Jigoro was left speechless by Horitake's words.
After thinking about it carefully—considering Zenitsu's age, personality, and abilities—it seemed true that he was utterly incapable of being a qualified Senior Brother.
Jigoro rubbed his forehead and spoke with a sense of utter helplessness.
"Alright, that is indeed the case. Let Yae be the Senior Sister then. Zenitsu will be the Junior Brother among the three of you."
Horitake nodded in strong agreement, though Yae looked quite uneasy.
"Um... actually, I don't really mind about being Senior Sister or Junior Sister..."
Horitake immediately reassured her.
"Junior Sister, trust me. Even if you become Zenitsu's Senior Sister, he absolutely won't have any objections. On the contrary, he might even be very happy about it."
After all, hadn't Zenitsu previously said he wanted a beautiful big sister?
Although Yae might not fit the specific mold of a "mature beauty," to Zenitsu, she was at least a pretty girl, wasn't she?
That brat Zenitsu was getting a bargain!
Since Horitake had put it that way, Yae couldn't really say anything else. She simply looked at Zenitsu, who was sound asleep on the tatami mats, with a strange expression.
What is going on with this Junior Brother? Yae wondered. Earlier, when he was being chased by the demon, he looked so wretched and weak. But the moment he falls asleep, he becomes incredibly reliable.
It felt like he was unreliable, yet sometimes, utterly dependable.
With Yae's apprenticeship successfully established, Jigoro finally turned his attention back to Zenitsu. He asked Horitake:
"By the way, Horitake, how was Zenitsu's training this time? Did he slay the remaining two demons?"
This question was somewhat difficult for Horitake to answer. He frowned.
"Well... how should I put it?
"The two demons were indeed slain by Zenitsu, that is true. But one cannot say they were completely slain by him.
"When Zenitsu encountered the first demon, it happened to be entangled in a trap. So, Zenitsu mustered up his courage, rushed out, and cut it down.
"The second demon was also caught in a trap, but it managed to break free very quickly.
"That's when the most embarrassing thing happened. Zenitsu was actually scared off by a demon that was weaker than him! He fled in a panic, and the demon chased him relentlessly.
"Zenitsu looked so wretched at that moment that it was unbearable to watch. In short, it was extremely shameful.
"And this humiliating scene just so happened to be witnessed by Sister Shinobu and Junior Sister Yae. Anyway, I lost a lot of face back there. I don't know how you feel about it, Old Man?"
Hearing Horitake recount this, Jigoro also felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.
He had already slain the first demon, yet he was scared into running away by a second demon that wasn't even that strong?!
Zenitsu, you brat!
This... is too shameful!
Jigoro felt his old face completely losing its honor. Fuming, he continued to question Horitake.
"And then what? Did you have to step in and kill the second demon for him?"
"Uh... no, that's not it.
"Yae was at the foot of the mountain at the time. Seeing Zenitsu looking so pathetic and pitiful, even though she didn't have a Nichirin Sword and hadn't undergone training, she bravely rushed up and fought the demon with her hunting gun.
"At first, she managed to knock the demon back and even blew half its head off with a shot.
"But it was a demon, after all; not easy to deal with. Yae was nearly eaten.
"At the critical moment, Zenitsu actually fainted. He entered that semi-awakened state, his power suddenly exploded, and he slew the second demon cleanly and efficiently.
"Although the kill was crisp and neat, I estimate that Zenitsu himself has absolutely no awareness of what happened."
As he said this, the four of them turned to look at Zenitsu, who was still snoring away, and felt a collective sense of resignation.
Horitake shook his head.
"That's the situation. If you say the two demons were completely slain by Zenitsu, well, that's correct. But if you say they were completely slain by Zenitsu... that doesn't feel right either.
"In short, it's extremely awkward.
"By the way, Old Man, has Zenitsu ever slipped into this semi-awakened explosive state after fainting before?"
"I have seen it two or three times before," Jigoro admitted. "Ever since the brat learned the First Form of Thunder Breathing, occasionally when he passes out from exhaustion, this phenomenon occurs.
"I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."
Horitake waved his hand, indicating it didn't matter.
"In my opinion, it's a good thing. Leave him be.
"The day that brat can awaken and explode with power without fainting, that's when he'll have truly made it.
"However, I estimate there is still a long time before that day comes.
"Old Man, you can't spoil Zenitsu anymore. His training must be strictly enforced."
After this humiliating incident, Jigoro felt he had nowhere to hide his shame. He nodded in deep agreement.
"Horitake, you are right. Indeed, we cannot coddle Zenitsu any longer. His training must be raised to another level. That brat is simply too disappointing!"
In just a few sentences, the master and disciple sealed Zenitsu's tragic fate for the foreseeable future.
The group chatted for a while longer, and soon it was time for dinner.
Because it was getting late, it wasn't convenient to hold a celebration. They simply ate a casual, home-cooked meal, and seeing the sky turn dark, they went to rest.
Oh, and just to clarify—Zenitsu, that brat, didn't wake up the entire time, so he missed dinner.
There weren't many habitable rooms in Jigoro's house. So for tonight, Horitake chose to squeeze into one room with Zenitsu, while Shinobu and Yae shared another room. Jigoro slept alone in his own room.
The night passed without incident, and everyone slept peacefully. Daylight arrived once more.
Zenitsu, completely oblivious to what had transpired, finally met Shinobu and Yae later that morning. He was especially astonished when he heard that Yae had become his Senior Sister.
"Senior Sister?! I actually gained a Senior Sister?!"
Zenitsu looked at Yae, recalling that this was the young lady who had used a hunting gun to save him just in the nick of time last night.
Yae looked at Zenitsu, feeling a bit apprehensive in her heart. She felt that coming in later yet becoming the senior was somewhat improper, and she worried Zenitsu might harbor hard feelings.
But who could have guessed? Zenitsu's reaction completely exceeded Yae's expectations.
Zenitsu pressed his index fingers together, giggling foolishly. Illusionary flowers seemed to bloom in the air around him.
"Hehe... Senior Sister... Senior Sister Yae, hehe...
"Having a Senior Sister seems like a very nice thing indeed.
"I didn't expect... I didn't expect that such a beautiful sister would come to Mt. Momoyama. I am... I am simply... too happy!"
Zenitsu's behavior left Yae speechless.
At this moment, Jigoro appeared and called Yae away.
"Yae, come with me for a moment. I need to formulate a preliminary training plan for you."
"Yes, Master! I'm coming!"
Crisp and efficient, Yae followed Jigoro and left.
Zenitsu, that brat, watched Yae's retreating figure, still giggling foolishly.
Horitake really couldn't stand it anymore. He dragged the boy away, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and using his imposing aura to suppress him as he began a very serious conversation.
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