Although Hayato was quite tall, he had a slender build, and his arms were like a girl's; he didn't look like someone with much strength.
But…
He actually defeated Senior Katō!?
And, judging by his expression…
Hayato was looking at his right hand, muttering to himself.
The others didn't hear what he was saying, but they could imagine it.
"I haven't even used my full strength, and you've already fallen"… He was probably saying something like that.
"D-damn it—!"
As a veteran of the Kendo Club, Kato Takeshi had astonishing wrist strength and considerable skill in swordsmanship, making him like an "elder brother" figure in the entire club. Even Miyajima Sakura, the club president, held him in high regard. When had he ever been so humiliated in public!?
Just as he was utterly mortified and didn't know what to say to save face, Hayato reacted,
"Senior Katō, are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Kato Takeshi immediately said, then quickly hid his flushed face and instead adopted the expression of an experienced person, saying nonchalantly: "Young man, your wrist strength is quite good. To be able to defeat me, Kato Takeshi, by half a point, although it's due to my recent slackness in training, it's enough for you to be proud."
No.
There was no slackness.
He was clearly just now desperately training with a hand gripper.
He really had no shame.
Senior Katō is a veteran, so let's give him some face.
The eyes of the crowd were sharp.
Although they didn't speak, such information was conveyed through their exchanged glances.
"But!" Kato Takeshi suddenly changed the subject, saying, "In the Kendo Club, strong wrist strength is ultimately just the icing on the cake; what truly matters in the end is 'swordsmanship.' Do you dare to spar with me?"
Hayato was initially uninterested.
But he glanced at Kase Masafumi again.
Kase Masafumi was only a first-year student this year. Although his gaze was sharp and he didn't look like an elementary school student, his personality was actually relatively reserved.
He had been observing Hayato, unable to figure out where this senior, who looked even more slender than himself, got his strength from.
When his gaze met Hayato's again, he nodded somewhat awkwardly, then unnaturally shifted his eyes away.
This Senior Hayato… must have feelings for Senior Miyajima. Kase Masafumi thought, and he also had feelings for Senior Miyajima… No, it wasn't just him; every member of the Kendo Club respected and admired Miyajima Sakura.
Senior Miyajima, however, was courteous to everyone. Although Senior Miyajima had been training him individually recently, and Kase Masafumi was jokingly referred to as the one "most likely to pluck the high-mountain flower" in the Kendo Club, Kase Masafumi felt that nothing had really happened between himself and Senior Miyajima… it was just a normal relationship between a senior and a junior.
Was this Senior Hayato misunderstanding something, which was why he kept staring at him?
"I don't have a sword," Hayato said.
"That's easy to fix! Masafumi!" Kato Takeshi shouted, and Kase Masafumi quickly ran over with two wooden swords.
Kato Takeshi casually picked one and threw the other to Hayato:
"You can borrow this for now."
"Senior Katō, don't we need to wear kendo uniforms?" Kase Masafumi asked. According to the rules, to prevent accidental injuries, Kendo Club matches always required wearing kendo uniforms and other protective gear.
"No need." Kato Takeshi waved his hand, "It's just for fun. Hey… Hayato-kun, right? Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
Hayato nodded. He also didn't want to wear a kendo uniform; those things looked heavy and would probably take a lot of time to put on and take off.
"Then Masafumi, you'll be the referee again," Kato Takeshi said, already holding the sword.
He took a step forward, holding the sword upright in front of him, a proper starting stance.
Hayato, on the other hand, was still holding the sword, seemingly a bit lost. He looked like a complete amateur.
"Is Senior Katō going to bully someone again?"
"This is definitely bullying, isn't it?"
"Hahahaha, I don't think so. Didn't Hayato-kun just win? This time, maybe…"
"That's different. Strong wrist strength might just be from intense gym training and not useful."
A swordsmanship contest required a larger area.
So the club members stepped back, giving the two enough space.
Someone accidentally bumped into something behind them while stepping back, and with a "clatter," something like a bottle fell to the ground.
The person immediately turned around,
"Sorry… Huh, huh? Senior Miyajima, you're back?"
It turned out she had already retreated to the doorway, and Miyajima Sakura happened to be walking in with five or six bottles of drinks. Upon contact, the drinks in her arms spilled all over the floor.
The club members quickly knelt down to help her pick them up.
"What's happening?" Miyajima Sakura asked.
"The new student, Hayato-kun, is going to spar with Senior Katō!" a club member said after helping her set the drinks aside.
This person was very emotionally intelligent, saying "Hayato-kun is going to spar with Senior Katō" instead of "Senior Katō is challenging Hayato-kun," as the latter would have made it difficult for Kato Takeshi to save face.
"Wow, the president is back…"
"Oh no, bad timing."
"Senior Katō is definitely going to get scolded."
Just as the club members were discussing, Miyajima Sakura walked with a serious expression towards the center of their circle. And the club members all made way for her.
The two sides had not yet engaged.
Kato Takeshi glanced sideways and saw the returning club president, and was immediately alarmed… Oh, no, he almost forgot that the president had only gone to buy drinks. Not to mention bullying a junior, even challenging without wearing a kendo uniform was a major taboo in the club, and the president valued rules the most.
Just as Kato Takeshi was about to sheath his sword and slide into a kneeling position to beg for forgiveness, Miyajima Sakura blinked her charming purple eyes.
She didn't speak, but looked at Hayato.
Then she looked at Kato Takeshi again.
"Please be sure to be careful with your strength," she said in a pleading tone.
Kato Takeshi was overjoyed, never expecting the president to be so understanding today. He immediately shook the sword in his hand: "Ah! Don't worry, President!"
"Everyone, please sit down and watch carefully."
Miyajima Sakura spoke to all the club members, then was the first to bend her knees and sit formally, seriously and intently staring at the "arena" of the match.
The crowd didn't understand her meaning, but they still complied.
Dozens of people sitting cross-legged on the ground simultaneously was still quite a sight.
Kato Takeshi was stunned, thinking that the president was taking this match so seriously… Did she want to see how much he had improved over the past few months? Alright, then he would really impress her!
"Begin!!" With Kase Masafumi's shout once again.
The swordsmanship contest officially began, but just a second before it started, Hayato still looked like an amateur, not even holding his sword properly or standing at attention.
Just one strike, and he'll win this match!
Kato Takeshi thought to himself, "Hmph!!"
The next moment.
The young man in front of him moved like a sudden thunderbolt!
And the sword in his hand cut through the air, like a swimming dragon!
Kato Takeshi only felt a blur before his eyes.
When he reacted again, the tip of the opponent's sword was already pointing at his throat… The distance was only three inches.
Victory and defeat were decided in an instant.
Life and death hung in the balance.
……