Chapter 79: A Duel

The samurai are one of the cultures of [Japan]. When people talk about samurai, they think of [Japan], just like how when people talk about high school girls in sailor uniforms, they think of [Japan].

In the previous world, in *Demon Slayer*, the so-called swordsmen were essentially samurai, but their sole purpose was to slay demons. Another served a [deeply respected] lord.

So, what is the samurai in front of me now?

Li Mo drew his [Japanese-style] sword.

He could observe that the stains on the other party's blue clothes were not [few], as if they hadn't been washed for a long time. The person's face was pale and yellowish, clearly a sign of malnutrition.

A wandering samurai?

Such a term popped into Li Mo's mind. Considering that he had just arrived here, he needed someone alive for information.

"Ah, an Iaido slash?"

Seeing the other party pause for a moment and place their hand on the hilt of their sword, Li Mo couldn't help but sigh, "The wind-up is way too long."

The moment the other party drew their sword, Li Mo also drew his, a Iaido slash against a Iaido slash. Li Mo cleanly severed the other's blade, then struck their stomach with his scabbard.

The other party immediately let go, raising their hands in a gesture of surrender, "I surrender, don't kill me!"

The speed of it left Li Mo a bit stunned. And then there was...

Could he understand what the other was saying? No, wait, what kind of pronunciation was that? Gibberish, yet he could understand it?

What the...

The language the other party used wasn't one Li Mo knew, yet he could understand them. Was this the legendary translation hack? Finally, the system was somewhat useful.

Thoughts flowed like a gentle stream through his mind. Li Mo realized that the most challenging issue of translation had been resolved. Now, it was time to gather information.

Immediately, Li Mo asked, "Where is this place? Who are you?"

"Sir, this is Renren Island. I am a Ronin, affiliated with the Blade Squad."

Ronin, Renren Island? Familiar terms, as if he'd heard them somewhere before, but he couldn't quite recall.

"Be more specific! Where is Renren Island located?"

Then Li Mo saw surprise flash across the other's face, as if to say, "Sir, how could you not know this?" His response was to tighten his grip on the other's clothes.

"Inazuma, sir! This is Inazuma!"

Inazuma—this keyword connected everything. Li Mo finally understood where he was.

Releasing the wandering samurai, Li Mo asked, "Then why are you here?"

"Sir, this is where we Ronin gather..." the other replied with a hint of grievance.

At almost the same time, Li Mo caught sight of figures appearing in other directions—all of them Ronin, no different from the one in front of him.

"There are quite a few of them. Is there any way to avoid a group fight?" Li Mo tilted his head and asked.

Based on the current situation, he made a reasonable judgment. Li Mo wasn't afraid of taking on a group alone. He just didn't want to kill anyone. Facing so many, it would be hard not to resort to lethal force.

The swordsmanship he used was entirely meant for killing.

The subdued wandering samurai spoke up, "There is, sir. We can have a duel before the battle."

"A duel before the battle." This referred to a one-on-one fight between the strongest warriors of both sides before the armies clashed.

—What Li Mo didn't expect was that when he proposed the duel, the other party actually agreed!!!

Why? He didn't understand. Were wandering samurai really that honorable?

Li Mo was deeply shocked.

The Ronin, however, didn't share his thoughts. They led Li Mo to the center of the island, where there was a simple platform. From the freshness of the wooden planks, it was clear it hadn't been built long ago.

There, he met their leader—a tall man completely clad in armor.

"So, you're the one who suddenly barged into Renren Island and challenged me to a duel?"

"Yes."

"Since you didn't kill my men and spared their lives, even if you lose this duel, I'll spare your life."

"If possible, I'd prefer not to fight."

Li Mo knew that what he said was essentially meaningless.

With the atmosphere set, a fight was inevitable.

The duel arena was a clearing on the wooden platform. The weeds here were [sparse], and footprints could be seen, indicating that these wandering samurai often fought in this area.

The opponent held his sword with both hands, his stance was standard, and in Li Mo's eyes, it was full of openings. His swordsmanship was decent.

But that was all... Huh? It's on fire?

Oh, so it's a Kairagi!

Distant memories surfaced in Li Mo's mind, and he understood the opponent's background. Unfortunately, even as a Kairagi, in the game, they were just ordinary enemies.

—Not even elite enemies.

But even with the elemental attack added to the blade through special means, Li Mo wasn't concerned. No matter how high the critical hit rate, it would still fall into the abyss of "0" when faced with evasion.

The opponent leaped into the air, using gravitational potential energy to maximize the power of this strike. The jump slash was powerful, and this attack might cause some damage to the ground.

"Have you ever considered that once you jump, your body can't move anymore?"

Li Mo didn't even bother to draw his sword. The speed was really slow. After experiencing the ultra-high-speed battles with Akaza, and the brutal fistfights with [Hanae Tsubaki], watching the Kairagi's attack—

So weak.

Not as fast as Akaza, not as strong as [Hanae Tsubaki].

This fight shouldn't waste any more time.

Li Mo swayed his body, sidestepping a meter to avoid the downward slash, then reached out and struck the opponent's sword with a hand chop.

"You've lost," Li Mo said emotionlessly.

The surroundings immediately erupted in chatter, mostly along the lines of, "The boss actually lost," "This guy is so strong," "We're saved," and other such nonsense.

"I've lost," the opponent admitted readily. "Sir, you're really strong! So strong that I couldn't even force you to use your swordsmanship? Could you tell us what style you use?"

"Well, if I had to say, it's the Kagura style."

The [Sun Breathing] wasn't really a style. With Li Mo being the only one left who used it, could it even be called a style?

Making up a style on the spot, Li Mo noticed the Kairagi's eyes lighting up.

What happened next took Li Mo by surprise.

The Kairagi immediately knelt down and said, "So, will you be our boss?"

"Huh? Brother, what are you doing?"

"So, will you be our boss?"

"At least give me a reason!"

"So, will you be our boss?"

"Are you some kind of repeater or something?"