Chapter 52: 52. Artistic Conception

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari ---------- "Then, Shogun... I'm starting!" Shimotsuki Koshiro declared, unsheathing Wado Ichimonji. In an instant, his aura transformed into an immovable mountain, radiating a feeling of overwhelming, unstoppable strength as he charged toward Alex. Alex met this force with his own, slashing back with Akazakura. The sword's swing seemed to pull the very air around it, drawing everything toward its edge with a fierce intensity. BOOM! Their attacks collided mid-air, unleashing a violent shockwave that rippled outward, wilting every blade of grass and flower within a wide radius. Bare branches swayed under the sheer force, stripped by the battle's fury. Swish! Swish! With two sharp sounds, their figures vanished and reappeared in an instant, each movement so swift it cracked the air. Their strikes and parries blurred together, creating a lattice of crisscrossing shockwaves as cracks spread across the ground beneath them. To any observer from a distance, the flurry of sword strikes was impossible to follow. The two swordsmen moved so quickly that their forms blurred, indistinguishable from one another as they exchanged blow after blow. Clang! Clang! Clang! The sounds of their swords clashing resonated like an unrelenting storm, filling the battlefield with echoes of steel against steel. From afar, Kuina watched in awe, her heart pounding as she witnessed her father's strength in full display. She had never seen him fight with such intensity. Even as a beginner in swordsmanship, she could feel the depth of power radiating from him. She wondered if she could ever hope to inherit this level of mastery. The two swordsmen continued their clash, deliberately refraining from using Armament Haki or Alex's Conqueror's Haki infusion. As they had agreed, this duel would be a true test of swordsmanship alone. BOOM! Their sword auras collided once more, releasing a flash of cyan light and an explosive gust of wind. Alex could feel something shifting within him—a growing clarity, an enlightenment sparked by Koshiro's relentless skill. Through each clash of sword energy, aura, and technique, his understanding of his own swordsmanship began to deepen. He recognized that 'sword power' was the very essence that distinguished a swordsman from an ordinary blade-wielder. In his fight with Koshiro, Alex was experiencing firsthand how mastery over sword power allowed one to cut even the air with ease. This elusive concept was like an innate instinct, an ethereal understanding that many swordsmen pursued but few ever attained. (T/N: I don't know how to make this seem like a concept from one piece so i just left it like that. I don't think this would be mentioned again) Each swordsman's journey with this elusive 'sword power' was unpredictable, and most found themselves stalled by its mystery. But for Alex, this duel with Koshiro was pushing him closer to that breakthrough, illuminating the path forward in the art of the sword. In this moment, Alex felt a profound shift within himself—a state where every element of the sword's movement became fluid and effortlessly adaptable. His control over Akazakura felt absolute, as though the blade and his body were one seamless entity. With each motion, he found he could anticipate Koshiro's moves, parrying and countering with simple, direct maneuvers that made complex techniques unnecessary. Koshiro, noticing this elevated mastery, paused, his gaze sharp with admiration. "It seems, Shogun Alex, that you have entered what I call the 'artistic conception' of the sword." "Artistic conception?" Alex repeated, his attack halting as he took a moment to assess this inexplicable state. Koshiro explained, his voice reverent. "Years ago, I experienced it briefly—a state where the sword and the self merge entirely. In that moment, all actions related to the blade become effortless, as though instinctive. It is a comprehension beyond technique, beyond most swordsmen's reach. I call it the artistic conception of the sword. In that state, I was able to slice through a sheet of paper as though it were air." To an outsider, cutting paper with such precision might sound trivial, even ridiculous, but for a swordsman who understands the mastery of cutting steel, it is nothing short of miraculous. Alex listened intently, grasping Koshiro's meaning. He, too, felt a complete command over Akazakura, as though he could clash even with a weaker blade without breaking it. This level of harmony between blade and intent was new to him, yet exhilarating. Koshiro looked at him with a touch of envy. "When I achieved this state, it was fleeting, gone in moments. Yet here you are, maintaining it with ease. You may surpass me in this mastery." Koshiro's eyes held an unspoken admiration. Though he had trained since childhood under his father's guidance, achieving this state so effortlessly and at Alex's apparent young age was nothing short of remarkable. Had he known that Alex had only studied swordsmanship for six years, his surprise would have been even greater. Then, as if drawn by an unseen call, Alex felt a surge of inspiration and began to rise into the air. His gaze settled on the ocean beyond Shimotsuki Village, and he held Akazakura steady, focusing entirely on his newfound clarity. Without calling upon Haki or any enhancements, he lifted his sword high and slashed down toward the chaotic waves below. Swish! A blinding arc of sword energy shot forth from Akazakura, taking physical form as a flying slash. It streaked downward with unstoppable force, cleaving the very sea before him. BOOM! The ocean split with a thunderous roar. The impact tore through the water and reached up into the sky, parting clouds in a straight line above and leaving a massive, clear trench across the sea below. Waves crashed violently to the sides, exposing a barren gap in the ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see, with countless sea creatures scattered in the devastating path of the slash. Gasps of shock and amazement filled the air. The onlookers stood frozen, their jaws nearly hitting the ground as they tried to process the sheer magnitude of Alex's strike. Among them, Maria and Yamato's eyes sparkled with admiration, while others shouted his praises with newfound awe and respect. In contrast, Kuina remained silent, her expression serious. She tightened her grip on her wooden sword, her eyes never leaving the figure of Alex as he slowly descended from the sky.