CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: THE BEGINNING

The journey passed without incident, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Tomioka’s Mansion.

As they approached the gate, they saw Tomioka pacing back and forth with his usual expressionless demeanor.

His movements followed a predictable pattern: he would walk from the left side of the gate to the right, then back from the right to the left, repeating the cycle endlessly.

Kanae was the first to notice the situation. Puzzled, she asked, "What’s wrong with the Water Pillar?"

Sosuke observed for a moment. "Could he be waiting for us?"

"Impossible, right?" Kanae replied, sounding skeptical but also uncertain.

Initially, she had always perceived Tomioka as a aloof and arrogant man. However, after he had used Water Breathing techniques three times in a row at Sosuke’s request, she began to doubt her initial impression.

The key was that during the demonstration, Tomioka had actually blushed...

While her image of him as aloof hadn’t completely shattered, it was now riddled with cracks.

If he were truly waiting at the entrance to greet them, knowing they would arrive, her perception of him as aloof would crumble entirely.

Their brief exchange caught Tomioka’s attention. His emotionless, blank gaze turned toward them, and in the next moment, he stopped walking.

He stood frozen in place, as cold as an ice-bound statue, motionless and aloof, radiating a palpable aura of "keep away."

Occasionally, he would lift his right leg as if to step forward, only to lower it again. There were also faint signs of him wanting to turn around, but these seemed more like illusions than genuine intentions.

Sosuke knew that if he didn’t approach, this man would likely torment himself to death with indecision.

Without hesitation, Sosuke pulled Kanae forward, leading her to Tomioka’s side. Kanae’s cheeks flushed pink as she held Sosuke’s hand, but she made no attempt to pull away.

Tomioka glanced at the two of them, a flicker of surprise momentarily softening his usually rigid gaze.

"Were you waiting for us?" Sosuke asked.

Kanae, equally curious, tilted her head to look at Tomioka.

Tomioka nodded silently. "You said you would come."

"Thank you," Sosuke said with a smile. "You’re too kind. You could have just waited at home."

"There are no missions right now, and training for the day is finished. So, I waited here for a while." Tomioka glanced at Kanae again and murmured, "Congratulations."

Kanae’s face flushed crimson instantly, momentarily forgetting about the Water Pillar’s shattered image.

When Tomioka looked at Sosuke again, his usually blank gaze now held a newfound seriousness.

"I understand," Tomioka said.

Sosuke was bewildered. ’Understand what?’

"Come in," Tomioka said, turning away without giving Sosuke a chance to ask.

He led them inside, and the three of them settled into the living room.

Tomioka spoke first: "When there’s a mission, I’ll go. Otherwise, I’ll be here to help you train until I feel I can no longer contribute to your improvement."

With that single sentence, he made the situation perfectly clear.

Sosuke nodded. "Alright."

"Thank you for your trouble, Tomioka," Kanae added her gratitude.

Tomioka shook his head. "When do we start?"

"Now?" Sosuke asked, his eagerness palpable.

It was just past noon, with plenty of daylight remaining.

Sosuke possessed remarkable stamina, making travel a negligible drain on his energy. He remained as vigorous as ever.

Tomioka nodded. "Very well."

True to their nature, the two wasted no time on formalities. After a brief preparation, they moved to the courtyard.

Kanae stood on the steps, observing the sparring match and ready to intervene should danger arise.

Though it was a practice bout, they would be using real swords. With a Sword Technique Master present, any unexpected accidents could be swiftly averted.

In truth, Kanae’s skill far surpassed Sosuke’s; she could easily spar with him and guide his training.

Yet she found herself utterly unable to face him with blades drawn, even knowing it was only practice. Her skills faltered, and her movements felt perfunctory, offering no real benefit to Sosuke.

From the very beginning, she had refused to spar with him.

The two men stood ready in the courtyard. Sosuke drew two swords: one forged from sunlight, the other a standard blade.

"To prevent wear and tear on your Nichirin Blade during practice, I brought this one specifically for that purpose."

He extended his hand and tossed the blade to Tomioka.

Tomioka nodded, drew the sword from its sheath, and immediately sensed it was inferior to the Nichirin Blades forged by Sosuke.

The Nichirin Blades forged by Sosuke had an almost addictive quality.

He pointed the blade at Sosuke.

Sosuke drew his own sword, gripping it tightly with both hands. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, one foot forward and the other back, the toe of his front foot aimed directly at Tomioka.

Silence!

In the next instant, Sosuke felt as if a tidal wave had surged before his eyes, erupting with overwhelming force!

Tomioka’s sword technique flowed like water, closing the distance in a flash. The blade slashed horizontally.

Water Breathing—First Form: Water Surface Slash!

The strike targeted Sosuke’s neck.

In that split second, should he block or evade?

’I have two choices!’

The force of Tomioka’s strike was unknown. Choosing to block risked being forced into a defensive position, vulnerable to a relentless barrage of attacks. Prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat!

With lightning-fast reflexes, Sosuke stepped back, his body arching backward as his eyes remained locked on Tomioka’s blade.

The horizontal slash grazed past his chest, the blade nearly touching his skin.

In the next instant, Sosuke braced himself with one hand on the ground, landed on both feet, arched his body, and sprang forward, his blade slashing down in a swift, decisive strike.

Clang!

The crisp sound reverberated as the two blades clashed. At that moment, Sosuke felt a chill on his left shoulder.

A tremendous force surged horizontally, sending him staggering backward. Glancing down, he saw a gash torn through the fabric of his left shoulder.

His mind reeled in confusion.

’When did that happen?’

’How did he do it?’

"Watch out!" Tomioka’s voice rang out. Sosuke looked up just in time to see the blade bearing down on him.

Panic seized him, disrupting his focus. In a desperate move, he raised his sword defensively, but the overwhelming force of the strike crushed directly through the blade and into his chest.

In the next instant, Sosuke felt himself soaring upward!

Except he wasn’t ascending vertically; he was being hurled horizontally... and the wall brought his flight to an abrupt, painful halt.

He crashed to the ground with a clang, every organ in his body screaming in agony.

Tomioka flicked the blood from his blade and stared at Sosuke, his expression a complex mix of emotions. His lips moved silently for a long moment before he finally managed to say, "Again!"