My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 659: Chapter 9: Aoto’s Little Fangirls

”Is it a loss of face...”

Upon hearing this, Chiba Shigetarou showed a thoughtful expression while crossing his arms over his chest.

After a moment, he turned his head and gave a grin to Chiba Domon Shiro.

”Brother Tadomaru, you make a very good point... but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.”

”Let’s just let Mr. Tachibana continue fighting like this.”

”Huh?” Chiba Domon Shiro widened his eyes in confusion.

”First of all, Brother Tadomaru, it’s not ’Mr. Tachibana challenging the apprentices of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo,’ but ’it’s the apprentices of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo challenging Mr. Tachibana.”

Chiba Shigetarou slowly explained.

”Aoto is not the one provoking; he is the one being challenged. From beginning to end, he’s been passively accepting challenges from others.”

”If we forcibly stop the matches just because Mr. Tachibana is too strong and the apprentices are getting beaten badly, it would make our Little Chiba Sword Dojo look petty.”

”To me... right now is a perfect opportunity to teach some of our dojo’s apprentices a good lesson.”

Chiba Shigetarou let out a long breath.

”Father and I realized a long time ago... that some of the apprentices in our dojo have become too arrogant and conceited.”

”Just because they are apprentices of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo, they look down on everything, thinking they are the best among their peers.”

”While confidence is good... being overconfident in martial arts can cost you your life.”

”Father and I have tried to correct this shortsighted mindset in some of the apprentices, but the results haven’t been desirable.”

”Therefore... let’s take this opportunity and let Mr. Tachibana help wake some people up.”

”After suffering such crushing defeats under Mr. Tachibana’s sword, there should be at least a few who are awakened.”

”Hopefully, as many people as possible will understand these two principles.”

”If you have the courage to challenge others, you must also have the courage to accept all the severe consequences, including a disastrous defeat.”

”The world is full of experts, and the world outside the Little Chiba Sword Dojo is vast, with many more experts.”

”But...” Chiba Domon Shiro spoke hesitantly.

However, before he could even finish his ”but,” he was interrupted by Chiba Shigetarou, who had already guessed what he wanted to say:

”Brother Tadomaru, don’t cling to this so-called ’reputation.’”

Chiba Shigetarou said quietly.

”It seems you’ve forgotten what a sword dojo exists for.”

”A sword dojo is a place to teach swordsmanship, a place of education.”

”I don’t deny the importance of ’reputation’ to a sword dojo, but I don’t think it should be the primary pursuit of a dojo.”

”If we prioritize ’reputation,’ a frivolous thing, over nurturing the apprentices, it would be putting the cart before the horse.”

”I believe if Father were here now, he would surely agree with my thinking and support my approach of letting Mr. Tachibana continue fighting.”

”There’s no reason for Father not to agree or support me.”

Chiba Shigetarou, showing a face full of helplessness, let out a sigh full of emotions.

”Father really is quite fond of Mr. Tachibana now.”

”Ever since Mr. Tachibana saved Sazanoko, Father’s attitude towards him changed.”

”Father’s enthusiasm for Mr. Tachibana now... even makes me, as his son, feel a bit jealous.”

After speaking, Chiba Shigetarou subconsciously glanced at Sazanoko by his side.

”In short—Brother Tadomaru. For now, let’s just go with the flow and continue to watch this battle of ’Mr. Tachibana versus our dojo’s heroes.’”

Chiba Domon Shiro pressed his lips tightly, looked at Chiba Shigetarou, then back at Aoto on the field.

His expression was complex.

...

...

While Chiba Shigetarou and the others were conversing, Aoto had already defeated the ninth challenger.

The ninth challenger was named Hosogaya Goutarou, skilled in Small Tachi Technique.

He was the only one among all the challengers Aoto encountered today who used a weapon other than a tachi.

”Ha!”

Hosogaya’s right elbow, like a snapped bowstring, suddenly shot forward, driving the wakizashi in his right hand to draw an arc in the air, fiercely attacking Aoto’s shoulder.

Aoto squatted down, holding his sword single-handedly in his right hand, and swung it diagonally to accurately strike Hosogaya’s wakizashi blade, neutralizing his fierce slash.

The details of Hosogaya’s movements reflected his extensive combat experience.

After his attack was deflected, he showed no signs of negative emotion.

Letting out another loud shout, he charged forward with his sword toward Aoto’s chest.

Aoto took a deep breath, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, flipped his wrist, switching to a reverse grip, and used the hilt from bottom to top to knock aside the wakizashi heading for his chest, and with this upward momentum, aimed the blade at Hosogaya’s body and made an upward strike.

The feeling of hitting something solid... Aoto’s upward strike hit Hosogaya’s chest protector, forcing Hosogaya to stagger back three steps before he could barely stabilize himself.

This Hosogaya, although a devoted admirer of Sazanoko, was nonetheless a straightforward person.

Before Chiba Shigetarou could come forward to announce his defeat, he had already bowed his head toward Aoto with a sense of dejection.

”I lost...”

[Successfully copied talent: ”Swordsman with Minor Achievement”]

[Talent Introduction: Swordsmanship talent amplitude is four times the average level of an ordinary person]

...

[”Sword Genius” ability upgraded]

[”Sword Genius” talent introduction: Swordsmanship talent amplification is eighty times the average level of an ordinary person]