I am in Mihua, and the ladies all like me

"should be."

Tanaka nodded with difficulty.

His strength in the kendo club of Kaikata High School is considered to be quite good, in the upper-middle level, but he still lost to his opponent from Kyoto Izumi High School in the previous round of 16.

It's very shameful, but there is no way, if you lose, you lose.

"By the way, Brother Substitute, this is the new sword you requested."

As if he suddenly remembered something, Tanaka turned around and picked up a brand new bamboo sword from the ground at the back where water cups, backpacks and other luggage were piled up and handed it over.

Serabelle said "oh" and took it, then threw aside the bamboo sword that had been used in the previous battle and had obvious cracks on it.

As the game progressed into the second half, the intensity of the battle became higher and higher, and his playing style became more and more violent.

If at the beginning he only used his strength in blocking, and did not put any effort in attacking but just made two light strikes, then now his attack was basically aimed at hitting people through the helmet and causing a mild concussion.

The bamboo swords provided for the competition simply cannot withstand such torture.

This also led to him using a bamboo sword in almost every match. He carried two bamboo swords not for dual-sword skills, but simply to avoid the referee declaring the round invalid if the sword broke.

It is said that strength is respected, and this sentence is especially applicable in the kendo club.

From being called "Brother Sera" who was worried about losing in the initial rounds, to being called "Brother Substitute" with great trust now.

Serabelle felt that if she continued to win, her nickname would probably be upgraded to something like "Tongtiandai".

"So, where are Hattori and the others?" Serabelle asked, putting the protective helmet aside.

"I do not know……"

Tanaka shook his head helplessly. Next to him was the cell phone he had just taken from the locker room not long ago.

"I called Hattori earlier, and he told me that he had something to do, so he asked you to help out for two more games."

"Wake up, we can make it to the finals in just two more games."

Serabelle didn't know what to say, so she just stretched out her hand and hooked it.

"Give me the phone, I'll call him."

"Give."

There was no objection, so Tanaka readily handed over the phone.

Serabelle didn't have the hobby of flipping through other people's address books, so she simply clicked on the most recent call record with the word "Hattori" marked on it and dialed the number.

However, the signal had not been connected yet, and the long waiting tone on the phone had not yet sounded, when Xiaolan and Sera Masumi walked over.

As always, Masumi Sera had her hands behind her head, looking quite carefree.

On the contrary, the unicorn girl in the former position had a worried look on her face.

"Well, Sera-kun, after you get through, please ask Hattori-kun if he has seen Conan. I was watching your game before and didn't notice that Conan suddenly disappeared at some point."

"Got it. I'll ask."

Serabelle nodded and agreed.

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone was connected and the light voice of a certain Osaka black chicken came over.

"Sorry, Tanaka, I'll be here for a while. Please ask Brother Sera to help me play two more games. I will definitely be back before the finals..."

"The next game will be the finals." Serabelle said nonsense indifferently.

"real or fake!?"

Hattori Heiji on the other end of the phone was obviously startled and couldn't even tell whose voice it was at first.

"Just kidding, it's actually fake."

Serabelle turned her head and looked at the top of the auditorium behind her. There was a row of tall ventilation windows on the wall behind the last row of the auditorium.

Looking out through the ventilation window, you can vaguely see that the angle of the sunlight outside is gradually setting in the west, and the slightly bright red hue adds a sense of dusk.

"But the next game is the semi-finals. If you don't come back, we will really have to go to the finals. And what the hell are you doing over there?"

"Eh? We're already in the top four so soon, oops..."

Hattori Heiji obviously hesitated for a moment, but after a brief hesitation he gritted his teeth.

"I know. I'll be back as soon as possible. To be honest, the police will be here soon anyway, so I'm not afraid of you knowing that someone did die in the gym. It was the people I told you about quarreling before. One of them was killed. Now Kudo and I are investigating the case."

"Is Conan also with you?"

"Ah."

"Okay, got it."

After the brief conversation, Serabelle hung up the phone and returned the phone to its original owner.

"Thanks."

"No, it's okay."

Tanaka didn't care about his phone being borrowed to make a call or something. In comparison, he cared more about something else.

"So, what did Hattori say?"

"He said he couldn't say, and could only say as soon as possible."

Serabelle stood up and prepared to walk towards the bathroom, intending to use the restroom before the next round of competition began.

But as soon as he took a step forward, he took it back.

"By the way, what procedures are there after the finals?"

"Probably... first everyone goes back to the locker room to change clothes, then gather here and line up for the award ceremony, and then it's over." Tanaka thought about it seriously and answered.

"Oh, that's okay."

After saying this, Serabelle turned and left, adding another sentence in her heart.

Fortunately, the awards were not presented on the spot, otherwise we would have had to forfeit if we had made it to the finals.

After all, it is impossible to present an award while wearing a helmet. If you take off the helmet on the podium and see how white it is, your identity will be exposed immediately.

It can't be - this is you? Yes, this is me. I said this is not you. No, this is me, I was still very dark at that time.

That's too much.

With a lot of mumbling in her mind, Serabelle quickly left the stadium and walked through the corridor to the bathroom door.

The restrooms in the venue are public, and not only the contestants but also the spectators use the restroom here.

When Serabelle arrived at the toilet door, a female high school student in a high school uniform was washing her hands next to the sink located between the doors of the men's and women's toilets. The sound of gurgling water came from between the sinks.

Judging from the words "Izumi Shin" embroidered in gold thread on the hem of her school uniform, she must be a student of Kyoto Izumi Shin High School.

Hearing the footsteps approaching behind her, the female high school student turned around and took a look.

Serabelle also happened to see the other person's face clearly.

She has short, slightly curly brown hair, a delicate face, charming round lips, and an astonishing bust that doesn't look like that of a high school student at all.

It was the one that ran up and down the stadium entrance earlier...

Serabel suddenly recalled it.

However, the two parties did not know each other, so Serabelle just glanced and was about to look away.

But I didn't expect that the high school girl would take the initiative to speak.

She smiled, turned off the faucet, shook off the water droplets on her hands, then turned around and performed a very elegant and classical etiquette.

"First time... well, it can't be called the first time we meet, but I'm looking forward to you defeating Okita-san from our class."

Chapter 404: The Young Lady of Kyoto

After the semi-finals comes the semi-finals, and after the semi-finals comes the finals.

Then, an hour later,

"Then let us congratulate the final winner of this year's Kansai High School Joint Kendo Tournament - Hattori Heiji from the Osaka Kaikata High School Kendo Club!"

As the referee's announcement resounded throughout the venue, Serabelle turned and left the final area, carrying one of the bamboo swords that had been broken and another that had some cracks.

The only ones left were the referee who announced the result of the contest with his hand raised high, and his opponent who was knocked unconscious on the spot by being kicked through his helmet. Judging from the word "Okita" printed on the crotch guard, it must be Okita Souji.

"Then everyone take a fifteen-minute break. All contestants change their clothes and come back here to gather for the award ceremony in fifteen minutes!"

Back at the rest area of ​​Gaifang High School, Serabelle casually threw all the bamboo swords in her hand and those that had been broken before together, piling them up to half a meter high.

From a distance, it looks like a pile of chopped firewood waiting to be burned.

"Well, this way we win the finals as well."

Serabelle looked around.

"Where are Hattori and the others? Could it be that they haven't come back yet?"

"Oh... Oh, Hattori said he just finished his work and is about to come back."

It was Tanaka who answered again. He responded almost subconsciously, and only came to his senses after he finished speaking.

"Wait a minute, Brother Sera, why are you so calm? You just won the Kansai High School Kendo Tournament!"

"Yeah, I'm excited too."

Speaking in a calm, almost emotionless tone, Serabelle untied her protective gear and walked towards the locker room.

"Anyway, I'll go change my clothes first, and then ask Hattori to come back quickly to claim the award."

"Oh oh..."

He also knew that it was okay to compete on behalf of others, but it was really not okay to receive the award on behalf of others, so when Tanaka heard that Serabelle wanted to retreat first, he didn't say much.

So ten minutes later, Serabelle, having changed back into the clothes she wore when she came, came to the rooftop of the gymnasium.

It was already dusk, and the fiery red sunset was shining obliquely from the western sky onto the entire Kansai land. Looking down from the rooftop fence, one could see two police cars and an ambulance waiting at the entrance of the outer wall of the gymnasium.

Two figures, one tall and one short, one black and one white, stood beside the police car, watching the criminal being taken to the back seat of the police car and sent away.

Even the prisoner Serabelle who was taken away had seen it.

He was the person who suddenly ran into the rest area next door and said, "Tarimi is missing" before Hattori Heiji left the competition venue.

It looks like another magical case of the thief crying thief...

Serabelle just sighed. He had no interest in knowing what happened. After all, the person killed could not be someone he knew.

He withdrew his gaze and was about to turn around when the figure of the Kyoto girl at the entrance of the rooftop came into his sight just right.

"……It's you."

Serabelle raised her eyebrows slightly.

The wind was a bit strong on the rooftop, and he didn't care whether there were other people coming, so he didn't notice someone appeared behind him.

The Kyoto girl who appeared at the door of the rooftop was the one he had seen at the door of the bathroom before.

"What's wrong, are you surprised?"

Tilting her head cutely, Ooka Momiji put her hands behind her back like a girl, walked towards the boy step by step with a smile, raised her face slightly, and a charming smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"I told you before at the bathroom door that I'm looking forward to you defeating our classmate Okita. Now that you've won, of course I have to come and express my congratulations~"

"……Okay."

Serabelle didn't know how to respond.

Let's put everything else aside for now. First of all, why did you chase him all the way to the rooftop? Normally, would you go to such a place to look for the winner?

Unless you are always paying attention to the other party's movements.

But what is that, a nympho?

[All contestants are ready to gather at the competition site. The award ceremony will be held next. ]

Just as the two were facing each other on the rooftop, a notice from the referee team was faintly heard over the radio downstairs.

The arc of the Kyoto girl's mouth widened further.

"The award ceremony is about to begin. Is it really okay for you to stay here, Hattori Heiji, the winner of the tournament?"