Conan: Above all force, there is truth!

Even so, he still easily defeated that opponent.

Now, Ryūno used an A-rank ability right away, but Okita Sōji still managed to block his attack.

Judging from this, the guy in front of us is indeed very strong! He deserves the title of "the strongest fighter after Kyogoku Makoto".

I haven't met someone this strong in a long time!

Haha~ That's what makes it fun!!!

Thinking of this, Ryūno leaped backward, voluntarily halting his attack. Then, looking at Okita Sōji in front of him, he beckoned with his hand.

Although both of them were wearing masks, it was impossible to see their opponent's appearance or expression.

But Okita Souji sensed that his opponent seemed to be laughing, and it was a joyful, maniacal laugh.

After calming himself down, Okita Souji took the initiative to attack Tatsuno.

Furthermore, this attack was no longer the three-stage attack used in previous matches, but his signature move – the "five-stage stab"!

Seeing that Okita Souji's starting moves were somewhat different, Tatsuno also gripped his wooden sword tightly.

"Snap, hiss, splash, snap, hiss"

A second later, five rapid strikes rang out in the air.

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd below, the two men's swords met each other's.

Aside from Ran and Shizuka Hattori, almost no one knew that the two had already clashed five times in that short second.

They only heard the sound of striking in the air, and then saw that the two had blocked each other's swords, seemingly locked in a stalemate.

Looking at the "Hattori Heiji" in front of him, Okita Souji felt that his guess was indeed correct.

A person's style and habits could never change so drastically in just one year! This guy is definitely not Hattori Heiji!

Thinking of this, he leaned forward slightly and whispered, "You...you're not Hattori Heiji, right? Your styles are completely different."

Upon hearing this, Longye chuckled: "Does it matter? I haven't encountered an opponent as strong as you in a long time~ How about we have a good fight?!"

“Interesting! I’ll return that to you!” Okita Souji, hidden behind his mask, also revealed a smile.

Come to think of it, it's been a long time since he's encountered such an interesting opponent. And it's been a long time since he's felt so excited about a match!

The next moment, the two regained their composure and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the competition.

It was from this moment on that the audience could no longer see the two fighting, and could only see their figures flashing on the stage.

If it weren't for the constant clanging of wooden swords clashing in the air, everyone would have thought that this was no longer a kendo competition.

Chapter 185 What? An acceptance speech?!

The intense confrontation lasted for five minutes.

The arena was completely silent. Even the referees on the platform stood there dumbfounded, questioning their own existence.

Who am I? Where am I? What are those two people in front of me doing?

Although he was very close to the two, he couldn't see their fight at all. Forget about scoring; he couldn't even tell if they had broken any rules.

This was the first time he had questioned his own professional competence.

As a referee, how can you not even know what the players are doing? What are you supposed to judge and decide then?

"..."

Aside from the referee, the crowd below the stage also stared in disbelief at the two players' duel.

Although they really wanted to cheer for the two contestants on stage, how could they possibly do so?

Who is in the lead?

Who is at a disadvantage?

Even Ran and Shizuka Hattori, who could initially see the two fighting clearly, now looked bewildered.

Hattori Shizuka's red lips parted slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word. Even she couldn't judge the skill level of the two men anymore.

At this moment, apart from the clanging of wooden swords, there was no other sound in the arena.

Just like that, another ten minutes passed.

"Snap, crack!"

A sound far louder than the previous one, the cracking of an object, rang in everyone's ears.

The two who were competing finally stopped and stood still.

Longye looked at the broken wooden sword in his hand and couldn't help but sigh: "The quality of this wooden sword is really poor~ So what are we now? A draw?"

After speaking, Ryuno glanced at Okita Souji opposite him, whose wooden sword had also been broken in two.

Upon hearing Ryuno's words, Okita Souji first took a few deep breaths, then squinted at Ryuno, who showed no signs of fatigue: "A draw? You... you call this a draw?! Monster..."

Although the two had been engaged in fierce back-and-forth battles, only he, as the person involved, knew the true situation.

This guy on the other side seems to be using me as a "feeding move"! More than winning the match, this guy wants to play with me a little longer.

Otherwise, this match would probably have ended long ago...

Whether he suddenly increases his speed, power, or changes his attack rhythm, this guy can perfectly "coordinate" with him, constantly changing his pace.

Over time, even a fool would realize that there seems to be an insurmountable chasm between them.

Moreover... Thinking of this, Okita Souji checked the other party's condition again.

Putting aside the opponent's swordsmanship skills, just considering the opponent's physical attributes, they are not on the same level as him.

In the intense battle, I was gradually becoming exhausted, but my opponent was in almost the same condition as before the match! This...

At this moment, Longye suddenly walked up to the referee, scratching his head sheepishly: "Excuse me, referee, it seems our wooden swords are broken. Could you give us two more..."

"No!!! I surrender!"

Before the referee could respond, Okita Souji took off his hood and jumped off the field as if fleeing.

Seeing this, Ryūno turned to look at Okita Sōji, revealing a disdainful expression: "Admit defeat? How can you admit defeat at your age? Come back and fight me again! Today we must settle this!"

Okita Souji: "..."

Upon hearing this, Okita Souji ran into the locker room without looking back.

"Tch~ Fine, I won't compete then..."

After speaking, Longye walked directly out of the competition venue and turned to walk towards Xiaolan in the audience.

A moment later, the referee, looking at the empty field, finally came to his senses.

After a moment's thought, he raised the flag in his hand and shouted, "The winner is Hattori Heiji from Kaifang High School!"

……

Shortly after, in the locker room.

Longye went into the locker room and took off his helmet.

Just then, a teasing voice rang in my ears: "Oh my~ Heiji Hattori, when did your skin get so fair?"

Longye didn't even turn his head, continuing to remove his protective gear: "If you want to fight me again, just say so. No need to beat around the bush."

Upon hearing this, Okita Souji seemed to recall something unpleasant and immediately shook his head: "I just want to know, who exactly are you?"

"Takeda Tatsuno."

Seemingly surprised by Ryūno's quick reply, Okita Sōji laughed heartily twice: "Okay, I got it~"

After he finished speaking, he stepped forward and patted Longye on the shoulder twice, then walked straight out of the locker room.

Seeing this, Longye blinked in confusion: "This guy actually has this kind of personality..."

After leaving the locker room, Ryuno immediately saw Hattori Heiji standing next to Toyama Kazuha. He waved and walked over.

"Kazuha, thank goodness for Conan's help... the case was solved so quickly! Even Inspector Otaki was amazed by our speed in solving the case this time~ The culprit is from Shin-Uchi University..."

"Heiji..."

Before Hattori could finish speaking, he noticed that Toyama Kazuha's face was growing increasingly dark.

Seeing this, he immediately changed the subject: "Haha... Let's not talk about this anymore. The finals should be starting soon, right? I'd better go get ready~"

After saying that, Hattori Heiji immediately turned around and prepared to go to the changing room.

Just then, Toyama Kazuha grabbed his arm.

Feeling the force on his arm, Hattori Heiji was slightly taken aback, then turned his head and said, "Why are you using so much force? You..."

Just as he was about to continue arguing with Kazuha, he noticed that the expressions of everyone around him were rather strange. The members of the kendo club even lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with him.

"What...what happened to you guys?" Hattori Heiji was completely bewildered by everyone's reaction.

Just then, Tatsuno smiled and clapped: "Congratulations, Hattori! You've finally won the championship!"

"Huh? Champion? What are you talking about..."

Before Hattori Heiji could even figure out what was going on, an organizer came up to the crowd and said, "Hattori Heiji, please come up on stage to receive your award and then give your acceptance speech!"

Hattori Heiji: "???????"

……

Evening

Hattori's home.

Longye and Xiaolan looked at the dinner in front of them, their mouths watering.

Seeing their expressions, Hattori Shizuka immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "Don't be shy, please eat more~"

Upon hearing this, Longye and Xiaolan immediately picked up their chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

"So delicious!" X2

Seeing that Ryūno and Rin hadn't stopped eating, Hattori Heiji laughed and said, "Haha, isn't it delicious! My mom's pufferfish hot pot is the best in the world!"

Upon hearing this, Longye immediately nodded.

Although he has eaten pufferfish hot pot many times over the years, this hot pot in front of him is indeed the best he has ever eaten.

As expected of the dish made by Shizuka Hattori, who is known as the "Queen of Dinner"!