Unfortunately, Tomioka Giyu wouldn't give him time to be stunned; after all, this was about their bet.
In a blink, Tomioka Giyu had placed his wooden sword against Shinazugawa Sanemi's neck.
"You lost. Now, tell me what you need help with~"
Shinazugawa Sanemi snapped back to reality, veins bulging on his Face, clearly still unconvinced.
"Hey, who said I lost?! Even if you cut me down, I won't die! Again!"
As he spoke, Shinazugawa Sanemi used the back of his hand to push away the wooden sword at his neck, while adjusting his posture and swinging his sword upwards.
"Wind Breathing, Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist!"
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin."
After a single clash, Tomioka Giyu, expressionless, quickly retreated.
He had already guessed that Shinazugawa Sanemi wouldn't admit defeat so easily.
"I originally wanted to save you some Face, but you didn't cherish it. Don't blame me then!"
"Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Water Surface Slash!"
As Tomioka Giyu moved at high speed, layers of water splashed beneath his feet.
His shadow-like figure continuously suppressed Shinazugawa Sanemi, making it difficult for him to launch an effective counterattack!
Finally, Shinazugawa Sanemi found a gap, precisely the moment Tomioka Giyu's Ninth Form was nearing its end.
"Wind Breathing, Ninth Form..."
Unfortunately, Tomioka Giyu was faster than him. The very next second after the Ninth Form ended, a Water Dragon roared out from his sword!
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Although Shinazugawa Sanemi attempted to dodge, Tomioka Giyu's strike was too fast and too sudden.
With a "bang," the wooden sword heavily struck Shinazugawa Sanemi's neck.
Looking at the broken wooden sword and the fallen Shinazugawa Sanemi,
Tomioka Giyu muttered, "Uh, sorry, I didn't hold back..."
After a while, Shinazugawa Sanemi finally woke up. He clutched the back of his neck, initially full of confusion.
When he saw Tomioka Giyu sitting nearby, eating a rice ball, he then remembered that he had been knocked unconscious by that guy's single strike.
This time, however, he no longer acted frantically. Instead, he spoke in a very calm tone, asking,
"I will definitely surpass you. Tell me what you need help with."
Tomioka Giyu nodded, not feeling surprised. He actually understood that Shinazugawa Sanemi was a very gentle person at heart.
As for surpassing him, it was true in the original work, but not now. He would develop Water Breathing to its utmost potential!
Following that, Tomioka Giyu, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, recounted everything about Kanae.
Shinazugawa Sanemi's expression was blank after listening, his gaze fixed on Tomioka Giyu with confusion.
His expression seemed to say, "You beat me up just for this?"
Shinazugawa Sanemi still couldn't quite believe it and tentatively asked, "That's it?"
"Yes, that's all." Tomioka Giyu's expression remained unchanged as he nodded slightly.
Shinazugawa Sanemi immediately took several deep breaths, gritting his teeth and speaking with difficulty, "I understand. Can you please disappear from my sight quickly?"
Tomioka Giyu completely ignored Shinazugawa Sanemi's current state and said as he walked, "Oh, right, I also can't guarantee when she'll encounter a fatal danger."
"So you might have to make several trips. Be mentally prepared."
Shinazugawa Sanemi didn't take it seriously at all, not even bothering to reply.
But he didn't know that Tomioka Giyu's "several trips" wasn't as simple as two or three times.
Soon, Shinazugawa Sanemi witnessed what Tomioka Giyu meant by "might have to make several trips."
The first time, when Tomioka Giyu and Shinazugawa Sanemi arrived, Kocho Kanae had already killed the demon and was on her way back.
"Oh? When did your relationship become so good?" Kocho Kanae's light pink pupils were filled with curiosity.
Tomioka Giyu quickly explained, "We happened to run into each other while on a mission. No more talking, I'm leaving first."
Shinazugawa Sanemi pretended to cough twice, then vanished in a flash.
Kocho Kanae tilted her head slightly, feeling that these two were inexplicably strange.
"Never mind, never mind, let's go home~"
The second time was also a wasted trip, but this time Kocho Kanae didn't discover them.
Shinazugawa Sanemi only complained a couple of times before returning to his own jurisdiction.
But then, three times, six times, eight times, until the twelfth time, Shinazugawa Sanemi could no longer tolerate it.
This time, the two of them crouched in the bushes, watching Kocho Kanae slowly leave after dealing with the demon.
Only after Kocho Kanae's figure was out of sight did Shinazugawa Sanemi grab Tomioka Giyu by the collar and demand,
"Hey, are you messing with me? Or do you think I have a lot of free time?!"
"Kocho is a Hashira, after all. Don't just say she's in danger at every turn!"
With that, Shinazugawa Sanemi turned to leave. Tomioka Giyu didn't stop him, only saying lightly,
"Alas, I didn't expect Sanemi to be someone who breaks his word."
"Never mind, you can go. Let's just pretend that my victory over you never happened~"
Shinazugawa Sanemi's body trembled slightly, veins bulging on his Face and neck.
These past few days, whenever he tried to leave or not follow Tomioka Giyu, he would be completely blocked by these two sentences.
It was like punching a cotton ball, making him feel utterly uncomfortable.
Shinazugawa Sanemi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "I'll accompany you five more times at most!"
"Demons have been appearing frequently in my assigned area recently; I don't have time to fool around with you anymore!"
Tomioka Giyu nodded in understanding. In truth, though he appeared calm, he was almost exploding with anxiety inside.
The fact that Kocho Kanae hadn't encountered Doma yet also significantly affected him.
His assigned area was even larger than Shinazugawa Sanemi's.
But he couldn't ignore Kocho Kanae's situation, and as a result, he was even summoned by the Master for this matter.
For this, he could only invent a reason, saying that he had a special sixth sense that allowed him to foresee the deaths of those around him.
He wasn't afraid of this ability failing, after all, he was a "lucky guy" who had just finished reading the original work when he transmigrated into the book.
The five chances quickly passed, but the results were not satisfactory.
They did encounter a rather tricky demon, but Kocho Kanae, when fully serious, still demonstrated the standard of a Hashira.
Perhaps because of Tomioka Giyu's earlier words, Kocho Kanae, when facing demons who had eaten humans, would mercilessly slay them.
She no longer tried to persuade them or held back her strength as she had before.
"Heh heh, goodbye!" Shinazugawa Sanemi only left that one sentence before swiftly departing.
Tomioka Giyu sighed softly. It was false to say he wasn't tired during this period.
The constant rushing back and forth, coupled with his perpetually tense mind, would be unbearable for anyone.
"Ah, forget it. I'll go back and rest for a few days. If Doma happens to show up these very days, then it truly is fate playing tricks~"
Fortunately, for several consecutive days, Kocho Kanae's situation was as usual, easily slaying various types of demons.
———
Want to read more chapters?
Check out: Pitreon.com/AnonymousWriter6