Gion tilted her head, her expression light and unreadable.
"Of course I have my own business with Lloyd. Since he isn't here, I will take my leave."
She walked past Ginny gracefully, clearly prepared to leave without a second glance.
Ginny frowned slightly. She stepped forward in an instant, blocking Gion's path with a fluid, practiced movement.
"Lloyd and I have known each other since we were kids. You can tell me whatever you need him for, and I will pass it on when he returns."
Gion stopped, surprised by the speed Ginny displayed, and even more intrigued by what she had just heard.
"Oh? Childhood sweethearts, is that it? No wonder the little sister here looks so tense. Are you Lloyd's girlfriend?"
"H-hey! What are you saying? My relationship with Lloyd-san isn't… it's not what you think!"
Ginny's face turned bright red as she tugged desperately at the corners of her shirt. Jessica, who had followed behind, sighed and pressed a palm to her forehead, thinking it was hopeless.
Gion let out a soft laugh. She extended a finger and poked lightly at Ginny's chest, feeling the soft bounce beneath her touch.
"Then I must have misunderstood. Right now, it looks more like you're simply harbouring a little crush, isn't that right?"
Ginny instantly bristled like a startled pink cat.
"You're the one with a crush! Lloyd definitely… also… also…"
"Also what?" Gion asked, amused.
Ginny opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, unable to conjure a proper continuation. Flustered, she shook her head hard.
"It doesn't matter! Just tell me why you're looking for Lloyd-san!"
Gion shrugged lazily. Her left hand brushed the hilt of the sword at her waist.
"I wanted to see the strength of the student everyone calls the strongest this year. Tsuru-nee has praised him often."
Before Ginny could respond, Huoshaoshan stepped forward with a flourish.
"Then Gion-san, why not exchange a few moves with me first? I can see you're a sword user."
Squirrel and several other male cadets immediately exchanged looks, curling their lips. To them, it was obvious Huoshaoshan wanted to show off in front of a beautiful woman, especially with Lloyd's group away.
To be fair, Huoshaoshan was always a repressed man. He seemed honest on the surface, smiling gently every day, but he became more excited than anyone when a beautiful woman appeared.
Gion examined Huoshaoshan briefly, then nodded.
"Very well. It would indeed be inappropriate to challenge the strongest student right away."
She drew the sword at her waist in one fluid motion, then bowed in a precise swordswoman's salute, her expression sharp and focused.
Huoshaoshan hastily returned the gesture and unsheathed his own blade. Squirrel spoke up suddenly:
"Gion-san, if I'm not mistaken, that sword you're holding should be the famous blade Konpira."
As a pure swordsman, Squirrel was familiar with nearly every known blade. He memorised the appearance of each one and often fell asleep reading illustrated sword guides late at night.
Gion's eyes softened with a trace of approval.
"You are correct. Konpira was a birthday gift from Tsuru-nee. I treasure it deeply."
"Tsuru-nee??… Gion-san, do you mean Vice Admiral Tsuru?" Squirrel asked.
"Yes."
A chorus of sharp breaths followed.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's prestige within Marine Headquarters rivaled that of Admiral Sengoku's generation. To cadets like Squirrel and the others, this was the heritage of a true Marine aristocratic family.
Jessica leaned close to Ginny and whispered nervously,
"She's Vice Admiral Tsuru's sister. This might be troublesome for Lloyd-san."
Ginny, however, remained calm from the beginning. She simply nodded, completely indifferent to Gion's background.
In her mind, no background — no matter how impressive — could compare to her Lloyd-san.
Huoshaoshan wiped sweat from his brow, a twinge of regret rising in his chest.
This was Vice Admiral Tsuru's sister. If he accidentally injured her… although Vice Admiral Tsuru would likely not react harshly, someone else might seek vengeance on her behalf.
Sensing their anxiety, Gion chuckled softly.
"Relax. This is a simple, clean match. No complications. Besides…"
Konpira's blade shimmered with a chilling gleam. Gion's entire presence shifted, shedding all softness. Her voice turned cold, unwavering.
"I don't consider myself weaker than any man."
In a flash, her figure vanished.
The next moment she appeared behind Huoshaoshan, thrusting Konpira toward his lower back.
Instinct kicked in. Huoshaoshan twisted sharply, raising his sword just in time to intercept her strike. The force of the impact vibrated through his arms, snapping him back to full concentration.
He roared, using brute strength to shake Gion off. His sword then began to vibrate at tremendous speed, generating intense heat.
As Gion landed lightly, she saw flames burst across Huoshaoshan's blade.
"Flames formed by high-speed friction with the air," she murmured. "A unique technique."
Huoshaoshan gripped his sword with both hands and leapt high, cleaving down with tremendous force.
Gion did not take the blow head-on. Her feet glided across the ground with graceful precision as she dodged and increased the distance between them.
As Huoshaoshan prepared to strike again, Gion slid Konpira back into its sheath. She shifted her stance slightly, adopting the poised posture of a swordswoman about to perform a draw technique.
Compared to Huoshaoshan's broad, heavy movements, Gion appeared absolutely still. As he charged forward, the gap between them narrowing, she finally moved.
Konpira flashed from its sheath, tracing a pink arc of sword light. The energy struck Huoshaoshan's blade at the perfect angle, halting his attack entirely.
Gion spun her sword elegantly before returning it to its sheath, then began walking toward Squirrel and the others. She didn't even glance back — the outcome was already decided.
Huoshaoshan gritted his teeth, trying to resist the lingering force of the sword energy, but after only a few seconds he was overwhelmed. His body and sword flew backward, and he crashed to the ground in a humiliated heap.
Squirrel watched Gion approach with a solemn expression.
"She actually used sword energy… as expected of Vice Admiral Tsuru's sister."
Gion placed one hand on her hip and smiled brightly.
"If the standard of the Navy School is like this, then perhaps I won't need to wait for Lloyd to return at all."
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