My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Early in the morning, when the streets were still deserted, Kitahara Hideji arrived at Fukuda Private Academy and went straight to his classroom. He sat at his desk and took out the exercises, starting to work on the math problem he hadn’t finished yesterday.

Of course, Hyakujirou was left behind in the apartment. He hadn’t gone crazy enough to bring a dog to school. Before leaving, he warned Hyakujirou that it was still on a trial stay, and any damage or mess in the apartment would result in immediate eviction without hesitation.

Kitahara Hideji chewed on the end of his pen, contemplating the solution to the math problem. Although he had been in university for almost two years, he still remembered most of the formulas, but he had forgotten many problem-solving techniques. The classroom gradually became noisy as more students arrived, some on duty, copying the class schedule on the blackboard.

While Kitahara Hideji didn’t mind participating in duty activities, it seemed that the lower-level cadres of the college’s autonomous system, like class monitors, were well aware of his background. As a pseudo-academic overachiever and a popular figure in the First Step, he received preferential treatment. His assigned task in the class was “Pet Caretaker.” It was an incredibly idle job, just checking on the school’s animal enclosure from time to time, ensuring the chickens, rabbits, and other animals had enough food. Even so, Kitahara Hideji had never been there before, and he had never bothered to ask where the animal enclosure was!

In Japan’s culture, the strong were respected, and it was only natural for them to receive preferential treatment. No one questioned him sitting there, studying while others were busy. As a (pseudo) high achiever student, Kitahara Hideji gradually got used to this invisible privilege and found it quite enjoyable; it motivated him even more to focus on his studies.

“Hey!” Uchida Yuma also arrived, hanging his bag on one side of his desk, and greeted Kitahara Hideji. Without looking up, Kitahara Hideji casually asked, “Are you alright now after the injury?”

“I’m fine now. Has Rei arrived yet?” Uchida Yuma replied with a smile.

“Haven’t seen him.”

Uchida Yuma noticed Kitahara Hideji busy with his exercises and didn’t disturb him further. He turned to ask other students. Kitahara Hideji glanced at him and realized he was inquiring about Fukuzawa Fuyumi, who was in the same middle school as Fukuzawa Fuyumi and probably trying to gather information.

After being humiliated by Fukuzawa Fuyumi yesterday, Uchida Yuma must be planning his revenge today. However, Kitahara Hideji didn’t pay much attention to him and continued focusing on his own tasks.
Today, there was an early morning class meeting where the class monitor conveyed the latest instructions from the student council. They announced that there would be a series of club recruitment exhibitions in the gymnasium for three consecutive afternoons after school. They encouraged everyone to visit and choose the club that interested them. They also distributed pamphlets with information about each club for the students to review in class.

This didn’t concern Kitahara Hideji, but the classroom became even noisier. He put down his pen and opened the skill panel, looking at an active skill called “Meditative Battle.” After some thought, he decided to give it a try.

The skill came from the “The Book of Five Rings” and was extracted when his “Ancient Swordsmanship” reached Initial Rank. Originally, it was Musashi Miyamoto’s method of mental training, later absorbed by most Sword Technique Schools, so they all had their own versions of meditative battles, such as “No-Form,” “Mind Battle,” “Sword of the Mind,” and so on. They all aimed to simulate duels with opponents in their minds to enhance their adaptability in real combat.

He had briefly looked at this skill last night, but at that time, he thought there was no need for battle training when he couldn’t even hold a sword properly. Now, with nothing else to do, he decided to test his Sword Technique level at LV5.

He activated the skill “Meditative Battle,” and suddenly, everything turned black, as if his soul had left his body. When his vision returned, he found himself in a desolate shrine surrounded by faint mist, with a chilling wind blowing from time to time. Looking down, he saw that his attire hadn’t changed, but he now held a katana in his hand.

He moved his arm and found no difference from reality. He raised the katana, and the cloud pattern on it seemed to swallow water, with the blade shimmering with a dazzling cold light. It looked like a genuine sword, making him somewhat uneasy. He wondered if he would really get killed if he encountered an enemy later.

As if in response to his thoughts, a ronin-style swordsman emerged from the mist, carrying a katana in his arms and holding a spoon (for cleaning ears) in his mouth. He stood not far from Kitahara Hideji.

Kitahara Hideji stared at him for a moment, and a simple introduction appeared above the man’s head: Shintō-ryū swordsman, character level 3, Kashima Shintō-ryū LV5, Taijutsu LV5.

It seemed reasonable; the virtual opponent was set according to his own level. It would be too exaggerated if a sword saint suddenly appeared. Kitahara Hideji activated the skill “Ancient Swordsmanship,” and suddenly, he felt a connection between the katana and his bloodline—the related passive skill “Sword Specialization” was now in effect.

The opponent, a Swordsman, remained silent and drew his own sword, assuming an upper stance. His eyes were cold, exuding a sense of bloodthirst.

Kitahara Hideji compared the imprints of ‘Ancient Swordsmanship’ in his mind and recognized the opponent’s stance as ‘In Kō,’ a posture similar to ‘Hassō’ but more inclined towards aggressive attacks. He chose the ‘Chūdan-shiki’ as a cautious starting position.

As the chilling wind blew, the two of them slowly approached each other. Kitahara Hideji kept a close eye on his opponent, carefully selecting his response. If the opponent launched a direct thrust, he would sidestep and counter with a horizontal slash to the ribs. If the opponent went for a diagonal slash during a sideways step, he would block with the back of his blade and then counter with an upward strike to the opponent’s wrist.

It was his first time engaging in a battle. He didn’t plan to attack first, instead, he was calculating in his mind. However, he suddenly lost sight of the opponent, which startled him.

Yet, the skill ‘Sword Technique’ transmitted a clear imprint to his mind. Almost instantly, he understood that the opponent had used the ‘Sankaku-bu,’ also known as the ‘Shukuchi’ technique. This technique allowed the opponent to quickly enter his blind spot and then rush to his side, seemingly teleporting, making it impossible for him to react. The ‘Sankaku-bu’ was named after the three points involved: the opponent, the blind spot, and himself, forming a triangle.

[“阴构” (In Kō) refers to the concept of “hidden structure” or “concealed framework” in the context of martial arts. This term is often used to describe techniques or strategies that employ subtle and deceptive movements, making it challenging for opponents to anticipate or counter the attack. “In Kō” techniques may involve hidden shifts in body weight, changes in timing, or other subtle adjustments that allow the practitioner to execute techniques with efficiency and effectiveness while minimizing the risk of being detected or countered

The “Sankaku-bu” or triangle step is a common footwork pattern used in various martial arts, especially in Japanese martial arts like Karate, Judo, and Kendo. It involves stepping forward or backward in a triangular pattern, allowing practitioners to move efficiently and maintain stability while executing techniques or avoiding attacks]

Feeling a sense of panic as he lost sight of the opponent, Kitahara Hideji instinctively swung his sword in a reckless manner, hoping for a lucky hit. But his hopes were in vain. Immediately, he felt a cold sensation in his abdomen. When he focused, he saw the opponent already rolling away, safely out of his attack range. The opponent’s mouth was still holding the spoon as he calmly sheathed his sword. Looking down, Kitahara Hideji noticed a horizontal cut on his abdomen, and blood was gushing out. The pain followed, and he quickly blacked out, returning to the classroom.

…

Kitahara Hideji sat there in a daze for a while, his face turning slightly pale. If we exclude the moment they closed in on each other, he would have been defeated in just 0.5 seconds. His eyesight, mental composure, reaction speed, and techniques were all inadequate. He felt like a living target.

After all, the game had changed significantly from before. Previously, learning a skill meant mastering it entirely, and its effects were consistent. But now, physical coordination was crucial, and unfortunately, what he imagined in his mind didn’t match his body’s actions at all…

What was most terrifying just now wasn’t his slow reaction, but his lack of experience. Faced with the enemy, he panicked and acted recklessly. Despite knowing that he shouldn’t swing wildly, he couldn’t control his own hands, and he ended up slashing without thinking. Moreover, his courage faltered, and he felt fear, causing him to lose partial control over his body. His movements became stiff and distorted, and at the moment of being struck, he even closed his eyes, failing to make a counterattack.

This… it turns out that simply raising the skill level is not enough; it’s not as easy as he had imagined. He needs more practice, more real combat experience. The road ahead is long and arduous!