I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

But a moment can also be very long; it's enough to determine the outcome of a swordsmanship contest!

Without any warning, and while many were anxiously wondering how long the two would remain locked in a stalemate on the field, Hiroshi Niizuma made his move!

At almost the same instant, the white sand and gravel under Qingdeng's feet were also kicked away!

The two, who shot out almost simultaneously, raised the tension in the arena to a whole new level.

The distance between Qingdeng and Xinqikuan was only five or six steps, which was just a fleeting moment for the two who were rushing towards each other.

However, in that split second! Just as Qing Deng and Niizuma Hiroshi's shadows were about to merge into one on the ground! Unseen auras suddenly emanated from Qing Deng's body and then pressed down on Niizuma Hiroshi like a tidal wave!

This sudden change caused almost everyone in the spectator stands who possessed considerable skill in swordsmanship to change their expressions in an instant!

Those who do not understand swordsmanship, or whose swordsmanship level is low, may not be able to sense or understand what these invisible auras emanating from Qing Deng are.

But Chiba Eijiro and his ilk, who had already achieved some success in swordsmanship, knew very well what this was!

In an instant, the expressions on the faces of the many spectators in the stands changed in countless ways.

Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Tamon Shiro (who had a minor disagreement with Aoto), Saito Yakuro, Momoi Haruzou, and others who were not acquainted with Aoto, all showed their purest shock.

Zhou Zhu, who usually squinted, now had his eyes wide open.

Okita, Kondo, and Hijikata all looked incredulous.

Chiba Eijiro's pupils suddenly contracted.

Chiba Jutaro, who is always full of emotion and has a rich array of expressions, opened his mouth so wide that his jaw seemed to almost fall to the ground.

Sanako, who had been calm and seemingly unconcerned about the changes in the competition, once again lost her elegant demeanor as a young lady from a prestigious family.

Just like yesterday, she suddenly clenched her small, delicate hands, which were folded and resting on her legs, and her full, red lips parted slightly into an adorable "O" shape. Her dazed gaze made her look blank.

Her beautiful eyes shone with a shock far greater than yesterday's.

……

……

The head of Niizuma Hiroshi, who was wearing a helmet, felt very solid to the touch.

If Aoto had used a real knife and Niizuma Hiroshi wasn't wearing a helmet... then it wouldn't have been as simple as Niizuma Hiroshi being knocked to the ground; his entire head would probably have been sliced ​​off.

[Ding! Talent detected!]

As Shinzama Hiroshi was slashed to the ground, the mechanical, cold system voice arrived as expected.

[Successfully copied talent: "Minor Proficiency in Swordsmanship"]

[Talent Introduction: Swordsmanship talent is amplified 8 times the average level]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Ding! The "Sword Prodigy" and the "Minor Master of Swordsmanship" have begun to merge.]

[Please wait, host... Please wait, host...]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Sword Prodigy's Ability Advancement]

[“Sword Prodigy” Talent Introduction: Swordsmanship talent is amplified 70 times the average level]

—As expected, another "minor master of swordsmanship"...

At the start of the finals, Aoto predicted that Hiroshi Niizuma, who was one of the "Three Heroes" along with Morishita and Osaki and was also known as a "genius," probably also had the talent of a "minor master of swordsmanship."

Now it seems that Qingdeng was right after all.

After hearing the system voice in his mind, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

Compared to these talents that enhance martial arts skills, Qing Deng actually desires a talent that can directly transform his body, making it instantly stronger.

Like the "Eagle Eye" that Qingdeng currently possesses, which can improve dynamic vision, and the "Cat Turn" that can improve body balance... What he wants now is a talent that can directly modify bodily functions.

Well, it's not bad that "Sword Prodigy" can be upgraded again... Qing Deng put away his little regret, then slowly put down the bamboo sword in his hand and turned to look at the two referees next to him.

The outcome of this extremely intense final has finally been decided!

The two referees simultaneously extended their arms toward Qingdeng, then, with all their might, shouted at the loudest volume they could muster:

"The winner is—Tachibana Aoto!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As soon as the referees finished speaking, a deafening roar erupted from the stands!

Countless people spontaneously cheered and celebrated for Qingdeng's victory in the competition.

Hearing the cheers surging from all directions like a tidal wave, Qing Deng let out a long breath, relaxing his tense muscles that were still in battle, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

After two days of fierce competition, he finally won the championship!

Even with Qingdeng's humble nature, he couldn't help but feel elated and proud of his small achievement.

He turned his gaze and subconsciously looked at his companions in the spectator stands.

Qing Deng originally thought that Shusuke, Kondo, Okita and others should be beaming with joy at this moment.

But when he looked over, he saw that they had expressions that Qing Deng couldn't understand at all.

Zhou Zhu and the others did indeed show signs of joy.

However, their eyes were filled with a profound sense of shock and astonishment.

Qing Deng looked closely and found that it wasn't just Zhou Zhu and his group who were like this. Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Jutaro, and the others who were sitting next to their Shieikan, leading the Genbukan and Kochiba Kenkan, also showed the same strange expression.

—Hmm? I defeated Hiroshi Niizuma and won the tournament. Is that so shocking?

Qing Deng frowned, puzzled.

If the cheers around him were sweet candy that made Qing Deng involuntarily smile with joy... then these cheers were like sharp knives to Niizuma Hiroshi, who was still lying on the ground, stabbing his ears and his heart.

I... lost...?

Shinzaki Hiroshi's unfocused eyes stared blankly at the bright, sunny sky.

It was a bright and sunny day, and the sun was quite warm, but Hiroshi Niizuma felt unusually cold. The sun was shining on him, but he couldn't feel any warmth at all.

What was that just now?

As Niizuma Hiroshi's eyes slowly regained focus, he recalled with horror the moment when Aoto suddenly seemed like a completely different person—

Because he was facing Qingdeng directly and was very close to him, Shinzama Hiroshi clearly sensed that as those strange auras emanated from Qingdeng, Qingdeng's temperament changed drastically under the influence of these auras!

In that instant, Hiroshi Niizuma felt as if a towering mountain, its peaks piercing the sky, had appeared in front of him!

His new wife, Kuan, stood so small and insignificant at the foot of this giant mountain.

As for Qingdeng, he stood atop the highest peak of the mountain, looking down like a king at him who could only remain at the foot of the mountain...

The sheer height and immense size of the mountain caused Shin-chan Hiroshi to momentarily lose his composure, his heart seemingly skipping a beat.

Hiroshi Niizuma studied under "Saito no Saito" Saito Yakuro. Long ago, he had heard about various advanced concepts in the path of martial arts from Saito Yakuro.

Could it be?!

A terrible thought popped into Hiroshi Niizuma's mind.

Impossible! Impossible!

Shinjiro Hiroshi roared inwardly, each roar louder than the last.

At his age and with his current skill level, he shouldn't have reached that level!

Shinzae Hiroshi's breathing became rapid and heavy as she struggled to get up from the ground.

"Wait, wait a minute! Please wait a moment!"

Despite wearing a protective helmet, the powerful impact of Qing Deng's attack still made Xin Qi Kuan's head spin, and waves of nausea kept rising in his throat.

Even so, Niizuma Hiroshi endured the discomfort and struggled to stand firm while holding the bamboo sword.

"What are you going to do?" A referee frowned and cast an unfriendly glance at Hiroshi Niizuma.

Shinzuma Hiroshi, now like a gambler blinded by greed, stared with bloodshot eyes and shouted in a hoarse voice:

"Please allow me to have one more match with Tachibana Aoto! I was careless just now! If we have another match, I promise I won't lose again!"

“Young man, you have already lost,” another referee said calmly. “Calm down a bit. Your sore loser behavior is really shameful. As a samurai, you should have the most basic sense of shame.”

However, despite the referee's well-intentioned reminder, Hiroshi Niizuma persisted: "Please give me another chance! I..."

"Enough!" The referee, who had been giving Niizuma Hiroshi a disapproving look after he shouted "Wait a minute," impatiently interrupted him, "This is my last piece of advice: stop messing around!"

Shinzuma Hiroshi's left hand, which had been hanging down naturally, suddenly clenched into a fist, while his right hand, which was holding the sword, gripped the hilt of the bamboo sword tightly.

Undeterred, he wanted to say something more.

But at that moment, he suddenly caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye: the Aizu Domain samurai responsible for maintaining order around the arena had noticed the commotion he had caused and turned to look at him warily.

Some even raised their left hands, pressed the scabbard of their swords at their waists, and took a half-step towards the arena, looking ready to rush onto the field at any moment.

Shinzu Hiroshi raised his gaze and scanned the faces of the twenty-odd Aizu Domain samurai standing around the arena one by one.

Hesitation and resentment tugged at Niizawa Hiroshi's cheeks repeatedly.

His left hand, clenched into a fist, and his right hand, holding the sword, both had knuckles that had turned white from exerting too much force.

Finally—his tightly clenched left fist slowly loosened…

Immediately afterwards, he slumped his head to his chest like a defeated rooster, his face as pale as a dead man...

Just then, the new wife suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head!

He let out a low groan of pain, then instinctively raised his hand to touch his head, but because he hadn't taken off his protective gear, his hand only reached his helmet.

This sudden, intense pain, which made Hiroshi Niizuma feel like his head was about to split open, came on quickly and went away just as fast.

In just a few breaths, the intense pain gradually subsided.

However, just as the sudden pain subsided, Hiroshi Niizuma realized that his heightened concentration, which he had gained by taking strange drugs, had also vanished along with the pain…

Immediately afterwards, Hiroshi Niizuma began to feel his body temperature rise significantly, and wave after wave of intense dizziness washed over him...

……