Chapter 42: The Kendo Match
"Please guide me!"
Chishima Akishin and Suzuki Tsuyoshi stood on opposite sides of the white lines, each bowing their heads in greeting.
Akishin's Tare was red and blank, whereas Suzuki Tsuyoshi's had 'Chiba' written horizontally and 'Suzuki Tsuyoshi' vertically.
Once Akishin entered official competitions, his would also read 'Chiba' and 'Chishima Akishin.'
Three veteran judges stood solemnly in three directions around them, their concentration absolute because this was a match personally initiated by Suzuki Tsuyoshi.
Around the arena, a crowd of about fifty men and women had gathered. Whether sitting cross-legged or standing, they watched with bated breath as the two raised their Shinai and crossed tips.
In this moment, it felt as though everyone's breathing had stopped. The air grew thick—an illusion born of their own tension.
Ogura Yuko and Hiratsuka Shizuka stood in the very front row. Yuko hid her excitement behind a mask of professional calm, while Shizuka was purely a bundle of nerves.
Akishin and Tsuyoshi raised their Shinai. The judge announced the start of the match, but for a moment, there was no movement and no sound.
After a few seconds, Akishin shifted his blade, and Tsuyoshi responded instantly by raising his own.
"Tsuki!" (Throat!)
A piercing shout shook the arena, startling everyone. But more than the sound, they were shocked by what was happening in the center of the floor.
Akishin had lowered his stance, the tip of his Shinai pressed firmly against Tsuyoshi's throat guard. Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi's Shinai was less than ten centimeters away from Akishin's Men.
Time seemed to freeze at this exact point.
The spectators hadn't seen it clearly; Akishin seemed to move in a mere blur, and suddenly he was right in front of Tsuyoshi.
In a distance of less than three meters, while an opponent is wary of a slash, a Tsuki (thrust) is the most effective technique—and it had hit its mark perfectly.
Tsuyoshi wasn't just some amateur, either. If Akishin had been a fraction of a second slower, Tsuyoshi's Shinai would have landed on Akishin's face protector.
However, because it didn't land, the attack was a failure. In a real fight, Suzuki Tsuyoshi would have been dead, his throat pierced by a blade.
Having landed the strike, Akishin executed a small leap back behind the white line to maintain Zanshin (post-strike awareness)—even though Tsuyoshi likely wouldn't have counter-attacked in that state.
Akishin bowed his head in respect, then raised his Shinai once more.
Only then did the three judges snap back to reality. Simultaneously, they raised their red flags, awarding one point (Ippon) to Akishin.
The crowd finally reacted with a mix of horror and excitement. They clapped for three seconds—not daring to clap too long or too loud for fear of disturbing the mood, let alone shouting.
Master Suzuki actually lost a point right at the start!
Only Shizuka looked bewildered. Chishima-kun got a point that quickly?
Behind his mask, a bead of sweat rolled down Suzuki Tsuyoshi's face. In that moment, he truly felt as though his neck had been pierced through.
Seeing Akishin bow, he centered himself. Without a word, his gaze became incredibly sharp and focused. He raised his Shinai again, crossing it with Akishin's.
The sound of breathing around them seemed to stop once more.
Three seconds later...
"Ah!"
A massive roar shook the gymnasium, far louder than Akishin's previous shout. This time, Tsuyoshi took the initiative, swinging his Shinai toward Akishin with crushing force.
Akishin raised his own Shinai to parry.
Clack!
The two blades collided and immediately separated, only to clash again...
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
Tsuyoshi maintained a relentless offensive, while Akishin focused on defense, slowly backing away. As they neared the edge of the arena, Tsuyoshi gripped his Shinai with both hands from the side and lunged forward with a thrust toward Akishin.
This is the moment I was waiting for.
Instead of backing away, Akishin stepped toward Tsuyoshi, rising on his toes and pivoting his body to the right. The opponent's Shinai whistled past Akishin's stomach without touching him.
Crap!
Tsuyoshi's vision blurred; he realized he'd been baited. He tried to sweep his Shinai horizontally, but Akishin's blade was already coming down on his head.
Clack!
"Men!" (Head!)
Accompanied by a powerful shout, Akishin's Shinai landed squarely on Tsuyoshi's face protector. Everyone present saw it. Everyone was a witness...
Suzuki Tsuyoshi—had lost!!!
The three judges looked at one another, seeing the same shock in each other's eyes, before quickly raising their red flags and announcing Chishima Akishin's victory.
In a three-point system, whoever reaches two points first is declared the winner.
There was no immediate applause or cheering from the crowd, simply because they hadn't processed it yet. The strongest person in their hearts, Suzuki Tsuyoshi, had actually lost.
The match had lasted exactly one minute and three seconds, and he hadn't managed to hit his opponent even once.
They didn't know how to express their feelings in that moment.
Up in the second-floor corridor of the gym, three middle-aged men in business suits looked at one another, each seeing the profound shock in their colleagues' eyes.
Down in the arena, Suzuki Tsuyoshi's body seemed to waver for a moment. He used his Shinai to steady himself, then walked back to the white line.
Akishin did the same. Both sheathed their Shinai and bowed respectfully.
"Amazing! That was incredible!..."
Only then did the crowd explode into cheers. Men, women, young and old—everyone cheered with genuine fervor.
But no one ran into the center—they were simply thrilled to have witnessed such an extraordinary match, where victory and defeat were decided in a heartbeat.
Shizuka was the only one who still looked utterly confused. Chishima-kun won? He won against Suzuki Tsuyoshi?
Tsuyoshi removed his mask. His face was drenched in sweat. He looked a bit disappointed, but there was a wide smile on his face.
Akishin removed his as well. His face was also covered in sweat, looking much the same as Tsuyoshi.
Though the match had only lasted a minute, both had been in a state of extreme mental concentration, which drains physical energy at a staggering rate.
"Chishima-san, congratulations on your victory. You gave me the feeling of a true swordsman," Tsuyoshi said, smiling.
"Thank you for being willing to hold back, Suzuki-san," Akishin replied, returning the smile.
He had just witnessed the power of the strongest practitioner of this era; it was impressive. While Tsuyoshi lacked life-or-death combat experience, every move was refined.
In truth, if they were talking purely about sword technique, Akishin was still a step behind Tsuyoshi. However, Akishin had faster reactions and superior agility.
With a frame like Tsuyoshi's, asking him to perform agile Tsuki techniques was a tall order.
Tsuyoshi shook his head, choosing not to say more, and began discussing sword techniques with Akishin as they walked out of the arena.
The young students nearby rushed over with towels and water, checking on their condition.
Akishin wiped the sweat from his head and walked over to Shizuka.
Shizuka, still clutching the sword bag, looked up at Akishin's face, then at the Shinai at his waist, taking in his appearance in the Kendo uniform. She asked, "Chishima, you... you really won? You won against Suzuki Tsuyoshi!"
Akishin reached out with his right hand and gently patted the sun hat on Shizuka's head, smiling. "Of course. Didn't I tell you I was great? What, still don't believe me?"
Shizuka shook her head. "It's just... a little hard to process."
"And now?"
"It still feels unreal."
"Sounds like your head is a mess. We're definitely going to the amusement park this afternoon."
"Wait, weren't we talking about Kendo?"
"I'm talking about our plans for fun!"
"...Act more serious. People are watching."
"How am I not being serious? The match and keeping you company are equally important."
"You... move, I'm getting water. I'm thirsty."
"Eh? Shizuka-chan, are you blushing?"
"No! Go away! Just get ready for the pre-selections later. That was just a friendly match..."
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