After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

After Ayakoji Chiyoko won, the whole arena burst into warm applause.

It wasn't for any other reason than she had once again advanced the ranking record of female swordsmen at the unrestricted national tournament.

Now, Ayakoji Chiyoko could proudly claim herself to be the strongest female high school swordsman in the whole Island Nation.

If she also won her next match, she would be able to remove the word 'female' and become the strongest high school swordsman in the whole Island Nation.

But a huge mountain still stood before this honor.

As Ayakoji Chiyoko removed her faceguard and wiped the sweat as she walked back to her own team, she saw Kagura Hikaru putting on his protective gear, his movements meticulous and his expression as calm as still water.

Just after Ayakoji Chiyoko's match had ended, it was soon his turn.

Yet from him, you couldn't sense any tension, as if he were going to eat instead of competing.

What Ayakoji Chiyoko disliked the most about him but also envied was this exact trait, a mind as clear as a polished mirror and stable as a boulder.

This wasn't something that just anyone could achieve.

Having prepared, Kagura Hikaru received blessings from his teammates and walked onto the field.

His opponent in the semi-finals was the contestant from Osaka—Ryo Kuroiwa.

From what Teacher Yamazaki said, he was reputed to be the strongest among his peers in Osaka. This statement, viewing the current situation, needed quotes, but it was sufficient to signify that the opponent was no less than Kusatsu Ikuta.

Although for Kagura Hikaru, it didn't matter whether it was Kuroiwa Ikuta or Kusatsu Ryo.

The competitors entered the arena, wearing their Bamboo Swords at their hips, approached the stop line, drew their swords, crouched, and looked at each other.

Ryo Kuroiwa's gaze was fiery, while Kagura Hikaru seemed emotionless.

Without a command, both stood up.

The match began, and Ryo Kuroiwa yelled like a monkey, stepping forward and raising his Bamboo Sword to strike down.

His style was simple and rough, using force to suppress others. Kagura Hikaru, being weaker in brute strength, chose to retreat, using his Bamboo Sword to disrupt his opponent's attacking rhythm.

Slowly maintaining distance to probe, upon understanding Ryo Kuroiwa's movements, Kagura Hikaru suddenly moved quickly to the side to strike at the waist.

He missed... no, he hit, just a bit.

One of the two referees raised the red flag representing Kagura Hikaru, indicating he saw a score, while the other did not, causing the match to be temporarily halted for video review.

The match had hardly begun and was unexpectedly paused after less than ten seconds, causing a stir in the spectator stands.

While Kagura Hikaru intended to stand there and rest, Ryo Kuroiwa brazenly walked across the field towards him, laughing and saying, "What's this? Is fighting with me that boring for you?"

Not just Kagura Hikaru, but even the nearby spectators were shocked by his behavior.

In Sword Dao competitions, talking between competitors is not allowed. Once the match begins, this rule takes effect, and if caught by the referee, a half-point deduction occurs; a repeated offense results in one point lost.

"No worries, no worries, the match is paused; they won't care about us," Ryo Kuroiwa said, guessing what Kagura Hikaru was thinking and waving his hand dismissively.

Kagura Hikaru looked towards the referees and saw they were focused on the video review, indeed not caring about this side of the arena.

He shook his head and responded, "I don't find it boring."

"Liar, you weren't really trying just now, were you?" Ryo Kuroiwa pointed at his waist where he had just been hit. "They say in Lingering Spirit you should use seventy percent force and keep thirty percent, but you only used sixty percent."

"...Leaving that aside, how could you tell how much strength I was using?"

Ryo Kuroiwa casually rested the Bamboo Sword on his shoulder, "My eyes are good, that's all I can say. Haven't you heard that saying? In a swordsman's duel, you can understand the other's thoughts and feelings through clashing blades."

"That's from movies."

"No, this is real, and I indeed felt, you didn't enjoy the match fully."

"Isn't that a good thing for you, if your opponent isn't giving it their all?"

"On the contrary, I came here from Osaka, not to fight in such a match!" Kuroiwa Ryuuichi sighed, even somewhat disappointed.

Kagura Hikaru saw that the referee had made a decision, signaling that the score was valid and the match was about to resume, then turned to Kuroiwa Ryuuichi: ".....Did you know? Before the match started, I didn't even know I would compete; I was tricked into coming here."

"Hmm?"

"So, I might as well say I fell for your trick this time."

"Do you mean...? Ha ha, you're going to give it your all now, right!"

The man from Osaka grinned crookedly, patting Kagura Hikaru's shoulder vigorously, "That's it, that's it! Don't hold back, defeat me thoroughly!"

Kagura Hikaru helplessly said, "If you keep this up, you won't need me to lose; the referee will penalize you."

The referee, having just finished discussing, turned around only to see the Osaka contestant forcefully patting the Tokyo contestant and immediately glared furiously, shouted angrily, and walked over.

Kuroiwa Ryuuichi quickly let go, dancing around as he was chased back to his side by the referee, while the audience, not understanding the context, was amused by the act.

Eventually, he received a penalty, a half-point deduction as a lesson.

The opposing team's coach from Osaka wiped his face in frustration.

The match resumed.

At the starting confrontation, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi moved cautiously, his sword ready to spring into action.

Kagura Hikaru moved even less, coordinating with Kuroiwa Ryuuichi's slight movements, maintaining an intermediate ready stance with a subtle up and down sway that made it difficult to predict his attack pattern.

Kagura Hikaru belonged to the universally acknowledged type of all-rounded swordsman, meaning he had no particular weaknesses. If a weakness had to be mentioned, it would be his physical conditioning, as he could not perform miracles with strength like Kuroiwa Ryuuichi could, but even so, he was stronger than the average person.

An impenetrable rock, that was the impression he left on Kuroiwa Ryuuichi at that moment.

This, in turn, excited the latter.

Yes, this was the right feeling.

Although Kagura Hikaru's presence had been formidable in the previous round, it somehow felt bland and uninspiring.

But now, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi felt the opponent's gaze locked onto his entire body, as if any slight movement might create an opening, tension magnifying to the utmost, involuntarily tensing the muscles in his back.

Wow, this oppressive feeling, just like that of his seventh-dan Sword Dao master.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

This monster is actually the same age as him??

Kuroiwa Ryuuichi thought incredulously, all the while not letting his guard down and maintaining full readiness.

They confronted each other for a full minute.

Neither side made a move, just shifting their feet, not even feinting an attack.

Kagura Hikaru naturally excelled at defensive counterattacks, which really meant he preferred to strike second.

But Kuroiwa Ryuuichi, who had previously launched several aggressive offenses, now restrained himself to the extent he wouldn't even attack, indicative of the formidable atmosphere.

After concentrating for too long, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi's eyes were sore from staring, and he inadvertently blinked.

When he opened his eyes, the figure before him had disappeared, and the sensation on his head and the sound by his ear seemed to be transmitted a beat slow.

"Men!!"