"It's over, Asuma was hacked to death by Youyu!!"
Panic erupted in the class, with students staring at Youyu in terror.
Crack—
Glug, glug, glug—ah!
Youyu held the sword's hilt in his right hand and the bottle Kurenai had given him in his left. With a flick of his teeth, he bit the cap off the bottle and began drinking.
"Did you all drink too much? I didn't even unsheathe my sword." Youyu laughed, his face flushed from the drink.
"Huh? This… this…"
The students rubbed their eyes, realizing that the sword Youyu held was still in its scabbard. Asuma sat on the ground, unharmed.
"But… I could've sworn…" Tanaka rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He was certain he'd seen Youyu cut Asuma in half, with blood spraying everywhere. The reaction of the students confirmed this, yet now it was clear that Youyu hadn't even drawn his blade.
"Could it be… genjutsu?" Tanaka thought, looking at Youyu in shock. The only explanation seemed to be illusion. But Youyu was only eight, known primarily for his unmatched talent in swordsmanship. Could he already use genjutsu at an elite level?
And to use it while drunk?
If Youyu could hear Tanaka's thoughts, he would laugh and toast him. This was no illusion; it was pure sword intent and aura.
"I… I'm alive?" Asuma gasped, looking at his hands in disbelief as he sat on the floor. Just moments ago, he had been certain that Youyu had sliced him in half. He had felt the pain, the despair. But why was he unharmed?
Glug, glug, glug—ah!
Youyu took another long drink, sighing contentedly.
"Ding! The system has detected the owner shocking his audience while drunk. Reward: Black Sword, Shusui! The reward has been placed at the owner's home."
The system's voice echoed in Youyu's mind.
"A sword? Shusui… That sounds familiar," Youyu thought, his vision blurry.
After two seconds of pondering, he dismissed the thought. "Bah, what's with these complicated questions? Can't a man just enjoy his drink?"
"Hey, you. Out of my way. You're blocking my drinking view," Youyu muttered, waving a hand at Asuma, who was still sitting on the floor, stunned.
"If you don't move, I'll cut you."
Asuma's eyes widened in fear, and without a second thought, he scrambled back to his seat.
Tanaka resumed writing on the blackboard, trying to regain his composure and carry on with the lesson on the "Three Basic Techniques." But the students had all but forgotten the class material. Their attention was firmly fixed on Youyu, who took sips from his bottle every so often.
The boys looked on in awe and fear, while the girls' expressions were a mix of apprehension and admiration.
Despite his constant drinking, Youyu's appearance was strikingly handsome. His tousled black hair and slightly narrowed eyes, hazy from the drink, only added to his appeal. Though young, his perfectly balanced features had an effect on the girls in the room that was hard to ignore.
It was strange—while drinking usually made people look disheveled, with Youyu, it only seemed to add to his charm. He chalked it up to the Dionysus system's effect. But to him, appearances didn't matter much.