One Really Shouldn't Have Struck

Kuina had been looking forward to this battle for a long time!

Mu Yu could be considered half her disciple. Under normal circumstances, there was no way he should have been her match.

But reality was this absurd. Mu Yu was a boy, a genius even Father acknowledged!

On Mu Yu's third day at the dojo, Father had already deemed him qualified to fight her.

But Kuina refused to accept it. There was a blazing fire in her heart.

Just because he was a boy, he could so easily earn Father's approval?!

Why?

Why?

Why?

To prove her resolve, to prove that girls were no worse than boys, Kuina went all out.

She was incredibly fast, like a bird skimming over water. In a flash, she had closed to within five steps of Mu Yu.

Her bamboo sword was raised high, taking the upper stance for Cutting Down.

Mu Yu understood Kuina's resolve.

But no matter what, he had to win this battle!

Although he had not been at the dojo for long, Mu Yu was no longer the rookie he once was.

The core technique of One-Sword Style was Cutting Down. It emphasized advancing straight and retreating straight, countering a slash with a slash.

This was the philosophy and technique Kuina had taught Mu Yu. As he learned it, he had also been putting it into practice with his body.

As Kuina charged at him, Mu Yu advanced instead of retreating. In an instant, he closed in, and the sword in his hand had already shifted into a chopping stance.

Kuina was startled. She had never expected Mu Yu to advance rather than retreat in the face of her charge, much less move so quickly.

Mu Yu's sword was closer to her and faster as well. Before her sword could strike him, he might cut her down first.

How could this be?

Kuina was somewhat dazed, and her rhythm was instantly thrown into disarray.

However, Kuina had grown up in the dojo. Her years of relentless training had not been for nothing. By instinct, she leaped backward, intending to turn offense into defense.

There was nothing wrong with that judgment, but Kuina had still underestimated Mu Yu's speed.

At the same moment she retreated, Mu Yu immediately followed. Seizing the gap as Kuina shifted between attack and defense, he delivered a diagonal slash at her bamboo sword, intending to knock it from her hand.

But what Mu Yu had not expected was that there was no force behind Kuina's bamboo sword at all.

His heavy slash not only failed to knock away Kuina's bamboo sword, but he was instead baited by a feigned Cutting Down, leaving a huge opening in his upper body.

I was careless!

Mu Yu had never expected the usually straightforward and honest Kuina to suddenly use a feint against him.

When an honest person became sly, it really caught people off guard.

Still, in a match, feints and real attacks were perfectly normal. Being deceived only meant one's skills were inferior.

What surprised Mu Yu was that Kuina did not take the opportunity to slash at him. Instead, she leaped several steps back.

The two returned to a standoff!

Kuina assumed a middle stance, her expression somewhat grim. "Mu Yu, what did you mean just now? Are you looking down on me?"

Mu Yu played dumb. "How could I be? You were the one who gave up your chance to win just now!"

Kuina said, "Still playing dumb. If you hadn't insisted on knocking away my bamboo sword and had just struck me directly, I would have already lost, wouldn't I?"

Mu Yu said, "..."

Kuina was right. Though he was determined to win, the main reason he had misjudged that final strike was because he had insisted on knocking away Kuina's bamboo sword.

Kuina said, "You must think that because I'm a girl, you can't be so rough and discourteous, right?"

Although Kuina's expression did not change much, Mu Yu could feel the blazing fury in her.

Mu Yu inwardly cried out that this was bad. He had truly stepped on a landmine this time!

Mu Yu's expression turned serious as he said frankly, "Sorry. My attitude was wrong just now. I shouldn't have treated you as a girl. I should have treated you as a swordsman!"

Oh?

Kuina was surprised. She had not expected Mu Yu to admit his mistake so openly.

This made her see him in a new light!

Kuina flexed the hand gripping her bamboo sword, a smile appearing on her face. "That's more like it!"

"Ah!"

With a shout, Kuina launched another fierce assault at Mu Yu.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

The two small figures charged and crossed repeatedly, their bamboo swords clashing through several exchanges in an instant.

If any of the adults in the dojo had seen this, their jaws would have dropped to the floor.

Their level of skill was simply too high, nothing like what two children should have possessed.

After several more exchanges—

Smack!

Mu Yu's bamboo sword suddenly twisted and lifted, sending Kuina's bamboo sword flying from her hand.

The next moment, Kuina saw Mu Yu's bamboo sword chopping down toward her head.

Kuina jumped in fright and instinctively shut her eyes.

But to her surprise, the painful blow she had been waiting for never landed on her head.

When she opened her eyes and saw Mu Yu standing quietly nearby with his sword already lowered, Kuina was completely enraged.

"Mu Yu, what exactly do you mean? Why didn't you bring that strike down? Are you looking down on me?"

Mu Yu answered seriously, "I gave it some serious thought just now, and I still think it was right not to bring that strike down!"

Kuina suppressed the anger in her heart. "Why? Because I'm a girl, you couldn't bring yourself to strike? Don't look down on me!"

Mu Yu said, "Not entirely."

"Not entirely?"

Mu Yu nodded. "Before Senior Disciple Sister taught me swordsmanship, she told me that the core philosophy of Isshin Dojo was the union of heart and sword. Once you have determined someone is an enemy, no matter how powerful they are, you must fear nothing and never retreat, striking them down with one heart. Even defense exists for the sake of counterattack."

Kuina looked at Mu Yu in confusion, unable to understand.

Mu Yu smiled. "Senior Disciple Sister, you're not my enemy. No matter what, that strike should not have come down!"

"You..."

Kuina looked at Mu Yu as though she were meeting this disciple and junior brother of hers for the first time.

Everyone knew Isshin Dojo's philosophy, but very few truly put it into practice.

Even she herself had never taken it particularly seriously.

But that reason could only cool her down somewhat; it could not fully extinguish the anger in her heart.

"You said not entirely. The other reason is because I'm a girl?"

Mu Yu nodded. "That's right."

At that moment, it was as though all the strength had been drained from Kuina's body. She could not help collapsing onto the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"Why? Why wasn't I born a boy? Are girls destined to never become the world's strongest swordsmen?"

Honestly, being defeated by Mu Yu, who had only joined the dojo a little over twenty days ago, had shaken the belief Kuina had held onto for years.

"Senior Disciple Sister, that's where you're wrong!"

"Wrong?"

Kuina looked up in confusion.

Mu Yu nodded. "Gender has never been a reason preventing someone from becoming strong."

"Liar, go away!"

Mu Yu crouched down and faced Kuina. "Senior Disciple Sister, how much do you know about the sea?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Kuina covered her ears, shut her eyes, and shook her head, looking as though she would rather die than listen.

Mu Yu said, "In the New World, there are four Sea Emperors: Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, Red-Haired Shanks, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, and Beast Kaido. Charlotte Linlin is a woman, and she's strong like a monster—"

Mu Yu's words successfully piqued Kuina's interest. Especially when she heard that Charlotte Linlin was a woman, she was deeply encouraged.

But if she uncovered her ears now, it would be too embarrassing. She might as well let Mu Yu finish!

"Ah, I spoke out of turn. Since Senior Disciple Sister doesn't want to hear it, forget it!"

Mu Yu stood up, looking as though he were about to turn around and leave.

After arousing her interest, he wanted to run away? Kuina immediately gritted her teeth in irritation.

"Don't go!"

"Senior Disciple Sister, what can I do for you?"

"Tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"Bastard, do you want to die?!"

Mu Yu smiled. Sure enough, no one could escape the irresistible appeal of something they truly liked!

Still, Mu Yu did not know whether telling Kuina about Big Mom's exploits had been the right thing to do.