"Is he really going down that easily?"
"How pathetic, defeated by someone who's barely held a katana for a week."
"How disappointing."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, words filled with disdain and disappointment as they watched the scene unfold.
To be defeated by a mere commoner, while being the Ninth Prince of the Ashikaga Royal Family, was a humiliation beyond comparison.
"But he probably doesn't even care. He's been a failure his whole life. What's one more loss?"
***
Takashi swung his katana in a spiraling defensive arc, the blade carving a circle through the air.
Though in his life as Norman, he had never touched a katana, his body moved with uncanny precision, it was like he suddenly gained a decade of muscle memory.
Pain sharpened his focus.
The katana in his grip no longer felt foreign, it felt familiar, like it was a part of him.
A faint image of a circle with two lines flared behind him as the incoming strike was deflected in a single, fluid motion.
Bang!
In a seamless follow-up, Takashi twisted his wooden katana and struck toward the attacker's neck.
The man froze, too slow to react.
The blow landed cleanly and he was launched backward, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Raising his neck in disbelief, he muttered:
"H-How could this… happen…?"
Then, he collapsed completely unconscious.
"Ho," Takashi exhaled slowly, a wisp of hot air escaping his lips.
"Hayamoto striked and…" the referee began, then paused, "knockout."
Silence swept over the crowd. All eyes were wide with shock.
"Did he just use the Radiant Ring?"
"How… how is that even possible?"
Takashi closed his eyes, bracing himself as the final moments of his transformation settled within him.
When he opened them again, his pupils had returned to their serene, unshaken calm.
And to him, the world felt entirely different.
Dance of the Radiant Ring!
"This feeling, it's amazing," he muttered, clenching his fist.
Power surged through his veins, his muscles bulging.
His pupils darted across the arena as he finally took in the crowd, dozens of young faces in black uniforms, each bearing the symbol of a circle with two small lines at its center behind their backs and in their chest.
"Did I win?" Takashi asked, turning to the old referee, who stood frozen like a statue.
"…Yeah."
"Good."
With a calm, indifferent air, Takashi sheathed his wooden katana and walked away.
For a moment, no one moved. The crowd seemed stunned, their minds still struggling to process what had just happened.
Then, someone finally broke the silence.
"Has the young prince been hiding his strength all this time?"
Takashi trudged through the place in complete silence.
While he appeared calm in his heart, he wasn't in his mind.
He was a little lost, sure, he did transmigrate here, but he didn't know what to do for his future.
As a nine-to-eleven worker and one with a horrible boss, he has chased his dream of getting enough money in retirement while also having a cute wife and two loving children.
She didn't need to be beautiful, he wasn't that ambitious considering his status, but all of that shattered in just a few breaths of time.
"What am I supposed to do?" he tightened his fist as he instinctively made his way into his palace.
His residence was modest by royal standards about a basketball court size, with a small backyard where maids tended to blooming flowers and servants moved about, cleaning and maintaining the grounds.
As Takashi walked in, step by step, some of the maids glanced in his direction, but not a single one greeted him. Not even a nod. It was as if he were invisible.
His brows furrowed at their attitude, but from his memories, this was common, everyone would disrespect him because of his incompetence.
As he walked further, he slid open the door in front of him.
"Oh, dear, you have finally come. How did the match go?"
Takashi heard the most gentle voice ever in his life.
At this moment, his memories of his gentle and beautiful wife flooded back. He was married to her at a young age, and they spent their childhood together growing up…
His eyes lay on his gentle wife. Her skin was as pale as a ghost, and her pupils were completely white. She was wearing a graceful blue kimono as she looked at Takashi with a confused gaze.
Takashi stood there in stunned silence. He felt breathless; the world suddenly felt more vibrant and colourful to him.
His heart fluttered.
Even though he has seen her countless times in his past, now things seem to have changed for him.
"What's wrong?" she spoke with a hint of worry.
He stared at her for a long time before taking large strides towards her, a pleasant smile on his face.
"It's nothing, Ishihara," Takashi said, squeezing a smile on his face.
"It's good then," Ishihara chuckled as she prepared dinner for him: a bowl of rice, miso soup, kimchi, and a portion of grilled fish.
A strange combination but one of his favorites!
She smiled softly as she plated the food.
In an instant, the aroma of food wafted into his nose, causing Takashi to fall into an almost trance-like state.
At this moment, there was nothing but a single thought in his head:
I am hungry!
With hurried steps, he walked and sat on the cushion and started to devour the food wantonly, without a care.
His devouring speed was simply terrifying, eating a fish in a single bite and drinking a bowl of miso soup in two gulps.
"What's got into you, husband?" Ishihara chuckled. "Eat slowly; you didn't even say 'Thank you for the food.'"
After finishing up all his food, Takashi looked at her, who was barely containing her giggles, and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment:
"Sorry."
"No problem, you must have been hungry," Ishihara replied.
"Have you eaten yet?" Takashi asked.
"..." Ishihara didn't reply, but the silence was the answer: no.
Takashi looked at her and spoke in a calm tone:
"You should have eaten before I came."
"But…"
"Shush." Takashi put his finger to her lips, looking at her sternly. "Eat right now."
"Mhm." Ishihara nodded, and Takashi plated the food.
After she obediently ate it all, she smiled in grace:
"Husband, I have eaten it all."
Takashi looked at her gentle, warm smile, it felt like springtime bloomed in his heart, he felt himself melt completely.
It was as if all the strength in his limbs had drained away:
"Can I hug you, Ishihara?"
"You've never asked me that before, but…" A faint pink tint blossomed on her cheeks. "You can."
Takashi pulled her into a tight embrace.
'So warm.' Tears slipped from his eyes, and every doubt, every question, every confusion seemed to dissolve in her embrace.
In that instant, Takashi made a silent vow: he would live this life to protect her, her smile, her happiness, never letting them fade.
Remembering the future from the storyline of the game, her terrible future fate, Takashi was even more firm in his heart.
"Umm." Ishihara blushed softly.
She returned the embrace, clear tears glistening down her cheeks in her own thoughts.
Wrapped tightly in each other's arms, they spent their moment together. Husband and Wife!