From her silky bangs to the curve of her earlobes, the girl in front of him was flawless — delicate enough that one punch might put her out for three days.

If it were anyone else, they'd probably hesitate to fight someone like her, maybe even do something indecent once she was down.

But Kyousuke wasn't "anyone."

What he saw in Arisugawa Ren's eyes wasn't fear.

It was defiance. A blazing will to fight.

So he decided to respect her resolve — by giving her the most spectacular defeat of her life.

Kyousuke raised his shinai into his familiar middle stance and bowed formally.

"Begin."

"Yaaaah!"

Ren shouted and lunged forward.

The truth was, no matter how pretty a girl might be, yelling like a berserker never looked good—unless it was in one of those very specific kinds of situations.

Kyousuke's jet-black eyes were as calm and cold as ice. He'd fought girls before; chivalry wasn't an excuse to hold back.

Still, her movement caught him off guard.

Her steps—awkward as they were—carried the rhythm of Hokushin Ittō-ryū, a traditional kendo style that sought unity of mind, energy, and body.

She was clumsy, sure, but she'd somehow captured that flow.

That kind of harmony wasn't easy to achieve.

Even back when Kyousuke was training at Master Yamamura Ono's dojo, most senior students—who had already perfected their kata—still couldn't reach it.

He remembered asking the master what "mind, energy, and body as one" actually meant.

The old man had no real answer, just kept whacking students with his shinai, shouting for them to feel it.

When Kyousuke eventually got strong enough to beat the old man himself, he asked again.

This time the master sighed and said, "It's when it just... looks right."

At the time, Kyousuke thought it was nonsense. So he beat the lesson out of him a few more times for good measure.

But as his own kendo grew sharper and the number of opponents he'd "cut down" increased, he finally understood—

Master Yamamura was right.

When your mind, spirit, and body align perfectly, everything simply feels right.

To him, the mind was thought, the energy was will, and the body was the soul's extension.

When all three moved as one, the fighter's presence became completely natural.

In real sword duels, it's never like the movies.

It's cautious footwork—advance, retreat, advance again—two people dancing on the edge of death.

Each knows a single mistake ends it.

But when your mind, energy, and body are one, you stop second-guessing yourself.

Your eyes see an opening—your body acts.

There's no hesitation, no arguing between thought and instinct.

That was the aura Ren carried now, and it honestly impressed him.

What he didn't realize was that the girl's "unity" came from sheer desperation.

Her heart, spirit, and soul were all screaming, 'If it's Hojou-kun, I'm not afraid! Even if he beats me half to death, I'll just make him pay me back—with interest!'

Kyousuke admired her for it, but his gaze stayed glacial.

He quietly analyzed everything about her—

the length of her stride, the grip strength in her fingers, the distance between her steps, the power in her legs— all translating into data streams and equations in his mind.

And from that calculation came his ultimate formula for victory.

People thought his dominance came from natural talent and hard work, but no—

It was also the product of Nishimiya Shouko and Ueno Naoka's love.

The union of a genius logician and a sword prodigy had created the perfect embodiment of controlled violence: Hojou Kyousuke.

And if even that divine logic could be overcome—

then Miyamizu Mitsuha, the shrine maiden chosen by the gods, would simply rewind time for him to try again.

The victory formula was complete.

All Kyousuke had to do was swing.

"Men!"

His shout cracked the air—

Ren's shinai flew from her hands.

Thanks to his mercy, she wasn't knocked flat like the others. She just stumbled forward a few steps, dazed and breathless.

Kisaki raised the flag.

"Point—Hojou!"

"Are you alright?" Kyousuke switched his shinai to his left hand and offered her his right with a gentle smile.

Ren had the faint glimmer of unity within her; Kyousuke was that unity made flesh.

He was the embodiment of a perfectly aligned will—mind, body, and spirit clear as a mirror.

That was his formula for victory:

Even fear obeyed him.

If the founder who first spoke of "mind, energy, and body as one" were alive today,

Kyousuke would've shown him what that phrase truly meant—what it looked like when someone adored by countless girls stood as the ultimate warrior.

He'd defeated her with a single strike, yet still smiled as he removed her men (faceguard).

As expected, sweat glistened across her flushed face.

It had only been a brief bout, but he understood how much pressure she must've felt.

"You did great," he said softly.

"Haa… haa…"

Hearing that, Ren felt her chest tighten.

Her eyes burned, and before she knew it—

'I'm gonna cry! I was so scared! I thought I was gonna die!'

She whimpered silently, lowering her head toward Kyousuke's outstretched hand, seeking comfort like a lost puppy.

Kyousuke had only meant to shake hands. But as the girl leaned forward, her head pressing under his palm, he sighed helplessly and patted her hair.

From the sidelines, Himeno Seiko's eyes gleamed with a strange, unreadable light as she watched the scene unfold.