Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 353

The heat radiating from his body wasn’t like steam.

It was more like the wavering shimmer rising from asphalt on a sweltering summer day.

That was why Hiro himself wasn’t aware of it.

But to Su-ho’s eyes, it was perfectly visible.

Which meant it was time.

Yeah... just a little more, and I can draw it out.

Hiro’s eyes were filled with heat, passion, and desire.

Was it an obsession with victory?

No.

He was a man like a great dragon in the game of Go—he didn’t chase foolish dreams.

He focused only on the goal before him.

Some people call that focus and concentration.

And most people who excel at focus and concentration often achieve near-term successes, which in turn allow them to accomplish bigger things.

Hiro was one of those men.

At that moment, his focus was deeper and greater than any underdog desperate for victory.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

A relentless onslaught.

Defense that met it head-on.

The faster the tempo and the louder the sound, the faster his heartbeat pounded.

Screech—shff—screech—

The sound of both feet sliding across the training floor intermittently filled the gaps between each beat.

Ssshhh—

And then, the sweltering shimmer enveloped everything, transforming into steam so hot that even Su-ho could hear it.

In that instant—

Whump!

Hiro’s wooden sword darted straight for the bridge of Su-ho’s nose.

A pattern he had never shown before.

His speed had increased another ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ notch.

And then—

Whump!

Another straight thrust.

Naturally, Su-ho dodged this one as well.

But with the attack speed so different from before, both Su-ho and Hiro couldn’t help but smile.

Hiro’s eyes, especially, widened to their limits, brimming with exhilaration, and his grin split his face open.

'Looks like he’s realized something.'

Good.

It’s a promising sign.

Hold onto that sensation a little longer.

It’ll give birth to a much stronger Yasuda-ryu.

Screech—tak! Screech—tak! Screech—tak! Taaak!!

Su-ho adjusted his responses to match the quicker tempo—

Mixing dodges and parries together.

That became the catalyst.

A fine accelerant that pushed Hiro into further evolution.

And then, finally—

Fwoooosh!!

When his blade exploded forward, Su-ho felt it.

A faint burst of heat, almost like a breath attack, emanating from the tip of Hiro’s strike.

And Hiro’s movement stopped.

“......”

Hiro froze mid-thrust.

Su-ho didn’t knock his blade aside—he simply stepped back to evade.

And then he, too, stopped.

“......”

A brief silence.

Hiro drew a deep breath.

It was so big that even at a glance Su-ho could see his chest expand and contract.

He must have reached some kind of realization.

So Su-ho said nothing and simply waited for the thrill he was feeling to pass.

When Hiro’s expression finally returned to normal, he smiled again and lowered his sword.

“Ah... this is good.”

“Did enlightenment strike?”

“Yes, thanks to you. Honestly, I thought I had no further room to grow...”

“Congratulations. I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling your swordsmanship skill just evolved.”

“How did you know?”

How?

Because I’ve been through it myself.

But Su-ho kept his composure.

“It was just a feeling. Your expressions were... very telling.”

“Haha, they say you can’t hide a cough or love—looks like my love for swordsmanship shows the same way.”

Lowering his blade, Hiro performed the distinctive sword-drawing gesture of kendo—nōtō—and gave a respectful bow.

“You worked hard. And once again, thank you. Just like before, I’ve learned a great deal today.”

“Haha, not at all. I’m just glad you gained something from me. So, shall we continue sparring?”

“No. I think that’s enough for today. Once again, my sincere thanks for the great lesson.”

Hiro bowed again.

Su-ho smiled at the gesture.

Just as he’d said, there was little point in continuing now.

Whether in terms of swordsmanship or skill progression, the improvement had been achieved. What remained was personal refinement.

So the two decided not to cross blades further and spent the time over tea instead.

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