Ten days later,
Kiyokawa Izumi, whose injuries were nearly healed, couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia the moment his hand touched his nichirin blade.
Without the nichirin blade by his side, he always felt like something was missing.
Having woken up early, he began some low-intensity training—running!
Maintaining his Breathing Technique, he finished a five-kilometer run at a moderate pace.
This, of course, was not his current limit.
However, having just recovered, he needed a warm-up process.
After running on an empty stomach, Kiyokawa Izumi, whose appetite had increased significantly, wolfed down six rice balls, a bowl of miso soup, and some side dishes.
After a short break, Kiyokawa Izumi went into the courtyard and decided to practice basic sword swings.
He wasn't willing to just swing the nichirin blade around aimlessly like a fool.
He brought over a wooden table and placed a palm-sized incense burner on it.
That wasn't all; he also took out a stick of sandalwood incense, lit it, and inserted it into the burner.
Kiyokawa Izumi wasn't there to worship gods or Buddhas; he didn't believe in such things.
He was simply using them as training props.
Two days ago, when Kanzaki Aoi went out to buy medicine, Kiyokawa Izumi had specifically asked her to bring back some incense.
Kanzaki Aoi had been quite speechless at the time.
She asked him what kind of incense he wanted.
Kiyokawa Izumi just said "whatever."
The young girl said nothing, looking at him with a dark expression.
After a staring contest, Kanzaki Aoi was the first to yield and could only ask helplessly, "Is sandalwood incense okay?"
Kiyokawa Izumi hadn't researched these things, so he could only nod—who knew what types of incense existed in this era? He figured they were all probably about the same.
In fact, the incense Kanzaki Aoi bought was exactly the type Kiyokawa Izumi wanted.
This incense was meant for offerings at a Buddhist altar—but that wasn't the point; Kiyokawa Izumi was very satisfied with its length and diameter.
It was about twenty-two centimeters long and one point five millimeters in diameter.
Kiyokawa Izumi hadn't lied to the girl; the incense really was for training.
His strange behavior naturally attracted attention, and The Three Little Ones and Kanzaki Aoi were watching from the side.
"What is he doing?"
Before the words had even left her mouth, the sharp tip of the blade swept past the tip of the incense and was quickly retracted.
Kanzaki Aoi's eyes widened slightly—she hadn't even been able to see Kiyokawa Izumi's movement as he swung the blade.
He had only passed the Final Selection a short while ago, yet he already possessed such swordsmanship?
Looking again at the burning incense, the tip of the blade had lightly tapped it, and the ash was neatly divided into two sections. The faint sparks hadn't gone out because of it, and wisps of white smoke still rose.
Such precise control was something an ordinary swordsman definitely couldn't achieve.
Tapping it lightly with the nichirin blade, he split the tip of the incense in two, yet the incense remained lit.
About half an hour passed, and the incense had burned halfway. Kiyokawa Izumi, who had swung his blade over a hundred times consecutively, exhaled a breath of turbid air and decided to take a short break.
"Towel!"
Terauchi Kiy handed him a clean towel, and while taking it, Kiyokawa Izumi didn't forget to say thank you.
Just now, his concentration had been highly focused, and he had maintained Total Concentration Breathing throughout. During the continuous sword swings, the incense hadn't gone out once.
It was only then that he noticed the onlookers weren't just The Three Little Ones and Kanzaki Aoi.
Under the wisteria flower trellis, the petite Kochou Shinobu smiled slightly; it was unknown when she had appeared.
"Your control is very precise. Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, your improvement is truly significant!"
"It's just the basics."
Kiyokawa Izumi shrugged, showing no expression of excitement.
Just as he said, it was just the basics.
Since his Transmigration, he hadn't trained in a down-to-earth manner, having been relying on the original owner's foundation.
Slightly stretching his somewhat sore arms, and for reasons unknown, he looked at Kochou Shinobu nearby and, after a moment's hesitation, asked.
"Are you free? Can I challenge you?"
"!!"
Kanzaki Aoi looked at Kiyokawa Izumi with a surprised gaze, not understanding what this guy was up to now.
The gap between an ordinary swordsman and a Hashira is immense.
He actually wants to challenge a Hashira?
Is he serious?
Back to Kochou Shinobu, her slender, elegant eyebrows arched slightly, and her amethyst-like pupils showed no obvious change, not overly surprised by this sudden challenge.
"Oh my—"
Fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of her hanging hair, Kochou Shinobu smiled with feigned distress.
"Can I refuse?"
"Oh!"
Kiyokawa Izumi shrugged and said nonchalantly.
Being just a low-level swordsman, what bad intentions could he possibly have?
He was simply thinking of using actual combat to improve himself.
Training is indispensable, but the importance of actual combat cannot be ignored.
Among the Nine Hashira, the one he had spent the most time with was her—he hadn't even met the other Hashira yet!
If he wanted to improve his strength by sparring with a Hashira, Big Sister Shinobu was definitely the best choice.
Setting aside whether he could even meet the other Hashira.
Just take the Wind Hashira's personality; if he actually found him, would he even agree?
His response would likely be just four words—get lost right now!
And then he'd put on an expression that said, 'This Great Me is very annoyed right now.'
Then there's the Water Hashira; with his socially anxious personality, he certainly wouldn't agree either.
In comparison, Big Sister Shinobu is the best choice!
"Oh, right, I mentioned last time that you have a bad temper and a black heart or whatever. You aren't angry, are you?"
Kiyokawa Izumi casually mentioned it, pretending it was unintentional.
—How could she not be angry? All the medicine sent afterward was bitter!!
_________
Extra hapter at 350 energy stones