Chapter 12: Was That Too Hurtful to Him [Requesting Follow Reads]

In a certain remote alley, pedestrians were few and far between.

Under a black streetlamp, two people stood several meters apart, each drawing a bamboo sword and assuming a starting stance.

"Let us begin!"

Junichi let out a low cry, instantly breaking the silence; his figure moved, and the bamboo sword in his hand thrust out like a spirit snake, its sword intent sharp and fierce, carrying a whooshing sound of wind.

Clap!

The next instant, Junichi stared blankly down at the bamboo sword lying on the ground.

When did this happen?

"Want to try again?"

"Again!" Junichi gritted his teeth, picked up the bamboo sword, and gripped it tightly.

Just now, he had intended to hold back and test the waters; if he had gone all out, he certainly wouldn't have...

Clap!

The bamboo sword fell from his hand once more.

After rolling a few times, it happened to stop right beside Junichi's foot; he stood dazed for a long while, his knees gradually bending until he half-knelt on the ground, looking at his bamboo sword with a lost soul.

How, how is this possible?

At the Isshin Dojo, he was the strongest among these past two cohorts, virtually holding the status of a senior disciple, and sometimes even taking on the duties of an assistant instructor, helping Teacher Teacher Gengsilang teach those younger children.

If not for that.

He would not have been so confident as to sail out alone to Asakura Island, attempting to win the Kendo Tournament championship and restore the Sakuraba family's prestige.

But...

The burly youth opposite him was clearly two years younger than himself.

Yet in the art of the sword, his attainment had already reached a realm that Junichi could neither fathom nor see through, resembling an insurmountable high mountain.

One move; it took merely one move.

For him to be defeated so thoroughly that he didn't even possess the qualification to clearly see the trajectory of the opponent's blade or attempt a parry.

At this moment.

He seemed to hear his own confidence in the way of the sword shattering like broken glass, cracking apart bit by bit.

Opposite him.

Siano sheathed his bamboo sword, swept his gaze across, and took in all of Junichi's reactions.

Tsk, doing this, isn't it a bit too hurtful to him?

However, telling him the truth right now, saying that he actually didn't know any sword techniques at all, seemed even more hurtful.

Better to wait until after the tournament ends; if there's a chance, he'll explain it clearly then.

"Time to go."

Siano gently patted his shoulder as a form of comfort, then took the lead walking toward the inn.

On the way.

Junichi had not yet recovered from the blow for a long time, keeping his head bowed in gloom, while Siano focused his attention on the system panel he had just opened, his eyes revealing contemplation.

【Name: Siano】

【Age: 13 years old】

【Height: 176cm】

【Strength: 2.2】

【Agility: 2.0】

【Stamina: 2.1】

【Mental Power: 1.4】

This was the first time he had checked his current panel data since finishing his secluded bitter cultivation this afternoon.

Compared to before his breakthrough, all his basic attributes had improved significantly.

"2.0 seems to be a critical threshold; those who can cross this barrier, compared to the ordinary people on this great sea, are no longer like the same species."

Siano drew this conclusion.

Compared to Junichi, setting aside the aspect of strength where the gap was the largest.

Just in terms of muscle reaction speed and the capture speed of dynamic vision, they were already completely not on the same level.

From the moment Junichi drew his sword to the thrust, every single movement appeared to Junichi as if played in slow motion.

Frame by frame, he could always find the most suitable moment to press pause, turn defense into offense, and break the opponent's attack.

In the manga, the battle between Zoro and Mihawk at the Baratie restaurant was somewhat similar to this.

Before Mihawk drew his black blade Yoru to show respect, the skirmish he conducted with Zoro using a small knife could not even be considered a duel between swordsmen.

In Zoro's view, it was that Mihawk's swordsmanship was too extraordinary, able to easily defeat him even with a small knife.

But in Mihawk's view, it was the same perspective as Siano defeating Junichi now; it had nothing to do with swordsmanship at all, but was simply a higher-level species delivering a dimensional strike against ordinary humans.

Swapping the small knife for a toothpick or even one's own finger made no difference.

When the gap is too large, sheer force can break ten thousand methods.

Siano closed the system panel, glanced at the frail youth behind him who looked as if he had been swept by Perona's ghosts, and pondered in his heart.

"Although Junichi has been immersed in kendo since childhood and is somewhat single-celled, he is not the type of guy who lacks self-awareness."

"His claim to contend for the championship was not empty talk; he truly had the confidence for it."

If he could rely on the huge gap in physique to easily defeat the opponent with one sword strike.

Then logically, the gap between him and the remaining contestants must be equally huge.

The East Blue, after all, is the weakest of the seas.

Not a single true sword master remains here.

No matter what dark horse emerges in this year's Swordsmanship Tournament, it should be easy to handle, with no need to worry about one's clumsy swordsmanship being exposed.

Delaying just one day to effortlessly gain five million Berries while also helping Junichi—no matter how you look at it, it's a win-win.

————

A day and two nights passed in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, competition day had arrived.

At seven in the morning, Junichi, dressed and ready, stepped out of his room only to find a figure already training in the empty courtyard below the inn.

"Three hundred, three hundred and one... Eh, you're awake."

Siano brought his legs together, executed a flip to land firmly on his feet, picked up the Mao Jin to wipe away sweat, and said with a smile, "I've got my things ready too, so shall we go?"

"Mm!" Junichi nodded vigorously.

From the night before last until now, his state of mind had gradually recovered quite a bit.

Especially yesterday, when Siano went alone to the seaside to train at the crack of dawn and didn't return until midnight; that level of diligence made even him take notice.

If the other party had endured such hardships every day since childhood and possessed talent for swordsmanship, then being defeated in a single move didn't seem so hard to accept.

Junichi took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly as he gazed toward the massive banner faintly visible in the distance.

There was no way to contend with Mr. Siano for the championship, but today was a day he had dreamed of for so long; he too had his own battle to fight!

Asakura Island sloped low in the south and high in the north; all seven dojos were located in the northern part of the city, arranged in a line descending with the terrain, converging at the end toward the spacious crescent-moon-shaped plaza in the city center.

At this moment, the plaza was already teeming with people, bustling with excitement.

Nearly a hundred temporarily constructed wooden platforms were scattered about, long queues formed at the registration desks, and staff members wearing dojo uniforms bustled about busily.

Huge banners hung at the four corners, pale pink decorations were everywhere, and cherry blossom petals drifted down on the wind, creating a rich festive atmosphere.

On the second floor of a nearby café, two cups of cappuccino sat on a table, steaming hot.

"Boss, that kid has arrived," said the tall swordsman wearing a white fox mask on the right side of the round table, his voice low as he looked at Junichi, who was following closely behind Siano into the plaza.

"Mm, I see him."

The middle-aged man sitting opposite, dressed in luxurious clothing, glanced over before withdrawing his gaze.

He lightly tapped the tabletop with his index finger knuckle and said indifferently, "That muscular man with him doesn't look very old; what exactly is his identity? Have you found out?"

(End of Chapter)