After the two finished putting on their protective gear, they stood facing each other in the center of the classroom. In terms of presence alone, the aura surrounding them was far beyond anything the previous participants could compare to.
The crowd outside the windows stared at the two in surprise, immediately breaking into discussion.
"They both feel insanely strong!"
"Yeah, this is completely different from before."
"Could Nohara-kun also be a kendo expert?!"
"Very possible! Did you hear about what happened in the executive committee office? They say Nohara-kun pressured that second-year Sagami Minami so hard she could barely breathe!"
"Hehe! What kind of pressure?"
"Hiss, you idiot, what if Nohara hears you?"
"Ahem! It's not like he can hear me from here."
Sato and Yuuki Asuna stood facing one another. Suddenly, Sato looked at the girl opposite him and asked:
"Practical kendo or competitive kendo?"
The rules between the two were completely different.
Competitive kendo was meant for sport, naturally carrying numerous rules and restrictions. Practical kendo, on the other hand, had almost no limitations at all. You could even hold a sword in one hand and a gun in the other...
Yuuki Asuna hesitated slightly. Then the girl took a deep breath and said:
"Practical kendo!"
Sato narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Then come."
Seeing this, Kirigaya Kazuto, who was acting as referee, raised a hand and loudly declared:
"Bow!"
"Tennen Rishin-ryu, Yuuki Asuna, present!"
Yuuki Asuna stepped forward, her determined voice echoing from beneath the mask.
Tennen Rishin-ryu?
The name meant harmonizing with the natural principles of the world, adapting flexibly and responding naturally to an enemy's movements. It was one of the more widespread schools among many kendo styles.
Suddenly, Sato's brows twitched slightly.
"You only started learning after entering the game, right?"
"Yeah."
Yuuki Asuna nodded from not far in front of him.
Sato glanced at the bamboo sword in his right hand before raising his head to look at Yuuki Asuna.
"No school. Nohara Sato, present!"
The moment his words fell, the classroom abruptly became silent.
The two stood five or six meters apart, staring at each other from afar. Even though neither had moved yet, an oppressive pressure spread throughout the surroundings.
The classmates acting as background props couldn't help swallowing nervously.
Why did sitting here feel like they might get sliced apart by sword aura at any moment?!
Yuuki Asuna gripped the handle with her left hand at the end of the hilt, her little finger extending slightly past it. The lower part of her palm pressed against the back of the grip as her little finger and ring finger tightened while the remaining fingers held naturally. Her left fist rested about one and a half fists below her navel.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Yuuki Asuna moved!
At that moment, her figure resembled a swift cheetah as she thrust forward with the bamboo sword held in both hands. The distance of four or five meters vanished in an instant!
So fast!
Everyone who witnessed it was shocked. Yuuki Asuna had seemed to teleport, stabbing straight toward Sato in the blink of an eye.
Sato narrowed his eyes as he watched Yuuki Asuna rush toward him with a lowered posture. Through the mask, he could even see the determination in her eyes.
He was certain that Yuuki Asuna had already begun awakening.
Flash of Light!
That was the description of Yuuki Asuna's talent. It seemed her ability granted some sort of speed enhancement.
Asuna the Flash...
His gaze captured the changes in Yuuki Asuna's middle stance. The tip of her sword pointed directly toward his eyes. This opening stance should be the Hira-Seigan stance from Tennen Rishin-ryu, followed by a triple thrust aimed at the upper body.
Sato himself actually wasn't especially proficient in kendo.
But he had cheats.
[Hero Module Loaded! Champion Selected: Master Yi!]
The moment the module loaded, his eyesight and swordsmanship instantly rose to an unimaginable level.
Clack!
Sato raised the bamboo sword in his hand upward to block. The two bamboo swords collided, producing a rapid and violent clash.
When the first strike failed, Yuuki Asuna immediately changed her attack pattern, thrusting toward Sato's chest instead.
Her movements were swift as wind, impossible to predict.
Clack!
Yet this strike was blocked by Sato as well.
The bamboo sword he had just swung instantly reversed and intercepted her attack as though he had predicted it in advance.
A trace of shock flashed through Yuuki Asuna's eyes, but the bamboo sword in her hands didn't stop. She quickly withdrew it halfway before suddenly reversing direction and slashing toward Sato's chest.
Sato, however, pulled his own bamboo sword back and used the tip to redirect the descending blade in Yuuki Asuna's hands.
The two collided once more with another sharp clack!
Normally, with both hands gripping the sword, the force from the blade itself should far surpass the force from the sword tip.
Yet Sato used unimaginable strength to knock Yuuki Asuna's bamboo sword aside.
Step! Step! Step!
Yuuki Asuna uncontrollably staggered backward several steps, staring blankly at Sato.
The two separated.
The entire room fell silent.
Then suddenly...
An uproar of shocked cries erupted from all around. The spectators stared at the two with stunned expressions.
"Holy crap! What just happened?!"
"My eyes couldn't even keep up!"
"They're way too fast! Those two are definitely kendo experts!"
"How many times did they exchange blows just now? I heard two clashes!"
"Wrong! Three times! A full three exchanges!"
Not only the seated "background props," but even the people crowded around the windows began discussing heatedly.
Many customers waiting further back in line stared with wide eyes before becoming unable to suppress their excitement.
So this is kendo?!
Yuuki Asuna took two deep breaths to steady herself. Even the hand gripping her bamboo sword trembled slightly.
Although her exchange with Sato had only lasted an instant, it felt to her as though she had gone through a fierce battle.
Kendo was not merely a clash of physical strength, but also a contest of spirit and swordsmanship.
What true kendo masters pursued was the realm of "unity of heart and technique."
In other words, it was like the "sword and self as one" or "harmony between man and heaven" spoken in the legends.
Such a state consumed an astonishing amount of mental energy.
Her gaze hidden beneath the mask drifted toward Sato's feet, and her pupils immediately contracted.
Yuuki Asuna sharply noticed that even during that intense exchange just now, Sato's footsteps had never moved outside a one-meter radius!
"So strong...?"
She muttered softly to herself before suddenly raising her head to look at Sato.
Her gaze was sharp, her spirit surging high, like a storm-piercing seabird proudly lifting its head against the raging winds.
"Please defeat me with your true strength!"
Yuuki Asuna's voice echoed throughout the classroom.
Though not especially loud, it carried extraordinary force, instantly suppressing every other sound.
The classroom returned to silence as countless eyes turned toward Sato.
Sato looked into Yuuki Asuna's eyes beneath the mask.
Then, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"As you wish!"