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Secret Sword: Swallow Return, this was precisely the ultimate technique that Dorothy had learned in her past life at the Sasaki Kendo Dojo.

Mr. Sasaki, the owner and coach of the dojo, was an extraordinarily honest man whose teachings did not hold any secrets, sharing everything he knew with each student. However, the swordsmanship passed down through his family was indeed complex, and those without sufficient talent simply could not master it, which was why the dojo’s business had always been rather poor.

It was, in fact, this very quietness and lack of people that led Dorothy to choose to sign up there.

After all, her decision to learn swordsmanship was partly because she had been cooped up at home for too long, her body had become weak, and she was too lazy to go running. So she thought learning swordsmanship could serve as a form of physical exercise.

Secondly, it was because she had become obsessed with watching anime to the point of developing a case of "chuunibyou," dreaming that she could master exquisite sword skills and wander the martial arts world with the might of her blade.

But at the time, she was already nearing thirty, and it was somewhat embarrassing to be so fanciful at that age, which led her to specifically search out this struggling kendo dojo.

Luckily, her swordsmanship training went quite smoothly. She didn’t even spend a month before she had completely exhausted Coach Sasaki’s repertoire of sword techniques, making the middle-aged, handsome gentleman proclaim her as a rare swordsmanship prodigy not seen in a thousand years. But Dorothy believed none of it, in her eyes, it was obviously his way of trying to get her to sign up for a few more months of the membership card, and she was too clever to fall for that trick.

Therefore, after obtaining what was called the Mindless Unity School’s license for mastering all techniques, Dorothy decisively took off.

However, Coach Sasaki lived up to his reputation as an honest man and, on the day of graduation, he carefully presented the family’s ancestral Sword Manual for Dorothy to peruse.

From that age-yellowed, weathered sword manual, Dorothy was astonished to discover that the coach wasn’t bluffing; his ancestor truly was a Sword Saint from Rippon Province, officially acknowledged as such.

The Sword Saint named Sasaki Kojirou only lost once in his life, and the man who defeated him was none other than Miyamoto Musashi, hailed as the strongest Sword Saint of Rippon. This attested to the precious heritage of Coach Sasaki’s ancestral swordsmanship, a direct transmission from a true Sword Saint.

According to the records in the manual, Sasaki Kojirou’s loss in that battle was rather unjust; he did not lose to Miyamoto Musashi in terms of swordsmanship skills, but rather, he was mentally shaken by his opponent’s tactics. Musashi arrived late, changed weapons, and finally resorted to taunting, causing Sasaki Kojirou’s composure to shatter. He recklessly charged forward and ultimately was defeated without even getting the chance to use his proud technique, Secret Sword: Swallow Return.

Following this duel, Miyamoto Musashi became the greatest Sword Saint, and people did not criticize the victor for his cunning; instead, they praised Musashi’s extraordinary military strategy, hailing him as the true Sword Saint.

As for the defeated Sasaki Kojirou, he was forgotten by the world.

Dorothy found it difficult to understand the thought process of the people of Rippon — if it was a sword duel, then it should be just that; all this talk of military strategy was just trickery, wasn’t it?

She had sympathy for the Sword Saint Sasaki, but he, as noted in the manual, seemed quite accepting of his defeat. He admitted that it was his mindset that was lacking, as he couldn’t reach the ultimate realm of swordsmanship that was free of thought and desire, and therefore he did not lose unjustly.

So, he revised his sword techniques, shifting the focus from power to the mental state, and renamed his school to Mindless Unity School to remind his descendants not to repeat his mistake.

Regrettably, the Sword Saint Sasaki spent his whole life and yet was unable to execute that final sword strike free of thoughts and desires that he envisioned, leaving only fragments of swordsmanship theory for posterity.

Of course, this had little to do with Dorothy; after merely glancing through the antique manual, she went home, and the matter soon slipped her mind. The Mindless Unity School’s swordsmanship she had learned was merely practiced occasionally when she felt agitated, for indeed, this legacy of the Sword Saint had its merits, calming her whenever she practiced it alone at home amidst boredom and annoyance.

True, she practiced it for three years before the transmigration without much success. The Sword Saint in the manual claimed to have slain an Evil Dragon named Sparrow with his blade, which is why the Secret Sword was named Swallow Return.

But in the era Dorothy lived in, there were no dragons to speak of; she couldn’t even find a sparrow while living in the city, and so she ended up practicing on a sparrow, thus turning her Swallow Return into Sparrow Return.

However, after transmigrating, Dorothy practiced this swordsmanship much more diligently, as it was also a way for her to reminisce about her past life. Whenever homesickness bubbled up within her, she would practice the swordsmanship to maintain the tranquility of her heart.

But as she became acquainted with the Witch World and accepted her new family in this life, she no longer felt such homesickness, leading her to neglect practicing the swordsmanship for a long time.

Now, though, feeling her own mindset becoming restless due to the power she had gained from the Spell Slot, Dorothy felt that it was necessary to pick up this mindset-calibrating swordsmanship once again after a long hiatus.

"In this world, where is there such a thing as a mind free of thoughts and desires? A person who truly thinks or desires nothing is a dead one; no wonder a Sword Saint spent his whole life unable to uncover that final strike," she pondered.

Facing the flood of light that was about to swallow her, Dorothy’s heart was quite peaceful. The experiences of her two lifetimes flashed by like a carousel of lanterns, and finally, she let out a long breath and slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword at her waist.

"That final sword isn’t about being without thought or desire, but about having one mind of dreams. Sword Saint Sasaki, your school’s name was well chosen; it’s just a pity you researched in the wrong direction."

"Those who truly harbor dreams and understand their paths ahead will never be lost in their hearts."

In her past life, Dorothy had been a mere otaku, and despite having some talent, without thought and spirit, she couldn’t make an impact.

But this life was different; as the youngest Spell Master in the Witch World, the Witch of the Forest’s quick-wittedness was beyond question.

Although magic and swordsmanship seemed unrelated, they came to the same end, and some paths were the same.

The power of magic comes from a heart that believes; the purer the heart, the more powerful the strength that can be unleashed.

So, it makes sense that the swordsmanship of the Mindless Unity School would follow the same principle.

Bodhi has no tree, the clear mirror is also not a stand; fundamentally there’s nothing, where can the dust alight?

Suddenly, Dorothy remembered this famous Buddhist verse from her past life, and then she had an inspiration as if realizing something profound.

"Why does my sword move? What is it that I joined the Judgment Court for?"

The Home Martial Soul questioned herself deeply.

"The answer is, for home; I want to have a home, I want to protect my family."

Dorothy answered her own question.

Then there was nothing to fear.

The opposing Sword of Promised Victory bore the faith of the masses, but the sword in my hand carried only my own conviction.

So whose belief will prove stronger?

"That will certainly be mine."

Under the mask of the Home Martial Soul, a confident smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and in her eyes, no longer lost, she reached out and grasped the familiar hilt of her sword, reviving the memories of the swordsmanship she had practiced for three years in her former life.

This set of ultimate techniques inherited from the Age Without Magic was now endowed with a new strength by its successor.

Ladies and gentlemen, have you ever seen that sword slash through the light?

"Secret Technique: Swallow Return"

The witch, without thought or desire, drew the Tachi from her side; the sound of the sword announced the birth of a Sword God.

And so, the sword cleaved through the sea of light, figures intertwined, and the outcome was decided.

...Home Martial Soul sheathing the sword...