In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

It's just a pity that we ran into Chuanlan in the first game.

Saeko Busujima, who comes from a family of swordsmen, goes without saying. And that kid, Chiya Minamoto, is also an absolute prodigy. He has only been learning swordsmanship for a little over a month, yet he has grown rapidly.

Although his skills are not yet comparable to those of Saeko Busujima, the strongest member of the club, his terrifying aspect lies in his astonishing physical abilities. By taking advantage of his physical strength, he has recently been able to fight Busujima to a standstill!

With a best-of-three format, they're already guaranteed a win if they don't make any mistakes.

Knowing this, Ushiyama Yusuke, the third regular player on the Kawalan team, stood up confidently and volunteered to be the first to go on stage!

His idea was simple: why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

One of their two aces could easily sit on the bench and conserve his energy!

Furthermore, the opponents he encounters as the competition progresses will definitely become stronger. He is aware of his own swordsmanship level; it is passable among his peers, but not so great as to be the best in the world!

Now that we've found an easy target, we should quickly go and grab a hand to secure a victory. Even if we lose again later, we won't lose face, since at least we won once.

This is the astonishing wisdom of a ninth-grade senior! It's all foresight!

Saeko Busujima and Chiya Minamoto had no objections to this.

The others helped Yusuke Ushiyama adjust his protective gear, and after the referee signaled, they walked confidently onto the battlefield.

As soon as he stepped onto the field, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw his opponent, who was much shorter than him!

How can one not pay attention to nutrition when learning Kendo? This body is too weak!

They're both in the first year of junior high, but this kid is nowhere near as good as Junior Yuan; he hasn't even started developing yet!

He was even worried that if he swung his bamboo sword with all his might, his opponent might not even have time to react before kneeling on the ground!

Despite his disdain, Yusuke Ushiyama still bowed respectfully to his opponent, adhering to the rules of Kendo, before taking three steps forward to the starting line and crouching, waiting for the referee to announce the official start of the match.

Not far from the sidelines, two senior substitutes from Sichuan Blue, though their expressions had become more restrained, couldn't help but whisper and laugh together. Their minds were no longer on the game in front of them, but had flown to other fields.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, their chances of playing are slim, but they still want to contribute something to winning the game.

For example, analyzing the personal habits and preferred sword techniques of other strong players can be used as a reference for our own starting players. This way, we can at least be considered to be participating in the competition!

"Our school is very strong. If we really have any formidable rivals, it would be Suzuran Middle School and Shohoku Middle School. If they are drawn together, we can be almost certain of victory, if not completely confident."

"Indeed, but compared to the matches to come, who on the field right now do you think can withstand a few of Yusuke's moves?"

“Yosuke is tall and has long arms, which is the complete opposite of that short guy. He already has a huge advantage in terms of size. That guy definitely won’t last five rounds against him.”

"I think Yusuke might soften up and go easy on him a bit, let him run around a few times before finally taking him down..."

"Senior, it's over."

After a soft sigh, Saeko Busujima's clear voice interrupted the two substitute seniors' daydreams.

Indeed, when their gazes turned to the field, Yusuke Ushiyama had been forced to the edge of the field, and all three referees raised their white flags, declaring the opponent the winner!

In the audience, Eriri and Rikka, two little girls, nervously held hands tightly!

"What do we do! We lost the first game, didn't we?"

"Why did I suddenly get hit on the forehead? Dodge it!"

After hearing Rikka's words, Toka tapped her head lightly again, speechless: "Do you think this is a game? Kendo is a competitive sport. It's not so easy to dodge."

Unlike them, Yang Nai wasn't nervous. After taking a sip of her drink, she smiled and explained, "Don't worry, the team competition is a best-of-three format, and the same applies to each person's turn. You score points by striking specific spots on your opponent with your bamboo sword. The first team to score two points wins the match."

Hope flickered in Rikka's eyes: "So, we haven't actually lost the first match, there's still hope?"

Although she didn't know the person who made his first appearance, and didn't care whether he won or lost, he was on the same team as Qianye, which made all the difference!

"Yes, that's right. If he can adjust his mindset and catch up, he might just be able to come from behind and win the first game."

While Haruno was comforting Rikka and Eriri, Yukino, who had been quietly watching the entire match, spoke up to remind them, "Sister, there's no longer any doubt about it."

Yusuke Ushiyama arrived at the sidelines dejectedly without a word, a stark contrast to his dejected demeanor when he entered the game.

"I really am...! I'm so sorry!"

After he left the field, he felt ashamed to face his teammates, and without even taking off his mask, he bowed at a 90-degree angle to apologize!

It's only because this was at the competition venue, with so many cameras filming around, that he would have genuinely wanted to apologize with a full dogeza (a deep bow).

He lost the first match entirely because he underestimated his opponent!

In the second match, he hadn't adjusted his mindset from the first match's defeat and was focused on launching a fierce attack to gain an advantage. As a result, he made a significant mistake and was hit in the hand by his opponent, cleanly handing over the crucial first game!

The more joyfully the audience on the opposite side of Meguro Middle School cheered, the more lifeless their side seemed.

"It's alright, Ushiyama-senpai. There are always winners and losers in kendo competitions. One defeat is nothing to worry about. Just try again next time," Saeko Busujima said softly as she prepared to go on stage for the second round.

She genuinely didn't mind, after all, she had complete confidence in both herself and Yuan Qianye, whom she had been training and teaching every day during this period.

Yuan Qianye patted him on the shoulder: "That's right, senior, you've worked hard. You can leave the rest to me and your senior sister."

Yusuke Ushiyama, a senior student, was moved to tears by their kindness. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his mask yet, so no one could see the changes in his expression.

He bent down again, then silently went to the back of the line to compose himself.

"The second game is about to begin, and both players are taking the stage."

Eriri, who was in the audience, saw Saeko Busujima appear on stage.

She knew this person quite well, so she quietly leaned close to Yukino's ear and told her the general situation.

Upon hearing that this was Saeko Busujima, who had a deep connection with Chiya Minamoto and had caused Eriri to misunderstand her before, Yukino became more interested and watched her match with much more seriousness than in the first match.

However, the second game ended much faster than the first.

Leaving aside the pre-match greetings, it really is just a matter of meeting face to face!

Saeko Busujima swiftly and accurately struck, shouting as she did so. After landing a successful blow, she quickly turned and retreated to create distance.

Both times it was so simple that the referee holding the flag looked a little bewildered.

In the first match, at least the two players exchanged a few moves, but in the second match, it was a complete one-sided domination!

After winning the second game, Saeko Busujima bowed to her opponent without changing her expression and left the court. When she took off her mask and talked with her teammates, she revealed a serene and elegant smile.

Yukino watched her from afar in the audience. This girl named Saeko Busujima possessed many wonderful qualities that Yukino lacked: she was strong, dashing, and had a strong sense of community.

When she was far away in the Eagle Kingdom, she heard Eriri talk about this person, but it didn't cause her much of a stir. However, now that she had heard of him for a long time and confirmed it with her own eyes, she was truly moved.

Undeniably, a very complex and indescribable emotion arose in Yukino's heart.

Especially the way she handed Yuan Qianye a tissue after he left the stage, and the way she tenderly checked his protective gear before he went on stage...

Their intimate actions, the eye contact they exchanged, every smile and frown... were all so... so...

"Xueino...Xueino..."

Eriri's voice brought Yukino back to her senses, and she turned her head to look at her.

Eriri asked with a worried look, "Yukino, what's wrong? I called you just now and you didn't respond."

Yukino pressed her finger to her brow: "I guess it's because there are too many people here, and I'm a little uncomfortable."

“That’s true. You’ve never been good at crowded places since you were little. You said it would give you a headache from all the noise. How about I go with you for a walk to get some fresh air?”

Yukino shook her head: "We came here today to cheer him on, not to mention you even brought your camera."

Eriri blushed slightly after being pointed out.

Indeed, she had made ample preparations for today, even borrowing her father's priceless camera, all so she could take as many cool photos as possible of Yuan Qianye displaying his prowess at the competition!

She had it all planned out. When she got back, she would organize all the photos she had taken, put them in an album, and give them to him as his birthday present this year.

Recording such an important moment in life will allow you to look back on it anytime in the future, making it a truly memorable experience!

Of course, Eriri would secretly keep an extra set of photos for her own safekeeping...

There's no other meaning behind it! I just simply want to create more simple memories with my friends! That's all!

"Alright, don't worry about me, he's on the field, let's watch the game."

"Ah."

"Chiya! Do your best!"

Rikka had already stood up and started shouting, but Toka quickly forced her to sit down again by pressing her head down.

This is not the first time that Gen Chiya has participated in a kendo competition.

However, this national-level competition was far superior to the previous kendo sparring competition he had participated in, in terms of the venue, the number of spectators, and the professionalism of the referees.

He understood the specific procedures of the competition and maintained a very stable mindset.

Despite the fact that his conversation with Saeko Busujima after the draw left his teammates speechless and unsure of what expression to make, his actions may have been quite different.

But he won't make the same mistake his teammates made when they were in the lead.

Although Yuan Qianye was proud, he was never arrogant and always kept the words of that important person in mind.

— You can despise your opponent strategically, but you must take them seriously tactically!

Yuan Qianye believes he will win, but that doesn't mean he will be careless in the match!

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit! He won't give his opponent any opening!

The referee announced the start of the match, and both players slowly rose from their kneeling positions and gradually approached each other.

Yuan Qianye observed the opponent's steps and sword movements, feinted a shot that seemed to be aimed at the opponent's abdomen, but in reality, he suddenly changed his move and slashed at the opponent's head!

The opponent was unable to react in time to dodge.

"Snapped!"

"noodle!"

After landing a successful attack, Yuan Qianye let out a powerful shout and quickly created distance.

The rules of Kendo competitions are somewhat complicated; you can't score points just by hitting your opponent.