"What's wrong, are you surprised to see me?" The man was wearing a black robe, his black hair was scattered casually, and a pair of sword-like eyebrows sat upon that chiseled face.
What surprised Kaede was naturally not his appearance, but that when she saw him, that memory finally became clear.
The person in front of her was the one she had seen before who had saved Koro-sensei.
"According to the time, this should be our second meeting, although your request for me to save that Koro-sensei is something that happens later." A smile appeared on the man's face.
"Eh?" Kaede didn't know what to say.
"Originally, if you were to seek a master, you would need to go through some assessments, but in the end, you would definitely be judged as having no suitable match, and then be handed over to me, so I just transferred you over directly." The man drank the tea in his cup and continued.
"Uh."
What was Kaede's mood now? She couldn't describe it at all. Surprise, disbelief. Looking at the person in front of her, it was as if they were people from two different worlds.
She couldn't see through him, couldn't fathom him, and completely didn't know what to say.
"Since I will agree to your request later, you must definitely meet my requirements. However, I still want to ask you a few questions."
"Please ask." Kaede finally had a chance to speak.
"If the person you care about most is hostile to the whole world, which side will you choose to stand on?"
"The side of the person I care about." Without hesitation, Kaede said directly.
The man had no expression on his face and continued to ask: "When a disciple of the sect unintentionally kills a disciple of another sect, and according to reason, even if it is requested that they pay with their life, it is not excessive, and that sect demands a life for a life, if you were the person in charge at the time, what would you choose?"
"..." Kaede didn't answer immediately, thinking about the pros and cons.
"Don't think so much; just say the answer you most want to give."
"Admitting fault is fine, but refusing to pay with a life." After hearing the man's words, Kaede thought for a moment and said.
"Mm, that's about it." The man nodded.
"The first question is also my answer. Even if you provoke the whole world, I will stand on your side. The second question." The man smiled.
"I'm even worse than you; perhaps I won't even admit my mistakes."
"Uh." Kaede was stunned to hear this; such an answer was beyond her expectations.
The man stood up, and Kaede's vision blurred. By the time her sight returned, she was already standing atop a mountain peak.
The man looked at the scenery before him—mist swirling, the sky high, and the clouds light.
"The Burning Sword Sect has no rules or commandments. It didn't have them before, doesn't have them now, and never will. The rule for recruitment into the Burning Sword Sect doesn't care about talent, only character."
"There can be no traitors within the Burning Sword Sect. Everyone has their own convictions and would never do anything to harm the sect."
Kaede remained silent, looking at the mist below. She didn't quite agree with the man's words. Once an organization grows large, there will inevitably be internal struggles and rats.
Not to mention those who might betray from within, even other sects wouldn't let the Burning Sword Sect live so peacefully, would they?
What the man said was too absolute and idealistic, but... almost impossible.
At least, that's what Kaede thought.
"You don't believe me?" The man said, as if sensing Kaede's thoughts.
Kaede didn't answer, but silence was the best answer.
"Hehe, you'll understand once you reach this level in the future." The man didn't say anything more, only that.
"Mhm." A look of longing appeared in Kaede's eyes. Although the man hadn't done anything, he gave her an unfathomable feeling.
"So, do you want to become my disciple?" the man asked. "I have chosen you, and you likewise have the right to choose."
"Yes." Whether it was because he saved Koro-sensei or because he possessed the power she craved, Kaede would not refuse.
"Mhm." As if he had known Kaede's answer all along, the man nodded. He turned to face Kaede, and a purple jade pendant appeared in his hand.
"Just drip a drop of fresh blood onto it," the man said.
She took the jade pendant and did as the man said. Then, she saw a character emerge on the front of the jade: 'Kaede'. On the back, another character appeared: 'Five'.
"Your master's name is Sword Burn. From today onwards, you are my fifth disciple." Without any grand fanfare, Kaede became the fifth disciple of the Burning Sword Sect Master.
Perhaps even the upper echelons of the Burning Sword Sect wouldn't know that their Sect Master had taken another disciple.
"Yes."
"Mhm, it seems I should give you a meeting gift." After Sword Burn thought for a moment, a... sphere appeared in his hand.
"Take this as a gift from your master." Sword Burn said as he tossed the sphere to Kaede.
Kaede looked at the sphere in her hand, somewhat speechless. She hadn't given a master-recognition gift, yet she received a meeting gift instead?
But what was this sphere? Kaede looked at it, and then the sphere in her hand suddenly transformed into a Tachi, giving her a start. Then, as if understanding something, the sphere in her hand began to transform into all sorts of weapons.
Even if Kaede didn't understand such things, she knew the weight of this gift. Her gaze toward Sword Burn couldn't help but gain a hint of gratitude.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. As your master, there isn't much I can help you with. To reach a high level, you must rely on your own struggles; my interference would actually be detrimental."
"Mhm!" Kaede nodded vigorously.
"Demonstrate your blade skills for me," Sword Burn said.
"Uh." Kaede was a bit troubled; all her attacks weren't meant for demonstration.
"If you cannot demonstrate it, it means you haven't reached a certain height with the blade. When you reach a certain level, no matter what you do, you won't be like this—having strength but unable to release it."
"Just like your blade, it has plenty of ferocity but lacks precision. While it's enough for your current level, if you want to go further, you must understand precision."
"The battlefield can certainly temper killing blade techniques, but it also lacks many things, and those are exactly what you are missing now." Sword Burn spoke with his back to Kaede, no longer intending to have her demonstrate.
"Mhm." Kaede nodded, half-understanding.
"Do you know what the difference is between you and the other you?" Sword Burn continued, revealing a fact that left Kaede dumbfounded.
Seeing Kaede's expression, Sword Burn raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "What? Did you think I couldn't tell?"
"..." Looking at her master, Kaede finally had a realization. Under his gaze, everything was laid bare. Perhaps what he said earlier was also true!
"Don't think about how strong I am; I will only ever be stronger than you think." Sword Burn spoke directly, as if he didn't know the meaning of modesty.
However, looking at Sword Burn, Kaede didn't feel speechless. Instead, she felt a sense of shock. The intense confidence he showed when he spoke made her realize Sword Burn wasn't joking.
Kaede gritted her teeth at this moment and stared at her master, a burning heat in her eyes as she spoke each word deliberately.
"Master, I want to become strong!"
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