Takahiro (5)

I stared at Miss Blade.

She stared back, her expression caught between boredom and irritation.

She was strikingly beautiful, but in a sharp, effortless way—her platinum-blonde hair was tied back in a messy bun, with stray strands falling over her cold, feline-blue eyes.

She moved toward us, her footsteps utterly silent, gliding more like a predator than a human.

As she reached us, her eyes flicked over each of us before narrowing at me.

The sun hit just right, casting a halo of silver and gold around her head, making her appear almost ethereal—if not for the exhaustion in her expression.

After a long, heavy silence, she finally spoke.

"…I saw you training. I want to test you."

Blunt. No explanation, no build-up. Just a statement.

We stared at her, a mix of confusion and disbelief settling over us.

Her hand drifted to the hilt of her sword—the motion was so casual, so natural that we thought nothing of it… until she drew.

A silver clang rang out.

Yushiro's katana met Blade's short sword.

It wasn't that she was too fast to see. No, it was worse than that. Her movements were so fluid, so unassuming, that you wouldn't even think an attack was coming—until it was already too late.

Blade's expression remained indifferent, but her eyes widened slightly, just enough to hint at something—interest? Amusement?

A small, almost imperceptible smile curled at her lips.

Yushiro, on the other hand, looked downright entertained. His violet eyes glimmered, like he had just found a new challenge worth his time.

Then, without warning, she moved.

Spinning, sidestepping—a seamless transition.

And then she was coming straight for me.

I reacted instantly, gripping my katana and preparing to strike.

"Way of Na—"

Before I could even finish my technique, she was already there.

A sudden, sharp thrust aimed straight at my gut.

I barely managed to block, the force sending a tremor up my arms.

She shifted again, spinning with a full turn of her body—and then pain.

A sharp sting along my side.

I stumbled back, glancing down—a shallow cut, just deep enough to draw blood.

Before I could even process it, she had already vanished from my range.

Kenji barely had time to register her next attack.

In a blur, she stepped in, slashed, and just like that—a thin line of red appeared on his cheek.

By the time we turned back, her sword was already sheathed.

Silence.

I touched my side, feeling the warmth of my own blood staining my fingertips.

"…You have potential."

Blade's voice was as flat as ever, as if the entire encounter had been nothing more than a passing thought to her.

Then, just like that—she turned and walked away.

We could only stand there, staring after her, still trying to understand what had just happened.