Chapter 1154: Chapter 669: Self-Questioning
Of course, there are sword moves that can deliver hundreds or thousands of strikes in a second, but those generally belong to advanced swordsmanship, with a high entry barrier and poor effectiveness, only useful for showing off or clearing small fry.
If you’re dueling with a swordsman of the same level, everyone’s techniques actually become quite straightforward and plain.
So, the real effective sword speed statistic should be measured under the premise that you can still maintain perfect control over your strikes, but precise strikes will inevitably slow your sword speed down.
You might be able to swing dozens of times in a second if you swing randomly, but if you take it seriously, you might only manage a few strikes per second. Considering the complex factors in actual combat, being able to slash once or twice in a second is already impressive.
A thought is just a moment. If your swordsmanship reaches the momentary stage, it means your sword speed has basically caught up with the speed of your thoughts, the legendary heart-sword unity, where the heart moves and the sword follows.
So, even for a witch, to have sword speed calculable in instants during actual combat is already quite impressive, albeit seemingly weak when you realize that mortal swordsmen can do it too.
But you have to consider that the power and difficulty of supernatural swordsmanship is not something that mortal sword skills can compare to. Witches have stronger physical qualities than mortals, but their swordsmanship is also much more complex and profound. Balancing the two, everyone’s speed is actually about the same.
If you let a witch use mortal swordsmanship, everyone can easily perform a super high-speed sword, but it really is meaningless beyond looking impressive.
And once swordsmanship enters the momentary realm, you’re already a sword master with heart-sword unity.
As for surpassing the momentary realm to make the sword faster than the heart, well...
In Japan’s thousands of years of history, only one person’s swordsmanship reached this level, the creator of The First Great Sword, the swordmaster among Japanese sword masters—Tsukahara Isshin.
Without thought or desire, one can surpass the limit and make the sword quicker than the idea, which is the ultimate realm all swordsmen strive for.
So, when Konoe Makoto recalled the recent battle...
The entire battle lasted sixteen instants, with Minamoto no Yorimitsu moving for fifteen of them, and that damn pork cutlet witch moving only in the last instant.
It wasn’t even just one sword strike; it was one strike from her own body, and one from the Martial God Dharma Aspect...
So...
"Without thought or desire? That pork cutlet girl is actually a great sword master?"
The young policewoman’s eyes widened in disbelief.
All those who studied swordsmanship in Japan regarded Tsukahara Isshin as a deity, and Konoe Makoto was no exception.
So that pork cutlet girl equals Tsukahara Isshin equals God...
Kamishama (God Samma) actually loves pork cutlet rice?
The young policewoman’s brain was somewhat overloaded, on the verge of shutting down.
"Emmm, are you just against pork cutlet rice? And don’t look down on pork cutlet rice; it’s our bureau’s proud feature. Xiao Hui is a disciple of the God of Cookery, you’re a foolish one-track mind."
Konoe Maki was at a loss for words, unable to tolerate it anymore, and punched her silly sister on the head, then said.
"But sister, why did the sword-drawing of that pork cutlet...that great sword master look so slow just now?"
The young policewoman clutched her head from the affectionate iron fist from her sister, still puzzled at heart.
Lord Tsukahara Isshin had been in seclusion for some years now, so Konoe Makoto had never seen the sword-drawing of that legendary great sword master, but her own elder sister was also a sword master, and she’d seen her sister practice swords.
Truth be told, in her eyes, her sister’s swordsmanship was already so fast it was almost impossible to see clearly. If she were observing her sister’s battle, her eyes might not even keep up with her sister’s speed.
But she had seen every detail of that pork cutlet great sword master’s sword-drawing clearly just now, feeling as if watching a slow-motion close-up, yet it was actually fast. This contradiction between perception and reality puzzled the young policewoman.
"Probably because of composure."
Actually, the bureau chief wasn’t very clear either, but didn’t want to show weakness in front of her sister, so she voiced her guess.
As a sword master, her guess still held a bit of reference value.
"Composure?"
The young policewoman was even more confused.
"Yes, you think Lady Dorothy’s sword draw was slow because such speed is indeed just a casual swing for her, not her serious sword-drawing, so that easy and lazy swing feels slow to you."
Konoe Maki said this but, seeing her sister’s slightly comprehending appearance, thought a bit more.
"Do you know about turtles? Actually, turtles can crawl super fast, but when people mention turtles, they subconsciously think they’re slow."
"I see."
Under her sister’s peculiar analogy, Konoe Makoto had an epiphany, then realized something, her beautiful eyes widened again.
"Sister, that means, that pork cutlet great sword master can actually be faster?"
Oh wow, two sword strikes in an instant aren’t the limit? Then what’s this person’s limit?
The young policewoman thought it through, feeling a creeping fear.
And then she got another affectionate iron punch from her sister.
"Show a little more respect to Lady Dorothy, or if she cuts you with one sword, you deserve it, and I can’t block that one sword."
Konoe Maki reprimanded this silly sister angrily.
Then, she looked up, eyes complicated, at Dorothy over there.