Chapter 72

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Aqua stomped her foot on the floor to gain momentum and swung a fiery punch towards Koushirou's exposed abdomen.

"One Sword Style, Frost Dragon Flash!"

Koushirou lightly tapped the wooden floor with his foot, using the residual force from his swing to leap up and avoid Aqua's divine punch.

At the same time, he reversed the direction of his bamboo sword and struck Aqua's forehead with lightning speed!

Pop!

The heat from Aqua's missed punch was extinguished on the spot.

As the Goddess of Water, Aqua's physical strength was not weak. Unfortunately, she was very sensitive to pain.

Even though Koushirou held back most of his strength at the last moment, avoiding serious harm to Aqua, the hit still dazed her.

Aqua blinked her blue eyes, tears shimmering.

The pain from the hit mixed with the embarrassment and unwillingness of being swept away in her own game.

Seeing her tearful eyes, Koushirou froze in shock and quickly withdrew his bamboo sword, "Sorry, sorry, are you okay?"

He had expected the blue-haired beauty to be more resilient.

"How dare you do this to me!"

Aqua wiped away her tears, her pretty face a mix of grief and indignation, "If that's how it is, I don't care about the consequences anymore!"

In a bid to save her goddess dignity, she summoned her divine staff in a fit of rage.

A deep blue magical circle appeared under her feet, surrounded by clear water flows.

Whoosh!

The dojo's ceiling lit up with blue light, forming an even larger magical array.

The sounds of rushing floods and cascading waterfalls emanated from it, instilling fear and awe in the dojo's disciples.

"Wait, wait a minute, I give up, Aqua-san, I lost!"

Before Zyhark could intervene, Koushirou, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly raised his hands.

The news had been clear; if the girl before him summoned a town-destroying flood, then Shimotsuki Village, painstakingly built by his father, would be doomed!

Enveloped in holy light, Aqua opened her eyes, "Really? Do you truly surrender?"

"Truly." Koushirou nodded.

"Realizing the gap between us and surrendering takes courage too~"

With confirmation, Aqua immediately donned a smug mask, proudly lifting her head, "For someone who wears glasses like you, I don't dislike you."

"I am honored to receive your praise," Koushirou, putting his bamboo sword at his waist, returned to his usual gentle smile.

"In that case, I'll give you a chance to believe in me."

Aqua, pushing her luck, produced a flyer from nowhere, "Come on! Join the grand Axis Church!"

"Axis Church?"

Koushirou frowned slightly, having never heard of such a sect in the East Blue.

Aqua immediately perked up, beginning to enthusiastically list the many benefits of joining the Axis Church.

Watching this return to her usual foolish self, Zyhark covered his face from behind, somewhat unable to bear looking directly at her.

Behind Koushirou, Kuina stared blankly at Aqua, who was now chatting and laughing with her father.

Recalling the giant magic circle that had hovered above and her father surrendering with both hands raised, she couldn't calm the shock in her heart.

Why could a girl, seemingly at a physical disadvantage and appearing much younger, so easily defeat her powerful father?!

At that moment, a crack appeared in the mountain of pressure that had long been suppressing the young swordswoman.

...

As night fell, Shimotsuki Village was unusually bright.

Organized by the dojo master Koushirou, villagers gathered around a bright bonfire, igniting an exceptionally lively banquet.

Not only to dispel the gloom and celebrate Kuina's miraculous recovery but also to warmly welcome and thank Zyhark and his companions for their arrival.

At such an event, Aqua, with her banquet skills maxed out, undoubtedly became the center of attention.

Whether it was creating a small rainbow fountain with a folding fan or crafting exquisite forts from napkins, she drew gasps of surprise and cheers from the villagers and dojo disciples.

Having lived in a secluded village, they had never seen such diverse and magical skills!

Zyhark, meanwhile, stayed in the banquet's corner, quietly enjoying the specialty dishes laid out on the table.

Even so, dojo disciples continuously approached him, eagerly seeking advice on how to become stronger.

Zyhark found this quite ironic; he himself wished to know how to grow stronger.

Why not try doing a hundred sit-ups, a hundred push-ups, a hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run every day? He suggested.

Upon reflection, Zyhark and Aqua really were two extremes.

One, a regular person with extraordinary luck who disliked crowds, and the other, a Goddess of Water with bad luck maxed out, skilled in various banquet arts...

Away from the banquet, on an open space near the coastal beach.

Clang.

A bamboo sword spun in the air before falling to the ground.

Inspired by Aqua's example, Kuina regained her confidence and once again challenged Zyhark.

The result, as expected, was another defeat.

Staring blankly at the bamboo sword on the ground, Kuina fell silent for a few seconds before finally snapping, "Damn it! Why can't I win?!"

"That's quite normal. If I were your age, I'd have been soundly defeated," Zyhark put away his bamboo sword.

Noticing a slight change in Kuina, he decided to guide her onto the right path.

"Even so, even so, a girl's prime is only during childhood, right?!"

Kuina clenched her fists, her youthful and determined face filled with frustration.

"Kuina, it's not about gender. What I mean is, by the time you reach my age, the outcome between us wouldn't be so certain."

Zyhark looked up at the starry sky, speaking solemnly, "The world is vast. On these seas, there are female Marine vice admirals, notorious pirate empresses, and queens among the Four Emperors, all world-renowned superpowers."

Seeing the uncertainty in Kuina's eyes, he chose a recent example, "Like Aqua, despite some, uh, flaws, she is a legitimate goddess."

"Flaws mean..."

Kuina blinked her bright eyes, pondering for a while before tentatively asking, "Is Miss Aqua's head not quite right?"

Hearing this, Zyhark was momentarily taken aback, internally exasperated: Embarrassing!

Really embarrassing, Aqua, even a child can see your intellectual shortcomings!

"Cough, what I mean is, even someone like her can become a goddess who stands above the world."

"Kuina, if you don't even have the courage to face yourself, how can you know if you can achieve it?"

In the end, Zyhark's gaze and tone sharpened, mercilessly exposing Kuina's deepest concerns.

Only by doing so could she grow.

His poignant words exploded like a bomb in Kuina's heart, spreading the tiny crack in the mountain of repression, shattering it completely.

"Facing oneself, becoming the Goddess of the Sword..."

The confusion in Kuina's eyes faded, replaced by a pure and firm belief.

She finally saw the bright and vast new world that had been hidden behind the mountain!

(End of Chapter)