In a secluded alley, with few pedestrians around, the black streetlamp cast its light on two figures standing several meters apart, each drawing their bamboo sword into a ready position.
"Please!"
Pureichi called out in a low voice, breaking the silence. In an instant, he moved, his bamboo sword darting forward like a snake, fierce and swift, with the sound of cutting wind.
Thud!
In the next moment, Pureichi looked down in shock as his bamboo sword fell to the ground.
When did this happen?
"Want to try again?"
"Let's go!" Pureichi gritted his teeth, picking up the sword and tightening his grip.
He had initially planned to hold back and test his opponent. If he had used all his strength, this wouldn't have happened...
Thud!
The bamboo sword fell once more from his hand.
After a few rolls, it stopped just by his feet. He knelt, lost in thought, staring at the bamboo sword with a blank expression.
How... how is this possible?
At the Isshin Dojo, he was the strongest of the last two years, almost at the level of the dojo's senior brother. He even took on the role of an assistant instructor, helping Geng Shirou teach younger disciples.
If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have been confident enough to venture alone to Asakiyama Island, hoping to win the sword competition and revive the Sakura family's reputation.
But...
The muscular boy in front of him, who was two years younger, had reached a level of swordsmanship that Pureichi couldn't even understand, like an insurmountable mountain.
One move, just one move.
He had lost completely, without even the chance to see the trajectory of the opponent's sword or attempt to block.
At this moment, he felt his confidence in swordsmanship shatter like broken glass, crumbling bit by bit.
Across from him, Shano sheathed his bamboo sword and glanced over, observing Pureichi's reaction.
Tsk... Is this too much for him?
But telling him the truth now—that he actually didn't know any swordsmanship—would probably hurt him even more.
Better to wait until after the competition and explain things if there's a chance.
"We should go," Shano said, lightly patting Pureichi's shoulder as a form of comfort before turning to walk toward the inn.
Along the way, Pureichi remained dazed, his head lowered. Shano's attention, however, was on his open system panel, deep in thought.
[Name: Shano (Siano)]
[Age: 13]
[Height: 176cm]
[Strength: 2.2]
[Agility: 2.0]
[Endurance: 2.1]
[Mental Strength: 1.4]
This was the first time he checked his stats since finishing his solitary training session that afternoon.
Compared to before his breakthroughs, his stats had increased significantly across the board.
"2.0 seems to be a crucial threshold. Once you surpass it, you're not just another person on this sea compared to ordinary people."
Shano mused.
Compared to Pureichi, he set aside the largest difference in strength for now.
Just his muscle reaction speed and dynamic vision were on an entirely different level.
Pureichi's moves, from drawing the sword to striking, all seemed to happen in slow motion to Shano's eyes.
Each frame passed by, and he could easily pause the moment, switch to defense, and counterattack to break his opponent's momentum.
It was like the battle between Zoro and Mihawk at the Baratie restaurant in One Piece. Before Mihawk drew his black sword to show respect, his battle with Zoro using a small knife could hardly be considered a proper swordsman duel.
To Zoro, Mihawk's swordsmanship was so superior that he could easily defeat him even with a small knife.
But from Mihawk's perspective, it was like Shano's view of defeating Pureichi. It had nothing to do with swordsmanship; it was simply a matter of a higher-level being overpowering a normal human.
Changing the knife to a toothpick, or even a finger, wouldn't have made a difference.
When the gap is too wide, one can easily crush everything else.
...
Shano closed his system panel and glanced at Pureichi, who seemed to be moving like a ghost, weak and lost in thought. He considered his next move.
"Pureichi might have grown up immersed in swordsmanship and may be a little single-minded, but he's not a fool."
"He's serious about winning the championship. It's not just empty words—he has the ability to back it up."
Shano thought about the huge difference in physical strength that allowed him to defeat Pureichi in a single move.
Given this, the gap between him and the other competitors would also be vast.
The East Sea is after all the weakest of the seas.
There are no true sword masters remaining here.
No matter what surprises arise in this year's sword competition, he should be able to handle them easily without worrying about exposing his own poor swordsmanship.
By just spending one day, he could earn 500,000 Belli and also help Pureichi, which was a win-win situation.
The next day passed quickly.
Before they knew it, it was the day of the competition.
At 7 AM, Pureichi finished preparing and walked out of his room, only to find a familiar figure already practicing in the empty courtyard below.
"Three hundred, three hundred and one... Oh, you're awake."
Shano flipped backward gracefully, landing on his feet, wiping off sweat with a towel before smiling. "I'm ready too, let's go?"
"Mhm!" Pureichi nodded eagerly.
Since the night before, his mindset had gradually recovered. Especially after seeing how Shano had trained alone by the sea from dawn to midnight, his hard work made even Pureichi look up to him.
If Shano had lived this kind of life from the start and had the talent for swordsmanship, it wasn't so hard to accept being defeated by him in one strike.
Taking a deep breath, Pureichi's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the distant massive banner.
He couldn't contest the championship with Shano, but today was the day he'd been waiting for—his own battle!
...
The island's north is high and the south low, with the Seven Dojos lined up along the northern area. They stretch out towards the center of the city, where the broad, crescent-shaped square lies.
At this moment, the square was bustling with people, filled with energy.
Nearly a hundred temporary wooden stages were set up in a scattered fashion, with long lines at the registration booths and busy staff members dressed in dojo uniforms running around.
Massive banners hung from the corners, with pink decorations and falling cherry blossoms filling the air with festive cheer.
On the second floor of a nearby café, two cups of cappuccino steamed on a table.
"The kid's here," said a tall swordsman wearing a white fox mask, glancing at Pureichi walking into the square, following closely behind Shano.
"Mhm, I see him," replied a middle-aged man in luxurious clothing, his gaze briefly flicking over before returning his attention to his fingers, gently tapping the table.
"The muscle guy with him—he doesn't look that old. Have we found out his identity yet?"