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| - Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū (飛天御剣流, Flying Heaven Govern Sword-Style) is an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Jidai, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly created by Hiko Seijūrō I. Rooted in the concept of ichi no tachi, or to strike in a single blow, practitioners of this style use a combination of immense speed and agility, battōjutsu, and acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance that permits a practitioner to anticipate an opponent's movements. Both offensive and defensive maneuvers are executed with minimal movement to increase a practitioner's ability to counter-attack and to conserve energy.
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| abstract
| - Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū (飛天御剣流, Flying Heaven Govern Sword-Style) is an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Jidai, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly created by Hiko Seijūrō I. Rooted in the concept of ichi no tachi, or to strike in a single blow, practitioners of this style use a combination of immense speed and agility, battōjutsu, and acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance that permits a practitioner to anticipate an opponent's movements. Both offensive and defensive maneuvers are executed with minimal movement to increase a practitioner's ability to counter-attack and to conserve energy. The style commonly has the user keep one hand on the sheath at all times and stresses two-step attacks to ensure that the practitioner is never off guard while executing said attacks and allows the user to use the sheathe as a shield to block attacks. Arguably, its most well-known trait is the surreal speed practitioners of this style use in battle (known as Shinsoku, or godspeed), allowing the user to accelerate, maneuver, and strike at speeds most eyes are unable to properly follow. This allows the user to close considerable distance in seconds and strike down enemies before they can react. Despite each successor to this style becoming true masters of its teachings and skills, rarely have any of them been able to use this style to true perfection and bring out its full potential. Only Hiko Seijūrō I and XIII (and in the anime only Amakusa Shōgo) are able to surpass the generic limits normal limits of this style, such as going beyond god-speed without the need of battōjutsu strikes, letting them accelerate to speeds faster than the human eye can detect. Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū has been known by very few people in history due to the fact that it has only passed on from master to apprentice, with each apprentice taking the life and special mantle of his master as well as the name Hiko Seijūrō. The style typically has only one master and one apprentice alive at any given time because the ōgi of the style, the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, is typically passed on in such a way as to kill the previous master (though the apprentice is not informed of this beforehand). When the student inherits their master's titles, they also gain a heirloom weighted cloak that when worn permits a master to strength train with nothing more than day-to-day movements, thereby continuously keeping up their peak conditioning. Due to its tremendous power and speed, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū has been nicknamed "The Black Ship of the Land" in that it would almost certainly secure absolute victory for whichever side might wield it in a conflict. In light of this probability, the practitioners of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū have historically maintained independence of any and all political entities, stressing highly the importance of wielding its expertise in the name of their fellow man. All generations of practitioners receive a great deal of insight regarding the human condition from the school's teachings. This includes instruction regarding the relativism of morality and the idea that perceptions of good and evil are not absolute; a potentially "good" human being can have any number of beliefs that may not mesh with those of the practitioner without necessarily being wrong. Other core tenants of the style include the idea the art of swordsmanship ultimately amounts to nothing more than a way to kill other human beings, regardless of the practitioner's intentions or beliefs, and that the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū should never be used to improve a practitioner's social standing, acquire wealth, or obtain political power. Finally, while heirs are encouraged to protect the defenseless and less fortunate, the Hiten Mitsurugi school ultimately permits its practitioners to execute individuals whom they deem to be truly deserving of death. Additionally, the immense force and energy required to perform many of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū's moves can take a cumulative toll on the body of the user. According to doctor Takani Megumi, the style is essentially a "superman's sword art", and to use it effectively in the long term apparently requires an abnormally powerful body. Normally, those who properly conditioned themselves during the training of this style developed the extraordinarily developed and highly resilient build, like Hiko Seijūrō XIII and his exceptionally well-muscled physique, necessary to use the style without suffering from its debilitating side effects even with regular usage. Himura Kenshin, having left his training early, prevented his body from maturing properly to use this style to its full potential, leaving his body underdeveloped with a slender and lithe frame that began experiencing this degradation after mastering the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki. After using the technique only seven times, he caused irreparable damage to his muscle tissue, preventing the user from using the godspeed and by extension the advanced techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Another side effect of training in this style is that it functions as an apparent "fountain of youth" in that it either extends the wielders lifespan and/or it retards the aging process. Kenshin, for instance, at nearly thirty years old, looks almost no different from the way he looked while in his late teens and his master, Hiko Seijūrō XIII, is 43 years old but looks exactly the same as he did when he was in his mid twenties.
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