-to be my man, he needs to be better than me-

The afternoon event is the time for choosing my own bodyguard. I have calmed myself, and Mr. Kaiza is with me, not out of his sight. I am quite embarrassed that I took myself out in the middle of the event, but I have to go back. I can't leave Mr. Saya to handle it all alone, even though I don't have any part to perform. There's one tiny reason for this event to be for me as well.

The sky is getting orange, and the wind is getting stronger. Mr. Kaiza and I step inside the tent together.

"I apologize, Mr. Saya."

"Don't worry, child. You are in time for my favorite time...And are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. How many are we here?"

He asks Kyo, his bodyguard.

"10, sir"

"Not many, eh?"

He says to himself.

"10 of you...welcome to our family."

Mr. Saya.

"Thank you, sir!!"

They scream out loudly.

That man, he passed. He's quite impressive. I saw him during the sword fight with all the men. His moves were quiet, like his looks, glaring at me at this moment.

"I will choose my favorites who have the chance to be our little lady's bodyguard."

Mr. Saya speaks up, uses his cane to point at the man in the first row, and then the chosen 

One stands up.

"He's tall."

My reaction is expressing before I think. Mr. Kaiza glances at me.

And another one stands up. He has white hair and is bigger than the first one. I remember his moves in the sword fight. He's great at it but not comfortable like the man who is watching me nonstop. What's up with that guy?

The last one Mr. Saya points at is the man I'm talking about. He stands up and shows his tall and fit body throughout the white uniform. His look is very piercing, almost like Mr. Kaiza's. His hair is tied up in a ponytail. I can see his tattoo on his neck. 

"Heh."

I smile from the corner of my mouth while looking back at him without hesitation. I am a bit pleased that Mr. Saya chose him.

"..?"

Mr. Kaiza sees my reaction, which is very different from before.

The Takaki men step in and put the rope in a square shape, surrounding three of them on the ground, and the bamboo trunks that are cut off behind the rope line up without any space.

"Zephyra, come sit with me here."

Mr. Saya tells me.

"Yes."

I move myself and sit at the corner of Mr. Saya's table. Then he pours the tea for me.

"!!"

All the Takaki men, including the candidates, were shocked by his behavior.

"Thank you."

I take the drink and bottom up.

"Ha..."

I make a sound.

"It must be nice if it's alcohol, right?"

I speak my mind.

"Hahahaha."

He bursts out laughing at me.

"I agree, I agree."

He says with a smile.

"And for the special edition..."

He continues with a pleased face.

Kyo, Mr. Saya's man, and Jay, Mr. Kaiza's man, take off their suit coats and step inside the bamboo fighting ring.

"Cross the bamboo. You're out."

Mr. Saya tells the rules.

"Time is up when the bell is hit."

The same man who is the announcer tells them.

"Start."

Woah, they don't wait for the plan; they rush into each other in that instance. Jay is the biggest; the white-haired person's body is around his size. Kyo, he's very fast. He dodges other hands easily. He seems calm, and his moves remind me of the Katana moves. And that man with a short ponytail and shaved hair underneath. His moves are just like Kyo's. I can tell the sword is his strength.

"What did you see?"

Mr. Saya asks.

"The movement of them."

I answer.

"Which one is your favorite?"

"You mean the movement?"

"Um, um."

"I like Kyo style...That man has almost the same style as Kyo."

I answer and point at the ponytail guy.

"Why almost?"

"Kyo is fast, but he aims only at the opponents' weak spots. That man is also fast but has the strength to push all the energy out at the same time."

"How did you know he puts all his energy?"

"The veins, grandpa, you can see on his neck and arms."

I answer.

"Hmm...You are absolutely good at observing."

"Hehe, thank you."

I chuckle softly.

"..."

While I'm watching five of them try to push one another out of the bamboo ring, I can feel the tense feeling behind me. I look back at Mr. Kaiza. He seems quiet and frustrated at something.

"Perhaps he really wants to be your man, young lady."

"Thug!"

And then, the man behind me aggressively puts his glass down on the table; the sound makes me turn to look at him.

He's upset.

"Heh."

But the old man here is enjoying it right now.

"Cling!"

And the bell is hit by the same man.

And no one is out.

"Hmm...you guys are strong...after losing energy from previous tests."

All three are panting hard; some bruises are even more obvious, and the blood from the wound during the sword fight is shown. The two Takaki men have some red on their skin, but they still look fine.

And then, the man behind me gets up and walks past me. 

"I'll get in."

Mr. Kaiza says

What?

He takes off his dark red yukata and puts it down beside me.

"Mr. Kaiza?"

He doesn't answer.

"Kai, what are you doing?"

"To put Miss Zephyra's life in someone else's hands, I need to be sure that they are the best."

He tells his grandfather.

"..."

I turn to look at Mr. Saya, hoping he would stop him.

And then he gets inside the bamboo ring. I can see their eyes are quite startled, but not this ponytail man.

"Time is up when the bell is hit."

The same man tells them again.

"Start."

A tall man comes to Mr. Kaiza and tries to push him, but Mr. Kaiza isn't moving at all, and he doesn't pay any attention to that man. 

"Hm?"

I make a sound in my throat because I wonder why he targets the ponytail person.

It looks like 3 versus 3 at this moment. They have their own opponents. Kyo with the tall man, Jay with the white bear man. And Mr. Kaiza with the ponytail guy.

The ponytail guy glares at Mr. Kaiza fearlessly like no one else. He's very fast and strong, but Mr. Kaiza is clearly stronger. Mr. Kaiza puts his hand on his opponent's face, pushes him out, and almost falls down to the bamboo.

Fuck, if he falls on them, he can break his bones.

Then that guy manages to get out of Mr. Kaiza's big hand, and that guy aims at the stomach and uses the fist attacks in the middle of his chest. He swings himself up and locks Mr. Kaiza's neck, and tries to pull him down.

"Mr. Kaiza..."

But Mr. Kaiza is strong as fuck. He can not be pulled down. Then Mr. Kaiza turns his body and punches him in the stomach. He stuns a bit, and Mr. Kaiza quickly chokes his neck back, grabs it harshly, and puts that body on the ground.

"!!"

His face almost hit the edge of the bamboo.

I have never seen him like this before. 

And that ponytail guy swings himself up and uses his foot kicks at Mr. Kaiza's face one time.

That mother...

"Hmpt."

I make an upsetting sound. Mr. Saya glances at me.

Mr. Kaiza's very upset and grabs the opponent's leg, which kicked him before.

What is he doing?

"Is he trying to break his leg?"

I ask out loud.

"Hmm..."

Then Mr. Saya turns his face to the announcer, and the bell is hit.

"Cling!"

"Stop."

"…"

Then Mr. Kaiza gets up and looks at me, 

He steps out of the ring.

"Only 2 left, sir."

I didn't pay any attention to others. I don't even realize someone is out. The tall man is out. 

"Hmm. They are tough...The sun is setting down."

He's mumbling.

I look up at the sky turning purple and pink. It's getting darker. Then, the red-haired man walks toward me and takes his yukata.

"Mr. Kaiza…"

I call him and grab his hand before he pulls away his hand.

"...I'm fine."

He says to me without looking at me.

"..."

My eyes turn to that ponytail person. I glare with curiosity and anger. My tongue moves to my right cheek, and my expression tells me that I am very upset.

"How about letting the Master choose the category herself."

Mr. Saya speaks up.

"?"

Two of the candidates are standing with confusion.

"Being great in all aspects but not mastering one thing, in particular, isn't the best choice to be my beloved granddaughter-in-law's man."

Mr. Saya says.

"I choose sword."

I answer.

"Yes, you do. Kyo, you go in."

He chuckles and orders his man to step in again.

"I'll be their rival."

I interrupt.

"!!?"

"What?"

Mr. Kaiza.

I stand up, and Mr. Kaiza grabs my wrist and holds me so that I do not step forward.

"Are you crazy?"

He's a little shocked.

"Maybe."

"They're not easy on you, it's different."

"Please, Mr. Kaiza, you want to know every part of me..."

"..."

"I show another side of me that you don't know."

"Grandfather?"

He calls the old man.

"Young lady, this will not be like the association. You know that, right?"

"I acknowledge that, grandpa."

I answer him.

"..."

And walk closer to the yard.

"To be my man, he needs to be better than me. If not, I would rather protect my own self".

I speak my mind, and they all hear me.

Then I pull one of the red ribbons on my waist out and put it into my mouth. I braid my hair down to the waist and tied it up with that ribbon.

"..."

"Give her the sword."

Mr. Saya orders his man.

"!!"

Mr. Kaiza is about to get in.

"Hmm, trust in her, Kai."

Mr. Saya tells his grandson and stops his action.

He shows his side. Now, I will show mine.

"I will fight you first."

I point the sword, still in its sheath, at the big man with white hair who looks like a bear.

"Give me your strongest category."

I say to him.

"Miss?"

"You're good at fighting with your body, right? Give me that fight.. and I'll use my strongest point as well."

"..."

"Don't worry, I will not pull the sword out."

"..."

"Ahem…Start."

The man announces.

The man in front of me is hesitant. I raise my right eyebrow to him. If he doesn't, I'll do it first.

"!!!"

I rush my body low to him, dodge his hesitant punch under his arm, and use my elbow attack at his side of the stomach after. I'm at his back, and I quickly use the sheath to hit him right in the side of the neck.

"Cough, cough!"

He's choking.

He turns to look at me shockingly. I tilt my head a bit to challenge him.

He raises his fist stronger than before, right at my face, then I use the sheath to block the side of his arm and push harder to the right and hurry to slide myself at his back again and swing my sheath to hit it harder than before, at his head this time.

"!!!"

His face is more shocked than the first time.

"Do you really want to be mine?"

 I ask.

"..."

He looks at me intensely and lightly nods at me.

"Show me then."