Chapter 20

A boy who looked even younger than Guina was carrying Raikie, one of the twenty-one legendary great swords that had vanished for centuries—how could anyone not take notice?

Guina gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, staring at his grip, and asked: "Is this your first time using a bamboo sword?"

"Yeah, I've held a blade a few times, but a bamboo sword is new."

Luo En said.

Upon hearing this, Guina said nothing more; she fixed her gaze on Luo En, her eyes gradually sharpening:

"Come!"

Luo En did not hesitate; he stamped his foot and surged toward Guina with incredible speed.

"So fast!"

Both Guina and Kōshirō's eyes widened in shock.

Luo En reached Guina's side and swung his bamboo sword in an arc, bringing it down toward her head.

Crack!

Though Guina barely raised her bamboo sword in time to block the strike, her palms went numb, and she involuntarily staggered back two steps.

"Such immense power!"

Guina was stunned.

Kōshirō's eyes widened as well.

He saw far more than Guina did.

"His footwork, stance, grip, and swing—all lack technique, merely raw speed and strength… yet he's reached this level?!"

What kind of training could have forged this child's physique to such an extent?!"

Before Guina could regain her balance, another strike came.

Crack!

Her bamboo sword was knocked clean out of her hands.

"Just two strikes… I've already… lost?"

She sat down on the floor dazedly, hollow-eyed.

Luo En called out to her several times, but she gave no response.

Even when Luo En and Kōshirō entered the inner room together, she remained oblivious.

Hours passed.

A hand landed on her shoulder, and Kōshirō's gentle voice sounded beside her ear.

"Guina."

Slowly, light returned to Guina's eyes.

"Father… Father…"

In an instant, tears burst from her eyes.

"Why? Why, after all my hard training, am I still not strong enough?"

"Guina, you are already strong enough. Many adults cannot match your skill in swordsmanship."

Guina buried her face in her knees and wept:

"But I still lost—I couldn't even block his first two strikes! This isn't the strength I want! All my relentless effort so far… what was it for?!"

Kōshirō placed his hand on her head and spoke solemnly:

"Guina, you are already strong—I swear it to you! Every ounce of your training so far has been worthwhile, not wasted!"

"But I still lost."

"Because your opponent, Luo En… is an exception," Kōshirō said with an unusual tone: "His strength is not on the same level as yours."

Guina, her eyes red from crying, looked up at him.

"Not on the same level?"

Kōshirō nodded seriously to her: "Yes."

"After fighting him, I can clearly sense his power. If you are a ten, he is a fifty! Even I would have to take him seriously under his attacks."

Guina's eyes widened in disbelief.

She knew well how strong her father was.

And that black-haired boy named Luo En… could make her father take him seriously?!

"So losing to him is nothing shameful. On the contrary, the fact that you blocked his first strike is already impressive."

Kōshirō patted Guina's shoulder.

"Father…"

"I've decided to keep him at the dojo—I will personally teach him swordsmanship. He will grow even stronger from here."

Kōshirō stood up.

"Make him your goal to surpass, Guina.

Only then will you become stronger too."

Hearing Kōshirō's words, Guina wiped her eyes, her gaze gradually hardening.

"Father, I understand—I must defeat him, and only then can I become the greatest swordsman in the world!"

"Where is he now? I'll challenge him again!"

Guina's eyes burned with battle lust.

She had never felt this way before.

"Guina, it's very late now. I had Luo En sleep in the storage room—challenge him again tomorrow."

Kōshirō smiled wryly.

…………

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Gu Yina walked up and slammed open the warehouse door with two bamboo swords in hand, a sharp crack echoing.

"Luo En, I challenge you!"

The warehouse was empty; the quilt was neatly folded in place.

"Where is he?"

Gu Yina searched the dojo, and finally heard a sound—she found Luo En doing three-finger push-ups in the woods behind it.

"Three hundred forty-three, three hundred forty-four, three hundred forty-five…"

In the snow, a black-haired boy, bare-chested, drenched in sweat, emitted thick clouds of steam; the snow around him had melted into water from his body heat.

"Hey."

Gu Yina called out to him.

Luo En heard the voice, glanced over, then turned his gaze back and resumed his training.

"Don't suddenly shout like that—you scared me!"

You don't look the least bit scared…

Gu Yina couldn't help thinking.

After watching Luo En train for a moment longer, she couldn't help asking:

"How long have you been here?"

"I just got here last night—don't you remember?"

"No! I mean, how long have you been training here?"

"Oh, you mean this?"

Luo En stopped his push-ups, sat on the ground, thought for a moment, then looked at her and said:

"About two hours, I guess."

13, Growing Stronger Together, Days at the Dojo (3/5)

A sharp crack.

The bamboo sword in Gu Yina's hand fell to the ground.

She stared blankly at the black-haired boy sitting in the snow, bare-chested, his muscles slightly bulging yet sharply defined.

At that moment, Gu Yina felt she was beginning to understand why he looked younger than her, yet possessed such overwhelming strength.

Luo En, watching Gu Yina, wore a look of complete confusion.

"Did you come here for something?"