"Nagakawa Rumi, come over here," Masashi said seriously.
A bit puzzled, Rumi walked over.
"This is the sword 'Nine Souls' that your grandfather left with my master years ago. Now that Nagakawa is gone, I'm returning it to you. Please take good care of it." With that, Masashi handed her the box containing 'Nine Souls.'
Rumi opened the box, took out 'Nine Souls,' and stared at it in silence.
Masashi then handed Shiraishi Junichi a piece of paper. "This is my contact information. If anything comes up in the future, let me know. As long as it's within my power, I'll help."
"I understand." Shiraishi accepted it respectfully.
"Mr. Hirota, I have a request," Rumi suddenly spoke up.
"Go ahead."
"I'd like to spar with you. My grandfather once said he could never surpass Senior Lei Yin in his lifetime. I'd like to ask for guidance on his behalf."
"Alright." After a moment of thought, Masashi nodded.
"Please follow me." Rumi led Masashi to the training hall.
It was rare to have an outsider for a sparring session, so the people practicing cleared the space.
"Here are your protective gear and sword." Rumi handed Masashi a set of gear and a bamboo sword.
Masashi took the bamboo sword but declined the gear.
"I don't wear that."
The onlookers reacted with surprise and anger.
"Who is this kid, acting so arrogant?"
"Let me teach him a lesson..."
"I've never seen anyone so cocky."
"Everyone, be quiet!" Shiraishi Junichi shouted.
The others fell silent immediately.
Masashi looked at Rumi, who was biting her lip and blushing with frustration. "It's not that I'm underestimating you, but I'm not used to wearing that. If I force myself, it would only hinder my movements."
"Even with a bamboo sword, it can still hurt if you get hit without protective gear." Hearing Masashi's explanation, Rumi calmed down.
"Shall we give it a try?" Masashi smiled.
Clenching her teeth, Rumi responded, "To be fair, I won't wear protective gear either." She started to remove it.
"If you don't wear it, I won't be able to go all out. What's the point of sparring like that?" Masashi frowned.
At that moment, the onlookers felt an indescribable sense of pressure emanating from Masashi, as if he had transformed.
Rumi glanced at Shiraishi, who nodded at her, so she put her gear back on.
"Please guide me," she said, bowing to Masashi and then raising her sword in a proper stance.
Masashi nodded, then stood there casually.
While the others watched, expecting him to make a fool of himself, Rumi hesitated. This person gave her a mysterious feeling, and despite his youthful appearance, she sensed an impenetrable depth.
After a long standoff that left the spectators restless, Rumi finally moved.
Just as her sword approached Masashi's head, she grew anxious—could he not dodge it?
Suddenly, she felt a powerful force strike her chest, and everything seemed to slow down as she was flung backward, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Ah!" gasped everyone, shocked.
No one had seen how Masashi moved; it happened in a flash.
Shiraishi Junichi rushed over to help Rumi. Removing her headgear, he saw disbelief written across her face.
"Are you okay? Can you continue?" Masashi asked her.
"Of course," Rumi replied, a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
"Please guide me again." She lunged at Masashi's throat.
"What? A thrust?" someone murmured.
Before the comment was even finished, Masashi deflected her thrust effortlessly and countered with a subtle move that looked harmless but disarmed her.
Rumi stared at her hand in astonishment, then said, "I lost."
"Pick up your sword," Masashi replied calmly.
"Yes." Rumi immediately retrieved her bamboo sword and resumed her attack on Masashi.
As the sparring continued, the spectators watched, spellbound.
They had never seen a sword style like Masashi's. It flowed naturally, each move targeting a vital spot, rendering defense almost impossible. No matter how Rumi tried to attack or defend, she was defeated within two or three moves.
But Masashi, seemingly teaching her, didn't move too fast. He didn't unleash the lightning-fast moves from their first exchange.
Eventually, Rumi could no longer continue and knelt down, panting.
"Do you want to keep going?" Masashi helped her up.
The others shivered, seeing Masashi's calm demeanor and steady breathing. Was he even human?
With trembling hands, Rumi removed her headgear, then knelt and said, "Thank you for your instruction."
"Not bad, being Nagakawa's granddaughter," Masashi smiled.
"You... you flatter me." Rumi blushed.
"I mean it. For someone your age, your skill is impressive." Masashi's tone was sincere.
The others shivered again, thinking, Then what are you?
Strangely, Rumi felt elated upon hearing his praise.
"Does anyone else want to try?" Masashi, now in good spirits, felt eager to continue.
But no one spoke. They all knew Rumi was highly skilled, yet she had been so soundly defeated. Who would dare to challenge him?
Seeing Shiraishi about to speak, Masashi signaled for him to stay silent.
After leaving the hall, Masashi suddenly turned to Shiraishi and said, "If you want a match, let's do it tonight."
Shiraishi immediately understood; Masashi didn't want to spar in front of his disciples. Losing publicly would be a severe blow to his reputation.
Grateful, Shiraishi looked at Masashi with newfound respect. He was well aware that Masashi hadn't been going all out. Even so, Shiraishi knew he had no chance of winning.