At half past five in the afternoon, inside a Kendo Arena as spacious as a gymnasium, hundreds of members of the Kendo club were still swinging their bamboo swords, shouting loudly.

Kamiya High School was a nationally renowned powerhouse in kendo, a regular at national competitions, and had even taken home the championship title more than a dozen times; it was an established champion in the eyes of the world.

Under the leadership of Sunaga Takashi last year, they once again won the national competition and were also the favorites to win this year's championship.

Additionally, they had a boarding system.

Students in the Kendo club usually trained very late before going to eat.

A very few dedicated individuals even trained late into the night.

For instance, Sunaga Takashi.

He was the one with the best talent and was the hardest worker among all students. The undisputed captain of Kamiya.

His daily practice was different from others; he often finished training precisely at half-past five, ate, and then continued to train.

The Kendo club's coach had no objection to this.

Sunaga Takashi was different from others; a genius could not be cultivated in the usual way but had to choose on their own how to grow.

They, the mediocre ones, just needed to prepare the nutrients and then watch as the genius absorbed them bit by bit and grew.

Sunaga Takashi took off his kendo practice gear but did not set his bamboo sword aside; instead, he habitually carried it with him, possessing the air of an ancient samurai, never apart from his blade.

He stepped outside the Kendo club, where the blazing sun was still intense enough to make one sweat profusely in a short time.

A girl with short hair waited under the shade of a tree, standing on tiptoes and waving. "Hey, Gao Shi, over here!"

Sunaga Takashi chose this time to eat every day for no other reason than his childhood friend liked to have dinner at half-past five.

If he didn't accompany her, he would be haunted by her relentless nagging.

Such was the troublesome nature of a childhood friend.

"Ruriko, let's go."

Sunaga Takashi was not a man of many words. With that simple phrase, he headed towards the cafeteria.

Ruriko Yokoo hurriedly followed, pouting. "Gao Shi, I told you to stop being so quiet after starting high school. Be a bit more enthusiastic! You won't be popular with girls like this."

"It doesn't matter. Having Ruriko by my side is enough."

Sunaga Takashi sighed inwardly. If another girl were added to the mix, my head would probably explode on the spot.

"G-Gao Shi, what are you saying?"

Ruriko's face turned red. She sneaked a glance at Takashi, whose stoic face bore no expression.

Damn it, does he think he can do whatever he wants just because he's handsome? But he really is handsome!

Ruriko fumed inwardly and decided not to pursue the topic. Instead, she asked, "Did you know Aohana Vine and Brilliant High School are going to have a friendly match?"

"I didn't know," Sunaga Takashi answered briefly.

Ruriko knew that Sunaga Takashi was very slow to catch on to such news and wouldn't even bother to ask, so she always made a point of gathering information on their rivals.

It wasn't that she thought anyone could threaten Takashi; she just wanted to find topics to discuss with him.

"Aohana Vine is also a regular at the national competitions. Brilliant High School's Kendo club is very weak. If there's anyone worth mentioning, it's Aozawa. He fought you at last year's Jade Dragon Flag."

"I don't remember," Sunaga Takashi replied coolly.

He had defeated too many people; only particularly strong opponents left a lasting impression on him. Ordinary foes were hard to remember.

"You went all out against him as soon as you got on the mat," Ruriko said, trying to help him recall the event from last year's Jade Dragon Flag.

Thus reminded, Sunaga Takashi recalled, "So his name is Aozawa?"

"You should try to remember your opponents' names. He'll probably compete in this year's Jade Dragon Flag again. He has no hope for the national competition, poor guy, being stuck at Brilliant High School with such a weak Kendo club."

Ruriko's expression turned serious. "Lately, Aohana Vine has been frequently arranging friendly matches with people you've defeated at the Jade Dragon Flag or the national competitions. They clearly want their captain to face you. You need to be careful; I heard their first-year newcomer is a monster. During the district qualifiers, the Aohana Vine coach deliberately kept this newcomer out. It's obvious they're aiming to ambush you at the nationals."

"It doesn't matter," Sunaga Takashi answered indifferently.

The national championship trophy isn't important to me; what matters is clashing with others. The stronger the enemy, the better.

The two of them walked down a cool, shaded path. Unfamiliar trees grew on both sides, their dappled shadows falling on the bluestone path below. The occasional breeze felt refreshingly cool.

A man blocked their way.

In an era where short hair was prevalent, the man had shoulder-length hair tied casually into a ponytail.

His face was covered with stubble, and he was dressed in traditional Edo Period attire, looking like a ronin who had stepped out of the past.

His collar was open, revealing much of his chest. A sword hung slanted at his waist, and he wore wooden clogs, approaching at a leisurely pace.

Sunaga Takashi's eyes narrowed. He stopped in his tracks. "Ruriko, stay here. This guy isn't from the school."

"Do you know him?" Ruriko Yokoo asked, somewhat surprised. She thought she knew everyone Sunaga Takashi associated with.

Sunaga Takashi shook his head. "No, but he exudes a dangerous aura. He's definitely not a teacher."

"Well, now! Truly worthy of the dark horse who made such a splash at last year's Jade Dragon Flag. My name is Hazama Michio. You could say I'm one of your seniors," the man said, introducing himself with a grin.

Ruriko Yokoo's eyes widened. "I've heard that name! Hazama Michio, the former captain who led Kamiya High School to three consecutive championships!"

"I'm delighted that people still recognize this old-timer," Hazama Michio said with a broad smile, scratching his belly. "I rarely get back to Tokyo, so I thought I'd visit my alma mater and see this legendary, promising dark horse for myself."

Sunaga Takashi pursed his lips. The man seemed very friendly, but beneath that veneer lay a dangerous aura.

It was like the scent of blood on a rusty knife. This man must have killed with a real blade; otherwise, he couldn't exude such a dangerous aura.

"What do you want?" Sunaga Takashi asked coolly.

Hazama Michio smiled, then suddenly gripped the hilt of his sword. In that instant, he lunged forward, his blade arcing like a flash of lightning towards Sunaga Takashi's face.

It happened in a flash; Ruriko Yokoo didn't even have time to scream.

Sunaga Takashi remained composed. With a swift strike of his bamboo sword against the hilt of the other's weapon, he blocked the attack.

"Haha!" Hazama Michio laughed. He didn't attack again but sheathed his sword. "You pass. When I was in school, I wasn't as strong as you. Continuing to use a bamboo sword is a waste of your talent. You should try a real blade; only then can you truly test your limits."

Sunaga Takashi did not respond.

Hazama Michio didn't seem embarrassed and continued cheerfully, "Times are changing in Tokyo. Staying in school will only bury your talent. Think about my advice. There are plenty of people worth cutting down in Tokyo these days."

With that, Hazama Michio turned and left.

He had come here just to see this junior, Sunaga Takashi. If the boy lacked potential, he would be disposed of. If he was good, Hazama would let him live for now, to be dealt with later.

Operating in the underworld, Hazama was never bound by the law.

He usually operated outside of Tokyo; in this bustling metropolis, fighting with traditional weapons put him at a disadvantage.

But he had heard some news.

A string of homicides had occurred in Tokyo's underworld, all linked to a man named Dio.

It was said that the six major conglomerates, the Phoenix Academy, the CIA, and agents from other countries were all pursuing Dio for their own reasons.

Hazama Michio wasn't curious about their goals. He had accepted the Mitsui Group's invitation to Tokyo purely out of a desire to fight strong opponents.

To kill so many people and remain active despite a full-scale manhunt... Dio must be a terrifying monster.

Such a whetstone for my blade isn't easy to find.

Besides, dangerous individuals from both home and abroad were gathering in Tokyo, this international metropolis.

What others wanted, Hazama Michio didn't know. His own desire was clear: he wanted to test his blade.

Watching Hazama Michio walk away, Ruriko Yokoo patted her flat chest, her face pale with shock. "That guy... he really wanted to kill you, Gao Shi!"

"Mm," Sunaga Takashi replied noncommittally, his gaze falling to his bamboo sword.

Ruriko Yokoo quickly said, "Gao Shi, you mustn't listen to him! This isn't the end of the Shogunate era anymore. If you go around using a real sword to kill people, you'll definitely spend the rest of your life in prison!"

"Don't worry, I won't," Sunaga Takashi replied succinctly. His expression didn't change, but inwardly, he felt a flicker of uncertainty.

Have I been practicing Sword Dao just to compete with people on a stage? No, it's because I genuinely love Sword Dao.

But is Sword Dao only meant for duels on a stage?

Sunaga Takashi could sense that in the instant his bamboo sword touched the real blade, something seemed to call out to him.

It was a strange sensation, one that made him want to try wielding a real blade.

"Gao Shi, you absolutely cannot become like that man!" Saying this, Ruriko Yokoo slapped his cheeks with both hands and then, just as she used to do when they were children, pinched them, emphasizing, "Do you understand?"

"Mm." Sunaga Takashi snapped back to reality, his expression impassive. He had been accustomed to Ruriko's habit of grabbing his face since they were very young.

So, he showed no sign of annoyance and simply stepped forward.

Ruriko Yokoo breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew her hands. "You don't need to look for opponents out in the world; there are plenty of strong rivals in school. That Aohana Vine first-year is definitely going to be terrifying."

"Mm," Sunaga Takashi replied casually. I don't believe anyone in high school can be my match, not even that man from earlier.

He had already overcome his physical weakness, which had been his only challenge in achieving consecutive victories at the Jade Dragon Flag.

This year's Jade Dragon Flag was merely about setting a new record for consecutive victories. He wasn't looking for a worthy opponent there.