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It was a bright, sunny day. Inside the dojo, a beautiful figure moved with steady rhythm, swinging a wooden sword again and again.
Her long purple hair spilled down to her waist, framing a stern, focused face. The white training uniform clung to her impressive figure, emphasizing every motion as she swung.
"Saeko, I have to step out for a while. The house is yours to look after."
At the entrance, a middle-aged man passed by, glancing at the girl training inside. His lips curved into a proud smile as he nodded.
"I understand, Father."
At once, the girl lowered her wooden blade, bowed respectfully, then picked it up again and resumed her practice without hesitation.
Her name was Saeko Busujima, sixteen years old, a first-year student at Fujimi Academy.
The man gave her one last look, then turned and left.
"101… 121… 135… 534… 535…"
Saeko counted silently with each strike, refusing to falter until she had completed a full thousand swings. Only then did she stop, her cheeks glistening with beads of sweat.
After finishing her daily training, Saeko set her wooden sword aside and grabbed a towel, wiping her face before heading out of the dojo. Behind it stood the family residence.
She slipped inside, went straight to the changing room, and set her wooden blade down. One by one she peeled off the sweat-soaked uniform, revealing her flawless, statuesque figure.
From a basket, she took a neatly folded towel, draped it over her chest, and slid open the door. Beyond it lay a natural open-air hot spring.
Saeko stepped briskly outside, crouched by the steaming pool, and dipped her fingers into the water to test the temperature. Satisfied, she slipped in slowly, pulling her damp hair behind her ears as a faint expression of relief crossed her face.
After soaking for a while, she came out wearing only an apron over a pair of purple panties. She began cleaning the entire dojo and house with practiced precision, even taking the bedding outside to air under the sun.
"Saeko Busujima… don't fear me. You and I, we need each other…"
Saeko froze. Kneeling on the wooden floor with a damp towel in hand, she had been scrubbing the hallway when the voice echoed again inside her head.
She turned instinctively, her gaze drifting toward the cellar.
Hidden behind a wall of weeds more than a meter high was the faint outline of an iron door.
She could feel it—something was inside, waiting for her, yearning for her to come closer.
For the past half month, that same voice had haunted her thoughts, refusing to fade.
Once, curiosity had nearly driven her to investigate, to finally face whatever was calling her. But her father had stopped her.
And now, as the whisper returned, the urge flared up stronger than ever. She wanted—no, needed—to know what was down there.
Yet the warning her father had given her rang in her ears. Grinding down her curiosity, she forced herself to keep scrubbing.
More than once she felt the pull, but she never gave in. She couldn't.
Time slipped by, and before long night had fallen.
After dinner, Saeko knelt formally in the living room, dressed in a kimono.
Her father entered, holding a long gift box. He set it down gently before her.
"Saeko, today's your birthday. This is for you."
He passed the box to her with a smile.
Saeko accepted it with a bow, carefully opening the lid. Inside lay a beautifully carved wooden sword made from white oak.
"I had wanted to give you a real blade," her father admitted with a faint sigh. "But considering your circumstances, I had this one specially made for you instead."
His eyes clouded with a hint of regret. For a daughter of the Busujima family to be forbidden from wielding a real sword—if outsiders found out, they would mock them without mercy.
"Thank you, Father."
Saeko lifted the wooden blade, inspecting its smooth surface. A genuine smile touched her lips—she was satisfied.
"As long as you like it. Now, get some rest."
He nodded and turned to leave.
"Good night, Father."
Saeko bowed deeply, watching him go.
Once he was gone, she rose quietly, tightened her grip on the sword, and swung.
The air cracked with force—instantly snuffing out the two candles burning in the center of the room.
Standing in the darkness, she lowered her blade into a finishing stance, then walked back to her quarters.
"Saeko Busujima… don't fear me. You and I need each other… because we both long for the same thing."
"You need me. I need you. We need each other!"
"Your heart craves it—don't fight it. You can't fight it!"
"....."