Chapter 12: Was That Too Harsh on Him?

Chapter 12: Was That Too Harsh on Him?

In a deserted alley, with only a few pedestrians in sight.

Under a black streetlamp, the two stood several meters apart. They drew their bamboo swords and assumed their opening stances.

"Here I come!"

Junichi shouted, breaking the silence. In an instant, his body moved, and his bamboo sword thrust out like a nimble snake, fierce and whistling through the air.

Clack!

The next moment, Junichi stared blankly down at the bamboo sword that had fallen to the ground.

When?

"Want to try again?"

"Again!" Junichi gritted his teeth and picked up the sword, gripping it tightly.

He had been holding back to test the waters before. If he went all out, there was no way he would...

Clack!

The bamboo sword fell from his hand once more.

After tumbling a few times, it came to a stop right at Junichi's feet. He stood there in a daze for a long moment before his knees gradually buckled, and he sank to a half-kneel on the ground, staring at his sword, utterly crestfallen.

How... how is this possible?

At the Isshin Dojo, he was the strongest among his peers, practically the lead disciple. He even sometimes served as a teaching assistant, helping Koshiro instruct the younger children.

If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have been so confident as to set out for Cherry Blossom Island alone, intending to win the kendo tournament and restore the Sakuraba name.

But...

The brawny young man opposite him was two years younger than he was. Yet his mastery of swordsmanship had reached a level he couldn't even begin to fathom, like an insurmountable mountain.

One move. It only took one move.

He was thoroughly defeated, not even possessing the right to see his opponent's blade trajectory or parry the blow.

In that moment, he could almost hear his own confidence in his swordsmanship shattering like glass.

Opposite him, Shane sheathed his bamboo sword, his gaze sweeping over Junichi, taking in his entire reaction.

Tsk, was that a bit too harsh on him?

However, telling him the truth right now—that I don't actually know any swordsmanship at all—would probably be even more hurtful. Better to wait until after the competition, and if there's a chance, I'll explain it then.

"Time to go."

Shane gently patted his shoulder as a gesture of comfort, then led the way towards the inn.

On the way, Junichi remained lost in the shock of his defeat, his head hung low in silence. Shane, meanwhile, focused his attention on the system panel he had just opened, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

[Name: Shane]

[Age: 13]

[Height: 176cm]

[Strength: 2.2]

[Agility: 2.0]

[Endurance: 2.1]

[Spirit: 1.4]

This was the first time he had checked his stats since finishing his intensive training that afternoon. All his basic attributes had increased significantly compared to before his breakthrough.

"2.0 seems to be a key threshold. Anyone who crosses this mark is like a different species compared to the ordinary people of this sea."

Shane drew his conclusion.

Setting aside strength, which was the biggest gap between him and Junichi, just his muscle reaction speed and dynamic visual acuity were on a completely different level.

From the moment Junichi drew his sword to the moment he thrust, every single action looked like it was in slow motion to Shane. Frame by frame, he could find the perfect moment to press pause, switch from defense to offense, and break his opponent's attack.

In the manga, Zoro's fight with Mihawk at the Baratie was somewhat similar. Before Mihawk drew his Black Blade, Yoru, to show respect, his initial skirmish with Zoro using the small knife couldn't even be considered a duel between swordsmen.

From Zoro's perspective, Mihawk's swordsmanship was simply on another plane, allowing him to be defeated so easily with just a small knife.

But from Mihawk's perspective—the same one Shane now had defeating Junichi—it had nothing to do with swordsmanship. It was simply a higher-level being delivering a dimensional beatdown to a regular human. It wouldn't have mattered if he had used a toothpick or his own fingers instead of a knife.

When the gap in power is too vast, one can shatter all techniques with brute force alone.

Shane closed the system panel and glanced at the frail boy behind him, who looked as if he'd been hit by one of Perona's Negative Hollows.

"Although Junichi has been immersed in kendo since childhood and is a bit single-minded, he isn't the type to be clueless about his own abilities. When he said he was going to compete for the championship, he wasn't just boasting; he truly had the confidence to back it up."

If Shane could defeat him so easily relying on his massive physical advantage, then the gap between himself and the other contestants was likely just as huge.

The East Blue was, after all, the weakest of the four seas. There wasn't a single true master swordsman here. No matter what dark horse emerged in this tournament, he should be able to handle them easily without worrying about his own clumsy swordsmanship being exposed.

For the cost of just one day, he could get five million Belli and help Junichi at the same time. It was a win-win situation no matter how he looked at it.

A day and two nights passed in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the competition.

At seven in the morning, when Junichi, dressed and ready, walked out of his room, he found a figure already training in the inn's empty courtyard below.

"Three hundred, three hundred and one... Oh, you're awake."

Shane brought his legs together, did a backflip, and landed steadily on his feet. He picked up a towel to wipe his sweat and said with a smile, "I've got all my stuff ready too. Shall we go?"

"Yeah!" Junichi nodded forcefully.

From that night two days ago until now, his mindset had gradually recovered. He was especially impressed yesterday when Shane went to the seaside to train at the crack of dawn and didn't return until midnight. Even he was struck by that level of dedication.

If his opponent had spent his whole life training that hard and also possessed a natural talent for swordsmanship, then being defeated in a single blow didn't seem so unacceptable after all.

Junichi took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly as he looked towards the huge banner barely visible in the distance. He couldn't compete with Mr. Shane for the championship, but today was a day he had dreamed of for a long time. He had his own battles to fight!

Cherry Blossom Island was high in the north and low in the south. The Seven Great Dojos were all located in the northern part of the city, arranged in a line down the slope, converging at the large, crescent-shaped plaza in the city center.

At this moment, the plaza was already teeming with people and bustling with excitement.

Nearly a hundred temporary wooden stages were scattered about. Long lines formed at the registration desks, and staff members in dojo uniforms hurried back and forth. The huge banners hanging from the four corners, the ubiquitous pale pink decorations, and the cherry blossoms falling with the wind created a rich, festive atmosphere.

In a nearby café on the second floor, two cups of cappuccino steamed on a table.

"Boss, that kid is here," the tall swordsman on the right side of the round table said in a low voice, wearing a white fox mask. He was looking at Junichi, who was following closely behind Shane into the plaza.

"Mm, I see him."

The middle-aged man sitting opposite him was dressed lavishly. He glanced over and then looked away. He tapped the table lightly with his index finger and said flatly, "That muscle-bound guy with him, he doesn't look very old. Have you found out who he is?"