[Jiu Hua] I take the fruit basket from Ichihime. It's huge, just looking at it makes me feel safe. However –
[player] Since you seem to have your weapon, let us begin. Take this!
[-] Wait a minute, this isn't a weapon!
[-] But Jiu Hua is already making a lunge for me. In a panic, I start pelting her with apples, pears, and oranges.
[-] Unable to dodge in time, Jiu Hua stumbles as she's struck by an apple. But she then takes a step back and chops through the rest of the fruit.
[player] She's so fast... but this seems to work!
[-] I decide to suppress the powerful Jiu Hua with a high-speed bombardment of fruit. Apples, pineapples, bananas... As she swings wildly through this deluge of fruity projectiles, she finally starts to show signs of fatigue.
[Jiu Hua] You... You're not playing by the rules!
[Hibiki Himekawa] Chat, if you're thinking this fight is too fast for your eyes to follow, then I'll paint you a word picture.
[Eve Krist] Hm... It's less about speed and more about how wily PLAYER's moves are. They're almost impossible to predict.
[Hibiki Himekawa] Hehe, and THAT'S the true genius of our top-tier sparring partner – no strategy is the best strategy.
[player] Quit making up stuff about me, and cut the live stream! This is NOT how I want to be known by everyone in One Han City, dang it!
[-] But I don't have the energy to care about how Hibiki's live stream will drag my name through the mud, because... I'm about to run out of fruit! With each precise jab, the blindfolded Jiu Hua slices cleanly through everything I throw at her.
[Ichihime] Munch, munch... Yum, nyaa! Thanks for the sliced fruit, Jiu Hua!
[-] Just as I'm seriously starting to worry about having to throw the basket as well, I hear a familiar voice.
[Ume] That's enough, Jiu Hua.
[-] Ume emerges from the crowd and stands beside Jiu Hua and me.
[Jiu Hua] Ume? Why are you here?
[-] The moment Jiu Hua hears Ume's voice, she softens up and stops her attack.
[Ume] I came to inform you that your new sparring partner is stuck in traffic and hasn't arrived yet.
[Jiu Hua] Wh-Who is this then...?!
[Ume] This is PLAYER, the person in charge of the anniversary celebration.
[player] Um... hello!
[Jiu Hua] ...Huh?! I-I'm so sorry, just look at the mess I've made, haha...
[-] Jiu Hua takes off her eye mask and looks at me, then glances around. Her face instantly turns red, and she quickly drops her spear and starts bowing to me, apologizing over and over.
[Jiu Hua] You were surprisingly skilled and reacted in such extraordinary ways that I thought you were my new sparring partner. I even thought... well... that you were really something. I've never had a sparring match quite like this...
[Jiu Hua] Anyway, I'm very sorry.
[player] It's fine, really. You could say we were just getting to know each other.
[-] I may have been forced into a duel, but it felt pretty good to get some exercise. Plus, no one got hurt.
[Ume] Since everyone's okay, why don't we continue our discussion over a meal?
[-] With that, Ume turns to the crowd and raises her voice slightly.
[Ume] Alright everyone, I believe it's time to wrap things up. To thank you for your interest in Bamboo Cloud's anniversary celebration, we're offering a 20% discount at all of our restaurants today. We hope you'll come and enjoy!
[Onlooker A] Yeah!!
[Onlooker B] So generous!
[Onlooker C] You guys will cheer for anything, huh...
[-] Hearing that the show's over but there's a discount at the restaurants, the crowd disperses at once. Even Hibiki, who was deeply invested in the fight only moments ago, gives me a wave before joining the crowd with a mischievous grin on her face.
[-] Just when Ichihime and I are about to follow Ume to the restaurant, I feel a tug on the back of my clothing.
[player] Huh?
[Jiu Hua] U-Ume, there's something I want to talk about with PLAYER. Could you bring the priestess to the restaurant first? We'll join you shortly.
[-] Ume looks at us both, then nods.
[Ume] Okay, sure.
[-] Once Ume and Ichihime are out of earshot, Jiu Hua suddenly grabs my hand and hurriedly pulls me over to the kitchen.
[Jiu Hua] I know I was at fault earlier, but you're a kind person who's willing to help those in need...
[player] What happened?
[-] Just then, a series of thumps suddenly echoes from behind the kitchen door. With a loud "bang," something breaks through it...
[Jiu Hua] Shoot, they're gonna make a run for it!
[player] What's gonna make a run for it?
[-] I get my answer before Jiu Hua can respond – a flock of chickens, geese, and pigeons swarms out, filling the air with feathers, clucks, and coos. For some reason, some of the pigeons are even carrying pens and paper in their beaks. It's utter chaos for a while...
[Jiu Hua] Catch.
[-] Jiu Hua throws me a line of thin rope and leads the charge into the swarm.
[player] We have to catch them? Well... I'm no stranger to that.
After a long, hard slog, we finally managed to tie up all the chickens, ducks, and pigeons again. Covered head to toe in feathers, Jiu Hua and I slump to the ground...
[-] Grumble... A loud whine comes from one of our stomachs. Jiu Hua and I exchange glances and then burst into laughter.
[Jiu Hua] Looks like we're going to miss out on Ume's feast. How about I treat you to a meal instead? Think of it as an apology for the earlier duel.
[-] To make amends, Jiu Hua takes me to eat at a Bamboo Cloud's restaurant. Once we've had our fill, I finally pluck up the courage to ask her something.
[player] You're Ms. Fuuka's personal bodyguard, right? What were you doing butchering a pigeon in the kitchen this morning?
[Jiu Hua] Those pigeons were for the staff meal. The chef brought them out for me to practice my spear-fighting. Once I finished, I'd give them back to him to cook.
[Jiu Hua] That's what I call a win-win! Pretty clever, if I do say so myself.
[player] A clever person would use a pigeon as her sparring partner?
[Jiu Hua] ...
[-] Her smile suddenly vanishes, and for a moment, the air feels tense.
[Jiu Hua] No one wants to be my sparring partner. The last few all quit on their first day, and the chickens, ducks, and pigeons were all I had left.
[-] I look up at Jiu Hua. The hair hanging over her face casts a shadow over her eyes. She's pretending to be fine, but my heart pangs when I detect a hint of sadness.
[player] Sorry...
[Jiu Hua] That's right – I'm too strong, so no one can keep up with me.
[player] Huh?! Who asked that?!
[Jiu Hua] Hee-hee. But then you came along and solved all my problems.
[player] I never agreed to be your sparring partner! I'm just a supervisor, that's it!
[-] I take an indignant bite of a chicken foot. She watches me with a sly smile, then suddenly turns serious and says:
[Jiu Hua] Hey! I just poured my heart out to you, so you can't tell Ume about the birds escaping. This will be our little secret! Come on, pinky promise me!
[-] Without saying another word, Jiu Hua yanks at my greasy hand, which is still holding the chicken foot. The moment our pinkies – and the chicken foot – interlock, Jiu Hua smiles, her eyes crinkling with delight.
[Jiu Hua] Also... If you won't be my sparring partner, then you'll be my opponent! We'll compete and help each other improve. Relax, you're a genius at martial arts. I'll be coming to you often from now on.
[player] Ahh! Please, I'm too young to die...
