Chapter 95: 95: He’s Really Amazing

As expected of a newcomer. The moment Toji Taku saw the way Takashi held his shinai, he knew the guy had no idea what he was doing. There are five basic postures in Kendo: Jōdan (upper stance), Chūdan (middle stance), Gedan (lower stance), Hasso (eight-phase stance), and Waki (side stance). They're collectively known as the Five Kamae (Stance) of Kendo. Each stance is said to correspond to one of the five elements. Jōdan is fire, a confident offensive posture. Chūdan is water, balanced between offense and defense. Gedan is earth, primarily defensive, used for counterattacks. The first three are commonly seen in Kendo matches. Hasso is better suited for fighting multiple opponents. Waki is a hidden stance, where the shinai is held behind the body, making the strike path unpredictable—but the drawback is a slower strike speed. The stance Takashi took didn't belong to any of the five. Simply put, it was nothing. In Toji Taku's eyes, Takashi was full of openings from head to toe. He could go for any effective target—head, wrists, torso, throat—whatever he liked. "Begin!" Toji Rina stepped away from the center marker and gave a firm downward swing of her hand. "Ahhhhhhhhhh—!!" At the referee's call, Toji Taku, who had already been poised to strike, charged forward like a warrior with unwavering resolve. His face beneath the men (helmet) was flushed red with exertion, and he let out a thunderous roar. With the momentum of someone ready to give his life, he stomped forward and shouted, "Men!!" In Kendo, to score a point, the striker must call out the targeted area with full spirit and accurately hit the valid target area with the shinai while maintaining zanshin—a lingering fighting spirit. Toji Taku had shouted men, so his shinai had to land cleanly from the left temple to the right. Maybe this is why every flashy Japanese technique has to be shouted out loud. No wonder this country's so chuunibyou. The bamboo sword came crashing down toward Takashi's forehead in what could only be described as a textbook-perfect kote men strike. This was the fruit of doing 200 swings daily, for ten straight years. Toji's strike was flawless. But in the instant he raised his shinai, Takashi's mind had already conjured over a hundred different scenarios for a one-hit victory. It was as if, in that single instant, the two had already crossed swords hundreds of times. Only now did Takashi fully grasp the terror of [Sword Mastery]. It didn't just give someone who had never touched a sword the feel and instinct of a seasoned practitioner—it was like forcibly installing a martial encyclopedia into your brain, letting you counter any move with the optimal technique. It was a literal cheat code. Takashi couldn't even begin to imagine how strong he'd be if dropped into the Edo period. Just as the bamboo sword was about to strike him, Takashi's brain hadn't even decided how to counter—yet his body moved on its own. Takashi leaned his body back and tilted his head slightly to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack. "What?!" Toji Taku stared in disbelief as his shinai missed by less than a millimeter—striking nothing but air. He hadn't expected Takashi to react so quickly. So this is footwork. If not for how cringe it sounded, Takashi almost wanted to yell that out loud. Master-level dodging had become muscle memory—instinctive and subconscious. Brain: "Let me think." Body: "No need. I'm moving." The jōdan stance is like fire—aggressive and forceful—but with that comes risk. If the strike misses... Your guard is wide open, and you're full of vulnerabilities! Takashi's eyes narrowed. His body shot forward like a spring wound to its limit, thrusting his sword directly ahead as he shouted loudly, "Tsuki!!!" He always found it silly that you had to call out your attack when striking. Imagine if someone who practiced Mad Dog Boxing tried this—they'd die laughing. But that's the rule in kendo. No call, no point. From stillness to explosive movement, a momentary pause, and then a full-force thrust—Takashi's speed and trajectory had reached an unbelievable level. The tsuki was clean, decisive—without a hint of hesitation. At that moment, the life-or-death aura embodied in Japanese swordsmanship was fully expressed through Takashi's strike. The switch from defense to offense was too fast. In the blink of an eye, Toji Taku had no time to adjust and could only watch helplessly as the forward-charging shinai struck directly at his throat. The men-armor's faceplate extended downward—a thick resin plate protecting the throat. Even with the armor, the impact from a direct thrust couldn't be completely negated. Toji Taku had braced for pain—but it never came. Takashi's thrust merely caused a faint tremor on his throat guard—no pain at all. "Onii-chan!" Toji Rina's face turned pale. Forgetting her role as referee, she rushed over in a panic. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Like most siblings, the Toji pair argued and bickered often. They even fought sometimes. But if someone dared bully one of them, the other would go berserk. "I'm fine." Toji Taku shook his head, then turned to Takashi with gratitude in his voice. "Thank you, underclassman." He knew Takashi had held back at the end. Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing here unharmed. "No need to thank me, senpai." Takashi couldn't wait to rip off his men and started fanning himself desperately. Though Toji Taku hadn't hurt him, the stench had nearly knocked him out. After hesitating, Toji Taku finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Junior... May I ask who taught you?" "I don't have a teacher," Takashi answered truthfully. "If I'm not mistaken, this is your first time holding a sword, right?" Taku followed up. Takashi paused, wondering whether to lie. After all, for someone who'd practiced kendo for ten years to lose to a complete beginner—it was a heavy blow to the ego. "Takashi, you don't need to worry about sparing my feelings. I just want the truth," Taku said sincerely, catching the split-second hesitation. Takashi pressed his lips together and nodded slightly. "Yes... but I've been watching kendo matches regularly, and I've practiced with sticks in private." Narii rolled her eyes. Regularly watches kendo matches, my foot. He only just learned the rules this morning. ___ 20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you! Don't forget to leave a review too~ Check out the other translations too ___