Prince Nariwa sneered inwardly, 'They probably have no idea, right? I did my homework on Shinomiya-san before coming.'
'Shinomiya-san is undoubtedly a genius with an extremely high IQ. For someone to be considered talented by her in academics, they must have off-the-charts academic prowess.'
Although he is also a PhD Graduate, Prince Nariwa knows in his heart that he succeeded through sheer effort and the great perseverance to revitalize the Imperial Family.
Simply put, he doesn't have a talent like photographic memory… He only has hard work.
Competing in academics... naturally wouldn't be about who knows more facts, but rather testing the knowledge stored in both parties' brains. It would be somewhat like an Olympiad Competition.
Selecting the strongest brain.
Therefore, Prince Nariwa, who acknowledged his lack of innate talent in academics, wisely chose to avoid that arena and selected Kendo instead.
Why Kendo?
There was also research behind this.
In Japan, do ordinary families have the leisure to practice swordsmanship? Forget not having the time, they don't even have the conditions.
Perhaps some places have Kendo dojos that accept students. But those are mostly ordinary-level Kendo styles.
Commoners need to focus on studying hard in modern society, then take university entrance exams, enter the workforce... They simply wouldn't practice Kendo.
Practicing Kendo is basically the privilege of great families because they have the conditions.
He knew Yusei is a commoner, so how could a commoner like him have been exposed to Kendo?
Furthermore, looking at Yusei's physical build, he seems somewhat slender, giving off the vibe of a frail scholar.
But he, Prince Nariwa, was different. While keeping up with his studies since childhood, he had practiced various arts like Kendo, Kyudo, etc.
Among them, Kendo was his most outstanding skill.
After all, as the only direct descendant of the Imperial Family and the next-generation heir, although the Imperial Family lacked power, his elite education was never lacking.
So, he grew up under strict training, something an untrained commoner like Yusei couldn't compare to.
Now, he was pitting his own greatest strength against the other's greatest weakness. This made Prince Nariwa feel eager, as if victory was already his.
Kaguya was the first to react. She immediately stepped forward and responded on Yusei's behalf.
"Fine! We'll compete in Kendo!"
"Shinomiya-san!" Prince Nariwa's eyes lit up.
'She's so eager! She must want to witness my heroic figure.'
'No matter what, she's a young lady from a great family. She still understands the distinction between nobility and commoners. Is she now impatient for me to win?'
'Good, wait for me. I will definitely defeat this guy cleanly and then marry you!'
Yusei looked amusedly at Kaguya, who had made the decision for him. He knew Kaguya is afraid the other side will go back on their word.
But she doesn't know, Yusei is not afraid of any kind of comparison.
Not to mention the [All-Rounder] skill elevated to its peak, even just using copied skills would steadily crush the other party.
'I originally thought he would choose some intelligence-based question, so I wanted to show off my smartness a bit... But Kendo it is, then.' Yusei sighed inwardly.
The difference is just the degree of surprise it brings.
If it were an intelligence contest, he would definitely give Kaguya a huge surprise... but with Kendo, there's much less surprise.
After all, Kaguya already knows his Kendo level.
As the referee, Hayasaka stepped forward once both sides had settled on the event.
"Please, everyone, move to the Kendo Hall. That will be the venue for the match."
Yusei nodded. He was already very familiar with that place.
The Imperial Family's members also quickly followed. Along the way, Prince Nariwa seemed quite relaxed.
Everyone soon arrived at the Kendo Hall.
It was empty inside.
Under Hayasaka's arrangements, attendants brought out various items: katana, bamboo swords, wooden swords, and of course, protective armor.
Considering this was a formal match, Yusei planned to hold back a bit. He prepared to put on the protective gear and have a proper, honest match.
But Prince Nariwa said quite proudly, "I won't wear the armor. It will be over quickly anyway. Putting it on and taking it off is a waste of time."
Hearing this, Yusei's motion of putting on the armor suddenly stopped. He had a sudden realization.
'Ah, right. It will be over quickly anyway. Why am I bothering with this?'
So, Yusei simply didn't wear the armor either and directly picked up a bamboo sword.
Prince Nariwa naturally noticed Yusei's action, but he felt disdainful inside.
'Trying to copy me by not wearing armor because you're afraid of losing your dignity in front of Shinomiya-san?'
'Heh. Your attempt to save your dignity is precisely the beginning of your humiliation. I won't hold back. I'll let Shinomiya-san see your pathetic side clearly.'
Prince Nariwa then picked up a bamboo sword and walked to the center of the arena.
The two stood facing each other, waiting for Hayasaka to announce the start.
Seeing both were ready, Hayasaka nodded and shouted loudly.
"Knockout, loss of fighting ability, or receiving over ten hits counts as a loss. Is that acceptable?"
"Acceptable."
"Agreed."
Hayasaka saw both agreed. She glanced at Prince Nariwa and sighed slightly.
She shook her head almost imperceptibly, as if feeling pity.
Then, she formally shouted.
"Match... begin!"
The moment her voice fell, Prince Nariwa immediately charged forward, gripping his sword.
Seeing Yusei standing still, Prince Nariwa thought he was frozen in fear.
He felt increasingly smug, deciding he must defeat the other party handsomely and cleanly to let Kaguya witness his prowess.
Prince Nariwa had indeed learned Kendo. Although it seemed as slow as a snail to Yusei, for an ordinary person, his speed was pretty good.
At the very least, his grip on the sword showed he had training.
Prince Nariwa had already closed the distance. Seeing Yusei still hadn't moved, a smile appeared on his face.
'The match is over. I've won. Soon, it will be a marriage alliance with the Shinomiya Family and the revitalization of the Imperial Family.'
The bamboo sword came down hard, aiming for Yusei's neck.
Prince Nariwa wanted to knock the other out with one strike, ending the match cleanly.
But... the next moment, he felt his body suddenly become light, followed by intense pain.
Before he could react, his head began to spin.
At the last moment, he seemed to see himself getting further and further from the ground, further and further from Yusei.
'I think... I'm flying?'