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Striking the straw.

Striking the woven twigs.

Striking the log.

Striking the metal mass.

Striking the person.

Thus, countless repetitions of kendo.

The hard and tedious effort stacked upon the mundane path turned it straight, and steadied the swaying body.

Then from above to below.

I infused my strength into that one strike meant to cut something.

‘I was born to be a craftsman.’

Those who master a single craft are called artisans, right?

If that’s the case, Kazuo can be said to possess the qualities of an artisan.

Only one thing.

He never gave up on the repeated task of slashing even the mightiest of dragons.

Even if it was hard to find differences upon close comparison, and doubting whether it was truly an improvement at all, he kept repeating the act.

Handling the qi skillfully, controlling the body well.

Finally, having even earned the title of a Japanese swordsman, who could fault him if he were to stray onto another path?

Who could blame him for coveting his own peace, fame, and wealth?

The people of the world would shout that these are rewards that should rightly be granted to those dedicated to their training, to those who succeed.

Yet, despite all this, Kazuo didn’t seem to care that much.

I wouldn’t say he didn’t care at all.

After all, he was human.

But even so, was it his innate nature to keep swinging his sword while looking upwards… or was it the goal of establishing himself under the name of Japan’s finest swordsman that drove him onward?

If not that, then what?

What event had happened that made him unable to look at alternative paths when a crossroads lay before him?

A great incident.

A horrifying mass.

And that day, when he had cut it to save the people.

The emotion.

‘Bend.’

His martial arts that could even slice through the belly.

Yet, what led him to another achievement, another path, was precisely that.

Not merely cutting through a human or a human-made item, but rather thoroughly imprinted was the day when he realized that he could even cut through nature with a blade.

That might have been the turning point.

Gradually practicing out of inertia, he completely turned around a future that would have fallen short of achievement.

‘Bend.’

Yes.

Didn’t someone once say?

That those who work hard can’t beat those who enjoy themselves?

If so, then he—

Having acquired a nickname that he preferred more than the older moniker of “Mountain Cutter,” had he truly come to enjoy his martial arts?

Had he moved beyond doing things out of habit to being able to see a clear future?

Had he been able to vividly envision his future self and move to realize it?

‘Cut.’

Now.

It was time to recognize that.

Like another monumental cut that might occur after a landslide.

Straightening his waist.

Raising the qi of his whole body.

Transferring intense power seamlessly from the center of his foot to the hand gripping the sword.

And with a force that could even crush gravity. One. Two.

“Yaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Three.

* * *

[Kyyaaaaaaaaaaaah——-!!!!!!!]

[We wore clothes made of our synthetic industrial material developed by Dr. Lee Seung-gi, and as we made jackets out of fine threads, we tossed on the now bleached, crumpled fabric. Arriving at the factory, it became comically absurd as the machine took my hand and crushed it, causing my wrist to disappear far away while my shirt turned bright red.]

[Gruk. Gruk. Gruk.]

There is a tree.

It blooms flowers.

It’s spreading disgusting pollen everywhere.

It was swaying, split in half as if it had been struck by an axe.

“Cough. This….”

“My head….”

“No, this is. Wait. Until just a moment ago, we….”

And in front of the swaying tree, the people frowned.

Some rubbed their temples, suffering from headaches, while others were struggling to focus their vision, and some were desperately trying to comprehend the suddenly altered situation.

Confusion.

A clear confusion.

But this confusion didn’t last long.

Since most were seasoned individuals, despite no explanations being given, they understood the situation they found themselves in.

“…It was an evil spirit.”

“Hah. To charm us like this without any sense of incongruity? This is… Great Evil Spirit level…?”

They were charmed.

I have no idea when it started, but all these people had been enchanted.

Not ordinary people, but all capable individuals.

This was extraordinary and at the same time, sent shivers down their spines.

If they hadn’t awakened now, they would have succumbed to the commands of that evil spirit until they exhausted themselves and been consumed.

Had that happened, in the worst-case scenario, they might have become either another nutrient for that evil spirit or even a part of it, genuinely evolving it into a Great Evil Spirit.

Thus, they felt relieved.

That the worst future hadn’t come to pass.

Even though they had been enchanted, they were grateful for waking up in the middle of it.

“But how did we wake up?”

“It doesn’t seem like the evil spirit deliberately let us go…?”

And at once, a single question arose.

How had they managed to escape from the clutch of the evil spirit.

How had such a powerful evil spirit, capable of enchanting all these capable individuals without a sense of incongruity, ceased to mesmerize them?

“…We’ve awakened.”

“Oh, no. Kazuo…!”

At that moment, a warrior caught their eye.

Kazuo, on one knee, in front of the hideous evil spirit, writhing in pain and making bizarre sounds.

His weapon had darkened as if cursed, and it seemed like all his qi had been consumed as his body trembled. Though he showed no wounds, he looked like he had drained all his stamina, so while it didn’t seem like there would be any aftereffects… it was urgent that he be moved to a safe place to rest.

He—

Kazuo was looking at them.

Without a word of praise, just a face that seemed to say they had awakened, now felt reassured.

Then he pointed to the evil spirit with trembling fingers as if to say it was their turn now.

“….”

“….”

No lengthy explanations.

No detailed descriptions.

Just a simple word, a concise action.

Yet it became clearer than anything else—an unspoken guide.

Thus, the ones who received that guidance drew their swords.

They armed themselves.

They raised guns.

And they aimed at the real evil spirit that had entranced them, not the illusory evil ghost.

Though they had already expended some energy due to the charm of the evil spirit.

Though they still bore the aftereffects and their condition was somewhat poor.

Even so, they didn’t feel they would lose.

Even facing a Great Evil Spirit in that grotesque form.

“….”

“….”

Didn’t that warrior Kazuo show them?

That even one person’s strength could utterly slice through something like that.

That with the power of many, they could completely destroy it.

And… right.

That warrior who had saved them had said he would leave it to his companions; if he couldn’t fulfill that promise, he would lose face.

“Let’s go.”

So, they moved.

To defeat the evil spirit, just as their ally had requested.

* * *

The true battle between the evil spirit and the capable individuals reached its conclusion.

Although it possessed the ability to enchant countless people at once, its essence was still that of an evil spirit.

Being closer to the immaterial than the material, it found it difficult to exert physical force, and while it might have had the skill to charm people and possess their bodies, it had no ability to rip humanity into a thousand pieces—that was the trait of this creature.

To counter that flaw, it had adorned itself with evil spirits as a second skin, and based on that had taken action.

Though it was indeed threatening, it was nothing extraordinary.

Unlike the inner being that approached the Great Evil Spirit, the outer layer of evil spirits was merely that—evil spirits.

It was at a level incomprehensible to the numerous capable individuals.

Thus, the evil spirit couldn’t withstand the bombardment of the capable individuals.

The shell, a medium for exerting physical force, was chipped away by wizards and warriors, and the shattered form was sealed or neutralized by spiritual capable persons and Shinto priests, leaving it no chance to exert its physical power.

In addition, the evil spirit took protective measures for the mind and soul, attempting to stop it from enchanting people again, while each capable individual drew up their mental strength and struggled not to be bewitched by the ghost.

[Kyyaaaaa…ek.]

Yes.

The moment everyone regained their sanity, there was no longer any chance for that evil spirit.

[Kyul… I want to eat a tangerine….]

Thus, the evil spirit was exorcised.

Even though it could have exhausted itself, enchanting everyone to become its nutrients.

Only one.

Due to a single variable, it had lost the chance to evolve into a Great Evil Spirit and vanished.

“….”

“….”

“Phew.”

Without leaving a trace, the evil spirit disappeared.

Blown away into the air like a small sigh released after the battle.

As if it had never belonged here.

As if it were heading back to where it ought to be.

Yes.

No spoils, no visible rewards.

But this had been a dreadful and difficult battle.

A difficult endeavor achievable only thanks to one person.

Therefore, now that the battle had ended, the people turned their gazes to one place.

MVP.

The one who played the most decisive role in this fight.

“Kazuo.”

“Haha! Mountain Cutter! This man! Thanks to you, we won! Did you see that clearly?!”

Kazuo’s decisive blow needed to be rewarded.

His dedication deserved respect, and his efforts warranted reverence.

Thus, even though they were exhausted from the battle, the people moved, eager to share this joy with the one who contributed the most.

And so, as one battle concluded, the accolades began.

Here, Kazuo, having achieved the greatest merits… would gain immense fame, unlike before.

Positive yet colossal fame.

…

…

…

‘Hmm. I didn’t expect to kill the evil spirit.’

And also, a shaman looked at Kazuo.

‘Hmm. Not a bad outcome. The achievements built upon effort are solid accomplishments, and if one pierces a beast with their sword, it’s beneficial to the world. A good event, indeed…’

Though the plan might have slightly deviated…

Still, seeing the good come to pass, he smiled willingly.

Clap clap clap.

With that, he too respectfully offered his applause.

 

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