Book 2: Chapter 25: Guidance from Shimizu

Lily got up early today. She was in a very good mood.

Today, a swordsman instructor would give a lecture at the dojo. Of course, she had planned to attend it but it was still too early and she couldn’t sleep. After washing her face and rinsing the mouth, she planned to go to the dojo to warm up.

Breathing the fresh morning air and walking in the garden filled with endless fog, Lily also felt comfortable all the way.

When she arrived at the kenjutsu hall, she put on the dojo uniform, which consisted of a white jacket on top and a navy blue long skirt below.

She picked up a wooden sword and started practicing in the hall.

Lily was very devoted to practice. The sun had not completely come out yet but she was already sweating all over.

“Humph, how indecent. Just simply practicing with the sword and you wetted the dojo’s floor.” A voice sounded in the corner of the hall.

“Huh?” Lily stopped the sword and looked back. It was the girl who lived in the house opposite her. Her breath was a little hurried as she said: “I’m sorry, I’ll clean it in a moment.”

She did sweat easily and she was ashamed to have her dripping sweat staining the dojo’s floor. She apologized to the young girl with a blush. The beautiful girl also wore a neat set of ironed dojo uniform, but her skin tone seemed slightly pale.

“Kenjutsu focuses on cultivating the mind. Practicing in the early morning makes no difference. It only warms up your body and make you sweat all over. How can your power be improved like this? It also inconveniences other people. It’s embarra.s.sing for female pract.i.tioners to see you like this. If you are seen by the boys, they would undoubtedly indulge in their wild fantasies. You’re too careless. Look at your chest, it’s wide open. Are you afraid that others won’t see your b.r.e.a.s.t.s? They are already quite obvious so there is no need to show off. Can’t you just practice quietly without making a sound?” Although Shimizu looked elegant and lofty, it was also hard for a girl with such a good character as Lily to continue listening to her rant. She didn’t hold a sword, but a paper fan was slotted on her waist.

“What… what do you mean I’m intentionally exposing my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I… I am just feeling a little hot… and, of course, I know that kenjutsu focuses on cultivating the mind. However, why did senior say that I haven’t improved by doing this?”

Lily felt a little bit upset about being told something like that by an unknown female stranger that early in the morning.

“Hum, since that’s the case, let me teach you a lesson about what real kenjutsu is all about,” Shimizu responded in a cold tone.

“Hehe, that sure is a big claim, senior. It might be true that senior has practiced in the dojo for several years more than Lily and has acc.u.mulated more experience, but Lily has also worked hard and learned through the experience of fighting in dangerous situations. I also have a very respectable master and is not a person who does not know kenjutsu.”

“Well, it’s useless to talk more. Come on, wield your sword.” Shimizu said firmly.

Yesterday, after defeating Hachiya in a matter of seconds, Lily was also full of confidence. Although she didn’t underestimate the enemy even slightly, the other party spoke very rudely to her. Lily was also somewhat angry. She clenched the wooden sword and said, “In that case, Lily looks forward to the senior’s guidance. And may I know the senior’s big name?”

“Well, there’s no need to say more. Come on.”

“Huh? But you haven’t got a sword yet. ”

Shimizu pulled out a paper fan with a length of less than a foot from around her waist and flung it directly. A pure white fan opened. “To deal with a pitiful woman like you who only has a big bosom and no brain, one does not need any powerful weapons. I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear my attacks.”

“What!?” Lily also frowned. This woman spoke too harshly, making her annoyed: “Then senior, forgive Lily for being rude!”

“Hiyaaaaah—!” Lily shouted loudly as she stepped on the floor barefooted and rushed towards Minamoto no Shimizu. She raised the wooden sword in her hands high. She looked at the other party who was so thin that it almost looked unhealthy. Therefore, Lily didn’t dare to do her best. She just maintained her speed and attacked Shimizu with one stroke.

However, when Lily was about to cut Shimizu, she only saw a flash of white light and her sword cut empty air. However, Shimizu had already moved like she was gliding. Her posture was extremely light and graceful as she moved to Lily’s back. The fan in her hand hit Lily’s b.u.t.tock with a “Pat!”

“Argh!” Lily screamed, hopping and staggering a few steps forward. Her white hand covered her hips as she turned around: “You! … Why did you spank me!”

Shimizu opened the fan and said at random: “Humph, how overbearing. With that little skill, you are trying to show off? I’ll teach you how to respect your seniors.”

“Ho- how am I not showing respect for the senior? But even so, senior doesn’t have to come up and say something like this to me right? Anyone would be angry at those remarks.” Lily sent out spirit power to examine and found that the opponent’s strength was merely that of a high-tier Sword Master. She became even more dissatisfied. It seemed that this thin-looking woman’s only strong point was her speed and she couldn’t get careless.

“Ah, you really are a long-winded woman. If you don’t want to fight, you can call me elder sister and admit defeat. ”

“Tsk!” This time, Lily approached Shimizu slowly. When she reached Shimizu, she broke out with all her strength without reservation. The wooden sword in her hand turned illusionary as she attacked Shimizu.

However, Shimizu didn’t dodge.

“Humph! With your fragile body and the strength of a high-tier Sword Master level, can you take my sword?” Lily secretly rejoiced.

“Bang!” The entire hall shook for a while as a strong aura burst out.

The fan held by Shimizu unexpectedly resisted Lily’s heavy wooden sword.

“What!?” Lily was a little surprised because this time, she attacked with all her strength. Although she didn’t attack with the intention to kill, she struck with more than 10,000 kan of penetration force. How could this woman use a fan to resist the sword?

Before she could voice out her surprise, Shimizu’s wrist turned and she suddenly pulled out the fan, making Lily lose balance as she rushed forward. Shimizu flashed to Lily’s back and didn’t forget to hit Lily’s b.u.t.tocks again with the fan.

Lily completely lost her balance and fell to the ground.

This fall made Lily realize that she hadn’t been training for very long but she had already partic.i.p.ated in many battles and was rarely ever knocked down.

And this woman was just playing with her and she tricked her into fighting. Lily suddenly felt that this girl’s strength was probably much stronger than her own!

‘Is she also a disciple of the dojo? What is her ranking?’

As disciples of the dojo, this girl was much better than Hachiya.

Was she really just a high-tier Sword Master?

“Don’t probe anymore. Don’t tell me you don’t know the method of Spirit Shielding? With your strength, you can’t probe my strength at all.” Shimizu laughed.

Although she was a girl, Lily had her own principles.

Lily put down the wooden sword and said, “Can you please pick up the sword?”

“Well, haven’t I said I don’t need a sword to compete with a little girl like you who has nothing but a hot body?”

“… Senior, neither are you willing to reveal your name nor to pick the sword. Is the honor of other disciples and samurai so insignificant in your eyes?” Lily said each word slowly in anger.

“I just felt that your spirit power fluctuated abnormally, almost as though it contained an unworldly element. It looks like I have hurt your ego. Have you been praised as a genius all the time while growing up? Did yesterday’s skirmish make you feel that this Genji Dojo is nothing special?” Shimizu’s eyes turned cold.

“Very well, for a certain someone’s sake, today, I’ll use a real wooden sword for the last blow to fight you, but it will hurt a lot.” Shimizu went to the sideline and chose a relatively thin straight wooden sword.

“Hmph, last blow? Can you do it?” As Lily said that, she was brewing up a plan in her mind. If the other side was stronger than her, how could she turn the situation around?