CHAPTER 514: CHAPTER 349: NATIONAL PRELIMINARY DRAW CEREMONY_2

"This is irresponsible to the readers."

"But doing so would be responsible for the newspaper’s sales and our own future."

Miyata Kazuhiko sighed and didn’t continue speaking.

He and Ekitani just had different standpoints.

He had a family to support and had to move forward.

Ekitani Shichihiko had no such attachments and could balance his bottom line at work.

But who doesn’t want to be a journalist with professional ethics?

If you can do it, you naturally will, but if you can’t... you’ll just go with the flow; putting food on the table is more important.

"The drawing ceremony is starting."

Upon Ekitani’s reminder, Miyata Kazuhiko pulled out his notebook again, focusing on the teams entering the venue.

The drawing ceremony in the morning and the competition in the afternoon made the morning event the focal point for many reporters present.

Reaching the semifinals meant that the team would represent the Kantou Region in the national competition.

For those who had followed previous competitions,

one of the spots in the Kantou Region was already assumed in their minds, after all... it was the champion team of the previous two years.

...

In the break room.

"Who will draw the lots?"

"Traditionally, of course, it’s the General." Kusunoki Kubomaru patted Uesugi Sakura on the shoulder and said with a smile.

Uesugi Sakura nodded, and followed the staff at the door to the drawing site.

To demonstrate fairness, the drawing ceremony was held in the center.

Each team sent someone forward to draw a lot; if it’s A, they’re assigned to Group A; if it’s B, to Group B.

And so on.

Therefore, the preliminary round depended greatly on luck; the group you draw and your opponents were quite crucial.

Miyata Kazuhiko and Ekitani Shichihiko watched the venue from the nearby stands.

"I wonder if strong teams will clash at the start again this year? Honestly, the five from Takeuchi Dojo last round had it tough when they met Fujimaki Chidori’s Bushin Dojo."

"Just not very lucky, you could say."

The two chatted for a bit, and not long after, the captain representing the top seed team of the national event this time, the Bushin Dojo’s One-Mind One-Sword Style appeared.

The cameras in the sports hall and the eyes of the reporters almost all focused on that person.

However, it wasn’t the champion athlete they had seen the past two years.

It was a young man.

Unrecognized.

Never seen before.

An unfamiliar, yet handsome face emerged in everyone’s view.

"Wait," Miyata Kazuhiko immediately realized the so-called rumor he had heard moments ago, turning to his friend Ekitani Shichihiko to ask, "Isn’t the General of Bushin Dojo Fujimaki Chidori? Who is he?"

Ekitani Shichihiko also understood what was going on, patting his forehead: "Didn’t expect it, but the drunken chatter was true; Fujimaki Chidori really isn’t in the Bushin Dojo team anymore."

The sudden change of the General for the tournament was something no one had anticipated.

Neither credible nor understandable.

Originally, with the existing lineup, Bushin Dojo was almost guaranteed a seamless path to a championship, achieving a hat-trick.

Their team was all young members, having won twice against various senior streams, they were already a legend.

They were especially noteworthy as it was.

Yet this legend was suddenly declared over; even the most pivotal figure for the hat-trick looked abruptly excluded, no longer present.

It was extraordinarily abrupt.

Whether considered externally or internally by Bushin Dojo, it felt incredible.

The journalists quickly raised their cameras.

Uesugi Sakura glanced around the center of the gymnasium, realizing many cameras were snapping pictures of him.

Were they going to give him a nickname again?

He still remembered.

After participating in several Kyudo events, a certain unscrupulous reporter had given him a chuunibyou title that followed him all the way to becoming a Kyudo champion.

[Unparalleled Meteor]

Just hearing that name made Uesugi Sakura shiver slightly.

In the audience.

The two journalists were still there.

"Who is he?"

Ekitani Shichihiko said, "The General of Bushin, um~ it’s quite obvious, he’s Bushin Dojo’s General!"

"...That’s not what I meant."

"Just kidding," Ekitani Shichihiko chuckled, "I don’t know either, but judging by where he stands now, he is indeed the General of the champion seed."

"I swear I’ve seen him somewhere."

Miyata Kazuhiko and Ekitani Shichihiko followed the sound to look at the nearby female reporter.

She noticed the two were looking at her, awkwardly laughed, and said, "I can’t quite remember."

Miyata Kazuhiko said, "I’ve been to every National Championship Series; from my memory, I haven’t seen him."

Ekitani Shichihiko nodded in agreement, "Mm, and he’s too young, even younger than the other young members of Bushin Dojo."

The female reporter looked at Uesugi Sakura approaching the lottery stage, thinking he was quite handsome: "Could he be underage?"

Miyata Kazuhiko: "Being able to sign up for the competition indicates he’s of age, but... who is he? Even if Fujimaki Chidori left the team, the General position should at least be taken over by either Kusunoki Kubomaru or Koshin Kagami."

He had some knowledge about the hierarchy within this team; Fujimaki Chidori was the senior disciple, followed by Koshin Kagami, Higuchi Yoshiaki, Tsujimoto Kiro, and finally the shorter Kusunoki Kubomaru.

Who could it be?

After discussing for some time, they could only assume he was a disciple of the dojo.

And began considering how to write the article about him to attract attention.

...

Uesugi Sakura walked up to the stage and, under the staff’s guidance, reached into the box.

After picking and choosing, he took a ball from the very bottom.

Without looking, he directly held the ball in front.

Miyata Kazuhiko saw the number he raised: "Group C."

On the big screen at the front, the words "Bushin" immediately appeared in the first column of Group C.

After displaying the number in his hand, Uesugi Sakura stepped down from the stage.

He was dressed in Sword Dao armor, with a name tag on his waist indicating his last name.

Those following the match also clearly knew from this that the General of Bushin Dojo had the last name Uesugi.

Because Bushin Dojo was the two-time champion team, everyone was extremely curious about the newly appeared General.

Who was the General replacing Fujimaki Chidori?

Everyone was curious.

Based on the surname written on his name tag, they all began to search for his information eagerly.

...

"Have you found it?"

In the audience, after a while, Miyata Kazuhiko asked his friend.

"Found it." Ekitani Shichihiko stared at his phone screen.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Miyata Kazuhiko, who wasn’t hopeful at first, was surprised they found something after a random search.

This at least indicated he wasn’t a nobody, having participated in competitions with some information online.

"Any achievement records?" Miyata Kazuhiko quickly asked and began taking notes.

"National champion."

"National champion!? Impossible, right!?"

What Ekitani just said was beyond his expectations.

In the next second,

Miyata Kazuhiko frantically searched through all the Sword Dao events he had attended, but couldn’t recall any national champion named Uesugi.

As he wanted to grab the phone for details, Ekitani Shichihiko added another line:

"National Kyudo champion."

"Kyudo?" Miyata Kazuhiko was even more puzzled, "It’s getting more and more outlandish, let me see."

"Go ahead and look." Ekitani handed the phone to him.

Examining the article headline on the phone, there indeed was a report from the previous year stating that Uesugi Sakura won the nationwide Kyudo Emperor’s Cup championship held in Reiwa 3.

And it was from their own newspaper.

Kyudo champion, Bushin General, a newly adult youth.

Miyata Kazuhiko sorted out his thoughts.

This situation just became interesting, a Kyudo champion competing in Sword Dao—a very sellable story.

He stood up at once.

"Let’s go."

"Ah? Where to?"

"For an interview! It’ll be too late otherwise."

"The drawing ceremony isn’t over yet."

"We’ll know by looking at the big screen later. Quick! Else too many people will gather, and we won’t squeeze in."

Miyata Kazuhiko promptly pulled Ekitani out of the stands.

And just as he predicted, journalists with an eye for news rushed to block the entrance upon finding information.