A mascot of a prefecture that can beco famous across the whole country, even the whole world, is truly a kind of skill.
Kendo practitioners in Kumamoto Prefecture are all as large as real bears.
Normally, the more robust the body, the greater the strength — and within the not-so-spacious competition ring, this kind of advantage is by no ans small.
At present, quite a few people have already beco victims of being "attacked" by "Kumamon," their swords knocked right out of their hands.
Crushing. Like a truck running over a child — not even on the sa level.
"Which school won the Gyokuryuu-ki tournant last year?" Sakurai asked.
"Fukuoka Daiichi," Kojima replied.
"No bias or anything?" Sakurai lowered his voice.
This is Fukuoka — don't tell only Fukuoka schools are allowed to take first place?
"No, they're simply that strong. Last year, Shuchiin was just unlucky. Right from the start, they ran into Fukuoka Daiichi. Otherwise, they would have at least made it into the top 8." Kojima sighed.
To run into the championship contender right in the preliminaries — that's bad luck to the extre.
Truth be told, last year Shuchiin's Kendo club had quite a few who could fight, but the only one who could truly be called "really strong" was Kojima.
The captain of Fukuoka Daiichi High — that guy was frighteningly strong. He practiced ancient swords style, had trained in Shintou-ryuu techniques since childhood. Kojima couldn't beat him; the school's overall strength was also inferior, so losing was only natural.
Recalling this, Kojima sighed: "Ancient swords really has its logic. Mind and sword as one, using the heart to guide the sword — the legends might actually be true."
"Kojima, I think people should believe in science. These unreliable things, you should listen to less of them," Sakurai said.
Look at him being all serious, like it's actually real.
Mind and sword as one, my ass. I've been holding a shinai for how long now, and I've never felt a damn thing.
[...]
Hmm? Feels like Shinobu wants to say sothing.
Planning to snark at ?
Hearing that, Kojima nodded. "True, it's the modern era — there's no such supernatural stuff anymore."
Kojima continued watching the match.
"Looks like our team's run into their opponent."
Hearing this, Sakurai noticed that Miyazaki Kazuki — playing in the second position — was locked in a tough battle.
He was locking swords with his opponent, both exerting force, neither able to overpower the other.
A faint sound could be heard — "Haaa!"
Miyazaki Kazuki shouted loudly, then stepped back and once again swung down from above in the joudan stance (high stance).
The opponent wasn't to be outdone, the tip of his shinai aiming straight for Miyazaki's kote (glove), intending to attack.
Seeing this, Miyazaki had no choice but to retreat defensively.
Only the tip of the shinai counts as a valid striking point; if you want to defend your hand, you have to keep proper distance. Naturally, you can't recklessly attack, or you'll expose an opening.
After a while…
The two sides locked swords again.
The sound bop bop bop rang out.
They were like two bulls locking horns.
"He's stiffened up," Kojima comnted. "Miyazaki wants to feint to draw the opponent's move and then counterattack, but his opponent is even more stubborn and brutish."
Miyazaki Kazuki could be called brutish but still not lacking in brains. His opponent, however, was pure blockhead.
"A fool restrains a master — this ti he's t an opponent on equal terms."
Sakurai said nothing.
"So, should I go get changed now?"
Sakurai was the fukushou — second to last player in a team match.
"No way. Miyazaki may have a foul mouth and a bad temper, but he's still got skill," Kojima had just finished speaking…
When Miyazaki Kazuki seized the mont — catching the opponent's opening during an attack — and struck the opponent's n (head), scoring the first ippon.
"N!!" he shouted loudly.
"He's never managed to take an ippon from before. I thought…" Sakurai really had no idea how strong that opponent was.
"Don't let him hear you say that, or… well, not that he can do anything to you. He'd probably just swallow his frustration."
After that, the preliminaries went rather smoothly; they didn't run into any big nas, and Shuchiin's Kendo club successfully advanced into the top 64.
The day after tomorrow would be the first knockout stage.
Tomorrow they could rest and adjust for a day.
...
The next morning, when he went down for breakfast, he happened to run into the Nakano quintuplets and overheard them saying that today they would be visiting other places in Kyushu — they had already finished strolling around Hakata.
Itsuki spoke while rubbing her stomach; she had probably eaten too much ran yesterday.
This ti there shouldn't be any giant crab coming to eat away her body weight, so hopefully she could control herself a bit and not turn into "ITSUKI."
Adjusting one's condition before a match — it sounded nice in theory, but in the end, coach Daimon Saburou still dragged the entire Kendo club out for quite a bit of extra practice. According to him, this was to maintain their condition; otherwise, just one day of rest would cause their form to drop.
Sakurai expressed:
We don't fucking need that! We're already dead tired, how the hell are we supposed to fight tomorrow!?
Luckily, Daimon Saburou still hadn't completely lost his conscience and let them rest in the afternoon.
...
The first day of the knockout stage.
Sakurai put on his protective armor and sat down in the captain's seat, ready to fight.
The posture was seiza.
Japan really loved to set up all these weird rituals — even in a Kendo match, you had to half-squat to bow to your opponent.
In a tea ceremony club, you also had to seiza the whole ti while drinking tea. Don't ask how Sakurai knew — last year, during the club trial period, he had tried it once, and from then on, never went back. The etiquette was overflowing to the point of annoyance!
"I heard you'll be the lead-off player starting from the semifinals?" Kojima, also in armor, asked.
After entering the knockout stage, Shuchiin no longer sent in substitute mbers.
"I'll do a one-versus-five," Sakurai said truthfully.
In the mission system, the main mission at the very top was still lit up.
To get another permanent ability slot, he had no choice but to trouble everyone.
"Being overconfident isn't good, but with your strength, you actually do have so chance."
"Kojima, if starting from the semifinals, I do two consecutive one-versus-fives and then take the championship, would you be pissed?" Sakurai first gave him a dose of "ntal vaccine."
This Kojima guy never liked easy victories.
"You serious?"
"Everyone needs to have dreams, otherwise what's the difference from being a salted fish?" Sakurai's gaze passed through the slits of his mask, looking toward the arena.
Hearing this, Kojima stood up and walked over to the coach.
A few minutes later, he returned.
"What did you just say to Daimon-sensei?" Sakurai asked.
"I'll be the lead-off player this ti," Kojima said.
Otherwise, if he were the last player and it ended up being an easy win, it wouldn't sound good if word got out.
After all, up until now, he hadn't gotten to play yet.
"Then I'll go after you. If you lose, I'll cover for you."
The round of 32 to 16 went quite smoothly — Kojima barely managed to sweep all five opponents.
Half an hour later.
The round of 16 to 8.
That Kojima guy walked in full of confidence, only to accidentally capsize.
He only managed to take down two opponents.
When facing the third, although he took the first ippon early on, due to carelessness, the opponent imdiately took two ippon in a row and he lost the match.
"That guy's shinai… sothing's off about the weight," Kojima said to Sakurai as he ca over.
Sakurai took the bamboo sword and stepped onto the court.
The head referee shouted loudly: "First to three points wins, first match!"
"Begin!"
...
A few seconds after the start.
BOP!!
The two bamboo swords clashed.
At that very mont, Sakurai almost thought he had just struck a block of iron.
Their swords pressed tightly against each other, the faceguards also pressing together.
Sakurai could clearly see the face beneath his opponent's mask.
"Cheating? Your sword's got extra weights in it, doesn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" The opponent pretended not to understand.
Sakurai's gaze flicked toward the referee.
Logically speaking, this was when he should report it so they could check the weapon.
But Sakurai Saki didn't want to.
All his life, the thing he hated most was being a snitch!
'You started this. If you can't win, don't bla .'
Reviews
All reviews (0)