Shirou's Return from the Fae Kingdom

Fujimura Raika's forehead twitched slightly. Just as everyone in the room thought he was about to explode, the old man burst into laughter.

"Kid, what's your name?" the old man asked.

"Shirou Amamiya," the boy replied.

Fujimura Raika stroked his chin and said, "Shirou, I have a feeling we'll get along great."

Shirou happily said, "Then, as a token of our friendship, can you waive Sato's debt for me?"

Fujimura Raika put his hand to his forehead. "Hmm... Are you too pragmatic, young man? Are all kids these days like this?"

"Don't worry, old man, it's just me."

"Hahahahahahaha! That's a relief!"

The old man and the young boy exchanged a knowing look, while everyone around them was utterly bewildered.

Fujimura Raika's laughter subsided, and he began, "Shirou, I can waive the interest on the debt, but there's a condition."

"Please, tell me."

The old man stood up from the sofa.

"After all, I'm in the yakuza. Aren't there always only a few ways to settle disputes? Violence, of course."

He cracked his knuckles and looked down at the boy and the wooden sword beside him. "Shirou Amamiya, let's have a match!"

Is this old man a Pokémon trainer or something?

Shirou said, "So, if I defeat the strongest person in the Fujimura Group, the debt will be cleared, right?"

The yakuza boss nodded. "Precisely! Hey, bring me my sword..."

Shirou turned to the uniformed girl beside him. "So, that's how it is. Can you have a match with me? Big sis..."

"Taiga Fujimura, that's my name."

The strongest uniformed girl in the Fujimura Group smiled, bent down, and took the "Dōyōko" from Shirou's side.

"A wooden sword is too dangerous. I'm confiscating it."

Ah... the special characteristic of that sword is 'no matter how hard you swing, you absolutely cannot kill anyone,' Shirou thought regretfully.

As soon as Taiga Fujimura stepped into the office, Shirou felt an extraordinary aura.

Although she looked like a cheerful young girl on the outside, her movements and breathing were as natural as those of a battle-hardened knight.

Her well-proportioned physique was the result of rigorous training, and her firm thighs had a perfect ratio of muscle to fat.

Shirou immediately concluded that this seemingly flippant young woman was far from simple.

As it turned out, he was right.

Taiga Fujimura--

She was the granddaughter of Fujimura Raika, the head of the Fujimura Group, and a current middle school student at Hohyunohara Academy.

At the same time, she was an invincible kendo girl who, at the young age of 14, had dominated various national competitions, proving unbeatable even for third-year high school students. She was known as the "Tiger of Fuyuki."

I didn't expect Pan-Human History to have such a strong individual?

Shirou thought with awe. The Fujimura Group truly lives up to its reputation!

... Although she's not actually a member.

"Well then, please guide me."

In the dojo affiliated with the Fujimura Group, the 14-year-old girl and the 7-year-old boy faced each other.

"I'm the strongest in the Fujimura Group! Taiga! Get down here and let me fight Shirou!"

Fujimura Raika was being held back by yakuza lookalikes on the perimeter of the dojo, shouting angrily.

Ignoring the surrounding commotion, Taiga Fujimura gripped her beloved sword, "Tiger Bamboo Sword," with both hands and assumed a meticulous stance.

"Just to be clear, even if my opponent is a child, I won't hold back, okay?"

Shirou nodded. "Just as I wish. Bring it on."

It was time for verification.

He wanted to know if the martial arts he had honed in the Fae Kingdom would be effective in Pan-Human History.

"Alright, here I come, Shirou!"

Taiga Fujimura said energetically.

The red-haired boy wordlessly raised the bamboo sword he had obtained from the girl.

Compared to a sharp wooden sword, a bamboo sword with protective measures was safer and more suitable for sparring...

"Huh?"

The bamboo sword in Shirou's hand snapped at the base.

"Wait, there's something wrong with my sword..."

"No more questions! Only the weak make excuses! Hyaaa!!!"

The "Tiger of Fuyuki," brimming with powerful momentum, swung down at Shirou's head before the referee could even call "start."

Volume 1, Chapter 017: Kendo Duel

The invincible "Tiger of Fuyuki" has fallen.

Seconds earlier, Shirou had been staring blankly at the broken bamboo sword in his hand, wondering what was going on.

However, he didn't notice the sly curve that appeared on Taiga Fujimura's lips.

She had deliberately handed Shirou a damaged bamboo sword.

From the very beginning, this was destined to be an unfair match.

That alone wasn't enough.

The moment Shirou raised an objection, Taiga Fujimura launched a surprise attack.

"No more questions! Only the weak make excuses! Hyaaa!!!"

The ponytail girl took a large step on the wooden floor, making a dull "thud."

A beginner with little kendo experience would likely have been so intimidated by the overwhelming aura that they would have fallen to the ground.

But Taiga Fujimura, known as the invincible kendo master, possessed far more than just an aura.

She could lightly move while intimidating her opponent, rapidly closing the distance with Shirou and swinging her bamboo sword in a flash!

A perfect combination of skill and body, the entire process took but an instant.

Shirou was still standing there, completely bewildered, when the "Tiger Bamboo Sword" came crashing down towards his head.

"..."

The instant before the bamboo sword shattered, Shirou looked up.

He saw Taiga Fujimura wearing a triumphant smile.

"That's despicable! I don't remember raising you to be like this!"

Even his grandfather, who doted on his granddaughter, couldn't stand such shameless behavior and yelled in frustration.

"Shut up, Fujimura Raika! Winning is all that matters, isn't it? Winning!"

Taiga Fujimura was unconcerned, lunging at the unarmed elementary schooler like a fierce tiger.

"...So that's how it is."

Shirou's pupils dilated slightly.

Handing the opponent a damaged weapon.

A sneak attack that disregarded the referee's rules.

Making such dishonorable and despicable moves one after another, all for the sake of absolute victory.

Was this the truth behind the "Tiger of Fuyuki's" invincibility?

No.

Taiga Fujimura's true intention... was probably to protect me.

It was to avoid hurting my pride.

Worried that I would be devastated if I lost in front of so many people, you deliberately played the clown and created this farce?

How kind of you, Sister Fujimura...

But it was unnecessary.

Because... I wouldn't lose.

"Huh...?"

For some reason, Taiga Fujimura saw the wooden floor of the dojo.

When she came to her senses, she found herself kneeling on the ground, her hands empty.

What happened?

I should have just...

The girl looked around in bewilderment and saw that the yakuza clones surrounding the dojo and Fujimura Raika all wore expressions of disbelief and shock.

As for Shirou Amamiya, he was still standing in the same spot, still not adopting any stance.

If there was any difference, it was that the "Tiger Bamboo Sword" was now in the boy's hand.

"Huh? No way?"

Taiga Fujimura asked blankly.

Even without asking, it was clear that this was an undeniable fact.

The moment she launched her surprise attack, Shirou had effortlessly disarmed her.

The legendary ultimate technique known as "Unarmed Takedown" in Japanese martial arts, known by everyone, known by all... now the legend has become reality.

While she couldn't compare to the swordsmen and sword saints who left their names in history, Taiga Fujimura was still an excellent kendo practitioner of this era.

After their spar just now, she must have clearly understood just how vast the gap between herself and Shirou was.

So what if Taiga Fujimura was a modern-day, top-tier kendo prodigy?

Compared to Shirou, who had survived countless battles, the two had an insurmountable chasm between them in both skill and experience.

What's more, the experience Shirou lacked the least... was fighting cunning, treacherous Fae. Tricks of the unorthodox path wouldn't work on him.

"Thank you for the lesson, Onee-san."

Shirou politely handed the "Tiger Bamboo Sword" back to Taiga Fujimura.

"Ugh..."

Taiga Fujimura recoiled as if she had seen a real tiger, then let out a tremendous cry that echoed through the dojo.

"Ugh, ugh... I lost... I lost to a grade-schooler, waaaahhhhhhh!"

The ponytail girl collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ah..."

Shirou was dumbfounded: This is bad! I got serious for a moment and ended up making a girl cry!

He frantically looked towards Fujimura Raika, only to find the old man shrinking his shoulders, leading the yakuza clone army in an orderly retreat.

"Hey! Don't run!"

"Shirou, listen up! If you make a girl cry, you have to take responsibility for her until the end! That's what it means to be a man!"