When they were far enough away, Shina asked, "Why didn't you hit him? Why did you hold back? They're scum, they deserve a lesson."
Ehito replied, "I know, but we don't lower ourselves to their level. They're worse. They're sub-scum. Not as bad as those who attacked us, but still, they're assholes. I don't give a damn about what they say. They're just a bunch of lowlifes, scumbags, bastards. I was really pissed off. I saw how angry you got. They deserve to be hit, but we don't stoop to their level. Besides, Lia wouldn't have wanted that."
So, Ehito decided to leave school early. Once outside, they weren't attacked, which surprised him. When they got home—with Shina this time—Lia was waiting to play with Ehito on the console, read, have fun—just do any activity together. His parents were already home. Seeing him with a girl, they immediately started asking questions like, "What? A new girl? How old is she? What's her name? Who is she? How did you meet?" Ehito replied that she was a friend of Lia. Lia nodded in agreement, and the three of them went to his room. They played, chatted, and had fun.
When Lia left since it was getting late, Shina, who was unknown to everyone, stayed behind. She usually either slept at the company or lived far away. Since the parents wouldn't have liked her staying there, and they couldn't hide her in another room, the secret room in Ehito's bedroom was the perfect place. It was equipped with a bed, a TV, and a bookshelf filled with books. Shina settled in, read some books, and eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, Ehito woke her up, and she left through the window. She got ready and waited at Lia's house, which was nearby. They met up at the usual spot, had breakfast, and headed to school. The morning classes dragged on, boring as usual.
When lunchtime came, Ehito didn't sit with either Shina or Lia. Instead, he went to the principal's office. The three days had long passed, but once there, they discussed the upcoming trip that Shina and Lia would be taking. The trip was to Europe since it wasn't just a national tournament but an international one. Ehito's qualifications and results were exceptional, so no high school wanted to compete against him to avoid humiliation.
Their destination was Rome—a beautiful city. Ehito thought about it, but the principal informed him that he would be accompanied by at least two teachers, one male and one female, for simplicity. Ehito agreed and chose his aunt and a sports teacher he liked. It was decided: they would leave in a month.
After leaving the principal's office, Ehito joined Lia and Shina. They talked for a while before the bell rang, and they headed to class. The next lesson was PE, so it went by quickly. Finally, the bell marking the end of the school day rang.
As they stepped outside, they noticed a suspicious-looking man—a hood pulled over his head, dressed all in black, walking in the opposite direction, his steps heavy. They moved closer, and Ehito grew wary but didn't show it. He stayed on guard, keeping close to Lia. Shina, who had also noticed, positioned herself on the opposite side to ensure Lia wouldn't be attacked.
However, the man turned out to be just a homeless person passing by slowly because he was weak and malnourished. Ehito and Shina relaxed.
But a few meters later, a man appeared, holding a sword, and lunged at Lia. The strike missed because Ehito had pushed Lia out of the way. He had sensed it—a blade slicing through the air, someone running at an astonishing speed toward them. Ehito had extended his sensory range from a few meters to several hundred, detecting it all in time.
The man attacked again, slashing through the air a dozen times in less than a second, this time targeting Lia and Shina. Maybe he thought they were the weakest. In a way, he wasn't wrong, but Shina was far more trained than he could have imagined. She dodged each strike, countered every attack, and struck back. She saw openings and exploited them in her own way—maybe not the most conventional, but definitely powerful.
The fight was one-sided. The man couldn't do anything against Shina. She didn't even realize how easily she was overwhelming him—it was just routine for her. The only person she had never managed to beat, aside from Ehito, was Tilan. Tilan was the second strongest. He had to be, being second only to his master. After all, they had been trained by Ehito himself in various skills: weapons, martial arts, dodging, perception, poisons, detection, breathing techniques, everything.
So, she fought—kicks, dodges, punches, parries. At one point, she drew a blade and sliced through the man's nerves and muscles. She cut the tendons in his arms and both legs. She even managed to pierce his right side without hitting any vital organs. She didn't want to kill him—just incapacitate him. Victory was her goal. After all, Ehito had taught them that: victory above all, defeat was not an option.
She took the dagger and struck every non-lethal spot. Every place that could help her win. Every technique was valid. Every part of the man's body was worth exploiting. Every part of Shina's body was in motion, ensuring her victory. The man, overwhelmed, bombarded by strikes and blades, found himself at a complete loss. Just as he started to adapt to Shina's rhythm, she changed it again—attack, parry, dodge, artful movement.
The man realized he had absolutely no chance of winning. None. All he could do was endure the suffering. The pain was immense, unbearable. Each second, each hit, each blade slicing his body hurt so much that he couldn't even scream anymore. The agony inflicted by Shina was unimaginable, indescribable, and endless. It was everything but bearable. Eventually, the man fainted—not from blood loss but from the sheer intensity of the pain.