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ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 253 Part 2

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Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

Editor: ryunakama

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ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 253: People, Depending on a Person It is Either Progress or a Challenge Part 2

 

That being said, there was something that I absolutely needed to do.

 

Following the advice that Rei, or rather Saiga Rei  gave me, I was about to take necessary action in order to learn as much about my opponent, Ryuuguin Fugaku as humanly possible, hoping to ascend over his Ryuuguin style and best him in combat, no matter the cost.

 

「I need to figure out how exactly he does that: his movements are extremely agile and quick, just like a rabbit, and his attack sting like that of a hornet.」

 

He was an old man, but for as long as he lived he was revered as a living legend. So it was actually small wonder when after putting his name in the search engine, a whole lot of hits were returned. No, the sheer number of hits was actually a little bit overwhelming.

 

Some of those movies had an overwhelming amount of views and likes as well. I never would have thought that someone doing kendo might actually achieve such popularity. The last time I saw video this viral it was some famous ShangriLa Frontier player going on a “Quest in search of that rumored person in ShanFro!”

 

「This match is from about five years ago…… And this here match is from three years ago……」

 

Looking carefully, there were even videos from over a decade ago, so that in and out of itself is quite amazing. However, for now I focus on the new ones, and let the video start playing, burning every second of it in my mind.

 

「Although I can recreate most of the footwork with little to no problem, the movements of the bamboo sword are the real problem. They are just too fast and too crazy to recreate normally……」

 

In the video that I was watching, two swordsmen were facing one another with bamboo swords in their hands. Even though they were using bamboo swords, the amount of tension that was in between them was so high and ridiculous that you might think that they would actually fight to the death. Then, all of a sudden the jumped at one another and attacked…… A powerful overhead slash met with the empty void.

 

After the bamboo sword meets that void, the swordsman retreats about two steps back in a hurry. It was a quick and swift movement, but it was more than enough to let the challenger be opened for a potentially deadly counterattack.

 

Even if he tried to put some more distance in between them, it was already too late for the second attack. The challenger already wasted his opportunity, and now he would have to let Ryuuguin Fugaku be on the offensive. And he had to survive his attack. And from what I have seen, the level of kendo the old man was presenting was so deadly that it would even make Gravekkeper Wezaemon’s jaw drop in awe and admiration.

 

I am not all that familiar with kendo to begin with, so for me it only looked as though the two men were just grunting and yelling all the while aiming their swords at their respective heads, torsos and back of their hands. This is where the extent of my kendo knowledge would end. However, even I can see that the way in which the old man is moving is a world of its own, totally different and way apart from that measly skill of his opponent.

 

Being able to predict the moves of your opponent and see through his swords attacks, there was no longer any need for the old man to show any restraint. The old man had the absolute conviction that his attacks would connect and that they would not get interrupted. And just when he saw the slightest opening in his opponent’s posture, Ryuuguin Fugaku stepped forward, and his arm made the minimum of movement…… resulting with a rather pleasant sound of the hit connecting with his opponent’s body.

 

This match took place in real life, so there was no BGM to it or any flashy special effects. However, it was also so unrealistic that it was hard for me to believe that it was not a scene taken straight out of a video game. 

 

「Just as I thought, this is not helpful in the slightest……」

 

No, I must not do that! It is easy to just say that and give up without even trying in the first place. Ryuuguin Style, was it? If I am correct, this is an official sword style, so it needs to have at least some materials that would allow people to try and learn it, right?

 

In other words, since this is a sword style, it needs to have some codified move sets and the overall philosophy that puts those movements together. And I mean that it cannot be some abstract concept that everything is nothing and nothing is everything. It needs to be something that the followers of this style would be able to understand and reference if needed.

 

「Ryuuguin Style, Ryuuguin style, where could it possibly be hiding……? Ah! There it is! But wait a second, this Ryuuguin Style…… is this expensive!? Isn’t that overdoing it tad a little bit too much!?」

 

One thin textbook on Ryuuguin style cost a whooping amount of nine thousand eight hundred yen! For a solitary high school student with no stable source of income, and who already has troubles with financial stability, such price is definitely way too high! Rejected! Without a moment of hesitation, rejected!

 

「God dam it…… But I have no other choice but to do it! If the key to victory lies in the overall teachings of the Ryuuguin style, this purchase is a must! But what if the book only teaches you like the basic stuff, and the thing that I am actually looking for lies behind the more advanced teachings and techniques……?」

 

Personally, I cannot deny the possibility that as a small fry who has no idea about the Ryuuguin style, there is something about its fundamentals that I am unable to understand or perceive correctly. And I am no successor to the Ryuuguin style either, so there is no way for me to actually have an insight into its inner workings. However, if you do happen to learn all that there is to learn about your enemies and you happen to know yourself inside and out, there is nothing for you to fear. You could even fight one hundred battles and you could rest assured that you would not lose not even one of them.

 

「Fortunately for me, I had some of the best teachers available to me when it comes to teaching me what to do against this particular Trace AI……!」

 

I will give you a fair warning here, AI old man! You would do best to prepare yourself for a crushing defeat! After all, the enemies in video games are created with the sole purpose of the players overcoming them eventually……!

 

 

 

Today I managed to set a new personal record for myself. I managed to play a total of thirty five matches. And out of those thirty five, I have managed to lose exactly thirty five times.

 

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