"It seems he just woke up."
Kiriko knocked on the door and then entered the ward.
"No need to look for her, I'm already here."
Inside the room.
A middle-aged man was wearing a hospital gown from another hospital. He was already sitting up from the bed. His eyes were bright, and his voice sounded energetic.
"Dr. Kiriko, please come and persuade my father. He just woke up and wants to take a walk!"
The person beside the bed was Ayatsuji Ayase, wearing the Hagun Academy uniform. Upon seeing Kiriko's figure, she complained very unhappily.
"Trust in my ability, your father is healthy now."
Kiriko chuckled slightly and lifted the corner of her eyes, with a lazy yet proud demeanor.
"Muscle atrophy, gastrointestinal motility... I have helped adjust all functions. His physical strength is currently no different from an ordinary person's, but it's best to eat something before going downstairs. His body doesn't have much strength."
There were hardly any signs that Ayatsuji Kaito had been asleep for two years.
The muscles in his body had somewhat faded compared to his prime, yet he had not become thinner, and his face was energetic and radiant. There were almost no signs of weakness in his body that had been immobile for two years.
This is Japan's strongest doctor, and her methods could be called miraculous.
"Trust Kiriko-san, in her hands, patients don't need rehabilitation at all."
Hoshiharu also entered the room, confirming what Kiriko had said.
To Kiriko, a patient could either be saved or not saved, and there was no difference between the strong and the weak. Regardless of whether they could be saved or not, as long as she wanted to, she could restore the patient's physical strength to normal within a day.
"Nangou-san... Is that true?"
Ayase couldn't believe it.
When Hoshiharu first heard about her methods, he had the same reaction.
After all, no one could imagine that Kiriko could break down his body to the cellular level and then reassemble it like a normal person. When Hoshiharu saw it at that time, he almost stared out of his eyes.
He was truly shocked then, and it definitely wasn't because Yakushi Kiriko wasn't wearing clothes while rearranging his body.
"Mm, you'll know after you try it."
Kiriko waved her hand without much explanation.
After that, father and daughter were surprised as expected.
As she said, Kaito was in good health and could walk around well. Except for his still weak heart, there were no signs that anything was wrong with his body.
"Thank you, thank you very much, Dr. Kiriko..."
"I'm just entrusted by someone else."
Ayase kept bowing to Kiriko, her face full of gratitude.
"Young man, are you a swordsman?"
Kaito leaned against the hospital bed and stared at Hoshiharu with burning eyes.
"I heard from Ayase that you can suppress a young beast-like man with your swordsmanship. Your skills are quite good. Are you interested in inheriting my Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu?"
Ayase might not be able to feel it, but Kaito was different.
The young man named Nangou Hoshiharu had an extraordinarily sharp sword aura, yet he couldn't fully express it.
Even he hadn't seen many swordsmen of this level in his lifetime, especially not at such a young age.
"Sorry, I already have a master."
Hoshiharu shook his head and declined Kaito's invitation, but then changed the topic.
"However, I am willing to understand the subtleties of Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu!"
In fact, he had also come for this purpose.
"Hahaha, an interesting child!"
Kaito was slightly surprised, as if he hadn't expected Hoshiharu to be so provocative and straightforward, then he laughed again.
"But whether I can use a sword depends on Dr. Kiriko's wishes..."
As he said this, his eyes kept moving towards Kiriko.
"Dad!"
"Eat first. It's not too late to fight after eating."
Kiriko shrugged, a proud smile on her face.
"Don't worry, even if you have a sudden death, I can save you. With my reputation as Japan's number one doctor on the line, I will extend your life to the end!"
Ayase couldn't say anything more.
"I believe it!"
Kaito laughed, his wrist trembling with excitement.
Choosing to sheathe his sword and retire due to illness, for a swordsman who craved the pinnacle of swordsmanship, was the same as rejecting his entire life up to that point, making his ideals and efforts meaningless.
He never thought that two years later, he would be able to wield a sword again.
If only he could have a sword as a lifelong companion.
Then there would be no regrets in this life.
❀❀❀
At 3 p.m.
Hoshiharu and Kaito played a pure swordsmanship game in the hospital garden.
"Concession."
A minute later, Hoshiharu performed the ceremony.
Kaito looked at the wooden sword on the ground and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"I didn't expect to be defeated by my own technique. This kid learned my technique just by seeing it once..."
In the first fifty seconds, Hoshiharu kept dodging.
In the last ten seconds, he launched a fierce counterattack, and eventually, he fought fire with fire, defeating Kaito with the unique technique that Kaito was proud of.
At this moment, life was truly terrifying.
He didn't know that Hoshiharu had given him quite a lot of face.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken even a minute.
❀❀❀
After the duel, Kaito returned to his room to rest.
Ayase escorted Hoshiharu to the hospital entrance.
"Nangou-san, I really don't know how to thank you enough for your kindness to our family."
Ayase bowed, her expression full of unspeakable gratitude.
In just two days, things changed like the wind, so fast that people were caught off guard.
The enemy who knocked her father unconscious was defeated, the dojo was reclaimed, and even her father finally woke up. The burden that had weighed on her for years, and almost became an obsession, was resolved in three strokes.
All of this was thanks to Hoshiharu's help.
Without him, Ayase could do nothing but watch the villains defile the dojo, and her father slowly die in his sleep. Let alone raising a sword again, he might not even see the world again.
Thinking of all this, her heart was filled with waves.
"Um... although I know I am just a humble figure and cannot compare to the student council president or Totokubara-san in terms of figure or appearance, but, but this is all I can do –"
Ayase pinched her fingers, her expression changed, her cheeks gradually turned red, and steam almost rose to the sky.
"If you don't mind, I can repay you with... myself!"
She was very shy.
But she still tried hard to express her feelings and wanted to convey the idea of gratitude to Hoshiharu.
So, she raised her head—
"Eh?? Where did he go?!"