Swordsman in Ancient Times [Transmigration Litrpg]

[Fanfictionlord]

"Senior Kagami—! Hey, Senior Kagami!"

Kagami's head rang painfully as the voice echoed loudly in his ears.

"Come on! We're in the middle of a match! What are you spacing out for?!"

The voice rose in pitch, stinging his eardrums. It sounded familiar. Kagami was sure he knew the man. But the language being spoken was completely foreign to him.

The dialect sounded crisp, like a mix of Japanese and Korean, with a touch of something he couldn't quite put his fingers on.

Kagami forced his eyes open, squinting at the light streaming through the window. Standing in front of him was a young man holding a wooden sword. He had an odd hairstyle—shaved on top and long at the back. Judging by the visible frustration on his face, Kai was certain he had been the one calling out to him.

'Where… am I?'

His thoughts blurred as he looked around. The hall was entirely made of wood, its design unfamiliar. Wooden swords were stacked neatly along the walls.

Dozens of people were kneeling respectfully along the edges of the room, all staring at him with confused expressions.

Instinctively, he looked down. He was holding a wooden sword too, both hands wrapped around the hilt. He was also wearing a loose violet robe—strange in design, but oddly comfortable.

"Seriously, Senior! What's gotten into you today? If this were a real duel, you'd be dead already!" the young man with the odd hairstyle said, his voice full of impatience.

'Duel? What duel?' Kagami grew even more confused.

As if in response, a flood of memories poured into his mind.

His name was Kagami Fujikawa, nineteen years old. A low-ranking samurai of the Hisane Domain, serving as a storehouse official, earning a stipend of 2,000 ryō per month. He was also a disciple of the Wakatashi Dojo, where he had learned swordsmanship.

Today was the day the dojo held its monthly sparring matches among disciples to exchange skills and learn from each other. The young man in front of him was his junior, Tanaka Shōyō—his sparring partner for the match.

Kagami stood frozen in place for a moment, unable to react. The information had settled into his mind so naturally it made his skin crawl. Before he could process any of it, another voice cut through the air.

"Kagami. Focus."

He turned his head toward the sound and saw a white-bearded elderly man sitting at the edge of the hall. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce through everything. Though his expression was calm, his tone carried quiet authority—the kind only a man in power would have.

The memories in Kagami's head identified him immediately: Hiroshi Wakatashi, master of the Wakatashi Dojo, a high-ranking samurai.

"Letting your thoughts wander during a match? That's not like you, Kagami," Master Hiroshi said with a slight frown.

"S-sorry, Master…" The words came out naturally, without a hint of hesitation, surprising even him.

Although he had just received a flood of memories, he shouldn't have been able to speak the language so fluently all of a sudden, right?

Kagami tightened his grip on the wooden sword, raised it with both hands, and leveled it at Tanaka's brows.

'It feels so familiar.' His stance shifted on its own, his feet sliding into position as if they'd done this a thousand times before.

Tanaka, no longer smiling, mirrored the stance and braced himself.

The hall went silent. Then, Tanaka lunged. His sword shot out in a direct thrust, aimed straight at Kagami's chest.

Kagami's body moved on instinct. He tilted his body sideways, avoiding the strike by a hair's breadth, then swept his blade across Tanaka's chest in a wide horizontal arc.

It stopped just short of contact, landing with a solid thunk. Tanaka stumbled, let out a short groan, and fell backward onto the mats. The room fell silent.

You have defeated an opponent. Personal EXP +20, Wakatoshi Swordsmanship EXP +5

A strange, mechanical voice rang in his mind, making Kagami freeze. 'What was that…?'

He looked around—but no one else reacted. It seemed only he could hear it.

"Well done, Kagami," Master Hiroshi said from the side. "Good technique. That Dragon Tail was clean. But your mind seems distracted today. Are you unwell?"

"No, I'm fine," Kagami replied quickly, swallowing his unease. "Forgive me, Master… may I excuse myself for a moment? I didn't sleep well last night and feel a bit lightheaded."

He didn't even believe his own excuse, but it was the best he could come up with on the fly. Hiroshi studied him for a moment before nodding.

"You may. But return quickly. The sparring will continue."

"Yes, sir."

Kagami bowed slightly, set the wooden sword aside, and walked out of the dojo.

...

The corridor outside was quiet and still. The air was warm. Guided by instinct—or maybe by memory—Kagami followed a stone path leading behind the building to a small stream.

Kneeling by the water, he cupped his hands and splashed the cold water onto his face. The chill grounded him, clearing the fog in his head.

When he looked into the stream, a stranger's face stared back.

Emerald-green eyes. Raven-black hair tied in a topknot. Sharp, refined features.

If Kagami were to be honest, the man was just a little less handsome than his original self.

Kagami touched his cheek, and the reflection did the same. The skin felt warm and real to touch.

"I've transmigrated," Kagami muttered, doubting his own words the moment they left his mouth. But with the evidence right in front of him, it was hard to deny.

Kagami of Earth and Kagami of Hisane had somehow become the same person. He hadn't just inherited the other man's memories—he could recall every detail as if he had lived that life himself.

'And what was that strange voice in my mind earlier?'

A system? Was he one of those legendary transmigrators from novels—blessed with a game-like interface, destined to sweep through the world and collect beauties along the way?

Kagami almost laughed at the thought, trying to ease the tension with a lame joke. But the laugh caught in his throat when, without warning, a faint blue light shimmered before his eyes.

A glowing panel appeared in midair.

...

[STATUS PANEL]

Name: Kagami Fujikawa [Lv. 2 (170/200)]

Age: 19

[Attributes]

Strength: 6

Agility: 4

Reflexes: 5

Stamina: 5

Vitality: 4

[Skills]

Wakatashi Swordsmanship [Lv. 2 (180/200)]
• Ascending Tower — Basic
• Water Drop — Intermediate
• Bird Piercer — Basic
• Dragon Tail — Basic

[Free Points: 0]

...

He stumbled back, startled by the sudden appearance of the game like screen. Pulling himself up, he stared at the glowing panel hanging in the air, his mouth wide open.

Kagami reached out instinctively, but his fingers passed right through it.

"Status… off?" he muttered hesitantly, expecting nothing. But to his surprise, the panel vanished.

Kagami froze for a moment, a strange expression on his face, then tentatively whispered, "Status."

The panel rematerialised again.

Kagami blinked, half amused, half amazed. "Inventory?"

Nothing happened.

"Quests?"

Still nothing.

After trying a few more commands he remembered from playing RPGs in his previous life—and getting no response—he finally turned his attention to the information itself.

He skimmed past his name, level, and age, and focused directly on the attributes. They were simple enough to understand—Strength probably measured raw power, Agility and Reflexes covered movement and reaction, while Stamina and Vitality most likely represented endurance and health.

'Conveniently simple.'

His eyes moved to the Skills section next. He only had one—Wakatashi Swordsmanship [Lv.2 (180/200)]. The techniques listed under it were the techniques of the style, each marked Basic or Intermediate. That probably showed his proficiency.

What caught his eye were the numbers next to the level. He remembered the message that had echoed in his head earlier:

You have defeated an opponent. Personal EXP +20, Swordsmanship EXP +5

'So defeating Tanaka increased both my personal and swordsmanship experience.'

Following that logic, the first number should be his current experience, and the second the amount needed to level up. That meant he only needed twenty more points to reach level three in swordsmanship, and thirty to reach level three overall.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Leveling up probably gives me free points to raise stats…"

That would explain the Free Points line at the bottom.

It was just a guess, but it made sense. After all, everything about this felt like an RPG made real. He gave the glowing panel one last look. "Close."

The screen dissolved and vanished, leaving him staring at his reflection rippling on the surface of the stream.

Kagami stared at it for a while, then muttered softly, "just what kind of trouble have I gotten myself into…"

 

[Fanfictionlord]

After steadying his state of mind, Kagami returned to the dojo.

By the time he stepped back inside the spar hall, another match was already underway. The sharp clack of wooden swords echoed through the hall, mixing with the faint hum of the crowd.

He paused near the entrance, scanning the rows of seated students for a free spot. Before he could pick one, a familiar voice called from his left.

"Senior, over here!"

He turned and spotted Tanaka, the same guy he'd sparred with earlier, enthusiastically waving at him. The boy's grin was wide and unbothered, like he hadn't just been beaten earlier. He patted the floor beside him, offering a place to sit.

Kagami gave a small nod and walked over, lowering himself into a kneeling position beside him.

The movement came naturally—too naturally actually. His body folded into seiza before he even thought about it, every muscle shifting as if it had done so for years.

It should've hurt. Back in his old world, he'd never once sat like this, much less for long stretches. But now it didn't feel awkward or forced. It just felt right.

"How's your chest?" Kagami asked softly, glancing at Tanaka. "Still sore?"

"It stopped hurting a while ago," Tanaka said, rubbing the spot with a sheepish grin. "All thanks to your restraint, senior. If you hadn't pulled that strike, I'd have been carried out on a stretcher."

Kagami shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You've improved since last time. Keep training and you'll catch up soon."

The truth was, that strike had been mostly instinct. Or maybe not his instinct—the instincts of original Kagami's. His movements had stopped exactly where they should have, not because he decided to, but because this body already knew when to stop.

After all, Tanaka was one of the few friends Kagami had in the dojo. They sparred often.

Althought Tanaka always lost, he never seemed discouraged. He laughed it off every single time, which was one of the things Kagami genuinely admired about him.

Their short conversation quickly ended, and both turned their focus to the ongoing matches.

The duels continued one after another, though none were especially flashy. The Wakatashi Sword Style wasn't meant for display.

It only had four core techniques—Bird Piercer, Water Drop, Ascending Tower, and Dragon Tail.

The names sounded impressive, but the techniques themselves were straightforward, designed for real combat efficiency rather than showmanship.

Kagami had already memorized them all.

The style's founder, Hiruzen Wakatashi, had combined sword principles from across Eshin to create it. After his death, his younger brother, Master Hiroshi, established this dojo to carry on the art.

It had only been a few years since its establishment, so most disciples were still beginners learning the basics.

Differences among students came down mostly to physical ability and combat experience. Some were fast but sloppy, others strong but slow.

A few, however, had genuine talent. Kagami was one of them. His Water Drop technique had already reached the intermediate level, a small but noticeable edge within the dojo.

He didn't feel proud of it though. He couldn't even tell if the pride would belong to him or the original Kagami. Still, it was something solid he could rely on for now.

---

Before long, it was his turn again to spar again.

Tanaka leaned close and whispered in his ears, "Your opponent's a tough one this time. Be careful, senior."

Kagami let out a quiet breath, rose to his feet, and walked to the weapon rack. He picked up a wooden sword at random and gave it a light swing.

The balance felt a little off, but it would do.

'Great. Round two already.'

His opponent was one of the dojo's senior disciples—a tall man with a calm, composed air. He'd joined the dojo a bit earlier than him and had more combat experience. They'd never talked much, but Kagami knew he wasn't the type to pull punches.

The man acknowledged him with a curt nod, sliding one foot back as he took his stance, sword resting by his hip.

Kagami mirrored him, his body moving on reflex.

"Begin!" Master Hiroshi's command broke the silence.

Both remained still. Neither wanted to make the first move. Attacking first was risky; it meant exposing a weakness. Unless one could finish it in a single strike, waiting patiently was the better option.

Then, without warning, the senior lunged at him. His movement was sharp, fast enough to make the floor creak. The tip of his sword shot straight for Kagami's chest—Bird Piercer!

Kagami's eyes tracked the thrust.

'Fast… but I can still see it.' He raised his sword just in time to block.

Clank!

The impact rang through the hall. A jolt ran up Kagami's arms as he stepped back two steps to steady himself.

The first exchange ended in a draw. Neither side gained an edge. 'As expected of a senior,' he thought, adjusting his grip. 'His strength's about the same as mine. Maybe a bit higher. So force definitely won't do, I'll have to outthink him somehow.'

Thinking this, he raised his sword above his head. A murmur rippled through the crowd. Even Tanaka leaned forward.

"Senior's using Water Drop…"

Everyone in the dojo knew that move. It was the technique Kagami was most proficient at —a fast, heavy downward strike.

His opponent seemed to know it too as Kagami saw the man's shoulders slightly tense up as he prepared to block.

'Perfect.'

Kagami stepped forward slowly, closing the gap. The quiet sound of their bare feet and the faint creak of floorboards filled the air.

When he was close enough, he pushed off the floor, sword raised high as if to deliver the expected vertical strike. The senior reacted instantly, sword lifting to guard.

'Got you.'

Kagami twisted his waist, dropped his center of gravity, and instead of swinging down, drove the blade straight forward—Bird Piercer!

"—Ugh!"

The tip of the wooden sword slammed into the senior's chest. The man staggered back two steps, then dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

The hall went completely silent. Then, the same mechanical voice echoed in Kagami's mind.

You have defeated an opponent. Personal EXP +30. Wakatashi Swordsmanship EXP +10

You have leveled up! One free point gained!

---

As the voice faded, new information poured into his mind—details on how to use free points. Kagami stood still, digesting the information.

He'd been mostly right. Free points could indeed increase attributes—and not just that, they could also increase skill proficiency. The only catch was that the latter cost more.

Raising an attribute by one point needed a single free point, but upgrading a sword technique from beginner to intermediate tier took two, Intermediate to Advance took three and so on.

With the single point he had gained just now, he could either increase one of his stats or save it to upgrade one of his sword technique's tier later once he had one more point.

But no matter how kagami saw, improving attributes sounded more practical. Sword techniques could be refined through practice, but attributes like strength or agility were usually capped by natural talent.

Once you hit your limit, it was almost impossible to make any progress.

But if this system really allowed him to raise attributes endlessly…That would be terrifying.

His match happened to be the last spar of the day. As the final strike landed and Master Hiroshi called it, the disciples began filing out of the spar hall, chatting quietly among themselves.

Kagami wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to follow when a loud, cheerful voice echoed from behind him.

"Hahaha! Kagami's been distracted all day—I thought you weren't feeling well! Looks like I was wrong. You're in good form today!"

Kagami turned toward the source of the voice.

The man approaching was tall and broad-shouldered, with a smooth, shaved head that gleamed in the afternoon light.

His grin was wide, and there was an easy confidence in his stride. The kind of man whose presence naturally filled the room.

That was Daichi Yamanaka—the of the strongest disciples in the Wakatashi Dojo.

'If only he'd grow out that awful shaved head,' Kagami thought absently. Coming from modern Earth, the "samurai bald patch" tradition here was… honestly traumatic to look at.

Instinctively, he brushed a hand through his own hair. Thankfully, it was still intact. The "full head of hair" style the original Kagami favored might not have been fashionable here, but it was leagues better than looking half-bald.

He managed a small smile. "Senior Daichi, you flatter me."

Daichi laughed again, his voice booming through the hall. "No, really—that feint at the end caught me off guard. Even Master looked surprised. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Senior," Kagami replied politely.

Daichi gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and turned to leave, but something in Kagami's mind clicked. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke up.

"Senior—wait. Do you have a moment? I'd like to spar with you."

 

[Constant_programmer]

Huh, when I saw this today, in truth I was surprised, the only other book that maybe somewhat similar is when the MC started out in close to Switzerland. though I am looking forward to it.
also when I saw Edo period and Samurai, first thought was Samurai X or Rurouni Kenshin the Battousai of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, man the Manslayer style was a classic.
Definitely watched.