Was our swordsmanship teacher really that amazing?!

Wasn't the man before him none other than his mission target?

He had thought it would be someone the old principal had brought in to help, but it had actually turned out to be the target himself!

Second Tier!

Was this some kind of joke?!

He had lived for over forty years without breaking through to the Second Tier, yet this twenty-four-year-old young man already stood at the pinnacle of the entire city?!

On the Sakura Continent, there was no concept of nations.

All human settlements revolved around cities. The enormous ones could even have permanent populations of over a billion.

Each city developed and expanded around a Star Gate from which Divine Envoys had emerged.

Fuyuki City was small, classified as a small city.

Its permanent population was only a few million, and in theory, its strongest Psychic Energy users would only be at the Second Tier.

But the old principal and that mysterious, unknown existence had raised that ceiling without limit.

"You look surprised."

Lu You glanced at the man's dark green arms, and the man withdrew his ability with a wry smile.

"Yes. I never expected you to be hiding such strength. It seems these waters run far deeper than we imagined."

Zuo Lai gritted his teeth a little as he thought of his damned boss, who had sent him to watch a Second Tier powerhouse like Lu You while going off to enjoy himself.

Goddammit, what a bastard!

This was downright rotten!

"Talk. Tell me everything you know."

"Understood, understood. About the money..."

"You can collect it from those tycoon families afterward."

Lu You was broke again, but he would have money soon. He smiled faintly.

"Uh... all right.

Have you heard of the Fearless Alliance?

It's the largest assassin organization on the entire Sakura Continent. Our members carry out missions in squads. Wherever there are plenty of missions, you'll find us.

I'm a bronze hunter, and my boss is a silver hunter. He's in this city too."

The Fearless Alliance...

Do they have ghost hunters?

Lu You's eyes flickered. He had rarely interacted with people before, so he really knew nothing about these things.

"Fuyuki City's tycoon families jointly offered ten million Sakura Currency for your life..."

Ten million??

I'm worth that much?!

Lu You clicked his tongue. His current monthly salary as a teacher in Fuyuki was ten thousand Sakura Currency. In other words, he would have to work for eighty-three years to save that much.

He had only been at the Early First Tier before, mind you. For such an easy target, the Fearless Alliance had actually asked for ten million! They might as well have just robbed them.

"It's because of the old principal."

Zuo Lai explained quietly beside him.

"Who put up the money?"

"Mainly four families: Itō, Hoshiya, Hagiwara, and Yoshino. They're also the four strongest families in Fuyuki City."

Zuo Lai's gaze wandered. He was wondering how this man had managed to offend all the tycoon families in Fuyuki City.

In theory, offending even one or two would already have been a lot.

"Interesting. Can you gather them together?"

"Uh... that would be difficult. Mainly because I don't have enough influence. But if my boss proposed it, there would be a very good chance of success.

He is a Second Tier powerhouse, after all."

Zuo Lai smiled helplessly.

Then a chill ran through him, as though he had plunged into an ice cellar.

"You have an agenda of your own."

Lu You's indifferent voice sounded beside his ear, and Zuo Lai lowered his head, trembling.

"I can't hide anything from you, but my agenda doesn't conflict with your goal. If my boss dies, I can inherit his authority as squad leader!

If you're worried, you can poison me!"

He would take the gamble! He would bet that Lu You was stronger than his boss!

Besides, circumstances left him no choice.

He was in Lu You's hands now, so he had to side with him. Whatever happened afterward was a matter for later. At the very least, he had to survive now to have a future.

After giving him a long, searching look, Lu You nodded.

"Set a time and find somewhere with few people. Bring your boss there."

"Understood!"

Lu You did not go after the other small fry. Apart from Zuo Lai, the professional assassin they had hired, the others were most likely people those families had sent themselves.

They might not have been very strong, but if they managed to get the kill, wouldn't that save them the ten million?

Moving against them could alert the enemy.

Once he had cleared out everyone at the top, he would slowly deal with what remained of those families.

He strolled back to the school gates. Old Nobuta was still sitting there, watching him with an inscrutable look.

Lu You asked awkwardly.

"Sir, is there something you want to say?"

"No. If there's anything to say, that old bastard Kaguya can say it to you."

Clearly, the old man harbored some resentment toward the old principal.

Leaving in utter confusion, Lu You returned to his cozy little den. The cramped room had everything he needed and held over twenty years of memories.

Now he just had to wait for Zuo Lai to find an opportunity.

In the blink of an eye, Sunday passed as well.

During that time, Kaguya Ruri visited once. After exchanging information with Lu You, she left. Lu You had no chance to grow closer to her, which left him somewhat frustrated.

"Eternal Heart, oh, Eternal Heart..."

The weekend passed in a flash.

Monday was a workday, and Lu You had classes to teach.

Of course, he could take leave. He trusted the school would approve it, since some of the teachers knew the inside story.

But he did not, because there was no need.

He no longer considered those people worth his attention.

Monday, 1:30 p.m., classroom 201 in the teaching building.

Lu You arrived on time.

He was greeted by many youthful faces. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys and girls held wooden swords, laughing and playing together, brimming with youthful energy.

They were all first-year students.

Most came from ordinary families and had gained admission through excellent grades, quite unlike the aristocratic students of Class 1.

Especially given Lu You's circumstances, the school would not have him teach the children of Fuyuki City's tycoon families.

Their reason for choosing Lu You's class was simple: it was cheap, and the school required swordsmanship credits.

"Almost all at the middle stage of Tier Zero."

That was already quite a good level. Tier Zero was the foundation-building stage before Psychic Energy awakened, focused mainly on physical conditioning and combat skills.

There might be astonishing prodigies who could break through to the First Tier during high school, but there would be none at Fuyuki High School.

Lu You had always put little effort into teaching, mostly leaving the students to practice and spar among themselves, but now...

"For once, I can relax. I might as well show them a thing or two."

Lu You tapped lightly on the lectern. The knocking brought the spacious classroom to silence.

"We won't be sparring today. I'll mainly be correcting your sword movements. Everyone, practice the Basic Sword Forms together."

The students immediately exchanged looks.

Correct their sword movements? This teacher actually had that kind of skill? Wasn't he supposed to be the biggest slacker among all the teachers at school?

But since it was their teacher's order, they could only begin swinging their wooden swords with doubts in their minds.

Narrowing his eyes, Lu You walked up to a boy whose face was covered in acne. The boy was a little nervous, sweat forming on his forehead.

"Raise your right hand another three centimeters. Tighten your abdomen. Generate power through your wrist."

Then he moved on to the next student.

"Adjust your breathing to match the sword forms. Your rhythm is off. Watch me."

Lu You picked up a wooden sword and casually thrust it forward. The air cracked with a shrill whistle. He swept it upward, then instantly slashed down. The beautiful arc was sharp and overbearing, bringing out the essence of a chopping strike to the fullest.

Even that rough wooden edge gave those watching a prickling sensation of exposed sharpness.

"Remember that feeling."

"Huh? Y-yes!"

Moving on, Lu You pointed out their problems one by one, correcting the flaws in their sword movements.

"Mr. Lu, those two moves just now were so powerful..."

"I've had private lessons. My private tutor graduated from the University of Tokyo, but even his demonstrations of the Basic Sword Forms didn't feel like that."

"It felt like... if I'd been standing opposite him, I'd already have been cut in half. Did you feel that?"

"You wouldn't be in pieces that big."

"If we sparred, could I last a second?"

"It wouldn't take that long."

During the break, the whispering students looked at him somewhat differently. It was respect for the strong.

That night, Lu You received a call from Zuo Lai.

"It's arranged. At the East City Chemical Plant!"

What world would you like to see next? As the author, I have an outline for every world, so the order doesn't matter.