"Well then, Tomoe-san, I guess it's our turn now." I pletely ighe two girls on the sidelines, my attention now fully focused on Tomoe.

  Siaining Zasu, aside from practig this m, this was my first real sword fight against another person.

  And now, my oppo was Tomoe Meguri, who possessed the power of a Mid-css. I was genuinely excited!

  Hearing my words, a faint blush crept onto Tomoe's cheeks, like the first bloom of a peach blossom. She avoided looking directly at me. But she quickly recovered and regained her posure.

  "Hibari-san, I apologize for my earlier behavior. Although I don't know your reasons for challenging me, I ot back down from a challenge from such a skilled oppo!" As she spoke, Tomoe walked over to the on rad picked up a wooden sword.

  "The's begin!"

  I smiled faintly and tightened my grip on my wooden sword, quickly advang towards Tomoe.

  Meaningless verbal sparring ointless. It was better to let our swordsmanship decide the victor!

  Tomoe also raised her wooden sword a my advance!

  With all the members of the Kendo Club as witnesses, we began our fierce duel.

  g!

  Our wooden swords collided with a sharp sound, and theh quickly retreated, creating distaween us, only to csh again and again!

  g!

  g!

  g!

  As the sounds of our swords g echoed, our movements became faster and faster!

  After blog another one of my attacks, Tomoe spoke excitedly.

  "Hibari-san, could it be that you're also....? My power and speed have increased signifitly, yet you still keep up with me, fighting evenly while wielding your sword with only one hand."

  "Well..."

  Hearing Tomoe's praise, I simply shook my head and smiled without expining further. It seemed she had mistaken me for one of Rias's peerage. If I revealed that I was just a human, she probably wouldn't use her full Devil painst me.

  This was a rare opportunity to fight against a skilled swordsman of simir strength. I had to cherish it. In fact, I was incredibly excited.

  From our exges so far, I could tell that Tomoe's swordsmanship was superior to mine, and her fuals were much stronger.

  But because of my Observation Haki's, I could easily evade her attacks and terattack.

  So, for the time being, her of us could gain an advantage. However, through this sparring, I was being more and more profit in bat.

  Her eyes flickered stantly, and finally, Tomoe made her decration.

  "Hibari-san, I'm going all out now!!"

  "That's exactly what I want. To be ho, I'm very happy that you're willing to fight me with your full strength." I responded with a slight smile, my eyes sharpening.

  Tomoe was now pnning to use her full Mid-css strength. Naturally, I had to go all out as well.

  I couldn't afford to be careless anymore, or pying the role of a sheep to lure the wolf would only make me the real fool in the end. It would also be disrespectful to her.

  Our wooden swords cshed again, but pared to the previous exges, our speed and power were now on a pletely different level.

  We both seemed to treat each other as mortal enemies, our minds filled with thoughts of how to defeat the other.

  Tomoe, as ao an a family of exorcists, used her family's secret exorcism swordsmanship, relentlessly attag me!

  But despite Tomoe's fiersught, I remained calm and posed. My breathing was steady. I easily blocked Tomoe's attacks, and even found opportuo terattack!

  Standing to the side, Yura Tsubasa and Reya Kusaka watched ht with astonishment.

  "I-is this an illusion? Hibari-senpai actually fight on par with the captain?!"

  "It's unbelievable... Holy, I'm shocked too! He sleeps in css and still gets good grades, he's handsome, and now he's this good at kendo. If wets out, I bet tons of girls will see him as their ideal man..."

  "Yeah, you're right..."

  The two girls whispered to each other, unaware that as they watched me, their faces had turned as red as roses uhe setting sun. Their shy expressions were endearingly cute.

  Koneko, the two girls' infatuated expressions from the side, couldn't help but think to herself, 'That pervert is such a dy-killer... But I didn't expect him to be this strong, almost as strong as Kiba.'

  ...

  I was pletely oblivious to the girls' little side versation. Even if I had heard their discussion, I wouldn't have had time to expin.

  Because at this moment, I was pletely immersed in the joy of battle. I was thrilled to have met such a well-matched oppo in Tomoe.

  As our wooden swords collided again with a loud bang, I retreated a few steps, a wider smile spreading ay face.

  "This is amazing! But it's time to end this. Tomoe-san, prepare yourself for my stro attack!"

  Tomoe didn't respond verbally, but the serious expression on her face was answer enough.

  In the instant, I dashed towards her with lightning speed! My right hand, gripping the wooden sword, was now coated with powerful Armament Haki. I swung the sword down from above in a single, vertical ssh.

  Faced with this sudden attack, Tomoe had no time to react. She could only raise her sword horizontally in front of her to block. A clear, crisp sound rang out.

  Crack!

  Tomoe's wooden sword lit in two, and I followed through, pg my wooden swainst her neck. Defeated. She was utterly defeated.

  "I lost."

  "Among the people I've met, only Kiba Yuuto's swordsmanship is parable to yours. I doubt even he could defeat you." Tomoe lowered her broken sword. She didn't seem dejected at all. Instead, her eyes sparkled.

  "You're too kind... To be ho, I haven't actually fought Kiba Yuuto yet. So, if we were to fight, it's hard to say who would win."

  Just as we were talking, a voice called out from the doorway, filled with surprise.

  ...

  "That's true. There's o be so modest, Hibari-san. Your swordsmanship is remarkable. Even I'm not fident I could defeat you."

  "Kiba-san? Why are you here at the Kendo Club?" Tomoe asked, puzzled by the newer's arrival.

  "Hello, Hibari-san! I'm Kiba Yuuto. Rias asked me to e and invite you to the Occult Research Club. But I didn't expect you to be so powerful..."

  Rias had gotten worried since I hadn't shown up yet, so she sent Kiba to chee. He hadn't seen the beginning of the fight, but he had watched our duel from the mome serious.

  Seeing Tomoe, a skilled swordswomaed so easily by me left him stunned and filled with disbelief.

  Although Rias had told him that I had instantly killed a Stray Devil, seeing me defeat Tomoe with such ease still shocked him to his core.

  Just as I was w why Kiba had suddenly appeared, the system notified me that the challenge against Tomoe was plete, along with a new system task...