Bear School Astartes

A standard samurai sword in hand, Lann swung the handle through the air a few times, already getting a good sense of the weapon's balance, length, and strength.

Whether it was the coordination from the genetic seed or the quick learning from Mentos, both endowed Lann with exceptional adaptability when encountering new things.

The blade cut through the air, emitting a chilling "woo-woo" sound.

On one side of the courtyard, the ronin who had just barely passed Iizuka's test watched Lann's movements coldly.

They were indeed amazed by Lann's physique and the origins he claimed. But to face such a powerful enemy, why give up the advantage of a sharp blade?

Such foolishness!

...What a pity for that exotic famous sword.

A few of the ronin's gazes fixated on Aron Dite on Lann's back, unconsciously licking their lips.

An exotic famous sword... must be worth a lot, right? Isn't the point of being a ronin to make money?

But on the other side of the courtyard, Nogami Genji and the Hirata samurai he brought had shed their previous nonchalance and detachment when watching the ronin fight.

They were all now fully focused.

Because when Lann stepped out, they all realized... the real reason Lord Nogami Genji sent out Iizuka was probably for this man!

The previous tests for all the ronin were genuine. However, their greater role had simply been to warm up Iizuka.

"That guy's a head taller than Lord Genji!"

"Yeah, and he's wearing that obviously heavy Southern Barbarian armor!"

"I've never heard of a ronin like him before, did he just arrive today? That's quite the coincidence?"

Nogami Genji was fairly satisfied with his warriors' vigilance behind him, tilting his head slightly and giving them quiet instructions.

"No matter what his situation is, get yourselves ready."

"Yes!" *N

Lann was now looking at the blade in his hand with an intrigued expression.

He heard all the hushed exchanges from Nogami Genji and his group nearby but didn't really care.

They were about to fight anyway, and when someone so obviously full of flaws suddenly appeared within their alert range, it would be unusual not to be cautious.

"I suppose I was presumptuous. At first glance, with your slender blade style, I thought it would be a combat weapon focused on agility, but unexpectedly..."

Contrary to Lann's initial impression, the samurai sword, compared to the hand-and-a-half sword he usually used, actually felt heavier and harder to move flexibly.

This was because when forging a hand-and-a-half sword, it could maintain a good 'gradual thinning'.

Meaning the blade width gradually narrows, and the thickness gradually decreases from the hilt to the tip, becoming an almost conical blade.

This way, the blade's balance leans towards the hilt, allowing the wrist and palm to easily redirect or shift the blade.

However, the samurai sword is uniformly thick from start to finish, with the center of balance at the middle of the blade.

The cutting power is enhanced, but flexibility is thus reduced.

The weapon seems ill-fitting; the big and armored using a flexible weapon, the small statured with poor quality or no armor using a forceful weapon.

...Truly interesting.

"Should I remove my armor?" Lann suddenly stopped his swinging arm, lifted his gaze to look at Iizuka not far away, and nodded slightly.

"Even if your sword handle hit me, I might not feel it."

Once Iizuka took his stance, his eyes locked unwaveringly on Lann.

"Iwami warriors face all sorts of enemies; we never wish our enemies to compromise for us."

"Is that so, what tough guys you all are!" Lann approached Iizuka at a steady pace.

But after two steps, with the precise control over balance from the Bear School Swordsmanship, he seemed like a weightless ghostly figure! In an instant, he "floated" towards the young warrior!

The so-called Iwami Style that came out of Nojima Iizuka's mouth obviously had a strong defense and parry technique. Lann decided to attack first to experience this swordsmanship.

The young warrior's brow furrowed sharply!

His gaze was still fixated on where Lann had been a moment ago.

"He's too fast!"

Iizuka never anticipated that someone clad in such heavy armor could start so quickly!

Moreover, his steps seemed unaffected by inertia!

Fortunately, his long-trained instincts made Iizuka unconsciously block with his sword where his hackles stood on end, even though his eyes couldn't keep up.

Iwami Style: Climbing Carp!

"Clang!"

The loudest clash of steel in the assessment so far exploded from the point where their blades met!

The fierce sparks were pushed by the shockwave between the blades into a momentarily visible circle of fire!

Iizuka's arms were pushed inward by the force from Lann's blade, pressed against his chest.

His eyes, just realizing what happened, were now full of shock.

"To output such speed while wearing that armor... his strength is also beyond imagination!"

Iizuka was surprised, while Lann's gaze intertwined with his in a flash, equally surprised yet... intrigued?

Indeed! What seemed like a simple parry hid intricate details!

The moment Lann's blade met Iizuka's, he felt his swinging force abruptly stuck.

The initially smooth slash suddenly felt awkward and uncomfortable from the snag.

Like sand stuck in a finely tuned mechanical system!

"Mentos, status report."

"Analyzing... Your leg support structure is skewed by 1.3%, arm output efficiency reduced by 1.1%... Sir, this trend continues to accumulate with each of your clashing blades! He's consistently destabilizing your form!"

"I noticed."

Mentos continuously reflected Lann's real-time physical data onto his retina, displaying the effects of this Iwami Style's parry technique very clearly.

It was indeed a swordsmanship like no other Lann had encountered.

Sparring with such powerful and yet unseen sword techniques, Lann suddenly felt somewhat excited.

Unlike before when he was merely eager to see, he began to enjoy the sensation of blades skimming over his hair and skin.

After several exchanges, Lann's stance had begun to appear somewhat sluggish.

Yet he continued with rapid, aggressive attacks as if determined to overpower Iizuka in one go.

Watching from the side, Nogami Genji chuckled lightly and shook his head.

If Climbing Carp could be so easily overwhelmed, it wouldn't have qualified to be a foundational move of the Iwami Style.

The creation of the Iwami Style drew inspiration from the source waters of the Longquan River. The way it elegantly and neatly deflects incoming blades is akin to a carp climbing a waterfall.

This is what they call—Climbing Carp!

Even a passive block was more than enough to defeat an enemy!

This was the invincible swordsmanship created by the Sword Saint—Lord Iwami Yixin!

The next moment, with the crisp clash of blades, a ring of sparks erupted simultaneously.

In the arena, that tall and handsome man seemed finally to have been disrupted by Climbing Carp's structure-breaking, his sword was brutally deflected to the side of his body, leaving him wide open!

The warriors behind Nogami Genji all heaved a sigh of relief, releasing their tension at this moment.

Based on their Iwami Style training, this meant the outcome was already decided.

However, Nogami Genji, who had initially chuckled, now suddenly had a rigid expression, eyes widened!