Chapter 196: The Virtue of the Vanguard
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196: The Virtue of the Vanguard
As I stepped off the bus, I felt the eyes of several girls on us.
They definitely weren't for me; their gazes were fixed solely on Renka—a mixture of admiration and wariness.
It's not easy for a student to be this well-known by name and face... She must be famous not only for her skill but also for her beauty.
I knew Renka was talented, but this was the first time I'd seen people react to her like this. It was strange.
A few people also glanced at Chinami, who was standing next to her.
I wasn't sure if it was because she was cute or because she was famous like Renka.
Given her small frame, her use of the unorthodox high stance, and her skill, it was probably the latter...
“Inoo, you’ll lead the girls’ division.”
“Yes, Coach.”
Lost in thought, I snapped back to reality hearing the conversation between Goro and Renka.
I turned to Yamazaki, the third-year senior participating as the team captain, and asked.
“Do the girls’ and boys’ divisions compete separately?”
“Huh? Of course. It's not a mixed-gender tournament...”
Doesn't that mean Renka and Chinami won't be able to see me even if I make an amazing play?
Before I was dating Miyuki, I would have just accepted it, but in this situation, who's going to fall for me?
Bread Girl? The vice president?
Fuck, I know this is a shitty game, but can't it compromise on something like this?
So unforgiving. Just like DokiAka.
Just as I was thinking that,
“The girls’ division will probably start first. They have fewer members than the boys’ division, so their preparations finish faster.”
Hearing Yamazaki's follow-up, I cheered inwardly.
Right, it's a romantic comedy. You can't have the heroine miss the protagonist's cool moments.
Still, they'll miss my early matches. That's a bit of a shame.
“I see.”
“But why are you asking?”
“Oh, nothing. I just got curious when the coach told the club captain to lead the girls’ division on her own.”
“Didn't you read the application guidelines?”
“Nope.”
“...That's so like you.”
“How far do we have to get to qualify for the next tournament?”
“Our boys’ team's goal is 4th place, right?”
“Yes.”
“That's how far.”
So we just need to make it to the semifinals.
But if we qualify for the next tournament by placing exactly 4th, they'll definitely pit us against one of the 1st or 2nd place teams from another regional tournament.
Giving the top two teams a nice advantage was a feature of the preliminary tournaments.
To prepare for what came next, it was better to secure a higher rank no matter what and get an easier bracket in the next tournament.
However, given the nature of kendo team competitions, where one person from each position fights in sequence, the average skill of the players has to be high.
Considering that, our boys' kendo club's goal was unrealistic.
Unlike the girls' division, they had never achieved any notable results, and now they had me and Tetsuya, who had zero experience.
They said their goal was 4th place, but honestly, they probably weren't holding high expectations.
Otherwise, why would they include me and Tetsuya? It would have been better to form a team with more experienced second-years or older.
If this tournament had been the regional qualifier for the nationals, our team would have had a funeral atmosphere by now.
They were already a weak team, and with two beginners added, they had become the weakest. It was only natural.
However, since today's event was just a regional tournament, it was okay to just focus on participating, so the team's atmosphere wasn't bad.
Still, there was a slight tension. The boys' team hoped to get good results, at least here.
In any case, as I'd thought before, I was pretty much forced to participate in this tournament, but I couldn't be a burden to the team, so I had to do my best.
* * *
The tournament hall I entered with Goro wasn't what you'd call large.
The facilities were quite nice, though. There were a lot of spectator seats for a venue of this size.
The district itself must have a lot of enthusiasm for kendo, for it to have decent facilities despite being a small regional tournament.
While Goro was talking to an official, I looked around the hall and then tapped the shoulder of an already-nervous Tetsuya.
“Quite a lot of people here.”
“Even though it's a simple regional tournament, it starts from the round of 32... so of course there are a lot of people. You're the vanguard, aren't you nervous?”
“I'm... doing okay. Let's do our best together.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
If this were an individual match, I might have tried to get under his skin, but I couldn't do that in a team competition.
He could fall apart once the match starts.
Every single point was important, and he was the one right after me, so it was better to calm him down, shore up his mental state, and increase our chances of winning.
Before long, Goro finished his conversation with the official, collected the inspected equipment, and led us to a corner to sit.
He then told the members to put on their gear and started helping me and Tetsuya.
“Only the vanguard matches will be held simultaneously. And as I said on the bus, unlike the friendly matches between club members, the competition itself will be hectic. You can assume there are no breaks. The match starts the moment you sit down and stand up after the starting signal, so you have to be focused from the very beginning.”
His tone was softer than usual.
It was obvious he wanted us to do well.
As I was putting on my gear with Goro's help, I felt gazes from other academy students that were something like ridicule.
They must find it funny that we can't even put on our own armor.
The rival team looking down on the protagonist's team... It's one of the classic clichés, but it still feels pretty shitty.
Ignoring them, Goro meticulously helped me and Tetsuya put on our waist protectors, and after carefully fitting our head guards, he tied the white string over the straps that crossed our backs and said,
“Just do what you've learned. That'll be enough to win.”
Such a Goro-like encouragement.
With that thought, I looked at the tournament bracket set up where the judges were seated.
Our first opponent was an academy called Kaisei.
I didn't know if they were a strong team or a weak one, but considering that Goro didn't give us any information about them and that the second-year seniors' expressions stiffened slightly after checking the bracket, it seemed to be the former.
It looked like it was going to be tough from the start. Not that any match would be easy for a weak team like us.
The protagonist's team is always the underdog, and the golden rule of sports stories is for that underdog to pull off an upset and elicit an amazing reaction.
At the very least, I have to beat my opponent. No matter what.
As match time approached, the air in the gym grew heavy.
When a brief speech from the organizers began over the gym's speakers, the slight commotion died down, and it became quiet.
-Now, all teams to your positions.
A solemn voice came as soon as the speech ended.
At that, the five players from each team lined up on the outskirts of the competition area.
Following the instructions, we bowed to the opposing team and the judges, and then also bowed towards the spectator stands, which were much higher up.
I took that opportunity to scan the crowd.
I could see parents and students. With thirty-two academies here to compete, a good number of people had come to cheer.
Quickly scanning the stands, I spotted Miyuki, Bread Girl, the vice president, and a few other classmates sitting together.
Looks like they came right after class ended... Miyuki was holding an inflatable cheer stick she must have gotten from somewhere.
It looked like it had a baseball team's logo on it. Is that the team Miyuki's family cheers for?
Miyuki looked around and then placed the cheer stick down by her feet.
The atmosphere in the hall was quiet, so she probably decided it wouldn't be right to use it.
Miyuki waved enthusiastically at me and Tetsuya with both hands.
I chuckled at the cute gesture. Then, as applause broke out, Yamazaki and the other team members told me to do my best, and I bumped fists with them.
After our team and the opposing team moved to the outer area, I warmed up by jogging in place.
Soon, of the three referees, the two on the sides crossed the competition area and took their positions on opposite ends.
Seeing the head referee unfurl his flags, I exchanged a light bow with the opposing vanguard.
Then, while waiting for the start signal from the speakers, I reviewed what I had learned.
‘Unity of spirit... Unity of spirit...’
To score a point, the unity of spirit is crucial.
Especially the kiai. I had to let out a passionate shout when striking to make an appeal, something I'd only done half-heartedly before because I was embarrassed.
Also, the virtue of a vanguard is guts.
You can't be intimidated, no matter who your opponent is.
And of course, your skill has to be good.
In that sense, my opponent was a worthy adversary.
Despite the basic difference in our physiques, he showed no signs of being intimidated.
And since he was chosen as the vanguard, his skill was bound to be excellent.
Isn't it the golden rule in these sports events for the first opponent to be overconfident?
No, maybe he's acting that way because of the perception that the Yebonie Academy boys' kendo club is a weak team.
The best thing to do is to end this quickly, so the next fighter can ride my momentum and to intimidate the opponent.
My opponent was surely thinking the same thing.
I'm a bit worried since Tetsuya is after me, but let's stick to the basics.
It's not like I know any other way, anyway.
-Match...
The voice came while I was steadying my breath.
Taking one last breath, I heard,
-Begin!
The start signal shot through my ears, and I walked to the boundary line inside the competition area.
Then, I drew the shinai I had at my waist, pointed it at my opponent, and knelt at the line before rising again.
“Do your best!”
“You got this!”
At the same time, the second-year seniors and Yamazaki, sitting on the sidelines, shouted words of encouragement.
The opposing team did the same, passionately cheering for their vanguard.
I thought the match would be conducted in solemn silence from start to finish, but I guess not.
I immediately took a high stance, spreading my elbows wide as Goro had taught me, and I could see my opponent's eyebrows twitch through his head guard.
Did he feel a bit intimidated because I looked bigger? Or was he flustered at having to face the unfamiliar high stance?
The opponent's right hand, supporting the hilt of his shinai, twitched.
Is he planning to thrust if I approach? True, the most well-known weakness of the high stance is a throat thrust straight from the mid-level stance.
I can't overthink this.
Just as Chinami told me, I'll charge right at the start.
Having made my decision, the moment I saw my opponent in his mid-level stance take a small step back with his rear foot, I stomped forward.
Kuuung-!
Taking advantage of the large step forward, I glanced at my opponent's face and saw he was bewildered.
My momentum must have been greater than he imagined.
Swaek-!
Pushing with my right hand and putting maximum snap into my left, I realized that if I struck now, I would succeed with a head strike, but it wouldn't be an ippon.
The distance was a little off; it would hit with the middle of the shinai and wouldn't count as a point.
What should I do?
I just have to relax my left hand slightly and pull my rear foot up less than usual to shorten the range.
Having assessed the situation in a split second, I put my thoughts into action,
“Haaaap!”
letting out a kiai loud enough to make the small gym ring.
Jjeo-eok-!
At the same time, a crisp sound rang out.
I quickly stepped back, resumed my high stance, and showed my ready mind.
I hit the striking area precisely with the striking part of my shinai.
And there was power behind it, too. Enough for the sound of the impact to echo widely.
My ready mind was a bit clumsy... but this should be enough to score a point, right?
Just as I was thinking that,
Flap-!
The judges raised their white flags in a sharp, decisive motion.
It meant it was a near-perfect ippon, enough for all three judges to be certain I had scored.
Feeling a surge of excitement welling up in my chest, I grinned as I heard the loud cheers of our club members from the sidelines.
“Yeah!”
“Nice one, Matsuda!”
Them cheering me on... it's not bad.
I also like the part right before the match starts, observing the opponent's every move and engaging in psychological warfare.
And the electrifying feeling of impact that travels up from my fingertips after landing a clean blow is good, too...
Honestly, I'd been indifferent about kendo, but maybe because my intended attack landed, I'm starting to find it fun.
Following the head referee's instruction, I returned to the center and glanced at the stands to see Miyuki clapping like a seal at lightning speed.
I couldn't see her clearly because of my head guard and the distance, but she looked both surprised and delighted.
Through the grill of my mask, I could see the shitty look on my opponent's face.
Seeing that, I snickered quietly, then steadied my breath and knelt at the boundary line.
The moment I stood up, my opponent charged, and I rushed to meet him, swinging my arms.
Jjeo-jeok-!