"His exact identity isn't confirmed yet; I don't have matching information on hand."
The tall, thin swordsman wearing a white fox mask shook his head. "However, a beggar at the docks witnessed him getting off a passing cargo ship the night before last."
"Running into that brat from the Sakuraba family was probably just a coincidence, meant to distract him and secure the tournament entry."
"A careless nobody."
A middle-aged man in luxurious attire lifted his coffee cup, gently rubbing its surface. "Then let him enjoy the same treatment as the Sakuraba brat. In his group, stuff in a few more tricky opponents."
"Yes, boss."
...
The line at the registration desk stretched long.
While waiting, Shanu idly looked around. After a moment, his eyes caught an arc-shaped wall on the north side of the plaza.
Seven dojo emblems were lined up across the wall—but at the center was a large, jarring blank space.
Looking closer, it appeared to have been repainted.
"That must have been the Sakuraba emblem before."
"Yeah." Junichi nodded sadly. "Actually, two emblems were erased. One was our Sakuraba dojo's crest, the other belonged to the Kendo Association."
"Kendo Association? Was that founded by your father too?"
"Not entirely. To be precise, it was established with the heads of several other dojos; my father played a leading role. Later, he was elected president by vote."
Shanu clicked his tongue. "Sounds like your father had great prestige. I remember you said after he passed, the Sakuraba dojo was constantly pressured and suppressed. I thought it was because he had angered someone."
"Probably they felt I wasn't worthy of inheriting the headmaster position." Junichi forced a smile.
"Ha! Here we go again. I told you, stop squabbling with yourself for no reason. Remember that! …By the way, you said your father died in an accident five years ago?"
"Yes, a shipwreck."
Junichi nodded slightly, recalling, "It was just a few days before the Kendo Tournament. A storm hit the northern waters of the island. The association received a distress signal: two ships carrying competitors were capsized."
"My father happened to be at the association office. After hanging up the communicator, he rushed with people to rescue them, accompanied by several senior members of the Sakuraba dojo. In the end… none returned."
Shanu fell silent for a while.
"Your father was a good man." He sighed. "Unfortunately, in these seas, being good doesn't always bring good rewards."
"…" Junichi didn't know what to say, and after a long pause whispered, "Thank you."
Shanu patted him on the back.
"By the way, something strange happened," he added.
Junichi thought of something, glancing again at the row of dojo emblems.
"When the association still existed, there was a place for everyone to discuss and negotiate. The adults argued constantly. Dojo students on the street often clashed too, challenging each other to assert their rank."
"But after the association vanished, the seven main dojos gradually became like a single family. For instance, this new rule requiring a fee to enter competitions—once the news spread among the people, it was immediately enforced without dispute."
The more he thought, the more confused he became, patting his head in frustration. "Ah~ It feels like my brain cells are burning out. It's just so strange, it doesn't make sense at all…"
A single family?
Shanu's mind raced. Suddenly, he shivered, sensing something. He turned sharply, narrowing his eyes at a nearby café.
The first-floor entrance was crowded, but the second-floor balcony was empty.
His piercing gaze scanned up and down, finally resting on a round table near the balcony railing—two cups of coffee still steaming.
"What is it?" Junichi asked curiously.
"Nothing."
Shanu shook his head slightly and withdrew his gaze.
Looking back at the much shorter line ahead, he smiled.
"Let's forget about that for now. Soon we'll draw our tournament groups. Hopefully, we won't meet too early. Then we can push together into the finals—how about taking both first and second place?"
"Sure! Let's do it together!"
Junichi clenched his fist and waved it. "And! Don't go around looking like you already won the championship. When it's the finals, you'd better watch out—I won't lose as embarrassingly as before!"
...
The draw results came out quickly.
Shanu was placed in Group B, Junichi in Group C.
According to preliminary rules, each competitor would have five rounds against participants from Groups A and D. Only those winning all five would advance to the top eight.
"Hah, that means I don't even have to face the rest of the preliminaries."
Junichi grew more cheerful, holding the draw sheet and whistling.
"Then I'll head to Group C. See you at noon?"
"Yeah, go ahead. I'll finish my matches quickly and come find you."
Watching Junichi leave, Shanu glanced once more at the café before heading to his assigned tournament area.
By now, most wooden platforms around the plaza were occupied, with varying stages of matches.
Some had just started, while others had finished and stepped down to rest.
Given the sheer number of preliminary competitors, this system maximized efficiency.
"Preliminary Round AB Zone, Match 7! Competitor 120, Shanu, versus Competitor 28, Sica!"
A crowd gathered around the corner platform. As the announcer finished, both fighters took their positions at opposite ends.
Sica was a bald, muscular man, roughly 2.3 meters tall.
His bamboo sword was noticeably oversized, both thick and long.
"Can you choose different styles when buying a bamboo sword?" Shanu asked, slightly surprised.
"You didn't know? Ha, what a rookie!"
Bald Sica laughed loudly. "Where did this chick come from? You get matched against me in the first round—bad luck!"
"But don't worry. I'm a kind man. I'll end your suffering quickly!"
"You two, remember the rules! Attack only with bamboo swords. No direct contact with hands or feet. Falling off the platform means defeat. Winner advances. Understood?"
Both nodded.
"Good, then I announce—match officially begins!" The referee raised his hand sharply.
The moment the words fell—
Boom!
A dull, heavy strike rang out.
With a scream, the towering figure flew through the air, crashing several meters away.
"What a coincidence, I'm also a good person."
A calm voice came from the platform.
The crowd fell silent. The referee froze, hand still in midair.
Shanu sheathed his bamboo sword and turned to the referee, frozen like a statue, smiling politely.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. May we move directly to the next match?"