Chapter 59: I Will Not Stop for Anyone-Ceifador Restrito(Desculpe, mas você forneceu apenas "易安z", que parece ser um nome ou uma palavra incompleta. Poderia enviar um texto completo para tradução?)

The kendo dojo in the evening.

Shuhei was enduring a new round of torment.

Another ring of clashing steel echoed, and the Asauchi in Shuhei's hand dropped to the floor instantly.

Shuhei looked at his slightly trembling right hand, stinging from the pain, and then glanced at the sword fallen on the ground.

Shin, standing opposite him, spoke leisurely: "Pick it up. Again."

Shuhei bent down to pick up the Asauchi, only to find he could exert no strength in his hand whatsoever, watching helplessly as the weapon slipped from his grip.

He sat on the floor in frustration. "Let's take a break."

"You're so weak, Shuhei. With your level of ability, it's going to be a struggle just to become a seated officer in the future."

Shuhei was somewhat accustomed to his remarks. Every time he failed to beat Shin, he would be met with such mockery. At first, it certainly motivated him to reignite his fighting spirit, but now he could simply choose to pretend he hadn't heard anything.

Right at that moment, someone stepped into the kendo dojo.

"Kaniezuka?" Shuhei was somewhat surprised to see her appear here at this time.

Shin, recalling the matter between her and Hinamori, pondered for a moment and asked, "What brings you here?"

Kaniezuka first glanced at Shuhei sitting on the floor, then walked over slowly, picked up the fallen Asauchi, and gripped it in her hand.

Shin raised an eyebrow slightly.

Kaniezuka said, "My hands are itching for a match."

Seeing this, Shuhei quickly stood up and retreated to the side.

Shin chuckled at the sight. "I won't hold back, you know."

Kaniezuka held the blade horizontally in front of her, a cold, sharp gleam flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"I'd expect nothing less!"

With a flash, she lunged directly at Shin with her sword. The sharp blade in her hand was as swift as a streak of light, executing a horizontal slash that carved a semicircle in the air.

Shin stepped back twice to dodge, then aggressively closed the distance. His longsword came striking at an extremely tricky angle, leaving Kaniezuka with no time to retract her blade for defense, nor any room to dodge with her body. She could only watch helplessly as the tip of that sword rested straight against her chest.

She lost...

In just a single move.

Fortunately, she knew Shin's extraordinary prowess, so being defeated in a single move wasn't enough to shock her too much.

Shin smiled brightly as he withdrew his sword, spinning it in a flourish within his hand.

"Continue?"

Kaniezuka bit her lip and reset her stance.

Clang!

The Asauchi in her hand was struck down. The tremendous counter-shock generated by the collision of their blades sent a numbness tingling through her entire arm, and the web of her thumb throbbed with sharp pain.

"I told you I wouldn't hold back." The smile on Shin's face never faded.

Kaniezuka let out a cold snort, lowered her head again to pick up the sword, but felt a noticeable heaviness in her hand when she gripped it once more.

She finally understood why that Asauchi had been lying on the floor earlier.

Not only was Shin's swordsmanship peerless, but the force behind his strikes was also exceptionally terrifying.

Kaniezuka launched another offensive, only to have it effortlessly neutralized by Shin once again, his blade coming to rest against her neck.

"Again!"

After several consecutive attempts, Kaniezuka could no longer sustain it. She stood there panting heavily, leaning on her sword just to barely keep herself upright.

She brushed away the strands of hair clinging uncomfortably to her sweaty forehead.

Shin still stood there looking completely unruffled, pacing calmly with his sword in hand.

Unable to help herself, she complained, "You defeat me in a single move every time. Can't you spar with me for a few more exchanges?"

Shin replied, "Because in my eyes, you are full of openings every single time. Even if I were to engage you in a second exchange, wouldn't your first move still be full of flaws?"

Kaniezuka felt somewhat disheartened. Ever since she entered the academy and met Shin, she had never won against him in a single subject.

She had even... fallen for this guy.

Kaniezuka raised her sword once more and charged at Shin again, but she was practically out of stamina, and this charge looked utterly formless. Shin simply sidestepped slightly to evade it, while Kaniezuka swung at empty air, her momentum carrying her forward as she stumbled and fell.

Shin instantly reached out his arm and pulled her whole body into his embrace.

Kaniezuka lay in Shin's arms, panting heavily.

"Shuhei is still watching, you know," Shin teased with a light laugh.

Shuhei, off to the side, exaggeratedly covered his eyes with his hands, though he purposely left gaps wide open between his fingers.

Kaniezuka felt her cheeks grow somewhat warm—presumably caused by the excessive exertion and sweating—and managed to struggle to her feet.

Shin walked aside, picked up a canteen, and tossed it toward her.

Kaniezuka barely managed to catch the canteen, looking up at Shin.

"Mine."

Shuhei, nearby, couldn't help but let out a deliberate, loud cough.

Shin glared at him. "What are you trying to prove?"

Shuhei wore an aggrieved expression. "Are you two trying to drive me crazy? Besides, the two of you are acting as if I don't even exist!"

He even called out to Kaniezuka, "I was here first, you know!"

Kaniezuka tilted her head back, drinking from the canteen.

Shin quietly watched her upturned, slender neck, already covered in a sheen of fine sweat. The inner shirt under her uniform clung tightly to her skin, and tiny droplets of water trickled down from the corner of her lips, sliding along her throat and disappearing into her clothes.

"Ahem, ahem!" Shuhei coughed again.

Shin glanced sideways at him. "Haven't you rested enough yet?"

"What?"

"Why aren't you getting lost already?"

Hearing this, Shuhei was furious. This was going too far!

Fine, if you want me gone, I'll go!

Shuhei grabbed his own canteen and stalked off in a huff.

Watching Shin leave the kendo dojo, Kaniezuka asked, "Why did you make him leave?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she realized the implication and turned her head away.

"What are you thinking? I actually have something to tell you."

"Oh."

Shin slowly walked up to her and murmured, "Hinamori said some rather thoughtless things to you."

Kaniezuka's gaze trembled slightly. "She told you everything."

Shin nodded. "She came to me crying earlier, saying she was in the wrong and wanted to come apologize to you."

Kaniezuka lowered her head, remaining silent for a moment before saying, "She wasn't wrong. I... really am quite despicable, using your promise to coerce you."

Shin laughed. "What kind of coercion is that? I didn't lose out on anything."

Kaniezuka glared at him.

Shin sat down beside Kaniezuka, and seeing this, she sat down right next to him as well.

"Hinamori likes you," Kaniezuka suddenly stated.

"I know."

"Then..." Kaniezuka paused her tone, but ultimately forced out the question, "Do you like her?"

"I do," Shin answered candidly.

"..."

Kaniezuka suddenly looked as though she had lost her soul, muttering under her breath, "Is that so..."

Hinamori was so cute, pretty, lively, and cheerful—wasn't it completely normal for a boy to like her?

Before Kaniezuka could dwell on it further, she heard Shin's voice again: "Not only do I like her, but I like you too."

"I also like Rukia, I like Lady Rangiku, and I like Lady Yachiru Unohana."

She raised her head and happened to meet Shin's beaming, smiling face.

"As long as they are pretty girls, I like them all."

Kaniezuka suddenly felt a constriction in her chest. "You..."

At that moment, however, Shin added, "But Kaniezuka, you are different from them."

Kaniezuka froze. What was that supposed to mean?

How was she different from the others...?

Could it be that Shin didn't hold that kind of feeling for them?

Shin thought with a complex mix of emotions: You aren't the person designated by the system.

The whole affair with Rukia and Hinamori made Shin realize one thing: having a system like this destined him to be a scoundrel.

Since he was fated to be a scoundrel, carrying too much psychological baggage would only become a burden to himself.

Doing things that wronged others and merely saying "I'm sorry" in his heart was completely meaningless.

Better to just commit to it fully and be a scoundrel through and through.

Among the names on the system, no one was special.

"Shin... what do you mean?" Kaniezuka asked, seeing that he had stopped talking.

Shin stood up slowly and said leisurely, "I don't mean anything special. I'm just this kind of person. I like many people, but I won't stop for anyone."

He flashed a smile at Kaniezuka: "Not for anyone at all."