The man didn't continue questioning him. After all, he had already intended to refuse entry; asking more questions would be pointless.
He led Soma directly to an open area in the dojo, where some stone weights, swords, and other weapons were scattered haphazardly.
"For anyone who wants to enter our dojo, they must pass an assessment first," the man said as he walked ahead, then pointed to a stone weight on the ground. "If you can lift this 50-kilogram stone weight with one hand, you pass the assessment. Remember, it's lifting with one hand, not just raising it."
After saying this, the man turned to look at Soma, already expecting him to realize it was impossible and walk away. After all, the average adult man could only lift about 15 kilograms with one hand.
A 50-kilogram weight was more than three times what an ordinary adult could manage with one hand. Even for a trained warrior, lifting it single-handedly would be extremely difficult.
This was essentially a veiled way of refusing him.
Soma looked at the stone weight. Lifting 50 kilograms with one hand would be nearly impossible for a normal person. Clearly, this was meant to be a test.
He wasn't surprised. It was normal for someone to be wary of an unknown visitor arriving in the middle of the night.
However, what is impossible for a human is easy for a demon.
So Soma didn't say anything and simply stepped forward.
Seeing him approach, the man shook his head, thinking Soma still hadn't given up and wanted to try anyway.
He thought it would be impossible to lift 50 kilograms with one hand, and when Soma inevitably failed, he would leave gracefully.
Soma reached the stone weight, extended his hand, and slowly lifted it.
For a normal person, even a well-trained martial artist, lifting a 50-kilogram stone weight with one hand would likely cause their face to turn red from the effort.
But for Soma, now a demon, it felt surprisingly light, almost effortless. Yet to avoid appearing too unusual, he pretended to struggle slightly.
The man, who had already planned to leave assuming Soma would fail, froze when he saw Soma actually lift the 50-kilogram weight with one hand.
"So… does this count as completing it?"
Soma asked, holding the weight high above his head.
"You… you trained before?"
The man took a moment to regain his composure. Normally, without special training, no one could achieve this.
"I just have a bit more strength,"
Soma replied, shaking his head, then slowly lowered the stone weight.
The man checked the weight carefully, still in disbelief that it truly weighed 50 kilograms. He looked back at Soma.
Soma didn't have a particularly muscular build, so it was hard to believe he could lift the 50-kilogram weight with one hand. Yet he had done it, leaving the man momentarily unsure how to react.
After all, he hadn't intended to let Soma enter the Hiko Dojo. Soma's background was unclear, and he had arrived at night—who knew what his true intentions were?
That was why he had deliberately set a difficult test. He expected Soma to fail and give up, but Soma had actually passed, leaving him in an awkward position. He had already said that anyone who could accomplish the task would pass the assessment.
"Have I passed the assessment?" Soma asked.
Soma looked up at the man.
The man was momentarily speechless, then finally nodded. "Come tomorrow, and you can start learning at Hiko Dojo. However, bring the tuition fee with you."
Only official dojo disciples study for free; in fact, the dojo even gives them a small stipend each month. But anyone else coming to learn swordsmanship must pay.
"Is night time okay? I have too many things to handle during the day," Soma asked, adding, "I'll also bring the payment tomorrow night."
"At night?"
The man looked at Soma in disbelief. In all his years, this was the first time he had met such a strange person.
"There aren't many teaching sessions at night."
The man shook his head. Only he and a few senior students give lessons at Hiko Dojo. The master appears very rarely, and everyone else uses the night to rest.
"I can pay extra." Seeing the man hesitate, Soma offered this suggestion.
"That works."
Hearing that Soma was willing to pay more, the man immediately agreed. After all, running Hiko Dojo requires a large sum annually, much of which comes from tuition fees paid by students.
"Can I start learning now?"
Soma couldn't help asking. He was very curious about the so-called "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu".
The man hesitated, but after thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Alright. Tonight, I'll teach you some basics of swordsmanship."
He led Soma inside.
"You can call me Arakawa Akihiro. Before teaching you, let me explain about Hiko Dojo. The core of our dojo is the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. This style is a sword-drawing technique so fast that your actions are almost invisible. Its essence is speed, ruthlessness, and precision. Once executed, it reaches the practitioner's limit, ensuring an absolutely accurate strike. The enemy cannot block or dodge."
"To learn the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, the most important thing is to improve three types of speed: the speed of your sword, the speed of your movement, and the speed at which you predict your opponent's actions. When these three reach their peak, you can defeat your enemy in a single, minimal movement…"
Listening to Arakawa Akihiro's explanation, Soma couldn't help but think of the Demon Slayer Corps and their Breathing Techniques, which, when mastered to a certain level, allow a user to reach the "Transparent World."
Even among the Hashira, who could rival the Twelve Kizuki, only a few could reach this level.
The Transparent World—also called the "Perceptive World"—is a realm unlocked at the pinnacle of Breathing Technique mastery. In this world, everything appears slower. One can observe an opponent's body in extreme detail—even bones, muscles, and the flow of blood—to accurately predict movements and locate weaknesses.
In such a state, one's predictive ability and dodging speed are greatly enhanced, allowing the user to identify weaknesses and strike lethally in an instant.
Clearly, the Transparent World of the Demon Slayer Corps shares many similarities with the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
In fact, it could be said that when the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu reaches its highest level, it is comparable in power to the Transparent World of the Breathing Techniques.