Chapter 172: The Early Master (6)

Dragon scales.

A height of 2 m 50 cm.

From these two characteristics, Jinseong could tell that the martial artist called Kazuo that she mentioned was a martial artist who had undergone rebirth and transformation.

The phenomenon of rebirth and transformation that occurred when a martial artist shed their human form and took a step further always accompanied physical changes.

And these physical changes took the form of complementing weaknesses and further emphasizing strengths.

In other words, it was a radical evolution, a change that altered the body to suit the martial arts being practiced.

The skeleton changed.

The skin was shed.

Genes were modified.

As the meaning of rebirth and transformation suggested, changing bones and changing form, the body literally changed.

"Then Shigen-ryu must also be a form of martial arts focused on one-hit kills."

Jinseong could guess the martial arts used by the martial artist called Kazuo just by seeing his appearance.

Because rebirth and transformation were always related to martial arts.

For martial artists using quick-type martial arts, rebirth and transformation took forms that make the body lighter and able to move quickly, and for those using illusion-type martial arts, the body changed to be able to stretch arms or cause optical illusions.

And if he has a height of 2m 50cm...

Those who use martial arts belonging to strength and wear types gain large height and build when they undergo rebirth and transformation. But 2m 50cm is an extraordinary height even considering that, at this level, it's not that the martial arts contain one-hit kill, but it's fair to say that one-hit kill has taken the form of martial arts.

Body size had a big impact on martial arts.

This might seem obvious in a way.

Because there wasn't just one type of martial art.

Martial arts that focused on evasion.

Martial arts that deceived the human eye.

Martial arts that hid and ambushed.

Martial arts that pulverized people with huge weapons.

Martial arts that stubbornly endured with shields larger than the body.

Martial arts that threw hidden weapons while running away, and so on.

There were an enormous number of types of martial arts, and naturally, the suitable physical conditions for each martial art had to be different.

Just as the martial arts learned by the Viet Cong who fought against the US military were more advantageous the smaller the body, and the martial arts learned by martial artists who roamed battlefields under the name of knights were more advantageous the larger the body and the more muscles they had.

And dragon scales at that.

In that sense, the result of rebirth and transformation with a height of 2m 50cm and dragon scales was truly significant.

A huge body as if to deliver an attack so powerful it couldn't be resisted, and dragon scales as if to say it was enough to endure until landing one hit.

"Do you happen to have a video?"

"Yes."

Rise skillfully operated her smartphone at Jinseong's question and searched the internet.

Then she found a few videos and handed them to Jinseong.

"Hmm."

Jinseong clicked on a video that had "Japanese Martial Arts Tournament" written in Chinese characters, and after some buffering, the video started playing.

『 Kiyoooooooooot! 』

The first thing heard as soon as the video started playing was a roar close to the sound of a pig being slaughtered.

Jinseong slightly frowned at the huge voice that seemed like it might make his ears fall off and hurriedly lowered the volume.

『 Kiyot! Kiyap Kiyat! Kiiiit! Hiyaaap! 』

When the sound was lowered, it became somewhat bearable.

But the terrible noise emitted by the martial artist in the video showed no signs of stopping.

This was because the martial artist in the video rolled his eyes and let out a roar every time he swung his sword.

『 Kiyoop! 』

The martial artist, as if under a berserk spell, rolled his eyes and just kept moving forward, swinging his wooden sword from top to bottom, and without even thinking about properly protecting his body, let alone defense, he just kept hitting the wooden sword that his opponent extended to block.

"Is this really a martial arts tournament...?"

Jinseong tilted his head and looked at the martial artist.

"It doesn't seem like he's borrowing the power of a berserk spell or some spell that affects the mind..."

He tilted his head as he watched the martial artist swinging his wooden sword as if to split a person vertically in two, and then looked at Rise.

"Are drugs allowed in Japanese martial arts tournaments these days?"

"Pfft."

Rise burst into laughter, finding Jinseong's question amusing.

"Hehehe. It's not like that."

She covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed and explained to Jinseong.

"They say this is both the basics and the end of Shigen-ryu."

"Hmm."

Jinseong tilted his head, turned off the video, and looked for another one.

This time, he played a promotional video uploaded by Shigen-ryu.

『 Kiyoooooot! 』

Just like before, as soon as the video started playing, a strange kiai sound rang out, and a martial artist was seen taking a stance while holding a real sword.

In front of the martial artist was a huge lump of iron, but not just an ordinary lump of iron, it was a huge iron ball used connected to cranes during demolitions.

And it was an iron ball of enormous size, far exceeding human height.

『 Ki—yaaaaaaa----aaat! 』

The martial artist let out a high-pitched scream as if tearing his throat, cloaked his Japanese sword with sword energy, and charged forward, then swung the sword down from top to bottom with all his body's strength. The slash was so fast that it was hard to see even with Jinseong's eyes enhanced by sorcery.

Slash!

The Japanese sword penetrated exactly one-third into the iron ball.

『 Kiyoot! Kiyot! Kiyaaaak! 』

The martial artist, seemingly unsatisfied with cutting one-third, pulled out the Japanese sword like lightning and kept striking the same spot. Then, passing through the exact same place without an inch of error, the sword continued to cut the iron ball, and soon the iron ball that had been larger than a person was cut exactly in half.

And following that, more videos continued.

There were hundreds of trainees swinging wooden swords while shouting strange cries at training dummies made by wrapping ropes tightly around logs, people splitting wood with just a wooden sword while sitting, and instructors cutting armor that looked like it could have been worn in the Warring States period exactly in half with a Japanese sword without even cloaking it with sword energy.

And at the end of the video, the person Jinseong was curious about appeared.

Kazuo.

Kazuo of the Demon-Slaying Giant Dragon.

"Hmm. He's certainly a martial artist who has undergone rebirth and transformation."

Jinseong's eyes lit up as he watched Kazuo in the video.

Kazuo had a huge height reminiscent of a basketball player, and muscles so excessive that he might look fat at first glance.

And for visual effect, his upper body was bare, but where an ordinary person would have skin, his upper body was densely covered with something like dark fish scales.

The fish scales shone with the light in the video, making it look like he was wearing armor made of dragon scales.

He was standing in what looked like a dock, and in front of him was an old, worn-out battleship.

『 Huaaaap! 』

Kazuo in the video shouted and let out a kiai. Then his muscles, which already looked excessive, began to swell and writhe again, and tendons popped up all over his muscles.

He lifted the sword stuck in the ground with those swollen muscles.

Then a huge sword that seemed to be twice Kazuo's height was raised high, and Kazuo, holding it, moved the sword from top to bottom while shouting a roar like the previous Shigen-ryu martial artists.

『 Ki---ya----ap! 』

Then Kazuo's sword moved, containing sword energy, and for a very brief moment, light swirled in the air and disappeared.

Like the line drawn when a meteor fell.

And...

Boom!

The battleship in front of Kazuo split in half.

"Hmm."

With that, the video ended.

Jinseong watched that and nodded, muttering:

"Quite a strong martial artist."

Jinseong said this calmly even after seeing the divine feat shown by Kazuo.

Without a hint of surprise, he just said that.

Rather, Rise was the one who asked back in wonder.

"Is that so?"

"Indeed."

Jinseong said, stroking his chin:

"The slash itself is quite powerful, but if it's from an extreme form of martial arts, it's right that it would produce that level of power."

He replied like that while scrolling down to roughly check the information.

Let's see. This Kazuo fellow belongs to Japan's Three Great Swordsmen, comes from a samurai family that has been active in the Satsuma domain since ancient times... He inherited the orthodox line of Shigen-ryu... He's 49 years old this year. Hmm.

Jinseong continued to scroll down.

Given the Japanese characteristic of liking to rank things, they must have created rankings for swordsmen as well.

And as if his prediction was correct, he could check the ranking.

Let's see. This Kazuo fellow is... 2nd place.

It seemed to be a ranking announced on a Japanese TV program, and there, Kazuo was ranked 2nd.

The reason was written in detail on what looked like a hand-made panel.

'A form that disregards defense'

'Brave but too extreme in form.'

'Likely weak against extremely soft forms of martial arts because he handles extremely strong martial arts.'

'Clearly possesses the samurai spirit but falls short of being called Japan's number one swordsman.'

'Also, he has not yet reached the level of Japan's number one swordsman, Sotaro-sama.'

It was quite a scathing evaluation.

Jinseong examined it carefully and then handed the smartphone back to Rise.

Then, after thinking about something, he asked Rise:

"Do you know the date of the exchange meeting?"