"So, Deputy Director Fuyukawa goes out with his whole entourage in tow?"
On the tatami mats of the kendo dojo, Asuka Tsukitake, holding a bamboo sword in one hand, removed her kendo helmet with a playful smirk.
She'd clearly been practicing for a while, her body warmed up. Her silver-gray hair, usually hidden under the mask, was damp with sweat, clinging to her face, and her cool, moonlit features were tinged with a faint flush.
It was an alluring sight, and the onlookers nearby couldn't help but stare, their gazes turning to envy and jealousy as they looked at Tetsu Fuyukawa.
Tetsu, unfazed by the attention, just shrugged at Asuka with a grin. "It's been a while, and your tongue's gotten sharper. Alright, I'm not here to trade barbs. So, how do you want to spar?"
"Pretty straightforward, huh? Careful not to embarrass yourself in front of your ladies," she teased, then, to the disappointment of the onlookers, walked barefoot toward a small training room.
The dojo taught a variety of disciplines and was quite spacious and upscale. Beyond the large public training area, it had several private training rooms.
"Tetsu-kun… he won't get hurt, will he?"
In the corner of the small training room, lined with dumbbells and facing Shibuya's streets through floor-to-ceiling windows with two treadmills, Sayoko sat on the tatami, feeling the breeze from the air purifier. She watched Tetsu, now in kendo armor, with a worried expression.
Hearing her, Mitei Miyano, sitting cross-legged with her cool gaze fixed on Asuka, raised an eyebrow. She recalled Tetsu's monstrous physical prowess from their last judo sparring session and the suffocating intensity of being kissed in his arms. Her striking face warmed slightly, and she relaxed with a smile. "Don't worry, that guy's built like a beast. You'd know that better than anyone, right?"
"Eek! Miyano-san, don't say that!" Sayoko, caught off guard by the suggestive jab and remembering their more unconventional moments, blushed furiously.
Before her flush could fade, Himawari Izumi, fiddling with a women's dumbbell nearby, popped her head up and shot Mitei a glare. "Hey, don't you know it's rude to pry into a couple's private life?!"
"Rude to pry into a couple's private life?" Mitei raised an eyebrow, smirking. "If you ask me, the real issue is a certain someone who's always hanging around the house like a third wheel. And not just any third wheel—one with some ulterior motives—hey, what are you doing?!"
"Stop talking!! Let go of me!" Himawari yelped.
Desperate to keep her secrets from being exposed in front of Sayoko—though she knew Sayoko probably already suspected her relationship with Tetsu—Himawari lunged at Mitei, trying to grab her face. Unfortunately, she picked the wrong opponent. Mitei was a judo expert.
No contest. Under Sayoko's amused yet helpless gaze, Mitei executed a perfect rear naked choke!
She wrapped her arms around Himawari from behind, her legs locking around Himawari's thighs, her right arm pressing against her collarbone—careful not to actually choke her.
A rear naked choke!
Lethal in a real fight!
One curvy, one slender, the two women tangled together!
"Let me go, you jerk!" Himawari squirmed, unable to move, weakly patting Mitei's arm.
But Mitei, dealing with this barely 90-pound girl who loved to talk big but was actually pretty fun to be around, didn't use much force. Her right arm rested more on Himawari's collarbone than her neck, and she playfully pinched Himawari's cheek with her left hand. "Admit you're wrong!"
"Wrong…"
"That's more—"
"Wrong, my foot! I'm sorry, okay? Himawari's sorry!" she squealed.
"That's better."
"Better, my foot! You'd better watch out at night!" Himawari shot back, her hands reaching for Mitei's hair the moment the grip loosened.
But with a slight flex of Mitei's arms, Himawari flailed, her pale legs kicking as she apologized loudly again.
The second Mitei let go, Himawari scurried back to Sayoko, clinging to her arm like she'd found a shield, and resumed her taunts. "This woman—"
Seeing Himawari stick out her tongue, then glancing at Sayoko sitting between them, Mitei sighed but couldn't help smiling. Calming down, she hadn't felt this relaxed and playful in ages. Shaking her head with a warm glint in her eyes, she waved it off. "Alright, alright, I'm done teasing you."
"Hmph! When you're old, I'm gonna whack you with a stick!" Himawari huffed.
"Himawari~" Sayoko chided gently.
"Ugh, fine," Himawari muttered, but still sneaked a grimace at Mitei.
This girl.
Feeling the cozy, relaxed vibe she'd only experienced at their last gathering, Mitei shook her head with a smile, her expression softening completely.
Relaxed, she abandoned her "department head dignity" cross-legged pose, sprawling her legs out, leaning back on her hands casually on the tatami, and glanced at Asuka, now in her kendo helmet. "You know this woman?"
"Yeah, she used to be Himawari's music teacher," Sayoko replied.
"Music teacher?"
"Mhm."
Sayoko spilled the details.
Mitei nodded thoughtfully. Looks like another rival's joining the fray. What a playboy!
Her mind wandered as the sparring match on the mat began.
"Shinto-ryu?" Tetsu, adjusting his kendo helmet and eyeing Asuka's middle-guard stance, raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "Didn't you train in Niten Ichi-ryu before?"
"Against a powerhouse like you, dual-wielding won't cut it," Asuka said seriously, her moonlit eyes locked on Tetsu's legs. She was a prodigy in every sense—except math—learning everything quickly. Coming from a prestigious family, she'd dabbled in every kendo style.
While Niten Ichi-ryu, the dual-wielding style, was her forte, it relied on technique over power, unlike the Shinto-ryu she was using now.
This wasn't a scored match, and though she'd never sparred with Tetsu, she'd seen him unwind during lunch breaks on the set of Surrounded by Beauties, practicing Muay Thai in the gym. She didn't know much about Muay Thai, but she knew a whip kick that could fling a sandbag nearly 90 degrees meant serious strength!
"Shinto-ryu, huh? Let's see it," Tetsu said, his eyes glinting with excitement. He hadn't formally studied Japanese kendo, but working on Sekiro had given him some knowledge of styles like Niten Ichi-ryu, Shinto-ryu, and Hokushin Itto-ryu.
Niten Ichi-ryu was Miyamoto Musashi's dual-wielding style, while Shinto-ryu, developed in the Edo period by the "Sword Saint" Nobutsume Ueyama, emphasized "no-sword capture" and "one-strike kill."
"No-sword capture" meant a samurai could fight without a blade, and "one-strike kill" focused on delivering the most effective strike with minimal movement—a "killing technique."
"My kendo's garbage. To beat her, I've gotta close the distance!" Tetsu thought, not overthinking it. With Asuka's "Let's go," he charged forward, bamboo sword raised!
"This guy's a total amateur!" Asuka thought, seeing his wide-open stance.
He looked like he was about to unleash some One-Slash-Two-Halves, Divine Sword move, charging recklessly. Asuka, who'd been on high alert, nearly burst out laughing. Without hesitation, she shifted into a lunge, thrusting her bamboo sword!
A stab!
Amid Sayoko's gasp from the sidelines, the sword aimed for Tetsu's armored chest. But just as Asuka prepared to pull back, her eyes widened—Tetsu, gripping his sword with both hands, suddenly swung his left arm to block!
"So fast!" she thought.
Crack!
Under Asuka's surprised—but not too surprised—gaze and Mitei's knowing smirk, Asuka's thrust was knocked aside. In the next instant, Tetsu's right hand swung the sword down with force!
The power was immense!
The air whistled with a whoosh—but no sound of the sword hitting a shoulder followed!
"Not bad!" Asuka said, dodging with a roll.
Tetsu grinned, but showed no mercy, charging again with his sword raised!
Yes, he was swinging wildly!
His kendo skills were nonexistent. Without protective gear, his left hand would've been swollen by now. But this was just sparring!
His freakish physical stats—strong muscles, high durability, and agility—made him hard to hit. Plus, the armor…
A bamboo sword, especially for sparring, did little damage against it!
He felt like he'd activated a +99999 armor cheat, hacking away freely!
Under Asuka's frustrated glare and Mitei's stifled laughter, the match turned comical. Asuka, a kendo master, was forced to fend off Tetsu's relentless, chaotic swings. Unless she hit his throat or face, she couldn't do much damage. But Tetsu, with his Muay Thai-honed instincts, guarded his face and throat expertly!
Add his near-superhuman speed and strength—each swing, even if parried, rattled Asuka's hands, and his attack frequency was insane!
Crack, crack, crack!
The sound of bamboo swords clashing echoed in the room. Asuka grew more frustrated, while Tetsu was having the time of his life!
"No wonder people love Sekiro! Hacking away is so satisfying! But her parries are solid. Wait… parries?"
As another swing was met with Asuka's parry and a sweeping leg kick, Tetsu quickly stepped back. Seeing Asuka's confused expression, wondering why he'd pulled away, he grinned. "Hey, I've got a new gig for you. Interested?"
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Asuka blinked, thrown off by his sudden tangent.
Tetsu chuckled. "My motion capture actor for the new game got in a car accident. I'm struggling to find someone skilled in kendo. Wanna give it a shot?"
"Motion capture actor?" Asuka blinked again.
Tetsu nodded. "Yeah, my new game's hardcore. It's got tons of sword clashes, parries, and dodges. I think you'd be perfect."
Honestly, Tetsu had known Asuka was skilled in kendo but hadn't initially considered her for the role. Sekiro's protagonist was a stoic male, and as long as the swordplay was sharp, anyone could do it. Male actors typically brought a stronger sense of power, better suited to male players' habits.
But…
His eyes flicked to Asuka's dramatic curves under her kendo uniform and her delicate, pale feet. Suddenly, he thought, Why can't Sekiro be a female ninja?!
Female ninjas had a market—a huge one!
From King of Fighters' Mai Shiranui, Dead or Alive's Kasumi and Ayane, Tekken's Kunimitsu, to even Taimanin—female ninjas were iconic!
There was a market!
And times had changed. Twenty years ago, boys in red clothes were mocked, but now? Players were getting wilder. More and more loved playing female characters in single-player or online games!
Everyone mocked Miracle Nikki, but everyone was its audience!
From Genshin Impact and Bloody Palace in China to Nikke and Nier: Automata abroad, sexy female characters often broke out first!
Who wouldn't want to control a sultry ninja in a Mai Shiranui-style outfit, leaping across rooftops and slicing enemies?
Which single-player gamer hadn't used a spicy MOD?
Those who hadn't just couldn't find the download link!
"MODs can change appearances, but they clash with the story. A female protagonist from the start would be better. Though…"
"We'd keep the male option too. Gameplay and characters—players can skip them, but the game needs both. The female storyline will need some tweaks, though."
Sekiro's story wasn't its strongest draw—not like Elden Ring with its "Ring Scholars"—but it couldn't be weak either. A female protagonist could share some plot points with the male, but certain parts would need reworking, and story changes were a big deal.
Tetsu's mind buzzed, while Asuka grew impatient. "Hey, what's with that sneaky grin? Motion capture actor? The spar's not over!"
Her tone was annoyed—understandably, after being hacked at for ages. But seeing her fiery spirit, Tetsu's lips curved. He dropped the motion capture topic, picking up his bamboo sword again. "Looks like you're not satisfied yet. Let's go."
"Men!" Asuka shouted, and the room filled with the clash of bamboo swords again.
Yes, Tetsu didn't press the motion capture topic. It wasn't like Asuka was the only option. Plus…
Solving problems required strategy.
They were just friends, but after spending time together, Tetsu knew Asuka's personality. She was wealthy, free-spirited, and insanely curious.
For someone like her, shoving an opportunity in her face would make her scoff.
To get her as the motion capture actor, he needed Spreed to let her get curious on her own. Dropping the topic now, after planting the seed, was the best move.
Tetsu schemed quietly as Asuka, her hands numb from parrying, admitted defeat and sat to drink water, frustrated. But Tetsu couldn't join her.
Asuka stepped off, and Mitei, who'd been practicing yoga with Sayoko and Himawari, stepped onto the mat barefoot. With a predatory grin, she faced the sweaty, confused Tetsu.
"You seemed to be having fun with that woman," she said.
"…"
---
The judo spar with Mitei was a mix of pain and pleasure.
Normally, Tetsu wouldn't let a judo expert like Mitei get close, but their relationship had shifted from boss-subordinate to something more. Plus, he could tell Mitei was irked by Asuka's presence.
No way he'd use a whip kick or haymaker on his own woman.
The result?
Judo's full of locks—intimate ones.
Rear naked chokes, thick thighs pressing against his neck in a cross choke, headlocks with her calf pulling toward his groin in a triangle choke.
Mitei got more excited with each move, unleashing her full arsenal. But after a "You're playing with fire," Tetsu, his playful side ignited, scooped her up from behind, pinned her against the wall, and…
Tickled her.
In their suggestive pose, Mitei's embarrassed protests echoed softly. Sayoko, doing yoga, blushed. Himawari, on the treadmill, wrinkled her nose, muttering "pervert," her face red as her mind wandered. Asuka…
She spat out her water.
---