Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Time passed second by second, but the two remained motionless, like two statues.

Only their eyes moved subtly, observing every detail of the other person.

The rhythm of breathing, the tension in the muscles, the subtle changes in footwork, the strength in gripping the sword…

Any tiny flaw could become an opportunity for the opponent to attack.

This wait lasted for two minutes.

For the audience, this static standoff was clearly somewhat boring.

Yukiko, with her lively and active personality, was the first to be unable to resist.

She stretched and yawned.

"How boring... How long are these two going to stare at each other like that? Just start fighting already! This isn't a movie, why are they posing like that!"

Eri glanced at her: "It's not that simple. Kendo matches are not only a contest of strength and speed, but also a contest of mentality and patience."

"Whoever loses their composure and makes the first move is more likely to reveal a weakness. They are both experts and naturally understand this principle, so they are waiting for the other to make the first move."

"Tch, I understand all these principles," Yukiko waved her hand impatiently, "I just think it's too..."

Just as Yukiko was complaining, things finally changed on the field.

With the first game's time running out, if a winner isn't decided soon, the game will end in a draw.

Ikeba Shizuka was getting impatient; her right shoulder twitched slightly, a sign that she was preparing to attack.

This subtle change might go unnoticed by ordinary people, but for a master like Hattori Heizo, it was as clear as a beacon in the darkness.

Just as Ikenami Shizuka raised her arm, preparing to launch an attack, Hattori Heizo moved.

His movements were as fast as lightning.

He suddenly lunged forward, his wooden clogs scraping across the sandy ground with a short, sharp screech.

Almost simultaneously, the bamboo sword in his hand shot out like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, its target clear: Ikeba Shizuka's abdomen.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of striking echoed in the courtyard.

Before Shizuka Ikenami could even make a complete attack move, her abdominal protective gear was already hit.

Although the bamboo sword was not lethal, the force and accuracy of this strike still caused her to involuntarily take half a step back.

Time seemed to freeze for a second.

Then, Midori Orikasa's clear voice rang out: "First round, Heizo Hattori wins!"

After announcing the results, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Hattori-senpai is so fast... I didn't even see how he made his move before I saw Shizuka-nee get knocked back."

The onlookers gasped in amazement.

Indeed, Hattori Heizo's attack was incredibly fast; from initiation to impact, it probably took less than half a second.

In the arena, Ikebane Shizuka steadied herself, rubbed her abdomen where she had been hit, and instead of annoyance, her face was full of admiration.
"It was indeed fast... I was already prepared to attack, but I was still a step too slow. I admit defeat completely."

Hattori Heizo sheathed his sword, resumed his standing posture, and wore a humble smile.

"If you weren't in a hurry, I wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity."

That's the truth; in a duel between masters, the difference often lies in a single thought.

"I won't lose the next game," said Shizuka Ikemura earnestly, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Losing the first game did not dampen her confidence; on the contrary, it fueled her competitive spirit.

After a short break, the second game began quickly.

This time, everyone watching thought that Shizuka Ikebab would be more patient and defend steadily after learning from the lesson of the previous game.

After all, she lost the first game because she was impatient, and a normal person would learn from that. But Shizuka Ikenami is clearly not a "normal person".

At the start of the second game, she adopted a completely different strategy.

The moment the referee announced the start, Shizuka Ikenami did not adopt a defensive stance as she had in the first game, but instead took the initiative to attack.

With a low shout, she charged towards Hattori Heizo like an arrow released from a bow, her bamboo sword transforming into a series of afterimages as she unleashed a storm of attacks upon him.

Her attacks were relentless: upper slashes, middle thrusts, lower sweeps... each strike was powerful and delivered with tricky angles.

This style of fighting, which completely abandons defense and focuses entirely on offense, is called "sacrifice technique" in Kendo. It is a high-risk, high-reward tactic.

Hattori Heizo clearly hadn't expected her to do that.

Logically, the person who loses the first game should be more cautious.

But Shizuka Ikenami's unconventional approach disrupted his rhythm.

He was forced to switch to full defense, his bamboo sword flashing rapidly in front of him as he parried, dodged, and retreated...

But Shizuka Ikenami's offensive was too fierce, like a surging tide, wave after wave, giving her opponent no chance to breathe.

Under such pressure, even a master like Hattori Heizo would inevitably make mistakes.

In a rapid exchange of blows, Shizuka Ikenami's bamboo sword swung up from below at an unusual angle, striking Heizo Hattori's left wrist.

Although the wrist is not a scoring area, this strike disrupted his defensive rhythm.

Immediately afterward, Ikenami Shizuka seized this fleeting opportunity, thrusting her bamboo sword out like a venomous snake, striking Hattori Heizo's throat guard squarely.

"Snapped!"

Another crisp sound.

This time, it was Shizuka Ikenami who scored.

"In the second round, Shizuka Ikenami wins!" Midori Orikasa announced loudly, the excitement of the match exceeding her expectations.

……

In the next two games, both sides had their wins and losses.

In the third game, Hattori Heizo adjusted his strategy and won with more agile footwork and precise counterattacks.

In the fourth game, Shizuka Ikenami demonstrated her solid fundamentals and tenacious defense, seizing the moment when Heizo Hattori was exhausted during the war of attrition to score.

The four-game match ended quickly, with Shizuka Ikebab and Heizo Hattori tied at 2-2.

Now, only one game remains, and this will be the crucial game that determines the outcome.

The atmosphere in the courtyard became tense.

The sunlight seemed even hotter, and the cicadas' chirping in the trees sounded particularly shrill.

Everyone held their breath, watching the two people in the arena intently.

"Onii-chan, who do you think will win?" Reiko tugged at her brother's arm and asked in a low voice.

Lin Xiuyi rubbed her eyes and yawned: "Who knows?"

The match between the two was actually very exciting; their moves, tactics, and psychological warfare were all top-notch.

But Lin Xiuyi was busy all night last night, fighting, getting injured, recovering... he hardly slept at all.

I was called to the crime scene again this morning, after experiencing so much.

Now, sitting in the warm sunshine, watching the rhythmic kendo matches, and listening to the cicadas chirping, drowsiness washes over me like a tide.

He felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, his head bobbing up and down, and he was almost falling asleep.

Tomizawa Chikage, standing to the side, was doing the same thing, yawning incessantly, tears welling up in her eyes... (End of Chapter)