Chapter 302: Kitada Jun, I Want To Sit In The “first Place” Seat—mind Making Way? Chisa’s Resolve!
Kitada Kei challenged Minamoto Shizuka.
At this point in time?
The venue, which had only recently calmed down, immediately became restless. The bullet comments on major live-streaming platforms poured out like mountains and seas, having already exploded.
Some felt it was inexplicable, some said Kitada Kei was too foolish, and others said, “I want to see a river of blood…”
In short, the general audience didn’t understand one thing.
—Why was Kitada Kei, who was ranked third, making a move on Minamoto Shizuka now, when Shangshan Che, who posed the greatest threat, had not yet issued a challenge?
Chisa also found it very strange.
The girl propped her chin on her hand, looking at the discussions among her classmates on her mobile phone for a moment, and then at the spirited young man on the venue’s big screen.
She muttered, “Hmm, I have a feeling this competitor, Kitada, isn’t very bright…”
“No, Chisa,” Tamamo, sitting beside her, replied without the slightest surprise, “this is normal.”
“Normal?”
Chisa didn’t understand.
To her, it was a simple choice, yet Kitada Kei had chosen the option that seemed irrevocably wrong.
But how could her knowledgeable sister say this was normal?
Tamamo placed her brick-like mobile phone face down on her lap and earnestly taught her younger sister, “Most of us ordinary people think with emotions or benefits.
We always think about how to maximize our benefits, how to get more, and how to gain more.”
Saying this, Tamamo raised her hand and pointed to Kitada Kei on the screen, who had already locked eyes with Minamoto Shizuka: “But they are different.”
Chisa blinked thoughtfully and asked,
“Geniuses are different?”
Tamamo shook her head: “No, strong individuals are different.”
This answer attracted Hozoin Inrai’s attention.
The little monk listened quietly without speaking.
“The way these strong individuals think is always beyond our grasp.”
Tamamo scoffed and then grumbled unhappily, “These guys are all the same, Yagyu is like that too.”
“—Kitada believed that he should challenge that young lady from the Minamoto family at this time, so he challenged her immediately.”
Under Chisa’s slightly confused gaze, Tamamo gnashed her teeth as if remembering something: “I get it, I really get it.”
“These sword-wielding folks, in pursuit of a clear mind, don’t consider the possible consequences; they’ll do anything.”
Saying this, Tamamo quickly turned and placed her hands on Chisa’s shoulders, reminding her very seriously, “Chisa-chan, remember in the future, don’t learn their bad habits!”
“Oh… oh.”
Chisa-chan nodded in a daze, and then couldn’t help but ask, “Is this considered learning bad habits?”
“Yes! It’s super bad!”
Tamamo emphasized.
—Because if their way of thinking becomes like this, then in the future, they will most likely turn small dangers into big dangers, and big dangers into life-threatening crises!
Tamamo didn’t want her sister to frequently fall into danger, get her hands bloody, and live a life of constant anxiety.
It was much better to be a direct clerk under Nanjo Emi in the Special Affairs Office Building, pouring tea, moving documents, and processing paperwork, just like now.
Not only would her status be high and she wouldn’t be subjected to workplace bullying, or disgusted by various strange colleagues and superiors.
She would also have an unshakable iron rice bowl under the system and a very high welfare guarantee system.
Even if she had to work overtime sometimes, it was nothing compared to the enviable salary and benefits.
Although Chisa was currently just a small “temporary worker,” Tamamo could tell that Nanjo Emi quite liked her.
Yes, her own sister had great potential!
She was a true candidate for a civil servant!
—Chisa, on the other hand, felt that this wasn’t “bad,” and it was even a bit cool.
To be able to follow through with one’s thoughts, unlike her current self who had so many scattered ideas, hesitant to act, yet regretting giving up.
It was truly indecisive.
Chisa thought listlessly, having forgotten all about taking pictures.
She rubbed the mobile phone in her hand, which had been running for several hours without showing the slightest sign of heating up, and the thought of asking Shangshan Che to be her master arose countless times in her heart.
But in the next moment, the girl’s mind was flooded with the pathetic scenes of numerous competitors who had lost, or even narrowly won, in the Seed Battle.
Such a tragic scene…
Just looking at it made her legs tremble.
Naturally, Chisa became hesitant and indecisive again.
Within two seconds, she realized her two opposing thoughts had begun another tug-of-war, just like countless times before.
“See, it’s happening again.”
Dejected, Chisa asked softly, without any accent,
“Sister, am I very useless?”
Although she asked, the voice was more like a murmur in her heart that she accidentally let slip.
But Tamamo heard it.
“Not at all.”
Chisa’s older sister gave her answer without hesitation.
“—Compared to her peers, and compared to the vast majority of people in this society, Chisa is too worry-free and too sensible.”
Tamamo’s tone was devoid of excessive praise or boasting of familial affection.
It was merely a statement.
“If Chisa were useless, then 99% of people should disappear from this world.”
Tamamo and Chisa pressed their foreheads together.
She gazed into the girl’s watery eyes, her tone softening,
“So don’t overthink it. If Chisa wants to do something, just tell me, and I will always support you.”
Because, all I want is for you to grow up safely and happily.
Listening to her sister’s warm voice, Chisa responded softly,
“Mhm.”
She felt it was time for her to make a decision.
Chisa turned her head and looked at the two incredibly cool and shining figures in the center of the arena.
—Not for coolness, not for being stylish, and not to fulfill her own desires, to do whatever she wanted.
It was so that when her sister, and her family members, didn’t want to do something.
They could say no.
……
On the arena.
Kitada Kei, with bright eyes, stared directly at Minamoto Shizuka, whose expression remained calm.
Buzz buzz buzz.
In Minamoto Shizuka’s hand, the three-foot-three-inch Demonic Sword Hotarumaru trembled with excitement.
It had been too long, it had waited for too long.
Now, it could finally be drawn!
On the other side, Kitada Kei’s mind was as still as water.
Having realized what he was lacking, Kitada Kei had brushed the dust off his Sword Heart, making it clear again.
Victory or defeat was a trivial matter.
The key was how brilliant and dazzling a sword he could wield in this battle against Minamoto Shizuka.
Not seeking to surpass others.
Only seeking to surpass himself.
In the noisy Sky City Arena, Kitada Kei, like an old-school traditional swordsman, slowly drew the Tachi from his waist. After assuming a stance, he announced his school and name,
“Katori Shinto-ryu, Kitada Kei.”
The Sword Principle that had been dispersed throughout the venue retracted and finally focused on the Tachi in Kitada Kei’s hand.
It was not the beginning of a Sword Domain or anything else.
Kitada Kei only believed in the three-foot Blade in his hand.
After a slight pause, Minamoto Shizuka, whose gaze had been unfocused, also became serious.
She drew the well-known Demonic Sword. Amidst its eager, ecstatic screams, she spoke clearly, word by word,
“Minamoto Shizuka.”
Just like a traditional True Sword Match, Kitada Kei and Minamoto Shizuka announced their names.
Their gazes were like lightning, and they exploded directly in the center of the arena from a distance of a hundred meters.
The engrossed Audience was startled by this scene, but their expressions quickly became more interested.
*Clink, clink, clink*…
On the wide arena, there was no dazzling Onmyōdō, no bombardment of Qi Barriers.
There were only their steps, like ordinary people.
Then, there was the clashing of Blades, nearly unadorned and without any visible destructive power.
Most of the Audience scratched their heads, feeling that it was like watching duels between Kendo Masters of the past; they couldn’t understand it but felt it was very impressive.
Only the true Kendo Masters watched intently as these two exceptionally skilled swordsmen, who only used Sword Technique, fought.
Because there was so much to learn from them!
“Kitada lost.”
Just a few moves into the fight, Lili Zi decisively made this judgment.
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow: “They haven’t even truly started fighting yet.”
“While that may be so, the outcome can be seen at a glance, right?” Lili Zi spread her hands. “They aren’t like you, Shangshan Jun, with so many strange moves.”
Lili Zi pointed out concisely with a master’s air: “Purely in terms of Sword Technique, Minamoto Shizuka is definitely superior.”
Purely in terms of Sword Technique…?
Shangshan Che did not voice this question.
It wasn’t until he noticed that Kitada Kei on the field, after being defeated by a thousand swords, still hadn’t used any moves other than Sword Technique that he looked back at Lili Zi.
The girl shrugged, with an expression that said, “Didn’t I tell you?”
Shangshan Che opened his mouth and finally sighed, “This is truly… pure…”
—Kitada Kei wanted to settle the victory and defeat based on Sword Technique, and Minamoto Shizuka was actually willing to play along.
“—Is purity useful?”
Shangshan Che was stunned by this question, looked around, and realized it was Lili Zi who had spoken.
?
Shangshan Che’s expression was strange: “It feels very odd coming from your mouth.”
“I’m just making a casual remark.
After all, when one loses, one can’t exactly say to the opponent, ‘Your purity is too low,’ out of shame and anger.
They certainly wouldn’t be doing this to uphold purity, would they?”
Lili Zi stuck out her tongue.
—Lili Zi had changed. Yes, it must be because of the change in her Clear Sword Heart.
In the past, she would only say such things herself. Lili Zi loved pure swordsmanship, pure progress, and improvement immensely.
Shangshan Che thought to himself, slightly worried that she might have some after-effects from breaking through during the battle.
However, after observing her, he found that the Sword Heart Lili Zi “presented” to him had become purer, clearer, and more intensely bright than before.
It had become more like a true sun that had gathered its light.
So, was he worrying unnecessarily?
Dispelling his doubts, Shangshan Che refocused his attention on the arena.
Kitada Kei was defeated, but there wasn’t a huge uproar in the venue.
The reason was simple.
The threshold was too high, and they couldn’t understand it.
Indeed, such a duel of Sword Technique, with killing intent in every move, each fatal and exquisitely crafted, was not something the general public, who had no prior contact with Kendo, could appreciate.
However, the bullet comments on the live-streaming platform were polarized; some analyzed it thoroughly, while others said Kitada Kei had made a fool of himself and was completely undeserving of his position.
It was entirely in line with Shangshan Che’s imagination of the internet.
In conclusion, although Kitada Kei lost, he himself had a smile on his face, seemingly having gained a lot.
Minamoto Shizuka, on the other hand, returned to her seat expressionlessly, as if she were the one who had lost.
Shangshan Che did not challenge directly but waited for the competitors below to have their matches first.
Yan Liu, whose mindset had completely collapsed, dropped several more ranks.
Yagyu Oshi, who had rested for a while to conserve energy, struck with every sword as fierce as fire, taking 25th place with his masterly Eightfold Fence, seemingly having made a breakthrough in his previous battles.
And then…
A figure that was somewhat unexpected caught Shangshan Che’s eye.
Kuzuha Chihaya.
At this very moment, this opponent whom he had struggled to defeat with all his might in their True Sword Match was now barely fighting for a position in the sixties.
And it seemed even the sixtieth position was about to be lost.
Shangshan Che stared for a long time. Upon realizing a feeling called “boredom” arising in his heart, he shuddered.
He closed his eyes and sighed softly.
The changes in the world… truly happen so fast that one cannot react.
At this moment, Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist sensed his master’s emotions and trembled slightly.
A bright, warm ray of sunlight was precisely and flawlessly released from that Sword Heart, falling upon him.
In the noisy silence, Shangshan Che let out a soft breath, the corners of his mouth curving slightly beneath his mask.
Fortunately, there’s still you all.
……
Over an hour passed in the Sky City Arena, and the vast majority of competitors had exhausted their single challenge chance.
Saito Ryuichi comfortably secured a TOP 5 position, like an iron wall blocking all challengers.
“Soft persimmon” Yan Liu surprisingly regrouped after nearly ten consecutive defeats, returning to the fourteenth rank after becoming exceptionally respectful towards subsequent opponents.
On the other hand, Tokugawa Haruhiko’s face remained unhealed, his mental state utterly shattered, dropping all the way to twenty-second place and becoming the lowest-ranked competitor among the noble families.
Yagyu Oshi pushed his limits and surpassed himself, winning by a hair’s breadth against the twenty-fourth ranked competitor, and then predictably losing to the twenty-third.
His ability to achieve such a high ranking had already exceeded the expectations of his Apprentice Master, Tamamo, and even himself.
Before the Elimination Tournament began, Yagyu Oshi thought he would have stopped around fiftieth place.
He thought to himself, “Later, I’ll need to properly thank Shangshan Jun and Lili Zi.”
As the final “rookie duel” concluded, the once bustling Venue gradually began to quiet down, section by section.
The concurrent viewers on the Live Stream platform and the television ratings also began to rise again.
Compared to the previous hour, they increased by more than 50%.
Countless gazes within the Venue, as if in unison, all fell upon Shangshan Che.
They fell upon this man who came from a Normal background, possessed no noble bloodline, and like ordinary people before a tide, had repeatedly created miracles.
Expectation, hope, desire, fear, grudge, jealousy…
So many people, so many diametrically opposed extreme emotions and thoughts, all fell into Shangshan Che’s heart with their gazes.
Then, he gently brushed them away.
Shangshan Che lowered his head,
“Little Jia, are you ready?”
Kaga Kiyomitsu extended half an inch of its sharp Blade, neither trembling nor humming, only a viscous paleness and blackness churning within the Scabbard.
Then the Evil Spirit smiled.
Shangshan Che looked up and spoke to the youth who seemed to have merged with the three-foot Blade in his hand,
“Kitada Jun, I’m going to take the ‘First Place’ spot.”
The Evil Spirit politely asked with respectful language,
“So, could you please move aside?”
Kitada Kei lowered his head and gave a response as brief as possible,
“No.”
