Chapter 116: Yagyu Jubei (Long Chapter)
While Yui and the others were cheerfully celebrating her birthday at the KTV, Chishima Akishin was locked in a fierce, life-and-death struggle against Sanada Nobushige within the Patch Space.
Aside from inviting friends like Totsuka Saika, Hiratsuka Shizuka had also attended Yui's birthday bash. She had even tried calling Akishin earlier that evening.
However, at that time, Akishin had already finished his shower and changed into his pajamas. He was mentally preparing himself to dive back into the Patch Space, so he turned her down.
It was only nine o'clock—the hour when Konishi Street was at its liveliest. Since he didn't need to open the shop, he could technically sleep whenever he wanted.
The decision to re-enter the Patch Space and fight was one he had prepared for over several hours; his energy, breath, and soul had been meticulously divided into three parts and calibrated to their absolute peak conditions.
There was no way he would let a minor distraction break that focus.
The opponent he faced was Sanada Nobushige—Sanada Saemon-no-suke—the last true hero of Japan's Sengoku period.
To face him required total seriousness; it was a matter of respect.
Switching off the lights, Akishin stood by the window, feeling the night breeze on his skin as he listened to the distant bustle of Konishi Street below. People were passing by, and the air was thick with the scent of various foods mingling together…
Compared to the darkness and silence of his room, it felt like two completely different worlds.
After soaking in that brief moment of prosperity, Akishin's mind grew simultaneously calm and turbulent. It was a magical headspace—much like the surface of a tranquil sea that could birth a giant swell at any moment.
He closed the window, returned to his bed, and lay flat on his back. His eyes drifted to the darkness above as he whispered: "Enter."
The white space appeared—a void without the concept of direction, where distance was impossible to gauge. The only things that existed were himself and the dark-red longsword gripped in his hand.
"I'm back."
Akishin looked around, letting out a heavy, sentimental sigh. It hadn't even been a full three weeks since he last left, yet returning here made it feel as though an eternity had passed.
Fighting Sanada Nobushige was a world apart from dueling some stray swordsman. If he didn't give himself enough of a break, his breathing rhythm might have spiraled out of control again.
He pulled up the blue light display. His stats remained unchanged; "Strength" was still his highest attribute.
"Patch, if I defeat Sanada Nobushige this time, will I move on to 「Master」 level training?"
Patch: ［No. You do not yet meet the qualifications.］
"I see."
Akishin closed his eyes, tightening his grip on the dark-red sword. He exhaled slowly, and when his eyes snapped open, his entire aura had shifted. A murderous intent radiated from him, his pupils took on a faint dark-red tint, and his gaze was stripped of all human emotion.
In a low voice, he commanded: "Enter!"
A violent wind roared in his ears. The same mountain peak, the same abyss at his back, and... the same enemy standing before him.
Akishin had fallen into that abyss once before, piercing through layers of clouds. Beneath it lay a desolate land with no end in sight—a ground composed entirely of massive black rocks, devoid of even a single blade of grass.
And he had plunged ten thousand meters straight onto that surface...
Sssshhh.
Slowly, he unsheathed his longsword. The blade glinted with a sinister, dark-purple hue under the light, appearing blurred as if it were vibrating.
Without uttering a single word, Chishima Akishin held his sword and charged toward Sanada Nobushige...
...
One minute later.
Akishin yanked the longsword from his own stomach, bringing a spray of blood with it. Before him, Sanada Nobushige used his remaining left arm to prop up what was left of his sword; the life had already left his body.
The dark-purple blade had pierced clean through Nobushige's heart.
Even in death, the man remained standing upright.
His pupils, devoid of focus, stared straight ahead as if observing Akishin with an expressionless gaze.
Akishin looked at Sanada Nobushige and suddenly let out a laugh. "Hahaha... I really wish I could have met the real, living version of you. I heard you were a master of the spear as well..."
He shook his head with a faint smile, reaching out to retrieve his own blade. He planted another sword in the ground before Sanada Nobushige as a mark of respect, and then slowly faded from the scene.
The white space returned.
Akishin reappeared wearing his bear-patterned pajamas, his hair still damp, holding the sheathed dark-red sword.
He raised a hand as if to touch his stomach, but stopped halfway and lowered it. Instead, he drew the longsword once more. His right hand gripped the hilt, pulling the steel from the scabbard.
Clang!
The dark-purple blade reflected Chishima Akishin's calm, steady eyes.
Drip... drop.
A single drop of blood fell from the blade, hitting the floor and staining an area the size of a fist. It looked like a blooming Higanbana—the red spider lily.
Sheathing the sword again, Akishin glanced at the bloodstain on the floor. "Patch, who is the next enemy?"
The battle with Sanada Nobushige was over. He had managed to defeat him while only sustaining minor injuries. Although the sword had pierced his stomach, it had passed through a gap between his internal organs, leaving them miraculously unharmed.
Patch: ［Loading enemy... Loading complete. Chishima Akishin's next opponent: Yagyu Jubei (Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi).］
Akishin's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the name. He knew this person—or rather, anyone who had even brushed against the world of Japanese Kendo would know this name.
Yagyu Jubei (Shinkage-ryu Kai), full name Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, a legendary swordsman in Japanese history.
Alongside his grandfather, Yagyū Sekishūsai Muneyoshi, and his father, Yagyū Tajima-no-kami Munenori, they were collectively known as the "Three Tengu of Yagyu."
Yagyu Jubei was also one of the most famous and romanticized samurai from Japan's feudal era.
At the age of thirteen, he became a personal attendant to Tokugawa Iemitsu and later served as his sword instructor. At twenty, he accidentally offended Iemitsu and returned to his hometown of 「Yagyu-no-Sato」 in Nara to focus on military strategy. There, he penned treatises like the "Tsuki-no-Sho" and taught his school's techniques to disciples who flocked from across the country, drawn by his reputation.
At thirty-two, Tokugawa Iemitsu pardoned him, summoning him back to serve as a personal bodyguard.
In novels and television dramas, Yagyu Jubei is almost always depicted as one-eyed, but in actual history, he had both. Perhaps the legends were simply wrong, or perhaps the painters of the time covered it up at the Yagyu family's request...
Regardless, Jubei was an undeniable genius of Kendo. He took the 「Yagyu Shinkage-ryu」 he had learned and evolved it even further, creating the 「Yagyu Shinkage-ryu Kai.」
He passed away unexpectedly at the age of forty-four, allegedly while hunting birds with hawks in the mountains of southern Kyoto Prefecture. The exact cause of his death remains a mystery to this day.
Yagyu Jubei has two graves: one at Hotoku-ji Temple in 「Yagyu-no-Sato」 and a memorial at Kotoku-ji Temple in Tokyo's Nerima District.
The one at Kotoku-ji is merely a stone monument, with no remains.
Akishin gripped his sword, a trace of hesitation crossing his face.
The system really thought highly of him; first Sanada Nobushige, then Yagyu Jubei... was Miyamoto Musashi next?
Patch: 「Will Chishima Akishin continue the battle?」
Akishin exhaled and shook his head. "No. Let me rest for a few days... For now, let's get out of here."
He returned to his dim bedroom, reappearing on his bed. The street outside was still busy, summer insects were chirping in the bushes, and the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over everything.
Akishin sat up. In the twilight, he caught a faint glimpse of his hands, unconsciously curling them as if a longsword were still there.
He smiled, shook his head, and switched on the light to pour himself a glass of water.
It wasn't that he didn't dare to face Yagyu Jubei, but rather that there was no need to rush. He had done enough for today. Having defeated Sanada Nobushige, he had reached his immediate goal and had no desire for further combat.
Whether it would be two days, a week, or three weeks before he dove back in—who knew?
At the level he had reached, the most efficient way to improve was no longer just pure combat.
Akishin's mastery of Kendo had already surpassed countless swordsmen.
...
The next morning, Akishin offered a greeting as he walked into the faculty office. The first thing he saw was Shizuka, dressed in her white lab coat, slumped over her desk fast asleep.
It looked like she had stayed out late partying and had quite a bit to drink, so she had come to school early specifically to catch up on sleep.
Setting a box of cakes on the desk, Akishin had no intention of disturbing her. He pulled out a book to read as usual, but the small movement was enough to wake her up.
"Good morning... Chishima-kun..."
She lifted her head groalily, looking left and right. When she noticed the familiar cake box in front of her, she couldn't help but flash a warm smile before looking up at him.
"You're here."
"Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
Akishin gave her a calm smile. It was actually quite rare for Shizuka to nap at school. Whenever she did, it was a surefire sign that she'd had a lot to drink the night before and hadn't rested properly.
"No, I wasn't really asleep yet." Shizuka shook her head, her arms still resting on the desk. She smiled and said, "But now I can sleep peacefully. Chishima-kun, look after me, okay? Neither of us has a class in the first period."
"Alright."
Shizuka nodded at him, put her head back down, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep almost instantly.
Akishin felt the temperature in the office. The AC was running, and it felt a bit chilly. He set his book down, took off his outer blazer, and gently draped it over Shizuka's shoulders.
The other teachers in the office weren't surprised by the sight at all; it was pretty much common knowledge that Akishin and Shizuka were in a relationship.
In fact, they admired Akishin for managing to win over Shizuka, who had been single for years—and she was, objectively, very beautiful. Over the years, plenty of male teachers had tried to get close to her, but the longest any of them had lasted was barely two weeks.
...
From that point on, whether it was students looking for Shizuka or teachers coming by for business, Akishin handled them all. He asked everyone to speak softly so as not to wake her.
Towards the end of the period, Director Okazawa came by to see Shizuka about a minor matter. Seeing her asleep, he just greeted Akishin and went to handle it himself.
Thanks to Akishin's achievements, Director Okazawa—who had accompanied him—had also received a promotion. Not only was his salary up, but his status had risen as well.
Even though he was still a Director—in private schools, the highest rank below the Board is Director, with the Principal often serving as a Commissioner—his voting rights and influence had clearly grown.
Because of that, Director Okazawa was incredibly grateful to Akishin.
As the first period ended, Shizuka still hadn't woken up. She muttered something in her sleep with a smile on her face; it was unintelligible, but she was likely having a pleasant dream.
When the break was over, Akishin checked the schedule. Since neither he nor Shizuka had a second-period class, he let her sleep on—though one thing puzzled him: didn't sleeping on one's arm make it go numb? He had tried it before, and his arm would lose all sensation in under twenty minutes.
It wasn't until the end of the second period that Akishin finally woke her.
"Shizuka-chan, Shizuka-chan, wake up. It's time."
Akishin gently nudged her shoulder.
"Haah... class is over? This is..."
Shizuka looked at the blazer draped over her, then at Akishin, who was now just in his white dress shirt. Her face flushed slightly, but she smiled and handed the garment back to him.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. By the way, the second period just ended. I saw we both had no classes, so I didn't wake you so you could get some more rest."
Akishin put his jacket back on as he explained. Shizuka immediately checked the time. After confirming it, she looked at the lesson plan and let out a sigh of relief. "Good thing I didn't have a class."
She had originally planned to sleep for just one period, but two wasn't a problem. She tidied her hair, grabbed the cake box from the desk, took a piece and popped it into her mouth, her eyes squinting happily.
"Chishima-kun, why didn't you come to Yuigahama's birthday party yesterday?"
"...I had something to do. If you'd called earlier, I might have made it."
"Hmm, busy, huh? Well, that's fine. Yesterday, everyone except me was a student. Drinking alone wasn't much fun and felt a bit awkward. We also went to sing at the KTV..."
Shizuka caught the hint of hesitation in Akishin's voice. She glanced at him for a moment but didn't press the issue, actively switching the topic instead.
"In that case, when it's Shizuka-chan's birthday, let's go sing and drink at the KTV again. It'll be my treat, and we should invite your mom and dad, too..."
"Those are your words, don't you go regretting them later."
"Of course not."
Shizuka's eyes instantly crinkled with a smile. She took another piece of red bean cake and put it in her mouth.
Why is this so sweet?
...
Soon, the third period began.
Parting ways with Shizuka at the stairs, Akishin carried his teaching materials toward Class 2-J. By now, he had managed to get all the students in Class J to learn pinyin and use it fluently.
He had already taught them many keywords. Now, he was moving on to common phrases; after this, he would teach two-syllable, three-syllable, and four-syllable words...
After finishing his lesson, he took his bamboo sword to the Service Club for some meditation. He would wait until Yukino and Yui arrived at noon before leaving; if they didn't show up, he would leave at his scheduled time anyway.
During the afternoon PE class, he continued training Hachiman. After school, he would head to the library or ride his bike around Chiba to take in the scenery...
Time passed peacefully like that.
Four days later, on Friday, Kondo Yuika sent him a message saying she was preparing to come to Chiba City. She had originally planned to drop out of school, but now she was coming to see Akishin.
Akishin told her to bring her family along. He would help her find a house here to make it easier for her to attend school while caring for her mother, and he promised to help arrange a school transfer for her younger brother.
—After asking about the brother's grades again, it turned out he was top of his class, so a transfer would be easy to manage.
Stuff like this couldn't be handled over the phone. Akishin was prepared to go personally to help Yuika with the move.
However, he needed to bring one more person along...
At noon, after Akishin and Shizuka finished lunch, they both held books to read. He asked in a casual, offhand tone: "Shizuka-chan, do you have some time in the next few days?"
"I do. What's up?"
Akishin closed his book, turned to look at Shizuka, and smiled. "Take two days off and come with me to Kimitsu City to help someone move."
As a man, showing up at a girl's house out of the blue would be inappropriate, regardless of the reason.
But with a female companion—especially one as beautiful and close to him as Shizuka—it was perfectly fine. At the same time, Shizuka was great with parents, so he could leave her to talk things through with Kondo's mother.
"Is this about Kondo Yuika?"
Shizuka looked at Akishin. She had been right next to him during that phone call, so she knew the whole story.
Akishin nodded. "Yeah. I'm planning to have her move her family to Chiba and help her brother transfer schools. I need to be there in person."
Shizuka hesitated for just a second before nodding in agreement. "When are we going?"
"Tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, we should be back the day after."
"Alright then. I'll pack my bags tonight and pick you up tomorrow morning."
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