My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Ono Yoko’s determined expression was evident on her small face. She had resolved to take full responsibility, regardless of whether she could handle the situation. It was a child’s way of thinking, but Kitahara Hideji’s hand reached into the cupboard and gripped the handle of a wooden sword. His gaze hardened, a growing sense of determination emanating from him.

Even the most well-behaved person has a breaking point. Kitahara Hideji was no exception. His interactions with Fuyumi made that clear – he could stand his ground. He wasn’t particularly hot-headed, but the current situation was entirely different from dealing with Fuyumi. Those thugs outside were truly detestable, and they were the ones who crossed the line.

While he had long-term plans, he couldn’t afford to back down at this moment. Emotion ultimately drove action, despite rational planning.

He had no regrets about getting involved in this mess. He had saved Ono Yoko out of genuine concern, and he stood by his actions. He was willing to face the consequences of his choices.

Turning around, he grasped the sword’s handle and strode towards the door. He gave a reassuring smile to the anxious Ono Yoko. “Yoko, don’t say such silly things. Backing down now won’t help. Hide inside with Hyakujirou!”

“But, Onii-san…” Ono Yoko wanted to argue further, but Kitahara Hideji gently pulled her away, causing her to stumble backwards. She quickly composed herself and retrieved her phone from her pocket, her hands trembling as she unlocked it.

Kitahara Hideji smiled comfortingly at her, signaling her not to interfere. He then turned back, his expression turning chillingly serious. He walked towards the door and addressed Ono Yoko, “Yoko, hiding is the best option for now. And stay with Hyakujirou!”

Despite her reluctance, Ono Yoko nodded and retreated into the room. She took out her phone, ready to call for help if needed.

Kitahara Hideji turned back to the door, his demeanor transforming into a fierce resolve. He opened the door, and the noise outside grew even louder. He was met with shouts and curses. Kitahara Hideji gripped the handle of the wooden sword even tighter, ready for confrontation.

As the door was pushed forcefully, Kitahara Hideji stepped forward to block the intruder. He looked at the man on the other side of the door, his face filled with anger and determination. “What’s going on? Trespassing on private property?”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was pushed back by a strong force. The man who entered was none other than Ota Tateyo, the bulky middle-aged man. His appearance matched Ono Yoko’s description. He had a nonchalant expression on his face and a smirk, clearly not taking the situation seriously. “Trespassing? Well…”

But before he could finish his sentence, Kitahara Hideji swung the wooden sword, striking Ota Tateyo directly across his face. The blow was forceful and harsh. “Then get out!” Kitahara Hideji’s voice was cold and stern.

His wooden sword didn’t have a sharp edge; it was a practice weapon, yet the blow was so fierce that it hit Ota Tateyo square in the face. He let out a cry of pain and staggered back, blood oozing between his fingers as he clutched his injured face. Kitahara Hideji wasted no time, immediately thrusting the wooden sword towards the man behind Ota Tateyo, aiming for his torso. And then, with a swift kick, he pushed Ota Tateyo out of the door completely.

He followed closely behind, stepping out of the doorway, paying no heed to the astonished onlookers. He raised the wooden sword and began a relentless flurry of strikes. His attacks showed no mercy, targeting heads and joints with each swing. In the blink of an eye, the individuals at the entrance were knocked to the ground, rolling away from the doorway.

However, the opponents were adults, and seasoned street fighters at that. While caught off guard initially, they quickly regrouped. Those behind the main attacker retrieved baseball bats and other makeshift weapons, launching a fierce counterattack. The Ota Family members, numbering about a dozen or so, were determined not to be intimidated by a teenager.

Kitahara Hideji remained undaunted. He kicked the door shut, protecting Yoko inside, and started to maneuver through the narrow corridor. Engaging in a strategic retreat, he skillfully used techniques to redirect and deflect the incoming wooden clubs and bats, occasionally knocking them out of his opponents’ hands and seizing the opportunity to counter.

Despite their numerical advantage, the confined space worked against the Ota Family. Only a few of them could engage Kitahara Hideji at the front, while the rest could only angrily shout curses from behind, frustrated as they watched.

After taking a few steps back, Kitahara Hideji let out a roar. With a swift movement, he twirled the wooden sword, knocking aside an opponent’s weapon and striking him across the face, drawing blood. This action signaled the start of his counterattack. Instead of retreating, he charged forward, his posture low, evading a swing from another assailant’s wooden club. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward, stabbing another opponent who had tried to take advantage of the chaos.

As the first opponent fell, the others hesitated momentarily. But Kitahara Hideji didn’t pause; he pressed on relentlessly. He utilized the techniques of the Ittō-ryū style he had mastered from Fukuzawa Naotaka’s book. The style was not for the faint-hearted; it was developed for chaotic battlefields. With each slash, he cut down obstacles, striking down opponents who came at him with long sticks and cleaving through those who approached unarmed.

At this moment, the members of the Ota Family resembled a disorganized mob more than anything else. They lacked coordination and discipline, making their attacks chaotic and ineffective. In comparison, Kitahara Hideji’s calculated and focused movements gave him a clear advantage. He fought with a purpose and skill that was honed through rigorous training and determination.

Kitahara Hideji expertly controlled the wooden sword, each strike precise and targeted. He used his attacks both defensively and offensively, aiming for vulnerable areas of the body. His goal was to incapacitate his opponents with a single blow, targeting sensitive spots like the face, nose, and nerve clusters. His feet were as active as his hands, delivering swift kicks whenever he had the chance. The techniques of the Ittō-ryū style proved to be quite cunning, allowing for hidden strikes and unexpected kicks, including some aimed at a particularly sensitive area.

In the span of a long corridor, Kitahara Hideji managed to incapacitate his attackers one by one, leaving behind a trail of cries and groans. While the Japan Sword Technique School typically emphasized the use of sharp blades for killing, Kitahara Hideji’s wooden sword strikes were enough to break bones and inflict significant pain. Each blow left a mark, a bloody reminder of the intensity of the fight.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Kitahara Hideji glanced back at the remaining members of the Ota Family. Despite their diminished bravado and many being injured, they were beginning to regroup and retrieve their weapons. With renewed determination, Kitahara Hideji squared his shoulders and advanced once again, his sword pointing ahead like a deadly arrow.

Back in the apartment, Ono Yoko was overcome with fear as she listened to the sounds of the battle echoing down the corridor. She paced anxiously, torn between wanting to help Kitahara Hideji and fearing that she might only get in the way. Unable to sit still any longer, she made a resolute decision. She scoured the apartment for anything that could serve as a weapon, fully prepared to fight alongside Kitahara Hideji, even if it meant risking her own life.

However, the apartment lacked anything suitable as a weapon. Ono Yoko searched high and low, her desperation growing. Finally, she emerged from the bathroom with a flexible clothesline pole in hand. Turning to her faithful companion, she commanded, “Hyakujirou, stay inside and don’t go out!”

Hyakujirou had been trembling with fear, but upon seeing the determination on Ono Yoko’s face, something miraculous happened. The trembling ceased, and his gaze became intense, his teeth bared. Without making a sound, he followed closely behind Ono Yoko, ready to stand by her side and face whatever challenges lay ahead.

However, the entrance to the Kitahara apartment opened outward, and the corridor was a chaotic mess, with people pushing and shoving. When Ono Yoko tried to push the door open, it was forced shut by the crowd outside. Undeterred, she extended the clothesline pole through the crack in the door and shouted with a trembling voice, “Onii-san, are you okay? Onii-san!!”

Despite her efforts, the door wouldn’t budge, but Hyakujirou, being smaller, managed to squeeze out. He immediately sank his teeth into a man’s ankle, fiercely pulling and tearing at him, causing the man to scream in pain.

Kitahara Hideji continued his assault, launching his third attack. He adhered to the principle of engaging no more than two opponents at a time, a lesson learned from his Meditative Battle against a fellow swordsman. As he approached the entrance of the apartment, he noticed Hyakujirou’s interference and swiftly moved to subdue the attackers. He thrust the hilt of his wooden sword into the face of one attacker and kicked another aside. He then took the clothesline pole from Ono Yoko and secured the door once again, ensuring her safety inside.

Exhausted from his intense combat, Kitahara Hideji’s breath came in heavy gasps after hacking through multiple attackers. However, the surge of adrenaline heightened his resolve and brutality. Seeing the man he had previously incapacitated struggling to stand, Kitahara Hideji seized the opportunity and relentlessly struck the man’s face with the wooden sword, blow after blow. The man pleaded for mercy, but Kitahara Hideji’s assault continued until the man fell unconscious, his face a bloody mess.

The ground was now littered with groaning bodies, both in front and behind him. Kitahara Hideji himself was not unscathed, having endured several blows during the chaotic fray. Yet, he paid no heed to his own injuries; instead, his aggression only intensified. His ferocity was unleashed as he swung his wooden sword with deadly intent, dispatching one attacker after another.

Having knocked out one of his opponents, Kitahara Hideji noticed that the rest of the Ota Family members were no longer pressing forward. He held his wooden sword levelly and pointed it at Ota Tateyo, the instigator of the conflict. Locking eyes on his target, Kitahara Hideji marched toward him with determined steps, sword tip leading the way.

His experience in Meditative Battle had exposed him to plenty of real combat, including the sight of spilled blood and decapitated heads. Combined with his innate aggression, the battle had intensified the dark energy within him. Now, covered in blood and bearing a savage expression, Kitahara Hideji’s menacing appearance was enough to terrify any onlooker. As he pointed his sword menacingly, the air was thick with his intent: he was ready to face whatever came his way and make sure that none of the Ota Family members would escape without consequences.

The members of the Ota Family finally began to feel fear. Many of the hangers-on who had joined the fray for some easy gains and free drinks hesitated for a moment before quickly fleeing downstairs. Ota Tateyo, the main instigator, didn’t even utter a word and immediately turned to run down the stairs. He realized he had picked the wrong target; Kitahara Hideji was a formidable opponent, and this was a fight he couldn’t afford to prolong.

However, Kitahara Hideji’s aggressive pursuit continued, chasing them down the stairs. It was chaotic, resembling a scene of herding sheep as he singled out the slower runners to engage in combat. Two members of the Ota Family found themselves cornered, and despite their attempts to fight back, they were easily defeated by Kitahara Hideji’s relentless assault.

These thugs relied solely on brute force, lacking any real fighting skill. Once they lost their nerve, they were no different from ordinary people, and their excessive indulgence in vices like alcohol had compromised their physical strength.

Though it took a bit of time, Kitahara Hideji eventually caught up with Ota Tateyo in front of the apartment building. Ignoring the others, he kicked Ota Tateyo from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. With a wooden sword that had not been sharpened, he rained down blows on Ota Tateyo’s head and body. The wooden sword may not have had a blade, but it was essentially a stick with a handle, and each strike inflicted intense pain.

Ota Tateyo’s resistance had crumbled, and he could only writhe on the ground, begging for mercy. His pleas were met with Kitahara Hideji’s unrelenting assault. However, Kitahara Hideji’s expression was so terrifying that Ota Tateyo began to doubt if the young man truly understood the consequences of his actions. He wondered whether Kitahara Hideji might accidentally kill him in the heat of the moment.

Regardless of Ota Tateyo’s pleas, Kitahara Hideji had no intention of stopping. The rage that had fueled his assault needed an outlet, and he was determined to make Ota Tateyo understand who was truly in control. The blows continued to rain down, leaving Ota Tateyo battered and bloodied.

Suddenly, a voice filled with both astonishment and fear rang out from the street: “Stop! Drop your weapons… Put your hands on your heads and squat down! Quickly!”