Mount Sukuna—
"Please, Kagetatsu-san! Lend me your strength!"
"Hah!"
A towering phantom of a samurai flashed past in mid-air, and a peculiar fluctuation instantly flooded into Ryu's body. Although his height did not change, he inexplicably felt his field of vision widen significantly. His hand subconsciously rested on the tachi at his waist, and with a gentle push of his thumb, the blade popped loose from the guard.
Zheng!
His hand movements were completely invisible; a snow-white gleam of the blade flashed through the empty air, and the sound of breaking air arrived only belatedly, giving one the illusion of dislocated time and space.
Chi!
A falling leaf quietly separated into two halves, fluttering down as lightly as a feather.
Looking closely, this leaf was not cut vertically or horizontally, but was "peeled" open into two layers like a sheet of paper!
Two identical, semi-transparent leaves silently demonstrated a sword technique that had already stepped into the realm of the inhuman!
"...Phew!"
Ryu sheathed the blade, bent down to pick them up, and seriously observed the two leaves, finding it hard to believe for a moment that this was cut by his own hand.
Even a high-ranking kendo master could absolutely not achieve this; it could even be said to have exceeded the scope of modern kendo, a fantasy technique that exists only in legends and documents.
"If I said this out loud, people would definitely think I was bragging, right?" Ryu felt cheerful and laughed to himself.
"Truly worthy of the reputation. As expected of Kagetatsu-san, even after leaving the mortal world, your swordsmanship is still perfection!"
[You flatter me. Being idle and bored in the mountains, I could only chop leaves and slash at flying swallows. Thus, I developed this insignificant trick just to amuse myself in my old age.]
Tsk tsk tsk~ I wonder what relation Your Excellency has to that Dragon-Slaying Sword Saint from Type-Moon next door?
Why do all you sword masters speak in the same tone!
Temporarily ignoring Nishikida Kagetatsu, who was secretly pleased with himself, Ryu meaningfully admired the finely crafted long sword in his hand, his eyes filled with unconcealed delight.
Although he knew a little about swordsmanship, he was still inferior compared to a true grandmaster. The reason he could display such a divine skill was that he had borrowed Kagetatsu's power.
——[Spirit Channeling]!
This option, worth a whopping 7 points, had a very simple ability:
Summon a spirit with a deep bond to possess the body, thereby learning techniques from the "past" (but prior consent from the other party is required).
Does it sound a bit like an upgraded version of [Demon Soul]? In reality, it is vastly different!
The core of [Spirit Channeling] lies in the summoning. Even if separated by thousands of miles, one can call forth the contracted spirit!
The only defect is that this skill does not change one's constitution, and the effect of the channeling depends on the compatibility between both parties.
In other words, it only cares about calling the "ghost" over for you; as for whether the ghost is willing to help you, or whether the possession effect is good or bad, that's none of its business!
Interestingly, Ryu happened to possess a [High-Purity Demon Soul] talent.
[Demon Soul] does not actively summon spirits, but it precisely changes one's constitution, especially improving compatibility with the "Sword Master" type!
When Ryu first saw [Spirit Channeling], his first reaction was that he had bought [Demon Soul] too early, lamenting his six Destiny Coins. But after careful deliberation, he began to realize the profound mystery within. He tried matching them, and sure enough, there was a miraculous effect!
Simply put, with his current spiritual power, as long as he is in Japan or the surrounding waters, he can summon Kagetatsu from Mount Sukuna to possess him. And in this state, he can almost replicate over ninety percent of Kagetatsu's sword techniques!
——Moves that require high spiritual power are out of the question; Kagetatsu himself is a remnant soul, and most of his power is inside the Sealing Sword suppressing Sukuna.
This performance is far stronger than the last time he faced Ryomen Sukuna in the mountains~
Tremble, enemies! Bro has a god-tier booster this time!
Ryu was also a bit glad he had kept [Demon Back]. Don't underestimate this thing just because it looks inconspicuous in high-martial and fantasy settings; right now, without the stat boost from this ability, he really couldn't have swung that "one blade, two slices" strike!
[You yourself also played a big role, whether in physique or spirit, as well as the honing of your skills... Even in life, I had never seen a young lad as excellent as you.
To adapt to my existence completely in such a short time is simply a unique natural endowment. I didn't expect there would still be someone in the modern era who could use the 'Art of Channeling' so well.]
"Heh, I was just lucky."
Ryu said seriously, "I must thank you for accepting the contract with me."
[No matter. You also helped me reseal Sukuna... Just do not forget our agreement.]
"Of course!" The boy's tone was certain, causing Nishikida Kagetatsu in the void realm to nod.
Kagetatsu was not helping unconditionally. Although he liked to fight against injustice and slay demons, that was for the sake of public righteousness. Now that he was fighting for Ryu personally, things naturally had to be different.
The first was absolutely inviolable:
His sword only cuts demons and "inhuman beings"; he will not lay a hand on ordinary commoners. Even if the demon opposite him has not done evil, he will not draw his blade.
The second was the remuneration for hiring him:
He insisted on the "grace of a meal and lodging." Even if poor villagers wanted to eliminate a demon, they would at least provide him with a meal, let alone Ryu, who looked like a young master from a wealthy family at first glance.
So every time he is summoned, there must be a feast of eating and drinking after the battle, allowing him to experience the joy of appetite that he hasn't felt in a long time~
The third was a bit special...
[That day, if that little girl with Yin-Yang Eyes (Mieruko) hadn't bravely spoken up, it would have been very difficult for you and me to join forces, and sealing Sukuna would have been fraught with complications. In other words, that little girl has done me a favor!
Now I am powerless to repay her. If she encounters any difficulties in the future, please help her a little. I would be endlessly grateful!]
"Lord Kagetatsu speaks too seriously. Mieruko is also my friend; please rest assured on that point." Ryu's tone was serious, and he truly thought so in his heart.
——After all, Mieruko's gold coins haven't dropped yet!
As everyone knows, he, Kuse Ryu, is the most loyal!
[Hahaha... I didn't find a true successor to my mantle during my life. I didn't expect to meet such a congenial junior after death. Fate really makes fools of people~]
Kagetatsu was in a surprisingly good mood. At first, he thought Ryu was a libertine who took decent girls out for night walks, but now the more he looked at him, the more pleasing he found him. He only regretted why this child wasn't born a few hundred years earlier.
Otherwise, he might have been able to pass on his swordsmanship and create a new school, just like the Shinkage-ryu and Hokushin Itto-ryu!
"If Your Excellency doesn't mind, I can also call you 'Master'." Ryu's eyes held a smile, but it was clear he was serious.
Even after the possession effect ended, some experience and memories would still remain in his body and mind. It was simply like one-on-one tutoring from a famous teacher; his rapid progress could be foreseen now. Just for this, calling him "Master" was absolutely appropriate!
[Hahaha... I didn't find a true successor to my mantle during my life. I didn't expect to meet such a congenial junior after death. Fate really makes fools of people~]
Kagetatsu refused, however, though his mood remained very good.
[You are not a thing of the pool (not meant for mediocrity); I am just a guide for enlightenment. How can I be your master by teaching a few country-bumpkin tricks?]
[Your power can only be developed by yourself. You cannot blindly walk my path, because you and I have different 'talents'.]
"Hmm? This 'talent' refers to..."
[I possess the ability to see through evil spirits, while you possess the talent of an Illusionist.]
This statement made Ryu stunned:
He thought Kagetatsu was going to talk about his "money power."
Illusionist? That had absolutely nothing to do with Ryu!
[You indeed haven't realized it yet... True, young people these days are no longer interested in Buddhism.]
"...How did this get to Buddhism again?"
[It has nothing to do with faith. What I am talking about is a unique method in Buddhist practice—Conquering Heart Demons.
When the mind is uneasy, demonic thoughts arise spontaneously, which is extremely dangerous. But if one can cut away the heart demons, one can raise one's own state to a higher level.]
"I still know about this." Ryu was still very humble.
[But that is ultimately just a mystifying way of speaking by the monks. In reality, it is not that mysterious, hahahahaha~!]
Kagetatsu laughed for a while, as if remembering some past events, before explaining seriously to Ryu.
[Most people in the world are of flesh and blood, but there is always a one-in-ten-thousand chance that children with special abilities will appear, like me.
Among them, some can foresee the future, some can ride the wind, some can transmit sound over a thousand miles... There is also a type that is not outwardly visible. Their spiritual power is particularly strong, yet they cannot manipulate objects. Instead, they use their own will to influence the will of others.
A large part of them degenerated into charlatans... creating 'heart demons' to intimidate others for profit. I have seen a monk who did exactly this.
He claimed he could 'save people and save demons,' making those 'infested with heart demons' make offerings to him, after which they could sleep peacefully... Truly laughable!]
"Is this the so-called 'Illusionist'?" Ryu was thoughtful, roughly guessing Kagetatsu's meaning.
He was talking about [Demon Brain]!
However, Kagetatsu might have misunderstood. [Demon Brain] was mainly self-hypnosis; making others birth heart demons was another matter.
[During the possession, I sensed that your spiritual power is very special. You should have talent in this area.
Do not despise it. The same sword, placed in the hands of an evildoer and a good person, results in completely opposite actions. Since you have this talent, you must practice it well and use it for good in the future.]
I would like to do good—Ryu shook his head helplessly.
His [Demon Brain] was not the same thing. The illusions imagined by this thing could only be seen by himself. How could he influence others...
"Hmm!"
Ryu suddenly froze. After thinking seriously for a moment, deep memories were rummaged out from the depths of his mind and scanned carefully bit by bit.
The various bizarre operations in "Baki", even looking at them now, were hard not to ridicule. And the absurd degree of the [Demon Brain] ability was also among the best in the entire work—after all, it was the cheat of the original protagonist.
...That's right!
Why can't I go a step further?
Damn it, a skill from a gag fighting manga... the author is allowed to spout nonsense physics, but I'm not allowed to develop a wave of fantasy usage?
"Master!"
Ryu bowed deeply towards the direction of the shrine, without hesitation.
"Please teach me the techniques of the Illusionist!"
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