Chapter 90

"Just to be sure, there's one thing I want to confirm."

The dojo, which had already grown dark as the sunset faded, was dimly lit by the light of an LED lantern placed nearby.

I prefaced, "I don't think it's something that needs to be asked, but..."

"Is it okay for Takero and Momo to stay here?"

I thought it would be fine for Momo since she is part of the old man's family, but I hadn't heard anything about Takero's grandparents.

If there are no connections to this town, I need to confirm how Takero will be treated.

"Of course it is."

"Not just that they can stay, but they will be treated equally with the other townspeople and not be mistreated, right? I'm not just asking for the old man's feelings, but for the will of the townspeople."

"Don't worry, it's fine. We've already discussed it thoroughly."

"Alright. If that's the case, I have nothing else to say."

Well, they said they would leave the town as soon as they started high school.

They would be in their second year of high school now, meaning they were residents of this town until about a year ago, so I thought it would be fine.

Given that they haven't been away for too long, the townspeople probably still recognize them and wouldn't treat them as outsiders.

As I thought this, looking down, I felt the old man's gaze on me and asked, "What is it?"

"No, I apologize if it bothers you. I just thought you were kind. It's really fortunate for them to have met you."

The old man's eyes welled up with tears, and he gave me an awkward smile.

He probably thinks I'm a kind man who cares about them even though I was told to leave.

And because he told me to leave, he's hesitating to smile.

For me, it's simply that I have no intention of taking care of them.

That's why I just wanted to confirm that the old man and the others would take care of them properly.

From an outsider's perspective, it might seem like I'm kind.

So I decided not to mention it anymore.

"Surviving in this world isn't necessarily a stroke of luck. I hope they can at least think it is."

This was not out of embarrassment or anything, but a sincere statement from the heart.

In this lawless world, there are worse things than death.

Even in the old world, it wasn't zero, but the probability has certainly increased.

That's why I wanted the old man and the others to protect them from such fates.

I'm not indifferent to the town's policy of not accepting outsiders, but if it's something they decided to protect themselves, I have nothing more to say.

"Alright, leave it to me."

Seeing the old man clearly agree, I finished the last of the sake in my cup and nodded.

+++++

Early the next morning, the four of us—me, the old man, Takero, and Momo—were in the dojo.

Last night, I said I would leave immediately, but the old man asked me to stay one more night.

Perhaps he didn't want to send us out during the night when the zombies are active, and he also wanted the other townspeople to see us leave clearly.

Most likely, it was to give Takero and Momo some time to say goodbye.

After the old man and I finished our conversation and left the dojo, Takero and Momo immediately confronted us.

The old man was thoroughly scolded by the two, who were visibly angry.

Feeling sorry for him, I tried to support him as much as I could, and although they still looked unsatisfied, they had no choice but to listen to me, the person directly involved.

Takero and Momo and I talked late into the night in the room assigned to me.

Well, we didn't really talk that much.

If I had to say, there was more silence than conversation.

I felt a bit uncomfortable, but I imagine they felt the same way.

Still, they didn't leave the room, and I could see their reluctance to part with me, someone they had just met, and I felt a sense of happiness.

Now, I'm in the dojo because I thought I would have one last match with the old man before leaving.

Of course, it wasn't the old man's request, but my own.

Part of it was a vent for being told to leave and being reminded of that time, and part of it was an apology for leaving the two in his care and abandoning the responsibility.

The old man probably doesn't understand the venting part, but he seemed to want to have a rematch with me.

"Troublesome, I don't need any armor. I don't intend to hit you, so you can stay as you are, old man."

"That's asking too much... but, alright."

"Sure, you can come at me with the intention to hit."

The old man, understanding the difference in skill, took up his bamboo sword without armor.

Takero and Momo were shocked and started to protest, but the old man and I ignored them and aligned our sword tips.

Without pushing each other's tips away, we touched them together, and I said,

"You know that 'sensen' won't work this time, right? This time, you come at me..."

Before I finished, the old man moved.

A slightly restrained strike to the torso.

I deflected it with my bamboo sword, guided it to the front, and pushed it away to create distance.

"Don't worry, I won't hit you. You don't need to hold back."

I didn't intend to reveal all my techniques, but I had no hesitation in showing some strength to these three, whom I would never see again.

I might have wanted to get back at being told to leave, even though I didn't think much of it.

"Maybe I could make you stay until you heal. Don't regret it."

The old man, who said this, took a middle stance and took a deep breath.

I followed suit and took a middle stance as well.

It looked the same as yesterday's demonstration, but this time the old man would attack me.

Perhaps sensing the atmosphere, Takero and Momo were now watching silently.

My danger sense kicked in.

The old man moved.

It was a remarkable step that made it seem like he hadn't moved at all.

The movement of the raised bamboo sword was smooth, and the full-body swing was fast and sharp.

Indeed, this time he came at me without holding back.

I moved "after seeing that."

The sound of the bamboo sword hitting the floor with force echoed.

"In kendo, this wouldn't count as a point... but is this enough?"

I placed the tip of my bamboo sword at the old man's neck and said.

The old man, still in the position of his swing, didn't move.

He remained still and whispered,

"...After the attack, no... not really..."

Moving at the moment you think the opponent will move is 'sensen'.

Moving after the opponent attacks and hitting them faster is 'go-no-sen'.

As I said before, it's extremely difficult to do this with a downward swing.

And what I just did was moving faster than the opponent's downward swing, surpassing 'go-no-sen'.

I did it with special footwork, minimizing the use of magic to enhance my body, but it seems the old man understood it correctly.

"Complete defeat. No... it wasn't even a match from the start."

He said this and gave me a sly smile.

"I thought you weren't just anyone... but the townspeople really made a bad decision."

Then he sighed deeply.