The Mystery Behind “The Think” and the Deadly Battle Under the Night Sky

Shiro continued following Yūto from a distance.

“Where's he going?” Shiro muttered.

Yūto kept walking and suddenly quickened his pace before disappearing around a corner.

Shiro immediately chased after him.

When he reached the end of the street, he lost sight of Yūto.

Suddenly, Yūto appeared from behind and struck the back of Shiro’s neck, knocking him unconscious.

“I’m sorry, Shiro. You can’t get involved this time. This is my problem...” Yūto said coldly.

Yūto laid Shiro down on a bench by the side of the road before walking away.

At 10:00 p.m....

Yūto continued walking until he finally arrived at the village where “The Think” was located.

Yūto tried to act normally as he walked through the village so no one would become suspicious.

“I’ll be there soon...” he muttered.

Yūto checked the address and finally spotted a house standing some distance away from the others.

He observed it from a distance before slowly moving closer.

As he approached, Yūto was shocked to see that part of the house’s fence had been destroyed.

Several people were lying motionless on the ground.

“What happened here?” Yūto muttered.

Yūto began moving cautiously along the side of the house, occasionally peeking inside.

“"The Think", you bastard! I can’t believe you’re willing to become Suyou’s slave!” someone shouted from inside.

Yūto looked through the opening.

There were three people inside.

One was lying unconscious on the floor.

Another was still conscious, while the third was badly injured and barely able to move. “The Think” was gripping him by the collar with one hand, holding him up.

Yūto moved closer.

The longer he looked at them, the more familiar their faces became.

Yūto was shocked.

He immediately realized who the three men were...

David, William, and Targyan.

“I’ll kill this man first. Then I’ll kill the other two,” “The Think” said calmly.

Yūto entered the house.

“Stop!”

Targyan turned toward Yūto.

He stared at Yūto in confusion because Yūto’s appearance was completely different from the last time they had met.

“The Think” slowly turned toward Yūto and observed him for a moment.

He furrowed his brow.

“Hmm... Yūto...? So you’re... "The White Ronin"?”

Yūto was shocked when he saw “The Think’s” face.

He never expected “The Think” to be Kenji Thorne, his master from his days of kenjutsu training.

“You?! So you’ve been "The Think" all this time, Master?!”

Kenji gave a sinister smile and threw William, whom he'd been holding.

Thud!

Yūto looked at David and William.

Kenji straightened his clothes and slowly walked over before sitting on the sofa facing Yūto.

“Hmm... So, how should we settle this, Yūto?” Kenji asked calmly.

Yūto stared sharply at Kenji.

“Why?! Why are you doing all of this?!”

“Why? Hmm... You’re not able to understand it yet, Yūto. Live a little longer, and someday you'll understand."

“You don’t deserve to be called human! You’re a demon!” Targyan shouted.

Kenji smiled.

“A demon? Aren’t you talking about yourself, Targyan? A human being should be able to protect his own family, but you...?” Kenji mocked him.

“You bastard!”

Targyan tried to stand, but his body was already covered in wounds.

His legs had also suffered several sword cuts.

“Give yourself up, Master. Then tell me where Suyou’s hideout is. Let me put an end to all of this,” Yūto said heavily, lowering his head.

Kenji walked toward Yūto and stopped in front of him.

“Yūto, you can’t just walk into someone’s house and force them to do something they don’t want to do. How about this? If you can defeat me, I’ll grant all of your requests,” Kenji challenged him in a calm, deep voice.

“I guess there’s no other way,” Yūto muttered.

Yūto put down the bag he was carrying and took a fighting stance, gripping his katana.

Kenji also took his stance and gripped his katana.

The next few seconds felt incredibly long.

It was as if time had stopped and the air around them had frozen.

Silence filled the room before, at last, two deadly sword strikes collided in the air.

Clang!

The clash of the two blades shook the entire room.

Yūto blocked Kenji’s strike with both hands.

Yūto was pushed several meters across the floor.

“Ghh...!”

Kenji continued pressing his sword forward.

His expression remained calm.

There was no anger.

No hesitation.

Only the calmness of a man who seemed to have done this countless times before.

Suddenly...

Whoosh!

Kenji disappeared from Yūto’s sight.

“!”

Yūto immediately spun around.

Clang!

Kenji’s sword struck his from the side.

Sparks flew through the air.

Yūto was pushed backward.

But before he could lose his balance, he spun around and launched a horizontal slash.

Swing!

Kenji lowered his head.

The blade passed only a few centimeters above his hair.

Still bent over, Kenji immediately counterattacked.

Slash!

Yūto jumped backward.

Kenji’s sword only grazed the front of his clothes.

'He’s fast...'  Yūto thought.

Kenji smiled slightly.

Whoosh!

Both of them disappeared from their positions again.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Their swords collided again and again.

The sound of clashing metal was like the instruments of an orchestra.

But this was an orchestra of death.

Every clash of their swords was a chance of death.

Every spark was a warning that one small mistake could end the fight.

Yūto attacked from the right.

Kenji blocked.

Yūto spun and attacked from the left.

Kenji dodged.

The next slash was aimed at his neck.

Kenji tilted his head.

Yūto’s sword passed right beside his face.

In a split second, Kenji countered with a vertical slash.

Yūto jumped to the side.

Crash!

Kenji’s sword struck the floor.

The wooden boards broke apart.

Yūto took advantage of the opening and attacked.

Swing!

Kenji raised his sword.

Clang!

The impact sent sparks flying throughout the room.

But this time, Kenji pushed with all his strength.

“Ghh!” Yūto groaned.

Yūto’s body was thrown backward.

Bang!

His back slammed into the wall.

Kenji immediately rushed forward.

Whoosh!

Yūto raised his sword just in time and charged forward to meet Kenji’s attack.

Kenji’s heavy slash came down like a giant hammer.

Clang!

The two swords collided.

However, Kenji’s strength forced Yūto backward again.

“Ugh!” Yūto groaned.

Yūto’s feet lifted off the floor.

His body was thrown backward and crashed into a table.

Crash!

Yūto rolled across the floor before quickly getting back up.

In the corner of the room, David and William were still lying unconscious.

Targyan wasn't far from them.

His legs were injured, and he could barely stand.

Yūto glanced at them.

'If I keep fighting here, they’ll be in danger,'  Yūto thought.

He looked back at Kenji.

Kenji stood several meters away from him.

“What is it, Yūto?”

His sword was still in his hand.

“Why did you stop?”

Yūto said nothing.

He immediately ran toward the exit.

Kenji raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?”

Yūto jumped outside.

Kenji followed him.

Whoosh!

The two of them left the house.

As soon as they were outside, Yūto turned around.

Swing!

Kenji blocked the attack.

Clang!

Sparks flew between them again.

Yūto tightened his grip on his sword.

Kenji lowered his body.

Whoosh!

Kenji dashed forward.

Yūto met him head-on.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

They moved so quickly that they were almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Grass and dirt flew beneath their feet.

Their swords flashed like streaks of lightning.

Slash after slash came without pause.

Yūto dodged one attack.

Blocked the next.

Jumped.

Spun.

Counterattacked.

Every clash made Yūto’s arms feel heavier.

'He’s incredibly strong...'  Yūto thought.

Kenji swung his sword downward.

Yūto blocked it.

Clang!

The ground beneath Yūto’s feet cracked.

“Ghh...!”

Kenji pressed his sword against Yūto’s.

“You’re still too inexperienced to defeat me, Yūto.”

Suddenly, Kenji changed the direction of his slash.

Yūto was caught off guard.

“!”

Slash!

Yūto managed to twist his body out of the way.

The slash only grazed his shoulder.

A thin line of blood appeared.

Yūto immediately counterattacked.

Kenji dodged.

But Yūto continued chasing him.

One slash.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Kenji blocked them all.

Then both of them jumped backward.

Silence for a moment.

The night wind passed through the trees.

Yūto stood several meters away from Kenji.

They stared at each other.

Then...

Kenji moved forward once again.

Whoosh!

Yūto moved as well.

Clang!

Their swords collided with full force.

Crash!

Both of them were thrown backward in opposite directions.

Yūto landed on one knee.

Kenji landed firmly on both feet.

Silence once again covered the area.

Yūto steadied his breathing.

“Hah... Hah...”

Sweat began to cover his face.

His chest rose and fell heavily.

Meanwhile, Kenji remained calm.

Even his breathing had barely changed.

Kenji stared at Yūto for a moment.

“Yūto...”

Yūto raised his head.

“Are you sure you want to continue this until the very end?” Kenji asked.

Yūto remained silent.

He closed his eyes.

He slowly took a breath.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Then he opened his eyes again.

His gaze had changed.

Sharper.

Calmer.

His grip on the sword changed.

Kenji watched him carefully.

“No matter what technique you use, the result will be the same, Yūto."

Yūto took a deep breath.

“...Flower Dance.”

Whoosh!

Yūto’s body shot forward.

His footsteps were almost completely silent.

He moved in a zigzag pattern, spinning his body as he changed direction at incredible speed.

Kenji was surprised.

'His footwork...'  Kenji thought.

Yūto suddenly appeared on his right.

Slash!

Kenji blocked.

But Yūto had already disappeared from there.

“!”

He appeared on the left.

Clang!

Kenji blocked again.

Yūto spun.

One turn.

Two turns.

His sword moved like flower petals dancing in the wind.

Swoosh!

Clang!

Swish!

Clang!

Kenji continued to dodge and block.

But this time, he was having trouble reading the direction of Yūto’s attacks.

There were no footsteps.

No clear rhythm.

No pattern he could easily predict.

Yūto moved like a shadow.

Kenji spun around.

“Too slow...” Yūto muttered.

Slash!

The tip of Yūto’s sword grazed Kenji’s face.

A thin line of blood appeared on his cheek.

Yūto appeared behind him and slashed again.

Clang!

Kenji parried the attack.

Yūto jumped and struck Kenji in the stomach with a spinning kick.

Thud!

Bam!

Kenji was sent flying and tumbled across the ground.

Yūto stood still, staring at Kenji.

The wind blew gently.

Kenji got back to his feet and dusted off his clothes.

He touched his cheek with his fingertips.

He looked at the blood on his fingers.

For the first time, Kenji’s expression became serious and sharp as he looked at Yūto.

'Since when did he learn that technique?'  Kenji thought.

Kenji raised his head.

Yūto stared at him while catching his breath.

Kenji slowly raised his sword.

'Isn’t that the Saegusa Clan’s technique? Wasn’t the entire Saegusa Clan wiped out?!'  Kenji thought.

There were no more words.

Only two swordsmen standing beneath the night sky.

Their swords rose once again.

And once again...

Whoosh!

They charged at each other.

The orchestra of death began to play once more.