My dear wife, I still love you more.

However, this doesn't apply to Saeko Busujima and Hasegawa, because their combined strength far surpasses that of the entire Jade Dragon Banner.

The high school students participating in the Jade Dragon Banner are at most level 3, or at most professional level, which is already considered genius. But Hasegawa and Saeko Busujima, their strength, if placed in ancient times, would almost be considered that of great swordsmen. For them to participate in the Jade Dragon Banner is like an adult bullying a toddler who has just learned to run; it's simply bullying.

Of course, the other members of the kendo club would also gather information on their opponents. Meanwhile, Saeko Busujima used the excuse of understanding her opponents' skill levels to revisit Hasegawa's room.

However, after Saeko Busujima entered Hasegawa's room, Yui Yuigahama, Sayuri Sawamura, and Eriri also came to Hasegawa's room one after another.

This made Saeko Busujima frown.

Saeko Busujima was hoping to use this opportunity to bring her and Hasegawa a little closer. After all, two young people discussing athletes' information in the same room at night could even get a little closer, even if they didn't necessarily cross that line, it would still bring them closer.

However, with three more women now in Hasegawa's room, this situation is no longer possible.

“The three of you, Hasegawa is going to participate in the Jade Dragon Flag competition tomorrow and needs plenty of energy. Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to come to Hasegawa’s room at this time?” Saeko Busujima said to the three of them without any politeness.

Chapter 131 Saeko Busujima's Hobbies

“It’s not appropriate for us to come, so it’s not appropriate for you, Manager Busujima, to come to Kenichi’s room at this time either, is it?” Sayuri Sawamura said to Saeko Busujima with a smile.

"That's because I need to discuss the opponents we'll face in the match with Hasegawa-kun and learn about their situations. That's how I can ensure Hasegawa-kun's victory," Saeko Busujima said seriously, as if it were absolutely true.

"I see. But the three of us won't say anything carelessly, so we shouldn't bother Kenichi. Right, Kenichi?" Sawamura Sayuri said with a smile, completely unpretentious. At the same time, she felt that Busujima Saeko was too much of a threat, especially since she had even brought Yuigahama Yui along this time. Three against one!

"Yes, yes, we won't talk, we won't bother Hasegawa." Yui Yuigahama nodded quickly.

Eriri, standing to the side, couldn't help but purse her lips, but didn't say anything.

"But your presence here will disturb Hasegawa's rest."

“No, if Kenichi needs to rest, we will leave with you, Captain Busujima,” Sawamura Sayuri retorted sharply.

Saeko Busujima gave Sayuri Sawamura a deep look. Sayuri was clearly old enough to be Hasegawa's mother, yet her allure was so strong. Was it for her daughter? Thinking this, Saeko glanced at Eriri again.

Saeko Busujima wasn't quite sure what Eriri really thought about Hasegawa. Eriri didn't seem to have any feelings for him, but her mother was persistent and a very difficult person to deal with.

Saeko Busujima felt this was a bit too much. Whoever liked Hasegawa should step up and fight, but instead, Sawamura Sayuri, his mother, personally stepped in. Wasn't that cheating? But even so, Saeko Busujima wouldn't admit defeat.

After all, she had finally met Hasegawa, a man with even greater kendo talent than her, and a boy whose kendo skills were on par with, or even surpassed, hers. How could she possibly give up?

Saeko Busujima discovered at some point that she had developed a very unique, or rather, a very perverse, fetish. In middle school, she encountered a middle-aged man who was stalking her and trying to molest her. Although she could have chosen to call the police, she instead pulled out her training oak sword and beat him, fracturing several bones and sending him to the hospital in critical condition for at least a year.

From then on, Saeko Busujima developed a bloodthirsty craving. She felt an intense urge to break the limbs and even the ribs of everyone she encountered. She loved the color of blood and the sound of screams.

However, Saeko Busujima knew what kind of era she lived in, and she knew that her thoughts were a crime. She tried her best to suppress herself, but sometimes she couldn't, so she would deliberately lure those bastards to secluded places, then take out her wooden sword and, with a ferocious, bloodthirsty smile, viciously hack at their bodies.

Although Saeko Busujima tried her best to suppress her fetish, the more she suppressed it, the more her bloodthirsty instincts wanted to erupt.

Therefore, before meeting Hasegawa, Saeko Busujima was actually very insecure. She felt that although she looked like a person, she was essentially a monster. She was afraid of herself, she hated herself, and she was always hiding from herself.

Countless people liked Saeko Busujima because of her appearance and kendo, and some even pursued her, but Saeko rejected them all. She felt that she was not worthy of being in a relationship.

If the other party knew she was a monster, they would surely scream in terror and run away from her. That's what Saeko Busujima always thought.

Until she met Hasegawa, a boy whose kendo skills were in no way inferior to hers.

When Saeko Busujima first sparred with Hasegawa, she could barely suppress her bloodthirsty instincts, and almost lost control during the match.

However, in that situation, it was simply unbelievable that Hasegawa could withstand Saeko Busujima's frenzied attacks without suffering any harm. Even more unbelievable was that after the battle, Saeko Busujima discovered that the mad, bloodthirsty instincts she had suppressed deep within her had subsided considerably.

It should be said that she vented a lot of her frustrations during the battle.

The exhilarating battle unintentionally unleashed a portion of her long-suppressed bloodthirsty instincts.

After that, she fought Hasegawa every day, a battle that was almost merciless. Time and again, Saeko Busujima continuously unleashed the bloodthirsty instincts she had suppressed deep inside. Then Saeko Busujima discovered that she seemed to have become a normal person.

This discovery filled Saeko Busujima with ecstasy. She found herself developing feelings for Hasegawa without even realizing it.

Later, Hasegawa would sometimes miss school due to other commitments, or he wouldn't be able to come on weekends. This prevented Saeko Busujima from playing against Hasegawa.

This situation made Saeko Busujima involuntarily think about what would happen if she separated from Hasegawa after graduating from high school. If she separated from Hasegawa, she would no longer be able to express her bloodthirsty instincts, and she would become a monster again.

This is absolutely something Saeko Busujima wouldn't want to see. So, how can she keep Hasegawa by her side forever? There's only one way: make Hasegawa her closest person, so they can never be separated.

So, at that time, Saeko Busujima began to teach Hasegawa Busujima-ryu swordsmanship.

Perhaps, at the beginning, Saeko Busujima had certain ulterior motives, but as she spent more and more time with Hasegawa, her feelings for him became more and more genuine.

Now, Saeko Busujima has completely fallen for Hasegawa. She even confessed her feelings to him in a rather subtle way, but Hasegawa seems completely oblivious, not understanding her confession at all. Furthermore, Hasegawa had previously stated that he didn't want to date in high school, so Saeko Busujima has to temporarily suppress her feelings.

She originally planned to get to know Hasegawa slowly, hoping that feelings would develop over time. However, Hasegawa seemed to suddenly become handsome, and then, there seemed to be more girls around him, each of them developing inappropriate thoughts about him, which made Saeko Busujima feel threatened.

Chapter 132 The Allure of Hot Springs (Bonus Chapter with Blades)

After finally seeing Saeko Busujima and the other three girls off, Hasegawa couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his brow, even though he knew what had happened. But Hasegawa still couldn't help feeling troubled. He clearly had no feelings for these women, and he hadn't even actively tried to seduce them, so why had things turned out this way?

"Scumbag!"

A light, airy voice came from not far away, and Hasegawa subconsciously looked over. A girl with long, straight black hair gave Hasegawa a disdainful look, then turned and left.

Hasegawa opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but he didn't know how. Finally, he shook his head. Oh well, she's just a girl he doesn't know. Let her think what she wants; it won't affect him anyway.

The kendo competition continued the next day. Because the number of participants was half that of the previous day, the competition was divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Even though half of the participants have been eliminated, there are still a lot of contestants. There are so many high schools across the country, and each high school has a team. The Yulongqi competition has a limited time, so the frequency of the competitions is naturally higher.

After all, Yulongqi is not like a basketball game, where teams are eliminated in their respective counties and then each county selects two teams. This is a competition where all the high school teams come here to compete.

Today's match was no different from yesterday's.

Needless to say, in the women's group, Saeko Busujima didn't even need to play in the morning's match. It wasn't until the next match, due to physical condition and other reasons, that she stepped up.

As soon as Saeko Busujima appeared, screams erupted again, and she was hurled at nicknames like "Great Demon King."

Saeko Busujima easily defeated her opponent, or rather, instantly killed her with a single blow, securing a decisive victory.

Hasegawa's situation was similar; he played once in the morning and once in the afternoon, defeating his opponent cleanly each time. However, although Hasegawa's team was not a well-known team in the men's division, they didn't receive much attention.

Of course, Yui Yuigahama and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been watching Hasegawa closely, reacted differently to his clean and decisive victory.

After today's competition, Hasegawa checked his stats. To his surprise, his proficiency in Kendo, gained from the competition, was significantly higher than during his usual training – no, it was much higher.

Perhaps because of his victory in the competition, Hasegawa discovered that his proficiency was increasing at a rate ten times faster than usual.

Hasegawa had thought it would take him an entire summer to raise his kendo skills to level 5, the maximum level for that skill. However, he hadn't expected to gain so much proficiency from participating in the Jade Dragon Flag tournament. Hasegawa felt that perhaps after participating in this Jade Dragon Flag tournament, he could directly raise his kendo skills to level 5—the legendary level of a sword saint.

Hasegawa found it incredible, but also felt a special surprise.

After his language skills were upgraded to level 5, he underwent a dramatic transformation and gained many benefits. So, what benefits will he gain this time if his swordsmanship skills are upgraded to level 5?

Thinking about it this way, Hasegawa felt a strong sense of anticipation welling up inside him.

Oh, by the way, when they got back to the hotel, the four girls almost simultaneously appeared in Hasegawa's room again. Sensing the strange atmosphere in the room, Hasegawa couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Furthermore, it wouldn't matter if it were Yui Hihama or Saeko Busujima who came. Hasegawa just doesn't understand why Sayuri Sawamura would drag Eriri along to join in the fun. Isn't Eriri in love with Tomoya Aki? Shouldn't Sayuri Sawamura know this situation? Why did she still come to join in the fun?

"Um, I'm going to soak in the hot spring." Hasegawa felt it was best to leave the room first.

"Hot spring? Want to join me? Let's go to the mixed-gender hot spring." Saeko Busujima's eyes lit up as she said to Hasegawa.

"Huh? A mixed-gender hot spring? Let's go together!" Sayuri Sawamura's eyes lit up, and she pulled Eriri along.

Yui Yuigahama blushed slightly, her eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"Ahem, sorry, I'm not comfortable in mixed-gender hot springs, so I'll go to the men's hot spring." Hasegawa refused without even thinking.

"Huh?" Sayuri Sawamura looked regretful. "Kenichi probably hasn't seen us soaking in a hot spring yet, has he? Are you really not going?"

"No, I'm not going." Hasegawa gave a stiff smile.

Ignoring the somewhat disappointed expressions on Saeko Busujima's and the others' faces, and even suppressing the excitement in his heart, Hasegawa went straight to the men's hot spring.

Immersing himself in the hot spring, the temperature slightly higher than his body temperature made Hasegawa let out a long, comfortable breath. However, when he opened his eyes and looked at the men in the hot spring—men of men—his bodies of varying heights, builds, and even a slightly greasy appearance, Hasegawa couldn't help but close his eyes again.

"Why am I being so reserved? I could just go to a mixed-gender hot spring, soak in the water, and admire the bodies of beautiful women. Aren't beautiful women's bodies attractive? Why come here to look at these men's bodies?"

Hasegawa let out a long sigh. He hadn't thought much of it before, but after refusing Sawamura Sayuri and the others' invitation, Hasegawa started to overthink and even regret it.

"Ugh--"

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

After soaking in the hot spring, Hasegawa returned to his room and locked the door from the inside. He needed to rest; tomorrow's match would be even more intense, so he needed to get some rest and prepare himself with plenty of energy for tomorrow's game.

Hasegawa hadn't gone to sleep yet when there was another knock on his door.

Hasegawa couldn't help but cover his head. He had only come to participate in the kendo competition, so why did things turn out like this? It was incredibly troublesome.

"Sorry, I need to rest now. I'll make sure I have plenty of energy for the match tomorrow. Tomorrow, the top eight will probably be decided, and there will be some tough opponents, so I need to get some rest."

Without opening the door, Hasegawa shouted directly to the outside.

Chapter 133 Hasegawa is not good at offense?

Yulongqi, needless to say, has already made it into the top eight in the women's division. In the men's division, after Hasegawa cleanly defeated the opposing vice-captain and captain, he has also advanced to the top eight.

After Hasegawa defeated his opponent and led the boys' team into the top eight, the boys' team members from Soubu High School couldn't help but scream and cheer. They had finally made it into the top eight.

The girls' team is clearly so strong, but the boys' team struggles to even make it into the top eight. When people compare the boys' and girls' teams at Soubu High School, the male members feel ashamed.

It's like the Chinese national football team: the men's team always finds a way to lose, while the women's team keeps winning and achieving good results.

When the audience compares the men's and women's football teams, the men's team feels like—well, okay, the women's team is shameless. Even if the women's team wins the world championship, the men's team probably won't blush.

But the boys in Soubu High School's kendo club weren't so thick-skinned. Actually, they'd always felt quite ashamed. Compared to the girls' team, their boys' team was utterly pathetic. Now, thanks to Hasegawa, their boys' team had not only made it into the top eight, but even the championship seemed within reach. It would be strange if they weren't excited.

They weren't aiming for a winning streak; even just one victory, or just one win that allowed them to catch up with the women's team's results, would have been more than enough for them.

Now that Hasegawa has brought them such hope, it's easy to imagine how happy, excited, and even how much they admire Hasegawa.

Because Hasegawa consistently defeated his opponents with clean, decisive blows in his matches to reach the top eight, they even gave him the nickname "The Empire's One-Punch Man." Hasegawa couldn't help but feel embarrassed upon hearing this title. One-Punch Man? What kind of ridiculous nickname is that? Just because he always wins with a single ippon? What will happen to this nickname if he encounters a strong opponent and takes several rounds in a match?

Moreover, I feel that the title "One-Hit Man" is not as cool as the title "Great Demon King".

"I never expected this scumbag to be so strong. Not only did he make it into the top eight, but he also defeated his opponents with a single blow. This guy's strength is astonishing." Kasumigaoka Utaha sat in the audience, watching Hasegawa cleanly defeat his opponent, and couldn't help but sigh. Originally, she was thinking of seeing Hasegawa lose the match and get beaten up like a pig's head, but she didn't expect Hasegawa's strength to be so great.

At this point, Kasumigaoka Utaha's thoughts even began to change. She was curious and wanted to see how far Hasegawa could lead the Soubu High School boys' team and whether he could win the championship.

At this point, it wasn't just those who had previously followed Hasegawa who were now paying attention to him. Because Hasegawa led his team to the top eight and decisively defeated their opponents, he had gained considerable attention. Some had even become his fans, and others were very optimistic about his chances, believing he could definitely lead his team to the championship trophy.

Some people even started using the nickname given to Hasegawa by the boys in Soubu High School: "The One-Punch Man of the Empire!"

After the quarterfinals comes the semifinals.