"Although your sword skills are good, you are still one step behind me, Miyajima Kiichiro."
"Heh, kid, the times haven't changed yet."
"A young man's sword is sharp, but an old man's sword is not necessarily dull!"
"Taste my Miyajima ancestral sword art!"
"Look at the sword, look at the sword, look at the sword, look at the sword, look at the sword, look at the sword, ha, you think this old man only says 'look at the sword'? Look~~~~~~~~wahahahahahahahahahahaha~~~~~~~~sword~~~~~~~~!~~~"
↑
This is what Miyajima Kiichiro had imagined would happen in this duel.
But as for the result.
What is this?
Oh, it's the ceiling of this old man's house.
Why is this old man looking at the ceiling?
Oh, because this old man is lying down.
Why is this old man lying down?
Oh, it turns out…
Miyajima Kiichiro, with hazy eyes, strained to glance not far away.
The handsome young man stood there, clicking his tongue while holding a wooden sword.
…So, this old man lost.
Miyajima Kiichiro's mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
He had exchanged a few moves with this young man in the bookstore before, and even then, he admitted that the young man's handwork was good and his lower body was extremely stable, but he never expected his sword skills to be even more astonishing.
This old man couldn't even last twenty rounds against him…
Kiichiro sighed, truly, in Japan, the waves behind push the waves ahead.
Hayato, on the other hand, grabbed his collar. There was a very sharp tear in that part of his clothing, as if something sharp had cut it.
Yes, it was a sword.
But, it was a wooden sword.
The wooden sword in Miyajima Kiichiro's hand.
This old man probably has some issues, right? He can wield a wooden sword to produce the cutting effect of a real sword?
If he were holding a real sword… the consequences would truly be unimaginable.
Hayato looked at Miyajima Kiichiro, who was lying down:
"Hey, old man, even if you try to fake an injury, I don't have any money to compensate you."
Miyajima Kiichiro let out a "heave-ho" and sat up with some effort, then clutched his lower back: "…Ouch, it's been a while since I last moved, my old back can't take it anymore… I let the young man take advantage."
"Heh." Hayato smiled indifferently: "Shall we compete again?"
Miyajima Kiichiro looked somewhat embarrassed, then glared angrily at the brat.
The brat's skill is good… No, it should be called exceptionally strong, but his emotional intelligence is too low; he doesn't know how to give an old man a way out.
"Hmph, this old man is old and lacks stamina. Even if I were to fight you again, I'd probably only have a thirty percent chance of winning, so there's no point in competing," Miyajima Kiichiro said.
"Out of a hundred percent total, you should have a thirty percent chance of winning," Hayato said: "It's time for the legend to end."
Miyajima Kiichiro was about to angrily retort, "This old man will never hand his granddaughter over to a man like you who can't say a single nice word," but then he had a change of heart and chuckled.
Hehe, this kid called him a 'legend'… Hmph, this old man will forgive you this time. Miyajima Kiichiro thought, but don't think that just because you say a few pleasant words, this old man's favorability will go up and up! Don't underestimate this old man!
Miyajima Kiichiro sat cross-legged.
He placed the wooden sword on his lap, then carefully caressed its blade.
"This old man originally thought that Sakura, whom I trained, was invincible, but I never expected there to be a talent like you in this world…"
He looked at Hayato with profound eyes: "You must have put in a lot of hard work to reach such a level. Hmm, in terms of swordsmanship, this old man acknowledges you."
"I didn't work hard."
Hayato, however, grinned, his white teeth sparkling: "If effort was useful, what would we geniuses be for?"
"Pfft…" Miyajima Kiichiro almost choked on a mouthful of old blood. This brat!! What do you gain by angering this old man so much!?
Answer: Happiness.
Hayato built his happiness on Miyajima Kiichiro's suffering. He looked at the old man's distorted face and just laughed.
But happiness can only last for a while; if it continues, it loses its flavor.
So, Hayato also sat cross-legged beside Miyajima Kiichiro, mimicking him by placing the wooden sword across his knees.
Miyajima Kiichiro glanced at him.
He didn't say a word.
He just suddenly felt that having such a grandson wouldn't be bad.
Unfortunately, Hayato hasn't even properly understood what it means to be a 'son' in this life, let alone a grandson. The moment he opened his mouth, he stabbed another knife into Miyajima Kiichiro's chest.
And it was the sharpest knife, causing the most real pain.
"You have another son?" Hayato asked.
Hypnosis ● Guidance hadn't mentioned this.
But Hayato was already used to it; after all, if Nanao Akane could have study sessions with Shigen Ryouka, then it was perfectly reasonable for something unexpected to happen.
Miyajima Kiichiro's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp.
He pierced Hayato with a sword-like gaze:
"How do you know!?"
"I've seen him."
"You beast—" Miyajima Kiichiro's hands trembled with anger, "He actually went to Sakura!"
No, it was Aunt Tsubaki.
Hayato thought to himself, but for Aunt Tsubaki's physical and mental well-being, he decided to keep her secret for a while, as it was more or less the same.
"What happened?" Miyajima Kiichiro asked.
Hayato briefly mentioned the matter of asking for money, of course without revealing Miyajima Tsubaki.
"By the way, I beat up your son."
"Good beating."
Miyajima Kiichiro answered subconsciously, and then said: "No, you're still too impulsive…"
If that brat goes looking for trouble… but given this kid's skill, self-preservation shouldn't be a problem.
Kiichiro then breathed a sigh of relief.
His proud and stubborn personality made him unwilling to cause trouble for others.
"So, what's the conflict between you and your son?" Hayato asked directly.
Miyajima Kiichiro narrowed his old eyes, pondered for a moment, then spoke in a soft but stern tone: "This matter is a Miyajima family affair. You don't need to concern yourself with it; just take care of yourself… If you encounter that beast again in the future, do not speak much with him. Run if you can, and if you encounter trouble, you can come to this old man to solve it!"
Hayato looked at Miyajima Kiichiro's old and rigid face and asked:
"Can you solve it?"
Miyajima Kiichiro paused, then gritted his old teeth and continued:
"Naturally, who do you think this old man is? This old man is Miyajima Kiichiro, the contemporary Tokyo Sword Master…"
He seemed to be showing off.
But Hayato could tell that the old man was more trying to encourage himself.
But things had come to this.
Hayato didn't say anything more. He stood up and stretched.
Under Miyajima Kiichiro's gaze, the young man looked back, giving a meaningful glance at the katana and wakizashi lying horizontally in the center of the training ground.
"Nice swords, let me try them sometime," Hayato said.
"Let's see if you have the ability," Miyajima Kiichiro said, narrowing his eyes.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!