Anime, Girlfriend Shokuhou Misaki.

……

"Chong-"

The trembling hum sounded again, and sparks continued to erupt from between Makoto Haramura and Yudai Moroboshi.

"It's really tough."

Moroboshi Yudai kept swinging his spear to defend himself.

However, his defensive posture looked very awkward; he could only use the back half of his golden spear shaft to block Haramura Makoto's slashes and bullets.

Each time, he wanted to create distance again and launch another attack.

However, Makoto Haramura refused to let him go and fully utilized the advantage of his Crane-Breaking Combo.

He retreats and he advances; he advances and he retreats.

He perfectly controlled the distance, keeping Moroboshi Yudai firmly within his attack range and relentlessly suppressing him.

It is thanks to this that...

Moroboshi Yudai's body was now a mess; his clothes had been torn to shreds by the long sword, resembling tattered strips of cloth pieced together, and blood seeped from his body, staining his clothes crimson.

"So, are you going to admit defeat, Seven Star Sword King?"

"You can't use superpowers, and neither can I."

"Once the two people close the distance, your close combat ability is only this much."

"Or do you have some hidden tricks up your sleeve that you haven't used yet?"

Makoto Haramura cannot apply his magic to the outside of his body, otherwise Tiger Devourer can shatter it at any time, which is why he does not use his domain.

However, he can still use the superpowers that allow him to see one second into the future and enhance his movement speed normally.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Moroboshi Yudai was already at a disadvantage when facing him.

"In that case, I'll show you."

Zhu Xingxiong laughed loudly, the twitching of his lips even aggravating the wound on his face, causing blood to seep out again from the wound that had stopped bleeding.

"Didn't you say you wanted to see my 'Broom Star'?"

Moroboshi Yu's large arm trembled slightly, and Haramura Makoto felt as if a flash of light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

"—'Broom Star'!"

The spear shaft, which was originally very hard and did not bend even when Makoto Haramura cleaved it with his sword, suddenly bent into an arc.

(one!)

In that instant, Moroboshi Yudai's speed in withdrawing his spear seemed to surpass everyone else's, and when he turned around again, the thrust was already aimed at Haramura Makoto's forehead.

However, this attack was not particularly difficult to dodge.

Just like when he dodged the triple star formation before, he could easily avoid it with his current acceleration.

(two!)

The speed had increased slightly, but it was still within Makoto Haramura's reaction range.

This was the result of a gunshot wound to the heart. Makoto Haramura, who had never retreated before, took a step back for the first time today.

This is the subconscious optimal solution, since moving backward is always faster than moving forward.

"coming!"

The first two attacks were both ordinary, but in terms of strength, they were indeed much stronger than the Triple Star attack.

However, the strength is limited.

This level of power couldn't possibly be Moroboshi Yudai's ultimate technique.

Therefore, the most dangerous thing must be the last shot he hasn't yet fired.

In this one-hundredth of a second.

"Secret Sword——"

Haramura Makoto's aura suddenly changed, becoming as sharp and piercing as a razor's edge.

"—'Swallow Return'!"

The longsword instantly traced a sharp trajectory in the air like a butterfly in flight, turning into a flash of light, and then, as if it had been split, it launched slashes from three directions.

(three!)

The spear tip shot out and crashed directly into the center of the blade, which was spinning like a windmill.

"Pfft-"

A tearing sound rang out.

That was the sound of two things being torn apart.

Tearing of clothing, tearing of flesh.

He had heard this sound countless times before, since it always came from his own body, but this time it sounded particularly jarring to Moroboshi Yudai.

Bright red blood floated in the air.

The wound, about forty centimeters long, running from his chest to his lower abdomen, was shocking.

Moroboshi Yudai fell completely silent for a full few seconds.

"……Wonderful."

With this heartfelt expression of admiration, Moroboshi Yudai slowly collapsed to the ground.

"The battle is over! Medical personnel, hurry!"

Without a second thought, Shinomiya Kurono raised her Spirit Dress and shot Moroboshi Yudai, stabilizing his injuries and stopping his time. The medical staff quickly carried him off the field.

"So strong, really so strong."

"The undisputed champion of this match."

Exclamations of admiration rang out from all around, and all the spectators applauded the battle.

Watching this match, they felt as if they were witnessing the changing of the guard between a new generation of champions and the old.

……

The first round of matches will conclude today.

Since there are three venues at the same time, there are only 32 contestants in total. On average, there are only five matches in each arena.

The battles between swordsmen are not like the battles in One Piece.

Everyone inside is incredibly resilient; they can fight for an entire day at a time.

Generally speaking, a battle between swordsmen can be decided within ten minutes.

Just like the battle between Makoto Haramura and Yudai Moroboshi just now, it only lasted for five minutes.

Stella's battle ended even faster than Makoto Haramura's; her opponent wasn't very strong, and she herself was completely overpowered.

So now Makoto Haramura and Stella have qualified.

Kurogane Shizuku was unfortunately eliminated by Sarah.

"Amazing! No wonder it's called Time Freeze; it managed to eliminate that Seven Star Sword King without a scratch."

"Princess Crimson Lotus is terrifyingly strong, okay? I still get goosebumps from that dragon roar she unleashed."

The arena was bustling with noise, and the surrounding roads were almost completely blocked by spectators and vendors.

They were all enthusiastically discussing the game while quickly grabbing something to eat to replenish their energy.

"Kid, I'm here."

Across the crowded throng, an elderly woman dressed in a loose-fitting, dark-colored kimono waved her hand.

He leaned on a cane with his left hand, and although he looked to be in his eighties or nineties, he was full of energy.

This person is none other than the legendary figure in the world of Japanese knights, the God of War, Nango Hikojiro.

"Really, Master, you said you were coming to watch the match, but you're only showing up now?"

Holding Stella's hand, followed by an expired loli in a kimono, Makoto Haramura silently slipped out of the crowded throng and came to stand in front of Hikojiro Nango.

"What, Xiao Cheng, is your match over?"

Nango Hikojiro didn't seem to have any intention of apologizing. He was grinning and his gaze was already fixed on Haramura Makoto's hand, which was carrying a bag.

"Oh my, what a filial disciple! Knowing that his master hadn't eaten, he even prepared breakfast for him."

Without even waiting for Haramura Makoto's consent, Nango Hikojiro used his old-fashioned speed to take the box of takoyaki from Haramura Makoto's hand and put the takoyaki pieces into his mouth one by one, devouring them in large chunks.

"The early part was already over."

"It's my match against Moroboshi Yudai. If you're any later, you won't even make it to your senior's match."

Looking at the takoyaki box in Nango Hikojiro's hand, Haramura Makoto's forehead was covered in black lines.

"Also, this isn't breakfast for you, it's lunch I bought for you to eat later."

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter at all."

Nango Hikojiro always had this cynical and irreverent demeanor.

Perhaps it is because of his condition that he is still so healthy and capable at this age.

It's important to know that, apart from the immortals in the ancient kingdoms who have special methods to prolong their lives, there's actually no difference in lifespan between those who work with swords and ordinary humans.

The most typical example is the Black Iron Dragon Horse, which, as a pillar of the nation, has been dead for who knows how many years.

Nango Hikojiro was able to maintain about 90% of his peak strength.

Get to work and do it without delaying anything.

"Forget it, let's go, old man."

Nishikyo Ningyin sighed softly, stepped forward from behind Haramura Makoto, and prepared to lead Nango Hikojiro into the venue.

"No need, just wait a little longer."

"There's one more person coming along."

Nango Hikojiro's speech was a bit unclear, probably because his mouth was full of takoyaki.

"Anyone else?"

At first, Stella had a lot of respect for Makoto Haramura, her mentor.

After all, in the beginning, she chose to study at the Bladebreaker Academy in the faraway land of Japan because she wanted to emulate her idol, Kurogane Ryoma.

Similarly, Nango Hikojiro, who was on par with Kurogane Ryoma at the time, was also an object of her admiration.

But after just one encounter, she fully understood.

Despite her respect for Nango Hikojiro's character and abilities, she could not expect him to show any respect in other aspects of his life.

Yes, she's already here.

Nango Hikojiro let out a soft "Eh."

He looked towards the other exit of the arena and gave a meaningful smile.

"Ok?"

All three of them headed in the direction of Nango Hikojiro.

Then, Xijing Ningyin and Stella shuddered.

The figure of a silver-haired woman suddenly came into their view.

"This woman... why is she here...?"

Xi Jingning felt a sense of unease, as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Just looking at her back, she suddenly felt an urge to run away from here.

Her beautiful face was like that of an exquisitely crafted doll, and her long silver hair made her look like a moon goddess. Today, she was not wearing her usual pure white armor, but just a simple outfit, yet she still exuded a sacred and inviolable sense of purity.

She gazed across the crowd, her eyes meeting those of Nango Hikojiro.

The next second, she had already crossed the sea of ​​people and arrived in front of Nango Hikojiro.

Nishikyo Ningyin and Stella were practically standing on end. Although they hadn't summoned their spirit armor, they had already assumed the most suitable stance to deal with the situation.