In a desolate landscape, wind howled through the branches of gnarled trees.
It wasn't an ideal training ground, but it served its purpose: isolation and focus. At Arthur's side stood Tatewaki in his reanimated form. He'd chosen Tatewaki for this because, unlike his ideal choice of Minato, controlling the former swordsman didn't require Sage Mode.
As for Arthur's command: fight him at full strength until he kills Arthur.
The advantages of this were that Arthur had an opponent with unlimited stamina, regenerative abilities, and access to powerful sword techniques. The disadvantage was Tatewaki's inherent anger at being turned into a puppet.
In Tatewaki's hand was a katana infused with ice chakra by Arthur. Arthur himself held his Boltswords.
"Young man, this is a mockery," Tatewaki bellowed. "Is all you can do defile the dead to fuel your delusions?"
"Be quiet… You have your command; now follow it."
At that, Arthur lunged with the Boltswords covered in electricity. Tatewaki parried the strike as sparks flew when the blades locked.
Ka-clang!
Tatewaki then quickly broke the stalemate, attempting to slash at Arthur's torso. But Arthur was too quick; he leaped over the strike while inflicting multiple wounds on his opponent.
Shing-shing!
The scars on Tatewaki were replaced by more ash, healing his injured state.
Their exchanges soon became a haze of steel and ice, a violent ballet where Arthur displayed a skill that surprised Tatewaki even more since their last encounter in the Land of Silence. Throughout their clashes, Arthur himself moved with elegance.
"You have talent, shinobi. I question why you would waste it on this dark path."
"Hmph… Did I not tell you to be quiet?"
Tatewaki held his tongue as his dead eyes rolled backward in his head, replaced by white specters. He was now fully subdued so that Arthur could train in silence.
The duel continued, with only the sounds of clanging metal and the exhausted breaths from the only person actually alive.
Arthur pushed Tatewaki back, and when he saw an opening, he seized it. One Boltsword thrust forward in a deceptive maneuver while the other was let go of, whipping around in an unexpected arc before hitting Tatewaki's weapon.
Ka-klang!
Sparks showered as the ice blade finally shattered. Arthur was the clear victor.
The attack he had used earlier was a new technique called "Remote Control," which allowed him to manipulate the Boltswords independently from afar without needing to hold them. It was only showcased in the third part of the animated series, which Arthur had naturally learned on his own.
There was a second technique he had also perfected: Thunderbolt, a more straightforward application of the Boltswords' electric properties. It channeled lightning from the sky, creating a devastating blast that could shock anyone in view.
Both techniques, as he understood, didn't require him to possess the lightning chakra nature. They were tools anyone could theoretically perfect.
After a moment, the training session ended. While brutal, it had been productive. He'd tested his own limits and gained a deeper understanding of the Boltswords.
But it wasn't enough.
With a clang, Arthur sent the Boltswords clattering to the ground. He then unfurled the scroll containing the Executioner's Blade. When it landed in his hand, he found it to be heavier than the Boltswords.
Yet he heaved it as if it were a feather. Then he brandished it multiple times as the blade sliced through the air.
Woosh-woosh-woosh!
Arthur was curious to see what Tatewaki had to say about this performance, so he dispelled full control and returned the samurai's consciousness.
Tatewaki looked around, seeing that his weapon had shattered. He then watched in wide-eyed astonishment as Arthur continued to practice with the Executioner's Blade.
"That... that control… To wield it with such level of ease… you could have been a great samurai."
"Spare me the lecture…"
"Tis a shame you are evil."
Arthur ignored the comment, knowing this samurai's sentiment was a dead end.
Before anything, he took out another scroll and brought forth a katana again. He then encased it in ice before tossing it over to Tatewaki to use.
With a battle cry, Tatewaki charged. This time, however, he didn't feel resentment. He moved as if respecting Arthur as a swordsman.
The clang of metal on metal soon filled the scene after Arthur parried the first blow. Unlike the Boltswords, this was a clash of brute force. Each swing of the Executioner's Blade felt heavy, demanding precision and power in equal measure.
Even so, Arthur moved with grace. Tatewaki had tireless stamina yet struggled to match his opponent's agility.
When Arthur saw his opportunity, he spun and unleashed a powerful downward slash.
Ka-bang!
Tatewaki blocked it, creating a forceful impact that sent a tremour through the ground.
But Arthur wasn't finished.
He quickly used the momentum of the blocked strike and sent the Executioner's Blade spinning through the air like a frisbee. Tatewaki's eyes widened as he turned around, only to see the weapon hurtling toward him.
He attempted to dodge, but it was too late.
Shing!
The blade cleaved him in two before landing right back in Arthur's hand.
'Still needs some work,' Arthur thought.
The technique he'd just use was called the "'Flying Turn Slash," first used by Zabuza. Had Tatewaki not been momentarily stunned by the initial blow, he might have been able to dodge it.
Arthur therefore embedded the blade in the floor, unimpressed by the results. But at least he was still improving with each passing hour.
Tatewaki's body soon regenerated by knitting itself back together.
"Impressive," he praised, getting up. "I've never seen someone use a giant sword like that. A formidable skill, even for a non-samurai."
Arthur ignored the praise, wasting no time retrieving another scroll from his pack. In his hand materialized the Blunt Blade, a hulking instrument composed of a sharp axe head mated to a blunt, serrated hammer, both connected by a thick leather cord.
It looked more like a butcher's tool than a warrior's weapon, and Tatewaki couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"This is new," the samurai said. "What manner of weapon is that?"
Arthur hefted the weapon with ease. "Just another tool like you…"
Intrigued, Tatewaki launched himself into another attack. This time, he moved with a cautiousness that had not been present in the previous skirmishes.
He swung the ice katana in a wide arc, testing Arthur's defense. Arthur, with surprising agility for such a heavy weapon, sidestepped the blow. He then used the momentum and slammed the Blunt Blade's axe head into Tatewaki's side.
Bang!
Tatewaki grunted in pain. His reanimated body, however, seemed largely unaffected as he once again lashed out with the katana. But Arthur was already gone, having used that brief window to propel himself past the samurai.
Spinning around, Tatewaki saw his opponent standing several paces away with the Blunt Blade held casually over his shoulder. For a split second, the samurai seemed to admire Arthur.
"Your ways of fighting with the sword are quite unorthodox. But even I must admit they are effective in combat."
Arthur ignored the compliment. He was focused on the weapon in his hand and the feel of its rough leather. This weapon was only shown to rely on brute force. As such, Arthur had to improvise, having never really seen it used for anything else.
When his attention reverted back to the samurai, he charged.
First, a feint to bait Tatewaki into a wild swing. The samurai obliged and did just that.
Swoosh!
Arthur twisted himself at the last second just as the axe head of the Blunt Blade caught the katana's side. He then used the momentum to pull Tatewaki off balance before slamming the hammerhead right at the axe head.
Ka-bang!
A cloud of dust erupted as the blow connected, creating a shockwave.
When it cleared, Arthur saw the results firsthand. "So that's how it's used…"
The impact had caused a minor implosion of sorts within Tatewaki's form. Any non-reanimated body taking an attack like that head-on would have surely lost a few limbs, if anything. And that's just what happened to Tatewaki: he was discombobulated on the ground.
Arthur was content that the weapon was this powerful.
Tatewaki, as usual, regenerated as the damage faded away. "Impressive… I can see that you're not just training, are you?"
"What's it to you…?"
"Nothing, really. Not like I'm already dead or anything. I just figured you to be some sort of genius."
'Genius, huh?' Arthur thought.
He wasn't about to engage in philosophical debates or bask in hollow praises. What he needed was to grow stronger!
So he cast the Blunt Blade to the floor. Instead of reaching for just one scroll in his pouch, he pulled out two. Two weapons materialized: the Explosive Blade and the Long Blade.
Tatewaki's eyes widened considerably. "How many of those weapons do you have?!"
"I'll make it simple for you to understand, Tatewaki… This training session was never about just one sword. Doing one at a time would be too slow for my plans." He then hefted the Long Blade in one hand and the Explosive Blade in the other. "The goal is to use six of them at once…"
"At once?!" Then Tatewaki took a moment to really consider this sort of intense training session. "Maybe you're not a genius; maybe you're just insane."
Insane, perhaps. But Arthur was by no means going to fall behind to anyone. Especially not with the stakes so high.
He absolutely had to train this way. Firstly, there was only one ninja ever stated to be able to use these unique weapons at once. That ninja was not around at the moment. Second, Arthur's current strength with them was lacking; he would be outclassed against their original owners without a doubt.
Zabuza could just as easily swing the Executioner's Blade far better than Arthur could. This was remembered when the former fought Minato.
Even Raiga was prepared to end Arthur's life the moment he pulled out the Boltswords. Had Arthur not understood that one required extra spacing to use those twin blades effectively, he would have been carved to pieces.
"Since you know my object," he calmly said, "I expect you to try harder, samurai..."
Tatewaki fell silent.
He understood Arthur's ambition, but he couldn't understand Arthur's complex character. The person in front of him had a burning desire for what felt like something other than power. And whatever it was, it was moving Tatewaki's spirit as a samurai.
The afternoon sun was still high in the sky. Arthur himself was tired. But regardless of these things, he was prepared for more. Even if it killed him.
Tatewaki finally braced himself for what was to come.