The Samurai and the Overbearing Mom - Two Bastards and the Damn Reincarnation

###Qi Kingdom - The Grand Magic Academy

The gates of the Grand Magic Academy loomed before Ryo, a massive structure of white stone and enchanted steel. Students from three nations—Chakra, Mana, and Qi—flocked to its halls.

Ryo adjusted the three swords at his hip, his expression a mix of exasperation and resignation.

*"I can't believe I let her talk me into this..."*

Behind him, Himari clung to his arm like a lovesick schoolgirl, her eyes sparkling with tears.

*"My baby is going to school! Mommy is so proud!"* she wailed, drawing stares from passing students.

Ryo sighed. *"Mom... please. You're embarrassing me."*

Himari gasped dramatically. *"Embarrassing you?! After everything I've done?! The sacrifices! The bloodshed! The—"*

*"Okay, okay! Just... tone it down a little?"*

Himari pouted but relented, though her grip on his arm didn't loosen.

---

### The Three Blades of Kazehaya

Before leaving, Himari had presented Ryo with three swords—each a masterpiece of the Chakra Kingdom's finest blacksmiths.

1. Uchigatana (Hien) – A sleek, razor-sharp blade imbued with wind chakra.

2. Wakizashi (Tsuyukusa) – A shorter blade for close-quarters combat, its edge humming with precision.

3. Katana (Muramasa) – A cursed blade, its dark aura palpable even sheathed.

Ryo had accepted the first two without hesitation. But when he pulled Muramasa just an inch from its sheath, the air itself seemed to grow heavy. A whisper of malice curled around his fingers.

*"This thing is evil,"* he muttered, quickly sheathing it.

He turned to hand it back—only to find Himari staring at him with shimmering eyes, hands clasped together in pure maternal pride.

*"My son... wielding the legendary Muramasa...!"* she sniffled. *"Just like your great-grandfather! And your great-great-uncle! And—"*

*"Okay, fine! I'll take it!"* Ryo groaned, strapping the cursed blade to his hip.

Himari beamed. *"Good! Because Mommy already killed the last three people who refused it!"*

Ryo froze. *"...You what?"*

Himari giggled. *"Kidding~... Unless?"*

---

### A Cozy Home in Qi

Since Himari refused to let Ryo live in the academy dorms (*"Filthy commoner beds! My baby deserves silk sheets!"*), they purchased a medium-sized, wild yet cozy house on the outskirts of the Qi capital.

Himari, the Shogun of the Chakra Kingdom, had somehow convinced herself that she would become a domestic goddess in Qi.

*"I'll cook! I'll clean! I'll even do your laundry!"* she declared, rolling up her sleeves.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. *"Mom, you've never cooked a day in your life."*

Himari gasped. *"How dare you! I'll have you know I once boiled water so fiercely it evaporated!"*

*"That's not cooking. That's arson."*

Himari huffed. *"Well, Mommy will learn! For you!"*

Ryo sighed. *"...Just don't burn the house down."*

---

### First Day of School – The Fateful Encounter

*At Qi Kingdom - Grand Magic Academy Gates*

The morning mist clung to Ryo's three swords as he stared up at the ivory towers of the academy. Behind him, Himari sniffled into an embroidered handkerchief.

*"My baby's first day! What if the other students are mean? Should Mommy slaughter a few as an example—"*

*"NO,"* Ryo interrupted, adjusting Muramasa's cursed hilt. The blade pulsed ominously against his thigh.

[System Notification: Cursed Sword Synchronization - 12%]

*"Tch. Annoying."*

---

### The Three Blades Ceremony

Flashback to yesterday's sword presentation:

Himari had laid out the weapons with ceremonial gravitas:

1. Hien (Uchigatana) - Wind-imbued, its edge singing when drawn

2. Tsuyukusa (Wakizashi) - Water-aligned, leaving afterimages in its wake

3. Muramasa (Katana) - The moment Ryo's fingers brushed its hilt, the room temperature dropped

*"This one's different,"* Ryo muttered, drawing it just an inch. The reflection in the blade showed not his face, but a one-eyed warrior in shadowy armor.

---

The morning sun barely crested the academy walls when the five students gathered before a structure none of them had seen before.

It looked like a training dummy. A very fancy, very ancient, very *intimidating* training dummy.

Carved from what appeared to be solidified starlight, it stood ten feet tall with intricate runes carved into every surface. Its "face" was a smooth, featureless oval that somehow managed to project absolute judgment without any visible expression.

Professor Whiskerbottom stood beside it, his eyebrows doing something that might have been a smile.

"Welcome to your first official examination!" he announced. "This is the **Mirror Dummy of Absolute Judgment** — forged during the Mage-Knight War, calibrated by twelve Archmages, and enchanted to assess your combat capabilities at your current rank."

Leo raised a trembling hand. "Professor... what does it do exactly?"

Whiskerbottom's eyebrows arched impressively. "Simple, boy! You approach the dummy. It reads your soul, your rank, your combat style — and generates a perfect copy of you at your current level. Defeat it. Don't die. Questions?"

Ryo raised a lazy hand. "Can I nap first?"

Whiskerbottom sighed. "Kazehaya, if you survive your own copy, you can nap for a week."

Ryo perked up. "Deal."

---

### The Scale of the Examination

Leo looked around the courtyard — and then beyond it. Students stretched across the academy grounds in long queues, waiting their turn at a dozen identical dummies positioned throughout the campus.

"Professor... how many students are taking this exam?"

Whiskerbottom didn't look up from his clipboard. "Four thousand first-years, give or take. The dummy copies are positioned at twelve locations across the academy. Testing will continue for three days."

Leo's jaw dropped. "Four THOUSAND?"

"Indeed. And historically, only about thirty to forty percent pass the first examination." Whiskerbottom's eyebrows twitched. "This year's numbers are looking... interesting."

Mochiko crossed her arms. "How many have passed so far?"

Whiskerbottom consulted his clipboard. "As of this morning — with two days of testing complete — we have **1509 students** who have successfully defeated their copies."

Leo did the math. His face went pale. "That's... that's already thirty-seven percent. With a whole day left."

"Indeed." Whiskerbottom's eyebrows expressed something between concern and fascination. "This year's first-year class is unusually strong. Or the dummies are malfunctioning. One of the two."

Ryo, still half-asleep, mumbled, "Dummies are fine. Kids just got hands."

Everyone stared at him.

He didn't elaborate.

---

### The Waiting Area

The five of them stood in a designated area near Dummy Station 7, watching the stream of students approach, fight, and either celebrate or slink away in defeat.

Leo couldn't stop muttering numbers. "Fifteen hundred already passed... four thousand total... if the trend continues, maybe two thousand by the end..."

Kagari touched his arm gently. "You're spiraling."

Leo took a deep breath. "Right. Right. I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Nearby, a first-year walked away from the dummy with his head hung low — another failure.

Mochiko watched him go. "So not everyone passes. Good to know."

Noah's eyes tracked the successful students. "The ones who pass are worth watching. The ones who fail are worth forgetting."

Ryo, somehow now lying on the ground using his sheathed swords as a pillow, opened one eye. "That's dark, man. Even for you."

Noah ignored him.

---

### The Students Before Them

Before any of the main group could step forward, a proctor called out names from a list.

"Group Seven — first-years 2031 through 2040! Approach the dummy!"

Ten students stepped forward. Some looked confident. Some looked terrified. All of them were strangers.

Professor Whiskerbottom gestured for the five to observe. "Watch. Learn. Your group is next."

---

#### Trial 2031 — Ren Takami (Knight)

A boy with sharp eyes and a katana stepped forward. He moved with the fluid grace of someone trained from birth.

The dummy's runes glowed silver.

**Knight Copy — Rank 3: Warrior**

Ren drew his blade. His copy did the same.

They moved simultaneously — a blur of steel and aura. For thirty seconds, they were evenly matched. Then Ren shifted his stance slightly — almost imperceptibly — and his copy's blade passed within a hair's breadth of his chest.

In that instant, Ren struck. His blade tapped the copy's core.

The copy dissolved.

Ren sheathed his sword and walked away without celebration.

Whiskerbottom made a note. "Pass. Skilled. Next."

Leo whispered, "He made that look easy."

Noah's eyes followed Ren. "He's been training since childhood. Probably nobility."

---

#### Trial 2032 — Yuki Tanaka (Mage)

A nervous girl with glasses approached, her staff trembling in her hands.

The dummy's runes glowed pale green.

**Mage Copy — Rank 2: Apprentice Mage**

Yuki cast a simple fire spell. Her copy dodged.

She cast again. Her copy countered.

She cast a third time — and her spell fizzled mid-cast.

Her copy raised a hand, a perfect fireball forming — then stopped. Dissolved without throwing it.

Yuki stood frozen, tears in her eyes. She knew she'd failed.

Whiskerbottom: "Fail. Next."

---

#### Trial 2033 — Daichi Kobayashi (Knight)

A broad-shouldered boy with a battleaxe stepped up, grinning.

"I've got this."

His copy formed. They clashed. For two minutes, Daichi swung with pure strength, driving his copy back—

Until his copy sidestepped one swing and tripped him.

Daichi landed on his back, staring up at the copy's axe stopped an inch from his face.

**Fail.**

---

#### Trials 2034-2039 — Mixed Results

|--------|------|------|--------|

Three passes. Three failures.

Leo was keeping count on his fingers. "That's... four passes out of nine so far. That's like forty-four percent—"

Whiskerbottom glanced over. "Mathematics, boy? In MY examination yard?"

Leo shut up.

---

#### Trial 2040 — The Last Before Them

A girl with sharp features and sharper eyes stepped forward. She carried no weapon — just herself.

The dummy's runes glowed silver — then flickered to gold, then settled back to silver.

**"You're different,"** a voice echoed from the dummy — the first time it had spoken all day. **"No weapon. No staff. What are you?"**

The girl smiled. "My name is **Sora Yamino**. And I don't need weapons."

Her copy formed — same sharp eyes, same empty hands.

**Martial Artist Copy — Rank 4: Aura Knight (Unarmed Specialization)**

The waiting students gasped. Rank 4? From a first-year?

Sora moved.

Her copy met her.

What followed wasn't combat — it was *art*. Fists and feet moving in patterns too fast to follow. Aura clashing against aura. Impact after impact, neither gaining ground.

For three minutes, they danced.

Then Sora did something unexpected. She stopped blocking. Stopped dodging. Let her copy's fist fly toward her face—

And caught it. Bare-handed. Inches from impact.

**"You fight like me. But you're not me."**

She twisted. The copy's arm shattered into light.

Then she swept its legs, and as it fell, drove her palm into its core.

The copy dissolved into sparkling silver.

Silence.

Then Professor Whiskerbottom's voice: "Pass. With distinction. You're the fortieth today to earn that rating."

Sora walked back to the waiting area, ignoring the stares. But her eyes flicked toward the group of five — toward Ryo specifically.

Ryo, still lying on the ground, cracked one eye open and smirked at her.

Sora's expression didn't change, but something in her gaze sharpened.

---

### The Group of Five's Turn

The proctor called out: "Group Eight — first-years 2041 through 2045!"

Noah stood first. Mochiko followed. Kagari gracefully rose. Leo stumbled to his feet. Ryo had to be nudged awake by Kagari's staff.

As they approached the dummy, the crowd of waiting students — including the ones who had already passed or failed — turned to watch.

Whispers spread.

"Isn't that the Kazehaya heir?"

"The Von Reinhart prince is here?"

"The Qi princess too..."

Sora leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching intently.

---

#### Trial 2041 — Mochiko Qiuyue

Mochiko strode forward first. The dummy's runes blazed gold.

Her copy formed — wine-red hair, golden eyes, wreathed in phoenix flames.

**Knight Copy — Rank 4: Aura Knight (Phoenix Specialization)**

The crowd murmured. Another Rank 4?

They exploded into motion.

Blades clashed. Flames erupted. The courtyard became a whirlwind of fire and fury. Mochiko attacked with everything she had — and her copy matched her strike for strike.

For five full minutes, they dueled. Mochiko's phoenix mark blazed brighter than anyone had ever seen. Her flames turned white-hot. She pushed harder, faster, fiercer —

And her copy matched her. Always matched her.

Finally, Mochiko launched a desperate, all-or-nothing strike—

And her copy caught it. Held it.

They stood frozen, blade against blade, flames consuming both.

Then the copy *nodded* — almost respectfully — and dissolved.

Mochiko stood panting, her eyes wide, her sword trembling in her grip.

Whiskerbottom made a note. "Pass. Next."

The crowd whispered. Another pass. Another strong one.

---

#### Trial 2042 — Kagari Hitsugi

Kagari approached with her usual silent grace. The dummy's runes pulsed warmly — a soft crimson.

Her copy formed from swirling hellfire — silver-white hair, crimson-pink eyes, composed entirely of flame.

**Mage Copy — Rank 4: Scholar Mage (Hellflame Specialization)**

The battle was beautiful and terrifying.

Kagari cast Flame Barrage. Her copy answered with Flame Whip. Kagari raised barriers. Her copy shattered them. The two exchanged spells with machine precision.

Then Kagari stopped casting.

Walked forward.

Through her own barrier. Through her copy's flames. Through the heat that should have reduced her to ash.

Her copy hesitated — and in that moment, Kagari touched its face.

The flames flickered. The copy seemed almost confused. Then it dissolved into warm embers that swirled around her before fading.

Silence.

Then Whiskerbottom: "Pass. With honors. That's forty-one today."

A mage in the crowd whispered, "She... she hugged it?"

Sora's eyes narrowed slightly. *Interesting.*

---

#### Trial 2043 — Noah Von Reinhart

Noah stepped forward. The dummy's runes flickered to life, cycling through colors before settling on deep blue-white.

His copy formed — same height, same build, same cold expression. Composed of shimmering frost and distorted gravity wells.

**Mage Copy — Rank 4: Scholar Mage (Ice/Gravity Specialization)**

Noah's hand swept up — **"Glacier Prison."**

Ice erupted. The copy shattered it with **Gravity Crush.**

For three minutes, they dueled — ice against ice, gravity against gravity. The air warped. Frost formed and shattered. The ground cratered and reformed.

Then Noah raised both hands.

Left hand: **Absolute Zero Cascade**

Right hand: **Singularity Pull**

Together — a spiral of frozen, crushing death.

The copy tried to replicate it. Failed. Shattered.

Noah stood in the crater, breathing hard, frost in his hair.

Whiskerbottom: "Dual casting at rank 4. Pass."

A mage in the crowd: "Two spells at once? At rank 4?"

Sora's gaze followed Noah. *Dangerous.*

---

#### Trial 2044 — Leo Willheim

Leo approached with the trembling energy of a small animal approaching a wolf.

Some students snickered.

"Look at that one—"

Leo reached the dummy.

The runes pulsed once — weakly — and then simply... stopped.

Nothing happened.

The snickering died.

Professor Whiskerbottom blinked. "That's never—"

He walked over and tapped the dummy. Its runes flickered feebly, then went dark again.

"It... refuses to copy you."

Leo's voice cracked. "Is that bad?"

Whiskerbottom stared at the dormant dummy. Then at Leo. Then back at the dummy.

"Boy, I've been teaching here for sixty years. I've seen this dummy assess Sword Saints, Archmages, and at least three people who later became gods. It has *never* refused to assess anyone." He squinted at Leo. "What exactly *are* you?"

Leo shrugged helplessly. "I'm just... Leo?"

The dummy remained stubbornly dark.

Whiskerbottom sighed heavily. "Step aside. We'll figure this out later."

Leo practically sprinted back to the group.

The crowd murmured. The dummy... broke? Refused? What did that mean?

Sora's eyes were fixed on Leo now. *The dummy couldn't copy him. Why?*

---

#### Trial 2045 — Ryo Kazehaya

Ryo yawned, stretched, and meandered toward the dummy.

The dummy's runes flickered erratically — cycling through colors that didn't exist.

Whiskerbottom frowned. "That's... new."

The copy formed — obsidian hair, steel eyes, three swords. Same lazy posture.

**Knight Copy — Rank 4: Aura Knight (Wind Specialization)**

Ryo looked at it. It looked at Ryo.

Neither moved.

Thirty seconds.

A minute.

The copy yawned.

Ryo nodded. "Good form."

Whiskerbottom: "Kazehaya. Fight."

"In a minute."

The copy sat down.

Ryo sat down across from it.

They stared at each other.

Whiskerbottom: "KAZEHAYA."

Ryo sighed. Stood. Drew Hien. The copy drew Hien.

They circled once. Twice.

Then Ryo sheathed his sword and walked away.

The copy blinked and turned to follow.

Ryo, now behind it, tapped its shoulder. When it turned, he flicked its forehead.

The copy exploded into confetti.

Silence.

Whiskerbottom stared. "...How."

Ryo shrugged. "It was expecting me to fight. So I didn't." He ambled back. "Nap time?"

Whiskerbottom opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

He wrote something. Crossed it out. Wrote something else. Gave up.

"...Pass. I don't know how, but pass."

The crowd was dead silent.

Then someone whispered, "Did he just... flick his copy to death?"

Sora's eyes were wide. *What the hell was that?*

---

### The Numbers

As the five regrouped, Whiskerbottom consulted his clipboard one final time.

"That brings today's total to..." His eyebrows rose. "Well. Interesting."

Leo couldn't help himself. "What? What's interesting?"

Whiskerbottom looked up. "With one day of testing remaining, we now have **1514 students** who have passed the first examination."

Leo did the math instantly. "That's... that's almost thirty-eight percent. With a whole day left. The final number could be..."

"Nearly forty-five percent, if trends hold." Whiskerbottom's eyebrows furrowed. "The highest pass rate in academy history was thirty-nine percent, seventy years ago. This year's class is... exceptional."

Noah's eyes narrowed. "Exceptional how?"

Whiskerbottom looked at them — all five of them — with an expression that was hard to read.

"Exceptional in ways that concern me. Four thousand students. Fifteen hundred already passed. And the ones who haven't even tested yet include some of the most promising candidates I've seen in decades." He tucked his clipboard away. "The faculty will be watching all of you very closely."

As he walked away, Leo whispered, "Was that a compliment or a threat?"

Ryo, already asleep on his feet, mumbled, "Yes."

---

### After the Trials

The five of them stood in the courtyard as students continued to stream toward the dummies.

Mochiko crossed her arms. "Fifteen hundred passed. That's a lot of competition."

Kagari tilted her head. "Or a lot of allies."

Noah's expression was unreadable. "Competition. Allies. It doesn't matter. What matters is who's left standing at the end."

Leo was still doing math in his head. "If forty-five percent pass the first exam, and then they whittle down from there for S-Class... the odds of getting in are..."

"Stop calculating," Mochiko snapped. "You'll give yourself an aneurysm."

Leo opened his mouth to protest — then closed it. She was probably right.

Sora Yamino approached them, silent as a shadow.

"You're the ones to watch," she said quietly. Her eyes moved across each of them — lingering on Ryo, then Leo, then back to Ryo. "I'll remember you."

Ryo, still somehow asleep while standing, mumbled, "We'll remember you too, lonely girl."

Sora's expression flickered — just for an instant. Then she turned and walked away.

Mochiko stared at Ryo. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know things about people you've never met."

Ryo opened one eye. "They tell me. With their faces. Their posture. The way they stand." He closed his eye. "You're angry because you're scared. Kagari's quiet because she's watching everything. Noah's cold because he's protecting something. Leo's nervous because he thinks he doesn't belong." He yawned. "Sora's lonely because she's always been alone."

Silence.

Then Leo, quietly: "That's... actually really insightful."

Ryo shrugged. "Napping gives you time to think."

Noah stared at him for a long moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, his lips twitched.

"Don't get soft," Mochiko muttered. But she was looking away, and her ears were slightly red.

Kagari smiled her tiny smile.

`[System: All Evaluations Complete — Group Eight]`

`[System: Total Pass Rate So Far — 1514/4000 (37.85%)]`

`[System: Final Day Remaining — Predictions: 1800-1900 Total Pass]`

`[System: Academy Record — Likely Broken]`

`[System: New Character Unlocked — Sora Yamino]`

`[System: Warning — She's Definitely Watching All of You]`

Chapter 4 - The Samurai and the Overbearing Mom