I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

Teacher Fan smiled and gestured for him to enter.

Uesugi Tetsu stared at the name for a while, then poured a few drops of spiritual energy into the words "Challenge" behind it.

A flash went through his eyes.

Then, another flash.

With a slight headache, Uesugi Tetsu opened his eyes and saw the unchanged wooden monument once again.

He recalled that extremely brief moment and realized that he must have been killed before he could even react.

Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but chuckle.

This eight-year-old child from the Heian period was far more powerful than the swordsman Kamiizumi.

The elder brother in that secret realm was indeed right...

He even suspected that this projection of Abe no Seimei could defeat many demons and gods.

Otherwise, how could he have killed himself without saying a word, without even giving himself time to unleash his "rage"?

Are you feeling dizzy and lightheaded?

Shi Fandai rarely showed a wistful smile: "Back then, I was also knocked flying by this old man from the Heian period before I could even react."

Uesugi Tetsu glanced again at the group of demons who were wailing in despair.

"All beings are equal..."

He shook his head, deciding to come back here one more time before ascending to the level of a ghost god.

Wait until then.

He will make the first person to inscribe this wooden tablet change hands.

……

Although it was said to be half a day, it was actually only a few hours since Uesugi Tetsu came to the Nenrin Arena for the second time.

Taking out the wooden ticket from his backpack, Uesugi Tetsuya entered the entrance passage of the ancient arena, which was supported and wrapped by dozens of towering ancient trees, as a [contestant].

Because there were also many other duels between ghosts, gods, and demons at the same time, the stands around the arena were quite empty, and there weren't many onlookers watching the duels.

Most of them came because of the names "Hojo family" and "Yagyu dojo".

As for the names of the contestants, no one cared.

Nobody wants to know what an unknown soldier was called, and not many people are well-versed in the history of the Warring States period, which is only a few decades or a few hundred years old.

Uesugi Tetsuya first walked up the vine-covered stairs, which were both strong and flexible, to the waiting area. He stood behind Shihan Dai and saw the "Third-Tier Scale" family crest on the opposite side of the arena.

The last time I saw this tattoo was at the old tortoise's coming-of-age ceremony.

A subtle sense of familiarity arose in Uesugi Tetsuya's heart. He looked again at the handsome young man sitting in the main seat, waving a folding fan.

Uesugi Tetsu asked in a low voice, "Hojo Soun?"

After all, historically speaking, Hojo Soun was the first head of the Hojo family, and it is reasonable that he was able to unify the power of the various Hojo families in the world.

Teacher Shi Fan shook his head: "No, Hojo Ujiyasu."

Upon hearing this answer, Uesugi Tetsu became serious.

Because Hojo Ujiyasu was the head of the Hojo clan who lived in the same era as him and Imagawa Yoshimoto five hundred years ago.

So, their ally at that time happened to be the most difficult one to deal with in the history of the Hojo clan...

Uesugi Tetsu looked back again and saw three military figures with the [three and a half stars] indicator above their heads behind the smiling Hojo Ujiyasu.

One was short and stocky like a barrel, wearing a Noh mask, with cold, pale gray eyes, his hair tied up in a tea whisk style, and dressed in gray kimonos.

He was probably Kasahara Yasukatsu, the White Guard among the five guards of the Hojo clan.

One was hunched over and thin, with a long face and narrow forehead, wrinkles like ravines, sparse eyebrows, almost no hair, and his body was almost completely black.

The old man noticed Uesugi Tetsu's gaze, then grinned, revealing a set of nearly fallen, yellowed black teeth.

Black-clad, Ten-eyed Mototada.

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself, then turned his gaze to the last baby-faced military officer.

This person is relatively tall, with front hair that reaches his eyebrows and back hair braided into a snake tail braid. His index finger joints are unusually large.

Without a doubt, it remains one of the five-color guards—Blue Guard: Tominaga Naokatsu.

In a mere gambling match, the Hojo family's trump card, the Five Colors Set, had already reached three-tenths.

Even though the most famous and arguably the most powerful of them all, Huang Bei Hojo Tsunashige, was not present, it is clear that Hojo Ujiyasu has given him considerable attention.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit; it's nothing more than that.

"Lord Saionji."

Hojo Ujiyasu's voice came from a hundred meters away.

Despite his thick accent, his voice was exceptionally clear: "Well, have you decided on the players for the first battle?"

Uesugi Tetsu remained silent, feeling Shihan Dai's gaze shift to him.

Chapter 239 One wrong move, and the army collapses like a house of cards! The demons mocked, "Uesugi Tetsuya is off the field, why isn't he laughing?"

After a brief glance, Shi Fandai shook his head slightly.

Uesugi Tetsuya had no objection and didn't vie for the opportunity to appear in the first match.

After all, from the very beginning when the teacher's college representative came to him, his role was that of a "safety net."

The goal was to ensure that the Yagyu Dojo would win the bet, even though neither Tsuchiya nor Akiyama had managed to defeat the other three.

"Let me do it."

Tsuchiya Yu's deep voice rang out. He smiled at Shihan Dai and Uesugi Tetsu respectively, took a deep breath, and caused his muscles, which were covered by his gi, to bulge.

"My tactics are relatively simple; there won't be much difference between being the first to play and the last to play."

He raised his fist, which gleamed with an iron-like sheen, grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "No matter what move the opponent makes, I'll just smash it all with one punch."

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the katana at Tsuchiya Yu's waist and sensed something was amiss with what he was hearing.

But he didn't delve into the details; he simply spoke.

"The three enemy generals are famous generals from the Sengoku period, specifically the White, Black, and Blue Battalions of the Hojo clan's Five Color Battalions. If they are the first to appear..."

After a pause, Uesugi Tetsuya didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Lord Tsuchiya, there is a high probability that you will die in the arena."

"die?"

Tsuchiya Yu slowly removed his oversized martial arts uniform, revealing a physique that looked as if it were cast from refined steel.

Without a doubt, he has gone much further than Uesugi Tetsuya in the path of "Palace of Flesh".

The man, who exemplified physical beauty through his own actions, bowed his head and calmly questioned:

"Uesugi-kun, are you underestimating me?"

Tsuchiya Yu said slowly,

"From the very beginning when I was invited by the teachers' college... or rather, I accepted the invitation and came here in order to seek the feeling of being forced to the brink of life and death."

Sensing Uesugi Tetsu's questioning gaze, the man could only helplessly explain, "In order to find an equal opponent, in order to seek a breakthrough."

“I’ve been stuck at this bottleneck for far too long,” Tsuchiya Yu said with a sigh. “A young talent like you would never understand this.”

After saying that, Tsuchiya Yu burst into laughter.

There was no sorrow or self-mockery in the laughter; instead, it was filled with the joy of seeing hope.

I'd rather die than not break through.

Uesugi Tetsu opened his mouth: "Sorry."

"No, Uesugi-kun, you don't need to apologize at all."

Tsuchiya Yu turned his head and looked at the three people who made his heart tighten and his blood feel like it was about to stop flowing.

"Human cognition is formed by experience, so it is normal that you cannot feel our bottleneck."

He lifted his strong calves and walked step by step across the ancient trees toward the arena, his sighs carried on the wind.

"When I was a kid, I was just a little envious of guys who were more talented than me, envious that they could get candy faster..."

But now, I truly hope that one day I can become that effortlessly capable person.

Tsuchiya Yu didn't say anything, leaving it to Shihan Dai or Uesugi Tetsu to witness.

He simply stepped over dozens of downward steps and walked alone into the vast arena.

Because this was his own pursuit, a battle he had risked his life for.

Seeing this, Hojo Ujiyasu waved his fan nonchalantly: "Lord Kasahara, you shall be the one to fight the first battle."

"Yes, my lord."

A rough voice came from behind the Noh mask.

With his right hand, which had only three fingers remaining, Kasahara Yasukatsu hooked the iron handle of the kusarigama and dragged out a white rope that was a full two zhang long and had a sharp iron ball tied to it.

"Kusashi?"

Uesugi Tetsuya was stunned: "Can this lawnmower be used as a weapon?"

The kusarigama consists of a hand sickle, a small sickle about several tens of centimeters long for cutting grass, a chain, and a weight attached to the end of the chain.

Generally speaking, this is a unique weapon that ninjas often prefer to use.

However, very few people can actually apply it in real combat.

Kasahara Yasukatsu was a proper samurai from a prestigious family, so why did he learn such strange and unusual things?

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at Tsuchiya Yu, who had also stopped in his tracks, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Lord Tsuchiya, it seems your opponent isn't really keen on a direct confrontation with you..."

Amidst the boos from the audience, Tsuchiya Yu, with a katana at his waist, looked up and silently stared at Kasahara Yasunari, whose cold, gray eyes were visible behind his mask.

—Since the City of Chaos is located between the present world and the mortal world, the vast majority of the audience members sitting in the audience are from the mortal world.

This is easy to understand, because the world has only just experienced the first wave and has barely managed to hold its ground. It has no intention of opening up access to remote places like the City of Chaos to ordinary people.

Moreover, in terms of the number of extraordinary beings, the present world is no match for the vast and boundless ordinary world.

"No need to care."

In the arena, Kasahara Yasunari spoke in a hoarse voice: "They're nothing but a bunch of rats who only dare to hide in safe places and gossip."

"I like to hear that."

Tsuchiya Yu grinned, unfastened the sword at his waist, and touched his fists, which were completely covered in iron.

"Come!"

Rumble…

The arena was first raised by winding, thick ancient trees, and then a transparent barrier rose from the edge, completely separating the two from the outside world.

From this moment on, the battle will only end when one side is born or dies, or when one side voluntarily withdraws from the arena.

"Tsuchiya Yu didn't use a sword?"

Uesugi Tetsu only realized what was happening when he saw Tsuchiya Yuu, who had removed his katana and was now unarmed, closing in on Kasahara Yasukatsu.

It's highly likely that Tsuchiya Yu is not a disciple of the Yagyu Dojo either, but rather, like himself, an outsider recruited by his teacher.

He had always carried a sword at his waist, but it was just for show.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Akiyama Mei, who was quietly watching the arena beside him—then he must be the same.

This also shows that the current generation of the Yagyu Dojo is not doing very well, at least that's the current situation of the small town dojo where the teacher training school is located.

This is also normal.

Unlike traditional Onmyoji families, a dojo values ​​a person's talent in swordsmanship and breathing techniques more than the inheritance of bloodlines.

In modern times, fewer apprentices are willing to come to a dojo to learn swordsmanship, and naturally, fewer geniuses with talent that is one in ten thousand.

After all, before the wave arrived, both ancient swordsmanship and modern kendo were merely "sports" similar to basketball and football...