"Then, are you brooding over losing to that Queen from a foreign land named 'Artoria'?"
"Truly foolish."
"Why didn't you just let her slaughter you?"
"Is that something a master should say to his disciple?"
Kenshin glared at him. This "old man's" words nearly sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.
In truth, if not for the unique nature of the Dragon Ball War, he rightfully should have died there.
"So, after you returned, you realized your strength was insufficient. Thus, you planned to train diligently and learn the Ougi from me before seeking revenge?"
Without probing the authenticity of the story, Hiko Seijuro looked at him and asked directly.
"No, I simply don't want to be so powerless anymore..."
"Relying only on ordinary swordsmanship, I can do nothing against an expert of that caliber."
"..."
Hiko Seijuro refrained from making any further harsh remarks. He could feel the genuine "unwillingness" in Kenshin's voice.
'A guy even Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu cannot deal with?'
'It seems he indeed suffered a great blow.'
Pondering the implications, Hiko Seijuro rarely found himself intrigued.
One had to know that Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu had been a "killing sword style" since ancient times, possessing enough power to influence the fate of the nation.
And an expert whom even this level of swordsmanship couldn't handle...
Even by Hiko Seijuro's own standards, such a person should be quite rare.
"Come here."
"Hm?"
Following Hiko Seijuro's steps, Kenshin traversed the familiar mountain path, eventually arriving before a waterfall.
"Draw your sword."
"Any sword will do."
Standing before the cliff, Hiko Seijuro turned to face him, speaking in a deep voice.
"..."
After a moment's thought, Kenshin finally drew "Tenseiga".
"Holding the sword slightly higher... is that the so-called Blade of Non-Killing? Although it looks a bit different from ordinary swords, saying it cannot kill is a bit far-fetched, isn't it?"
"What's more..."
"Do you really think you can kill me?!"
With a curl of his lip, Hiko Seijuro drew his own beloved sword and scoffed.
"!"
"A long-overdue contest between master and disciple. Let me see this so-called 'Peerless Under Heaven'."
Wearing his heavy cloak, Hiko Seijuro charged forward. Kenshin immediately responded.
Clang!
Positioning his sword defensively, feet gripping the ground to maintain balance, Kenshin blocked the incoming strike.
'Hoh... his reaction is faster than I imagined.'
Able to cope with this sudden blow so smoothly—Hiko Seijuro was slightly surprised.
Clang! Clang!!
Swords clashed, sparks flew. The figures of Kenshin and Hiko Seijuro moved constantly, blurring in motion.
'The rumors aren't false.'
'This brat seems to have truly grown too much.'
'No wonder those guys outside would be helpless against you.'
Although he hadn't yet exerted his full strength, Kenshin could already consistently keep up with his current speed.
One had to realize, this was an incredibly difficult feat.
Bang!!
Swords locked together. Hiko Seijuro then used his sturdy physique to slam viciously into Kenshin.
"Ugh!"
Although knocked back a distance, Kenshin adjusted his posture immediately.
'Strength, wrist power, flexibility, waist strength, leg strength...'
'Compared to the past, there is a world of difference.'
'Looking closely, even his physique is much sturdier.'
Such all-around growth genuinely surprised Hiko Seijuro.
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...
Ryusousen (Dragon Nest Flash)!
"Too anxious, idiot!"
Watching the swordsmanship Kenshin displayed as he closed in, Hiko Seijuro crossed his steps and retreated two paces, evading the upward diagonal slash, then swung his own sword at him.
"!"
But that inevitable blow was dodged by Kenshin, who flipped his body mid-air.
'This airtime and sense of power...'
'This brat!'
The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously. Hiko Seijuro suddenly felt looking forward to this.
'Shall I get a little serious?'
With this thought, the two engaged once again.
...
"Hah... whew..."
After a while, Kenshin lay on the ground panting, looking at his Master sitting on a rock in front of him, feeling rather terrible.
"Stamina is still lacking."
"Just fighting for a short while and you're already done?"
"This one feels that fighting from afternoon until evening is hardly a 'short while'..."
Almost exhausted of all strength, Kenshin refuted in a low voice.
He was just bullying him because his physique couldn't compare.
In the contest of swordsmanship just now, he had managed to keep up and block almost completely.
"Forget it. Looking at your condition, what you said before isn't false."
Having exercised his muscles and bones after a long time, Hiko Seijuro looked at Kenshin with new eyes.
He originally thought this foolish disciple wouldn't last long, but being able to compete with him—while he still wore his weighted cloak—until absolute exhaustion was no simple matter.
This also confirmed that Kenshin's story about meeting "people from foreign lands" was true.
"The Ougi..."
"Before that..."
"I will ask you one more question, Kenshin."
Hearing that serious tone, Kenshin pushed himself up halfway and looked ahead.
"Do you fear death?"
An unexpected question. Kenshin was stunned.
"Is this question important?"
"Very important. Depending on your answer, the subsequent result can already be known."
Falling into silence, Kenshin didn't rush to answer.
Death...
If it were the Kenshin of the past, he would definitely have said, "What is there to fear in death?" without hesitation.
But after experiencing the battle with Saber, the current Kenshin could not say such words against his own heart.
Live on...
That's right. No matter what, living on is the correct path.
If one dies, nothing remains...
The people waiting for him, the people expecting him to turn back...
Therefore, when fighting, the purpose is to live, not to fight with "death" as a premise.
'Shinta... Live on!'
'You can truly summon a reign of blood.'
The words of important people echoed in his mind. Kenshin found his answer.
"I want to live!"
Uttering words that seemingly contradicted the stance of a manslayer, Kenshin surprised Hiko Seijuro instead.
"Hahaha!!"
Laughing in a low voice, Hiko Seijuro hadn't expected such a decisive and honest answer.
Having not seen Kenshin for many years, he hadn't figured out the other party's current psychology, but now it seemed his worries were groundless.
"This saves a lot of trouble."
"If it is your current state..."
"There is no problem for you to learn the Ougi of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."
Confirming that will to "survive," Hiko Seijuro was relieved.
That disciple who hadn't been seen for a few years after descending the mountain... it seemed he hadn't been swallowed or crushed by the darkness of the world. Instead, he had experienced correct growth.
"Before that, go down the mountain to fetch water first, then go to the city to buy wine for me."
"Hah? Why?!"
"A disciple helping his Master—isn't this a matter of course?"
"Ugh!!"
"Heh..."
Looking at that enduring expression, Hiko Seijuro chuckled lightly.
"Hurry up! If you dawdle any longer, the city shops will close."
"This must be intentional on your part!"
He could only do as instructed. Kenshin walked away with stiff, exhausted steps.
Only when Kenshin's figure had disappeared into the distance did Hiko Seijuro gaze up at the night sky, remaining silent for a long time before speaking a single sentence.
"Could tomorrow be our farewell in this life?"