Chapter 86

The air in the dojo was tense.

Takuru and Momo were sitting in seiza against the wall, watching us silently without a word.

"Kendo, it's been since elementary school for me."

"Hmm? Yet your grip is quite composed."

I put on the armor and held the shinai with both hands, testing its feel. The old man replied with a sly smile.

We stood on the starting line and took our stances.

The old man's grip on the shinai was the same as mine, with both hands tightly together on the handle.

Normally, when handling a sword, the hands should be apart.

This allows the principle of leverage to work at the wrist, making it easy for anyone to strike quickly and powerfully.

However, over time, my grip had gradually narrowed, and eventually, my hands were pressed firmly together.

This allowed me to handle the sword with my entire body, not just my hands.

It seemed that Momo's grandfather had also reached this level.

"Shall we begin?"

The old man said this and took a middle guard stance.

I followed suit and took the same stance.

We touched the tips of our swords, observing each other.

The old man remained completely still, intently watching my face.

There are times when two equally skilled masters face off and don't move.

This isn't because they fear the opponent's counter.

It's because they can't move before the other does.

In a match between two swordsmen, a counter after the initial strike is fundamentally impossible.

Once a sword is swung, it's extremely difficult to escape its speed.

In other words, Momo's grandfather aimed for the "initiative."

It seemed he had reached a higher level than I had imagined.

Now, how do I "lose" in this situation?

"Let me make it clear, I won't lose on purpose."

The old man said this and grinned under his mask.

... Did he see through me?

If so, there's no choice. I'll win without making too much of a show.

Fortunately, the old man is aiming for the initiative.

The key is to not let him sense my intent, hostility, or any signs of movement.

The old man still didn't move, and my skills showed no reaction.

He seemed determined to stick to his style.

I breathed in quietly through my nose, emptying my mind.

I relaxed, shifted my center of gravity slightly forward, bent my knees, and moved forward as if being pulled by gravity.

This is a technique called "shukuchi."

As I took a step, sliding my foot, the old man realized I had closed the distance and opened his eyes in surprise.

But it was too late.

I swept his shinai with the ridge of mine, and then used my strength to make him release it.

The sound of the shinai hitting the wooden floor echoed.

"What kind of brute strength is that?"

"Sorry, old man, looks like I couldn't match you in strength."

"That's not the point... I couldn't react. Why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, this is enough, right?"

The old man was probably wondering why he couldn't sense my movement, but I had no intention of explaining.

He might know about the "shukuchi" technique, but the skill of concealing one's presence is also influenced by my abilities.

Without my "constant battlefield" danger sense, which is similar to precognition, it would be almost impossible to detect.

Especially for people in this world.

"Wait, one more time! Please!"

"One match was the deal. I'm not doing it again. I'll take my victory and run."

"That's unfair!"

"Old man, you're being childish..."

I looked at the old man, who was whining, with a bemused expression.

Takuru and Momo watched us from a distance with puzzled looks.

They only saw us face off, take a step, and the shinai fly.

From their perspective, it didn't look like much of a match.

"Um... did Azami win?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

They didn't understand what had happened, only that the old man had dropped his shinai.

Just as I had planned.

"Please, just one more time..."

"...Maybe another time."

I sighed and said this, looking at the old man, who was clinging to me like a child.

+++++

"I've never seen anyone beat Mr. Suzukake before."

While eating breakfast, Takuru, sitting next to me, looked at me with shining eyes.

"It was just a fluke."

"Even if it was a fluke, it's still amazing!"

I picked up a pickled radish with my chopsticks, brought it to my mouth, and chewed it.

If it had been right after the pandemic, I could have stored such food in an item box that stops time, but by the time I returned from the other world, the power was already out, and the food had gone bad.

Yesterday's dinner was the same, but the long-awaited Japanese food was very satisfying.

I should have at least found a facility with a working generator and some frozen food.

"Azami, did you do something?"

"Something?"

"Kendo or an old martial art? Something like that."

I tried to play it cool, but Momo pressed further.

As I was thinking about how to respond, I heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside the room.

It was the man who had been on watch yesterday. He entered and immediately led the old man out of the room.

Takuru and Momo sent questioning glances, but I had no idea what was happening.

I tried to listen to the conversation outside, but they were speaking in low voices, and I couldn't hear through the shoji screen.

The old man returned quickly, opened the shoji, and said without entering the room:

"Sorry, I have something to take care of. I'll probably be back by evening."

"Mr. Suzukake, if there's anything I can help with..."

"No, no. It's not a big deal. Take your time, Yanagi. Don't just disappear. We have a rematch to look forward to."

The old man stopped Takuru from standing up with a hand and then left with the man.

Takuru, Momo, and I were left in the room.

The sudden event left us a bit flustered, but if the old man said it wasn't a big deal, it probably wasn't.

It was probably something like a few zombies appearing outside the town.

I could have helped as a thank you for the meal, but it seemed they had enough people.

"What was that about?"

"Is the old man okay..."

"Who knows. But I'm sure he'll be fine."

I replied to their worried glances.

Against zombies, given the cuts on the bodies in town and the match we just had, I didn't think the old man would be at a disadvantage.

If it was a matter of numbers, that would be a different story, but he would have considered that.

He had a track record of stabilizing the town, after all.

Ignoring their stopped chopsticks, I continued to enjoy my breakfast.