"Alright, you can stay here for now." Rin flipped the light switch in the hotel room and led a curious Shizukusa Jūjirō inside.
"Oh! Is this an electric light?"
"Yes."
"Is that square black box what they call a television?!"
"That's right."
"Wow, the outside world is so amazing!"
Little Rin didn't show any impatience with Shizukusa Jūjirō's country bumpkin appearance, because she knew that the "mountain" where Shizukusa Jūjirō lived was a place with no electricity at all, and life there was completely anachronistic compared to the outside world.
However, because assassination missions also required human knowledge, Shizukusa Jūjirō was aware of outside knowledge, he just hadn't seen it.
It was like a child who listened to fairy tales every day suddenly found himself in a fairy tale world; even though he knew about it, everything still seemed new and interesting.
"You stay here for now. I've already told the hotel to send dinner to your room.
It's fine if you want to go out, here's some money for you; even if you haven't seen it before, you know how to use it, right?
But there's one thing that's of paramount importance!" Little Rin emphasized, holding up her right index finger in front of Shizukusa Jūjirō.
"I'm not the only Magician in this city, so if you encounter a Hermit's Barrier again—that is, a place that looks like you don't want to approach it—don't be a fool and go charging in again!
My strength among Magicians is only considered decent, and now you've lost an Arm.
If you act foolish again, at least teach me your Arm Technique before you die!"
"Mhm, mhm!"
"Do you understand!?"
"Ah, yes, I understand."
"Alright, I'm leaving now. I'll come find you tomorrow morning.
Oh, and one more thing, remember to use the door when you leave the room.
This is the ninth floor, 25 meters above the ground; if you instinctively jump out the window, I won't bother to collect your corpse tomorrow."
"Yes, I understand."
Understand my ass!
In the original story (yuanzhu), if Aoko hadn't stopped him, he would have become the first Male Protagonist in the 2d world (anime/manga world) to jump out of a classroom window and die.
Still feeling a bit uneasy, Little Rin gave him one last look before saying goodbye and leaving.
As for where the money for the hotel came from, of course, it was the tribute from her subordinates, as she was a gang boss.
No more dawdling here; I need to get back to the shop immediately, it's almost time!
...A night passed without incident...
After Shimiya let her out again, Little Rin arrived at the hotel where Shizukusa Jūjirō had stayed last night.
It was really good not to see a crowd pointing and gesticulating around a corpse.
Little Rin thought with a sigh of relief.
Arriving at Shizukusa Jūjirō's room, she knocked on the door, and the young man's handsome face appeared in the crack of the opened door.
"Ohayo, how was your stay last night?"
"Mhm, it was really good! Neither the food nor the sleep can compare to the mountain!"
"Mhm, you didn't go out last night, did you?"
"No, until I get used to using only my left hand, I think I should try to minimize going out and acting alone."
"Very good, steady wins the race.
Keep it up in the future, and this way, I'll break you two up."
"What? Break up what?"
"Uh, no, I mean, let's get started quickly.
I'm very much looking forward to your technique."
"Mhm, let's go."
Break up what? Of course, it's to stop you from diving headfirst into Arika's Hermit's Barrier and breaking up your meeting with Aoko and Arika.
Even if nothing happens in the end, I won't let such a plot, where two beautiful girls raise a "loyal dog" in a deep mountain mansion, happen!
It also saves you from getting another "bento" from Touko.
Thank me.
After breakfast, Little Rin and Shizukusa Jūjirō arrived at the place where they had fought yesterday.
Shizukusa Jūjirō, acting as the instructor, stood face to face with his student Little Rin and said, "The Arm Technique 'Wolf' is actually about using the Arm to imitate a wolf's attack and fighting style, not simply imitating a wolf's movements, because simply imitating a wolf would discard the advantages of being human..."
It must be said that Shizukusa Jūjirō might be a bit slow, lacking common sense, and naturally clumsy in other aspects, but when talking about his Arm Technique "Wolf," he was eloquent and went straight to the essence.
Experience, key points, techniques, methods of exerting force, coordination of footwork, timing of moves, angles of attack... he integrated everything, no matter how minute.
Because in the past assassin organization, Shizukusa Jūjirō existed as a tool and carrier specifically for carrying the "Wolf."
There, "Wolf" was his everything; there was no willingness or unwillingness, "Wolf" was his life, his existence, and he was trained by the organization because he carried the "Wolf."
A technique honed over a lifetime could only be used once; one person kills only one person, and after completion, they take their own life.
Perhaps it was only such an extreme method that could produce human assassins capable of rivaling Heroic Spirits.
"The Arm Technique has no fixed stances or routines; rather, it's a philosophy of action based on an offensive mindset, attacking in a wolf-like manner—that is the entirety of 'Wolf'..."
"'Wolf' emphasizes how to inflict the greatest damage on the target.
Attacks on vital points don't require too much, because a prey torn by a wolf will die from severe injuries regardless of the location, because 'Wolf' aims to make any hit on the target's body a fatal one, meaning any part of the target's body is a vital point..."
Little Rin, relying on her excellent skills and superhuman physique, quickly mastered all the essentials of "Wolf."
"If you can skillfully remember everything I've taught you, then 'Wolf' is considered to be initially learned.
After that, it's about integrating 'Wolf' into your body's natural movements during combat."
In seven days, Little Rin learned the Arm Technique "Wolf" from Shizukusa Jūjirō.
This was a martial art created purely for killing, and specifically for killing only one person.
It was an art of no retreat, only advance; touch and kill.
It was a martial art completely devoid of any philosophy or ideology; between its punches and kicks, there was only one word: Kill!
However, now that she had learned the Arm Technique, Little Rin had to arrange Shizukusa Jūjirō's social life.
In short, he couldn't be in Misaki; the Male Protagonist and Female Protagonist being in the same city was a threat, and besides...
"Here, this is a train ticket to Mihonoseki.
This envelope contains 500,000 Japanese Yen; if you're clever, it can last you a long time.
Once you get there, go to the provincial high school and look for someone named Kazuto.
Tell him I'm his childhood friend, and my name is Kirishima Hana! Don't forget to tell him, he's a good person!"