21st Century Necromancer

"Get up, Mr. Chen Yu!" Early in the morning, Chen Yu, who had been sleeping soundly, heard a voice next to his ear and very unwillingly opened his eyes.

Seeing Jounouchi Hiromi standing by his bed and smiling at him, Chen Yu rubbed his face before speaking to her in a groggy voice, "Hiromi? Why are you up so early? You don't have to work today; why not sleep in a little longer?"

"It's not early anymore! Uncle and Aunt have already gone out and come back from buying groceries. Hurry and get up; it's your mom who asked me to come wake you!" Like coaxing a child, Jounouchi Hiromi stroked Chen Yu's face before handing him his clothes, "Come on, get up quickly, didn't you say you're taking me out today?"

Hearing Jounouchi Hiromi say this, Chen Yu crawled out of bed with a helpless look and began to dress piece by piece.

"You're such a big guy! When you come home on holiday you don't even think about helping around the house, not as good as Hiromi, who helped me and your dad with the grocery shopping this morning. You just know how to sleep in!" Immediately after stepping out of his room, Chen Yu heard his mother's decades-old nagging which he had long since become accustomed to, so it didn't affect him in the least.

"I'm so busy working every day, if I can't sleep in on my holidays, when can I ever sleep in?" Talking back to his mom, Chen Yu then yawned his way to the restroom to wash up.

Perhaps out of consideration for Jounouchi Hiromi's presence, Chen Yu's mother didn't continue her nagging but instead very politely asked Jounouchi Hiromi, "Our family usually eats very light meals. I don't know if you'll be accustomed to it. For lunch, I've prepared some homestyle dishes. If there's anything you're not used to, please speak up, don't be uncomfortable."
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"I understand, Auntie. There's nothing I'm not used to. Japanese cuisine also has a very light taste," replied Jounouchi Hiromi, whose Chinese language skills teetered between understanding and not understanding. However, with some guessing, she still managed to grasp what Chen Yu's mother was saying and quickly responded, "Chen Yu usually cooks at home too; I'm already used to Chinese food."

"He cooks? At home, he's so lazy he doesn't even wash his own socks—I have to do it for him!" Seeming to be a habit of Chinese parents, Chen Yu's mother listed Chen Yu's flaws in front of Jounouchi Hiromi but earnestly entrusted her with, "This lazy boy of ours has been idling since he was little; you'll have to work a bit harder for him in the future."

"Not at all, it should be Mr. Chen Yu who takes care of me!" Jounouchi Hiromi's face flushed with shyness when she heard Chen Yu's mother speak as if saying "I'm leaving my son in your care." However, she felt awkward explaining to Chen Yu's mother that in fact they didn't do much housework at home and the chores were left to two Ghost Maids, and even the cooking was only occasionally part of Chen Yu's interests.

Chen Yu's mother seemed very pleased with what Jounouchi Hiromi said and, after declining Hiromi's offer to help, gestured for her to sit in the living room before busying herself again.

When Chen Yu emerged from the restroom, Jounouchi Hiromi couldn't help but quietly ask him, "Mr. Chen Yu, is it really okay for me to sit here doing nothing while your mother doesn't want my help?"

"It's okay, my mom doesn't like it when someone interferes while she's cooking. If she needs you to do something, she'll say," Chen Yu comforted Jounouchi Hiromi, who was a bit anxious about not being able to help, and then said to his dad who was playing with a tablet, "Dad, can I borrow the car this afternoon? I want to take Hiromi out for a bit."

"The keys are hanging by the door; remember to fill up the tank when you come back," Chen Yu's father replied without looking up, giving him a glance and telling him where the car keys were.

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As the coalition of Kenjutsu Schools in the Kanto Region, the Kanto Kendo Alliance was unquestionably an organization with a long history and formidable strength, even within Tokyo.

Although after the Meiji Restoration, with the rise of firearms and cannons, the role of swordsmanship began to fade, the Kanto Kendo Alliance had deep ties with the Metropolitan Police Department, especially the prominent schools like Hokushin Itto-ryu, Kyoshin Meichi-ryu, and Shinto Munen-ryu. Particularly during the Satsuma Rebellion, the vital role played by the Metropolitan Police Department Sword Drawing Team in the battle against Saigo Takamori's rebel forces ensured that the traditions of the Kenjutsu Schools were preserved instead of being phased out by the times.

To this day, besides the National Kendo Championships, the highest caliber of Kendo competition in Japan is the All Japan Police Kendo Championships, which is within the police system, where many Kendo masters are now members.

Under such circumstances, the influence of the Kanto Kendo Alliance was naturally formidable; without such support, which dojo could continue to operate smoothly after offending the police?

The Kanto Kendo Alliance itself took pride in the influence it wielded, and its style of conduct inevitably became domineering.

It goes without saying that Schools unwilling to join the Kendo Alliance faced oppression, not just in obtaining operational licenses for their dojos, but even in recruiting students. They also experienced frequent challenges from the powerful masters of the Kendo Alliance, with the rule being that if they lost, the dojo's sign would be taken away...

For the smaller Schools to survive, they naturally had to join the Kendo Alliance, becoming part of it in exchange for their survival.

However, resources in the entire Kanto Region were limited, and even the Kendo Alliance couldn't jeopardize the interests of other Schools to ensure the survival of the smaller ones, especially when those who already had vested interests were the high-ranking officials within the Alliance.

Joining the Kendo Alliance for the smaller Schools merely meant they could struggle for survival.

So, when the Mingyue Society rose powerfully, inviting various smaller Schools to join, it was not surprising that these struggling Schools deserted the Kendo Alliance en masse to rally under the banner of the Mingyue Society.

But such actions were undoubtedly seen as betrayal by the Kanto Kendo Alliance, and it was a significant loss of face.

"Is this the headquarters of the Mingyue Society? It looks quite impressive, no wonder they dare to challenge our Kanto Kendo Alliance," said a man in his forties, clad in a traditional Kendo uniform with his sleeves tied back and carrying a Sword Bag, as he stood at the door of the Mingyue Society's headquarters, commenting to his companion.

The companion was dressed the same as the man, but instead of deep blue, his Kendo uniform was black. Upon hearing the man's comments, he shook his head slightly, "Although they are just smaller Schools, and their leaving the Alliance does no significant harm, such behavior can't be tolerated. It's time to teach them a lesson."

"Let's start with courtesy before using force, so as not to give others the impression that we bully others by flexing our power in the Kanto Kendo Alliance. As long as they send away those small Schools and offer an apology, there's no need for violence this time," said the man. Although he had brought his sword, he didn't seem very keen on fighting.

"This is a society governed by law; who still draws their sword at the drop of a hat these days?" The companion laughed and walked into the headquarters of the Mingyue Society with the man.