Chapter 317: Crushing Weaklings |
There was no probing, and no back-and-forth exchanges. Akiyama Mio only struck twice from start to finish, and Suzuki Sawami was swiftly and cleanly defeated.
The first strike was to the head—a Men, and the second to the torso—a Do. For both attacks, Suzuki Sawami had absolutely no time to react.
In fact, it was not until the referee announced her defeat that she finally realized she had already lost.
Off the stage, Shimizu Yu had already stood up. It was not because she was next in line to compete, but because she knew her best friend must be deeply devastated right now. She jogged over to receive Suzuki Sawami.
From Hoshino Gen's perspective, he watched the usually bubbly girl, who was always inseparable from Shimizu Yu, throw her arms around her best friend. She buried her face in Shimizu Yu's embrace, her shoulders trembling up and down. It looked like she was crying.
Hoshino Gen took a single glance before retracting his gaze. He could already foresee how the rest of this competition would unfold.
He found it quite boring to watch, but he wondered how the newly awakened Transcendent involved felt about it. Did she find it highly amusing to rely on her supernatural power to crush the pride and self-confidence of a group of young girls...
Smiling in indifference, Hoshino Gen felt there was no need to keep watching. He would just wait to see if that idiot got beaten to tears too, and then he could pretty much pack up and leave.
On the other side, Shimizu Yu only had time to softly comfort her best friend for a few moments before she was rushed off to put on her protective gear and prepare for her match.
After all, even she could predict that once she lost, the teammates stepping up after her would just be serving themselves up on a silver platter. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that as long as she lost, the summer vacation for the Segawa Private Academy Girls' Kendo Club would end prematurely.
And she knew very well that she did not have the slightest chance of winning.
Their journey in this tournament was going to end right here...
Under the referee's instructions, Shimizu Yu still stepped onto the stage.
Holding her bamboo sword with both hands, she assumed the Chudan no Kamae stance and faced Akiyama Mio.
Akiyama Mio wore a faint smile on her lips, mirroring the stance as she confronted Shimizu Yu.
"Long time no see. I wonder if Shimizu-san still remembers a nobody like me?"
The referee announced the start of the match, but Akiyama Mio did not launch a lightning-fast assault right out of the gate like in the previous bout. Instead, she just stood there without making a move, smiling as she casually struck up a conversation with Shimizu Yu.
Shimizu Yu was taken aback, obvious puzzlement showing in her clear eyes.
Akiyama Mio let out a soft sigh. "You really forgot, huh... Let me give you a hint. Last year's Gyokuryuki Tournament."
Shimizu Yu furrowed her elegant brows. She stared at Akiyama Mio's face for a good while but still drew a blank. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up, "I am sorry, I do not remember..."
Akiyama Mio narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly, then let out a light chuckle. "I see. It does not matter if you do not remember. This time, I will make sure you remember me very well, Shimizu-san."
The moment the words left her mouth, she lunged forward. Her bamboo sword sliced through the air with a howling gust and viciously smashed into Shimizu Yu's left arm.
Thwack!
"Ugh...!" Shimizu Yu's face turned pale. An intense bolt of agony instantly flared from her arm. Had it not been for her astonishing endurance and clenched jaw, she would have likely screamed out loud on the spot.
'Why... such terrifying power! Even with the protective gear...'
"Invalid!" The referee raised the small flags in his hand. Because Akiyama Mio had not called out the corresponding target area during her strike, even though she had hit Shimizu Yu, it was ruled an invalid attack and yielded no points.
Akiyama Mio did not care in the slightest. Or rather, this was her intention all along.
Shimizu Yu clutched her battered arm. The sheer pain stimulated her tear ducts, causing a faint glimmer of tears to pool at the corners of her eyes.
Yet Akiyama Mio simply stood opposite her, still wearing that beaming smile.
The referee waved the flag, signaling the match to continue.
Separated by the protective gear's face guard, Shimizu Yu could not even wipe the tears from her eyes. She clenched her teeth and assumed a combative stance once more.
And then—
Thwack!
A strike to the abdomen. Once again, Akiyama Mio did not call out the corresponding target area.
"Ugh...!"
The bamboo sword slipped from Shimizu Yu's grasp. Clutching her abdomen with both hands, she collapsed straight onto the floor.
The entire venue erupted in an uproar. If the first instance could be excused as a careless mistake, failing to declare the target before attacking a second time was blatantly intentional. Moreover, looking at the state of the struck competitor on the court, one could easily imagine just how monstrous Akiyama Mio's power was.
The members from Segawa Private Academy were thoroughly enraged, and the accompanying teacher immediately lodged a protest.
The referee team exchanged dismayed glances. This was the first time they had encountered such a situation. Although technically neither side had broken any rules, this method was clearly crossing a line, especially in a high school competition...
Ultimately, the referee team announced a three-minute rest period. They needed to report to the organizing committee to re-evaluate the rules.
Shimizu Yu was helped down from the competition stage by Suzuki Sawami and another girl. The other team members hurriedly stepped forward to help her remove her protective gear, asking if she was alright, if she could still hold on, or if she should just forfeit.
Shimizu Yu did not answer them. Her gaze drifted toward Hoshino Gen, who was sitting in the rest area with a calm expression.
Shimizu Yu pursed her lips, feeling deeply wronged. Lowering her head without saying a word, she gently pulled away from the teammates supporting and surrounding her. Clutching her abdomen with one hand, she walked over and sat in the seat right next to Hoshino Gen.
Hoshino Gen did not initiate a conversation, and Shimizu Yu kept her head down in silence. The other team members looked at each other, unsure if they should approach.
The team doctor hurried over. She gently grabbed Shimizu Yu's arm, rolling up the sleeve to examine the spot that had been hit earlier. It was entirely bruised purple. Frowning, the doctor muttered under her breath about how it was even possible to get beaten up this badly through such thick protective gear, all while digging through her portable medical kit for ointment to apply to the injury.
The doctor also told Shimizu Yu to accompany her to the changing room to examine her struck abdomen, but Shimizu Yu refused.
The coach walked over as well, asking if she still wanted to continue the match. He assured her that if she could not go on, no one would blame her if she forfeited.
Shimizu Yu shook her head and refused again.
The three-minute rest period passed quickly. The referee announced that the organizing committee had reached a decision: moving forward in the competition, if anyone intentionally attacked an opponent without calling out the target area and landed a successful strike, the person struck would instantly be awarded a point.
After announcing the temporarily modified rules, the match was set to resume.
Shimizu Yu, who had kept her head lowered this whole time, stood up and glanced at Hoshino Gen one more time. Just as she was about to put on her protective gear and take the stage, Hoshino Gen called out to her.
Shimizu Yu turned back in puzzlement, and Hoshino Gen tossed something toward her.
She caught it out of reflex. Looking down, she discovered that resting in the center of her palm was a pitch-black ring.
Meanwhile, on the index finger of Hoshino Gen's left hand, an identical ring was prominently displayed. The corners of his lips curled up slightly as he spoke to Shimizu Yu in a calm tone, "Put it on."
Shimizu Yu's face was full of puzzlement. "What does... this mean?"
Hoshino Gen chuckled. "Seeing that person having so much fun, it sparked my curiosity."
He firmly pulled the dazed Shimizu Yu toward him, picked up the black ring from her hand, and slipped it onto her finger. "So, I plan to go up there and see for myself if crushing weaklings really is that entertaining."