After Ayakoji Chiyoko won, the whole arena burst into warm applause.
It wasn't for any other reason than she had once again advanced the ranking record of female swordsmen at the unrestricted national tournament.
Now, Ayakoji Chiyoko could proudly claim herself to be the strongest female high school swordsman in the whole Island Nation.
If she also won her next match, she would be able to remove the word 'female' and become the strongest high school swordsman in the whole Island Nation.
But a huge mountain still stood before this honor.
As Ayakoji Chiyoko removed her faceguard and wiped the sweat as she walked back to her own team, she saw Kagura Hikaru putting on his protective gear, his movements meticulous and his expression as calm as still water.
Just after Ayakoji Chiyoko's match had ended, it was soon his turn.
Yet from him, you couldn't sense any tension, as if he were going to eat instead of competing.