"Who's causing such a commotion in front of a gentleman?!"
I looked up.
A woman with her hair tied up stood before us, dressed in the traditional white top and red skirt of a Japanese shrine maiden. Her eyes glared down at us with fierce intensity.
I glanced down at the weapon embedded in the ground. Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't the crescent blade I knew. The blade was too thin to be a true crescent blade; it looked more like a Japanese sword attached to a spear.
This was a Japanese weapon... I think it was called a naginata.
Weapons were a standard part of the Hunter Department curriculum, since Hunters primarily wield cold weapons.
White sword qi still clung to the blade. The woman who threw it must be at least a B-Class Hunter.
I withdrew my Mana, and the crackling sparks around my fist vanished.
"...Tch."
The delinquent clicked his tongue and lowered his fighting stance. The flames that had been burning around his fist dissipated into smoke.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
People had gathered to watch us.
Thud.
The Shrine Maiden descended lightly from the sky.
I instinctively scanned her face and figure. Her angular jaw gave her a slightly masculine appearance, and her chest was around an A-cup. She definitely wasn't my type of beauty.
"Disturbing the peace here is forbidden," she said, pulling the naginata from the ground.
The Shrine Maiden glanced at Jin Seyoung and me before turning her gaze to the Delinquent. A sigh escaped her lips.
"Haa... Nishioka Ken. Is it you again?"
"That bastard started it!"
"Don't make me laugh. Do you even know how many incidents you've caused so far?"
"..."
"Today is the first day of the Fuka Festival. A very important day. Your reckless actions could ruin the entire festival."
"I didn't mean to cause trouble. If that punk hadn't bumped my shoulder and walked away...!"
The Delinquent pointed a finger at me. I scowled, glaring at him with murderous intent.
"This bastard...!"
"Nishioka!"
"...Ugh."
The Shrine Maiden's sharp rebuke made the Delinquent flinch.
"This festival isn't just for Japanese people; foreigners are here too! Foreign broadcasters are filming! If you cause trouble, it's Japan that will be humiliated!"
As if we haven't already been humiliated.
I glanced around. The crowd surrounding us was murmuring, and many were filming us with their smartphones.
"...The incident has already occurred. I can't let you all leave like this. Everyone, follow me."
"Everyone" included not only the delinquent man and woman but also Jin Seyoung and me.
Jin Seyoung, who didn't understand Japanese, looked at me, clearly curious about what the Shrine Maiden was saying.
"She's telling us to follow her."
"...Why? Nothing's happened yet."
I had summoned Mana, but no battle ensued. The Shrine Maiden appeared before things escalated.
"Well, maybe they'll just fine me or something."
I couldn't be certain. In Korea, this would likely end with a fine of at least 500,000 won, but this was Japan, not Korea.
"That person... was Korean?" the Shrine Maiden asked me in Japanese.
"Yes."
"...Are you perhaps a guest with an invitation?"
"Yes."
"...I apologize. Our guild member has caused you trouble. May I see your invitation?"
The Shrine Maiden took the invitation from Jin Seyoung, examined it, bowed deeply to us again, and led us toward the shrine.
The guild she mentioned must be the Fujin Guild.
Fuka Shrine was affiliated with Fujin, one of Japan's five major guilds.
That delinquent is with the Fujin Guild?
The five major guilds in other words, one of the most successful guilds in Japan. I never imagined that delinquent would be associated with such a prestigious organization.
Are his parents high-ranking members of the Fujin Guild?
As I climbed the stairs, my eyes met the delinquent's. He twisted his face into a silent snarl.
I flipped him the middle finger and mouthed:
Fuck you.
Instead of paying a fine, we received a lecture from the Shrine Maiden. As guests, we only got a mild scolding, but the delinquent and the Gyaru faced more severe consequences.
I heard that the Delinquent and Gyaru had caused similar incidents several times before. As a result, they were placed under house arrest, forbidden from leaving the shrine grounds.
The Delinquent, in particular, was barred from leaving his room for the duration of the Fuka Festival.
"We sincerely apologize to all the guests who have come to Fuka Shrine. The Fuka Festival is a highly significant event, closely monitored by the Japanese government. We ask for your understanding and forgiveness."
"Oh, no, it's our fault. Even if they provoked us, we shouldn't have fought..." Jin Seyoung said, waving her hand dismissively. Sensing the mood, I offered a perfunctory apology.
"Thank you for your understanding," the Shrine Maiden said with a bow before leaving the room.
Jin Seyoung and I were left alone.
I moved toward Jin Seyoung, intending to pounce on her before she could start nagging. After all, we were the only two in the room.
But a knock at the door stopped me in my tracks.
"Is anyone there? My name is Kahara Shigeru. I'd like to speak with you both."
I saw Jin Seyoung's face stiffen.
I quietly asked her, "What's wrong? Do you know him?"
"...He's the Shinto priest of Fuka Shrine and a member of Japan's House of Councillors."
A member of the House of Councillors meant he was a politician a member of the Japanese parliament.
I understood why Jin Seyoung's face had frozen. Having a foreign politician, especially one from Japan, come looking for us was deeply unsettling.
After a moment's hesitation, Jin Seyoung glanced at me meaningfully.
"...Come in."
As someone fluent in Japanese, I knew I'd inevitably end up interpreting.
"Excuse me," I said.
The door opened, and Kahara Shigeru entered. He was a man dressed in traditional white Japanese robes.
"Mr. Kahara, what brings you here?" I translated Jin Seyoung's words into Japanese.
"I understand you two are disciples of the Yeongcheon Style. We originally invited Master Jin Wuseong, the sect leader, but it seems he couldn't attend due to unforeseen circumstances."
"Yes, we've come to Fuka Shrine in our father's stead."
"Personally, I'm quite disappointed. I deeply respect Master Jin Wuseong and had hoped to witness the Yeongcheon Style's Ultimate Technique firsthand, even just once..."
Shigeru muttered, lamenting, "The Ultimate Technique of the Yeongcheon Style..."
It was the pinnacle of the Yeongcheon Style's techniques, essentially its Secret Art.
I had never mastered the Ultimate Technique of the Yeongcheon Style, likely because I was too weak. Jin Seyoung was said to be learning one of the Ultimate Techniques, but she hadn't fully mastered it yet.
"Fuka Shrine is especially beautiful in winter. The sight of the shrine blanketed in pure white snow seems to purify my very soul..."
We continued talking with Shigeru for over forty minutes. It wasn't a focused conversation, just aimless chatter. He rambled about the situations in Korea and Japan, Fuka Shrine, the Fuka Festival, and more, pouring out details we hadn't even asked for.
Just as we were starting to feel mentally exhausted, he finally got to the point.
"The head Shrine Maiden of Fuka Shrine must engage in daily sparring matches throughout the three days of the Fuka Festival. These matches are offered as tributes to the gods."
"Yes, I've heard. The schedule shows my match is set for 8 PM tonight. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Indeed. It's considered the highlight of the Fuka Festival. ...However, a problem has arisen. The opponent for the second day's match sustained severe injuries during a Dungeon raid and is currently hospitalized."
Shigeru's eyes flashed sharply.
"...That's quite a predicament. Are there no other prepared sparring partners?"
"There were, but they were injured during the same Dungeon raid..."
"..."
"I know this is a shameless request, but there's no one else we can turn to. For Fuka Shrine and the tens of millions of people eagerly awaiting the Fuka Festival, would you agree to be our sparring partners on the second day?"
Jin Seyoung closed her mouth, pondered deeply, and then spoke.
"...We're lacking in many ways to be sparring partners. Wouldn't it be better to find other Hunters?"
"Finding other Hunters isn't difficult. But they lack legitimacy. You, on the other hand, possess the legitimacy of the Yeongcheon Style. The Fuka Festival sparring matches are dedicated to the gods. We cannot allow those without proper lineage to participate."
Shigeru spoke firmly, as if compromise were impossible.
Jin Seyoung hesitated. She knew it too: we were already cornered.
"Please, I implore you," Shigeru said, bowing deeply from the waist. He pressed his forehead to the ground, his hands flat on the floor.
This was a dogeza, an act of profound apology and submission in Japan. In Japanese culture, performing a dogeza is considered a tremendous humiliation. For a politician like Shigeru to do this was even more extraordinary.
I frowned. A dogeza here? From a politician? Seriously?
"...Very well," Jin Seyoung said, her expression strained. "I will be your sparring partner on the second day. Please raise your head."
As if he had anticipated this response, Shigeru straightened up swiftly.
"Thank you. If you need anything for the sparring match, please let us know. I have preparations to attend to, so I'll be going now. Oh, I'll inform the shrine maidens to allow you to stay at the shrine."
He was about to leave after saying his piece when
Rumble!
The ground shook. It was an earthquake, lasting only about two seconds before subsiding.
"A minor tremor. It's quite common here, so there's no need to worry," Shigeru said.
After Shigeru left, Jin Seyoung and I were the only ones left in the room.
"Sister, this is practically a trap."
"...He even performed a dogeza. How can we refuse? If we back down now, the Yeongcheon Style will be mocked."
She was right.
If we refused, tomorrow... no, by this afternoon, the news would be out: "House of Councillors Member Shigeru Kahara begged them on his knees for the Fuka Festival, but a disciple of Korea's Yeongcheon Style refused, fearing the sparring match."
"Like that." And this wouldn't just be known in Japan and Korea, but internationally.
"This is a fight I can't avoid. As a practitioner of the Yeongcheon Style, I have no choice but to face it."
Avoiding the battle was impossible.
With the reputation of the Yeongcheon Style at stake, there was no way out.
"Even if you fight, what are your chances of winning?"
"..."
Jin Seyoung fell silent.
She was a B-Class Hunter preparing for the A-Rank Hunter exam, while her opponent was an A-Class Hunter considered a candidate for S-Rank.
Her chances of victory were virtually nonexistent.
"That bastard is a dirty fighter."
In the end, Jin Seyoung would lose the match. It would be broadcast live across Japan and internationally online. Japan would pat itself on the back, boasting about its superiority, while Korea would curse the Yeongcheon Style for losing to Japan. It was all too predictable.
We had become sacrifices in a spectacle.
"Even so, we can't avoid the battle we've walked into. Even if we lose... we mustn't run."
I stared at Jin Seyoung's determined face before saying, "I'll take the duel. He didn't ask for you specifically. I'm also a practitioner of the Yeongcheon Style."
Shigeru's mistake was underestimating my existence. While he continued his conversation with Jin Seyoung, he assumed she would be the one to face him in the duel.
"No, I have to step forward. Even if I lose, I need to show the potential of the Yeongcheon Style."
"Sister, let's be realistic. You're the Hall Master of Shadow Heaven Sword Hall, the Instructor of the Yeongcheon Style. I'm just a disciple and an E-Rank Hunter at that. If I lose in a second, no one would find it strange. Anyone with sense would probably just pity me."
Jin Seyoung thought quietly. No matter how she looked at it, she realized that my stepping down would ultimately benefit the Yeongcheon Style.
"...Are you sure about this? You could be ridiculed worldwide."
"It's fine. I don't really care."
I genuinely didn't care. This would all be forgotten with time anyway. Later, when I became stronger, I'd remember every bastard who mocked me and make them pay the price.
This is actually a good thing for me. Through this match, I might be able to obtain Amatsuka Koyori's blood or hair. Heh heh heh. Imagine the irony: the woman who defeated me turns out to be my sex doll?! Heh heh heh.
I was almost looking forward to tomorrow.
"Yujin-ah... thank you."
"Sis, I'm a Yeongcheon Style practitioner too. You don't have to handle this alone. You can rely on me."
Jin Seyoung's eyes grew moist as she looked at me. I gripped her shoulders and slowly brought my face closer to hers.
Realizing what I wanted, Jin Seyoung closed her eyes.
Our lips met.
"Ah... Aang! Ahh!"
The room soon filled with the heat of passionate moans.