The meeting concluded in a delicate atmosphere.
Leaving the mansion, which was enveloped in the scent of medicine and wisteria, Ryosuke and Shota bid farewell to Moriyama Akira.
Shota finally couldn't hold back.
"Hey, Ryosuke! What kind of attitude was that in front of the Master!"
He recalled Ryosuke's bland, almost rude replies, still feeling a lingering sense of dread.
Ryosuke didn't look at him, stretching lazily.
"I just spoke the truth."
"Tch!"
Shota was unconcerned.
Returning to Mt. Momoyama, Rika, who was training, immediately rushed over when she saw them.
"Brother!"
Shota happily spread his arms, ready to embrace his sister.
But Rika completely ignored him, crashing straight into Ryosuke's arms.
Shota: (゜д゜)
Shota was so shocked he froze on the spot.
Damn it!
When did his home get stolen?!
Rika looked up, smiling sweetly at Ryosuke.
"Brother Ryosuke, welcome back."
"Mm."
Ryosuke nodded, ruffling her hair.
In fact, for the past six months, Rika had been the one delivering medicine to Ryosuke.
Because the three of them had been training and growing up together, the oblivious Shota hadn't noticed at all.
Now, seeing this scene, Shota completely exploded!
"Hey! You brat! I'm your brother! Your actual brother!"
"Hmph! Brother is so much healthier than Brother Ryosuke, so it's only natural for him to come back!"
The little girl said, tilting her nose up.
"Alright! Let's see how I deal with you!"
Shota said, moving to chase Rika.
"Brother is mean!"
Rika quickly dodged, circling around Ryosuke.
In the distance, Jigoro slowly approached.
Ryosuke stepped forward and bowed.
"Grandpa."
"It's good that you're back."
Jigoro patted Ryosuke's shoulder.
The following days were ordinary and mundane; besides recovering from injuries, it was all about training.
However... whenever Rika wiped Ryosuke's sweat with a towel, Shota would always be in a dark corner, gritting his teeth and scratching his head in frustration.
He began to intentionally or unintentionally compete with Ryosuke.
If Ryosuke ran fifty laps in training, he would run sixty.
If Ryosuke swung his sword a hundred times, he would swing it two hundred times!
As a good young man of the 21st century, Ryosuke upheld the excellent quality of never getting caught up in internal competition.
Of course, except for that first year when he desperately learned Breathing Technique and swordsmanship to survive.
With a rare opportunity for rest, Ryosuke naturally ignored Shota.
Let him compete; is it wrong for me to slack off a bit?
At the same time, Ryosuke immediately checked the system interface.
A year of lifespan, he should be able to add some points nicely, right?
But he didn't know until he looked, and when he did, he was quite shocked.
Maxing out Thunderclap and Flash would require nearly 22 years of lifespan!
Among them, advancing to the Sixfold Thunderclap and Flash needed 5 years, and activating God Speed needed a whopping 10 years!
So what was the remaining almost seven years of lifespan for?!
The system was taking a cut!
W-what the—?!
"Damn system! Get out here!"
"dog host, are you in heat this early in the morning!"
"You, you explain to me why Thunderclap and Flash needs an additional seven scattered years to be fully upgraded."
"You still have the nerve to say that!"
"The first time you added points, you went all-in, scattering them around, which only increased my workload."
"The last seven years are because the Seventh Form: Fire Thunder God requires Thunderclap and Flash as a foundation; once it's maxed, you'll directly comprehend it."
"Oh?"
Ryosuke's angry expression gradually turned into joy.
"Shout! Keep shouting at me!"
"Cough cough... I admit, I was a bit loud just now."
...Thirteen days later, someone arrived from the Swordsmith Village.
The swordsmith delivering the nichirin blade wore a Hyottoko mask.
He was tall, and his conical hat was adorned with numerous jars of unknown purpose.
Haganezuka Hotaru!
The moment he saw Ryosuke, steam suddenly shot out from the teapot-like spout on his Hyottoko mask, and he instantly went berserk, teleporting in front of Ryosuke!
His speed was comparable to Thunderclap and Flash!
"You! It's you! How did you use the nichirin blade!"
"It actually broke! It broke! Do you know that?!"
Haganezuka roared, poking Ryosuke's head with his finger.
His finger moved so fast it created afterimages.
Ryosuke's lips twitched.
He felt like he was experiencing Tanjiro's treatment in a roundabout way.
Shota chuckled from the side, while Rika quickly stepped forward to pull Haganezuka away.
"Hmph!"
Haganezuka snorted, then entered the house with Jigoro, placing the two nichirin blades he brought before them.
Shota had long been unable to contain himself and drew his own nichirin blade.
The blade was simple, and felt slightly heavy in his hand.
He took a deep breath, pressed his thumb against the tsuba, and exerted force!
The blade transformed, turning into a lightning-like golden yellow, its glow pure and sharp.
"Good! Good! What a good color!"
Haganezuka's eyes beneath the mask instantly widened, and two plumes of white steam shot from the teapot spout.
He was extremely excited, swinging his fists and pounding Jigoro's shoulder.
"See! See! This color is so beautiful! My nichirin blade! The nichirin blade I forged!"
Jigoro swayed slightly from the pounding, glaring at Haganezuka, but a hint of relief also flickered in his eyes.
Shota, this boy, truly inherited his legacy.
Shota was ecstatic, unable to resist swinging the blade a few times on the spot.
"Brother Ryosuke! Quick! Your nichirin blade! Take it out and see!"
Rika nudged Ryosuke beside her, her big eyes full of anticipation.
Ryosuke lowered his gaze, gripping the hilt and slowly drawing the blade.
Ohm—
A low sword hum sounded; unlike Shota's clear and crisp hum, this sound was deeper, as if coming from the bottom of a deep pool.
There was no anticipated golden lightning glow.
As the blade transformed, its color gradually settled, turning into a luminous white.
That white was not the coldness of snow, nor the chill of moonlight, but a warm, jade-like quality, quietly covering the entire blade.
"...White?"
Haganezuka was filled with confusion and disbelief.
He took a step forward, leaning close to Ryosuke.
"Strange! Too strange! I've been forging nichirin blades for so long, and I've never seen such pure white!"
His voice was filled with fanatic inquiry, and a hint of bewilderment.
How could the nichirin blade of a Thunder Breathing swordsman be white?
Ryosuke also fell silent.
He gazed at the nichirin blade in his hand, his thumb slowly tracing the spine of the blade.
The cold touch held a strange resonance.
Yes, this was his nichirin blade.
Not the raging thunder, not the surging flames, nor the clear flowing water... it was the luminous white that could only manifest by struggling on the brink of life and death, by burning oneself.
"It's beautiful, I like it very much."
Ryosuke finally spoke, sheathing the nichirin blade: "Thank you, Mr. Haganezuka."
"Beautiful? Like?"
Haganezuka seemed choked by these two words.
He lunged forward, his Hyottoko mask almost touching Ryosuke's face, the hot breath carrying a metallic scent.
"What do you know about beautiful! What do you know about liking!"
His two hands, like iron tongs, fiercely gripped the back of Ryosuke and Shota's necks.
"You two brats listen up! A nichirin blade is a partner! It's your second life! It's your only reliance against demons! Especially you!"
Haganezuka looked at Ryosuke.
"If you dare to break my nichirin blade, crack it, or dull its edge like you did on Fujikasane Mountain again! I'll shove both of you into the forge! Do you hear me?!"
Shota was drenched in cold sweat from the shouting: "Y-yes, sir! Mr. Haganezuka! Absolutely not! I swear!"
Ryosuke nodded calmly.
Haganezuka snorted and turned to leave.
Rika scurried over to Ryosuke's side, her eyes sparkling.
"Brother Ryosuke's white nichirin blade is like jade, so beautiful! Much prettier than Brother's flashy gold!"
Her words were innocent, but they precisely pricked Shota's delicate feelings.
"Hey, Rika! What are you talking about!"
Shota immediately retorted.
"Hmph, it's true!"
Rika made a face at him.
Just then, a dark blue shadow darted past, and a cry rang out.
"Caw! Yasui Ryosuke, Kinoe-ranked mission! A man-eating demon has appeared on Mt. Hinode in Tokyo Prefecture!"