My love index is at its maximum.

"puff……"

A suppressed laugh came from the crowd, and in an instant, Tsukasa Tazaki felt more than a dozen eyes looking at him.

He could easily detect such mocking and contemptuous glances, much like a martial arts master could sense a person's aura and killing intent.

I don't know if it's a passive skill that the original owner developed after suffering so much hardship...

“Sigh…” Shiori Ninomiya sighed with a headache and complained in a low voice, “Then why did you fight him? Suki-kun, that was too reckless.”

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, there's no way to avoid it..." Tsukasa Tazaki shrugged indifferently, "Let me explain the rules to you."

"A regular kendo match lasts five minutes, with a three-minute overtime period. The match uses a three-point system, and the first player to reach three valid points wins."

What is a valid score?

"Only hitting valid striking points on the opponent's body can count as points. The eight points are the front, left and right sides, throat, left and right abdomen, and left and right wrists. Furthermore, whether a strike is valid depends on factors such as the momentum of the strike, the distance, the opportunity, the striking position, and the striking power."

"This is troublesome." Tsukasa Tazaki frowned.

He was currently ill, and his physical strength and condition were at a disadvantage. The longer the fight lasted, the greater his disadvantage would become. On the other hand, Kichikawa Shinhiro was in good health. If he attacked with all his might, he might not even have the strength to hold his sword after a few rounds.

Therefore, let's switch to a competition format that's more advantageous for me.

Since the competition is about "martial arts," whether or not it involves swordsmanship is completely irrelevant.

Soon, Shinjiro Kikkawa, dressed in a kendo uniform and wearing a full set of protective gear, came out of the locker room.

"Here, hurry up and change your clothes." He tossed a black bag at Tsukasa Tazaki's feet and said jokingly, "I'm excited all over right now."

Tazaki Tsukasa didn't look at the bag at his feet, but walked straight to the practice area marked with white lines. "Let's have a no-rules match," he said calmly, standing in the middle of the area, his eyes fixed straight ahead. "That'll be more exciting."

Kikawa Shinhiro paused for a moment, then smiled broadly.

I was just going to hit you a few times to vent my anger and then let you off the hook, but now you're asking for trouble. You really don't know what's good for you!

With a few clangs, Kikawa Shinhiro threw his already-put-on armor to the ground, gripped his bamboo sword, and stepped into the arena.

The entire activity room fell silent instantly, the atmosphere heavy and slightly oppressive.

Soon, a sound broke the near-frozen atmosphere.

"You should feel lucky that so many people are watching!"

A calm and composed voice echoed in the somewhat empty activity room.

A look of surprise flashed across Kisakawa Shinhiro's face. Before he could even think, Tazaki Tsukasa had already attacked with his bamboo sword.

His thin body was like a taut bowstring, and his sharp gaze met that of Kikawa Shinhiro, who seemed completely unresponsive.

The next moment, the bamboo sword drew a crescent-shaped arc in the air and slashed towards the enemy's head.

The speed was so fast that Shinhiro Kikawa didn't have time to make a more effective response, and could only complete a block by relying on muscle memory.

"Oh!"

The bamboo knives clashed together, producing a dull thud.

After deflecting Tazaki Tsukasa's bamboo sword with a flick of his wrists, Shinjiro thought to himself, "That weak force is nothing to worry about." He swiftly swung his sword, aiming for Tazaki Tsukasa's cheek.

In that instant, Tsukasa Tazaki gripped the hilt of the sword with his right hand and thrust the blade straight out.

From stillness to motion, then a sudden halt, followed by another full-force thrust—the speed and trajectory were astonishing. The movements were clean and swift, without the slightest hesitation.

However, his own unguarded body was completely exposed to Kikawa Shinhiro's attack range.

The spirit of Japanese swordsmanship, where a single strike can decide life or death, was fully displayed at this moment.

In a flash, a hint of hesitation crossed Kisakawa Shinhiro's eyes, and his hand, which was about to strike Tazaki Tsukasa's cheek, paused slightly. When he came to his senses again, he felt a pain in his throat.

Then came a "Ugh... Wah!" sound, and she clutched her throat and rolled on the floor.

Only now did he understand what Tsukasa Tazaki meant by "you should feel fortunate." If there hadn't been a crowd watching, his throat bone...

Tazaki Tsukasa didn't look at him again, threw away the bamboo sword, and walked out of the area.

Shiori Ninomiya clasped her hands in front of her chest, gazing at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

A faint smile, like wisps of smoke, graced the corners of Kuriyama Sakura's lips.

This should be the perfect image of a young samurai. When fighting, his eyes shine with charisma and intensity. When quiet, he is gentle and refined, with a melancholy look in his eyes.

Takumi Takeuchi, standing on the sidelines, couldn't close his mouth for a long time, his palms sweating as he recalled his earlier provocation.

From the downward chop to the thrust, the entire movement was swift, fluid, and executed in one smooth motion. He had never even imagined such composure, speed, and precision.

"Taka...Tazaki-san..." someone asked, "What was the name of that sword strike just now?"

what is it call?

Tazaki glanced at the sky outside the window, and just then, an eagle soared through the air, its graceful figure leaving an elegant silhouette against the azure backdrop.

After a moment, he replied, "That sword strike was called a normal attack."

Chapter Seventeen: Librarian Shimamoto-sensei

[Feeling that her previous thought was foolish and wanting to get closer to you, the Yajima Hazuki stock index rose 50 points. Current stock price: 52]

[Awesome! Shiori Ninomiya's stock index rose 30 points. Current stock price: 60]

[Very good, worth further observation. The Kuriyama Sakura Stock Index rose 20 points. Current stock price: 40]

Besides the three of them, several other people also looked dazed. The one named Ueda had her mouth wide open in an exaggerated "O" shape, and as for the others, their minds were basically in chaos.

No one except Tsukasa Tazaki himself could have predicted this outcome; what was happening before their eyes felt like a dream.

Many of those present had received basic kendo training, and even if their skill level wasn't great, they still had the ability to deduce the situation from a combat perspective.

If those two attacks from Tsukasa Tazaki were delivered by me...

After accepting the result, a deep sense of admiration arose in their hearts, and they began to look at Tsukasa Tazaki with respect and curiosity.

This shift in sentiment stems from two factors. First, Tsukasa Tazaki's performance was indeed convincing. Second, the Japanese national character itself is inherently contradictory.

Warlike yet peaceful, militaristic yet aesthetically inclined, arrogant yet courteous...

The source of the conflict can be clearly seen from the perspective of the superior-subordinate relationship.

Juniors and subordinates must maintain a respectful and humble attitude when facing seniors and superiors, and should never offend them casually.

But besides that, there is another trend in the relationship between seniors and subordinates that has always existed, but very few people actually follow it.

Subordinates overthrow superiors.

Compared to being placed in a high position by seniors who entered the industry earlier or have more seniority, the act of overthrowing a senior through ability, if successful, will surely earn the respect and even admiration of most people.

As Tazaki Tsukasa picked up the half-empty bottle of water and prepared to leave, he nodded to Ninomiya Shiori and said, "Thank you for today."

“Then… as a way of repaying him…” Ninomiya Shiori leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkling, and asked, “Let’s go to a coffee shop together.”

A breeze blew in from the window behind her, lifting her long hair and revealing her pink earlobes that were hidden by her black hair.

The adorable little earlobes look like a little rabbit peeking out of a dark hole, making you want to reach out, grab the rabbit's ears, lift the whole rabbit out, and hold it in your hands to play with it slowly.

Want some coffee?

No money!

Tsukasa Tazaki said casually, "Next time."

Then, he turned to look at Kuriyama Sakura, meeting her eyes filled with a sense of exploration. Her gaze gave the impression that she was staring into a cage woven from air, a cage containing an endangered animal called Tazaki Tsukasa.

"Goodbye, Kuriyama-kun."

After saying that, Tsukasa Tazaki turned and walked towards the door.

"Hey... you bastard..." Kirikawa Shinhiro clutched his throat and stood up from the floor, "Don't go..."

Tsukasa Tazaki paused for a moment on the doorknob.

"No one is born to be bullied. If you have any other ideas, I'm always ready to discuss them."

The words had barely left his lips when he vanished. The open gate revealed only a lush, overgrown courtyard, where several gray pigeons flew from one tree to another, frantically pecking at the insects hidden among the leaves.

……

On April 29th, in Tokyo, the indoor temperature was 18 degrees Celsius. Tsukasa Tazaki felt a little cold, but beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He climbed from the third floor to the fifth floor of the club building and, while resting in front of the elevated corridor, opened the system interface.

[Holding 1000 shares of Yajima Hazuki]

Are all units to be sold?

[Yajima Hazuki stock has been sold off, with proceeds of 52000]

The kendo club was just a place I happened to pass by, and I probably wouldn't have any interaction with Yajima Hazuki, so I made a quick buck and ran, taking the money to do something else.

With 52000 in income, plus the remaining 13000, the available funds rose to 65000. Tazaki Tsukasa leaned against the wall and began to organize his thoughts.

First, the redemption options in the store will be updated tomorrow.

Item and skill update options are unknown.

Regarding basic attributes, this month it's Intelligence, so next month it should be a choice between Charm and Stamina.

No matter what the final reward is, 65000 in funds will definitely not be enough.

Tazaki Tsukasa opened the [Stocks Interface] and glanced at the stocks he currently held.

Account Name: Tsukasa Tazaki

[Remaining Funds: 65000]

[Stocks held: Shiori Ninomiya (1000), Kanae Kasuga (1000), Sakura Kuriyama (1000)]

Number of stocks with large market capitalization: 6

[Market Index: 312]

Shiori Ninomiya's current stock price is 60, Sakura Kuriyama's is 40, and Kanae Kasuga's is 20. If you sell all of them, you can get 120000 in funds. Adding the existing 65,000, the total is 185,000.

It's still not enough... Hopefully, your stock price will rise a bit more in May.

After thinking for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki closed the interface.

After walking through the elevated corridor, you arrive at the library located on the fourth floor of the main building.