"Your charge is still weak," Goemon muttered, expressionless. In that same instant, his blade shot out with near-imperceptible speed.
A blinding flash.
His bright white blade left a terrifying streak of light that seemed to cleave the air.
My body covered in superficial cuts, I barely managed to evade that flash of the sword and immediately took up my clawed attack stance.
"Hah!"
"I appreciate your fighting spirit... but you are still naive."
A sonic-speed blade closed on my neck. Evasion was impossible. The game was over.
The blow that was guaranteed to decapitate me in a permanent farewell suddenly stopped just short of contact.
"…!"
"Yes. It seems you're tired, too. Let's take a short break."
I honestly thought I was dead. I answered energetically, "Yes, Master!" and hurried toward the water bottles at the back of the dojo.
As for how things came to this, the story started a month ago.
It began when I consulted Furuya-san, who had finally awakened from his long slumber, about our future movements.
Well, when I laid out the current state of affairs and gave him a comprehensive report, Furuya-san nearly retreated back into the silent depths of our consciousness.
Furuya Rei was completely flustered: "Whoa, wait a second. What is all this? How did that happen? You're joking, right???"
I wasn't sure exactly what shocked him more: the fact that I had become Vermouth's servant, "Kitty" (The Cat), or the fact that I was now a drinking companion for the executive, Gin.
Or perhaps it was my upcoming travel plans with Irish... I couldn't tell which of those calamities he was referring to.
I had committed—I mean, achieved—quite the illustrious record.
He really needed to specify the problem more clearly for me.
Don't call me shameless; I'm simply satisfied with my work performance!
No matter how delicately I tried to explain, Furuya-san just shook his head, his face a deadpan blank resembling a Tibetan Sand Fox, muttering, "Huh?" "Hmm..." "My brain can't process this."
You're supposed to be much smarter than me! Please just calmly accept reality!
Finally, he declared, "No. This is impossible. I'm leaving the Bourbon role to you," and promptly retreated back into the subconscious.
Wait, wake up! Don't go to sleep. At least teach me boxing before you doze off.
After much pleading and persistence, he finally, if reluctantly, agreed to participate in the 'Bourbon' missions as a behind-the-scenes supporter.
Just like that, my plan to relax in the depths of our consciousness and enjoy watching "The Real Furuya Rei: 24 Hours" was dashed.
What do you mean, "behind the scenes"?
Furuya-san should have taken over entirely. Don't worry; if you put in the effort, you'll get used to claw fighting—Indians don't lie.
As a compromise, I almost tried learning fighting techniques at Furuya-san's usual boxing gym, using the 'thought sharing' function in our subconscious.
But there was a problem with that.
My physical abilities were so high that conventional sparring matches weren't a workout at all.
This was something I couldn't change, even if every professional boxer trained with me.
I could easily dodge regular punches just by seeing them. Recently, even when sparring with Irish, I didn't get a single scratch, despite my mind being completely elsewhere.
"If you're looking for an opponent stronger than that, Ishikawa Goemon is the only one who comes to mind."
As Furuya-san said this with a wry smile, an idea sparked in my head.
That's it! Ishikawa Goemon!
I jumped to my feet in excitement, while Furuya-san watched me go with the stunned look of a pigeon hit by a peashooter.
Your face says, "You've got to be kidding," my main character friend. Unfortunately, I am always serious.
I requested a contact search through Organization channels and sent an email to the official address designated for external parties.
To think Lupin and his crew actually have an official email address... what a world.
Evil organizations occasionally contact Lupin in the TV specials; perhaps this is the address they use.
Even if I got through, I assumed they would likely reject my request for training.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to try.
By noon the next day, a reply arrived to the message I had assumed would be discarded as spam.
It read: One week from now, [Date] at 17:00. Meet under the yellow sign in the back alley of [District].
Furuya-san appeared shocked to his core, crying out, "Impossible! It's the Lupin III gang! Do they really have that much free time?"
And that concludes the explanation of how I got here.
My break is almost over, and this is direct training from a legendary figure.
I have to give it my all; anything less would be rude.
As I stood near the center of the dojo, Goemon stood there with his sword, the Zantetsuken, drawn. He possessed a natural presence, like the wind, with absolutely no perceptible bloodlust.
"Then let us begin again. Attack with your whole soul, beast."
"You don't have to ask me twice!"
I charged with full force.
The moment a diagonal slash rained down from his shoulder, I darted left and right to evade it, keeping my center of gravity low.
People say he moves so fast he creates afterimages. I wonder just how true that is.
I tightened my side defense to leave no openings. The moment I threw a punch, I snapped it back.
My knowledge was barely above an amateur's, refined only slightly, but what I had learned from the "professional" inside me had taken root in my body as genuine technique.
Goemon spoke as he continued to clash with me.
"You have changed greatly since our last meeting. You are still rough around the edges, but your movement is now sufficient for real combat."
"Thank... you! Hah!"
"Instead of remaining in such a petty organization, why not come with us?"
"Unfortunately, I have my own objectives... so I must decline your offer, Ishikawa Goemon. We are police officers, after all."
"Is that so. A pity."
Goemon did not flinch at Furuya-san's interjection. Instead, he left three flashes of his blade hanging in the air in the blink of an eye.
I barely evaded them, taking a cut to my cheek, and swung my claws with increased speed.
I managed to nick the right sleeve of Goemon's kimono.
After all that effort, I only scratched his clothes; Goemon's "monstrous" level is truly astounding.
I had already informed Goemon about Furuya-san's situation.
Furuya-san himself had initially wanted to spar with Goemon, but he immediately retracted his words after witnessing my battle—iron claws against the iron-cutting Zantetsuken.
At the time, he said, "What on earth is that? Those aren't human movements. It looked like a duel from a samurai manga."
I knew that from the start.
Although Master Goemon graciously agreed, saying, "Come then, it seems you are skilled in boxing," Furuya Rei violently shook his head, his face completely pale.
To chicken out before a criminal... that is shameful, Furuya Rei! Do you call yourself Public Security Police?!
"I can't even comprehend what's happening while watching from the inside. Are you sure this is really my body? Did the Organization perform some strange modifications on it? ...Although you look completely normal."
"Indeed. Your movement is the raw power of nature. It is hard to believe the hands of those petty crooks tampered with you."
"Even Goemon says so... I'm not convinced. I am not a monster."
How rude. The real monster is Master Goemon standing right in front of you.
In the future, if I were to disappear, you would be the one who has to fight, Furuya-san. So, let's master the basics now.
Impossible? Humans can't usually deflect bullets with weapons?
Hahaha. What are you talking about, Furuya-san?
It's simple. You just move like whoosh, crack, zip, and you win easily.
Ah, wait, don't raise your fist! I'm not lying! Believe me, I'm not lying!
Through our banter and interaction in the subconscious during breaks, I felt our bond deepening.
Furuya Rei is the mastermind, and I handle the physical labor.
We agreed on a strategy where I outwardly act as "Bourbon" as usual, while Furuya-san steps in with advice or assistance at critical moments.
With this, I can receive strong mental support even in highly complex political situations.
It is something to be truly grateful for.
Even Furuya-san smiled defiantly, saying, "We have such immense power at our disposal. It would be foolish not to utilize it."
If the strategist says so, then I can move with peace of mind.
"You two are truly in sync. Is having multiple personalities usually like this?"
"In our case, it might be a little special... don't you think?"
Thanks to Master Goemon's guidance, my movements became noticeably more stable.
Future missions will certainly go much more smoothly than before.