My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 616: Chapter 193: Aoto’s New Title: [Niō]! [Volume 1 Finale]_5

”So this time I’ve specially written a lot more fight scenes for Tachibana Aoto! Nearly two-thirds of the whole book is about Tachibana Aoto wielding his sword and slashing through people.”

”Hahaha! Asi, isn’t that great! Once my new work sells well, I’ll buy you a new yukata! It’s just right since summer is here, a perfect time for a new yukata!”

After speaking, Shusairo lifted his face from Asi’s northern hemisphere, hoisted the petite Asi up, and spun around with her in his arms.

”Adapting Tachibana Aoto’s story into a book... that feels quite nice indeed,” Asi beamed with a bright smile, ”Shusairo, you’ve been staying at home writing recently, not bothering with outside matters, so to not disturb your creative process, I haven’t told you—Tachibana Aoto has made a major accomplishment again.”

”What?” Shusairo paused mid-spin, ”Tachibana Aoto achieved another major accomplishment?”

Asi nodded and then carefully detailed to Shusairo the series of new achievements of Aoto, rescuing Sazanoko, single-handed fighting against more than sixty members of the Anti-foreigner Group, and personally defeating their leader, Kamino Tatsugorou.

After hearing this, Shusairo became even more euphoric.

”Great! Fantastic!”

”The more famous Tachibana Aoto becomes, the more chance my new work has to be a hit!”

Shusairo lifted his head and laughed loudly again, the immense laughter seemed as if intended to lift the ceiling overhead.

But suddenly, Shusairo’s laughter came to a halt.

Immediately, he seemed to recall something unpleasant, pursing his lips tightly, and furrowing his brow slightly.

”Shusairo, what’s wrong?” Asi asked, ”Why the serious expression all of a sudden?”

”Ah, it’s nothing.” Shusairo gently placed the high-upheld Asi back down onto the ground, ”I just suddenly remembered something that bothers me.”

”I’ve completed all the story plots for the book, but there’s only one place where I’m stuck, not knowing how to write...”

”One convenient way for people to remember someone is to give them a catchy, distinctive nickname.”

”For instance, Takeda Shingen is known as the ’Tiger of Kai’, and Uesugi Kenshin as the ’Dragon of Echigo’... these imposing and elegant nicknames significantly elevated the fame of Takeda Shingen among others.”

”I think the titles currently held by Tachibana Aoto are either lacking in power or are not catchy enough.”

”Like ’Little Tengu of North Guard Station’, it has power but is too cumbersome, making it hard for people to remember.”

”So I want to give Tachibana Aoto a new, distinctive, powerful, and easily memorable nickname in this book.”

”But I haven’t come up with any good ideas...”

Shusairo sighed, leaned back, and plunked back down at his writing desk.

”Asi, do you have any good suggestions?”

”Thinking up nicknames...” Asi mumbled to herself, ”I’m not so sure about this kind of thing either...”

Asi was about to tell her husband directly, ”I barely recognize any Chinese characters, how would I know how to give someone a nickname?”

However, at that moment, Asi suddenly noticed the Niō statue she was holding...

”...how about ’Niō’?”

”Hmm?”

”How about ’Niō’?”

With a shy smile, Asi repeated more clearly what she had just said and placed the Niō statue from her arms onto Shusairo’s desk.

”’Niō’ is a Vajra Arhat who protects the world... I feel this name pairs well with Tachibana Aoto’s story and aura.”

Shusairo stared blankly at the Niō statue placed on his desk.

Then suddenly stood up, grabbing Asi’s shoulders with a serious face, startling Asi.

”Asi!”

”Wha-what’s wrong?”

”Your suggestion... is brilliant!”

Saying that, Shusairo let go of Asi’s shoulders, hurriedly leaned back over his desk, grabbed the brush from the pen rack and a sheet of white paper from the corner of the desk, and wrote the two large Chinese characters on the paper.

Niō.

...

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Volume 1: ”Aoyama Capture Record”—The End!

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Volume 2 ”Heavenly Ascent” Foreword:

Ascend to the heavens, to a height beyond the moon!