Chapter 172

And so, after an unknown amount of time, Isayama Yomichi finally caught up with the evil spirit.

"It went into the tram station again?"

She stopped in front of the tram station entrance, her expression somewhat grave.

"If we were to engage in direct combat, it would likely cause a huge disturbance, but if we don't intervene, well... never mind, we can't worry about that now."

Under the somewhat surprised gazes of passersby, Isayama Yomichi gritted her teeth and made a decision, then dashed down the stairs with extremely nimble movements, like a gust of wind.

"Is that girl a modern-day samurai? She's holding a knife."

"What a cool older sister."

"Is this for a movie shoot? Where are the cameras?"

Passersby were talking about it.

"Huh... the fluctuations in spiritual energy suddenly disappeared?"

Soon, Isayama Yomichi arrived at the platform, gripped his sword sheath, and prepared his emergency plan when he suddenly sensed the disappearance of that aura. It wasn't just weakening little by little, but completely disappearing.

This situation is quite unusual.

"Could they have escaped using some method I don't know about?"

Filled with doubt, she boarded the tram and headed towards the spot where the aura had vanished, wanting to confirm the specific results.

Enter the second carriage.

She remained alert, gripping the Lion King sword, ready to draw it at any moment, her gaze fixed on the seemingly empty middle section of the carriage.

There were still traces of spiritual energy fluctuations remaining there.

But even with Ran Guren's help, she couldn't see anything more or determine the state of the evil spirit.

However, the guess in her heart was--

This evil spirit was destroyed for reasons unknown.

The girl pondered for a moment as she sat down in the seat next to her, intending to wait for the tram to stop at the next station.

"Ugh... Brother, no, my My other half... have I fallen into a deep sleep?"

"Oh right, Kōko, you're still like a little kid, you love to sleep."

"Uh, that's because they were too exhausted in their battle against the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User!"

"It's just playing a game, it won't get tiring at all, right? When will the future True Ancestor Vampire finally stand up for himself?"

Suddenly, the sound of conversation across from her caught her attention; the speakers appeared to be a brother and sister.

The chat was quite interesting, and the two names that appeared were rather intimidating.

Although the world is changing, she is not naive enough to think that such an exaggerated title means someone is a powerful figure; she probably just thinks it's a joke.

"Huh? This person looks like..."

When Isayama Yomichi noticed the man's face, her eyes widened in surprise.

"You... seem to know me."

At that very moment, as if sensing her gaze, the other person looked at her, and at the same time, the sound of a flowing spring rang out.

What kind of eyes are these?

It is as clear as a blue sky with white clouds, as deep as the ocean, and as unreachable as the starry sky.

That one glance seemed to hold one in place for eternity.

"Ah... um."

A blush crept onto the girl's face.

It's a strange feeling, I guess it's called... embarrassment?

"Oh?"

Having received confirmation, Hasegawa Izumi continued to look at her, awaiting her next response.

"Um... Hello, nice to meet you. I am Isayama Yomichi. I have been practicing swordsmanship since I was a child, and Busujima Senpai has always been my role model. Having had several private duels with her, I know just how exquisite her swordsmanship is. So when I learned that Busujima Senpai was defeated by someone younger than me, I did some research and that's how I came to know what you look like Hasegawa."

Isayama Yomichi straightened his expression and returned to normal.

"Oh, I see."

After learning about it, Hasegawa Izumi stopped caring.

'Huh? Is the conversation over already?'

Isayama Yomichi's expression was somewhat surprised.

She's considered a pretty girl, and has many admirers at school, so it's understandable that people would be curious about her, right?

"Kukuku, as expected of my My other half, your fame has spread far and wide."

"It's alright, it's just because they have some strength."

"Hmph, is this a mockery of me?"

"You should think about your midterms first, you silly little Little Sister."

"Damn it, I can definitely do it...!"

The girl smiled slightly as she watched the brother and sister bickering.

Such beautiful family affection was something she had never experienced before, and it was truly something to yearn for.

"Um, Hasegawa-kun, although this is a bit sudden, I'd like to ask you a favor. I'd like to have a sword sparring session with you... I want to experience the superb swordsmanship that could defeat Busujima Senpai."

After hesitating several times, Isayama Yomichi finally revealed his thoughts.

It's ostensibly a friendly exchange, but in reality, it's a challenge.

"Do you want to challenge me?"

Hasegawa Izumi carefully examined the other person and fell silent.

As is well known, in terms of combat--

If a is greater than b and b is greater than c, this does not mean that a is greater than c.

"Please don't underestimate me. Actually, during my last challenge, the gap between me and Busujima Senpai was already very close. I originally planned to win the kendo tournament this year..."

Isayama Yomichi mistakenly took this as a dismissive attitude, and thus confidently declared.

Does your confidence come from this knife?

Hasegawa Izumi's gaze fell on the "Lion King" beside her.

Could this person possibly sense the presence of Ran Guren?

While Isayama Yomichi shook his head and said, "It was with my own swordsmanship!"

"Then there's even less chance. They might not even be able to challenge Busujima Senpai."

After offering his assessment, Hasegawa Izumi continued leisurely, "Let's skip the challenge; I just happen to be busy today."

I was rejected.

The girl was somewhat disappointed and asked another question, "Will you participate in the kendo tournament Hasegawa?"

"No, there's no need to participate in such a trivial competition."

He didn't take it seriously.

'Is this guy's tone a bit...? I really want to hit him!'

The girl felt a headache coming on.

"Next stop..."

Just then, the arrival information announcement began to be broadcast.

The three of them came out of the tram stop.

"Isayama, right? Considering we've met once, I'll give you some advice..."

Hasegawa Izumi, holding her younger Little Sister's hand, suddenly turned her head and said.

"To possess such a knife is both a blessing and a curse, but... the ignorant are always doomed, just like these foolish people who live their lives in ignorance, unable to withstand the ruthlessness of the world."

"And so it is with you. If you cannot control it, then it is the blade controlling the person; if you can control it, then it is the person controlling the blade. These are two completely different concepts... Think it over carefully."

Even after the other person had gone far away, that ethereal voice still echoed clearly in my ears.

"Man controls sword, sword controls man—is this a riddle?"

Isayama Yomichi murmured a word, then looked down at the treasured sword "Lion King" he was carrying, his eyes gradually becoming thoughtful.

Although the other person's words were strange, it didn't prevent her from understanding their meaning.

What you hold in your hand may not necessarily be yours.

Just as great power can drive humanity to depravity, so too can powerful weapons, which may subtly control humanity.

"Thank you Hasegawa, for your kind words."

She bowed deeply in the direction the other person had left.

Even though it was just a casual suggestion, it was enough for her to learn a lot.

"There's one more thing..."

She looked down again.

From the very beginning, she could feel Ran Guren trembling. At first, she thought it was excitement, but now she was certain it was fear!

The Spirit Beast born from this treasured sword, a supernatural being, actually fears a human?

"This can only mean one thing: Hasegawa is incredibly strong, stronger than anyone could imagine... Could it be that he, like that Sword Saint, broke through that insurmountable barrier on his own?"

A sense of respect welled up in the Girlish Heart.

A few minutes later.

"Miss Isayama, are you alright?"

"It's alright, the matter has been resolved."

She then reported the information to the staff who came over, only saying that she had destroyed the evil spirit, without revealing any information about Hasegawa.

So 63 was actually part of the "Dragon King Returns" script!?

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, dappling the room and bathing everything in a warm golden hue.

In the soft light, the girl slightly opened her hazy eyes, then slowly sat up, her long silver hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, emitting a faint fragrance.

She walked barefoot on the soft carpet to the window, gently pulled back the curtains, and sunlight instantly flooded the room, making her face appear even more beautiful and radiant.

"When will we finally reach the point where we don't need to eat anymore, Ultimate Lifeform?"

Feeling the hunger coursing through her body, Natsukawa Masuzu sighed.

She went to the kitchen, where she made corn porridge and juiced the vegetables, thus solving her breakfast problem.

Just as Hasegawa had predicted, she had no favorite food and was used to eating liquid food.

Of course, there is one exception.

"If I could eat the Club President's cooking every day, I would be happy."

Natsukawa Masuzu closed her eyes, savoring the taste of the food, and gently licked the corner of her mouth.

This gesture seemed to carry an unintentional charm; the tip of her tongue lightly grazed her lips, as if savoring some indescribable sweetness.

But the smile on her face didn't last long. Back in reality, she glanced at the money in her wallet and frowned.

Because of her defiance of the order, she was subjected to financial sanctions by her father. With no savings, she naturally found herself in dire straits a month later.

"Looks like I need to find a way to make money."

As she thought about it, she put on her school shoes, pushed open the door, and left.

"You seem to have something on your mind."