Chapter 592: One Win, One Loss, Situation Stabilized!

"Of course not. Since Miss Jino is interested, then I'll accompany you for a practice match first!"

Involving the dispute between Onmyodo and Jubando, Isayama Meifu set the practice target on Jino Setsuna first, while the matter of practicing with a cousin she didn't particularly like could be temporarily set aside.

"Eh, then what about me?"

Jianshan Huangquan hurriedly asked; she didn't want to practice with Isayama Meifu in less than full condition, because even if she won, it would feel like a win without merit.

"Heh, I don't mind if the two of you join forces and fight me together."

Jino Setsuna pushed up the glasses on her nose bridge, looking completely unconcerned about taking on two by herself, an attitude that made people a bit angry just looking at it.

"Is Miss Jino someone who likes to talk big? Be careful your big talk doesn't make you bite your tongue."

Isayama Meifu said with a somewhat venomous tongue.

"In actual combat, fighting many against few is no problem, but this is just practice; there's no need to go that far."

Jianshan Huangquan shook her head.

"For fairness' sake, why don't we draw lots to decide who fights whom first? After finishing, rest a bit, then fight the remaining person. Each win counts as one point; whoever has the highest score at the end wins. What do you think?"

The girl proposed.

"Your proposal is not bad; let's do it that way."

The other two thought for a moment, then nodded. Being a bit fairer was good for everyone, so that even if someone won, they wouldn't be thought to have won without merit.

"Then, one long and two short; the two who draw the short ones fight first, then the winner fights the one who drew the long one."

Jianshan Huangquan took out a sheet of white paper, tore it into strips, and held them in her hand.

She didn't choose, letting the other two choose.

Isayama Meifu casually pinched the paper strip on the left; Jino Setsuna's eyes flickered slightly, and she chose the paper strip on the right in Jianshan Huangquan's hand.

Unexpectedly, the paper strip Isayama Meifu drew and the one left over were both short; she had actually drawn the long one.

Regarding this situation, the Isayama sisters had no objection, and Jino Setsuna was perfectly at ease; her Bodhi Eye could remind her to make choices beneficial to herself, yet she didn't choose first?

Letting Isayama Meifu choose first was already a concession; if the other party didn't draw the long one, she couldn't be blamed.

"Cousin Meifu, being able to fight you first is my luck. And from now on, I'll let you see the results of my cultivation these years."

Jianshan Huangquan walked to face the white-haired girl; it was clear she could hardly wait, wanting to prove that these years she hadn't slacked off, but had also been working hard properly.

"Is that so? Then I'll have to properly witness it."

Isayama Meifu's reaction was comparatively flat. After all, speaking of effort, she, who had been burdened with the Isayama Family's demon-hunting mission by her father since childhood, had never slacked off in the slightest either.

And compared to someone with the orthodox Isayama Family bloodline like herself, could a mere unrelated outsider cousin without blood ties possibly be more outstanding?

Today, let's just verify it a little right here.

"Practice match, begin!"

After Tsuchimiya Kagura, acting as the practice match referee, announced the start of the actual combat practice, the two girls — one holding a bamboo sword, the other a naginata with its blade wrapped in thick cloth strips — approached each other, gripping their respective weapons.

"Hah—"

As Jianshan Huangquan entered the naginata's attack range, Isayama Meifu, gripping the naginata, unhesitatingly swung it at the girl.

"Pa!"

The bamboo sword easily blocked the naginata, but the force carried by the naginata made Jianshan Huangquan's footsteps shift sideways; however, she only shifted one step and withstood it.

Just as she stepped forward, preparing to bring the white-haired cousin within her bamboo sword's attack range, the girl across from her quickly stepped back, continuing to swing the naginata at her.

Broly watched from the side; Isayama Meifu's combat technique wasn't vastly different from Jianshan Huangquan's, but the long weapon in her hand held the advantage, and this person seemed perfectly aware of her own long weapon's weakness at close range against enemies who get in close.

Under the tactic of retreating while fighting, choosing to play to her strengths and avoid her weaknesses, Jianshan Huangquan was actually suppressed by the opponent, placed in a disadvantaged state.

However, as long as Jianshan Huangquan chose to fight steadily, the girl's slightly superior physical quality compared to her own cousin could become the decisive final factor.

【What a pity, too hasty.】

Jianshan Huangquan eagerly wanted to prove herself before Isayama Meifu, choosing a strategy of fierce all-out offense in combat, while Isayama Meifu responded unhurriedly instead.

When forced into a corner, seemingly with no retreat, but actually selling a flaw to lure Jianshan Huangquan into launching a decisive finishing strike, Isayama Meifu immediately lowered her body and rushed into her front cousin's close quarters, and under Jianshan Huangquan's stunned, surprised expression, unleashed a set of close-quarters fist techniques.

The opening exposed by the finishing strike was completely seized by the opponent; even though Jianshan Huangquan reacted quickly, changing from offense to block, her abdomen still took a hit, and as she retreated in pain, the naginata with its cloth-wrapped blade rested on her shoulder.

"Cousin Huangquan, you lose."

Malice flashed through her mind, but Isayama Meifu didn't do anything excessive; she merely stated it like a fact, declaring the girl's failure.

"Yes, I lost."

Jianshan Huangquan was somewhat unwilling, but could only acknowledge the matter. And because she knew the future Isayama Family Head position had nothing to do with her anyway, she didn't generate more negative pressure emotions, merely looking admiringly at the cousin before her who, facing her fierce all-out attacks, still handled everything calmly and successfully counterattacked her in the end.

"Cousin Meifu, you really are an incredibly amazing person!"

The girl said sincerely.

Isayama Meifu: "..."

【You looking at me with such admiration, what's that about? Aren't we competitors?】

Her cousin's bright, shining admiring gaze made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"You still need to cultivate even harder; otherwise, you won't be able to shoulder the Isayama Family's responsibility in the future."

Isayama Meifu felt she must be sick, because her own words sounded exactly like she was acknowledging Jianshan Huangquan as a member of the Isayama Family.

【Me acknowledging Jianshan Huangquan? This joke isn't funny at all...】

Isayama Meifu hadn't noticed her own existence's tsundere attribute. If Jianshan Huangquan came at her hard, she would definitely use venomous tongue for veiled sarcasm, but Jianshan Huangquan came at her soft, with the attitude of looking at an amazing cousin, and the victorious her couldn't say harsh words all of a sudden.

"Let's proceed with the second practice match."

And this kind of unnatural situation made Isayama Meifu want to immediately shift attention.

"Mei-nee, you don't need to rest?"

Jianshan Huangquan asked in surprise.

"I was just passively defending, didn't expend much physical strength; it's you..."

The lecturing, sarcastic words had just been spoken when she saw the cousin before her with a serious look of accepting the lesson and taking notes, an obedient appearance that gave her the feeling of a punch hitting cotton.

"Forget it. Just remember from now on that keeping a cool head in battle is more important than anything else."

Isayama Meifu didn't quite know what to say, so she waved her hand and spoke.

"Okay, thank you for the teaching, Sister Mei-nee."

Isayama Huangquan nodded seriously, no longer harboring the mindset of competing for the Family Head position that had existed between them before; now, Isayama Huangquan's knack for acting familiar to quickly close the distance with others was being used with complete ease.

The address "Cousin" had already turned into the even more intimate "Sister," and Isayama Meifu, the one being addressed this way, didn't even detect anything off about it.

But perhaps it was because her cousin's reaction fell outside her expectations, causing her heart to feel somewhat messy.

"Impressive skill, Isayama Miss. Then now it should be my turn to learn from you."

Jino Setsuna arrived opposite her.

"You're not using a weapon?"

Isayama Meifu looked at her bare-handed state and couldn't help but ask.

"My weapon is a spear; it's not too suitable for sparring. As for bamboo swords and such, I'm not used to them, so this is enough."

The Jubando girl appeared to be explaining why she wasn't taking a weapon, but the actual feeling she gave off was more like: 【Dealing with you, I don't even need to use a weapon!】

"Since that's the case, I won't use a weapon either."

Isayama Meifu furrowed her brow and said so.

"I personally still advise you to use the weapon you excel at. After all, I'm a few years older than you, and my battle experience against people is more ample. But if you insist, I won't refuse either."

"No need. Fairness is more important, isn't it?"

The two bare-handed people each stood their ground, and the new sparring match quickly began again. This time, Isayama Meifu didn't defend passively but actively rushed toward Jino Setsuna.

The girl's right fist swung out frontally as a feint; in reality, her left fist had already gathered power at her side, just waiting for the opponent to block before striking.

However, this move was seen through by the other party. When Isayama Meifu's right fist feinted over, Jino Setsuna directly twisted her body and pressed her back against her.

She grabbed Isayama Meifu's arm and executed a bold judo shoulder throw. When Isayama Meifu's body was lifted, her face held a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

Unless the strength gap is overwhelming, how could a normal person possibly counter like this? Isn't she afraid the opponent would react and give her a knee strike?

But saying this is useless now. After all, my attention just now was on the left fist, and I couldn't change moves in time.

*Thud—*

The shoulder throw didn't fully succeed. Isayama Meifu demonstrated her waist core strength; both feet landed first, then she counter-grabbed Jino Setsuna's hand, letting her body assume an arched bridge posture.

"Huh?!"

Jino Setsuna looked with interest at the white-haired girl at close range; her knee thrust forward but was dodged by Isayama Meifu twisting away.

The girl supported herself on both hands, using hands and feet to quickly retreat backward, worried about the opponent's next pursuit. But when she stood up, she discovered the Jubando girl across from her was at leisure, looking at her like she was watching a performing monkey, a smile on her face as if appreciating her wretched performance, her panicked retreat.

Isayama Meifu: "..."

She clenched her fists tight, feeling a sense of being insulted.

"Jino Miss, you're really strong."

Isayama Huangquan exclaimed in amazement, while Broly furrowed his brow.

As the strongest person present, he detected some abnormality.

Jino Setsuna's movements just now — her grasp of timing was a bit too precise.

And achieving this is by no means easy.

【Hmm, let's watch a bit more...】

Broly continued watching, and then saw Isayama Meifu being completely suppressed, suffering setbacks move after move in front of Jino Setsuna.

Although I wouldn't say it's a hundred percent certain, Broly guessed that this girl Jino Setsuna probably possesses an ability similar to the Foresight Eye.

That should not be suppression by battle experience, but rather the opponent being able to know Isayama Meifu's moves in advance at all times, causing Sister Huangquan's cousin to come up empty-handed every move.

"Looks like the people of Onmyodo aren't much either."

Jino Setsuna said with a smile, and she really loved the current feeling — striking down the Onmyodo people who caused her to now live in a swamp environment. Although she understood the other party wasn't the chief culprit behind her misfortune, merely a member of Onmyodo, not even enough to represent Onmyodo, the satisfaction was satisfaction.

"I... lost."

No matter how unwilling, Isayama Meifu had to acknowledge this fact.

"Sister Huangquan..."

Just as the white-haired girl was unwilling to accept defeat, Broly was whispering in Isayama Huangquan's ear, speaking secretly.

"I discovered that sister over there seems to have mind-reading ability; she predicted all of Cousin Meifu's moves..."

Isayama Huangquan looked thoughtful.

"Broly, your observation is very sharp. Thanks for the reminder."

The girl praised the boy, and then it was her turn to spar with the opponent.

"The person who defeated you lost easily to me. Didn't expect you'd actually still dare spar with me?"

Jino Setsuna saw the girl walk to the opposite side, somewhat surprised.

"I am, after all, a person of an Onmyodo Family. I can't shrink back in front of Jubando, right?"

Isayama Huangquan smiled and said.

"The sense of responsibility and mission brought by the lineage..."

Jino Setsuna seemed to say somewhat displeasedly, and just as she prepared to quickly resolve the second spar, she saw the bamboo-sword-wielding Isayama Huangquan rush over without concealing her attack intent in the slightest.

In the Six-Faced World, the most common response of Sword God Style swordsmen against opponents with foresight ability is: let you foresee, but I'll just use a speed that you can foresee yet cannot react to, and cut you down!

*Thud—*

Jino Setsuna's Bodhi Eye's mind-reading effect let her seize the initiative against Isayama Meifu, but against Isayama Huangquan this mind-reading brought a counterproductive effect. Because her brain had to process the read attack intent, there was a fraction of a second of thinking time; by the time she reacted, Isayama Huangquan's bamboo sword — without any tricks — had already slashed right in front of her face.

"Although I won, it feels related to me having a sword while you were bare-handed, so let's just call it a draw!"

"No need. I, Jino Setsuna, am not someone who can't afford to lose."

The three girls each had one win and one loss, so no clear superior emerged.

"Tired, tired, and I'm covered in sweat. Want to go take a bath together?"

Jianshan Huangquan extended the invitation to the two of them.

Jino Setsuna originally wanted to refuse, but then she heard Jianshan Huangquan say: "You're all stinky with sweat, and it's not convenient for you to provide close protection for us like this, right?"

The result was that all three entered the bathroom together.

"Aren't you going in together?"

Broly looked at the girl beside him and asked.

"The bathtub isn't that big, and I still want to practice sword for a while longer."

Having personally witnessed Jianshan Huangquan and the others' contest, Tsuchimiya Kagura felt fired up.

"Eh, Mei-nee, unexpected — you're quite big under that kimono."

"Ah, Huangquan, what are you doing, don't rub~"

From the bathroom behind the glass door came the sounds of Jianshan Huangquan engaging in familiar behavior.

"However, Jino-san's seems even bigger."

"I'm several years older than you, so of course my development is a bit better, but you know, size isn't the only evaluation standard for this kind of place — shape and luster also need to be guaranteed."

"Eh, I somehow feel like you're engaging in self-praise?"

And whether this is self-praise or not, well of course it's self-praise confirmed — the three's sparring didn't seem to stop just because they left the dojo, but continued competing in another way.