A Date with Miyuki (5.2K)

"Erika, are you sure you want to fight me? You should know the outcome, right?"

To challenge him in swordsmanship now would be like an adult bullying a child. Even though he hadn't specifically trained, his swordsmanship had reached a terrifying level after so many years of honing his skills and integrating various techniques.

I knew I would lose.

Erika said frankly, "But I want to see just how big the gap is between you and me now."

She has such a stubborn personality that she won't give up until she hits a wall, especially in kendo, where she always wants to compete.

In her quest to defeat Kisara Tendo, she once relentlessly challenged him.

This has led to her becoming a true swordsmanship prodigy, surpassing even her second brother, Shuji Chiba, the "golden boy" of the Chiba Family.

Having said that, Yotsuba Mahiro naturally had no reason to refuse, so he took the wooden sword and slowly walked to the other side of the dojo.

Turning around, I saw that Erika had already gotten into position.

It wasn't the stance of the Tendo Style; it was merely a sideways movement with one hand.

But he knew that this was Erika's most frequently used and most familiar starting stance.

Next, it should be the "self-acceleration technique".

The thought had barely left her lips when Erika moved. Without any prior signaling with the clash of sword tips, without any fierce shouts, and without uttering a single word, she made her move very abruptly.

It vanished from the spot in an instant.

When she reappeared, she was already beside Yotsuba Mahiro, her wooden sword already close to Mahiro's neck.

When--

What was supposed to be a practice match between wooden swords produced a sound like metal.

Erika's sword strike was easily parried by Yotsuba Mahiro.

Calm and composed, he didn't even shift his stance for a moment, the gust of wind from his sword ruffling his tousled hair.

Erika felt as if her sword had struck a towering, immovable boulder... no, it should be described as indestructible steel!

However, this was merely a habitual test.

The next second, her figure disappeared again, and she had circled around to behind Yotsuba Mahiro, creating a distance of nearly three meters between them.

This distance was completely beyond the range of swords and blades, yet she tucked the wooden sword into her waistband.

For a fleeting moment, I saw a glimpse of Kisara Tendo in her!

"Freezing Drops!"

The sound of the slash was soft and swift.

This is Kisara Tendo's most proficient move, and also a rare sword technique that involves slashing from a distance. I never expected that Erika would actually learn it.

But...

"You're too slow, Erika."

Just as Erika was about to unleash her slash, Yotsuba Mahiro suddenly appeared in front of her, closing the distance between them.

The two were so close that their eyes could no longer completely encompass each other, so close that they could clearly feel each other's breath, especially the unique, light fragrance of gardenia emanating from Erika.

Mahiro showed no intention of enjoying it; instead, he grabbed Erika's wrist with one hand and applied a little force.

Like a waltz, the two spun around in place, and then suddenly, Erika was flung away.

He was sent flying nearly fifteen meters away in one breath.

But in mid-air, a magic circle suddenly appeared beneath Erika's feet, a spell to help change direction and serve as a stepping stone.

Erika stomped her foot hard, and her slender figure flew towards her like a sharp arrow.

"Again?"

The fight was clearly over in just one move, but this woman is so relentless; it's truly unexpected.

"Difficult to deal with."

He knew very well that if he didn't beat Erika into submission today, he wouldn't be able to get away with it by pretending to be innocent.

So he also set up his wooden sword.

The Tendo-style Draw Sword Technique, "Nirvana Wondrous Heart Stance".

Upon seeing this, Erika's gaze turned serious, and a slow smile appeared on her lips.

"Are they finally going to show their true abilities?"

What she sought was a desperate, all-out battle against her opponent, not a perfunctory exchange of swordplay.

This is about her beliefs, her honor as a swordsman!

Even though she knew that Yotsuba Mahiro was far superior to her, like heaven and earth, she still had no intention of backing down.

Instead, during the acceleration, he once again tucked the wooden sword into his waistband.

"Sword Drawing Technique, Type One, Eighth Form --"

It was Kisara Tendo's techniques, or more precisely, the Tendo Family's sword-drawing technique.

Just as the two were less than three meters apart and about to clash, Mahiro suddenly made his move, his wooden sword flashing forward.

Swish--

What was supposed to be a simple, unremarkable sword swing actually stirred up a gust of wind.

The wind blew to the end of the temple grounds, crashed against the wall and dissipated, but left behind several shallow marks.

If it were to strike a person, it would probably cause blood to splatter everywhere on the spot.

But his sword missed, as if he had struck a phantom. Erika's figure flickered for a moment, and in an instant, she appeared behind Yotsuba Mahiro.

At the same time, a "ding!" sound rang out, like the sound of a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath.

"No Shadow, No Trace."

This time, her voice was soft, but the wooden sword's attack was even more fierce, almost as soon as she spoke.

Aside from the Zero series, Erika has mastered almost all of Kisara Tendo's sword-drawing techniques, and has even integrated them into her magic, blending them with the Chiba Family's powerful and sweeping moves.

Even Erika's father, the current head of the Chiba Clan family, probably couldn't withstand this sword strike.

But then something astonishing happened to Erika.

"The idea of continuously casting acceleration spells and performing multiple accelerations is good, and the technique is quite sophisticated, but you haven't considered the target."

Mahiro suddenly turned around, and just as the wooden sword was about to strike, he unleashed a downward slash.

Snap--

The two wooden swords clashed, and in the instant of impact, Erika's wooden sword snapped in two.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

To Erika's astonishment, Mahiro reached out and grabbed her by the neck, sealing her fate.

Then, he slammed it heavily onto the floor.

Thump--

A very dull sound.

The moment her delicate body hit the floor, even Erika couldn't help but let out a cry of pain.

It felt as if a car had crashed into her, instantly expelling all the air from her lungs.

With just one blow, she was overwhelmed by excruciating pain, unable to move, and even her head was spinning.

"Cough... cough cough..."

"So, are you admitting defeat?" Mahiro asked with a smug smile.

His gaze slowly swept over Erika.

The attack must have been too intense, causing the collar of her taekwondo uniform to open slightly, revealing a drop of sweat sliding down her fair skin and staining a patch of gray fabric.

It turns out she was wearing a sports bra.

He always thought that no one wore clothes under their martial arts uniform.

"Ouch, that hurts..."

Once she had caught her breath, Erika shouted as if she were throwing a tantrum:

"I give up, I give up! How can you be so heartless! You didn't know how to be gentle with a woman at all! You hit her so hard!"

"No way, I'm very gentle with women, I didn't use much force," Mahiro said with a shrug.

This isn't sarcasm or consolation; he genuinely didn't try hard enough.

And it was a result of holding back.

Otherwise, just that one chokehold would have been enough to crush Erika's throat.

Not to mention the subsequent attack; if it doesn't smash the entire dojo to pieces, then the dojo is considered sturdy.

"I don't care, I don't care! You despicable guy is bullying a pretty girl! And you even saw me naked! I demand that we spar regularly from now on, or I won't get up!"

Yotsuba Mahiro: "..."

What kind of expression should I make now?

It's fair to say that Erika never got enough of being beaten; she developed a masochistic streak, which is why her M-attribute awakened.

Should we still criticize her? She's clearly a beautiful young woman, but she acts like a child, throwing a tantrum on the ground.

Chapter 318 A Date with Miyuki (5.2K)

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

On the private jet bound for Mashima Island, watching the red-haired girl writhing in pain in the seat next to him and hearing her spoiled, pleading cries like a spoiled young lady, Yotsuba Mahiro felt a headache coming on.

"Erika, you've been howling the whole way, aren't you tired?"

"Not tired!"

Erika suddenly stopped wailing, sat up straight, and muttered in a serious, low voice, "Who told you to be so ruthless?"

When she fell to the ground yesterday, she felt as if her great-grandmother was waving to her.

"If you're in pain, then stay home. Why do you insist on coming to Mashima Island with me? Besides, didn't I already heal you before?"

It uses Regrowth healing methods, guaranteeing that it won't leave any scars.

"Of course I'm coming along. I plan to start a job on Mashima Island right after graduation."

"There's no rush to start the job, is there? It's okay to take it slow after graduation."

Mahiro sighed softly.

He knew that Erika was going to work on the Mashima Island, or rather, in Arcadia; Erika had told him about it yesterday.

In addition, Mizuki Shibata, Mitsui Honoka, and others have also decided to come to Arcadia to take care of the children and become their teachers.

It can be said that all of these people have abandoned their plans for university.

Actually, it doesn't really matter. The Magic University in this world are nothing more than research and development of magic. This is the same on the Mashima Island. With the backing of the Fourth Laboratory and top talents from various worlds, it can be said to be even better than Magic University.

"Hmph, I don't care. If we don't finalize things now, who knows what kind of trouble my old man will cause after graduation."

Erika said with a hint of sullenness, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on Yotsuba Mahiro.

It was a look of inquiry and defiance.

Yesterday's match was less of a competition and more of a one-sided crushing defeat; I was being unilaterally toyed with.

She once Yotsuba Mahiro as her rival and goal, but she never imagined that the gap between them would be so vast.

Even when facing Kisara Tendo, I had never experienced this feeling.

A profound sense of powerlessness.

It's like looking up at a towering mountain that seems to reach into the clouds, with no end in sight.

This made Erika very unhappy, discouraged, and frightened.

The problem is...