Originally, Soubu Middle School only had its General left, but he had defeated four opponents in a row. The match had finally reached the point where the Generals would face each other. Just as the opposing General, Seta, was about to enter the arena, an old man and a middle-aged man walked in, one after the other.
"Look! It's the living Master Saitou! I'm actually seeing this legend with my own eyes! The martial arts instructors for the Japanese police are all his disciples and grand-disciples!"
"And that middle-aged man next to him... Isn't that the principal of Kyushu Academy and the chairman of the tournament committee? Why would he be here?"
The middle-aged man stood in the center of the arena and shouted with a powerful voice, "The most important spirit of the Gyokuryu Flag Kendo Tournament is to overcome one's own fears, defeat yourself, and forge ahead bravely! Kyushu Academy has committed a serious rules violation. They are disqualified from the tournament, and their results have been nullified!"
"Their coach incited a student to use improper tactics, and his teaching license has been revoked. He will never be rehired!" The middle-aged man then glanced coldly at the three referees on the field, their faces turning pale instantly. Even paler than the referees' face was the coach from Kyushu Academy, who looked as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue. He had not only lost his job, but it would also be very difficult for him to continue in the world of modern kendo.
Seta stood up, and the young boy, who always had a smile on his face, turned to look at Hiratsuka Ryosuke. "It seems we won't get to fight this time. But I'm sure we'll meet again in the future." With that, he bowed to Ryosuke and left the arena.
The newly arrived referee announced that Soubu Middle School had won the match. Hiratsuka Ryosuke returned to the rest area. Nibutani Shinka immediately rushed to him with a bottle of water. As she gesticulated wildly with her hands, she said excitedly, "Ryosuke, you were so cool just now! The enemies just disappeared, just like when Aizen fought the captains in Karakura Town!"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke took a sip of the water and shot a glance at his childhood friend. He then asked, "I'm not going to ask why you're comparing me to a villain. I'm more curious about how you got into the competitor's rest area."
"It's probably because I'm cute, teehee~" Nibutani Shinka winked and tried to act cute to get away with it. She then took out a clean towel and, like a newlywed wife, gently wiped the sweat from Ryosuke's forehead.
From the stands, Eriri saw Shinka and Ryosuke's intimate interaction. She bit her thumbnail and bounced her leg up and down on her seat. Damn it! Manga and reality really are completely different! How can a real-life childhood friend be this strong? It's like cheating! I need to do something before the summer Comic Market next month, or I'll never be able to beat her.
The time between matches became shorter and shorter. Although there were over a hundred teams, half of them were eliminated each round. It was soon Soubu Middle School's turn again.
"Referee, we would like to apply for a change in the batting order," said Doraku Utage, the team's teacher, raising her hand. With her extensive tournament experience, she knew they had to rearrange the team since they were short-handed. It was okay at the start, but later on, the opponents would get stronger and stronger. If the battle became long and drawn-out, the team's fatigue would exhaust them, and their lack of members would be exposed.
"Hiratsuka, you'll be the vanguard. Win it quickly." She placed all her hopes on her strongest player, Hiratsuka Ryosuke. The opponents they would face now couldn't be dealt with by first-year students who had only been practicing kendo for half a year. If Ryosuke lost, it would mean Soubu Middle School's run would end here.
The referee agreed to her request. Hiratsuka Ryosuke understood what Doraku Utage meant and returned to the arena. Their new opponents were five bald men. To adapt to intense training and show their resolve, many serious kendo club members shave their heads. By the end of the Gyokuryu Flag tournament, almost everyone is bald. The Soubu Middle School team stood out in the sea of shaved heads.
Ryosuke and his opponent bowed to each other. But after the bow, Hiratsuka Ryosuke didn't stand up straight. Instead, he stayed hunched over and placed his bamboo sword behind his back, taking a starting stance that no one expected.
"Hey, are you looking down on me by using the waki-gamae stance?" the bald man on the other side asked angrily. He felt slighted. This was a stance from the old days of samurai duels, used to hide the length of the sword to gain an advantage. But in a modern kendo match, everyone's bamboo sword is the same 120cm, so this stance had no practical value on the field.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke shook his head and calmly replied, "I'm not looking down on you. I'm actually taking this very seriously."
Before the bald man could reply, his teammates on the bench started shouting. "Senpai, teach that arrogant kid a good lesson! Just because he beat a Yoyogi doesn't mean he can be so cocky!" "Senpai, show him what the B-bracket champion can do!" "Don't worry, Senpai is invincible in our school. Go!"
The bald man's eyes hardened. He wasn't fighting alone; he had the expectations and bonds of his junior teammates. He was determined to take Hiratsuka Ryosuke down. He took the aggressive jodan-no-kamae (upper stance), raising his sword high, ready to unleash a fierce attack. "Haya!"
Wham!
"Men!"
The sound of the sword hitting the face guard and Ryosuke's battle cry came at the same time. The bald man hadn't even taken a step forward when a wave of dizziness washed over his head. The man his teammates called "invincible" fell.
"Ah! Senpai! I'll avenge you!"
Wham!
"You bastard, let me show you our passionate combination attack!"
Wham!
In less than two minutes, the champion team from the B bracket was completely wiped out by Hiratsuka Ryosuke. Even Ryosuke himself was surprised by how easy it was. He stood in place, waiting for the referee to announce the result.
"Soubu Middle School wins! Hiratsuka has achieved a nine-win streak! Will he get the Fighting Spirit Award?!"
Ryosuke turned his back on the arena and was about to walk to the rest area when a low voice was heard on the field. "Hehe, don't be too lenient. The power to step on an ant without killing it is very hard to master, you know?"
"You bastard! Are you mocking us even after winning?!" the bald team members who were lying on the ground shouted at Hiratsuka Ryosuke, glaring at him.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke turned back and explained to them, "It wasn't me. I didn't say that." The bald team listened carefully. The voice sounded similar, but there was a distinct difference.
Ryosuke took a long stride to the rest area and gave Nibutani Shinka a forehead flick. He then gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Don't you dare imitate my voice and say things like that! Get back to your seat in the stands! This is the competitor's rest area!"
The matches got faster and faster. Ryosuke quickly took out another team, reaching 14 consecutive wins. The commentator's voice was filled with excitement. "A 14-win streak! Hiratsuka has achieved a 14-win streak! He has tied the historical record for the Gyokuryu Flag's Fighting Spirit Award! Will he be stopped here, or will he create a new, unprecedented record?!" The audience's excitement reached a fever pitch, as they were witnessing history.
"A 19-win streak! He has broken the historical record! He is the new history!" The audience went crazy. A terrifying 19-win streak, something no one had ever done before.
"A 24-win streak! Hiratsuka has single-handedly wiped out another team!" The arena suddenly went quiet.
"A 29-win streak! Unbelievable stamina and endurance, and a terrifying sword style that delivers a lethal blow with one strike! Is he really a middle schooler?!"
Let alone the unfamiliar spectators, even those who knew Hiratsuka Ryosuke, like Eriri and Yukinoshita Haruno, had blank expressions on their faces. This guy... he was this strong?!
After completing his 34th consecutive win, Hiratsuka Ryosuke's chest began to rise and fall. In the past, his training with his master Himura was always done with a good rhythm of attack and rest. But in this tournament, the opponents got stronger and stronger. He even encountered several on Yoyogi's level, and the continuous back-to-back matches almost overwhelmed him.
Just as he was about to take his unique stance again, the referee walked up to him. He first looked at the moaning player lying on the ground, then patted Ryosuke's shoulder. "Hiratsuka, you don't need to fight anymore." The referee took Ryosuke's right hand and raised it high. He and the commentator exchanged a knowing look.
"A 34-win streak! He has created a new historical record for the Gyokuryu Flag's Fighting Spirit Award!" "He's not a middle schooler; he's Battousai the Manslayer, who has traveled from the Bakumatsu era to the present day! Hiratsuka Ryosuke!"
As the commentator's voice faded, the arena instantly erupted. "Battousai! Battousai!" "Hiratsuka Ryosuke!" Everyone was chanting the name of Hiratsuka Ryosuke, the modern-day Battousai.
Only Nibutani Shinka's eyes darted around mischievously as she left the rest area.
Master Saitou walked up to Ryosuke. He had seen everything Ryosuke had done. The serious expression on his face softened. "Ryosuke, thank you. It's Kyouya's good fortune to have a junior like you."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke respectfully replied, "It's my good fortune to have a president like Takamachi-senpai."
"If you ever run into any difficulties in the future, you can come find me," Saitou said seriously. He then smiled slightly. "Congratulations on winning the Gyokuryu Flag's Fighting Spirit Award. You've broken the historical win streak record, and the entire country is watching you." Saitou and Ryosuke chatted for a while longer before he left. Now that he had shown up at the tournament, he had other matters to attend to.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka's seat in the stands and smiled faintly. Sister, did you see? I'm strong enough now.
But the cheers in the arena suddenly changed. "Guardian Knight! Guardian Knight!" Hiratsuka Ryosuke heard the nickname and knew something was wrong. He frantically searched for a certain girl. Finally, he saw his childhood friend at the commentator's booth. Nibutani Shinka was holding her "Dark Holy Text," and he had no idea what she had just said to the commentator.
The spectators had forgotten all about "Battousai." The entire arena was chanting the name of the "Guardian Knight."
Ryosuke tightened his grip on his sword. The light in his eyes disappeared, and his shoulders trembled. A low, chilling chuckle escaped his throat. He suddenly realized that the chance to achieve a 35-win streak was right in front of him.
That damn Nibutani Shinka! This is a national broadcast! Are you trying to make me a social outcast?!