I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Komatsu gained a foothold by half a step ahead of Nishino, and it was this "half a step" difference that caused Nishino to lose the initiative.

Nishino's pupils contracted slightly.

The next instant, his expression returned to normal.

A moment later, he suddenly lowered his tall body, pulled his front leg back, and just as his knees were about to hit the ground, he slashed out with his sword from the lower right to the upper left.

The blade struck the center of Komatsu's hands as he gripped the hilt, shattering the outer casing and exposing the inner tang.

To block the enemy's attack by attacking the hilt of the sword... this is something only those with extremely high precision in their strikes can do.

The Hokushin Ittō-ryū school places great emphasis on technique, so Hokushin Ittō-ryū swordsmen are very skilled at moves that leave laymen exclaiming "Holy crap!"

Although Komatsu didn't exclaim "Holy crap!" directly, his big eyes were wide open as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

As a swordsman, he was well aware of the dangerous situation he was in.

Sure enough, the blade that was pressing against his hilt suddenly changed direction—the blade was pointing straight down! Directed at his left hand that was holding the lower half of the hilt!

scoff!

The blade slid down along the hilt, as if cutting through the blade!

At this critical moment, Komatsu narrowly managed to release his left hand before Nishino's blade came down; otherwise, he would definitely have had half of his left hand cut off.

"Tsk...!"

Xiaosong smacked his lips indignantly.

He was eager to distance himself from Nishino in order to regroup.

But Nishino is too close to him now, so he can't use the knife properly.

In that case, we can only choose some more primitive weapons!

In an instant, he used his left foot as a support, and his right foot flew up, his right leg rising sharply from the ground like a battle axe, sweeping fiercely towards Nishino's shoulder.

However, Nishino had already seen through his actions.

Using all sorts of dirty tricks when fighting with others—that's a specialty of social outcasts.

And these social outcasts are precisely the kind of people Nishino encounters most often in his daily life.

To Nishino, Komatsu's kick wasn't even a sneak attack; he'd seen far more insidious and despicable tricks.

Without saying much, Nishino simply raised his left arm and rested it on the left side of his body.

Bang!

The two men's arms and legs intertwined, producing a loud sound of flesh and bone clashing.

At this distance, no one can wield their knife flexibly.

Knowing that both of their swords had been sealed, Nishino decided to go all out—since they couldn't use swords, they wouldn't use swords at all! They would fight with their fists and feet!

Clang!

Without the slightest hesitation, Nishino threw away the bamboo in his right hand. Then, he suddenly bent his body into a lunge position, and his free right hand struck Komatsu's face like a snake emerging from its hole.

Komatsu barely managed to dodge Nishino's punch; he twisted his head so hard it almost broke off.

Fighting Nishino's two hands with only one hand... the odds of winning were slim. Therefore, Komatsu quickly made a decision as well—he also threw away the katana in his hand.

The knife fight thus turned into a hand-to-hand combat.

In retaliation against Nishino, Komatsu immediately adopted a fist stance after throwing away the knife.

At almost the same time, Nishino also pulled back his punch and assumed a stance ready to throw another punch.

call!

call!

The two fists shot out one after the other, colliding heavily in mid-air.

In just a few breaths, the two had exchanged blows more than ten times.

This period was accompanied by a great deal of "underground struggle".

Nishino inserted his right leg between Komatsu's legs, intending to attack Komatsu's lower body and disrupt his balance.

Coincidentally, Komatsu thought the same thing.

And so, this bizarre sight was born—the two simultaneously inserted their legs into the other's lower body...

Nishino tried to trip Komatsu's leg, but found that what he had hooked was not a human leg, but a hard stone pillar. No matter how hard he tried, Komatsu did not budge.

Komatsu was the same; he also tried his best, but he couldn't make Nishino's body sway in the slightest.

That's normal. If the lower body is unstable, the sword will also be unstable. Any excellent swordsman must have a rock-solid lower body.

Even the most discerning boxing fans of today would likely find the "unrestricted free fighting" between Nishino and Komatsu incredibly exciting.

The battle between the two was a pure head-on clash.

The pride of a samurai would not allow Nishino to show the slightest fear when fighting against evil.

Needless to say, Komatsu's fate was sealed. The outcome of this battle would determine whether he slept on a comfortable tatami mat or in the interrogation room of the magistrate's office tonight. Faced with such a stimulating positive feedback, how could he not give it his all?

The intense offense and defense are the same for both sides. If either side becomes careless, relaxes its guard, or loses momentum, it will be utterly defeated.

Based on their fighting styles, it's easy to see who has the advantage.

It's obvious that Komatsu is using some unorthodox methods.

In contrast, Nishino is a pure "professional" graduate—primarily a practitioner of Tang Shou (air dao), supplemented by jujutsu and the grappling techniques passed down through generations in Sankai.

In a martial arts competition, those who practice unorthodox methods are more likely to gain an advantage.

However, Nishino's strength and speed are slightly inferior to Komatsu's.

With the balance of power shifting, Nishino only had a slight advantage in the overall battle and did not put any pressure on Komatsu.

Whether it's a sports competition or a life-or-death battle, such a close contest between two sides is often quite exciting—because the situation can change in an instant.

For example... right now, a small accident has suddenly occurred!

Perhaps feeling tired, Nishino's consciousness wavered for a moment.

It was in that instant that Komatsu seized upon the opening.

Komatsu suddenly spread his elbows, grabbed Nishino's shoulders, then tilted his head back, gathered his strength, and delivered a headbutt to Nishino's nose.

The bridge of the nose is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human face. If this area is hit on the head, it can cause anything from broken bones and nosebleeds to fainting on the spot.

The situation changed too quickly and unexpectedly; Nishino had no time to react. He only had time to shorten his neck and lower his head.

What used to be the bridge of the nose has now become an exceptionally smooth forehead due to the shaved chin.

Komatsu's forehead collided heavily with Nishino's forehead.

The sound produced when the two ends touched was so loud that one might wonder if it was a stone hitting another stone.

Although he didn't dodge Komatsu's headbutt, he managed to protect his fragile nose.

After their foreheads separated, blood began to spurt from both Nishino's and Komatsu's foreheads.

"Well……!"

Unable to bear the pain and dizziness, Nishino cried out in pain, and his steps became unsteady.

"Drink up! Ahh ...

Seizing the opportunity, Komatsu shouted, bent down, and gave Nishino a bear hug around the waist, lifting him up and slamming him heavily to the ground.

Nishino's back made intimate contact with the hard ground, and he suddenly felt a blackout.

Oh no!

Anyone who has ever tried it can understand how dangerous it is to be knocked to the ground in a fight.

"Drink up! Drink up!"

Another loud shout rang out.

Komatsu then straddled Nishino, kneeling on Nishino's shoulders to restrain his arms, and then swung his right fist at Nishino's head.

Nishino's consciousness, which had been somewhat clouded by the sharp pain in his back, was restored to full alertness at this very moment.

As he watched the fist, as big as a sandbag, rapidly approaching, Nishino gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side.

Bang!

Komatsu's fist grazed Nishino's left cheek, striking the ground and creating a small crater.

--hateful!

Nishino tried to use jujitsu techniques to shake off Komatsu, who was straddling him, or to free his hands, but Komatsu was heavier than him, and his jujitsu was completely ineffective.

If they don't find a way to get up quickly, it's only a matter of time before they're knocked down while they're pinned to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Komatsu had already raised his fist again.

Although Nishino's body was unable to move, his head could still move freely. It would be difficult to hit his head if he continued to hit him, so Komatsu changed his target - he aimed at Nishino's chest.

If you get punched in that spot, you'll be half dead, if not dead.

Just at this moment—

Bang!

A loud slapping sound came from behind Komatsu.

"Waaah...!"

Despite his desperate attempts to suppress it, painful groans still escaped from Komatsu's lips.

Komatsu might not know what had happened, but Nishino, who was pinned down by Komatsu, saw it all clearly—Abiko, who had been missing since the start of the war, quietly crept up behind Komatsu and, before Komatsu could notice him, struck Komatsu's back with his unsheathed katana.

"Aha~ Nishino-kun, didn't I tell you? Although I'm not good at martial arts, I can still handle some simple combat support~~"

Nishino had no time to pay attention to my grandson's boasting—this was a precious, fleeting opportunity!

Having been ambushed by my grandson, Komatsu suddenly lost his strength. Nishino seized the opportunity, using jujitsu techniques to free his hands and pull himself out from under Komatsu, then switched positions.

Originally, it was Komatsu riding on Nishino's back, but now it's Nishino riding on Komatsu's back.

Bang!