I don't want to be a heroic spirit

The senior seemed to hesitate for a long time, but finally agreed to Okita Souji's request.

The two agreed to meet at the school gate.

Souji Okita arrived at the school gate first, but Ayatsuji Ayase took some time. After all, he was going to visit his father, so he had to prepare well.

"Sorry, Souji, did I keep you waiting?"

After seeing Souji Okita's figure from afar, Ayatsuji Ayase trotted over, while not forgetting to apologize for making Souji Okita wait here.

"No, no, I just arrived a short time ago."

Okita Souji waved his hand and said this, but then he seemed to realize something and couldn't help laughing.

Okita Souji's unexpected laughter made Ayatsuji Ayase a little panicked.

"What...what's wrong? Is there something strange about me?"

"No, no, it's not my fault, Senior." Okita Souji waved his hand and then explained, "It just suddenly occurred to me that our conversation just now resembled the opening lines of a couple's date in a novel."

Ayatsuji Ayase blinked, but then couldn't help it. She put the back of her hand in front of her lips and laughed out loud.

“It seems like that.”

"Now that you mention it, do you have any relevant experience, Senior?" Okita Souji raised a finger and asked curiously, "Dating a boy or something."

"How...how is this possible!" Ayatsuji Ayase's face instantly became hot. "I...I even have trouble talking to a boy. How can I possibly date...date...date with a boy..."

He spent a long time trying to think of the word "date" but couldn't come up with the next word, which gave Souji Okita a new understanding of Senior Ayase Ayase's "fear of men".

Looking up, she saw a hint of teasing in Okita Souji's amber eyes. Ayatsuji Ayase felt extremely embarrassed and angry, and her cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish.

"You're such a jerk, Souji! You even flirted with a senior!"

"What a misunderstanding, what a misunderstanding, I didn't do that."

As if she had anticipated this, Souji Okita leaned back with her upper body to avoid the evil hand that Ayatsuji Ayase was reaching towards her little face.

Why do you guys like to scratch faces?

"Though, these eyes do capture a very nice expression. They're very cute."

Okita Souji put his hands behind his back, tilted his head and gave a bright smile to the blushing Ayatsuji Ayase.

"Well!"

Not sure if it was because of Okita Souji's overly straightforward compliment, or because of her brilliant and enchanting smile, but Ayatsuji Ayase felt as if her heart was pierced by an arrow... No, it was shot by Barrett.

"And~~and~~"

Okita Souji paused for a moment and continued, "Senpai, you should be relaxed now, right?"

"..."

Ayatsuji Ayase was suddenly stunned.

"I don't know what that huge burden you're carrying, senior sister, is, and I won't try to persuade you to let it go. After all, I'm not you, and I can't make choices for you."

Souji Okita turned half a circle with his hands behind his back, walked a few steps forward with his back to Ayatsuji Ayase, then turned around. Under the warm golden sun, her smile shone brightly in Ayatsuji Ayase's eyes.

"But I want to tell you, Ayase-senpai, I consider you my friend, and I also want to help you, so..."

“When you encounter difficulties that you cannot solve on your own, when you feel that your ability has reached its limit, please remember that there is always a pair of hands waiting for you to seek help.”

Ayatsuji Ayase was speechless.

Because what Okita Souji said was really embarrassing. How could he say a request for help so easily?

This is her own business and should have nothing to do with Okita Souji.

She involved her own junior without permission... How could she stand in front of Okita Souji as a senior?

How shameless must she be... to let Okita Souji face that scary guy on her behalf.

"Let's go, Senior."

Ayatsuji Ayase came back to her senses when Okita Souji called her.

"Don't we have to go visit Mr. Ayatsuji Kaito? Let's get going."

"……Um."

Father...what should I do?

Mr. Kaito Ayatsuji is in a coma due to a competition accident two years ago and is now recuperating in the hospital.

This is a very small ward, and the facilities are far less advanced than those in the academy.

The old man lying on the bed, who was so thin that only skin and bones were left, was Ayatsuji Ayase's father, the "last samurai" Ayatsuji Kaito.

"Father, I brought my schoolmate to see you..."

Ayatsuji Ayase sat on a small stool beside the bed and forced a very sad smile on her face.

"Father, I'm telling you, I've made new friends... so you don't have to worry about me having a bad time at the academy..."

Ayase Ayatsuji kept telling her father about her daily life at school, but the only answer she got was the beeping sound of the electrocardiogram monitor beside her.

Souji Okita was standing behind Ayatsuji Ayase, and since she had her head down, she couldn't see the expression on Ayatsuji Ayase's face at the moment, but she could see that Ayatsuji Ayase's hands on her legs were clenched into fists, and her fingers were white from the force.

Chapter 83 Kurashiki Kōto (5/31)

"Dear Da Vinci, can your words revive Ayase-senpai's father?"

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Okita Souji turned on the light screen for contacting Chaldea and asked curiously.

"Master, who do you think I am? I'm an almighty genius, Chaldea's technical advisor, and the most trustworthy Da Vinci!"

On the light screen, the petite and cute little Leonardo da Vinci held his head high and put his hands on his hips, looking like he was so awesome.

"...That being said, Master, you don't need to worry about it." Da Vinci suddenly changed the subject. "I just used the equipment here to perform a simple full-body examination on the gentleman in the hospital bed. I found that he's showing signs of waking up. He should be able to recover in no more than two months."

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Okita Souji smiled with genuine joy. "That's great."

If Senior Ayase knew this news, she would probably be very happy, right?

After visiting Mr. Kaito Ayatsuji, Souji Okita and Ayase Ayatsuji went to a small restaurant not far away for dinner.

“Every time I visit my father, I eat at this restaurant.”

Having calmed down, Ayatsuji Ayase took Okita Souji to sit in a seat by the window.

Perhaps because she had come here so often, Ayatsuji Ayase quickly ordered her dishes, but Okita Souji had difficulty making a decision.

Later, it was only after the recommendation of Ayase Ayase, who often came to Ayatsuji, that Okita Souji completed the order. The two sat at their seats and waited for the food to be served.

"Speaking of which, Souji..."

Souji Okita was staring at the scenery outside the window in a daze when she suddenly heard Ayatsuji Ayase calling her name.

"I heard that... Ikki-san was once taught swordsmanship by you, which is why he won the battle against Kirihara Shizuya so easily."

Ayase Ayatsuji, who always seemed soft and gentle, showed extraordinary concern about this matter for some reason. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed on Souji Okita who was sitting opposite her.

"No, I don't have that much ability. It's just that Ikki has good talent."

"I watched Ikki's match..."

Ayatsuji Ayase lowered her head, her expression obscured by her bangs.

"... Souji, I have reasons to become stronger. I must become stronger, very strong, and then... participate in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival as a representative."

That person...will definitely appear at the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival.

That was my last chance...

"So! I'm counting on you! Souji! I also want to become as strong as Ikki back then!"

This is the first time that Senior Ayase Ayatsuji has lowered her attitude so much in front of Souji Okita.

If it can achieve her goal, no matter her dignity or honor... I'm afraid she will give it up without hesitation.

This is something that only those who have lost something, lamented and regretted their own powerlessness can do.

Do you want to agree?

Or should we stop her before she self-destructs on this path?

Before Okita Souji could make a decision, a voice with a hint of surprise sounded from behind her.

"Oh? Isn't this Ayatsuji?"

"!!!"

Ayatsuji Ayase's pupils constricted due to extreme shock, and she even forgot to breathe.

Just because of this voice.

Okita Souji's amber eyes slowly narrowed, and when he turned around, he saw a group of aggressive people walking towards him as if no one was around.

"Ah! Isn't this Ayatsuji-chan?"

"I was thinking you haven't been around much lately. It's been a while."

The words spoken sounded like a greeting between old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time, but the mockery and malice in the tone were real.

They were all wearing the uniform of a certain school, but they looked like bad boys in terms of attire and even their behavior was similar.

It seemed that these people had not yet noticed Souji Okita who was with Ayase Ayase Tsuji. While looking at these people, Souji Okita took a quick look at Ayase Ayase's expression.

He looked very gloomy, as if he was trying hard to suppress something, and the breath in his body was disordered.

For a swordsman, this is the biggest taboo of taboos.

"You bastard, the Tibetan is clearly talking to you, and you dare to ignore him?"

What are Tibetans?

Souji Okita looked at a brown-haired man in the crowd who was wearing yellow sunglasses, had shark teeth, and a skull tattoo on his chest.

There was only this person, followed by two gorgeously dressed women. When he walked over, others would take the initiative to make way for him. It was obvious that he had an extraordinary status.

and……

"What is this? It has a ferocious aura like that of a wild beast..."

Kurashiki Kōto originally wanted to say hello to Ayatsuji Ayase, but suddenly as if he sensed something, he turned around and met Okita Souji's eyes.

Kurashiki Kōto's abnormality also attracted the attention of his followers, and several of them looked over following Kurashiki Kōto's gaze.

"Oh! I hadn't noticed before, but there's actually such a pretty girl here?"

One of the henchmen put his hands in his pockets, leaned over to approach Okita Souji, and said with a sinister smile: "How about it? Little sister, do you want to be with your brother..."

"boom!"

Many people present were shocked.

Because the man who had just spoken to Souji Okita had fallen to the ground, and his head had hit the table of Souji Okita and Ayase Ayatsuji.

However, the one who took action...

Ayatsuji Ayase widened her eyes and looked in disbelief at Kurashiki Kōto, who was waving his hands with an unhappy look on his face.

"is this okay?"

Kurashiki Zangren looked in the direction of the sound and saw Okita Souji, who seemed not at all frightened by his previous actions, but just a little confused.

"Is this person one of your men?"

"But who made him mess with you?"

No normal person could understand why he beat up his own men for a stranger, but Kurashiki Kōto acted as if it was a matter of course.

The key point is that his group of followers also lowered their heads and dared not speak. Although they didn't know what they did wrong, they knew that they had made the boss angry.

"Hey you."

Kurashiki Kōto raised his head and gazed down at Okita Souji who was sitting in his seat. He asked in a deep voice, "You are a swordsman, right?"

"Just barely, what about you?"

Souji Okita tilted his head and answered casually, then narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Kurashiki Kōto, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"You...are you Izo?"

"Ah."