Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

Shimada Sho felt even more disdain, "Just a piece of trash."

The merciless attack caused Kiryu Ichiyo's expression to suddenly turn icy.

The onlookers were even more shocked when they heard this.

"This guy is really asking for it!"

"He dared to say something like that to Kiryu-senpai without wearing protective gear. Where did he get the courage?"

"Teach him a lesson!"

"Shh-"

The girl next to them stopped their discussion, but her gaze remained fixed on the scene.

"How long do you think he can hold out?" another boy asked in a low voice.

"I don't know, but even Su Zhen is doing this for the first time. Kiryu-senpai is the successor of Kiryu Kendo."

"It was definitely a crushing defeat. Kiryu-senpai's level is such that even the club president was beaten 10 to 2 by her. The club president is a highly skilled player."

"Then this Shimada Sho..."

"You can tell just by the way he holds the knife; he's obviously a novice."

The murmurs were hushed, but Shimada Sho was still able to catch a word or two.

He didn't turn around, but simply switched the bamboo knife from his right hand to his left hand, and then back to his right hand, as if testing the feel of it.

Kiryu Ichiyo stood opposite her, her face showing anger, but she did not rush to attack.

Only a moment later did he ask, "Ready?"

“Come on.” Shimada Sho held the bamboo sword in front of him, the tip pointing towards her midsection.

Kiryu Ichiyo didn't say anything more.

She took a half step forward with her left foot, raised the bamboo sword, and pointed the tip at Shimada Sho's throat.

This is the most standard middle stance in Kendo.

This single starting stance was enough to elicit "I knew it" expressions from the kendo club students nearby.

"A proper mid-range opening move..."

"As expected of someone from the Kiryu family."

"That Shimada Sho didn't even lay out a structure; he's a complete novice."

Shimada Sho did not pose in any standard configuration.

He just stood there casually, his bamboo sword pointing diagonally at the ground, looking completely unprepared, his whole body full of openings.

But Kiryu Ichiyo's pupils contracted slightly.

In other people's eyes, he was full of flaws.

But in her eyes, this posture made it difficult for her to find a clear starting point.

The angle at which the bamboo sword was pointed diagonally at the ground perfectly blocked the lower half of the attack route, while his center of gravity was distributed extremely evenly, making it impossible to predict which direction he would move in.

This is not the posture of an amateur.

She suppressed the thought, no longer hesitating, and pushed off with her left foot, thrusting forward as the bamboo sword arced straight toward Shimada Sho's head.

"noodle!"

Her slash was incredibly fast, descending with a whooshing sound.

however--

Shimada Sho shifted half a step to the right, a very small movement that was almost imperceptible as if he were dodging.

The bamboo knife that fell was empty.

It struck the spot where Shimada Sho had originally been standing.

The bamboo knife grazed his left shoulder, its tip tracing a path through the air before striking the ground with a crisp "snap".

The students nearby hadn't even realized what was happening yet; they only saw Kiryu Ichiyo's first strike miss its mark.

"Missed it?"

"I guess I was lucky..."

Kiryu Ichiyo did not pause.

As soon as her bamboo sword landed in empty space, she immediately changed her stance, flipped the blade, and swept it horizontally towards Shimada Sho's waist.

This attack was executed with lightning speed, leaving almost no gap, as if the first attack had been anticipated to be dodged.

This time, Shimada Sho didn't even back down.

He simply held the bamboo sword to his side, the blade of which blocked the trajectory of Kiryu Ichiyo's bamboo sword.

"Snapped!"

The bamboo knives struck each other, producing a crisp sound.

Kiryu Ichiyo's force was transmitted to the sword, causing her hand to go slightly numb.

Shimada Sho's hand holding the knife remained perfectly still, as if blocking a child's waving branch.

Upon seeing this feedback, Kiryu Ichiyo's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

She took a half step back, creating some distance, and her gaze, through the strands of hair that had fallen from the movement, landed on Shimada Sho.

He still didn't adopt any standard posture. The direction of the bamboo knife was about the same as before, only the direction of the tip was slightly adjusted, as if it was a minor adjustment made casually.

He is not an amateur.

She was almost certain.

But she still didn't believe it.

How could a newcomer who can't even do a proper shin kick have such reaction and anticipation in kendo? The change of move and the block just now could not be done without at least three years of training experience.

She stepped forward and made her move again.

This time she was faster than before, and her blade technique changed. After slashing down from above, she changed direction halfway down, turning towards his left shoulder.

This is her specialty—turning a feint into a real move—and she has almost never failed in her previous encounters with anyone.

How could we be so easily countered?

Unfortunately, before Kiryu Ichiyo could get an answer, Shimada Sho made his move.

He was like a wild beast suddenly unleashed, striding forward with an indomitable spirit.

This move completely exceeded Kiryu Ichiyo's expectations. Her sword strike had already been launched, and he happened to enter her inner circle during that opening, the distance between them suddenly shrinking to less than an arm's length.

She could even see how he got close.

Just as he was about to block, a deafening sound rang in his ears:

"arm!"

The angry shout was like thunder, and its sudden roar caused Kiryu Ichiyo to be momentarily stunned.

By the time she realized what was happening, she was already experiencing excruciating pain in her arm.

Without any protective gear, the bamboo knife struck his forearm precisely.

The intense pain nearly made her drop the bamboo knife she was holding.

Fortunately, I reacted quickly and managed to grab it in time.

The sudden attack stunned the members who were watching the battle.

"What...what just happened?"

"have no idea……"

"Kiryu-senpai was...approached?"

"It wasn't just close-range; it hit."

"How is that possible!"

"...Did you see how he moved? I didn't see it clearly at all."

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Shimada Sho sheathed his bamboo sword, took a half-step back, and created distance once again.

Kendo uses a scoring system; once a round of combat ends, a new round begins.

During the process, any attack that matches the shout called "Ki-ho" and demonstrates the key elements of momentum and spirit will score points.

Kiryu Ichiyo called for noodles, but the attack was easily dodged.

Shimada Sho called out and hit the target precisely.

In the first round, Kiryu Ichiyo lost.

She stood still, her hand gripping the bamboo knife tightening and loosening slightly, then tightening again.

My initial excitement subsided at that moment.

The rise and fall of her chest became more pronounced than before.

She panicked.

Shimada Sho saw this and his sarcasm deepened.

“Again,” Kiryu Ichiyo said coldly, looking at him.

Shimada Sho met her gaze and nodded.

This time, Kiryu Ichiyo did not make the first move.

Holding the bamboo sword, she moved with small, quick steps, circling Shimada Sho in a semi-circle, trying to find a weak point in his defense.

Her gaze swept back and forth between his shoulders and wrists, trying to capture the moment he shifted his weight.

But Shimada Sho stood there, like a wall without any gaps.

His bamboo sword was always pointed at the ground, his posture casual, yet Kiryu Ichiyo couldn't find any angle to cut into it.

After pausing for a few breaths, she charged forward again.

The bamboo sword drew a sharp arc from her hand, aiming straight for Shimada Sho's left torso.

This strike was faster and more powerful than before, carrying the momentum of a full-force attack.

Shimada Sho took a half step to the left, and the bamboo sword fell diagonally downwards, hitting her right in the middle of the blade.

"Smack—"

Kiryu Ichiyo felt a force coming from the blade, which made her right hand, which was holding the blade, ache.

She gritted her teeth, changed her move accordingly, and swung the bamboo knife upwards, trying to break through his defense.

Shimada Sho had already put his bamboo sword back, as if it had never been extended at all.

Her slash missed its mark, and she slightly lost her balance due to the excessive force she used.

In that instant, Shimada Sho moved.

His bamboo knife slashed upwards from below at a tricky angle, aiming straight for her right wrist, which was holding the knife.

At the same time, a booming voice shouted: "Hand!"

By the time Kiryu Ichiyo reacted and tried to block, it was too late.

"Snapped!"

The bamboo knife struck precisely on the edge of the back of her hand.

The force wasn't heavy, but the angle was just right, and it made contact with the skin when it landed.

Instantly, the pink back of her hand turned white from the force of the blow.

Even without using full force, this kind of strike is still extremely vicious.

Shimada Sho was determined to teach this woman a lesson, but he didn't care about her feelings.

As a result, Kiryu Ichiyo's brows furrowed, his face turned deathly pale, and he looked terrible.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Training, Sasaki's Gift of Gratitude