From Danmachi to God of Ninja

Chapter 37: Chapter 37

”How can I become as strong as you?” Ais tilted her head, her expression more serious than ever.

”Ais...” The Amazon sisters both went quiet.

They knew the girl’s past, and they understood her obsession with strength and revenge.

But information on how to grow stronger was an adventurer’s greatest trump card, the core secret of a Familia’s power.

Asking so directly was far too reckless.

”A way to get stronger?” Kiriya looked at the blond girl in front of him, meeting that stubborn gaze.

”There actually was one.”

Ais’s eyes brightened and the Amazon sisters were also stunned.

Was someone really willing to share their secret like that?

”Train properly, fight properly, rest properly, eat properly, study properly, and keep improving every day,” Kiriya said, repeating the teaching of a certain sage.

Ais’s eyes immediately dimmed.

The Amazon sisters also stared at him with expressions that practically screamed, ’Are you messing with us?’

”I’m not joking, you know. This is the training method of an incredibly strong person!” Kiriya spoke with absolute seriousness.

”I know a guy who lived exactly like that. He trained and fought every day like a cheerful idiot, genuinely enjoying the process, and in the end, he became the strongest warrior in the world.”

”What third-rate heroic tale did you pull that from?” Tione’s retort was sharp and merciless.

”Personal experience! And its guaranteed effective.” Kiriya patted Ais on the head.

”If you want to go faster, you first have to learn how to stop. If you want to become stronger, you first have to learn how to relax. Life isn’t only about power. There are plenty of beautiful sights along the way.”

Kiriya said it from the heart.

Too much rigidity made a blade easy to break.

The blond girl before him was far too obsessed with power. If that desperate urge to grow stronger at any cost was never adjusted, it would eventually destroy her.

”There’s a monster I have to defeat,” Ais said, her voice extremely serious.

’This girl clearly didn’t hear a word I said.’

Kiriya shook his head.

Tiona and Tione both sighed as well.

Hatred buried in someone’s heart was not something they could simply let go of because someone told them to.

Kiriya did not mind much. It was easy to tell others to move on when you had never suffered what they had suffered.

He only mentioned it because he felt a certain connection with this girl. Whether she accepted it or not was up to her.

”Well, that’s that. I’m going to find somewhere to rest. See you around.”

Kiriya was just about to leave when Ais stepped in front of him and blocked his path.

”???”

Question marks practically floated above Kiriya’s head.

”Miss Ais, what are you doing now?”

The Amazon sisters also looked over curiously.

”Fight me,” Ais said, her right hand resting on the hilt at her waist.

”...Huh?” Kiriya almost wondered if he had heard wrong. ”Me, a Level 2, fighting you, a Level 5?”

”Ais?” Tiona and Tione both looked surprised too.

He was about to refuse, but then he noticed the urgency and anxiety hidden deep in Ais’s eyes.

His heart softened before he could stop it.

”Fine, fine. I guess I do have a soft spot for you.” Kiriya scratched his hair. ”But let’s be clear. I’m only Level 2, and my strength is limited. Hold back a little, all right? If you break me, don’t blame me if I show up at your door demanding compensation!”

The Amazon sisters both laughed.

”Cutie, you’re really funny.”

Ais, however, answered seriously, ”I understand. I’ll be careful.”

...

And so, the group found a relatively secluded but spacious clearing.

Kiriya and Ais stood apart from each other, while Tiona and Tione watched from the side.

”Hey, Tione, how long do you think the cutie will last?” Tiona asked, brimming with interest.

”I don’t know.” Tione shook her head. ”Normally, he should get defeated instantly. But since it’s him... he’s special. He might surprise us.”

”Mm-hmm. That’s why I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tiona nodded eagerly, her big bright eyes sparkling with excitement.

On the field, Kiriya saw that the Sword Princess had no intention of attacking first. He clicked his tongue.

”So now you know how to be polite.”

Then he smiled faintly.

”Good. This is a perfect chance to see the real gap between me and a Level 5 adventurer.”

As he spoke, he slid his right foot back, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and took the preparatory stance for an iai slash.

”Sharingan!”

”Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Sixfold.”

In an instant, Kiriya turned into a Z-shaped flash of lightning and charged straight at Ais.

With Kiriya’s current ability values, his Thunderclap and Flash would have been extremely difficult even for Hyakinthos, a Level 3, to deal with.

But against Ais, a Level 5 who was especially skilled in speed, that level of quickness still was not enough.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Ais swung her sword and blocked Kiriya’s slashes one after another, her figure light and graceful, like a butterfly dancing through the air.

Once the sword form ended, Kiriya appeared more than ten meters away.

Looking at Ais’s effortless composure, he wore an expression that said, ’Just as expected.’

’So this level of speed still isn’t nearly enough.’

”So fast! Cutie got stronger again,” Tiona exclaimed from the side, clearly shocked by Kiriya’s growth.

”Yeah. With that kind of speed... even Hyakinthos would probably be in serious trouble against him,” Tione agreed.

Ais did not pause.

She immediately closed the distance and launched an attack with refined sword technique.

Kiriya naturally refused to be outdone and answered with the many sword forms he had learned from the world of Demon Slayer.

”Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance.”

”Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide.”

”Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust.”

”Hinokami Kagura: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance.”

At first, Ais had wondered whether Kiriya’s strength had already surpassed her own.

But after actually exchanging blows with him, she realized that was not the case.

He was strong—absurdly strong—but he was still far from Level 5.

At most, he was comparable to her when she had first reached Level 4.

Even that was more than shocking enough.

She wanted to know what allowed Kiriya to produce such power.

After observing him for a while, she discovered that the answer likely lay in his techniques and breathing.

Those things... seemed to greatly enhance his strength.

To Ais, that discovery was like finding a treasure.

She gave up on the idea of suppressing him with raw stats and instead used every bit of technique she could, wanting to see just how far Kiriya could go.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

The dense ringing of steel echoed across the clearing like a storm, almost like a symphony played by a group of musicians burning their lives away in frenzy.

The clash of sword techniques left both Amazon sisters utterly absorbed.

Every move flowed naturally, and every action carried a unique rhythm.

Somehow, they saw a strange kind of beauty in the battle.

And it was not only the two of them.

The other adventurers drawn over by the noise of the fight were also watching, dazzled.

”Hey, that’s... the Sword Princess from Loki Familia, right?”

”Yeah. But who’s her opponent? He looks kind of familiar.”

”Holy shit! Isn’t that the kid from Hestia Familia?”

”Huh? The one who fought Apollo Familia in the War Game? But isn’t he Level 2?”

”Are you guys joking? A Level 2 is fighting evenly with a Level 5 adventurer? And his opponent is the genius Sword Princess?”

Once the adventurers realized what they were seeing, they exploded into noise.

The world had gone insane!

A Level 2 could actually stand against a Level 5 now?

Of course, not everyone in the crowd had lost their head.

”Don’t be stupid. Can’t you tell? The Sword Princess is obviously holding back. If she went all out, that kid would’ve been finished ages ago.”

”So... the Sword Princess is giving that kid a training match?” one adventurer said with a long, hollow sigh.

Almost every adventurer present changed expression.

That was the Sword Princess.

The famous Sword Princess.

With her overwhelming talent and beauty stunning enough to make even goddesses marvel, Ais Wallenstein had countless admirers throughout Orario.

Men, women, young, old—she had fans everywhere.

And now a star like her was personally training some Level 2 guy through a match.

The shock was no less than seeing a super idol dating an ordinary office worker.

”Divine punishment!”

At once, blazing flames seemed to ignite in the eyes of a large group of adventurers.

They were the flames of jealousy!

”Heh, save it.” A middle-aged adventurer looked at them with open mockery. ”Take a proper look. That guy may not be as strong as the Level 5 Sword Princess, but he’s stronger than plenty of Level 4 adventurers. You lot think you can give him trouble? Go home and sleep it off.”

His words poured over the crowd like a bucket of cold water, and the adventurers instantly lost their fire.

A super idol dating an office drone was hard to accept.

It might even make people want to burn the guy at the stake.

But if the person she was dating turned out to be some rich, powerful CEO type, then even if they hated it... their opinion would not mean a damn thing!

Tiona and Tione ignored the muttering around them and focused completely on the battle.

From time to time, Kiriya’s sudden flashes of brilliance left them stunned.

Like right now.

Kiriya had suddenly used one of Ais’s techniques.

The impact of it was so strong that even Ais herself was briefly stunned.

Her reaction slowed by half a beat, and she almost got caught by Kiriya’s attack.

”You... used my move?” Ais leapt out of the exchange, tilted her head, and looked at him.

”Yeah. It just suited that situation too well, so I couldn’t help myself,” Kiriya said.

”That’s not what I mean.” Ais shook her head. ”I never taught you. But you can still use it.”

”Oh, that.” Kiriya pointed at his eyes. ”These eyes allow me to see through the secrets of any martial arts or sword technique and make it my own.”

”NANIIIIIIIIIII—!”

His words sent an uproar through the crowd.

Directly copying someone else’s martial arts and swordsmanship?

Wasn’t that way too ridiculous?

They did not want to believe something that absurd.

But the proof was right in front of them.

Kiriya went on to perform several more of the Sword Princess’s techniques, leaving them no choice but to believe it.

”Seriously, every time this cutie talk, he brings us a new surprise.” Tiona was trembling with excitement.

”How many secrets does he even have?”

That question was destined to go unanswered.

The battle on the field continued.

Their swordsmanship exchange grew more and more intense.

Both of them specialized in speed and technique, and both were using this opportunity to polish their skills and refine their craft.

Ten minutes...

Twenty minutes...

Half an hour passed, yet the two of them still maintained that high-intensity battle without showing the slightest hint of fatigue.

The sight made the surrounding adventurers’ scalps go numb.

”The Sword Princess is one thing, she’s Level 5! But what the hell is up with that kid?”

”A monster! He’s definitely a monster!”

”This guy is seriously Level 2?”