Chapter 85: One Against Five

The Kendo Club sent out its Vanguard.

He walked to the starting line and looked at Qingshan Li.

Qingshan Li wore his Protective Face Mask, his gaze hidden in the depths of darkness, like an empty ghost.

No, not a ghost, but the God of Kendo descending, descending upon this Kendo Uniform!

The Vanguard took a deep breath, suppressed his inner emotions, and extended his sword tip.

Sword tips touched, both sides crouched.

"Begin!" the Referee announced.

"Yaaaaaaah!!" the Vanguard roared, bringing out all his spirit.

"Torso!"

System·Ryosuke moved as swift as the wind, passing by the Vanguard's side, then immediately turned around, adopting a posture ready to pursue at any moment.

"Torso strike scores!" the three judges raised their flags.

If it were real combat, the Vanguard would already have been gutted.

Another one-strike victory.

The Kendo Club fell silent as the grave.

Amid this silence, System·Ryosuke walked back to the starting line and once again assumed the posture of standing still with his sword.

Pushed by the blonde Sword Princess serving as Vice Captain, the Middle Fighter came to his senses, hurriedly put on his Protective Face Mask, picked up his Bamboo Sword, and entered the field.

"Hoo~, hoo~" the Middle Fighter breathed in deeply, then slowly exhaled.

It concerned the club's survival; unless something unexpected happened later, the five people the Kendo Club sent out now were Kaimei High School's roster for the Kendo Tournament.

Such a team—the Vanguard and the Vanguard, both taken down in one strike.

Now it was his turn.

A draw, no, being able to delay for a while longer would be good too!

One match, five minutes; holding out for twenty seconds counts as victory!

The Middle Fighter stood at the starting line and extended his Bamboo Sword.

Sword tips touched.

"Not good!" Whether it was an illusion or not, the Middle Fighter felt his whole body go numb.

He hurriedly exerted force, gripping his Bamboo Sword tightly, to prevent himself from falling from reality into the abyss of fear.

The familiar and reliable feel let the Middle Fighter catch his breath, and the numbness faded like an illusion.

Both sides crouched.

"Begin!" the judge announced.

The Middle Fighter swallowed his saliva and focused his mind to wait.

No matter how the opponent's thoughts changed, System·Ryosuke seemed like a true stage BOSS; facing the challenge, there was only one response—

advancing with his sword.

The moment that foot left the Ground, the Middle Fighter felt an instinctive command: retreat!

But the opponent's speed seemed faster than his instinctive reaction!

System·Ryosuke's steps were elegant, yet with a strange technique, as if tearing space apart, he closed the distance between them.

The Bamboo Sword struck out.

"Thrust!"

System·Ryosuke's voice, like the man himself wearing the Kendo Uniform, was fresh and neat; not to mention women, even men didn't dislike it.

"Thrust, throat strike scores!" Despite being mentally prepared, the student serving as Referee still couldn't control his surprise.

System·Ryosuke's sword pressed against the Middle Fighter's throat.

From beginning to end, the Middle Fighter didn't move at all, as if standing there letting the other strike his throat.

Some newly joined students looked at the Middle Fighter in puzzlement, this Senior Student they usually admired.

The Middle Fighter returned to the preparation area, took off his Protective Face Mask, and wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

"Don't cry." The Vanguard, feeling much better inside, comforted him.

"Fool, these are tears from a throat strike, same as bleeding—who's crying!" the Middle Fighter roared angrily.

He looked at the Vice Captain: "Elsa, please be careful!"

The Vice Captain was the president of the girls' Kendo Club, namely the blonde Sword Princess.

She had already put on her Protective Face Mask, picked up her Bamboo Sword, and stood up to enter the field.

"She must be impatient, right." The Vanguard's gaze followed that silhouette.

"In terms of technique, the Sword Princess is stronger than the Captain; perhaps she has a chance, Qingshan Li's strength isn't strong." Aizawa Jun looked at Qingshan Li.

"Have you felt the power of sword manipulation?" The Middle Fighter had given Qingshan Li a nickname.

Aizawa Jun didn't find it abrupt at all.

Compared to arts clubs, sports clubs were more chuunibyou; the Tennis Club had the Prince, the Baseball Club had the Universe-Shaking Throw, the Soccer Club had the Meteor Flash, and Kendo had the Kensei and the Sword Princess.

"I'm in the same class as Qingshan; arm wrestling, he often loses to me." Aizawa Jun said.

The blonde Sword Princess walked to the starting line.

She adjusted her breathing so she wouldn't get too excited.

Powerful, absolutely powerful.

Elsa Amaba had practiced Kendo since childhood; she only admitted that the strength of a few males was above hers, but never felt men were powerful.

Those weaker than her, she could cut down;

Those stronger than her, she could use technique and tactics to cut down just the same.

Only this man brought by the Student Council made her admit from the bottom of her heart that he was truly powerful.

Regardless of age, race, or gender—utterly powerful.

She had longed for such an opponent for a long time!

The Sword Princess stood at the starting line and drew her sword gracefully.

Sword tips touched.

Both crouched.

"Start!"

"Ah!!!!" The Sword Princess was like a sudden bolt of lightning, erupting instantly.

The sound of her foot stomping on the floor seemed to shake the entire dojo.

The bamboo sword in her hand moved forward in a curve, the tip always pointing at System·Ryosuke's throat.

Strength and speed were unleashed all at once in an instant.

The next moment, the Sword Princess stopped all movement!

System·Ryosuke merely raised his hand slightly, and she felt an oppressive pressure that made breathing impossible—if he truly used this move, her throat would be pierced!

Come on!

"Ah!!!!" The Sword Princess let out a battle cry.

See if you kill me first, or I kill you!

Besides courage, the Sword Princess also possessed powerful technique—a powerful attack called "Seemingly Retreating Strike to the Face, Actually Retreating Strike to the Wrist."

Clap! Clap!

The bamboo swords collided, and System·Ryosuke swept her attack aside like brushing away fallen leaves.

System·Ryosuke took the first step.

"I'm going to be hit!" A strong premonition made the Sword Princess break out in cold sweat.

At the critical moment, the Sword Princess turned her head to the side, dodging the face strike and taking the blow on her shoulder.

Fortunately, the opponent wasn't fast!

Upon close observation, he was even slow!

Was the opponent holding back?

How could someone with such powerful swordsmanship be so slow?!

He was holding back against me, someone was holding back against me—the Sword Princess repeated this fact.

Her heart raced, blood rushed to her face, and her whole body felt like it was melting.

Unforgivable.

The Sword Princess gripped her sword and assumed her stance, her five senses sharper than ever.

Her arms gripping the bamboo sword grew hot, her whole body burning.

"Torso!" System·Ryosuke spoke.

Footsteps, bamboo sword, breathing—along with the sound, they synchronized instantly.

C-grade strength, D-grade speed, C-grade stamina, condensed into one point.

He had not spoken during the strike that nearly eliminated the Sword Princess earlier, but he spoke now.

The Sword Princess personally experienced the difference.

Run!

She could only run!

She hid her right wrist and face;

Her left hand holding the bamboo sword protected her right waist.

Face, wrist, torso—all hidden!

Facing this ultimate evasion, System·Ryosuke did not stop his attack, swinging his sword.

A sword strike precise to the extreme.

The bamboo sword struck the left torso, and the moment it rebounded, it was pulled back and struck the Sword Princess again.

The audience erupted in an uproar, many half-rising from their seats, as if they saw the Sword Princess and her weapon both cut in two.

Technique to the extreme.

Perfect kendo.

". Torso, torso, points!"

Before the Sword Princess could recover, System·Ryosuke had already returned to the starting line, standing still with his sword.

No matter who it was, even the Sword Princess, there was no difference in His eyes.

Anyone who dared to approach would all be cut down.

Everyone breathed heavily, feeling as if System·Ryosuke was stepping on their chests.

"For the Kendo Club, I cannot lose." The Kendo Club President panted, picking up the protective face mask.

The seniors' expectations, years of effort, parents' admonitions, and all his future prospects weighed upon him.

Suffocating pressure.

"Ugh!!" The Kendo Club President vomited.

(Chapter End)