"Damn, this kid looks so delicate, yet the Kendo style he practices is so fierce."
After concluding his probing exchange with Suō Tsukasa, Saitō Yūichi subconsciously rubbed his chin.
A look of surprise flashed in his eyes as he cursed under his breath.
He really had almost misjudged him. He hadn't expected Suō Tsukasa's seemingly tranquil exterior to hide such a fiery and ferocious aggressiveness.
But this was actually a good thing. Such a huge contrast between appearance and substance was often an excellent means of deception in actual combat.
It was a pity that Suō Tsukasa clearly had his own style, and Saitō had no intention of taking on an apprentice.
Teaching is one thing; passing on a legacy is another.
Like a piece of beautiful jade that has already been meticulously carved into a preliminary form, possessing clear lines and direction, it no longer strongly needs, nor is it likely to accept, the inscription of another master craftsman.
"Did you all see that?"
"Stance is the foundation, and adaptation in the face of an enemy is the soul. Don't just stand there holding a sword, you're bloody well not a wooden post."
Turning back to supervise the other students, Saitō Yūichi dropped the smile on his face.
With Suō Tsukasa as a clear benchmark, his eyes became more critical, the frequency of his corrections increased, and his tone became a degree harsher.
His gaze fell on the boy with the slanted fringe who had just re-adjusted his stance after being distracted, carrying undisguised dissatisfaction.
"Especially you. Was the exchange between me and Suō-kun entertaining?"
"You were so mesmerized you lost focus. Your footwork is slack, and your grip on the sword is unsteady. If you really met an enemy, you'd be split in two with one blow."
The boy with the slanted fringe dared not lift his head. He clenched the bokken (wooden sword) so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He could feel the eyes of the surrounding students focused on him, some with sympathy, others with mockery.
The teacher's praise for Suō Tsukasa was still fresh in his memory, yet he was now being publicly scolded. This intense contrast filled him with shame and anger.
"Go think carefully about how you should be holding your stance."
Saitō Yūichi took in all his embarrassment and humiliation, but he didn't sympathize with his feelings nor did he continue to pressure him.
He left him with this somewhat vague sentence and turned to walk towards the other students.
Sometimes, directly pointing out the fault only causes more humiliation.
He had been teaching for so many years and had seen too many students fall into a dead end due to complex emotions.
"Alright, that's enough for stance practice for now."
"Next, we'll have free practice matches."
"Hey, Shikanosuke, bring the beginner group over to observe and learn."
Glancing up at the time, Saitō Yūichi clapped his hands to call a halt to everyone's practice.
At the same time, he instructed the senior student on the other side to bring the group over.
"Yes."
The senior student named Shikanosuke immediately responded. Soon, the students from the beginner group jogged over, holding their swords, led by him.
They then orderly sat cross-legged in a row along the edge, their eyes full of curiosity and a little excitement as they looked at the advanced students who were about to begin their practice matches.
The atmosphere in the dōjō instantly changed. The advanced students surveyed each other, looking for suitable opponents.
A subtle sense of deadlock spread through the air.
It was at this moment that a figure suddenly stepped forward, walked straight up to Suō Tsukasa, and broke the stalemate with a challenge.
"Suō-kun, I would like to practice with you. Please give me guidance!"
This invitation sounded particularly loud in the quiet dōjō.
It not only drew the attention of the students in the practice area but also attracted the gaze of everyone in the beginner group.
Almost everyone sensed that this was not a simple practice invitation but one carrying clear personal emotion.
"Whoa, they're going to fight!"
"This is going to be good!"
The obvious intensity in the tone made the observing beginner students excited.
Although they didn't know what had just happened in the advanced group, that didn't stop them from enjoying the spectacle.
"Very well. Please enlighten me."
Suō Tsukasa accepted cleanly, nodding with a calm expression.
With the successful pairing of the two, the remaining students quickly found opponents for practice.
Saitō Yūichi stood at the side with his arms crossed, his eyebrows slightly raised, but he did not speak to stop them.
The open space in the center of the dōjō was designated for the upcoming matches.
The first pair, the boy with the slanted fringe and Suō Tsukasa, stood opposite each other, bowed, and then stepped back a few paces, adopting the Chūdan no Kamae (middle stance).
"Start!"
Shikanosuke's voice dropped, like the sound of a charging horn.
"Ooh-ah-ah-ah!"
The boy with the slanted fringe moved almost the instant the sound rang out, roaring to gain the initiative, and lunged forward with a sharp thrust aimed at Suō Tsukasa's face.
Driven by his anger, his speed and strength were quite astonishing, demonstrating the decent fundamental training he had received at home.
Facing this swift strike, Suō Tsukasa chose not to counter.
He lightly shifted his footwork half a step diagonally backward, while simultaneously raising his bokken slightly upward, subtly deflecting the trajectory of the blade.
Missing the strike, the boy with the slanted fringe did not hesitate. He twisted his wrist, and his bokken cut diagonally, sweeping towards Suō Tsukasa's abdomen.
Suō Tsukasa's expression remained steady. He leaned back slightly, pressing his bokken down to parry.
Clack—
The two swords met, making a sharp sound.
Feeling the force transmitted from his opponent, Suō Tsukasa gained a clearer assessment of the opponent's skill.
The strength was adequate, and the speed was also decent, but the transition between moves was somewhat stiff.
"Hah!"
The boy with the slanted fringe thought his sudden attack had successfully suppressed Suō Tsukasa. He kept his hand moving, continually changing his moves and pressing the attack.
As his bokken kept striking down, the boy grew more excited.
He exerted all his strength, unleashing everything he had learned. His offense was as torrential as a raging storm.
Facing the attack, Suō Tsukasa deliberately controlled his strength. Every block or dodge was perfectly timed.
The figure with the dancing black hair was like a night owl weaving through a downpour; its wings never got soaked.
He was accumulating experience fighting opponents of different styles, even if the opponent's skill was far inferior to his own.
Saitō Yūichi watched silently from the side. He had long seen Suō Tsukasa's ease and the discerning gaze hidden behind his defense.
As the boy with the slanted fringe's barrage of attacks ended, his old strength spent and new strength yet to emerge, and he prepared to retreat and adjust his breathing and stance.
Sensing that his opponent's moves were exhausted, Suō Tsukasa, who had been on the defensive, moved.
Suō Tsukasa's footwork instantly switched from defense to offense. His body crouched slightly and shot forward, like a cheetah that had been lurking for a long time suddenly exploding into motion.
He swiftly and precisely cut into the opening exposed by his opponent's retraction.
The bokken in his hand turned into a simple, sharp black line, leaving a black afterimage in the air.
No unnecessary flashiness, just the most basic forward thrust.
The boy with the slanted fringe didn't have time to react. The excitement in his eyes hadn't faded, and he instinctively tried to bring his sword back to defend.
As soon as his arm slightly lifted, he felt an irresistible force hit his chest.
Thud!
The tip of the bokken landed accurately in the center of his chest.
"Whoa!"
"So fast!"
"What just happened!"
The instantaneous shift from defense to offense caused the students on the sidelines to exclaim.
Accompanying the shouts of the audience, the boy who had been so aggressive a moment ago was instantly knocked backward to the ground, his bokken flying from his grasp and rolling to the side.
"Thank you for the match."
Suō Tsukasa retreated after the strike, the tip of his sword lightly pointing at the ground.
Lying on the ground, the boy with the slanted fringe, his chest rapidly rising and falling, had completely lost color in his face, which was filled with disbelief.
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