Chapter 5 - Saeko Busujima, the Sword Prodigy

"Sorry."

"I didn't hear any noise inside, so I thought no one was here. I just wanted to take a look."

Kaito was about to politely close the door when Saeko Busujima spoke up.

"Are you a new student this year?" Saeko asked curiously.

"You could say that."

"Are you interested in kendo?"

"You could say that too."

"Then, would you like to spar with me?" Saeko's eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked at the young man at the door.

She could sense it.

This person.

Was strong.

Beneath his sunny, harmless, and handsome exterior lay a swordsmanship so powerful that it made her, the national high school kendo champion who had long since outgrown her peers, feel a sense of awe.

"Spar?" Kaito looked at Saeko with some surprise.

He didn't quite understand.

But since she had invited him, and he was interested in getting to know her, Kaito saw no reason to refuse.

"Sure."

Soon, Kaito was holding a training wooden sword, standing at one end of the unusually large kendo hall, while Saeko stood at the other.

Saeko swung her sword at him.

The wooden blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle.

To an ordinary person, her speed would have been astonishing, but to Kaito, it was slow.

The combat instincts ingrained in him from the Sealed Demon Swordsman memories allowed him to instantly come up with several ways to counter.

He raised his wooden sword and struck Saeko's blade at a precise point, twisting it with a flick of his wrist.

Immediately, Saeko felt a strange force transmitted through her sword, causing her wrist to ache. She had to take a few steps back to recover.

But Saeko didn't mind. Instead, her gaze grew even more intense as she looked at Kaito.

This young man.

Was indeed strong!

...

Five minutes later.

After a series of clashing wooden swords, Saeko staggered back, her sword nearly slipping from her grasp.

"Are you okay?" Kaito asked.

Saeko was breathing heavily, unable to respond.

Her beautiful face was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and more beads of perspiration rolled down her flushed cheeks and slender neck, soaking into the white kendo uniform that clung to her ample chest.

With each breath, her chest heaved violently, a clear sign that she had reached her limit.

"I..."

Looking at Kaito, who was still standing relaxed and composed, Saeko felt a deep sense of defeat.

She had lost.

Since her father had gone overseas to open a dojo in the United States, she hadn't felt this kind of overwhelming, hopeless strength in a long time.

"I want..."

"I want to see your sword intent, Kaito-kun."

"Please, give me this chance."

Seeing the determination in Saeko's eyes, Kaito nodded.

"Alright, be careful."

Kaito raised his sword, took a deep breath, and in his mind, he recalled the countless battles he had fought as the Sealed Demon Swordsman against the Azakana.

His aura condensed.

In an instant, Saeko felt a terrifying sword intent gathering.

She stared at Kaito in shock.

This feeling...!

There was no mistaking it.

This man had definitely killed before!!!

Only someone who had truly killed, and killed many times, could exude such a terrifying, heart-stopping, and overwhelming aura.

Saeko tried desperately to raise her sword, to block this strike.

But.

By the time Kaito swung his sword, Saeko still hadn't mustered the strength to lift her blade.

She could only watch as Kaito's figure blurred like a shadow, charging toward her, the overwhelming sword intent crashing over her like a tidal wave.

Am I...

Going to die?

Saeko's mind went blank.

The sound of air being torn apart echoed.

The wooden sword, along with the gust of wind generated by the sword intent, brushed past Saeko's cheek.

Even though it was just the residual force, it still left her cheek stinging.

A few strands of her purple hair drifted to the ground.

The wooden sword in Kaito's hand could no longer withstand the force and disintegrated into powder.

"Clatter."

Saeko's sword also fell to the ground.

Her body, however, collapsed forward, right into Kaito's arms.

Kaito reached out and caught her by the waist.

"Are you okay?"

Saeko was breathing heavily, as if she had just narrowly escaped death.

After a long while, Saeko finally recovered.

But instead of pushing Kaito away, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him tightly.

"Kaito-kun," Saeko's voice was filled with exhaustion, but also a hint of anticipation.

"You've killed before, haven't you?"

Kaito wasn't sure how to answer.

He hadn't killed anyone.

But in the memories of the Sealed Demon Swordsman, he had slain countless Azakana and even more people.

So the question was, had he really killed before?

"Don't lie to me, Kaito-kun," Saeko tightened her grip, as if trying to merge herself into his embrace.

"Your sword intent, I felt it."

"You've killed before. You've killed many, many people."

Hearing the anticipation in Saeko's voice, Kaito could only nod. "Yeah."

"Do you enjoy killing?" Saeko asked.

Kaito thought for a moment, recalling the emotions from the Sealed Demon Swordsman memories.

"I don't particularly enjoy it, but I don't hate it either."

Then, remembering that Saeko was a character with a severe violent streak, he added, "But if it's killing someone who wants to kill me, then yeah, it feels pretty good."

Hearing this, Saeko smiled.

Then, she could no longer hold on, and her head tilted to the side as she passed out.

At the same time, a notification sounded in Kaito's mind.

[Conditions met, triggering a new trait!]

[Congratulations, host! You have acquired the trait: Sword Prodigy!]

[Sword Prodigy]: Your talent for swordsmanship far surpasses that of ordinary people. You are a once-in-a-century genius in the world of swordsmanship.

...