Hearing Master Jigoro's "praise," Ryousuke's pupils shrank to pinpricks. His entire body went rigid.
Oh no! "Gramps, wait, it's not—"
Before he could explain, the sound of a wooden sword clattering to the floor echoed from behind. Ryousuke's heart sank. The Great Disaster has arrived.
"Ryousuke-niisan—!"
Rika's voice, thick with a tearful, aggrieved tremble, pierced the silence. She practically threw herself at Ryousuke, her almond-shaped eyes wide with horror as she scanned Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma.
Then, Rika looked down at her own petite chest.
Rika: Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪"∠)!!
In that moment, the girl truly "grew up." Before, it was just imagination; now, she finally realized the geological scale of the difference between a high-end mattress and a flat wooden plank. Rika's eyes welled up, and her entire persona turned into a weeping chibi.
"Waaaaah! Ryousuke-niisan! Uuuugh..."
Rika's tiny fists began thumping Ryousuke's chest with zero rhythm or technique. "You... you really do like older women! And... and three at once! I hate you! I hate you the most!" She hung off him, sobbing uncontrollably like a tragic heroine abandoned by a heartless scoundrel.
"No! Rika, listen to me! Gramps, you too—" Ryousuke was flustered, trying to steady Rika while desperately explaining to Jigoro. It was a total mess.
"YA! SUI! RYOU! SUKE!!!"
A roar like a freak-of-nature anomaly erupted from the shadows. Shota, radiating pure resentment, crawled out of the darkness like an urban legend. He brandished his Nichirin sword, teeth bared.
"How dare you bully Rika! I'll mince you into fish bait, you bastard!!" The blade tore through the air, carrying Shota's full fury toward Ryousuke's face!
"Shota! Stop!" Jigoro, caught between shock and anger, used his cane to whack Shota on the head. The scene spiraled into utter chaos.
"Ryousuke-niisan! Waaaaah..." Rika was still death-gripping his haori, crying her eyes out.
"Gramps, let go of me! I'm gonna kill this prick! He actually... he actually..." Shota struggled like a wild animal.
"Wait! Just let me finish a sentence! They are—" Ryousuke was sweating buckets, caught between a crying girl and a murderous rival, completely unable to defend his honor.
"Tengen-sama..." Suma whimpered, hiding behind Uzui Tengen's massive frame. Hinatsuru and Makio remained relatively calm, though they looked incredibly awkward.
Uzui Tengen's lip twitched. He was starting to regret the hasty decision he made at dawn.
"This Momoyama place..." he muttered, watching the storm center. "Is it actually a legit Dojo?"
Seeing Ryousuke's pleading gaze, Tengen sighed and put a hand to his forehead. He took a deep breath and roared.
"ENOUGH!!!"
The shout was thunderous. Everyone froze as if someone had pressed a pause button, their eyes snapping to him. Uzui Tengen crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping the field.
"You, one-legged Gramps! You, sword-swinging brat! And you, very loud crying lady! Allow me, Uzui Tengen, to clarify things—flashily!"
He swept his arm out, pointing to the three beauties behind him with a suave, flowing motion. "Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma are my wives! Uzui Tengen's wives! We are simply seeking refuge here on Ryousuke's recommendation!"
Dead silence for three seconds.
Jigoro looked at Ryousuke for confirmation. Ryousuke nodded like a woodpecker.
Jigoro let out a series of forced coughs. He bowed slightly toward the group. "Ahem! I see! My deepest apologies, young man, and to the three ladies as well! I, Jigoro Kuwajima, apologize on behalf of Momoyama!"
Shota sheathed his sword, grumbling, "Well, he should have said so from the start..."
Rika looked up at Ryousuke, her eyes big and expectant.
Rika: (◕﹏◕✿) Stare—
Ryousuke gave her a very firm, reassuring nod.
"Hehe~" Rika giggled, finally letting go and hiding shyly behind Jigoro.
With the farce over, Momoyama returned to its usual tranquility. Jigoro took Ryousuke aside to scold him. "You useless brat! Look at that flashy lad—he has three wives! Three!"
Ryousuke couldn't win that argument, so he just offered a dry laugh. He ducked into a quiet corner to dump the 5 years of lifespan he had saved up.
[5 years of lifespan injected. Remaining: 338 days.]
[Thunderclap and Flash upgraded to Sub-Mastery. 進階形態 (Advanced Form) unlocked: Sixfold!]
Phew. Finally, I'm faster and more durable.
While Jigoro gave Tengen a crash course on the history of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tengen honestly shared his background as a Shinobi.
By noon, since there were four new mouths to feed, Hinatsuru and the others helped with lunch. When the food hit the table, it conquered everyone's senses. Shota even polished off three bowls.
Faced with the praise, Hinatsuru offered a gentle, modest smile. "Thank you. As Shinobi on missions, we often had to disguise ourselves to get close to targets. Poisoning is a necessary skill, so mastering the culinary arts to hide scents and dosages was part of the basics."
The atmosphere at the table froze instantly.
"P-poison?!" Shota's fish fell back into his bowl. Even Rika looked suspiciously at her vegetables.
"Pffft!" Uzui Tengen laughed, slapping his forehead. "Hinatsuru, don't mention such unflashy details now! You're scaring them!" He downed his sake in one go. "Eat up! Today's meal is flashily delicious!"
Late that night, the peach grove looked dreamlike under the moon. On the wooden porch of the dojo, Uzui Tengen sat alone, leaning against the doorframe with a jug of sake. The "flashiness" of the day had settled into a quiet calm.
Light footsteps approached from behind. Tengen didn't turn around; he just nudged a second jug toward the empty spot beside him. Ryousuke sat down and took a sip.
Squeak—
A tiny sound broke the silence. Several muscular mice wearing gemstone headbands marched out, carrying plates and sake jugs larger than their own bodies. The Muscle Mice set the plate down before Tengen and began flexing their biceps, let out proud squeaks of "Zhi! Zhi!"
Tengen flicked their heads affectionately. "Good work, my flashy little guys."
Man, Flashy Brother is loaded, Ryousuke thought, seeing the jewels on the mice. But these intelligent, loyal little pets were undeniably likable.
"Good partners," Ryousuke said softly.
"Yeah... flashy, reliable partners," Tengen agreed, taking a drink. Perhaps it was the sake, but he thought of the morning's chaos and chuckled. "Momoyama is interesting."
"As long as you don't find it too noisy," Ryousuke replied.
Tengen shook his head, his eyes growing deep. "Noise proves they are alive. They are people, not machines."