Chapter 91

Her father, Busujima Masao, spent most of his time at overseas dojos to promote the reputation of the Busujima Family's swordsmanship, and it had been two years since she last saw her father.

Why did you suddenly come back?

She said calmly.

"Because I've heard that many swordsmanship geniuses have emerged in the country in the last two years, I plan to go back and give them some guidance."

My father's slightly deep voice came from the other end of the phone.

That's utter nonsense.

She knew what kind of person her father was; he was absolutely profit-driven and wouldn't be so kind. Someone else must have offered a very good price.

"I understand, I'll go greet you."

She hung up the phone quickly.

She had nothing to talk about with her father. After all, since her mother passed away, her father had been focused on reviving the glory of the Busujima Style, and had even become somewhat obsessed with it. Apart from teaching her swordsmanship, he didn't care about her at all.

The next morning, Busujima Saeko met her father at the airport. He seemed to be no different from her past impressions, with his unruly, slightly wavy, shoulder-length black hair, a beard of medium length, and a well-defined face, except that his eyes had become more gloomy.

"Yako, go to the dojo first. I want to see how much you've improved lately."

When the two sides met, Busujima Masao spoke very coldly.

"I see."

This was clearly not the normal attitude of a father towards his daughter, but Busujima Yako was used to it and nodded calmly.

Some time later, the father and daughter visited the Busujima Family's dojo in Japan.

"You must grip the sword firmly, otherwise your own sword might fly away when it clashes with your opponent's..."

"Too low, raise your arm about 15 degrees..."

"If you bend your knees too far, it's easy to lose your balance."

Inside the training hall, a short-haired young man who looked to be in his twenties was instructing a group of students.

His name is Miyamoto Hiroki, the current dojo master of the Busujima Style school in Japan, and also Busujima Masao's most outstanding disciple. He is a sixth-dan swordsman with superb swordsmanship, but in terms of actual swordsmanship, he is already considered a first-class swordsman in Tou-ei.

According to the regulations of the International Kendo Federation in Heisei, there are ten kendo ranks, from 1st Beginner Dan to 10th Dan, with 1st Beginner Dan being the lowest and 10th Dan being the highest. Ranks from 1st Beginner Dan to 8th Dan are obtained through a rank examination, while 9th Dan and 10th Dan are honorary ranks.

There are no skipping levels in the exams, and there are also time limits.

Generally speaking, the sixth dan is the limit for non-professional swordsmen. When a swordsman obtains the sixth dan qualification, he usually no longer has any technical weaknesses. The main test is no longer technique, but rather his awareness and mentality in the face of battle.

However, he has defeated swordsmen of the seventh dan level multiple times in actual combat.

Therefore, it's only a matter of time before he reaches a higher level, and he is a true genius.

Among the younger generation of martial arts masters in Tokyo, only the senior disciple of the Dansuiryu can defeat him.

"Master, you're back?"

When the Busujima father and daughter arrived at the dojo, they didn't try to conceal their footsteps, so Miyamoto Hiroki immediately looked towards the entrance, only to find that the person who came was somewhat unexpected.

"Yes, I'm back."

Busujima Masao remained indifferent.

The trainees were unusually excited when they saw him arrive.

Because the opponent is a renowned swordsman, the leader of the Busujima Style, a figure of both strength and status, known as the 'Demon Swordsman'!

"Let them pause their training... Hiroki, you'll have a match with Saeko next. I want to see how well she's progressed."

Busujima Masao glanced in that direction only before quickly looking away.

"Yes!"

Miyamoto Hiroki didn't ask why. As a disciple, he knew his master's temperament. He turned around and directed the students to disperse to one side.

However, the trainees were not angry about this; on the contrary, they were particularly happy because this was a rare high-level competition.

"Really? Young Lady Busujima is going to have a match with the gym owner?"

"By the way, who do you think will win? I remember that Young Lady Busujima is a once-in-a-lifetime genius in the Busujima Family, right?"

"Is there even a question? Of course the curator is more powerful! Putting aside the age difference, men have a significant advantage over women."

"You should be asking how long Young Lady Busujima can hold out, right?"

Everyone discussed it repeatedly, but they all had the same opinion about the outcome of the match.

One side of the training area.

Busujima Saeko, dressed in her Kendo Uniform, still looked as elegant and beautiful as ever.

She gripped the wooden sword and faced her former senior brother once again, but this time she felt no immense pressure.

Because...

She learned the man's swordsmanship.

100 Today, Let's Discuss Swordsmanship over Tea!

The Thirteen Sword Techniques to Steal Life.

This is the sword technique that Hasegawa-kun taught her, a terrifying sword art that can even give one the illusion of destruction when practiced. The killing intent it contains is even more ferocious than her family's traditional sword art.

Normally speaking, it would be unsuitable for her to practice this kind of swordsmanship in her current state, as it would only unleash the violent impulse within her.

However, after understanding the inner workings of the technique, she realized that it was indeed the most suitable swordsmanship for her.

She gradually became able to control the inexplicable killing intent rising in her heart and decide the degree to which she released it. This not only helped her enhance the power of her swordsmanship by using this emotion, but also allowed her heart to get closer to the next realm called 'the State of No Mind'.

"Young Lady, I will not hold back."

After putting on the mask, the physically strong senior brother standing in front of him made a statement.

"This time, I will win."

After taking a deep breath, Busujima Saeko spoke quite frankly.

Since that day, she felt herself improving every day, and her long-suppressed and restricted talent had brought about a dramatic increase.

Let this battle reveal just how strong she is now!

"Young Lady, this is the first time you've been so confident."

Miyamoto Hiroki was quite surprised, but he was equally confident that he would not lose, after all, the Young Lady had never beaten him before.

"I will be the referee for this match."

A veteran student stepped forward and spoke loudly.

"The duel... begins!"

The showdown is about to begin!

Formal kendo competitions are naturally not as simple and brutal as the previous challenge match by Hasegawa Izumi, but have their own unique rules.

In Kendo, the effective striking areas are the face, throat, abdomen, and hands. Points can only be scored by hitting these areas, and the first to score three points wins.

The main attraction of a kendo match lies in the standoff between the two fighters before they make their move; it's a battle of minds.

"As the senior disciple of the Busujima Style, I should attack first."

Confident in his superiority in every aspect, Miyamoto Hiroki preemptively struck without hesitation, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands. He then took a step forward and thrust sharply, aiming for Busujima Saeko's right hand.

However, in the next instant, Busujima Saeko seemed to have seen through his intentions. With a nimble twist of her wrist, she used her wooden sword to deflect the bamboo sword to the side, and then struck forward with even greater speed.

Snap!

"What?"

Hit in the abdomen, Miyamoto Hiroki was forced back several steps by the force of the blow, instinctively reaching out to press his abdomen, where he felt intense pain.

However, the pain was secondary; what surprised him more was the Young Lady's speed and skill, which had undergone a complete transformation compared to before.

The Young Lady is indeed a genius, but she has always been somewhat behind him. However, now it seems the tables have turned.

"One point! Young Lady gets a point first!"

The referee, his face covered in sweat, made the announcement.

This result shocked everyone present.

No one could have predicted that the battle would unfold in this way.

Even Busujima Masao, who was sitting in the main seat watching the game, was quite surprised.

When did his daughter become this strong?

The match continued.

After a long and intense match, Busujima Saeko emerged victorious with a score of 3-1.

Busujima Saeko's performance was indeed amazing, but she wasn't strong enough to completely overwhelm Miyamoto Hiroki; she didn't achieve a complete victory.

"I've lost, Young Lady. You've surpassed me."

Miyamoto Hiroki bowed down in complete admiration.

"Young Lady is too strong!"

"Miss Busujima is truly a once-in-a-century swordsmanship prodigy!"

"Miss Busujima is so young yet her swordsmanship is so exquisite. Perhaps she can surpass the Busujima Family Head and become the 'Sword Saint' of our time."

Seeing the leader's performance, the students, who had been chattering and arguing, were almost certain that he hadn't held back in the fight and had genuinely lost to the Young Lady. They all applauded.

After the match, the trainees continued training on the field, while Busujima Saeko and Miyamoto Hiroki followed Busujima Masao into the dark room.

"It's truly astonishing. I never expected you, Yako, to beat Hongyi. I had no idea you'd progressed so quickly in the last two years..."

Busujima Saeko sat in the main seat, trying to maintain a calm expression, but the fingers tapping back and forth on the armrests of her chair betrayed her inner turmoil.

"It's nothing."

Busujima Saeko stared directly at him, her gaze quite cold.

The conversation between the two made Miyamoto Hiroki, who was standing next to them, feel somewhat oppressed.

Busujima Masao didn't seem to care about his daughter's behavior. Instead, his eyes flickered, and he suddenly remembered something.

Even so, you still lost to that guy named Hasegawa?

Looking back now, he finds it even more unbelievable.

"It is thanks to Hasegawa-kun's guidance that I have been able to improve so quickly."

A hint of tenderness flashed in Busujima Saeko's eyes.

"Oh...?"

Busujima Masao narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness in them.

'A young genius even stronger than the Young Lady?'

Miyamoto Hiroki murmured to himself.

He had only heard about it but hadn't paid attention, assuming it was just a rumor. He never expected it to be true.

"Yako, could you help me invite him to meet me?"

A few seconds later, Busujima Masao's gaze sharpened.

"I can ask, but I don't know if Hasegawa-kun will agree."

Busujima Saeko said calmly.

The Far East Magic Society after school.

"Come on, let's see how far you've progressed, Takanashi, after a week of hellish training."

Natsukawa Masuzu slammed a math test paper onto the small table with a fierce expression, crossed her arms, and her eyes seemed to burn with raging flames.

"Hmm~"

Takanashi Rikka nodded very solemnly, a single word expressing a firm determination unlike anything she had ever shown before.