But the lower and middle tiers of battle power... Shiwei Hall was thoroughly defeated by Little Chiba Sword Dojo.
Sazanoko listened quietly to Aoto’s words and blinked her beautiful eyes a few times.
"The ’Red and White Battle’ from half a year ago... Time really flies, doesn’t it? It’s been six months since the competition we held with your Shiwei Hall."
"Speaking of which, it’s truly unbelievable."
The light in Sazanoko’s eyes flickered slightly as she mumbled these words.
Aoto, puzzled by what Sazanoko meant by "unbelievable," looked at her with a perplexed gaze.
"Mr. Tachibana, your talent, your speed of progress... it’s astonishing."
Sazanoko spoke softly with a calm tone.
"Half a year ago during the ’Red and White Battle,’ you, Mr. Tachibana, were not as strong as I was."
"But in just half a year, your skills have changed drastically, Mr. Tachibana."
"The speed of your improvement has left me speechless."
"I still remember, over four months ago, at the Swordsmanship Competition held by the Marquis of Aizu, witnessing you effortlessly defeating the outstanding newcomers from various sword dojos one by one."
"Today, not only are the outstanding newcomers from various sword dojos in Edo unable to match you, even our top disciples at Little Chiba Sword Dojo are no longer your match."
"Though I find it difficult to accept... after watching your fight just now, I realized that you are now far stronger than I am."
"In the path of Swordsmanship, you have reached a level that I have to look up to."
"Honestly... I’m a bit envious of you."
At this point, Sazanoko’s eyelids drooped slightly as she looked at her intertwined hands on her lap, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, showing a hint of a bitter smile on her delicate face.
Her tone became hard to grasp emotionally.
"If only... I had the exceptional talent you possess..."
Although Aoto couldn’t see Sazanoko’s face, he could feel her somewhat low mood through her tone.
The two seemed to be chatting just fine, but without any warning, Sazanoko’s mood suddenly dropped... This quick shift left Aoto a bit caught off guard.
"Ah, I’m sorry."
Sazanoko took a deep breath and quickly apologized.
"I seem to have said too many uninteresting things."
"Please forget everything I just said."
"Mr. Tachibana, are you thirsty? My brother’s friend just gave us a few cans of sour plum soup yesterday; it tastes quite good. Would you like to try some?"
Sazanoko attempted to change the subject... but her method was a bit too abrupt.
Aoto ignored the clumsy subject change posed to him by Sazanoko.
He silently stared at the back of Sazanoko’s head, his eyelids blinking slowly as he concentrated on his thoughts.
"Mr. Tachibana?"
Aoto’s prolonged silence elicited a slightly puzzled look on Sazanoko’s face.
Since she wasn’t sure whether Aoto was clothed, Sazanoko dared not turn her face towards him.
At that moment, Sazanoko heard a "splash" sound.
It was the sound of Aoto tossing the towel he held into the water basin.
"Hmm... speaking of high talent, Miss Sazanoko, you needn’t be overly humble."
While washing the towel in the basin, Aoto smiled and said.
"You are the most formidable female warrior I have ever seen in my life."
"When I first saw your Swordsmanship, your exceptional skills gave me quite a shock."
"You too possess an extraordinary talent that very few can match."
"So, in summary..."
Aoto stopped washing the towel, raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head.
His smile turned into an awkward grin... He was working hard to find the perfect words, pondering how to end this statement eloquently.
A moment later, Aoto lowered his hand from his head.
His voice, calm yet powerful, reached Sazanoko’s ears once again.
"...Miss Sazanoko, there’s no need to belittle yourself."
"If you strive zealously forward, the world will not have anyone or anything that can hinder your shine."
"With your skills, Miss Sazanoko, one day you can achieve accomplishments in Martial Arts that will win everyone’s admiration."
"I sincerely believe this."
Sazanoko widened her eyes in astonishment.
She appeared to be gazing intently at something ahead of her.
But in truth, she wasn’t looking at anything.
Her entire being was engulfed by the emotion brought about by Aoto’s recent words.
The blank and confused look in her eyes gradually began to reveal a brightness matching the hues of a summer sky.
Captivated by Aoto’s words, Sazanoko inadvertently started to smile.
The edges of her mouth curled into a gentle arc, and a faint smile graced the girl’s cheeks.
Despite trying to press her lips tightly together, a soft laugh still slipped through.
The smile on her adorable face and the light in her eyes intertwined, casting a dazzling and vibrant display of colors.
"Mr. Tachibana..."
Sazanoko opened her lips, about to speak.
But just then...
"Ouch!"
A sudden shout from Aoto and the sound of a basin being knocked over cut off all of Sazanoko’s thoughts.
"Mr. Tachibana, what happened?"
Responding to the loud noise and commotion behind her, Sazanoko instinctively turned her head, her voice tinged with concern.
In the moment she turned her face towards the source of the noise behind her... her expression froze.
At this moment—
Little Chiba Sword Dojo, B Area—
"...Brother Tadomaru, what do you think of Mr. Tachibana?"
After Aoto had been led to rest in the Inner Courtyard by Sazanoko, Little Chiba Sword Dojo resumed its normal order under the organization of Chiba Shigetarou.
Everyone returned to their respective places, each continuing their tasks.
The disciples in the C Area returned to the C area.
The disciples in the B Area also resumed their practice.
However, within the dojo’s atmosphere, there remained traces of the solemn qi field left by the intense series of duels earlier, as well as the enthusiastic atmosphere of applause given in celebration of Aoto’s complete victory.
Standing in a corner of the dojo, arms crossed in front of his chest, Chiba Shigetarou appeared to be attentively observing the apprentices’ sword movements on the field... But in actuality, his thoughts were elsewhere.
"What do you mean, what do I think?"
Chiba Domon Shiro, standing shoulder to shoulder with Chiba Shigetarou, asked in confusion.
"...I’ll be frank with you then."
Chiba Shigetarou lowered his voice, looked Chiba Domon Shiro straight in the eyes, and spoke seriously and earnestly.
"Brother Tadomaru, what do you think of the name ’Tachibana Sonoko’?"
"...Huh?"
"You still don’t get it? Let me put it more bluntly. How about arranging a marriage between Aoto and Sazanoko?"
The rhythm of this story, switching from combat to romance, is truly irresistible (laughing emoji).
The author spent a long time writing today’s Chapter... the emotions were especially difficult to write. To capture the subtle emotional shift between Aoto and Sazanoko, the author sculpted each word meticulously.
In light of such diligence from the author, please vote for the book! Seeking your monthly votes! (crying emoji)
PS: The author plans to take a day off tomorrow. For details, see the "Author’s note" below.

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