In the end, Yuu decided to spar against Himura.
In the vast kendo dojo, many club members had never witnessed the extraordinary sword duel from the autumn festival.
They only knew from hearsay that this man had once defeated Himura, but they didn't know how strong he truly was—nor why people spoke of it with changed expressions, even tinged with disbelief.
For instance, the fierce bald man. As the second-string member of this year's national tournament team, he clearly doubted Yuu's strength—he just kept quiet out of respect for Himura's authority.
"Hmph, he's just a pretty face, a playboy. He must've used some cheap trick to beat the president…"
A small minority harbored negative opinions about his presence and hoped to see Himura defeat him with the shinai.
Of course, Yuu didn't care about their thoughts.
There was only one thing he needed to do: at the national high school kendo tournament, he would crush those kids with Perfect-Level swordsmanship and superhuman physicality, bringing home the trophy for the school and the kendo club—that was all.
No need to build good relations with them. On the kendo field, there were only two people—himself and his opponent. If he lost, so be it. It had nothing to do with teamwork.
If they used the Gyokuryuki format, he wouldn't even need the other four players. He could defeat five opponents alone; at most, he'd just expend a lot of stamina.
He was practically a one-man army. Even he himself felt it was a little unfair.
How about that? Jealous?
His new girlfriend gave it to him.
"I'm glad you agreed." The laughter from behind his face guard was slightly muffled, yet still warm and cheerful. "Since that day, I've been waiting—for you to come to my home dojo, to fight again as we promised."
"Don't speak so ambiguously. Sorry, after that match, I forgot I ever promised to fight you. I'm not really someone who enjoys fighting."
After completing his second mission, his aggressive nature had unconsciously faded. Yuu could no longer find the same fighting spirit he once had during his intense battle with Asuna.
Yuu, clad in thick kendo armor, sighed. "Fine with bamboo swords. But if we use wooden swords, there'll definitely come a moment when we can't hold back."
"What a shame... Well, let's return to the main topic."
On the nine-by-nine square court, Himura stood behind the white line, lightly swinging the shinai in his hand.
"Tenkuji-kun, you've probably never competed before, right? This match isn't just to satisfy our itch to fight—it's also to show you the rules of official competitions, and which moves count as fouls and won't earn points, even if they hit valid areas."
Yuu shrugged. "Thanks for the consideration. Though I've never competed, I understand these rules."
In Perfect-Level skills, even the history of kendo development was included, so of course competition regulations wouldn't be overlooked.
"Really? Then let's begin immediately." Himura looked relieved. His relaxed posture suddenly became rigid.
He gripped his sword, bowed slightly toward his opponent, then made a symbolic motion as if drawing a blade. After that, he knelt down gracefully and smoothly.
On the other side, Yuu simultaneously knelt and rose. Then he assumed the chūdan-no-kamae stance—the most common position—with the tip of his shinai pointed straight at his opponent's throat.
Through the face guard, his cold eyes stared directly into his opponent's, missing no single change.
"—"
Even before the referee shouted "begin," the oppressive atmosphere blanketing the entire dojo already controlled every spectator's breath.
Among the kendo club members, the fierce bald man merely watched the confrontation scene unfold—his expression couldn't help but shift. In the end, he had to admit he'd misjudged.
Without even fighting, that aura alone could make someone surrender—the man was, at the very least, a fighter on par with Himura. He was certainly no one to be doubted.
The vice-president pushed up his glasses, trying to hide the joy in his heart. His eyes fixed intently on the two figures on the court.
As if he had become Yuu himself, standing before the president—and in the future, standing on the tournament stage, claiming the sole national championship title of his life.
As for the Service Club group...
"This is the first time I've seen Yuu-kun in kendo gear..."
"All black and can't see his face—so ugly. Give me back my Yuu!"
"Wow, wow, wow, Senpai and the president look so scary... Kanade-chan, who do you think will win?"
"Hmm... Mapo tofu?"
"Senpai? Yeah, he's already won once."
"Why did 'mapo tofu' become his nickname... And the match is about to start—please everyone stay quiet."
When the Service Club's chatter finally subsided, the kendo girl acting as referee took a deep breath. Her face flushed slightly with excitement. After confirming both sides were ready, she raised her arm sharply:
"Shobu!" (Begin!)
One command.
The shadow behind the white line vanished instantly. His footsteps left afterimages, and the shinai shot forward at nearly invisible speed, slashing straight toward Yuu's face.
"Men, effective!"
"One point! Break!"
Within about one second, the kendo girl raised her right hand, stuttering as she declared Yuu had scored a point.
Including the referee, everyone froze, staring at him as he calmly pulled back his sword and walked back to the white line.
Inside the kendo dojo, silence reigned. Only increasingly tense, heavy breathing could be heard.
"H-How did he do it?"
"But the president attacked first! And there was no clash at all—just one second..."
"He feels even scarier than before..."
Whispers outside the court began to turn chaotic. The expressions of the two facing each other on the field barely changed. They continued staring with cold eyes, all energy and spirit gathered, without the slightest relaxation or distraction.
Before the referee gave the signal, Himura whispered:
"Just a fraction of a second faster than me—but victory is yours."
Yuu replied casually:
"To win, a fraction of a second is enough."
"Indeed... This time, I won't lose again."
He smiled faintly. His perpetually narrow eyes suddenly widened, as if a sharp blade flashed through the face guard, reflected in Yuu's eyes.
The next second.
"Shobu!" (Begin!)
In a world where time slowed completely, Yuu saw it. The shinai bent slightly, sweeping a crescent-shaped slash from the upper corner.
No—not one.
Karitake, kesagiri, migi-nagi, migi-age, gyakufu, hidari-age, hidari-nagi, gyaku-gamae, tsuki—Nine slashes appeared almost simultaneously, like a nine-headed dragon baring its fangs and tearing through the air at incredible speed, silently surrounding him.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū Technique—Nine-Headed Dragon!"
"Hah?!"
Yuu widened his sharp eyes, nearly shouting.
—Damn it, can bamboo swords use such absurd sword techniques?!
If he took the attack head-on, the shinai in his hand would surely shatter under those nine strikes... His opponent seemed to be aiming for exactly that.
Was he seeking revenge?
Yuu wouldn't allow it. He stepped back with an unstable, ghost-like movement, maintaining distance.
"Not over yet!"
Without waiting for his opponent to counter, Himura, whose attack had missed, quickly advanced. Without the slightest pause, he pulled his shinai back to his waist. Left foot forward, right foot back.
Other club members finally managed to follow his movements, but couldn't suppress cries of shock:
"Battōjutsu?!"
This wasn't a stance commonly seen in kendo matches—it left too large an opening. If he slashed at his head now, he could easily score one men point.
His foot positioning was also wrong. Normally, battōjutsu stance had the right foot forward and left foot back, making it easier to draw from the waist... But Himura couldn't possibly make such a foolish mistake.
Was he doing it on purpose?
Only Yuu wasn't confused. He even took a defensive stance with a serious expression, preparing himself.
Because he knew—if he attacked now, he'd fall right into the trap.
"Smart... If you can withstand this technique, try it."
The voice, slightly laced with laughter, still hung in the air.
It was a clash even the referee couldn't follow. In the blink of an eye, everything would end.
Super-fast battōjutsu, stealing the very air from Yuu's lungs.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū Technique—Sky-Dragon Flash!"
A dull impact sounded.
*BANG!*
"—"
If the first strike missed, he could step forward again with his right foot, readjust his center of gravity to normal position, and launch a second, stronger battōjutsu slash.
That was Himura's plan.
He couldn't believe that even after becoming this serious, he could still be so easily defeated by that man.
Precisely to defeat Yuu, he would cunningly use real combat techniques in practice, disregarding kendo rules.
Even his own master would struggle to withstand this technique—there was no way that guy, no matter how strong—
"Tsuki." (Thrust.)
As his thoughts halted, a faint sound rang out.
In the gap of his first missed attack, a shinai split the air and thrust straight into his throat.
While pushing him back, Yuu also reflexively deflected the rebounding shinai—which now lacked much force.
Then, the sound of a shinai hitting the ground echoed throughout the silent kendo dojo.
"Haaah... Good thing my reaction speed and physical strength are higher than yours. Otherwise, who could withstand a slash that nearly created a vacuum?"
"You..."
Struggling to stabilize his retreating steps, Himura touched his neck guard, staring in disbelief.
"Even capable of using techniques like this... Japanese high school students are monsters." Yuu sighed. He placed the shinai over his shoulder, glanced at the still-frozen referee, and raised an eyebrow.
"Referee, that last move should've been my point, right?"
"Ah, yes!" The kendo girl quickly raised her hand. Her face still showed bewilderment. She announced flatly, "O-One point! Match over—the winner is Tenkuji Yuu from the Service Club!"
No applause, no praise.
Even among the Service Club group, silence reigned as if stunned...
*👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻*
No—someone was still conscious.
Kanade clapped softly. Her golden eyes remained perfectly calm. She commented emotionlessly,
"Amazing."
"Haha, thanks for the compliment."
Yuu scratched his neck, strangely pleased.