Chapter 1: A Dangerous Encounter

Where did we leave off, dear reader? Ah, yes—the two rough characters and the girl in distress. Goon #2 was guffawing, while Goon #1 relentlessly pursued her. Tired of their antics, I quickly stepped in front of Goon #1 to block his path and protect her. He was taken aback and slowed down, but he didn’t stop; he kept advancing. Goon #2's laughter faded.

Goon #1 attempted to strike me. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, almost like he was intoxicated. I didn't need my bokken; I simply seized his punching hand and executed a swift kendo maneuver, sending him crashing to the ground. The air rushed out of him in one loud exhale (forgive the pun). He lost consciousness—at least for the moment.

Goon #2 was furious. He brandished a pocket knife, foolishly toying with it. What a show-off.

"You have no idea who you're messing with, kid. I’ll admit you have some skills, but we were once part of the yakuza!"

"Really? What rank were you? Mind showing your tattoos?" I taunted him. The yakuza would never associate with losers like these.

"Tattoos? Uh, they’re... on my lower back, not easy to show right now." He clearly underestimated my knowledge of yakuza ranks and their tattoos.

"Of course they are... Come on, let's wrap this up; I don't have time for your nonsense." He lunged at me without any strategy or finesse—it was almost too simple.

Although I could have let it slide, I quickly disarmed him with my bokken, snapping at least three of his fingers in the process.

A bokken, dear reader, is essentially a wooden sword used in various martial arts like kendo and aikido. It's intended to be non-lethal, depending on the user's intent. Aspiring katana wielders begin their training with a bokken, transitioning to a real sword only when their sensei deems them ready.

Goon #2 screamed in agony like an oversized toddler. Realizing he couldn’t defeat me, he roused