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Chapter 15: Sparring

(Well, in any case, being a senior disciple means she's the strongest after Nakuru's dad, the master.)

Just then, the door at the back opened, and Tsutae appeared in a martial arts uniform. 

Unlike Nakuru's white belt, she wore a black belt, indicating her high rank.

Her long black hair was tied back, and with her sharp expression, she exuded the presence of a warrior.

"Let's start with some stretches. Okinaga-kun, feel free to join us if you'd like."

Both Nakuru and Tsutae began moving lightly, so Okinaga followed suit and started stretching as instructed. 

After a thorough stretch, they faced each other in the center of the dojo, while Okinaga stood by the wall to stay out of the way.

"Alright, let's begin. Come at me anytime, Nakuru."

"Yes, ma'am! Hyaaaaaa!"

Nakuru dropped her stance for a moment before lunging at Tsutae with impressive speed for a child. 

She reached for Tsutae's dangling hands with both of hers, but missed entirely. 

Nakuru was surprised, and Okinaga's eyes widened as well.

It seemed as if Nakuru had passed right through Tsutae. 

No, it looked like she had.

Nakuru nearly stumbled but managed to regain her balance.

(Wait, did she just blur?)

Tsutae had moved from her spot in an instant, returning to her original position just after Nakuru passed. 

Even from a distance, her speed was extraordinary. 

Nakuru, who had been right in front of her, must have felt as if she had disappeared.

Nakuru kept trying to grab Tsutae, but every attempt failed, as if she were trying to grasp a cloud.

(Her movements are superhuman.)

Okinaga had watched many sports, including martial arts, but he had never seen anyone move like that.

Nakuru's attacks weren't slow by any means. 

In fact, compared to an average six-year-old, her movements were exceptional. 

Okinaga was sure he'd be caught within a minute if they played tag.

To be able to move like that from such a young age, Nakuru would likely excel in any sport at the Olympic level in the future.

Yet, Tsutae evaded her with ease, maintaining a relaxed expression throughout.

After about five minutes of this back and forth, Nakuru was drenched in sweat and collapsed on all fours.

"Hmm, as always, you're going all out, Nakuru. I've told you before that you'll run out of stamina quickly if you do that, right?"

No, being able to move at full power for five minutes is already amazing.

"Pant... pant... pant... Yeah... Tsutae-chan... you're amazing... but!"

Suddenly, Nakuru pushed off the floor with both feet, launching herself at Tsutae with incredible speed.

Caught slightly off guard, Tsutae's eyes widened.

Nakuru had likely saved a bit of her strength for this final burst, aiming to catch Tsutae off guard.

(Oh, she might actually catch her this time!)

It seemed like Nakuru had no chance earlier, but now, perhaps...

But just as he thought that, Tsutae grabbed Nakuru's outstretched right hand with lightning speed, twisted it slightly, and threw her. 

Nakuru spun halfway in the air before landing on her back on the tatami.

"Nakuru?!"

Okinaga shouted, rushing over to her.

"Are you okay, Nakuru?! Tsutae-san, wasn't that a bit much?!"

He hadn't expected her to throw Nakuru so forcefully, and he couldn't stay silent.

"Well, you see, this is Nakuru's everyday routine."

Her words left him stunned.

(This... this is her daily routine?)

It didn't seem appropriate to engage a six-year-old in such a way. After all, she had thrown Nakuru quite forcefully.

"Ugh... oww..."

"Nakuru? Are you okay?"

"Hehe... I'm fine... My back hurts a bit, though..."

Despite the heavy impact, she seemed accustomed to it.

(Is traditional martial arts more brutal than I thought?)

Or perhaps she was put through rigorous training to be worthy as the daughter of a dojo master.

(She probably doesn't have much time to play with friends.)

The strict training led to her exceptional movements and high pain tolerance. 

She likely didn't have much time for leisure activities.

"How about it, Nakuru? Do you want to go another round?"

Tsutae made another surprising suggestion.

"Well, my energy's coming back, so I can go again."

Nakuru stood up without much rest.

(Wait, it's been less than a minute! And she's already recovered?!)

After moving at full speed for more than five minutes and being thrown forcefully, she showed remarkable recovery, ready to continue. 

It's hard to believe such a child exists, even though she's right in front of me.

"Hey, are you sure you want to keep going?"

"I'm fine! This time I'll definitely touch her!"

It seems she's quite determined. 

Surprisingly, she might be more competitive than I thought.

"Is the goal just to touch her, then?"

"Yes, that's right. It's not a formal match, but it's good training for Nakuru."

True, a typical sparring match involves exchanging attacks and defenses, but Nakuru has mostly been on the offensive.

"Alright, let's do this!"

"Wait, Nakuru. To be honest, I don't think you'll ever touch Tsutae-san if you keep doing what you're doing."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Well... you're just charging straight at her. Even if you're fast, your movements are predictable. Plus, you get tired quickly."

"Ugh... but that's all I can do."

"Yeah, that's true."

Despite her adult-like movements, her thinking is still that of a child.

"But your last move was good; you exploited an opening."

"Really?!"

"Yes, but you went too straight. If your opponent is more experienced, you should anticipate your arm being grabbed and use a feint."

With her speed, she could have easily used a feint. 

Especially if the opponent was caught off guard, inserting a feint could have helped achieve her goal.

So, I shared my thoughts, even if they were amateurish. 

However, I didn't notice the piercing gaze Tsutae directed at me.