I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

For some reason, a strange competitive spirit filled Qingdeng's chest.

At the same time, Chiba Eijiro also scrutinized Aoto from head to toe with a critical gaze.

Then, he cast a meaningful glance at Qingdeng.

Before the battle even began, an indescribable, eerie atmosphere had already permeated the space between the two...

……

……

This is not a commercial sporting event, so there are no sponsor advertising sessions or drawn-out warm-up activities.

After Chiba Eijiro arrived, the two stretched briefly, then picked up their bamboo swords and, stepping through the snow, moved to the north and south ends of the dueling arena.

Pretending to be cool... ah, no, maintaining one's personal image is important, but it is ultimately just a means of "adding icing on the cake".

If you can't defeat Chiba Eijiro, no matter how gorgeous your clothes are, how cool your lines are, or how dashing your pose is, it's all just a mirage.

Qingdeng twirled his sword, shaking off the snowflakes floating on the blade, and then braced the bamboo sword, assuming a mid-range stance.

"Bring it on!"

Chiba Eijiro smiled.

"I'm always ready to teach you!"

Then he shouted:

"Chiba Eijiro Naruyuki, the 14th head of the Chiba family of the Taira clan and the successor of the Hokushin Itto-ryu style, humbly and respectfully worships the Fire God of Atago Shrine, and hopes that the deity will witness this duel! This duel will be conducted in accordance with the principles of fairness and impartiality!"

Qing Deng was taken aback again.

Is this kind of dialogue even possible?

Although Atago Shrine is not far away, if you want to pray to the gods, you should go to the shrine, ring the bell and clap your hands in front of the shrine. What's the use of shouting at the air?

Moreover, the Fire God is a deity who is in charge of fire, love, and wealth. He is not a war god like Hachiman Daimyojin. What is the difference between having the Fire God as the referee of a duel and sending Souji to be the head of the Shinsengumi?

Although Chiba Eijiro's actions were completely meaningless from the perspective of Shinto rituals and culture, it is undeniable that... his words were very forceful.

The phrase "the head of the XX family, the successor of the XX lineage," along with the use of obscure and profound terms rarely used in daily life such as "respectfully worshipping" and "hoping to be with the divine," is far more sophisticated than simply introducing oneself.

—Wow, there are such cool duel opening lines...

For some reason, Aoto had a premonition: this unique opening was Chiba Eijiro's doing! He simply wanted to take this opportunity to recite these lines!

Even so, I can't afford to lose!

Qing Deng raised his head high, his expression solemn, and activated his talent "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Rocks +2":

"I, Tachibana Aoto Moriharu, the 18th head of the Tachibana family of the Genji clan and the successor of the Tennen Rishin lineage, humbly and respectfully worship the Fire God of Atago Shrine, and pray that the divine will grant our wishes in this duel!"

Qing Deng had no idea whether he was the 18th head of the family, so he just made up a number on the spot. In any case, he couldn't lose face!

Although both sides' attempts to invoke the gods were merely meaningless verbal sparring, they successfully created a lively atmosphere at the scene.

Everyone wore solemn expressions – “This is truly a clash of titans, an unprecedented final battle! Both sides have even invited deities to witness the outcome!” – They all wore such expressions.

Just then, Chiba Sadakichi twitched his lips and murmured softly in a voice only he could hear:

"When did you become the 14th head of the family...?"

……

……

In terms of the process, the opening of this duel was full of "unexpected" events.

However, as unexpected as it may be, when it comes to serious matters, both Aoto and Chiba Eijiro will put away their carefree thoughts.

The moment they finished their squatting salute, a fierce look flashed across their faces simultaneously!

The next instant, a deafening roar shook the earth.

The snow piled up on the mountaintop was so soft that it seemed as if a gust of wind would carry it away into the distance.

Therefore, even making a small, large movement can cause snow to splash.

Qingdeng launched the first attack, concentrating his strength on his toes, and then pushing off the ground to rush forward.

He switched stances as he ran, raising the bamboo sword.

Like detonating a landmine, with each step he took, a small crater would appear in the ground, followed by waves of snow erupting upwards like a volcano.

From a distance, an unsuspecting person might think that Qingdeng was skiing—leaping a long white trail behind him made up of snow that had been "blasted" up.

Snowflakes shimmered and danced in the air under the sunlight.

Aoto's bamboo sword slashed fiercely at Chiba Eijiro's body.

The bamboo sword sliced ​​through the air, making a hissing sound.

Almost at the same moment that Qing Deng swung his sword, Chiba Eijiro unleashed a deep, ink-black sword shadow with equally impressive speed.

Snapped!

The bamboo swords clashed in mid-air, unleashing a powerful shockwave.

The snowflakes and snow spray that were scattering around the two of them were instantly bounced away, and the air currents in the space centered on them surged like galloping horses!

……

……

"Oh, we're here. Oh dear, my old back is getting worse and worse."

Kuboda Kiyone rubbed her lower back while staring at the dueling arena in front of her.

"Hmm? It seems to have already started."

Otani Seiichiro, whose pace was half a beat slower than his, walked slowly to his side and continued speaking:

"We're late."

Kuboda Kiyone smiled:

"It's alright. Judging from the situation on the ground, they've only just begun. We're not too late."

The sword saints and sword masters from the martial arts academy also came to join in the fun.

Or rather, most of the well-known warriors of Edo, such as Saito Yakuro and Momoi Haruzō, came to watch the battle.

For warriors, this great battle to determine who will be the future "Number One in Edo" has an irresistible allure.

Seiichiro Otani, Kiyone Kubota, Susumu Oishi, Kenji Sakakibara... They stood away from the crowd, observing the situation on the battlefield from a distance.

"...Mr. Otani."

Oishi Susumu suddenly asked Otani Seiichiro.

Who do you think will win?

"..."

Ootani Seiichiro pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, and stared intently at the battlefield.

After a long silence, he finally said softly:

"...It's hard to say."

Dashi Jin looked surprised.

"Even you can't tell the difference in strength between Tachibana Aoto and Chiba Eijiro?"

"You could say that."

Ootani Seiichiro shrugged and smiled.

"They are both unparalleled geniuses."

"Tachibana-kun is indeed formidable, but Chiba-kun is no pushover either."

"Chiba-kun has become much stronger since the last time we met."

"It's hard to say who will win or lose."

……

……

With two loud shouts, the two swordsmen clashed.

One move, one move, and another move.

Qingdeng unleashed a relentless offensive.

Sometimes it strikes down with force, sometimes it thrusts out with a slash.

Amidst the billowing snow, people saw Chiba Eijiro employing a skillful defense, countering each of Aoto's attacks and neutralizing them completely.

Sometimes he twisted his body to dodge, sometimes he swung his sword to counterattack.

With a series of quick movements, Chiba Eijiro nimbly broke free from Aoto's grasp.

Immediately afterwards, the sword flashed—once, then again—people saw Chiba Eijiro's bamboo sword flash silently twice.

On his first strike, Chiba Eijiro used an upward slash with his bamboo sword, forcing Aoto to dodge and retreat.

With his second strike, he launched a follow-up attack, bringing down the bamboo sword, which had been raised into the air by his previous move, in a kasaya-slashing motion.

If Qingdeng hadn't reacted quickly enough to twist and dodge in time, an ordinary person or a mediocre martial artist would have been cut down if they had taken that attack.

However, despite Qing Deng using the fastest speed he could muster to dodge the attack, Chiba Eijiro's bamboo sword still grazed his shoulder.

Qingdeng retreated, but only took two steps before regaining his balance.

*Swoosh*—The upward-sweeping blade cut through the air with a sharp, clean sound.

Aoto raised his bamboo sword high, the tip pointing diagonally at the sun in the sky, the two sides, which were left unsupported due to the upper part of the sword, were displayed openly before Chiba Eijiro's eyes.

Seeing this, Chiba Eijiro narrowed his eyes, quickly steadied his back foot, and the tip of the bamboo sword in his hand swayed slightly like the tail of a sekirei.

Then, the two figures and the two swords remained less than three steps apart.

Less than three steps... This is a distance that both sides could easily hit each other with just a slight movement of their hands.

In particular, Qing Deng adopted the upper stance – because the sides are left open and the body's center line is vacated, the upper stance is very disadvantageous for defense.