Shinobu Kocho lowered her head, hiding her pretty face in shadow.
Her voice was frosty. "Shut up."
"Huh?" Shinazugawa hadn't heard her clearly and asked again, "What did you say, Kocho?"
Shing!
Shinobu Kocho drew her blade and slashed straight at him!
Clang!
At the last possible moment, Shinazugawa decisively drew his blade to block.
The two Nichirin Blades collided, instantly throwing off sparks.
Shinazugawa was shocked. "What's wrong?! Why did you suddenly draw your blade?!"
Shinobu Kocho said nothing.
Hinatsuru said nothing either.
Just then, someone outside the room suddenly spoke...
Knock, knock, knock!
First came the knocking, followed by the madam's voice. "Hinatsuru, are you all right? I thought I heard swords?"
"Everything's fine!" Hinatsuru hurriedly said. "My friends are practicing music in here!"
"Practicing music?" The madam sounded puzzled through the door. "What kind of instrument makes the sound of clashing metal?"
"It's... it's..."
In her panic, Hinatsuru instinctively glanced at Shinazugawa, then, as though possessed, blurted out, "The Iron-Boned and Unyielding Zither..."
The madam: "..."
With a bang, the madam pushed Hinatsuru's door straight open.
Although she knew they were discussing something inside, the madam had remained worried that Shinazugawa might try something untoward.
So she had actually been standing guard outside the door the whole time.
But the moment she came in, she was dumbfounded.
Because the first thing she saw was Shinobu Kocho attacking Shinazugawa!
The madam: "???"
The madam froze.
Had she gotten the wrong script?
Was this girl really that fierce?
A petite girl-next-door had taken a broken sword and slashed at the scar-faced man!
And to think she'd been planning to groom her into an oiran at Kyogoku House...
When they saw the madam enter, the solemn atmosphere in the room immediately quieted down too.
Shinobu Kocho lowered the sword in