Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
─────
Chapter 121: Just Wanting to be Needed by Suyan
Early morning.
Several pieces of clothing lay scattered across the floor in a messy pile, a silent testament to the intense battle that had taken place within the room last night.
In his sleep, a warm breath brushed against Suyan's chest, giving him a slight, tickling sensation. He subconsciously tried to reach up and scratch it, only to realize that both of his arms felt as though they were pinned down by a massive weight. He couldn't easily pull them free to brush away the strange feeling.
Slowly, Suyan opened his eyes.
He turned his head to the side, and quickly discovered the culprits who had rendered him completely immobile... all of them!
On his right side was the voluptuous and sluggish woman, Marikawa Shizuka. Her head was resting on his shoulder, her hands gripping his arm in a death hold, and her legs tightly wrapped around his body. At least a third of her total body weight was pressing down directly on him.
On the other side was the twin-ahoge girl, Miyamoto Rei. Aside from occupying a different spot, her situation was practically identical to Shizuka's.
As for the strange sensation on his chest? That was the work of the black-haired girl, Makomo.
She was curled up against him like a little kitten, obediently sucking on her own thumb. Her face was pressed flat against his chest, pressing her soft cheeks together. She looked so adorably squishy that it made one want to take a gentle bite.
It was precisely the warm breath escaping the sleeping girl's nose, accidentally fluttering the strands of hair scattered across his chest, that had caused the uncomfortable tickle waking him up.
The two YukimiBotamons had predicted correctly. Last night, Suyan had indeed made little Makomo let out sounds of both pleasure and pain.
Although it hadn't been Suyan's original intention, with Busujima Saeko and the others egging him on, the somewhat naive Makomo had been inexplicably dragged into their battlefield. Regardless, Suyan had completely conquered her. And he had given her a pretty good memory last night—probably...
Suyan carefully extracted himself from the pile of soft, jade-like limbs on the bed, making sure not to wake the sleeping girls.
He stood up, stretched his back, and then turned around to plant a soft kiss on each of their cheeks. Only then did he pick up his clothes from the floor, get dressed, and walk outside.
What Suyan hadn't anticipated was that shortly after he left, Makomo ended up taking his place and inheriting his suffering. Shizuka and Rei wrapped their arms tightly around her from both sides.
Ugh, so heavy...
Deep in her sleep, Makomo furrowed her brow. It seemed she was bearing a weight that a girl her age shouldn't have to endure.
.....
Outside.
The sun had yet to rise, and the sky was still a hazy, pale gray.
Suyan stood in the crisp morning air and took a deep breath. His eyes were quickly drawn to the beautiful silhouette in the clearing a short distance away.
Like an agile sprite, the purple-haired girl was gracefully swinging the wooden sword in her hands.
Her swings were incredibly fast—so fast that the White Oak Bokken left trailing afterimages in the air, making it impossible for the naked eye to track the trajectory of her blade. All one could see was a sky full of sword shadows surrounding her.
Even more terrifying was the fact that every single strike Saeko delivered seemed to carry an indescribable momentum. It gave off the overwhelming sensation that no matter what stood before her—be it solid rock, hardened metal, or even a towering mountain—it would be unquestionably cleaved in two.
The strange thing was, as she swung the wooden sword through the air, it didn't make a single sound. It made one wonder if her blade was cutting the very sound it produced right out of the air.
However, even if she really could achieve such a feat, Suyan wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Because this was the Busujima Saeko he knew—a swordplay genius who held the purest passion for the way of the sword, setting aside all thoughts of battle and slaughter.
The only thing that struck Suyan as odd was that she was clearly using the Busujima Style she had practiced since childhood, and her movements and techniques looked no different than usual. Yet, in this moment, it gave him a completely different feeling.
It was faint, but Suyan could sense the distinct shadow of a Breathing Style mixed into her movements.
"Suyan? Care for a bout?"
Noticing Suyan watching from the sidelines, Saeko quickly stopped her practice. She looked over at him and extended an invitation to spar.
"Let's go."
Suyan immediately understood her intent. He conjured a wooden sword into his hands and stepped forward to meet her.
The battle broke out instantly.
No, it probably shouldn't be called a battle. In this sparring match, Suyan was undeniably occupying the absolute losing position.
The gap in their swordsmanship, which had already been widened by Saeko, felt even more massive today.
Suyan felt stifled. Incredibly stifled.
It was as if every single one of his attacks was being perfectly predicted by Saeko before he even made them. Often, before he could even launch a strike, the wooden sword in her hands would perfectly seal off his next move. If he dared to force the attack, she would easily knock the weapon right out of his hands.
Constantly eating dirt like this—who could stand it?
"I'm not playing anymore!"
Not long after, Suyan tossed aside his conjured wooden sword and complained with a muffled, petulant voice.
"Hehe."
Saeko chuckled softly. Looking at his depressed expression, she asked with a half-smile, "So, you still haven't mastered the Transparent World, have you, Suyan?"
Hearing this, Suyan instantly understood. So that was it—Saeko was using the Transparent World. No wonder her Busujima Style felt so weird earlier.
But he was genuinely a little shocked.
The Transparent World really was an incredible ability. It had actually allowed Saeko, who had been stuck at a bottleneck, to take her swordsmanship to an entirely new level. When they sparred in the past, even though he was no match for her in pure technique, the gap had never been this agonizingly large.
"Yeah."
Suyan didn't deny it. The frustration in his heart dissipated quite a bit as he smiled. "But it's too late for you to find that out now, Saeko-senpai. After all, I already gave you everything I had to give last night."
Saying that, he subtly shifted his body toward the location of the Dimensional Gate.
Then, before Saeko could react, he opened the portal and crossed over into the Demon Slayer world.
Even though he had just eaten a loss in swordsmanship, his successful little sneak attack last night perfectly offset the sting.
It seemed the Transparent World was quite powerful. He really needed to spend some time figuring it out for himself. At the very least, he couldn't let Saeko leave him entirely in the dust.
Even if it was only in the realm of Kendo.
Seeing Suyan slip away like that, Saeko didn't bother chasing after him. She stood in place and gave a helpless shrug.
She hadn't actually intended to tease him. She genuinely just wanted to ask if he wanted her to teach him the Transparent World, and show him how to integrate the essence of Breathing Styles into everyday sword techniques.
After all, she had never forgotten the feeling that arose in her heart the very first day she signed the Contract with him: the desire to surpass him in some aspect, to turn around and teach him, to be needed by him.
And that desire was one of the biggest driving forces behind her daily, relentless training.
─────
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations