Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 63 Defeat and Cry
Some say that following the rules is the best way to protect yourself.

Yu Jian's sudden remark left Tian Yu Lingyin stunned.

"Some people strictly follow the rules set by others, while others only follow the laws of their own hearts."

"I don't know which category you fall into, but blindly following the rules without understanding how they work is just being obedient."

“You…” Tianyu Lingyin stopped in her tracks, her expression one of utter astonishment and confusion.

Yu Jian paused for a moment, realizing that talking to her about this was pointless.

"The reason why protective gear is worn in kendo is to avoid injury. If the skill gap between the two sides is too large, the protective gear is just something that is dispensable."

“That’s all.”

The white-haired youth calmly stopped explaining.

Then he raised his sword.

The meaning couldn't be clearer.

"You!" Tianyu Lingyin gritted her teeth, put on her helmet, and slashed at Yujian's left hand with her sword.

Hokushin Ittō-ryū - Pull Strike!

The girl's figure and the bamboo knife in her hand form a straight line; her arm is an extension of her body, and the bamboo knife is an extension of her arm.

Since the bamboo sword has no scabbard, the step of drawing the sword is omitted. However, when making a move, the angle of the sword is perfectly aligned with the center line of the body. Combined with the 'sending foot' technique of sliding the foot forward, the sword appears in front of the user in the next second.

"Hand!" Tianyu Lingyin shouted loudly:
Even when attacked in anger, the strike was still swift, accurate, and steady, demonstrating exceptional skill without making any mistakes, perfectly embodying the Hokushin Ittō-ryū principle of 'unity of mind, technique, and body'.

She even remembered to clearly call out the part of the body she was about to attack, according to the rules of Kendo.

But is being without fault the same as being right?

Yu Jian neither retreated nor dodged to the side; he simply stood there, holding the bamboo sword in one hand, letting the attacks fall upon him.

Only when the attack was about to hit him did he blink and move the bamboo sword to his side, launching a counterattack against the attack of Tenyu Rinne.

This was just the beginning; the girl immediately launched a rapid and continuous attack, as swift as a storm.

"Card!"

"hand!"

"hand!"

"Card!"

Despite her loud shouts, Tianyu Lingyin grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, feeling even more bewildered than before. Her aggressive attacks had not only failed to produce any effect, but she couldn't even make her opponent move an inch.

It felt like waves crashing against rocks; no matter how hard you tried, it was all in vain.

No, that's not a reef, it's a mountain!
The two bamboo swords pressed hard together. Yujian calmly watched the panting Tianyu Lingyin, and he began to understand what Baihexiang was worried about.

"Not attacking the head? Not attacking the legs? Not attacking the vital organs of the chest and abdomen?"

He asked this question in a voice that was exactly like someone else's gentle tone, as if he were teasing a child.

"I'm a little confused, is this really a duel?"

Amane Rinne gritted her teeth and pushed away Miken. Of course, this was because the latter had maintained his abilities at a normal level from the beginning of the duel; otherwise, the match would have ended instantly.

The second attack by Amane Rinne was noticeably faster than before, and her techniques began to subtly change, gradually transforming from competitive sports into true killing techniques.

As expected, the other party was someone with a legitimate lineage of swordsmanship.

Moreover, he has an exceptional talent for swordsmanship.

Even those who ride swords would praise it with a "not bad".

The sensation from the sword made him realize that swordsmen could indeed understand each other's inner thoughts by clashing with each other's swords.

It's not some mysterious or mystical thing, but rather analyzing the opponent's state from their strength, movements, and techniques.

If it were two sword masters, they might be able to feel each other's hearts more directly through the clash of swords.

Within Tenyu Suzune's seemingly flawless moves, one could detect an almost bland sense of bewilderment while wielding her sword. It wasn't because the swordswoman was currently at a disadvantage, but rather because she felt helpless and troubled about the future or certain things.

Honestly, I'm not a psychologist, why should I do such a troublesome thing?

Despite inwardly complaining, Yu Jian's sword techniques were flawless.

Perhaps we could try shock therapy...

*Clang!* The two bamboo swords clashed again, but this time, Amane Suzune felt a shiver run down her spine, as if some terrifying and enormous being was indifferently watching her.

That thing... was right there!
Looking up, she saw a pair of deep, emerald-green eyes staring at her, their depths faintly revealing a dark, inky black.

"Your sword." Yu Jian's voice suddenly turned cold.

"There was no murderous intent."

The next instant, the white-haired boy launched his first attack. The sword strike was unremarkable from top to bottom, yet Tianyu Lingyin felt a sense of powerlessness, as if she were facing a bolt of lightning from the sky, completely unable to resist it.

A surging killing intent poured down from above like a flood, along with a bamboo knife that was as light as a feather yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.

When she regained consciousness, Tenyu Rin found herself lying on the ground, feeling the hard, cold touch of the floor behind her, and holding a bamboo sword against a metal-framed face shield.

Just now, she was struck down by a sword from the front.

In Kendo rules, the first person to reach two points wins, and a hit to the face immediately scores two points, making it a one-hit kill.

However, failing to shout "men" during the sword attack violates the rules of swordsmanship and requires a penalty.

So, is it a win or a loss?
For a moment, Amane Rin's heart was in turmoil.

The three students acting as referees also forgot to blow their whistles. The sword strike just now was like a thunderbolt, leaving a lingering spot of light in everyone's vision, making the entire arena so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Ta-ta-ta-ta.

Footsteps approached, and Aizen Yurika entered the dojo.

"Rin-chan, how much longer are you going to lie on the ground?"

Lily straightened her skirt, knelt down beside Amane Suzune, and then asked teasingly:

"Gurgle." Tenyu Rinne bit her lip and made a strange sound.

As Franz Kafka said, no matter how bizarre, absurd, or even illogical the rules may seem, most people will choose to follow them without hesitation.

Because following the rules might incur additional costs later, but breaking them will immediately result in consequences. In short, you'll pay the price sooner or later.

Yu Jian stood on the other side of the arena, his face filled with melancholy, muttering about the price he had paid, for the bamboo sword in his hand had become tattered and torn, like an octopus sausage.

It seems we'll have to lose money...

"Unfortunately, we humans are always inclined to procrastinate. After all, it's easier to accept on a mental level," said Miken in the end.

"That's called escaping," Yurika added with a smile.

"Coo!" Tianyu Coo Chicken made a strange sound again.

"By the way, is this passage in Kafka's book?" Yurika began to switch her focus to her sword.

"Then let's just take it as my personal interpretation," Yu Jianming argued without batting an eye.

"You read so many books, Your Majesty." Lily's words seemed like a compliment, but combined with what she had just said, they sounded more like a joke.

"I'm sorry, I don't have the extensive knowledge of the Great Bodhisattva Aizen." Yujian pouted and looked at the silent Tianyu Lingyin.

"Still fighting?"

"Ugh."

"Looks like they don't want to fight."

"Humph!"

It wasn't until this moment that the other members of the kendo club outside the arena realized what was happening.

"The president actually lost!?!" The first sentence immediately gave off the feeling of a nobody audience member.

"The president lost? The president lost!"

"President!"

"They seem to care about you quite a bit." Yu Jian glanced at Tian Yu Lingyin, who was still lying on the ground and wouldn't get up, and then noticed a faint glimmer of water in the girl's eyes.

Clean the motor.

A bad feeling crept into my heart.

"Lily—fragrance—you bad guy, all you do is find people to bully me!" Tianyu Lingyin ripped off her helmet, gritting her teeth or rather, tears streaming down her face as she lunged at Aizen Daibosatsu.

Then, she was grabbed by the cheek and blocked outside the absolute defensive circle. Yurika took out a handkerchief and quickly wiped the sweat off Ameyu Rinne's face before hugging her head and patting her back. Her movements were so skillful that someone next to her immediately had a subtle sense of déjà vu.

I should be under the car, not inside it...

"It's alright, it's alright. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war."

Lily looked down at the tearful Amane Rinne. Even though she was a year younger than her, she radiated a compassionate light that was like that of a mother or a bodhisattva.

"but."

A cold, uncompassionate light flashed across the black-rimmed glasses of Aizen Bodhisattva's mother as she leaned close to Tenyu Suzune's ear and whispered a merciless, devilish murmur.

"You can't go back on your promise."

"Goo!" Tianyu Lingyin let out a mournful cry, like a small animal.

"I...I can do anything!"

(End of this chapter)