Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

On the relatively spacious sidewalk at the edge of the park, Lin Xiuyi and Ikeba Shizuka were locked in a stalemate, both gripping the bamboo sword tightly and pulling at each other with all their might.

Ikenami Shizuka gripped the middle of the bamboo sword tightly, leaned forward, and put all her weight and strength on the sword, trying to turn the tide with skill and explosive power.

Lin Xiuyi gripped the tip of the bamboo sword firmly, his arm muscles tense as he resisted her pull.

The bamboo sword was stretched taut, making a slight creaking sound, as if it might give way under its weight at any moment.

A healthy blush rose on Ikenami Shizuka's cheeks from the effort, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her beautiful jawline.

Lin Xiuyi appeared relatively calm; although she was also exerting herself, her breathing was fairly steady.

He smiled as he looked at the beautiful face so close to his, and suddenly, without warning, he completely released his grip on the bamboo sword.

This was completely unexpected by Shizuka Ikenami!

All her strength was based on the premise that the other party was also exerting effort.

Lin Xiuyi's sudden letting go left her powerless to resist.

"Oh!"

Ikeba Shizuka gasped in surprise, and her whole body suddenly leaned backward uncontrollably!
Just as she was about to fall awkwardly to the ground, at the critical moment, the girl's physical reflexes honed through long-term kendo practice came into play.

Ikeba Shizuka instinctively slammed the bamboo sword against the ground beside her!
The tip of the bamboo sword pierced the crack in the sidewalk bricks with a "thud," providing a valuable foothold.

Using that bit of strength, Ikeba Shizuka quickly twisted her waist and managed to turn back, though she stumbled a couple of steps, she managed to steady herself and didn't actually fall.

But this also made her blood boil and her heart pound like a drum.

"You...you're cheating again!"

After regaining her footing, Ikeba Shizuka glared at Lin Xiuyi with a mixture of anger and anxiety, her cheeks flushed even redder, whether from exhaustion or anger, it was hard to tell.

“All's fair in war,” Lin Xiuyi shrugged, smiling innocently. “The rules only say to stop when you've made a point, but they don't say you can't use tricks. So, Miss Ikenami, are you admitting defeat? If you admit defeat, I won't have to call you 'one-san' anymore.”

"Admit defeat? Dream on!" Ikeba Shizuka bit her lower lip, a defiant glint in her eyes.

Although that last move was dangerous, it also ignited her competitive spirit.

She took a deep breath, regulated her breathing, and gripped the bamboo sword tightly with both hands again, the tip pointing at Lin Xiuyi.

"Again! This time I won't fall for it!"

With that, she let out a sharp cry and launched another nimble attack.

This time, her attacks were more cautious, but also more relentless. The bamboo sword sliced ​​through the air with a "whoosh" sound, sometimes thrusting straight and sometimes slashing diagonally.

Although he adhered to kendo etiquette and did not attack vital points such as the head, his attacks on effective striking points such as the arms, waist, and abdomen were extremely fierce, clearly demonstrating the results of his hard training over the past few months.

Lin Xiuyi put away his joking expression and took it seriously.

He moved nimbly, dodging and weaving, avoiding direct confrontation, focusing on evasion and deflecting force, occasionally using his arms or skillful techniques to parry incoming bamboo swords.

The two engaged in a unique chase on the quiet streets in the early morning, with one attacking and the other defending.

Before they knew it, the two fought and moved, and soon they had moved from the relatively open area to the vicinity of the entrance to the community park.

The park gates were wide open, and inside, one could see elderly people doing their morning exercises and children playing. Lin Xiuyi had just dodged a swift horizontal slash from Chi Bojinghua and was about to slide to the left to create distance and regain his footing when a child's innocent voice suddenly rang out!

"Mom, look how fast my windmill is spinning..."

A little girl, about four or five years old, with pigtails and wearing a pink dress, was running out of the park gate, giggling and holding a colorful windmill in her hand.

The little girl was completely absorbed in her game and didn't look where she was going. The direction she ran in was exactly the direction Lin Xiuyi was trying to avoid.

If Lin Xiuyi had dodged as originally planned, he would have definitely run into the little girl head-on!
With his speed and force, he would definitely hurt the child.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xiuyi had no time to hesitate.

He abruptly stopped his steps, his body lurching forward from the sudden stop, nearly falling to the ground.

However, Ikeba Shizuka, who was chasing closely behind, was completely focused on Hayashi Xiuyi. In addition, the little girl was short, and there were blind spots in her view. For a moment, she did not notice the little girl who suddenly rushed out.

Seeing Lin Xiuyi suddenly freeze, Chi Bojinghua thought he had made a mistake. She was overjoyed and followed up. With a graceful movement, she swept her bamboo sword across Lin Xiuyi's shoulder and neck.

By the time she realized something was amiss in front of Lin Xiuyi, the bamboo sword was already at the side of Lin Xiuyi's neck, resting steadily against his neck.

Lin Xiuyi, in order not to bump into the little girl, did not dodge or avoid the sword, but instead took the blow with his neck.

"I won..."

The moment Ikeba Shizuka uttered the word "win," her joyful expression froze on her face.

Her gaze passed over Lin Xiuyi's shoulder and landed on the little girl who had almost fallen due to the sudden braking. The little girl was now staring at her and the bamboo sword in her hand with wide, round eyes and a slightly open mouth, looking at her with a frightened expression.

In an instant, Ikeba Shizuka understood why Hayashi Xiuichi had suddenly stopped.

A wave of regret and lingering fear washed over her. If she hadn't held back her strength, or if Lin Xiuyi had actually dodged... she quickly removed the bamboo sword from Lin Xiuyi's neck.

"Are you alright? Were you scared?"

Lin Xiuyi ignored the bamboo sword at his neck, squatted down, and gently touched the little girl's head.

The little girl slowly recovered from her shock. She looked at Lin Xiuyi's warm smile, then timidly glanced at Chi Bojinghua, who was still holding the weapon and looking embarrassed. She obediently shook her head and whispered, "N-nothing..."

That's what she said, but the little girl's big eyes were already quickly welling up with tears.

"I'm sorry..." Ikeba Shizuka quickly apologized.

But to the little girl, her voice sounded like something terrifying.

The little girl burst into tears, turned and ran towards the park, shouting in a sobbing voice as she ran.

"Mommy! Mommy! There's a scary older sister! She's hitting people with a sword! Waaah..."

"..."

Holding the bamboo sword, Ikeba Shizuka stood frozen in place, her expression shifting from astonishment to embarrassment, then to a wry smile, and finally to utter frustration and helplessness.

She looked down at the bamboo sword in her hand, then at the small figure running away, and could only shake her head helplessly, lowering the sword. (End of Chapter)