Wang Ruyue and Kirika were surprised when they heard Hijiri's words, especially the first one. She didn't expect that the girl would suddenly invite her to a sparring match because she was sure that this was the first time they had met each other.
On the other hand, Setsuka and Keiko could only sigh and massage their foreheads because they knew Hijiri's character. She always wanted to fight strong people her age, and Setsuka was one of those. So the two of them weren't surprised when they heard that because they were used to it.
"Pardon? Why are you suddenly asking me to spar?" Wang Ruyue asked. She wanted to know the reason Hijiri tried to fight her.
ƥandasnovel.com Wang Ruyue was worried that she had met her in the past and had wronged her, but she had forgotten about it. If that were the case, she would have to apologize to Hijiri. But Wang Ruyue didn't see the hatred in the girl's eyes. Hence, she was confused by her words.
"I heard that the Wang family is one of the four major families in Beijing and is a martial arts family. Therefore, I want to fight with you. I want to test the power of Chinese martial artists." Hijiri replied.
"I understand." Wang Ruyue smiled slightly. She finally understood why Hijiri had asked her to do a sparring match in their first meeting.
Wang Ruyue was relieved that the reason was not out of spite or ill will towards her. Although she wasn't a battle maniac like Hijiri, she could understand her feelings as someone from an influential family. In the past, Wang Ruyue was also like her. But now she could keep her composure more and not challenge people recklessly when it wasn't necessary. After all, Wang Ruyue had to maintain her image.
In contrast, Hijiri didn't care about that because the most important thing for her was fighting strong people and honing her combat skills. She didn't want to tarnish the Natsukawa family's reputation as one of the strongest Realizer groups in Japan. Apart from that, Hijiri also wanted the power that made her worthy of the title of Fiery Princess.
Besides, her crushing defeat to The Reaper last time always overshadowed her and became a nightmare for her. But Hijiri didn't sink into depression and instead made it a drive to increase her strength, and one of the ways was by fighting strong people her age. That way, she could understand her weakness and fix it.
"Then, are you willing to spar with me? We will only fight using Phantasmal Objects but are prohibited from releasing its abilities. What do you think?" Hijiri urged Wang Ruyue. She hoped she would accept her invitation to spar as this was a rare opportunity for her to fight against a martial artist from China.
"Alright, let's spar. But we can't do that in this place. Isn't there a field without visitors around here?" Wang Ruyue agreed because she also wanted to see and try out the power of the Realizers in Japan apart from Setsuka and Kirika. She looked at the surroundings and found that it was pretty lively. They couldn't spar in that place because it would disturb the other visitors.
Setsuka and Kirika were surprised that Wang Ruyue easily agreed to Hijiri's invitation after hearing her answer. But they didn't say anything because it was her decision. The two girls believed that Wang Ruyue had reasons for doing so.
"Hmm... I know a large and quiet park not far from this place. I'm sure we can spar there without anyone disturbing us. Besides, I will request to temporarily close the park because I'm worried someone might come." Hijiri said and took out her smartphone. Then she kept her distance from the girls to call a certain person and returned to them shortly after.
"That's good. Let's go to that place now. But before that…" Wang Ruyue also took a smartphone from her bag and then sent a message to Tenku.
Hijiri and Keiko were confused because it wasn't only her but also Setsuka and Kirika. Neither knew who they were contacting and why they had to message that person.
"Who are you contacting? Did you come to this place with your family?" Hijiri asked.
"Yes, I came with my family. I sent them a message regarding this matter, and I will send them the sparring location once we get there." Setsuka answered, and the other two girls nodded in response to her words. She didn't lie because Kohana was her family.
"I see. Then, let's go now." Hijiri nodded and didn't ask further about it because she thought the people who came with them were their parents. She never would have expected that Setsuka, Wang Ruyue, and Kirika had sent a message to a single man. Afterward, they left the place and went to a park near their previous location.
"So what are the rules for this sparring? Are we going to fight until one loses? Or are we just going to spar with each other until a certain time?" Wang Ruyue asked after arriving at their destination.
The park was large and quiet because no visitors came to that place. Wang Ruyue found several people in black around the site and immediately noticed that they were members of the Natsukawa family that Hijiri had called earlier. They had vacated and cordoned off the area after orders from her. Of course, it was very easy to do, and no one would mind since Hijiri was the daughter of the head of the Natsukawa family.
"We will fight until there is a victor." Hijiri answered, and she manifested her Phantasmal Object. Her weapon is a sword with a fiery red color, and that name is Agni Sword.
"Alright." Wang Ruyue also manifested her weapon; it was the same shape as Hijiri, but the blade's color was silver. Her Phantasmal Object was called Lunar Sword.
"I will be the referee of this spar." Setsuka stood between them and said. Kirika and Keiko would only be spectators of their sparring, standing some distance from them.
"I agree." Hijiri and Wang Ruyue replied in unison.
"Then, take your positions." Setsuka said and then kept her distance from the two people. After Wang Ruyue and Hijiri stood in their position, Setsuka signaled them.
"The fight begins!"
Upon hearing Setsuka's words, they moved simultaneously and swung their swords.
Clank!
"Great!" Hijiri's face became serious because she felt that the attack from Wang Ruyue was heavy and sharp. She was happy, and her fighting spirit soared because she met a formidable opponent her age other than Setsuka.
Afterward, the two kept their distance, but Wang Ruyue's figure suddenly disappeared from Hijiri's sight. Then she reappeared in front of Hijiri and slashed her sword.
"So fast!" Hijiri was shocked, and she swiftly jumped aside to avoid the sword. But the attack was still not over. Wang Ruyue disappeared again and appeared behind her. But this time, Hijiri didn't dodge. She twisted her body and confronted the attack head-on.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Their swords clashed several times, and the two girls quickly kept their distance from each other again.
"As I thought, you're strong! But I feel you still haven't used all your power. If you keep holding back, then you might be the one who loses in this sparring." Hijiri smiled broadly and looked at Wang Ruyue provocatively.
She felt no fear after discovering that Wang Ruyue was extremely strong in pure sword combat without the abilities of a Phantasmal Object. Hijiri felt her fighting spirit burn because she had found a strong opponent her age.
"Is that so?" Wang Ruyue smiled and responded calmly to her provocation. Although their feelings were similar, Wang Ruyue's mind was more mature than hers.
After that, they disappeared from their position and reappeared in the park's center. They clashed their swords again and kept moving from one place to another place.
Their battle was fierce, and their strength seemed equal, but Setsuka and the other two girls knew that Wang Ruyue had the upper hand. Wang Ruyue's breathing was much calmer, whereas Hijiri was already panting. Plus, her forehead was already wet with sweat.
Ten minutes later, their sparring ended, and Wang Ruyue emerged victorious. Hijiri sat on the ground without worrying about getting dirty because she was exhausted and sweat-drenched all over her body, even though it was snowing.
On the other hand, Wang Ruyue was only slightly sweating, but her breathing was still steady. Their battle was intense, and both used their strongest swordsmanship. Of course, Wang Ruyue did not use the sword Qi because it was prohibited.
"You are very strong. I admit defeat. How about we continue our sparring using the abilities of our Phantasmal Objects?" Hijiri looked at Wang Ruyue and said.
"That is..." Wang Ruyue wanted to refuse because they had spent too long there. But someone opened her mouth before she could finish her words.
"You can't do that." Setsuka raised her voice and walked over to Hijiri.
"Why?" Hijiri turned her eyes to her and asked. She was displeased that Setsuka had suddenly appeared and wanted to interrupt their sparring.
"If the two of you use the abilities of your Phantasmal Objects in the sparring, then the damage to the surroundings will be dire. I have often sparred with you and know your power. Your strongest attack is not your swordsmanship but the ability of your Phantasmal Object, as it has extremely high damage. So it's not good for you to use it here." Setsuka explained.
"Yes, she's right. Besides, I can't spar with you for long. I and the others came to this place to enjoy the scenery at Carreta Shiodome and not to fight. So I hope you can understand." Wang Ruyue added.
She just wanted to test the power of the Realizer of the Natsukawa family. Wang Ruyue did not intend to have a real fight with Hijiri and determine the victory between them. It would only waste her energy for nothing.
Hijiri fell silent and sighed after hearing their words. She realized she was too excited and could not accept her defeat. Thus, Hijiri wanted to use her full power to fight Wang Ruyue again and determine who was stronger. She intended to reply to their words, but someone's voice interrupted them.
"Ooh... What did I find here? I didn't expect to meet the daughters of the Fuyushima Temple and Natsukawa Family." A black-robed person with a purple mask emerged from the darkness and strolled toward them.
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