Leave the little finger behind?
Was that some kind of code?
Shirou was confused.
But the moment he saw one of the group members toss a folding knife onto the table, he immediately understood.
I've heard something like this before… right, now I remember.
They said that losing the little finger reduces grip strength by more than half. For a swordsman, that's basically the end of their life. In samurai society, it was treated as a special kind of punishment.
Shirou didn't make a fuss. He simply stated his purpose.
"I'm here about a man named Kunihiro Sato."
He had expected to explain who that was, but for some reason, Raiga Fujimura already seemed to know him.
"Oh, that spineless bastard who abandoned his wife and kids? He does owe our group a hefty sum. With interest, it's probably tripled by now.
What's this? Has he fallen so far that he needs an elementary school kid to come mediate for him?"
The old man laughed heartily for a while, then suddenly turned serious, fixing Shirou with a sharp gaze.
"Kid, what's your relationship with him?"
Shirou answered honestly, "He treated me to a meal this morning."
Raiga Fujimura froze for a moment, then asked in disbelief:
"So you came here alone to pick a fight with the Fujimura Group just to repay him for one meal?"
Shirou didn't bother explaining, only nodding.
"You can think of it that way. Though I don't intend to start a fight."
Raiga Fujimura slapped his thigh and burst out laughing.
"Kids these days have been poisoned by yakuza movies!"
The yakuza lookalikes laughed along with him.
Shirou didn't understand what was funny, nor did he know what yakuza movies even were.
He stared at the folding knife on the table and asked,
"If I leave my little finger, will Sato's debt be cleared?"
"No. The little finger is for you beating up one of our guys. If you want to wipe out Sato's debt, you'll have to cut off another one."
Raiga Fujimura rubbed his chin and smiled.
"Though I'd like to say that… at your age, you'd only pay half price at the movies. So this time, we'll just count it as one little finger.
But are you really sure you want to do this?
With your skills, you've got the makings of a future kendo star. Are you really going to throw that away for a worthless guy like him—"
"Thank you."
Without hesitation, Shirou grabbed the folding knife and placed his right hand flat on the table, fingers spread.
With his skill, he could make a perfectly clean cut. After that, he could just have a third-rate Magus use healing magecraft to reattach it.
"!"
Raiga Fujimura's eyes widened.
The boy flicked open the knife and, without the slightest hesitation, brought it down toward his little finger—
A large hand caught the descending blade.
Raiga Fujimura had grabbed the blade, stopping Shirou from cutting off his finger.
"Boss!" the yakuza lookalike shouted in panic.
"That was way too reckless, Grandpa!"
The uniformed girl rushed over to check his hand, but—
"Huh? How is this possible?"
Raiga Fujimura's palm wasn't cut at all.
Even a yakuza boss is still just flesh and blood. Shirou's swing had been fast. In that situation, it should have been impossible to avoid being cut… unless—
Raiga Fujimura narrowed his eyes, looking at the red-haired boy with a mix of shock and suspicion.
"Kid… did you know from the start that I'd do that?"
Shirou tilted his head.
"I don't understand what you mean, old man. Please don't get in the way of me cutting my finger, alright?"
"Tch… Forget it, forget it!"
Like a sulking child, Raiga Fujimura tossed the folding knife into the trash can.
Seeing this, Shirou pressed further.
"So, does that mean you're willing to forgive Sato's debt?"
At those words, the yakuza boss's expression turned serious.
"No. Figure out for yourself why."
"Sato has already repented. From now on, he'll definitely work hard."
Raiga Fujimura asked, "And what proof do you have of that?"
Shirou answered seriously, "I've always been a good judge of character."
"…"
Raiga Fujimura's brow twitched slightly. Just as everyone thought he was about to lose his temper, the old man suddenly burst out laughing.
"Kid, what's your name?" he asked.
"Shirou Amamiya," the boy replied.
Raiga Fujimura stroked his chin.
"Shirou… I've got a feeling you and I will get along well."
Shirou smiled brightly.
"Then as proof of our friendship, could you waive Sato's debt?"
Raiga Fujimura held his forehead.
"…Aren't you a bit too practical? Are kids these days all like this?"
"Don't worry, old man. I'm the only one like this."
"Hahahahaha! That's a relief!"
The old man and the boy shared a knowing look, while everyone else around them looked completely baffled.
Raiga Fujimura reined in his laughter and said,
"Shirou, I can waive the interest on the debt, but there's one condition."
"Please, go ahead."
The old man rose from the sofa.
"We're yakuza, after all. When it comes to settling disputes, there's really only one way, isn't there? Violence."
Cracking his knuckles, he looked down at the boy and the wooden sword beside him.
"Shirou Amamiya, let's have a match!"
Old man, are you some kind of Pokémon trainer?
Shirou said, "So as long as I defeat the strongest person in the Fujimura Group, the debt will be cleared, right?"
The gang boss nodded.
"Exactly! Hey, bring me my sword—"
Shirou turned to the uniformed girl beside him.
"That's how it is. So, would you spar with me, big sister?"
"My name is Taiga Fujimura."
The uniformed girl, the strongest in the Fujimura Group, smiled as she bent down and took the "Toyako" from Shirou's side.
"A wooden sword like this is too dangerous. I'll be confiscating it."
Ah… that sword's property was actually "no matter how hard you swing it, it will never kill anyone," Shirou thought with some regret.
...
...
The moment Taiga Fujimura stepped into the office, Shirou sensed something extraordinary about her.
She looked like a cheerful young girl, but her movements and breathing were as natural as those of a battle-hardened knight.
Her well-balanced physique was the result of relentless training, and her full, toned thighs showed a perfect balance of muscle and fat.
Shirou immediately concluded that this seemingly carefree older sister was anything but simple.
And he was right.
Taiga Fujimura—
She was the granddaughter of Raiga Fujimura, the head of the Fujimura Group, and a current middle school student at Homurahara Academy.
At the same time, she was an undefeated kendo prodigy. At just fourteen, she had swept through various national-level tournaments, defeating even third-year high school seniors, earning her the title "Tiger of Fuyuki."
To think someone like this existed even in Proper Human History…
Shirou felt a sense of awe. The Fujimura Group truly lived up to its reputation!
…Though she wasn't actually a member of the group.
"Then, please teach me."
In a dojo under the Fujimura Group's jurisdiction, a fourteen-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy faced each other.
"I'm the strongest in the Fujimura Group! Taiga! Get down here and let me fight Shirou!"
Raiga Fujimura was being held back outside the dojo by the yakuza lookalikes, shouting angrily.
Ignoring the commotion, Taiga Fujimura gripped her beloved sword, the "Tora-Shinai," with both hands and carefully took her stance.
"Just so you know, even if my opponent is a child, I won't hold back."
Shirou nodded.
"That's exactly what I want. Come at me."
The time to test himself had come.
He wanted to see whether the countless techniques he had honed in the Fairy Kingdom would still work in Proper Human History.
"Alright, here I come, Shirou!"
Taiga Fujimura was full of energy.
The red-haired boy silently raised the bamboo sword he had received from her.
Compared to a sharp wooden sword, a reinforced bamboo sword was safer and better suited for sparring—
"Huh?"
The bamboo sword in Shirou's hand snapped at the base.
"Wait, something's wrong with my sword…"
"No excuses! Only the weak make excuses! Hah!"
The "Tiger of Fuyuki," carrying overwhelming momentum, swung down at Shirou's head before the referee could even call the start.