Prince of Tennis Fraudster

Page 64

Tsugaki shook his head. Although his son Kenji was only 18 years old, he already possessed the strength of a fifth-dan. Coupled with his status as the young master, it would be somewhat like bullying the younger Sanada if he were to face him.

But as he turned his head, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

The people behind him were either new apprentices or even less skilled than Ueno. Those who truly held sway were all in their twenties. No matter how badly they lost, Tsugaki wouldn't be so shameful as to send someone in their twenties to fight a kid who looked like a middle school student, would he?

"Huh?"

Suddenly, he paused, his gaze settling on a young figure who was deep in thought.

"Nioh!"

He looked at Renwang, who suddenly raised his head, and nodded, saying, "Go on stage!"

"Ugh……"

After much internal struggle, considering a multitude of thoughts and reasons, Niou finally let out a long sigh.

God willing!

He not only ran into Sanada, who had come to challenge him, but he was also destined to fight him. It seemed that no matter how he tried to avoid it, a battle between him and Sanada was inevitable.

Since we can't escape it, let's face it.

With a wry smile, Niou walked onto the arena through the passage cleared by the astonished Jinju disciples.

"Why would the museum master send out this guy?"

For a moment, the same question arose in everyone's mind.

It's not their fault. In the entire kendo dojo, only the Tsugaki father and son truly knew Niou's strength.

"It's him?"

Upon hearing the name called out by Tsugaki Manta, Sanada turned his head and saw Niou moving forward.

Like Niou, he never expected to run into him in this place.

Why is he here?

He actually practices kendo?

How many secrets does he still have?

In an instant, a multitude of thoughts swirled in Sanada's mind, but in the end, they all culminated in a single question: "Are you serious?"

Niou wasn't even wearing protective gear!

But Sanada didn't know that Niou was just an apprentice, and a new one at that. He didn't have his own protective gear, so he arrived at the dojo early to borrow someone else's protective gear to practice.

Of course, he wouldn't explain it to Sanada.

Niou narrowed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Let's begin!"

Chapter Four: Momentum [4/5, please customize!]

"These two kids seem to know each other..."

Standing on the sidelines, Yan Shan's small eyes flashed with a sharp light. He had been teaching Sanada kendo for three years and knew his every move and personality very well.

He had seen Sanada's reaction just now.

There are dozens of kendo dojos of all sizes in Shonan City and even Kanagawa Prefecture. Starting this spring, Iwayama has been taking Sanada out for training and exchanges every weekend.

They had visited almost all of the dozens of dojos, except for a few that were far away. But this was the first time he had ever seen Sanada ask unnecessary questions before a duel.

"interesting……"

Iwayama smiled inwardly; he wanted to see just how capable Sanada's 'friend' really was.

"start!"

As the referee's voice rang out, the expressions on both men's faces hardened.

tread!

They stood facing each other, circling around. Neither of them launched an attack, which puzzled the group who had just been swiftly defeated by Sanada.

Calmly, they observed the two men's movements carefully. But apart from the orderly changes in their footsteps, they didn't notice anything else.

"This guy..."

Sanada remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was somewhat surprised. Niou seemed completely unaffected by the aura he was unleashing.

"Perhaps that's why he knows me."

Renou knew him, knew his background, and was even in the same tennis club as him. After more than two months of getting along, even if he put on a cold face, the other party probably wouldn't feel too guilty.

"It has a very strong sense of oppression!"

On the other side, the initial aura that Sanada released was neutralized by Niou's own momentum. In his eyes, swordsmanship, like tennis, was nothing to be afraid of.

Speed, explosiveness, strength, mentality...

Almost every point is interconnected, and for Niou, who regarded kendo matches as tennis matches, Sanada's momentum naturally could not overpower him.

Swish!

Sanada raised his right foot, as if to lift it forward, while a surge of power emanated from his body. However, Niou remained unmoved, because he saw that the angle at which his opponent swung his bamboo sword did not have the subtle, centimeter-wide shift that had been present in the previous attacks.

tread!

As expected, Sanada's right foot remained in place, and he did not choose to attack.

A feint attack!

A psychological battle involving both physical and visual pressure.

But clearly, Niou wasn't buying it.

"This guy is really cautious..."

Remembering the nickname "Niou," Sanada became much more cautious. His right hand, gripping the hilt of his sword, trembled slightly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He took a light step and then suddenly stepped forward.

tread!

With a loud thud, Sanada slashed diagonally with his bamboo sword, but seeing that Niou opposite him did not flinch or make a mistake because of his action, he immediately turned around to defend.

Tsugaki nodded slightly: "An aggressive probing..."

Sanada's feint attack came incredibly fast. An ordinary person would definitely react defensively when he launched his second attack. In the midst of the interplay of movements, gaps would often appear, which is often the moment when a master strikes.

Unfortunately, Niou's reaction was unusually calm.

"Hmm... this kid is not simple either!"

On the other side, Iwayama was also greatly surprised by Niou's calmness. After all, Sanada's previous offensive could be described as fierce as a storm, and the match was over in the blink of an eye.

It's quite remarkable that Niou could still discern Sanada's feints after experiencing such pressure.

tread!

The two kept spinning in circles, and the five minutes of the competition quietly passed.

"What on earth are these two doing?"

"Why are they always circling around? Do they not want to fight anymore? Or are they having a psychological battle?"

"How is that possible? Those two attacks could have been fatal in one hit, but Sanada held back. Judging from their conversation, they probably know each other, and he was probably going to let Sanada win..."

Unlike true masters, these apprentices only see a very limited picture and are unable to perceive the subtle changes in the two individuals.

Changes in hands and feet, amount of sweating, breathing rate...

These things, which are extremely important to experts, were not observed by them. Therefore, the match between Niou and Sanada seemed to them like a leisurely stroll.

However, the hidden dangers were constantly draining their strength.

During their ongoing standoff, the two men subtly exuded an aura that made people unconsciously wary.

Momentum!

Sanada's momentum is like a bolt from the blue, unpredictable and treacherous, yet fraught with hidden danger. A moment's inattention and he'll launch a sudden attack, ending the match in an instant.

Niou's aura, however, was like smoke. Faint and thin, formless and uncertain, it gradually swallowed up the aura emanating from Sanada.

Tick tock!

Sweat streamed down their faces.

The four-minute standoff, a battle of wits, was almost like a fierce tennis match for two people with strong mental fortitude.

"Oh no, we're running out of time."

As the hands moved past 4 minutes and 30 seconds, Sanada grew increasingly impatient. Unlike Niou, he possessed his own pride and honor, and victory in every battle was a requirement he had long held himself to.

He couldn't accept a draw.

tread!

With a thought in mind, he took a quick step forward.

"coming!"

On the other side, Niou, whose mental energy was greatly depleted, suddenly tightened like a rope that had been gradually loosening.

call!

Sanada took a step forward, gripped his sword with both hands, and slashed down fiercely.

when!

Niou parried with his sword, creating a loud thud.

The immense force sent a shiver down his spine, and Sanada's relentless, storm-like attacks followed in quick succession.

when!when!when!

Renwang parried repeatedly, and the two of them were so fast that the low-level apprentices around them saw afterimages of bamboo swords.