"Master, why are you still here? Hurry up ao the dojo! Have you fotten what you pnned for today?"

  A young man suddenly burst into the fe.

  Shunichi, who had beeing his sword, and Satoru, atg, both turheir heads instinctively.

  "Kotetsu? What are you doing here?"

  Shunichi sheathed Suzumushi, his eyes filled with fusion.

  The young man before him was Gojo Kotetsu, a paper cutter at the Gojo family's kendo dojo and one of his most promising disciples.

  In modern Japan, traditional sword schools cssified their disciples into ranks such as paper cutter, catalog, Kaiden, and Menkyo Kaiden.

  To put it simply:

  Paper Cutter (紙切): An appreill in the observation phase, only practig basis.

  Catalog (目録): Officially accepted into the school and allowed to learn its true teiques.

  Kaiden (皆伝): A fully trained swordsmated to use the school's name in formal petitions.

  Menkyo Kaiden (免許皆伝): The highest rank, granting permission to pass on the school's teiques aablish a dojo.

  For example, Kotetsu had not yet reached Kaiden, so he wasn't allowed to introduce himself as a swordsman of Gojo Kyokushin-ryu. He could only say he practiced its teiques.

  Oher hand, Shunichi was already a Menkyo Kaiden of Gojo Kyokushin-ryu, meaning he could tea the Gojo family's dojo or even start his own outside the .

  Looking at his disciple, Shunichi frowned in fusion.

  For the past month, his attention had been pletely occupied by Satoshi's f experiments, and he couldn't recall making any specifis.

  Moreover, Kotetsu had e from the dojo.

  Could this be reted to the dojo?

  "Huh? Master, you don't know? Didn't Master Kumaen inform you?"

  Kotetsu's eyes widened in shock. His face turned pale.

  He had assumed his master simply lost track of time, but he hadn't expected that Shunichi had no idea about this at all.

  "A month ago, Master Yagyū Saemon of Yagyū Shinkage-ryu challenged you to a kendo match! Master Kumaen agreed to it on your behalf! The duel is happening today at the Gojo family dojo!"

  "This match will determine whether you ehe ranks of the Freat Masters of Swordsmanship! You did prepare for it… right?"

  Seeing Shunichi's bnk expression, Kotetsu panicked.

  Duel challenges between kendo masters were aken lightly. Even a slight pse in preparation could result i.

  Shunichi had always meticulously prepared for such battles in the past.

  Yet this time, Master Yagyū was already at the dojo… while his master was still hanging out in the fe.

  "Huh? Yagyū Saemon challenged my ranking? When did this happen?"

  Shunichi frowrying to recall.

  Thinking back, he vaguely remembered that before his falling-out with Gojo Kumaen, there had been some mention of a challenge from Yagyū Shinkage-ryu.

  Back then, he had ht refused.

  He figured the matter had ehere.

  But somehow, Yagyū Saemon had shown up at the dojo anyway.

  Judging from Kotetsu's words, it seemed that Kumaen had accepted the challenge on his behalf.

  Shunichi's expression darkened.

  Now that a rival school had e knog at his dojo, he—as the dojo's Menkyo Kaiden, couldn't just back down, no matter how unprepared he was.

  Still… he felt flicted.

  This fight didn't bode well for him.

  Yagyū Saemon was his equal in skill.

  The difference was that Saemon had prepared for this duel, while he had not.

  The odds were not in his favor.

  ---

  "Young Master Satoru, Young Master Satoshi! I have to go accept Yagyū Shinkage-ryu's challenge, so I won't be able to apany you two for now."

  After hesitating for a moment, Shunichi moved to hand Suzumushi back to Satoshi.

  He had yet to fully uand his neakutō. Leaving it with its creator for safekeeping seemed like the logical choice.

  However, to his surprise, Satoshi shook his head.

  "Suzumushi is yours now. It's your partner. Every battle you fight is a ce for it tnize you. For this kendo duel, use it."

  Satoshi refused to take it back.

  As the borrowed sword wielder, Shunichi could only truly grow if he fought using Suzumushi.

  If the bde was left sitting in ste, it would serve no purpose.

  Besides, Satoshi already had Sode no Shirayuki. He had no need for another Zanpakutō.

  Everything had to be used to its fullest potential. If Shunichi learo wield Suzumushi properly, perhaps he could unlock Shikai sooner… aually even Bankai.

  That was the oute Satoshi wao see.

  Seeing Satoshi's unwavering stance, Shunichi didn't argue. He nodded firmly.

  Yagyū Saemon was not just a kendōka, but also a sorcerer.

  Shunichi's former cursed tool, Cicada's Cry, had been used up in the f process.

  If he repced it with a random cursed sword for the duel, he might struggle to adapt.

  Though Suzumushi differed in shape from Cicada's Cry, Shunichi felt a strange sense of familiarity when holding it.

  At the very least, he wouldn't be fumbling with an unfamiliar on.

  ---

  "Toji, let's go watch! We'll both have Zanpakutō eventually, so we should probably learn a bit about swordsmanship."

  A glimmer of excitement fshed through Satoru's bright blue eyes.

  He had always known that Shunichi's kendo skills were top-tier, but he had never seerue extent.

  Now, with the master of Yagyū Shinkage-ryu ing to challenge him, this was a rare opportunity to witness a high-level duel between masters.

  Toji hadn't been particurly ied at first.

  But hearing Satoru mention learning kendo piqued his curiosity.

  "…Yeah, I've never actually seen a true sword master fight before."

  Their excitement was mutual.

  Both of them then turo look at Satoshi, waiting to hear his decision.