The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon and I've also activated (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395

A gentle breeze swept through.

The silver-white blade appeared before Kurogane Ikki in an instant, making him unconsciously swallow the words he was about to say.

"Ikki San, don't say things that aren't true," Ryoji said with a kind smile, looking at Kurogane Ikki.

"...I understand," Kurogane Ikki swallowed and nodded in agreement.

The reality was as Kurogane Ikki had stated.

Just like his struggles with judo, even if he could grasp the essence of a technique at a glance, he might not be able to learn or utilize it effectively.

Ryoji couldn't learn 'Trackless Step', a footwork technique on its own, but he had successfully incorporated its principles into his swordsmanship.

It seemed his life was inextricably linked to the sword.

If he wanted to grow stronger, he had no choice but to dedicate himself solely to swordsmanship – a path with no turning back.

Ryoji possessed a good mindset and understood the value of contentment. Despite his average natural abilities, he had found his true calling.

However, mindset and pride were two different things.

It wouldn't have been an issue if only those close to him knew, but having others bring it up in front of him was a significant blow to his pride.

After all, he was a talented swordsman, destined to reach the pinnacle of the world, according to his master. The thought of others knowing he couldn't learn certain techniques was incredibly embarrassing.

"Hahahahahaha! I understand now! Junior Brother, you can't use 'Trackless Step', right? Hahaha—!"

Kurogane Ikki, wisely choosing his words, remained silent. However, Saikyou Nene, oblivious to Ryoji's feelings, erupted in laughter, clutching her stomach.

"I initially thought you'd grown stronger since defeating the careless Kuu-chan, but you can't even learn 'Trackless Step'? Hahaha! What a masterpiece!"

As the most cherished disciple of the God of War, Saikyou Nene, naturally, knew 'Trackless Step' and was highly skilled in it, surpassing even Touka. She had the right to make such remarks.

She had previously used it on Ryoji during a visit to his dorm, and though he hadn't completely escaped, he had intuitively countered it.

Ryoji: (╬ ಠ益ಠ)

Damn it.

He shouldn't have brought it up in front of Saikyou Nene.

The fact that even Touka Nee San was unaware of this made it even worse that Saikyou Nene had discovered his secret. Now he would be subjected to endless ridicule.

It was during his rehabilitation last year that he gradually realized his limitations beyond swordsmanship. Prior to that, he had only a vague sense of them. The only others who knew about this were his master, the God of War, Nangou Torajirou.

Now, more people knew, adding another embarrassing chapter to his past. It put him in a foul mood.

'Cough cough'... "By the way, that sword of yours is truly beautiful. What's its name?"

Noticing Ryoji's darkening mood, Kurogane Ikki coughed lightly and attempted to change the subject.

His intention was good.

But upon hearing this, Ryoji twitched the corner of his eye and shot him a glare.

"It doesn't have a name."

Saikyou Nene, having finished laughing and wiping the tears from her eyes, teased, "But because it makes a 'Vrring~' sound every time it's swung, the old man named it 'Vrring Sword'."

"..."

Kurogane Ikki immediately understood the reason for Ryoji's glare. 'Vrring Sword' was indeed an embarrassing name.

But—

"How can it not have a name?"

Kurogane Ikki, however, was more concerned with Saikyou Nene's earlier statement. 

"Shouldn't every Blazer naturally know the name of their unique Spiritual Item (Device) once they awaken their special ability? After all, the Spiritual Item (Device) is essentially a materialized version of their own soul. There's no reason they wouldn't know its name."

Yes.

A Spiritual Item (Device) is a highly dense Magic Power crystal formed from the materialization of one's own soul, symbolizing a Blazer's self and essence. Upon awakening a special ability, the true name of the Spiritual Item (Device) is always revealed.

For example, Stella's greatsword is called 'Lævateinn', and his own Spiritual Item (Device) is a simple katana named 'Intetsu'.

Saikyou Nene's Spiritual Item (Device) is the iron fan she always carried, called 'Beniiro Ageha'.

Ryoji's lack of knowledge regarding the true name of his Spiritual Item (Device) was quite peculiar.

"Kurogane San, have you heard of this theory?" Saikyou Nene snapped her folding fan shut with a flick, gently tapping it against her palm as her teasing expression subsided.

"Spiritual Items (Devices) are a manifestation of the self. Sometimes, if a Blazer undergoes a significant change or discovers their true self, the form of their Spiritual Item (Device) will also evolve."

"That..."

Kurogane Ikki hesitated, recalling past knowledge and searching his memory.

Indeed.

In the world of Blazers, rumors circulated about this phenomenon, as a Spiritual Item (Device) is a reflection of one's self. When a Blazer's sense of self evolves, their Spiritual Item (Device) may also undergo a transformation.

"—The reason Junior Brother's Spiritual Item (Device) lacks a name is because, according to the old man's guess, he hasn't yet discovered his true self."

Saikyou Nene gave him a meaningful look.

"Without a true self, it remains nameless. In other words, once Junior Brother discovers his true self, he will learn the true name of his Spiritual Item (Device)— and perhaps even his abilities will evolve. No, it's more likely that he will discover his true abilities."

Blazers often initially misunderstand their true abilities.

Take Saikyou Nene, for example. When her sword technique ability first awakened, she believed her special ability was to make objects float. It wasn't until later that she realized her ability was to manipulate gravity.

Ryoji's situation, not knowing the true name of his Spiritual Item (Device), was likely similar – he hadn't yet discovered his true self and hadn't awakened his true swordsmanship potential.

More specifically, his current 'Absolute Divine Speed' might be a mere surface-level manifestation of his true swordsmanship ability. A deeper, more powerful layer of ability might be hidden within his soul.

"So that's how it is... It can get stronger?"

Kurogane Ikki, now with a better understanding, looked at Ryoji with an envious gaze.

Abilities related to Causation Manipulation were merely external manifestations of a true special ability. If Ryoji were to awaken his true swordsmanship ability, his power would likely increase significantly, potentially reaching even greater heights.

Ryoji scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat uncertain.

In reality, this was merely the God of War's speculation. Whether the truth aligned with this theory remained uncertain.

Of course, Ryoji secretly hoped for a more impressive 'transmigrator cheat'.

He didn't expect to obtain some sort of system, but at least the opportunity to explore other worlds would be a welcome change if such worlds truly existed.

Honestly, Ryoji felt the possibility of their existence was quite high. After all, if a world like 'Rakudai Kishi' could exist, there was no reason other worlds couldn't exist as well.

(End of Chapter)