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

Uesugi Kai looked at him in surprise: "The National Class A Civil Service Examination?"

"You know about this too?" Ishibashi Kazutsukasa seemed quite proud.

Uesugi Kai immediately began to look at him differently. This exam was like a civil service exam that could lead to instant career advancement.

Those who pass this exam are called—

"CAREER"

Also known as the elite group, only about 500 out of more than 200,000 police officers nationwide pass this exam.

A true high achiever, even harder to get into than the University of Tokyo.

His starting point was someone else's finish line; what others took decades to reach, he achieved right after graduating from university.

His strength is both enviable and undeniable.

"Very impressive."

"Haha, it's nothing. Compared to Superintendent Hanamaru's legendary resume, I'm just an ordinary junior officer who's just starting out."

Ishibashi Kazushi patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Let's go, let's talk as we walk. First, let's go to the kendo dojo up there. We train there when we have free time."

......

Following Ishibashi and Tsukasa to the spacious kendo dojo on the sixth floor, Uesugi Kai saw two people in kendo uniforms facing each other.

Sword tip to sword tip,

They cautiously probed each other, occasionally making a series of small movements to reveal their weaknesses and attract the other's attack.

Uesugi Kai watched their movements calmly, waiting.

After a full fifteen seconds of probing and testing of each other...

Suddenly, a man shouted: "Dong!"

With a flick of his wrist, he knocked away his opponent's bamboo sword and, with lightning speed, struck his opponent's waist from the side.

In that instant, another person's bamboo sword also swiftly landed on his head, but it was a fraction of a second slower.

boom!boom!

Almost simultaneously, both bamboo swords struck directly, producing a sound.

The two were moving so fast that they left afterimages, leaving Uesugi Kai bewildered as to what was happening.

【Kendo Lv5 (4/10)】

"One book! Itagaki Katsu!"

Ishibashi Kazuya smiled and called out to the two people in the middle of the dojo, then walked over, with Uesugi Kai following closely behind.

The two people in the dojo also saw Ishibashi and Tsukasa at the other end and took off their headgear.

"It should be three rounds! Kitada has already lost two rounds."

Kyusaku Itagaki revealed his forehead, which was covered in sweat, and his tanned skin accentuated his strong physique.

Chapter 52 Dual-Sword Style Swordsman

"Sigh, I lost to this guy again today, and I'll have to spend money again." Kitada Hisanobu hugged his helmet, glanced at Itagaki Kyusaku beside him, and shook his head helplessly.

"Haha, it's no big deal if I eat one more of your food," Itagaki Kyusaku laughed heartily, looking quite cheerful. "Want Inspector Ishibashi to come along? Let Kitada treat us to some yakitori!"

"Sure, it's rare to see you two being so generous!" Ishibashi and Tsukasa immediately agreed with a smile.

"Haha, it's decided then, let's have some grilled skewers!"

"Ok?"

Itagaki Kyusaku saw Uesugi Kai following behind him and asked:

"Who is this young man? He's probably a high school student. What's he doing here?"

Compared to Itagaki Kyusaku, Kitada Hisanobu recognized more things, including Uesugi Kai's school uniform:

"Judging from the school uniform, they are high school students from Kanzaki-Eshito. This private school is a place that only rich people can attend."

“Not everyone is rich or a top student,” Kyusaku Itagaki added, then continued, “Inspector Ishibashi, your younger brother? He’s even more handsome than you.”

"Haha, too bad, that's not it."

Uesugi Kai glanced at them and nodded slightly:

"Nice to meet you. My name is Uesugi Kai. I'm not Inspector Ishibashi's younger brother. As for my identity... well... I don't know what kind of identity I have here at the police station."

Itagaki Kyusaku and Kitada Hisanobu were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other, wondering what it meant that they didn't even know their own identities.

“Don’t overthink it,” Ishibashi Kazutsukasa said. “Uesugi-san is just a little embarrassed to say it out loud. He’s a relative of Superintendent Hanamaru, but the Superintendent had to go to headquarters for some business and asked me to look after him temporarily. I didn’t have any missions at the time, so I brought him to the kendo dojo to learn kendo.”

"Understood." Kitada Hisanobu looked at Uesugi Kai without giving it much thought.

Kai Uesugi glanced at Kazutsukasa Ishibashi beside him, recalling the words he had just spoken.

It has to be said, she has high emotional intelligence.

He did not reveal his so-called "son-in-law" status, but introduced him to others as a "relative".

Furthermore, the events were explained using examples such as "something came up temporarily," "temporary care," and "incidentally, the kendo dojo."

This not only made Hanamaru Yuuki less bureaucratic and less prone to abusing his power for personal gain, but also brought the two of them closer and won his favor.

No wonder he's a top student.

How come someone with such high emotional intelligence can't find a girlfriend?

Perhaps, everything in this world is just that mysterious.

"learn!"

Kyusaku Itagaki, holding his helmet, suddenly responded loudly, then looked at Kai Uesugi with a bright smile:

"Uesugi-san, how about a kendo match? I can give you some pointers, and I guarantee you'll be unstoppable in the school's kendo club! Plus, with your face, you'll definitely be the most eye-catching person in school. Your shoe cabinet will be overflowing with pink love letters, hehe."

Before Uesugi Kai could speak, Ishibashi Kazutsukasa immediately stopped him:

"No! Itagaki, you're too rough. Compared to kendo, what you're doing is more like hitting people with a bamboo sword."

"Haha," Itagaki Kyusaku grinned, revealing two rows of teeth. "I'm used to it, but I'm nothing compared to the Superintendent General."

"Alright, alright, you two go ahead with your work. I'll take him to change into his kendo uniform."

"go Go."

Ishibashi and Tsukasa casually waved to the two of them and led Uesugi Kai to the other end of the dojo to change into their kendo uniforms.

This was the first time Uesugi Kai had worn a kendo uniform. The protective gear on his upper body was a bit stiff, and the helmet on his head was also quite heavy.

The protective gear protects four impact sites: the head, forearms, abdomen, and throat.

"I didn't expect it to fit so well." Ishibashi Kazutsukasa looked at Uesugi Kai, who had his helmet fastened, and said, "If it weren't custom-made, this would be acceptable."

"By the way, what dan level were you in kendo at school?"

"..."

“I have no dan, and I haven’t joined the kendo club either.” Uesugi Kai opened his mouth, then realized that his helmet was a bit too narrow, making it difficult to speak loudly.

"You haven't even joined the kendo club?" Ishibashi Kazutsukasa's surprised voice came from inside his helmet. "You... how many years have you been wielding a sword?"

"...Should I tell the truth?"

"Of course, only by telling the truth can I judge your specific abilities and give you some corresponding guidance."

"one day."

"..."

"what?"

"One year." Uesugi Kai changed his words, his voice was a little unclear because of the helmet.

“A year,” Ishibashi Kazutsukasa nodded. “I thought you meant one day. If that’s the case, we’ll have to start teaching from scratch, which is a lot of trouble.”

Kai Uesugi fell silent. He knew the basics, after all, Yuuki Hanamaru had taught him this part of the knowledge yesterday and said that he learned it very quickly.

Ishibashi and Tsukasa picked up the bamboo swords on the shelf, one long and one short.

"Inspector Hanamaru told me not to hold back. You must have some skill. Did he mention your approximate strength?"

"It seems to be... third dan in kendo..."

"Wow! You've reached the third dan level in kendo in just one year, that's amazing! You'd probably be one of the top players in your school."

Uesugi Kai looked at the long and short swords in Ishibashi and Tsukasa's hands with some curiosity:

"Officer Ishibashi, you are... a dual-wielder?"

"It's quite rare, isn't it?"

Ishibashi and Tsukasa weren't surprised by his curiosity, because most people would react that way.

"In some people's eyes, dual-wielding is considered odd. After all, everyone uses one sword, and high-level swordsmen all use one sword. Why should you be different?"

"What? Interested?" Ishibashi Kazutsukasa looked at him with a smile. "However, if you want to learn dual-wielding, you must first master single-wielding. Dual-wielding consumes more stamina, but at the same skill level, the advantage will be exceptionally obvious. It is also much simpler to deal with players who do not know dual-wielding."

"I am quite interested." Uesugi Kai thought of the skill card he had never used before.

Miyamoto Musashi, I think he was a member of the Niten Ichi-ryu school?

But what would happen if those deadly sword techniques from that time were re-embodied in swordsmanship?

"I think I'll give it a try."

"Give it a try? Dual-wielding?" Ishibashi Kazutsukasa nodded. "Sure, but if it's your first time, let's get familiar with it first. I'll be your target."

As he spoke, Ishibashi Kazutsuka picked up a short sword about 30 centimeters long from the shelf and handed it to Uesugi Kai.

"Let's go, let's practice our skills."

......

Inside the kendo dojo,

Wearing kendo uniforms, Ishibashi Kazutsukasa and Uesugi Kai took their stances.