C10 Frost Moon Village's Guidance Results

The following morning, Lin Mo departed from Isshin Dojo at the crack of dawn, venturing into the valleys surrounding Frost Moon Village for his routine hunting practice. This time, however, he was unwittingly accompanied by a persistent little 'shadow.'

Zoro, whose talent and strength had yet to match Guina's, was nevertheless the most dedicated student in the dojo—rising earliest and retiring latest, with the most rigorous training regimen. Typically, he'd be honing his foundational skills within the dojo walls. But on this day, he resolved to stealthily trail Lin Mo into the mountains for some clandestine training.

Watching the figure ahead quicken his pace toward the valley's heart, Zoro's gaze was resolute as he murmured, "If you won't take me with you, I'll just have to follow on my own!"

Minutes later, despite sprinting breathlessly in pursuit, Zoro lost sight of Lin Mo. Far from disheartened, his excitement only grew: "That's Lin Mo for you—so fast I can't even catch up when I give it my all. Incredible. Tomorrow, I'll definitely keep pace with you!"

Unbeknownst to Zoro, Lin Mo had been aware of his pursuit all along and had intentionally shaken him off to avoid the disturbance.

Post-hunt, Lin Mo returned to Isshin Dojo with his catch.

Later that afternoon, Lin Mo, carrying an empty wine gourd, strolled into the local tavern. Upon his entrance, a cacophony of voices filled the air.

"Look, it's the kid who took down Guina!"

"Hey, how did you manage to beat Guina? Do tell!"

"Isn't his name Lin Mo? Never seen you around before—what village are you from?"

"Come on, don't just brush us off. Did you come to Frost Moon Village by yourself?"

Without a word, Lin Mo approached the bar and set down a Berry and his wine gourd. "Fill it up," he requested.

The tavern owner offered an awkward smile and replied, "Of course, just a moment."

As he handed back the now-filled gourd, he couldn't help but inquire, "Kid, have you been taken under Koshiro's wing?"

Lin Mo responded nonchalantly, "Nope."

With his wine gourd in hand, Lin Mo exited the tavern, leaving behind a trail of murmurs and unsatisfied onlookers.

The tavern owner let out a resigned chuckle, "Quite the character, that kid."

Back at Isshin Dojo.

While crossing the training grounds, Guina called out to him, "Lin Mo, let's spar once more."

Her previous defeat, along with the loss of Wado Ichimonji, had hit her hard.

She was loath to concede.

But the gap in their skills was undeniable, and she had to acknowledge it.

Yet, this didn't mean she was ready to give up.

Determined, Guina resolved to keep challenging Lin Mo.

She refused to believe she would keep losing.

Unlike the combative Guina,

Lin Mo had no interest in squandering time on a pointless duel.

He walked by her without uttering a single word,

Silently declining Guina's invitation to battle.

When he didn't respond, Guina quickly followed after him, "Lin Mo, I'm serious about this challenge. Why won't you acknowledge me?"

But all she received in return was silence.

Lin Mo had no intention of engaging with her.

"Damn you!" Guina's frustration boiled over.

At that moment, Zoro stepped in, preventing Guina from confronting Lin Mo. "How about you and I go another round?"

"I want to challenge Lin Mo, step aside!"

Zoro persisted, "If he wanted to spar with you, he would've stayed in the dojo. It's no use chasing after him."

He spoke from experience, which gave him the confidence to say so.

Guina paused, her face clouded with frustration as she clutched her shinai. She fixed her gaze on Lin Mo's retreating figure before finally turning to walk away.

Zoro remained still.

Impatiently, Guina snapped, "What are you waiting for? Didn't you want to spar with me?"

"Right! Let's do this!" Zoro quickly caught up with her.

The match was over in minutes.

The outcome was familiar; Guina emerged victorious.

However, this time Zoro managed to withstand several of her strikes and nearly landed a hit.

Just two days prior, such a feat would have been unthinkable for him.

Was it mere luck, or had Zoro's swordsmanship truly improved in such a short time?

Guina's heart grew heavier with discontent. She had witnessed Zoro's relentless efforts throughout the year, and to prevent him from overtaking her, she had imposed strict standards on herself. In solitude, away from prying eyes, she doubled her efforts to enhance her own skills.

Yet, with each sparring session, she sensed Zoro inching closer to her level, the gap between them narrowing more and more. Previously, his progress was gradual, but in the past two days, his swordsmanship had noticeably ascended to a new tier. Was it possible that he had a secret mentor?

Sheathing her shinai, Guina gazed down at her defeated opponent with a mix of emotions swirling within her. Zoro picked himself up off the dojo floor, dusted himself off, and remained silent, replaying Guina's recent moves in his head—something his former self would never have considered doing.

Koshiro approached with a smile, "Another loss, Zoro? You've clearly grown stronger, particularly these last two days."

No sooner had Koshiro spoken than the other children in the dojo swarmed around them. "Teacher, don't tell me you've been giving Guina secret training because she's your daughter?" "That's so unfair!"

With a sigh, Koshiro responded, "No, no, I wouldn't do that. It's true Zoro has gotten stronger, but so has Guina."

"I need to wash my face." Zoro didn't linger in the dojo and headed straight for the backyard. Post-wash, he resolved to challenge Guina once more that evening.

Later that night, as Guina walked past Koshiro's hastily repaired teahouse, she overheard words that struck her to the core. Her father, Koshiro, believed that a girl could never be the world's greatest swordsman.

She was well aware of the inherent disadvantages she faced as a female swordsman, but she refused to accept them. Why couldn't a girl claim the title of the world's best? Sitting quietly by the village path, Guina wrestled with her emotions alone, until Zoro appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro inquired.

Guina dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief and countered, "That's my question for you. Why are you here so late?"

"I'm here for our 2001st duel. It's going to be our last," Zoro declared earnestly. "Let's settle this once and for all. Fight me with a real sword."

Guina paused, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Alright."

She had intended to face Zoro with her Wado Ichimonji, but now she would have to make do with borrowing someone else's blade for their showdown.

They stood on a vast, open field, poised and ready for combat.

As the wind picked up, Zoro, gripping two swords, launched the first strike at Guina.

They traded blows back and forth, and each time Guina nearly bested Zoro, he would awkwardly, yet narrowly, evade defeat.

"Ha!" Spotting an opening in Zoro's defense, Guina lunged, aiming to dislodge the weary swords from his grasp with an upward strike.

Anticipating her move, Zoro instinctively stepped back. The real swords were significantly heavier than a shinai, and wielding two only increased his exhaustion compared to Guina's.

Lacking the physical strength to overpower her, Zoro relied on his sword skill and keen observation to exploit her moves and find an opening that could change the tide of their duel.

His reflexive step back was just enough to avoid Guina's assault. In that hair's breadth moment, under her astonished gaze, he spotted her vulnerability for the first time.

Without a moment's hesitation, Zoro gripped his sword and, using the flat of the blade, struck at Guina's arm.

A flicker of disbelief crossed Guina's eyes as she swiftly parried the blow. With a swift flick of her sword, she finally sent Zoro's weapon flying.

Zoro collapsed, panting heavily on the ground.

Despite her victory, Guina felt no joy. She realized that had her reaction been just half a second slower, she would have been the one defeated.

Zoro had indeed closed the gap between them.