Chapter 157 - Fujino: Replace This Batch!
Fujino: Replace This Batch!
After the ranking tournament concluded, Suwa Yuji walked out of the Kendo Association venue alongside Fujino.
Recalling the scene from earlier, Suwa Yuji couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
"Others usually take at least ten moves to determine a winner. You, on the other hand, beat those kids so badly their mothers wouldn't recognize them within five moves."
"I was already holding back as much as possible, but even when I gave them openings, they couldn't take them."
Fujino sighed dramatically, feigning heartache.
"Honestly, I could finish them off in one move. I gave my opponents several chances, but it just dragged on. I had no choice but to win."
"That feeling really is quite frustrating."
Suwa Yuji nodded.
Actually, what he wanted to say was: "Are you even listening to yourself? Is that human talk?"
But on second thought, if he were in Fujino's shoes, he'd probably do the same.
Never mind then.
Participants in the Shodan ranking tournament were typically teenagers, around thirteen to seventeen years old.
Some prodigies could dominate 1st Dan players even at amateur levels, but 1st Dan was essentially just the entry level.
Kendo was inherently unfair; if you could win, you could win. There were no flukes.
At this point, Fujino's swordsmanship skills had surpassed 1st Dan, reaching the level of 7th or 8th Dan.
This 7th-8th Dan assessment was based on his sparring sessions with Suwa Yuji.
At the very least, when sparring with Suwa Yuji, he could access a vast database in his mind, allowing him to fight Suwa Yuji on relatively even terms.
With his current strength, dominating those true beginners was child's play.
A complete dimensional beatdown.
Suwa Yuji suddenly recalled the boy whose bokkenFujino had shattered earlier, chuckling. "But you, kid, really don't show any mercy to those juniors. You even broke the bokken of that kid hailed as a 'kendo prodigy' who had won ten consecutive matches against 1st Dans before even getting ranked."
"I didn't expect the bokkens provided by the Kendo Association for ranking exams to be so flimsy."
Fujino recalled the earlier scene, sighing softly.
"The bokkens here really aren't as durable as the ones at the Konoha Kendo Dojo."
"It's just a ranking tournament; the association wouldn't provide top-quality bokkens."
Suwa Yuji said.
"The bokkens you and I use for practice are high-quality bamboo swords I had custom-made at a high price."
Fujino's current swordsmanship was superb, and his physical strength had reached anti-human yet scientific levels.
Ordinary bokkens truly couldn't withstand a full-force strike from Fujino.
"Hopefully, that kid whose bokken you broke won't have his spirit shattered just because his sword got snapped."
Suwa Yuji, still smiling, suddenly sighed.
Having one's spirit broken was common in many competitive fields.
For example, in Go, being completely crushed in a major tournament would definitely shatter one's mentality.
It was similar in kendo ranking matches.
Especially for talented individuals who had never experienced failure.
If they were crushed in a match they were expected to win, they might just break down.
This was the so-called 'shattered dao heart'.
A mild case might involve crying under the covers; a severe case could lead to lifelong listlessness.
One could only say Fujino's method was excessively brutal.
He literally shattered the bokken right in the kid's hands.
Talented but lacking virtue, indeed.
Two days later.
The midterms ended. After three days of major exams, Fujino welcomed a rare day off.
Honestly, the kendo exam and midterms happening so close together,
although his constitution wasn't weak, still left him somewhat mentally and physically exhausted.
Fortunately, thanks to the Flame Medallion and the University Student trait, he felt considerably refreshed after one night's sleep.
Nearing morning, Fujino drove to meet Ran and Sonoko at Beika Station...
As usual, that elementary school shinigami Conan tagged along.
Today, Ran wore a green suit jacket, a beige sweater, a gray-blue pleated skirt, and goose-yellow over-the-knee socks.
Sonoko's outfit was simpler: a blue high-neck wool sweater and a white pencil skirt.
As for Conan, he wore his timeless classic outfit.
And Fujino had changed into the suit he had just pulled yesterday.
Inexplicably, his entire aura seemed to have elevated significantly.
"So, Conan, why did you tag along again?"
Suzuki Sonoko looked speechlessly at Conan sitting in the back seat.
"Hahaha... I heard Ran-neechan was going bowling. I've never tried it before, so I was curious..."
Conan scratched the back of his head, expertly putting on his childish facade.
Of course, he hadn't come along out of curiosity.
Bowling? As Kudo Shinichi, he had bowled before.
It was just...
Thinking this, he glanced towards Fujino, who was driving.
Fujino also glanced back, feeling a bit troubled by the shinigami tagging along.
Looks like today won't be peaceful either.
With the elementary school shinigami, Ran, and Sonoko present.
Doomed!
Something was bound to happen today.
Could it be at the bowling alley?
Fujino couldn't help but speculate inwardly.
After wandering the streets of Beika City for a while,
the group arrived at the bowling alley.
Since it wasn't a holiday, the bowling alley wasn't very crowded.
Arriving at the alley, paying the usage fee, the group went to a bowling lane machine.
"Ha!"
Sonoko picked up a bowling ball, straining as she threw it down the long wooden lane.
Rumble rumble.
It started straight.
But eventually veered off course, going into the gutter.
"Damn it!"
Sonoko watched the pins, none of which had fallen, clicking her tongue.
"Hahaha... Didn't Sonoko-neechan just say she was a bowling expert? How come you didn't hit any?"
Conan, seeing not a single pin fall, laughed unkindly, teasing her.
"We finally get a chance to relax, and Ran still has to look after you, you brat."
Suzuki Sonoko, hearing this, immediately looked glum and retorted irritably at Conan, "Aren't you ashamed?"
Conan puffed out his chest, unfazed by Suzuki Sonoko's words.
He was an elementary school student anyway. If elementary students felt shame, they wouldn't be elementary students.
"My turn!"
Ran, having taken off her suit jacket, picked up a retrieved bowling ball from the nearby machine.
She casually weighed it in her hand, then walked to the start of the lane.
She adopted a throwing stance, taking a step forward smoothly.
Her skirt fluttered as she released the red bowling ball.
The ball rolled down the lane in a perfect straight line.
Directly knocking down all the pins.
"Amazing!"
Sonoko clapped. "A strike!"
Nearby Conan showed a similar reaction.
Ran, seeing the fallen pins, sighed in relief.
She then turned to Fujino and said, "Senpai, it's your turn."
"My turn, huh."
Fujino, who had been sitting, slowly stood up.
Taking off his suit jacket, revealing the shirt underneath, he rolled up his sleeves and went to the machine nearby.
He picked up a bowling ball and approached the lane.
"Phew..."
Fujino held the bowling ball, weighing it up and down.
Honestly, his base strength had increased a bit too quickly recently.
The 100% increase he used to only get when holding a sword as a Swordsman Persona had become his inherent strength after transforming into 'Body as a Sword'.
Rapid strength increase, naturally, was accompanied by difficulty controlling his power.
Beating someone up was one thing; people in the Conan world were quite durable.
Even with some errors, he wouldn't easily beat someone to death.
But bowling, a sport requiring high precision in power control...
Let's see how it goes.
At least don't break the machine like Kyogoku Makoto.
He didn't want to pay for damages.
Fujino took a deep breath, adopting the same pose Ran used earlier.
Reaching the specific angle, he released the ball.
Subsequently, the bowling ball flew rapidly from Fujino's hand.
It sped down the lane, only hitting the wooden floor after traveling about a meter.
BANG!
The bowling ball collided directly with the pins.
With a crisp crack.
The bowling pin actually shattered.
Conan: "..."
Suzuki Sonoko: "..."
Ran: "..."
The group stared, dot-eyed.
Looking dumbfounded at the broken pin inside the machine.
Regarding this, Fujino merely took a deep breath.
Everything seemed to be within expectations.
Turning around, he chuckled lightly at the others,
"Looks like there's a quality issue with these bowling pins."
"Um, I remember bowling pins are supposed to be solid wood,"
Conan chimed in. "They shouldn't have quality issues, right?"
"Mhm, Conan-kun is right. It must be a quality issue."
Saying this, Fujino turned his gaze towards Conan.
This kid, always bringing up awkward topics.
Could he die if he didn't show off his knowledge?
He didn't want to pay for damages.
Fujino's lips curled slightly upwards, his eyes holding a trace of 'friendliness' as he looked at Conan. "Conan-kun really knows a lot, but this time it really is a quality issue, okay?"
Fujino's expression seemed familiar.
Suddenly, Conan recalled memories dominated by fear.
Instantly, Fujino's friendly gaze seemed to become 'nuclear-level' friendly.
"Ah... yes, it must be a quality issue, definitely."
Conan immediately changed his tune.
"I see."
Ran nodded, clearly believing Fujino's explanation.
"Um... Ran, that's clearly..."
Sonoko looked speechlessly at her best friend who had already bought the explanation.
But when she turned her head and saw Fujino's charmingly friendly smile, she stated firmly, "Mhm, it must be the bowling ball's quality issue."
"See, I told you it was a quality issue."
Receiving the satisfactory replies, Fujino smiled.
He then waved towards the owner in the distance. "Boss, these bowling targets seem to be broken."
"Replace this batch!"