in Yoshiwara, and later watched the "Gozen Trial Combination" martial arts test together for two days...
At that time, when Genichi was asked to carry Uncle Kei away, Uncle Kei told Ogata that Shuntaro, the leader of the "Four Heavenly Kings" in Shiranui, was nearby and asked Ogata to be careful.
During the competition with Goryoku, the great strength Goryoku showed made Ogata begin to doubt Goryoku's true identity.
It wasn't until Atachi called out the name "Shuntaro" to Itoroku in the "Kuga Village" just now that all the speculations about his identity were finally settled.
"...Call me 'Foroku'." Shuntaro said, "'Shuntaro' is just a name similar to a code name I got after joining Shiranui."
"And 'Wu Liu' is the real name I used until I joined Wu Shi Hui."
"I really didn't expect... Goro Majima, who we met by chance on the banks of the Rashomon River, and later watched the 'Gozen Trials' martial arts test together for two days, turned out to be the famous 'Executioner Ittosai'..."
"To each other." Ogata said softly, "I didn't expect that the friend I met by chance would be the first of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui."
"What happened to your face?" Shuntaro poked his face, "What did you do to make your face look like Majima Goro's?"
Ogata: "I'm just wearing something called a human skin mask."
"Human skin mask? It turns out that this kind of mask that can change a person's appearance really exists..."
Shuntaro smiled and put his hands on his hips.
After letting out a gentle sigh, he continued:
"Mashima...ah, no, Ogata Ittosai. I have always felt that we are very destined."
"By chance, Yu Yoshihara saw the duel between you and the guy who used Hohoin's gun skills."
"Your name, which sounds very similar to my real name 'Wu Liu', and your superb skill of 'breaking a gun with a knife' impressed me deeply."
The pronunciation of "Goro" in Majima Goro is very similar to the pronunciation of "五六".
"Then, also by chance, I went to see my hometown on the bank of the Rashomon River where I was born, and then I met and got to know you by chance, who happened to be patrolling the bank of the Rashomon River at that time."
"If possible, I don't want to confront you with whom I am very destined."
"But..."
Speaking of this, Shuntaro did not continue to speak.
After being silent for a while, he stretched his right hand behind his back and slowly pulled out one of the two sabers on his back.
Looking at Shuntaro who drew his sword, Ogata's expression did not change at all, and he only asked softly:
"So you are the kind of person who is loyal to Shiranui?"
"No." Shuntaro said without hesitation, "To be honest, I don't have any feelings for Shiranui."
"I don't care whether you live or die in Shiranui."
"I don't even have the desire to understand why you suddenly attacked Shiranui."
"It's just... I've been caught with something, and I can't help myself now..."
As soon as Shutaro finished speaking, Ogata suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the trees in the distance behind Shutaro.
Ogata and Shuntaro followed the sound.
I saw a young man walking out of the bushes holding a beautiful woman hostage.
When Ogata first saw this young man, he thought he looked familiar.
After looking carefully, Ogata recognized that this young man was the ninja who always followed Kitaro and went in and out of Yoshiwara with him.
Ogata still needs to look at this young man for a while before he can recognize his identity.
As for the woman he was holding hostage, Ogata immediately recognized her at a glance.
"Tafu...!" Ogata frowned slightly and muttered.
"Eitaro...!" Shutaro gritted his teeth and squeezed out the name from between his teeth.
The ninja who emerged from the bushes was Eitaro.
The woman held hostage by Eitaro was none other than Fubell Taifu, who had been missing since last night.
At this time, the Taifu's hands were tightly tied behind his back with hemp rope, and his mouth was tied with a thick cloth, making him unable to speak.
After being held hostage by Eitaro and walking out of the bushes, and seeing Shuntaro, Taifu's face showed mixed emotions, mostly apologetic.
Eitaro, who was walking behind Taifu, put a sword in front of Taifu's neck.
After coming out of the bushes, Eitaro said coldly to Shuntaro:
"Shintaro-sama, Shintaro-sama asked me to supervise you to prevent you from being ineffective at your work."
"Please go all out and kill the executioner Ittousai."
Eitaro didn't say a word of threat.
But both the movements of his hands and the tone of his words were full of threats.
Shuntaro didn't reply to Eitaro's words, he only slowly clenched his hands that were hanging down naturally, and glared at Eitaro who was holding Taifu hostage with a sullen face.
Ogata is not an idiot with a weak brain.
Just looking at the held Tafu and listening to their conversation just now, Ogata could vaguely guess what happened.
"Five or six."
Ogata said to Shuntaro.
"Are you and Taifu friends?"
"...Hmm. I used to...be the child of a wandering girl on the banks of the Rashomon River in Yoshihara. I and Chang...that is, I and Tafu were friends who used to play together on the banks of the Rashomon River."
"Is that the so-called childhood sweetheart..." Ogata said softly.
Fubell Taifu was born on the banks of the Rashomon River. He was the child of a wandering girl on the banks of the Rashomon River. After being spotted by the owner of the Ume House, he was adopted by the Ume House. After more than ten years of hard training, he finally became the oiran of Yoshihara.
Ogata had heard Gua Sheng tell the story of Taifu before.
But Ogata had never thought that Shuntaro and Fuzu Taifu were friends.
Ogata glanced at the place where Eitaro and Fuzuki Taifu were standing.
Eitaro is very much a thief.
The location where he stood was far away from Ogata and Shuntaro.
Regardless of whether Shuntaro planned to rush over and grab the person directly, or he planned to throw a shuriken to shoot down Eitaro, this distance gave Eitaro plenty of time to kill Taifu.
In addition, Eitaro also hides his entire body behind Taifu.
Eitaro is not a very strong person, and he is about the same height as Taifu, so when he hides behind Taifu, almost his entire body is blocked by Taifu.
The body that was not covered by the Taifu was only half of his head.
Looking at Eitaro who hid almost his whole body behind Taifu, Ogata couldn't help but frown.
Just now, the idea of "killing Eitaro with Kasumi Nagi's shot and rescuing Taifu" appeared in Ogata's mind.
But as soon as this idea emerged, Ogata dismissed it himself.
At such a long distance, only half of the head hit was not blocked by Taifu's body. Eitaro, not to mention a layman like Ogata who had basically never practiced marksmanship, even Atachi was not 100% sure of using it.
Suying hit such a small target at such a long distance.
After going through all the imaginable methods in his mind, Ogata let out a low sigh after realizing that there was currently no way to save Taifu.
All the clues have been connected and all doubts have been resolved.
"I finally understand why you pulled out the knife on me. It turns out that the Taifu was taken as a hostage."
"...I'm sorry. I can't help myself now. I can't just watch Ah Chang die in front of me."
"No need to apologize to me."
As Ogata spoke, he put his hands on the hilts of the Daishiten and Daizizai swords on his left waist, and then slowly pulled out the two swords.
Canglanglanglang...
The blade slowly unsheathed, making a crisp sound.
The time now is probably around 13 o'clock.
Although it was just after noon, the sunshine today was not too strong.
It is autumn at this time.
The sky is blue and clear, and the sunlight is soft. Da Shi Tian and Da Zi Zi shine with clear blue light under the light.
After Ogata unsheathed his sword, a dazzling light appeared in Shuntaro's field of vision.
"Wu Liu, the order they gave you seems to be to kill me."
"I don't want to see what happens to Taifu."
"so"
Ogata slowly assumed the posture of the Wuwo Sword Style.
"Come here on horseback."
Shuntaro cast a complicated look at Ogata.
There was surprise and astonishment in his eyes.
Finally, Shuntaro turned these complicated emotions into a smile that remained on the slightly upturned corners of his mouth.
"It would be disrespectful of you to compete with Ogata Ittousai and not just go all out."
After saying that, Shuntaro quickly reached into his arms with his free left hand and took out a black pill, then stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it briefly twice, and then swallowed it.
No matter when, fighting with your opponent with all your strength is the greatest respect for your opponent.
As soon as Shutaro swallowed the black pill, Ouri noticed that Shutaro's skin began to turn red, the veins under his skin began to pop, and a faint, steam-like heat emerged from under Shutaro's skin.
Looking at Shuntaro who had entered the "Yaksha Realm" so quickly, Ogata raised his eyebrows:
"So your 'Yaksha Pill' can take effect so quickly? I thought it would take you a while to digest it before you can enter the 'Yaksha Realm'."
Shuntaro was not surprised that Ogata knew about "Yaksha Maru" and "Yaksha Realm".
After all, Kotaro, one of the "Four Heavenly Kings", was defeated by Ogata, so Shuntaro guessed that Ogata had most likely seen "Yakshamaru" and "Yaksha Realm" with Kotaro.
"People with different physiques absorb 'Yaksha Pills' at different speeds."
Shuntaro said softly.
"The person who absorbs it the slowest is Kotaro. He needs to spend a stick of incense."
"And I'm the one who absorbs it the fastest."
"That's it." Ogata smiled.
"Please go all out, Ittousai." Shuntaro raised his left hand and pulled out the other sword from his back, "Let me see... how strong the executioner Ittousai is, who is known as 'Shura'."
.”
Hearing Shuntaro's words, Ogata twitched his lips and smiled.
"In the same words, I'll give it back to you. You also let me see...how much ability the person who has always been called the leader of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui is really capable of."
After saying that, Ogata's chest began to rise and fall with a special rhythm.
After switching his breathing to the "breath of the source", Ogata began to feel that the vision in front of him began to change.
It feels like my field of vision is gradually expanding.
My heart, which was still full of chaotic thoughts, gradually calmed down.
Just like the originally rough sea slowly turned into a calm lake.
[Ding! The host enters the realm of selflessness!]
As the system sound sounded, a series of notification sounds indicating an increase in body functions and an increase in sword skill level passed through Ogata's mind one by one.
Shuntaro, who stood opposite Ogata, could clearly feel the change in Ogata's temperament as his eyes now seemed to have a strange light shining in them.
To give a more vivid example... it's like a person suddenly transforming into a thousand-year-old tree with a trunk that has penetrated deep into the ground.
Although it is not clear what Ogata did to make his temperament change drastically, the fighting instinct accumulated through years of fighting tells Shuntaro that Ogata is now in danger.
Shuntaro, who did not dare to be careless at all, prepared the two jet-black ninja swords in his hands and took a stance.
And Ogata also raised the Great Freedom, and walked the upper section. He stretched the Great Release Sky forward, and in the middle section, he took up the posture of the Wuwo Sword Style.
Neither Ogata nor Shuntaro moved.
The two of them just stood there facing each other, motionless.
If a layman were present, he might wonder why neither of the two people moved.
But anyone who knows anything can tell at a glance that the battle between the two has already begun.
Both Ogata and Shuntaro were keeping a close eye on each other, looking for the best opportunity to attack.
The wind blew randomly.
A leaf was blown by the wind, slowly, slowly floated to the top of Ogata's head, and then slowly fell towards Ogata's head.
Just when this leaf was about to fall on Ogata's hair...
Snapped!
Snapped!
Two kicking sounds were heard.
As if they had agreed in advance, the two of them shot out together and rushed towards each other.
The strong wind brought by Ogata as he rushed forward directly blew the fallen leaves that were about to fall on top of his head straight back into the blue sky.
After both sides came within attacking distance of each other, Shuntaro took the lead in launching the attack.
The ninja sword in Shuntaro's right hand turned into a black stream of light and poured towards Ogata's chest.
Ogata used Dragon Tail and Dodge to dodge Shuntaro's direct thrust, then swung the Daisakuten and slashed at Shuntaro.
Even with just one arm, the dragon tail that Ogata is currently using can easily break human bones.
clang!
Shuntaro blocked Ogata's Dragon Tail Flash with the ninja sword in his left hand.
Ogata didn't expect his attack to be effective.
After his Dragon Tail Dodge was caught, Ogata immediately launched a pursuit.
Sakakibara's sword flow·water fall!
The freedom of Ogata's left hand fell towards Shuntaro's head like a waterfall pouring from top to bottom.
clang!
Shuntaro raised the ninja sword in his right hand and caught the blow forcefully.
After Tai Zizai was raised upward due to the counter-shock force, Ogata's left arm and five fingers of his left hand used special techniques to exert force and turn the counter-shock force into his own power.
Shuiluo·Erlian!
Da Zizai struck at Shuntaro's head again.
Although this time, Shuntaro successfully received the attack again, the force that was transmitted along the blade to his arm was much stronger than before, and Shutaro could not help but let out a dull cry of pain.
He took two steps back, widening the distance between himself and Ogata.
After quickly regrouping, he rushed towards Ogata again.
The swords of Ogata and Shuntaro collided, separated, collided again, and separated again.
Although he had just fought some battles with the ninjas responsible for guarding the "Kuga Village", Ogata's physical strength was not consumed too much.
Although he went through a lot of things last night, including fighting Jitaro and looking for Taifu, with 23 points of "vitality", Ogata was fully recovered both physically and mentally after a good sleep.
back to normal.
The improvement of "vitality" will not only make Ogata's body healthier and less likely to get sick, but also allow Ogata to recover from wounds and physical strength much faster than ordinary people.
There is no doubt that Ogata is currently in peak physical and mental condition.
The same is true for Shuntaro opposite.
Although Shuntaro also experienced a lot of things last night, after a good sleep, all the physical and mental fatigue was eliminated.
The two men, both at their peak, accepted or dodged every attack launched by each other without giving up, and launched fierce counterattacks against each other.
This is the third battle between Ogata and Shuntaro.
Although the first two battles were not in full swing, they had to be stopped due to various external forces.
But these two battles still made Ogata deeply realize that Shuntaro is very strong.
Now, after engaging in a life-and-death fight with Shuntaro who has entered the "Yaksha Realm" without anyone interrupting him, Ogata's realization has become even more profound.
In terms of strength, Shuntaro can't compare to Gokutaro, Kotaro and the others.
Regardless of strength, speed, or skill, Shuntaro is far superior to Gokutaro and Kotaro.
The best proof is that after entering the "no-self realm", Ogata can easily suppress Gokutaro, who has entered the "Yaksha realm", but against Shuntaro, who has also entered the "Yaksha realm", he cannot
Hard to tell apart.
After entering the "selfless realm", in addition to a sharp increase in strength, your state of mind will also change.
You will become extremely calm and it will be difficult for you to have any mood swings.
But at this moment, when it was difficult to have any mood swings due to entering the "selfless state", Ogata felt a little excited in his heart.
Since arriving in the Edo period, Ogata has almost died in four singles duels.
In the battle between Hirose Domain and Toyama in the "God-worshiping Competition".
The battle with Nanabahara when he was slaying Gennai Matsudaira.
The battle with the "Monk" on Butterfly Island.
The battle with Kotaro in Kyoto.
In these four deadly battles, "Yao Monk" and Kotaro used naginata and scythes respectively.
Only Toyama and Nanabahara use swords.
But for Toyama and Nanabahara, Ogata fought them with hatred.
Now is the first time Ogata fights with someone who also uses a sword as a weapon and has no personal enmity with him.
And this man, like him, is a master of the two-sword style.
Thinking of this, Ogata couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Want to win.
I want to defeat Shuntaro.
I want to see who is stronger between me and Shuntaro.
clang!
After using Taizuzai's Blade Reverse to knock Shuntaro's sword away again, Ogata aimed the tip of Daishiten's sword at Shuntaro.
Sakakihara Ittōryu·Bird Thorn!
With the blessing of the state of "selfless state", Bird Thorn's level was temporarily upgraded to "Grandmaster Level".
The "Grand Master Level" Bird Thorn can only be described as terrifying, both in terms of speed and power.
Shuntaro's pupils shrank slightly. He quickly tilted his head and barely managed to avoid the stream of light.
But the stream of light still grazed Shuntaro's left cheek, leaving a huge gash on Shuntaro's left cheek. This half of Shuntaro's face was immediately covered with blood.
But almost at the same moment when his face was injured, Shuntaro fought back.
He clenched the ninja sword in his right hand tightly, and then raised the ninja sword in his right hand from bottom to top towards Ogata.
The tip of the ninja sword that was thrust towards Ogata took away some of the flesh of Ogata's left thigh.
Ogata didn't even look at his left thigh, he just clenched his left hand tightly and pointed at Shuntaro who was very close at hand and used Dragon Tail.
This time, Shuntaro did not force the attack, but quickly retreated to avoid Ogata's dragon tail.
Ogata did not immediately rush to chase Shuntaro.
Instead, he lowered his head first and glanced at Da Zi Zi in his hand.
too slow……
If the dragon's tail move he just performed could be faster, he might be able to kill Shuntaro.
Ogata recalled the state of his body when he used the Dragon Tail move just now, and thought about how he should cut it just now to make the knife faster.
is that so?
Ogata used Daishiten to use Dragon Tail on the air in front of him.
call!
The sharp sound of breaking wind sounded.
Ogata vaguely felt that he had some idea of how to make the dragon's tail faster and more powerful.
After using Dragon Tail on the air in front of him, Ogata discovered that Shuntaro not far away was also swinging his sword at the air in front of him, as if he was thinking about something.
Are you also thinking about how to improve your skills?
For some reason, Ogata felt a smile appear on his face.
After keeping in mind the inspiration he had just realized, which seemed to make the dragon's tail faster, Ogata rushed towards Shuntaro.
He wanted to experiment with the inspiration he had just suddenly realized.
The sound of gold and iron clashing alternately sounded again.
Dragon Tail·Dodge!
Ogata saw the right opportunity and used Dragon Tail: Dodge.
While spinning his body to dodge Shuntaro's downward slash, he swung Daishiten and slashed horizontally towards Shuntaro.
This time, Ogata incorporated the inspiration he had just realized into this move.
clang!
Shuntaro raised his two swords and successfully blocked the attack.
Although the attack failed, Ogata did not feel frustrated at all.
On the contrary, there was a slight joy on his face.
Ogata quickly jumped back a few steps, widening the distance between himself and Shuntaro, and then murmured in a low voice:
"I see……"
After integrating the inspiration he suddenly realized into the dragon's tail just now, Ogata obviously felt that his strength and speed had increased.
Ogata recalled the feeling of swinging the sword just now.
Recalling how my muscles moved just now.
To be like this... like this... then... like this!
Ogata swung Daishiten and slashed horizontally into the air in front of him.
call!
The sound of breaking wind sounded much sharper than before.
[Ding! Since Sakakibara has become proficient in the use of the Ittō-ryu Martial Arts: Dragon Tail, Sakakihara's Ittō-ryu Martial Arts: Dragon Tail has been promoted to an "advanced" skill! 】
This type of system sound, in which the level of martial arts is upgraded due to the increase in proficiency, sounded in my mind for a long time.
"I have perfected a technique..." Ogata's calm tone contained a bit of joy.
The reason why Shuntaro didn't take advantage of the gap where Ogata was digesting the battle experience to attack Ogata just now was because he was also digesting the battle experience.
After Ogata turned his attention to Shuntaro, he saw Shutaro swinging his sword into the air in front of him just like before.
Both the strength and speed of the sword swing were a little faster than before.
"Have your techniques improved too..." Ogata looked at Shuntaro and murmured.
After witnessing Shuntaro evolving in battle just like him and improving his techniques in battle, Ogata didn't feel annoyed or frustrated for some reason.
I just felt that my will to defeat Shuntaro became stronger.
After confirming his improved skills, Shuntaro smiled at Ogata, then raised his sword to kill Ogata again.
And Ogata faced it without fear.
This is a battle in which both sides have equal weapons, equal combat prowess, and no personal grudges are involved.
In the past, one-on-one duels either involved personal vendettas or the weapons were not equal, and the other party used strange-shaped weapons instead of knives.
Without the interference of the emotion of "hatred", Ogata could enjoy the changes in his body in this battle where both sides had equal combat power and equal weapons, and understood how to improve his techniques.
Although only the Dragon Tail of Sakakibara Itto-ryu now has a system notification sound, indicating that it has been upgraded, Ogata can clearly feel that all of his techniques are actually improving.
From all the sword skills of Sakakibara's one-sword style, to all the sword skills of Muga's two-sword style, and finally to combat experience, they are all improving.
In the battle with Shuntaro, I kept discovering my shortcomings, some superfluous movements on my body, and some of the best ways to exert force in certain situations.
The same is true for Shuntaro opposite.
Shuntaro also continued to improve his skills in battle.
The progress achieved in fierce and possibly fatal battles can be achieved by swinging the wooden sword in the air a thousand times in the dojo, or by engaging in friendly sparring with friends a thousand times.
Progress will definitely be made.
Now Ogata can no longer remember how many times he and Shuntaro exchanged offense and defense.
All he knows now is that his physical strength has declined sharply.
The "state of selflessness" is a state that consumes physical energy rapidly.
At this moment, Ogata had reached the point where he could no longer maintain oxygen supply without opening his mouth to take a deep breath.
The same is true for Shuntaro.
Although Ogata didn't know much about the "Yaksha Realm", a drug like this that could greatly improve body functions in a short period of time would not have any side effects or defects.
Opposite him, Shuntaro was also panting now, and the faint steam-like white smoke floating out from under his skin had become much thinner.
Because of his high concentration, Ogata did not look at how his body was doing.
You can only judge that the injuries on your body are quite serious now based on the burning feeling that is constantly coming from all parts of your body.
But Ogata doesn't have the energy or spare power to take care of these injuries on his body now.
Shuntaro is the strongest opponent Ogata has ever encountered since arriving in the Edo period. His strength is comparable to Ogata's, and even a moment's carelessness may lead to defeat.
Every nerve in Ogata's body was already tense to the extreme, and his eyes were fixed on Shutaro opposite him, looking for Shutaro's flaw.
And Ogata's body...no.
It should be said that Ogata's body and mind were quietly undergoing changes in this evenly matched battle.
…
Huh? What's going on...?
…
A trace of astonishment flashed in Ogata's eyes.
At a certain moment just now, Ogata suddenly felt that his vision had become strange.
Just now, Ogata seemed to vaguely see... Shuntaro's muscles under his skin.
Although it was only for a short moment, Ogata could clearly see the shape of each muscle in Shuntaro's body and how it was moving.
Am I dazzled?
This question couldn't help but pop up in Ogata's mind.
Ogata didn't have time to think about what was happening with Shutaro's vision that seemed to be able to see through it. Shutaro, who seemed to have thought about how to deal with Ogata, rushed towards Ogata.
clang!
clang!
clang!
…
There were several more sounds of gold and iron clashing together.
Just when he used his great freedom to deflect another attack from Shuntaro, Ogata's pupils suddenly shrank.
Because the strange vision just now appeared again.
You can see what Shuntaro's muscles look like under his skin.
You can see how the muscles under Shintaro's skin move.
This time, the strange vision lasted a little longer than before.
Precisely because it lasted longer, Ogata could clearly see how Shuntaro's right arm muscles were moving and how they were preparing to move.
Ogata has never studied medicine. Normally, even if he sees how the muscles of the other person's arm are moving, Ogata cannot know what the other person is planning to do.
But after seeing the changes in the muscles of Shuntaro's right arm, Ogata felt as if a voice sounded in his mind.
And this voice was telling him: Shuntaro plans to use a straight thrust, and the target is my right chest.
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After the slash he just made was blocked by Ogata, Shuntaro immediately turned the ninja sword in his right hand and pointed the tip at Ogata.
Then a scene appeared that made Shuntaro's eyes widen in shock.
As soon as he thrust out the ninja sword in his right hand, Ogata used step steps to dodge at an extremely fast speed.
The movement was so fast, it was as if he had predicted in advance what move he would make...
Ogata used the step step to dodge to Shuntaro's side, and raised the two swords in his hands high.
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Just as he used his step to dodge Shuntaro's thrust, this strange vision disappeared again.
Thanks to the strange vision just now, Ogata predicted in advance how Shutaro would make a move, and dodged Shutaro's move at an extremely fast speed.
Ogata's dodge speed this time was so fast that even Shuntaro couldn't react.
So after Ogata dodged to Shuntaro's side, Shuntaro didn't even have time to get into a defensive or dodge stance.
Naturally, Ogata would not miss this great opportunity to attack.
Ogata raised the Daishiten and Daizizao in his hands, and used the unique skill of his two-sword style, Cicada Rain.
Since unlocking this 7-consecutive slashing technique, Ogata has never used this move on anyone.
Daishiten and Daizizai turned into two rays of light that were so fast that they were only afterimages and swept towards Shuntaro.
Shuntaro barely managed to get ready for defense before Ogata's sword fell on him.
After connecting the first three slashes of Cicada Rain, Shuntaro found that the rhythm of Ogata's continuous slashes was chaotic.
Therefore, Shuntaro did not dare to be careless and concentrated all his energy and attention on defense.
Clang! Clang!
Subsequently, Shuntaro received two more knives.
When Ogata was about to swing the sixth sword, the field of vision in front of him changed and the strange field of vision just now appeared again.
This time the strange vision lasted longer and the vision was clearer.
Based on Shutaro's muscle changes, Ogata could clearly see how every muscle in Shutaro's body was changing.
Which knife does he want to use for defense next?
And how powerful the knife he used for defense would be.
How is this going?
Only then did Ogata realize that it wasn't just his vision that had changed this time.
Even the control over my own body has changed.
Ogata felt as if he could freely control every muscle in his body.
If you want to use 100 points of strength, you will never use 101 points of strength.
This feeling of being able to freely control every muscle in the body... this was the first time Ogata had encountered it.
This time, Shuntaro failed to catch Ogata's sixth sword.
Ogata had already predicted how Shuntaro planned to defend based on his muscles.
Then, relying on his miraculous state of being able to freely control every muscle in his body, he easily swung the knife that had been chopped down from mid-air, bypassed Shuntaro's defense, and struck Shuntaro.
The blade struck Shuntaro from his left shoulder to his right armpit.
Shuntaro's eyes were filled with astonishment at this time.
He instinctively felt a sudden change in Ogata's temperament, even though it was only for a short moment.
If we say that after Ogata entered the "state of no-self", the feeling he brought to Shuntaro was that he transformed from a human into a thousand-year-old tree.
At that moment, Ozu seemed to have transformed from a thousand-year-old tree into a boundless vast universe!