Chapter 658 - 9: Aoto’s Little Fangirls

Chapter 658: Chapter 9: Aoto’s Little Fangirls

The author made a small mistake in the previous Chapter.

The A Area of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo is an exclusive dojo for the use of the Chiba family, while C Area is designated for male apprentices of lesser ability and all female apprentices.

Thanks to reader "Colorful Carrot" for catching the error, the author has made corrections. (Leopard Collapse.jpg)

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"Brother Shigetarou, when did your apprentices become so fond of fighting?"

At this moment, Chiba Domon Shiro, who was standing beside Chiba Shigetarou and Sazanoko, suddenly chimed in.

He furrowed his brow slightly and cast a suspicious glance at Chiba Shigetarou.

Aoto is no longer the obscure "Blockhead Don" he once was.

Today, Aoto is a formidable swordsman known as the Niō, praised for his tremendous achievements at the North Guard Station as the "Three Times" Dōshin.

Many in Edo are eager to challenge the now famous Aoto—those who wish to sharpen their skills by dueling with experts, those who hope to build a name by defeating renowned figures, and those who disdain subordinate samurai and simply dislike Aoto.

So, when Wada, Taniuchi, and others initially challenged Aoto, Chiba Domon Shiro wasn’t surprised, finding it reasonable.

It wasn’t until he saw more people arriving one after another to challenge Aoto after Wada and Taniuchi that Chiba Domon Shiro began to feel uneasy.

In Chiba Domon Shiro’s memory, the Little Chiba Sword Dojo was not known for its strong martial virtue.

Chiba Dingji’s gentle nature seemed to influence the dojo’s overall temperament, leading it to be less aggressive.

Warmongers were few in number.

This is why Chiba Domon Shiro felt so perplexed by the spectacle unfolding before him.

When did the apprentices of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo become so eager to fight?

One after another, as if they had agreed on it beforehand.

Chiba Shigetarou raised his right eyebrow upon hearing Chiba Domon Shiro’s question.

Then a thoughtful smile appeared on his face.

"Well..."

"Brother Tadomaru, I too have been puzzled about why suddenly so many people want to challenge Mr. Tachibana."

"But now, I’ve realized a few things."

With that, Chiba Shigetarou paused, then turned his face and gaze sideways, looking at Sazanoko with a peculiar expression.

"Sazanoko, I believe you’ve also noticed something?"

"The vast majority of Mr. Tachibana’s challengers are those who boldly confessed their love to you or pursued you openly."

"I already realized it when Taniuchi went up." Sazanoko said coldly.

Sazanoko vaguely recognizes the faces and names of those who boldly and openly pursued her.

The first challenger, Wada, and the second challenger, Taniuchi, were those who... well, have not given up pursuing her, so Sazanoko remembers them quite clearly.

Therefore, as Sazanoko herself said—when she saw Taniuchi challenging Aoto, she became aware of something.

"..." Chiba Domon Shiro fell silent.

Chiba Domon Shiro was far from a simpleton oblivious to human affairs.

Just from this exchange between Chiba Shigetarou and Sazanoko, he understood why so many were rushing in to challenge Aoto.

He was aware of the allure his talented and charming little cousin possesses.

And Chiba Domon Shiro had heard that Aoto and his little cousin have been getting along quite well lately.

"...I see, it’s because of this then."

Chiba Domon Shiro exhaled deeply.

"So—Sazanoko, Mr. Tachibana’s ’Endurance Gauntlet’ stems from you..."

Endurance Gauntlet: a special martial arts confrontation pattern. Participants take turns fighting the challenger continuously until the challenger is exhausted and collapses.

Aoto, subjected to this series of challenges by the "Sazanoko Pursuer Corps," can essentially be seen as enduring a grueling "Endurance Gauntlet" challenge.

"..." Sazanoko did not respond to Chiba Domon Shiro’s comment.

She remained silent, though her beautiful eyes showed a slight, almost imperceptible change—her gaze flickering softly.

"What a farce..."

Chiba Domon Shiro curled his lips.

"To think they are challenging Mr. Tachibana one after another out of jealousy."

"Brother Shigetarou, what are your plans for this situation?"

"What plans?" Chiba Shigetarou replied.

"Mr. Tachibana has already defeated eight people consecutively." Chiba Domon Shiro said in a heavy tone, "If he keeps winning like this... Little Chiba Sword Dojo might lose face."

"Why don’t we find a way to stop this pointless fight arising from jealousy?"

When so many disciples confront the same opponent and fail to win, it reflects poorly on any sword dojo.

The Little Chiba Sword Dojo is, after all, a significant representation of the Chiba family.

Even setting aside any gains or losses in practical terms, from the perspective of not wanting to see a relative’s establishment disgraced, Chiba Domon Shiro hopes to prevent this dojo’s reputation from being tarnished.