Chapter 31 - Intensive Training with a Cute Girl

(Nero POV)

I looked at the gate in front of me. Though wooden, it didn't appear to be made of any kind of wood I recognized. Small cameras were visible on top of the wall.

Hmmm. So this is Cassandra's house. Well, to be more exact, this is the door to Cassandra's house. Her house was in Musutafu but in a more isolated location. The reason I'm here is to learn martial combat from Cassandra.

I admit, it was a tough battle waking up early, but it was worth it. Instead of focusing on increasing my power during these two weeks, I want to focus on the physical. I realized that I have a significant weakness: my lack of martial skills. Don't get me wrong, I know how to fight, but my style is unrefined and lacks structure. Roberta was not the best person to teach fighting, and she refused to teach her combat style. Perhaps that was the only order from me that she ever completely refused. So, I'll focus these two weeks on perfecting my body.

I thought, ringing the doorbell. In an instant, the gate opened, revealing the grounds of the house. A white checkerboard floor led up to a traditional Japanese house.

"Wow!" Although the mansion I owned in Mie City was larger, Cassandra's house had a comfortable, warm feeling. With that thought, I started walking across the white floor towards the house. My eyes naturally wandered to the sides, noticing small trees spread across the front of the house. A flamboyant tree next to it caught my attention, along with beautiful bushes in front of the house. Impressive! I thought, stepping on the first step that led to the door, then the second, arriving at the porch of the house.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a girl with black hair. Cassandra was wearing a purple shirt with a black strap, leggings, and black shoes. Unfortunately, my eyes fell on the leggings, which fit her perfectly, emphasizing her butt and legs. As a knowledgeable art connoisseur, I take a moment to appreciate my surroundings but quickly return my gaze to Cassandra's eyes, which are the color of obsidian.

"Hello, Cass." I raise my hand to greet her with a smile.

"It's good to see you, Nero," Cassandra responds with a slight, almost imperceptible smile while using sign language. Then she steps aside and gestures me in. "Come in."

"Excuse me." I take off my shoes and place them in the genkan, the traditional Japanese entryway. I then put on the provided slippers. Respecting etiquette is crucial, especially when visiting a traditional Japanese home.

I step onto the wooden floor as I enter Cassandra's house, noticing several rooms separated by sliding doors.

"Your house is very beautiful," I comment as my foot touches the polished wood.

Cassandra, walking beside me, slightly turns her head towards me, moving her hand gracefully.

"Thanks. My mother is quite the traditionalist."

Seeing her hand gestures, I can't help but wonder what her mother is like. Perhaps she has the same stoic expression as her daughter but with a more mature presence. One thing I can be sure of is that she must be beautiful. While I ponder about her mother, we arrive at the reception room.

"Please." She gestures towards a low table. With a smile, I walk to a cushion in front of the table and kneel in the seiza position, looking at Cassandra.

"I'm going to make tea." She heads to the kitchen.

"…"

Hehehe! She didn't even ask if I wanted any. From what little I've observed, Cassandra doesn't seem to receive many visitors at her home. Despite her stoic appearance, perhaps she is even nervous about this unusual situation. Now that I think about it, where are her parents? Since I arrived, I haven't seen her mother or father. In fact, there are no photos of people around the house. Looking closer, this house exudes comfort, but also a sense of loneliness.

I let out a light sigh. It seems that Cass is quite lonely. As I contemplate this, Cassandra comes out of the kitchen holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea. She crouches down in front of me, places the tray on the table, and sits next to me with her own cup.

I bring my hand to my nose, inhaling the aroma. "Gyokuro." At my words, Cassandra nods with a slight smile on her face. We drink tea like an old couple, in comfortable silence. This continues until I break the silence.

"Cass, aren't your parents home?" I ask politely.

Cassandra tilts her head to the side and leans on the table. "No, my mom is working." She replies, using her hands to express herself.

"Oh! And what does she do?"

"..., she's a pro-hero."

"Seriously, how cool." I smile at her. Although I don't recall any pro-heroine named Cain, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to pro-heroes. "Sorry, but what is your mother's hero alias?"

Cassandra, her face slightly tilted cutely, begins to sign.

"My mother's name is Tatsu Yamashiro; her hero's codename is Katana." Cassandra's expression brightens with a touch of happiness. With this information, my face went static. Obviously, I knew who Katana was. She is a pro-hero, ranked #10. The most peculiar thing about her is that she was a vigilante until recently.

Vigilantes are people who voluntarily perform duties normally assigned to heroes without regard for the law. Nowadays, being a vigilante is considered a crime, which makes them no different from villains in the eyes of the law. Katana stopped being a vigilante about four years ago. She wasn't just any vigilante; she was known for killing villains. Despite the numerous villain deaths in her history, she was "forgiven" for her crimes and became a pro-hero. And not just any pro-hero, since she is now ranked #10.

Furthermore, she was elected as "The heroine who makes villains regret being born." Why? Well, let's just say she's pretty brutal with villains.

While I was in shock, Cassandra looked at me with her big black eyes, tilting her head from side to side. Seeing her reaction, I snapped out of my shock.

"Her mother is a great hero," I said with a slight smile as I finished drinking the tea, wondering why Cassandra didn't have the surname Yamashiro. Cassandra quickly nodded in affirmation of my statement. "Yes, she is. And even though she's not my biological mother, I still have a lot of regard for her."

Ah, so that explains it. The reason there isn't much information about Katana's adopted daughter must be because Katana has many enemies, considering the state she leaves the villains in.

"Have you finished?" she suddenly asked, looking at the tea in my hands.

"Yes, it was very good."

"Thanks." She stood up. "So, shall we start?" Cassandra signed, using sign language.

"Of course, I can't wait," I said excitedly.

•••

We were in the garden of her house. To the right, there was a small lake with a large pink flowering tree in the center. The garden floor was made of dirt, complemented by a beautiful lawn.

"Honestly, I don't know how to teach, but my mother always says that the best way to learn is through pain," Cassandra said, moving her foot back. "I will focus on just one martial art these two weeks: the taekwondo." After this statement in sign language, her expression shifted from friendly and stoic to stern.

I took a stance and, without hesitation, focused my vision on her. Obviously, I wouldn't use [infinity]. Additionally, just using my eyes would serve as training for them. I had already discussed this with Cassandra, and she agreed.

Suddenly, Cassandra took off at high speed towards me. Flexing her foot, she pushed off, jumped, and brought her foot down like a guillotine.

I watched Cassandra's every micro and macro movement with precision, my eyes automatically calculating her strength and speed. In an instant, I used my arm not to defend but to redirect her blow to the ground. Even just using my arm to dodge, I still felt a slight pain. Her physical strength was much greater than mine.

At the exact moment, Cassandra's foot touched the ground, she placed her hands down and spun her body, delivering a sharp kick towards me. Anticipating her strike thanks to my eyes, I leaned back, letting her attack go straight through. But even in this position, she turned her body and delivered a low kick aimed at my legs, trying to knock me down.

With the information from "Six Eyes," it was clear that defending against this blow was impossible given my position and Cassandra's superior strength. So I flexed my foot and jumped back. Before my feet could touch the ground, Cassandra was already in front of me. She flexed her right foot, positioning it near the calf of her left leg, and launched a high front kick. I quickly moved my hand to protect my chest, but I was still thrown back. I spun and fell to the ground, my feet dragging across the grass.

I tilted my head to the side, narrowly avoiding a kick that whizzed past my face. She didn't give me a second to rest. A sequence of high, low, and spinning kicks followed. Her movements were extremely fluid. I observed each of them with intense concentration. With a smile, I dodged a side kick while flexing my arm to throw a jab. Cassandra lifted her foot, kicking my arm and deflecting it. Her foot touched the ground, and she turned her waist, throwing an elbow.

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue as I moved back, dodging the elbow. As I dodged her blow, she kicked a rock at me, which I quickly evaded, only to see Cassandra in the air, swinging both legs simultaneously. Two kicks were thrown in quick succession; I blocked the first with my arm, but she changed the direction of the second while still in the air. I tilted my body to the side and managed to avoid it, realizing that's what Cassandra wanted. She flexed her foot back and delivered a front kick, hitting me directly in the chest.

Out of breath, I was thrown backward, hitting the ground until I collided with the back porch of the house. She didn't take it easy. I needed to fully adjust to the "Six Eyes," I thought as I gasped for air.

These would be very difficult two weeks.

A smile formed on my face at the thought.