Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

Kai Uesugi suddenly turned around and glanced at her cousin. Her sapphire blue, lazy eyes reflected the orange lollipop, lingering as if she were reminiscing about the past.

"Actually, I really hate my own existence."

Uesugi Shio's calm tone revealed no emotion, "I'm superfluous and bring no joy to those around me. My mother's chronic illness has also worsened because of my existence."

"Your health is already poor, there's no need for you to have another child, right?"

Listening to her cousin's self-reproachful mutterings, Uesugi Kai didn't know what to say.

When he first met his aunt as a child, she was already in a wheelchair. Although she was not very energetic, she still smiled kindly and gently as she peeled oranges for him and the innocent little firefly.

At that time, my uncle's family didn't have much money, and my grandfather's orange grove had only recently been expanded.

In order to pay for medical treatment, they borrowed money everywhere, which caused their uncle's former friends to distance themselves from the family.

To this day, my uncle still owes money to my father and grandfather.

But he had long lost the motivation to earn it.

My cousin was also raised by my grandfather since she was a child, so she is extremely concerned about anything that happens to him.

Just as the two sat quietly under the eaves, silently watching the rain.

Grandma Uesugi led a guest in.

"It seems my beloved student isn't in a good mood," Uncle Sakakibara said with a hearty laugh as he held Ashiba in his arms.

"Woof woof!" The Shiba Inu with its glossy coat saw an old acquaintance and excitedly wagged its short tail.

"Why are you here, uncle?"

"Uncle?" Sakakibara Isshin maintained his smile. "Shouldn't you be called Master?"

“When did I ever admit that?” Uesugi Kai said.

"Huh? You forgot?"

Uesugi Kai stared at his smiling face and thought back for a moment. He realized that he had indeed called out once a few days ago when he borrowed the wooden sword.

Sakakibara Isshin stroked Shiba's shiny fur and said with satisfaction, "It seems he remembered."

The old lady Uesugi bowed to the man and said, “Sir, you helped my grandson 10 days ago. We are very grateful. Would you like to stay for a meal? Our Uesugi family can also show some hospitality.”

"Haha, no problem, no problem," Uncle Sakakibara readily agreed. "But Madam, there's no need for such formalities; you are an elder."

"nothing."

Mrs. Uesugi simply smiled and shook her head. After exchanging a few more polite words, she left to prepare lunch.

Excitedly, A-Chai broke free from the uncle's embrace, waddling around on his four little hooves, and ran to Uesugi Shio's side, circling around her.

"Woof! Woof!"

Seeing the Shiba Inu jumping around beside her, Uesugi Shio simply picked it up, munching on a lollipop while stroking its fluffy head.

Ah Chai stretched out his neck and let it be stroked.

This guy was like that in Hanabi's arms too.

Kai Uesugi finally understood: this guy liked having girls pat his head.

Sakakibara Isshin plopped down next to Uesugi Kai.

"So, Uncle, you came here today just for lunch?" Uesugi Kai asked.

"Of course not, I'm here for your future!" Uncle Sakakibara said seriously.

"Okay, I just want to freeload a meal."

"How could you say something like this to my face! By the way, how did you know?"

Kai Uesugi: "I can tell you're poor."

Uncle Sakakibara looked himself over several times. He was quite neat and tidy, not sloppy at all.

Curious, she pressed, "How did you know?"

"Guess."

"..."

A few seconds of silence.

"Alright, alright, I won't waste any more time. Anyone interested in learning my Sakakibara Ittō-ryū style?"

"No."

"Why do I feel that you, my beloved disciple, are so unambitious? Shouldn't a man, when faced with the opportunity to learn unparalleled skills from a master, be excited and beg to be accepted as his disciple?"

“That’s a manga plot,” Uesugi Kai listened to the sound of the drizzle hitting the bluestone. “There’s no such thing in reality. It only matters whether you have money or not. Only when you have money will you pursue these things.”

"That's so unambitious!!" Uncle Sakakibara shouted righteously.

Kai Uesugi: "So, uncle, do you want money or not?"

"Of course I want to!!" the uncle shouted decisively.

"Isn't that it? Uncle, you can just have your lunch in peace. There's no need to say anything like taking me on as your apprentice."

"With the mastery of my swordsmanship, my beloved student, you can easily claim the title of the nation's number one swordsman!"

Uncle Sakakibara looked at Uesugi Shio, who was hugging Shiba, and said, "Of course, if the girl wants to learn, I can teach her!"

Uesugi Shio didn't expect the topic to turn to her. "If I can learn, of course I'd be very happy. Mr. Sakakibara is still very good in the world of kendo."

Hearing the praise, Uncle Sakakibara's inexplicable confidence swelled up again: "Hahaha, that's right! No mistake! Did you hear that, my beloved student?"

Kai Uesugi gazed expressionlessly at the rain clouds overhead. "Uncle, have you forgotten how I knocked you out in one move last time?"

"It's twenty-six moves."

Speaking of the last time, Uncle Sakakibara's face immediately turned serious. "Speaking of which, my beloved disciple, what exactly happened to you? Neither the sword strike that knocked me unconscious nor the sword technique that took down those gangsters belonged to any school of modern swordsmanship."

"Niten Ichi-ryu?" Uesugi Kai asked tentatively.

"It does look somewhat similar, but fundamentally, they are completely different."

According to the uncle, the sword skills bestowed upon him by the legend of Miyamoto Musashi were not the "Niten Ichi-ryu".

Or perhaps the "Niten Ichi-ryu" that has been passed down in modern times is not the same thing as Miyamoto Musashi's "Niten Ichi-ryu".

Over a long period of time, modern swordsmanship has shed that foundation and transformed into something else entirely.

In other words, modern swordsmanship schools are merely inheriting a name?

After thinking about it for so long, Uesugi Kai felt that there was no point in thinking about it any further. He even felt that he was already unparalleled in the world, so why did he care about anything orthodox or not?

There's no point in worrying about these things.

Kai Uesugi replied to Uncle Sakakibara's question:

"Perhaps this is talent, a power bestowed by heaven."

"Born with it?" Uncle Sakakibara seemed extremely interested and quickly asked.

“That’s right!” Uesugi Kai said with certainty.

Uesugi Shio interjected, "Back when Kai returned to Ehime, he was a boy who found even carrying oranges too tiring. I didn't see any kendo talent in him, and he had never even held a wooden sword."

Uncle Sakakibara stared intently at Kai Uesugi: "My beloved student, you never practiced kendo when you were a child?"

When asked about revealing the fact that he was "extremely, extremely, extremely capable," Uesugi Kai replied frankly:

"Ah."

"When did you start practicing Kendo?" the uncle asked quickly.

“April,” Uesugi Shio replied for him, stroking Ashiba.

"April five years ago?"

"This year."

"Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible."

Uncle Sakakibara shifted his gaze back to Kai Uesugi, shaking his head repeatedly and saying "impossible" four times.

"Uncle."

Kai Uesugi said calmly, "When something impossible happens right before your eyes, is it still impossible?"

Without looking at the uncle's face, he reached out his palm and caught the water droplets falling from the eaves.

"Logic follows reality, but reality does not need to follow logic."

###Chapter 220 Autumn Has Arrived###

The rain continued for the next few days.

At noon, Uesugi Zai stood behind the wooden window, the scenery near and far seemingly shrouded in a faint mist, the sound of dripping tiles hitting the roof tiles echoing in the courtyard.

Just by watching the calamus swaying in the small pond, a refreshing coolness permeates the whole body.

Grandma Uesugi, who was carrying a plate out of the kitchen, saw Kai Uesugi standing by the window in a daze and couldn't help but sigh softly.

My grandson has been spacing out like this for the past few days.

This was an expression that his grandmother had never seen before, from the time he was a child to the present.

"Ah-Zai, lunch is ready. I made tempura today," Grandma Uesugi called out softly.

no respond.

The old woman moved closer to him and continued calling out.

“Ah-Zhao”.

“Ah-Zhao”.

"Ah-Zhao...?"

The old lady walked in front of him, and only then did Uesugi Kai snap out of his reverie, distracted by the spider lilies swaying in the courtyard outside the window.

"grandmother."

Grandma Uesugi didn't seem to be blaming her. Holding the plate of golden tempura with both hands, she smiled and said: