[72] A Date with the Rich Girl

"W-What?!"

Under the peach-colored mask, the square face was filled with shock.

"How is this possible? What happened? I didn't suffer any injuries, did I?"

He even began to suspect that the opponent had cheated.

"Wow! Amazing, although there was no visible damage, Momotani suddenly coughed up blood. It's clear he's injured. How was this done?"

"Hmm... Although this is just my personal opinion... cough... Nangou-kun probably used vibrations or penetrating force in each strike... gag..."

"Ah! Teacher, you're coughing up blood again! Are you okay?"

"It's fine. I anticipated this situation... cough... so I prepared a blood pack in advance!"

"Such thorough preparation! But Nangou-kun is also incredibly skilled. Who would have thought such movie-like techniques could be performed in real life?"

"For experts, it's quite simple... Moreover, similar martial arts exist all over the world. For example, in China, it's called 'Toujin'..."

Just as the commentator, Yuuri-sensei, speculated.

Eiji used a force called "Toujin" in every strike he made against Momotani.

Simply put, beneath the surface of the sword swing, there was a hidden penetrating force that subtly transferred power through the point of contact into the opponent's body.

The common feature of this technique is that it can bypass the opponent's defense, allowing the penetrating force to go around armor or flesh and precisely strike the internal organs.

In contrast to Toujin, there is another force called "Boujin," which, when unleashed, confines all the force to the point of contact with the opponent, sending them flying without causing harm.

"Do you think I didn't know that people with strong defenses naturally counter my abilities? Did you think I didn't prepare a technique to deal with such situations?"

Eiji rested the Bling Blade on his shoulder, his expression calm.

In the audience, the sound of cameras clicking was incessant.

"—Moukou Ryuujin, that's the name of this technique."

Toujin and Boujin were originally techniques from Chinese martial arts. With his extraordinary talent, Eiji transformed these two opposing forces into a new sword technique, just as he had modified "Chuusu" into "Fukou Ryuuei."

Thus, Moukou Ryuujin actually has two applications, with penetrating defenses being just one of the uses related to Toujin.

However, techniques that utilize Toujin not only require the user to have an extremely high level of control over their body, enabling them to divide one force into multiple layers of power, but also demand significant arm strength.

Only with strong arm strength can one withstand the force of Toujin and deliver a sufficiently powerful strike.

With Eiji's arm strength, it took three strikes to transfer the hidden force through Momotani's armor and injure his internal organs. If it were Ikki Kurogane, one strike would have been enough.

Like a demon's blade, this strike lived up to its name.

"Damn it... I'm not done yet!"

Momotani struggled to suppress the turmoil in his internal organs, gritted his teeth, and stood up again, assuming a charging stance.

"Hmm..."

Eiji murmured softly.

He had some spirit of not giving up, which set him apart from ordinary students—but the path of a knight requires more than just spirit.

"Haah!!"

Momotani drove his legs with magical power, roaring as he charged forward.

Dang—!

A bell-like, prolonged sound rang out.

Momotani's body stiffened, and then he fell straight to the ground.

Eiji sidestepped his charge and struck the back of his head with his blade, knocking him unconscious.

His arm strength was limited, so he couldn't turn him into a vegetable, but at most, he could give him a concussion, which could easily be healed with regeneration pod technology.

"The match is over! Momotani is down and unable to continue. The winner of the second round of the selection battle is this year's dark horse from Hagun Academy—Eiji Nangou from Class 1-1! Thank you for this thrilling match, it was fantastic!"

Eiji calmly sheathed the Bling Blade and left the arena.

Defeating such an unworthy opponent was hardly enough to make him feel pleased.

***

Around 2 p.m.

Eiji changed his clothes, put on sunglasses, a mask, and a baseball cap, covering himself completely. He jumped over the wall of Hagun Academy and arrived at a train station about a kilometer away.

"You're way too covered up. I almost didn't recognize you."

Kanata Totokubara was already waiting there. She had also changed out of her white dress and into an inconspicuous T-shirt and jeans.

"You're not much better."

Eiji glanced at Kanata's outfit and couldn't help but tease her.

"I don't own any commoner clothes. This set is borrowed from my roommate... It feels too tight around the chest."

Kanata complained while tugging at the collar of her T-shirt, trying to make it more comfortable.

It was almost May, and the winter chill had mostly dissipated. Kanata wasn't wearing many layers, and from the collar of her shirt, a glimpse of white lace could be seen.

Eiji's gaze sharpened for a moment.

However, diving into something risqué on a first date might scare Kanata, so Eiji tried his best to maintain a serious demeanor.

"Got it. Let's go buy some clothes first!"

Eiji snapped his fingers, and a speeding train happened to stop at that moment.

"I don't know much about commoner fashion. What brands are good to wear?"

As expected of a rich girl, her words were straightforward and unpretentious!

"With your looks, why worry about that?"

"Haha, is that how you tricked Touka into falling for you?"

"Well, I did trick her, but not like this... If there's time, I can show you."

Yeah.

If there's time, you must give me a chance to demonstrate!

Kanata naturally wrapped her arm around Eiji's, deeply immersed in the incredible chemistry between them. The two walked into the train and sat down close to each other.

"Is that...?"

Even on weekends, there were still students from the academy on the train. One of them noticed the two and looked puzzled.

Fortunately, both of them were disguised and couldn't be recognized at a glance. Seeing how intimate they were, the student didn't bother to disturb them, so there was no need to worry about being exposed.

Once they reached a place with no one around, they would be free.

***

An hour later.

Although there were several shopping malls near Hagun Academy, many students often went there to shop.

To prevent their secret relationship from being exposed, the two decided to take the train over ten stops, getting off at a small coastal town far from Hagun Academy.

The climate here was pleasant, with the sea in front and mountains behind. The terrain was flat, and the city had a somewhat retro architectural style, lacking the hustle and bustle of a big city. It was a great place for vacationing or retirement.

Shortly after the two got off the train, a girl wearing Hagun Academy's uniform, who had been on the same train, also left the station and headed towards a hospital in the city.

***

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