My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s emotions had nothing to do with Kitahara Hideji.

Initially, there weren’t any major conflicts between them. If Fukuzawa Fuyumi had any grievances, she could have approached him and discussed it calmly. Kitahara Hideji was not the type to hold grudges and would apologize and make amends if he was in the wrong. He would never hesitate to do so.

But unfortunately, Fukuzawa Fuyumi chose to bottle up her frustrations and constantly provoke him for no reason. Both of them had the same number of hands and one head, so there was no reason to fear each other. He simply wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But enough was enough. If she wanted to keep challenging him, then he would fight until she acknowledged his strength!

Kitahara Hideji looked at Fukuzawa Fuyumi, who was still determined despite the consecutive strikes, and cautiously activated his active skill, “Foreseeing.” He acquired this skill when his Ancient Swordsmanship reached Middle Rank. Its purpose was to predict the opponent’s next moves based on their body posture and details of their actions.

Sword Technique was never about using brute force for killing. It was a battle of wits and strategy, which was why it was also called “shōheihō.” It was like playing chess – making a move, considering the opponent’s possible responses, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages, and planning accordingly. Novices made one move at a time, while masters saw ten moves ahead, and experts saw a hundred moves ahead. Supercomputers saw the outcome of the entire game.

Sword Technique operated on similar principles. When launching an attack, there were various ways the opponent could respond, and he needed to anticipate those responses and determine the best counter. This process continued until he deduced the outcome of the confrontation.

Almost all Ancient Swordsmanship Schools employed the “Foreseeing” mindset. Of course, being Japanese, they couldn’t just copy others without adding their flair. They gave it names like “Mind’s Eye,” “Reading the Opponent’s Mind,” “Intrapersonal Battle,” and many other peculiar names, but fundamentally, they all served the same purpose and were not rare techniques.

[ “心之眼” (Kokoro no Me) means “Eye of the Mind” or “Mind’s Eye.” It refers to a concept in martial arts where one cultivates their inner awareness and perception, allowing them to read an opponent’s movements, intentions, and weaknesses more effectively. The “Eye of the Mind” enables a martial artist to react with precision and anticipation, making it a crucial skill in combat.]

[“他想” (Tasō) means “Other’s Thought” or “Reading the Opponent’s Mind.” It signifies the ability to understand an opponent’s intentions, strategies, or techniques through careful observation and perception during combat. By “reading the opponent’s mind,” a martial artist can adapt their responses and counter effectively, gaining an advantage in the confrontation.]

[“谋内战” (Mōnaizen) means “Intrapersonal Battle” or “Inner Conflict.” In this context, it refers to the mental and psychological struggles a martial artist faces within themselves during training or combat. It involves overcoming fear, doubt, distractions, and other internal barriers to maintain focus and perform at one’s best.]

When Kitahara Hideji activated his skill “Foreseeing,” time seemed to momentarily freeze, forming a thick and viscous fluid. Countless translucent images of Kitahara Hideji appeared, each demonstrating various attack methods directed at Fukuzawa Fuyumi. At the same time, numerous translucent images of Fukuzawa Fuyumi emerged, displaying different defensive responses, such as “Kirioroshi,” “blocking,” or “ducking.” In a matter of moments, the entire arena was filled with these battling images, with some of them continuously vanishing as they were “slain.”

As time resumed its flow, Kitahara Hideji felt a headache and a significant drop in his Energy Value. The skill was undoubtedly useful, but it placed considerable strain on his mind, leaving him with a feeling of being overwhelmed. Despite this, he persisted, maneuvering with a “Sankaku-bu” (triangle step) towards Fukuzawa Fuyumi.

While to onlookers, the “Sankaku-bu” might appear insignificant—a mere circular movement—combatants knew that it could sometimes create a “teleportation” effect. However, Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s senses remained sharp, enabling her to accurately discern Kitahara Hideji’s attack direction. In response, she swiftly twisted her body and executed “Kirioroshi,” the foundational and ultimate technique of Ittō-ryū.

“Kirioroshi” involved cutting through the enemy’s attack and then using that momentum to strike down the opponent. Though considered a foundational technique in Ittō-ryū, it was practiced from the early stages and perfected over time, making it a devastating move when wielded with precision.

A single slashing motion, appearing as a straight line, followed by another slash, accurately breaking the initial line, and then seizing the opportunity to bring down the enemy—on the surface, it seemed simple. However, those who hadn’t practiced it would struggle to execute it correctly. Even trying to have an untrained individual follow a line drawn on a wall and attempt to slash along it would likely result in failure. Furthermore, in a real battle scenario, the reaction time is barely a fraction of a second, making it more a matter of instinct rather than aiming.

Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s “Kirioroshi” accurately hit Kitahara Hideji’s Shinai, but it failed to break through. In Ancient Swordsmanship, there were techniques like “Chinkon” (Listening to Force) and “Shakuryoku-doryoku” (Using the Opponent’s Force Against Them), leading to variations like “Hikiochi” (Drawing and Lowering), “Setsugen” (Reversal), and “Chan Ken” (Sword Binding). These techniques provided a range of options to counter an opponent’s moves and further demonstrated the intricacies of Ancient Swordsmanship.

Kitahara Hideji’s feigned attack successfully baited Fukuzawa Fuyumi into using “Kirioroshi,” while he attempted to suppress her Shinai with his left hand, seemingly creating an opening to strike her down. However, Fukuzawa Fuyumi wasn’t one to be easily fooled. Responding instinctively, she tried to twist Kitahara Hideji’s Shinai away, but to her surprise, his move was also a feint. His Shinai still lacked force, and as she forcefully twisted, her own Shinai flew into the air. Meanwhile, Kitahara Hideji, prepared for this countermove, swiftly changed his grip on the Shinai, positioning it to strike directly at Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s forehead.

Caught off guard, Fukuzawa Fuyumi suffered a heavy blow to the head, nearly falling backward in the process. She stumbled a few steps back and ended up sitting on the ground.

Before she could regain her senses, Kitahara Hideji closed the distance with a sliding step, holding the Shinai with both hands, and delivered a strong blow once again to her forehead. Although the first strike lacked a “Kiai” and wasn’t considered a valid hit, according to the rules, as long as an opponent was on the ground or had lost their weapon, a continuous pursuit within three seconds was permitted.

However, Kitahara Hideji didn’t stop there. He raised his Shinai for another strike, clearly intending to deliver a follow-up blow. But the temporary referees intervened. Kitahara Hideji’s refusal to “Kiai” throughout the fight made it questionable to award points. Though they were not professional referees and faced a confusing situation, they stepped in to stop him.

While the temporary referees hesitated, Uchida Yuma laughed heartily and even assisted Kitahara Hideji by pulling the other two referees aside, hoping he would continue his onslaught and take full advantage of Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s apparent weakness.

Despite being pushed to the side, Kitahara Hideji didn’t want to escalate the conflict with his fellow students. On the other hand, Fukuzawa Fuyumi, now back on her feet with Shinai in hand, was beyond furious. Her eyes turned bloodshot as she angrily confronted Kitahara Hideji, exclaiming, “How dare you humiliate me like this?!”

She had never been humiliated like this before in her life, being knocked down and left in a frog-like position. The surrounding cheers and laughter felt like mockery, deeply bruising her self-esteem.

Kitahara Hideji adjusted his stance to optimize his power and smiled, saying, “As the one who humiliates others, you should be prepared to face humiliation yourself, Fukuzawa-san! Although I’m not sure what I’ve done to offend you, you continuously try to shame me using Sword Technique. You must realize that everything happening now is a result of your own actions—remember, it was you who proposed this match. Have the courage to start it, but lack the courage to accept the consequences?”

“Fool!” Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s anger left her momentarily speechless, and she trembled with frustration. Raising her Shinai, she charged at him, a mix of shame and annoyance in her voice as she yelled, “You cheat and take advantage, what kind of man are you?”

Moments ago, Kitahara Hideji had set traps and employed deceptive moves that left her feeling intellectually suppressed, unable to muster her strength. The frustration of realizing she had been outsmarted surpassed even the humiliation of being knocked into a frog-like position.

Kitahara Hideji chose not to activate his “Foreseeing” skill this time. He had obtained the skill recently and wasn’t yet familiar with it. Each use felt like a blow to his head, causing significant discomfort and consuming a considerable amount of energy. Besides, Fukuzawa Fuyumi was visibly agitated, so he deemed it unnecessary. The earlier use of “Foreseeing” was just a precaution because winning against a stronger opponent wasn’t uncommon in Sword Technique combat.

He controlled the bamboo sword, facing the non-sharp edge toward Fukuzawa Fuyumi, although it wasn’t necessary since bamboo swords wouldn’t have a blade to break. He blocked Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s diagonal strike and then pressed his bamboo sword against her, saying with a smile, “I just don’t want to rely on my strength to bully you too much.”

Surprisingly, despite exerting his strength twice, Kitahara Hideji couldn’t make Fukuzawa Fuyumi retreat, which left him somewhat astonished. Since he began practicing Ancient Swordsmanship, his strength attribute had increased by 4 points. Although attributes seemed to have a coefficient relationship with the body’s original strength, he estimated that his strength had at least increased by 20%. Still, even with this increase, he couldn’t overpower this petite girl. He wasn’t sure if it was because his original physical strength was too weak or if Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s strength was unusually strong.

It was unexpected for a male to not have the advantage in strength over a female.

Now, their Shinai were locked together, and their audible breaths filled the air as they were caught in a stalemate. Fukuzawa Fuyumi also exerted force, attempting to push Kitahara Hideji aside to regain her face after being knocked into a frog-like position. However, despite her two attempts, she couldn’t move him. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation, and she suddenly lifted her short leg to deliver a sidekick toward Kitahara Hideji’s knee.

Kicking was strictly forbidden in Kendo matches, and Kitahara Hideji hadn’t anticipated her breaking the rules. He was caught off guard and failed to defend properly, getting kicked and losing some of his strength. Taking advantage of his imbalance, Fukuzawa Fuyumi pushed him back a few steps and took the opportunity to swing her Shinai toward his head, angrily shouting, “Today, I must chop off your dog head!”