I am in Mihua, and the ladies all like me

In this way, the preliminary audition stage can be quickly passed, leaving more shots for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the semifinals and finals.

Otherwise, if we really compare them one by one, it would take three days, let alone half a day, to finish.

It is worth mentioning that Hattori Heiji did not bring Serabelle and the others to the audience seats, but brought them directly into the competition venue.

Just like many sports events such as basketball, there are places for players to rest even in the competition venue below. In fact, due to the large number of participants in the kendo competition, more rest areas are also designated for the players.

For example, the one that Hattori Heiji brought to was the player rest area with a "Kaifang" sign.

In the rest area, you can see several high school students of about his age, all wearing kendo training uniforms, with protective gear to wear when they go on the field, and cheering for their own players on the field.

"Okay, this is our Gaifang High School's territory. Brother Sera, you guys can just watch the game here..."

"Hey, hey, hey, are you kidding me?"

Before he finished speaking, Yuanshan Heye, who had a general idea of ​​this guy's intention, immediately started to complain with his eyes half closed.

"This is your kendo club's rest area. What's the point of letting us watch here? We are not contestants."

"Oh, it's okay~"

Hattori Heiji didn't take it seriously.

"Anyway, we're all about the same age. Even if you sit here, people will just think you're substitutes or cheerleaders. They won't chase you away. Don't worry. And as for Conan, he won't be chased away!"

"Besides, you guys don't want to sit on it, do you?"

After saying this, he turned around and pointed to the crowded auditorium at the back.

To sum up, it is noisier than a vegetable market, more crowded than a movie theater, and there are packages and garbage bags everywhere on the ground.

Standing out from one of them makes people feel suffocated.

"I'd better stay down here," said Serabelle.

"Right~"

Hattori Heiji, who received support, smiled and made a victory gesture, then decisively received a pair of sanitary balls from his childhood sweetheart.

At the same time, a huge cheer suddenly broke out from the audience.

Looking in the direction where the cheers were coming from, it turned out that a contestant wearing protective gear with the word "Gai Fang" printed on it blocked the opponent's attack with an extremely precise sword-raising move, then rushed forward and slashed his opponent's abdomen with his sword, winning the game with a quick and clean move.

The action is quite cool, giving me the feeling of the execution animation of the final battle between Wolf and Sword Master Isshin Ashina in Sekiro.

"Okay!"

Because the contestant was from his own school, Hattori Heiji clenched his fist and cheered.

The student from Gaifan High School who won the game turned to his companions behind him and raised the bamboo sword in his hand in response. After the referee announced the result of the game, he saluted and turned to the rest area.

"Yoshi, this way one of our team will advance first!"

"By the way, who's next? You, Hattori?"

"Ah no, it's not me."

Hearing the question from his clubmates behind him, Hattori Heiji turned around and explained.

"I will fight in the next round, it will be a while."

"So far back, but I don't think I saw that guy."

"Who?"

"Okita, it's Okita Souji."

The student from the Kendo Club of Kaikata High School who was speaking pointed toward the rest area of ​​Kyoto Izumi High School, which was almost diagonally opposite the venue.

"Look, the karuta lady from their school is here, but we still don't see Okita. We don't know where he went. Hattori, your next round is already here, but he hasn't shown up. Did he give up the game?"

"Stupid, what nonsense are you talking about."

Hattori Heiji curled his lips in disdain.

"How could he not come? At most, he was just slacking off and asked someone else to play in the first few games for him so that he could save his energy for the semi-finals. Besides, that's what he did last year."

"That's true..."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice came through the noise from the lounge area belonging to a university nearby.

"Hey, I can't find Tarimi anywhere."

"Can't find it? Could it be that he went back first?"

"I don't know. There's nothing I can do. Let's go look for him nearby first."

It was just a very ordinary conversation, but it immediately caught Hattori Heiji's attention.

He turned his head almost at the same time as the conversation came, and tried to stand up by supporting himself with his hands.

Yuanshan Heye was stunned by his reaction.

"Hey, where are you going, Heiji..."

"I'll go take a look too."

Hattori Heiji pointed to the empty rest area nearby where the college students who had said they were going to look for someone had left.

"They are the ones I mentioned earlier who were arguing fiercely and trying to make a fuss. I am a little concerned about them."

"No...then what about your competition?" Yuanshan and Ye were dumbfounded.

"Tsk, that's true."

Hattori Heiji held his chin and thought for a while, then suddenly turned his gaze to Serabelle, who still looked confused, and a bright smile appeared on his dark face.

"Then I will follow the example of Okita Souji from Izumi High School. I'll have to trouble Brother Sera to help me in the first few games."

"what?"

Not to mention the Osaka girl, even Serabelle was stunned for a moment.

He has never learned kendo, so why let him go? A real man of frozen mud?

"It's okay, it's okay. The rules of kendo competitions are very simple. Besides, Brother Sera is definitely better than me in close combat with swords."

Hattori Heiji patiently persuaded.

"Do your brother a favor, okay?"

"……Fine."

Thinking that she owed someone a favor, Serabelle shrugged helplessly and agreed.

"But you have to tell me the rules first, otherwise don't blame me if you lose because of a foul."

"I told you there are no rules. First of all, you can't use physical skills, like rushing up to punch and kick people. And you can't talk nonsense, and trash talking is also prohibited."

"As for the win-loss system, it is usually best of three, which means the total score is three points, and the person who gets two points first wins."

Hattori Heiji continued to explain the rules.

"And to score points, besides hitting the effective parts, you also need Zanshin and Kiai. These two may sound complicated, but they are actually simple."

"Zanshin means that even after a successful attack, you must remain alert and not show any laziness. It's a matter of attitude."

"Kihe is even simpler. It means you make some noises with your mouth when you attack. There are no specific requirements as long as they are not too weird. It can be used to intimidate the enemy."

After saying these two points, Hattori Heiji paused for a moment.

"That's all. Nothing else. Anything else you want to ask?"

"Gone."

Serabelle held out her hand.

"I understand everything now. I can go ahead."

Chapter 401 The Wives Are Watching

Five minutes later, after changing into her kendo uniform in the locker room of the competition venue, Serabelle returned to the rest area for the players of Gaifan High School at the competition venue.

The person responsible for helping him put on the protective gear was another member of the Kendo Club of Kaikata High School. He seemed to be in the same grade as Hattori Heiji, and they seemed to have a good relationship.

In fact, it is normal for the players to put on protective gear themselves, but considering that Serabelle is not a professional kendo practitioner, it has to be done by others.

"First do this, then do this... OK, it's fine this way, just put on the helmet before you go on the court."

After helping everyone put on their breastplates and gauntlets and tying them tightly with string, the kendo club member named Tanaka breathed a sigh of relief.

He raised his head and looked at the guy in front of him who was slightly taller than him, had a fair complexion and didn't look like he practiced martial arts. A hint of confusion appeared on Fang Zheng's slightly dark face.

"Well, I don't mean to question you, but are you really okay, Sera? After all, you haven't received professional training. If you really can't do it, I can take your place. Don't force yourself... Well, after all, it's forbidden in the competition rules to replace others, even for members of the same club."

It can be heard that Tanaka really has no ill intentions, and both his tone and expression give people the impression that he is very considerate of other people's feelings.

"I do not mind."

Serabelle sat on a bench in the lounge area, brandishing the bamboo sword she had just acquired.

"But this bamboo sword feels so light, is there really no problem with the quality?"

"Oh, these bamboo swords are all provided by the organizers of the competition. The quality is definitely not as good as those made to order, but... it's still okay. It's a level better than the mass-produced ones sold on the market."

After just one sentence, Tanaka began to explain again.

"Of course, if you compare it to a real sword, then there is definitely no comparison."

"What if it's interrupted in the middle of the game?"

Serabelle asked a very crucial question.

"What if it breaks in the middle of a match?" Tanaka thought about it carefully. "According to the rules, both sides will go out and change swords, the round will be invalidated, and the match will be replayed... But generally speaking, it is unlikely to break, unless you use a particularly outrageous amount of force."

"Can I take two?" Serabelle asked again.

"Eh? You mean the two-sword style?"

Tanaka was shocked by this bold idea.

"In principle, this is possible. After all, there is a dual-sword style in Japanese swordsmanship. However, not many people practice dual-sword style, and usually not many people use dual-sword style in competitions."

"Got it. I'll go get another one."

Here, Serabelle was still discussing the rules of the competition with Tanaka, a member of the kendo club of Kaikata High School.

On the other side, Toyama Kazuha, whose blood pressure rose due to the sudden departure of Hattori Heiji, returned to the audience seats.

As soon as she sat down, she heard the puzzled voice of the beautiful lady from Osaka beside her.

"Oh, didn't Kazuha-chan go to pick up her friends? Are they not here yet? And where's Ping-chan?"

"Lan and the others are here..."

Yuanshan Heye frowned and silently explained the cause and effect of the matter.

As soon as Hattori Shizuka finished listening, she looked towards the rest area on the field below with some surprise.

"Is this true? Does that mean that Serabelle is the one competing in place of Ping-chan now?"

"That's it~"

Yuanshan Heye became furious when he mentioned this.

"I don't know what he was thinking. Even if he needed someone to take over, he should at least find someone reliable who is also in the kendo club. It's meaningless to just throw it to a friend. Auntie, why don't he just ask Conan to take over? It would be fun if he loses."

“Lose…?”

At this time, Hattori Shizuka's eyes were also fixed on the British boy wearing her son's protective gear and kendo uniform in the rest area below the stadium. The corners of her lips, which were evenly painted with lipstick, subconsciously curled up in interest.

"To be honest, I don't think so. And it might be more exciting than if Ping-chan played in person."

"Eh!??"

……

At the same time, in the rest area on one side of Kyoto Izumishin High School.

"Hey, the next match is about to start for Hattori Heiji from Osaka Kaifu, right? Where's Okita Soujito?"

A high school student from the Kendo Club of Quanxin High School who had just confirmed the match schedule turned around and asked his companions who were resting or drinking water behind him.