"Hey! Why are you still here? Come with me quickly!"
"What's the rush, I haven't finished watching this match yet."
"Stop talking, there's a monster in the southwest corner! It's already the fifth round, and in the first four rounds, he defeated all his opponents with just one move!"
"Huh? One move! Really?"
"In short, he's super strong! Just follow me, hurry up, otherwise, you won't be able to squeeze in!"
...
Similar conversations kept happening in various areas of the square.
Like being attracted by a magnet, the audience began to flock in large numbers to the southwest corner. Unknowingly, most of the other arenas became deserted.
And at the very center of this crowd.
A black-haired teenager leaned against the wooden platform, waiting for a long time. Feeling a bit bored, he casually scratched his ear.
"The next one hasn't arrived yet?" He glanced at the referee.
"Almost here! Mr. Shano, please bear with us a little longer!" The referee, a ponytailed girl in her twenties, replied urgently.
With more and more people crowding around, she was feeling hot and uncomfortable, sweating all over her head, but couldn't suppress a smile at the corners of her mouth, obviously in a great mood.
How lucky!
Her first time as a referee, and she got to oversee such an amazing swordsman. When she goes back to talk to the juniors at the dojo, they would die of envy.
Having watched four matches in a row up close, she was already captivated by that miraculous Swordsmanship.
Moreover, Mr. Shano is still very young, and his Swordsmanship is already so impressive; what will it be like in the future?
"Here he comes!"
She suddenly brightened, looking toward the incoming scar-faced swordsman, and waved eagerly, "Mr. Killing, over here, over here!"
The scar-faced swordsman walked onto the platform silently, with a cigar in his mouth, exuding an aura of shadow.
"Hey, it's Mr. Killing, the Vice Director of one of the Seven Great Dojo, the Falling Leaves Dojo!"
An audience member recognized him and exclaimed.
"It really is him!"
"In the Sword Dao tournament five years ago, wasn't he the runner-up?"
"An already famous swordsman like this is participating in the tournament once again? Could it be... he still can't let go of not winning the championship back then?"
On the wooden platform, Shano listened to the discussions around.
Narrowing his eyes at the scar-faced swordsman, his gaze finally carried a slight seriousness.
This guy... is different from the previous small fry; just by his aura, he seems formidable.
Without any accident, he should be the most noteworthy opponent in this Sword Dao tournament——
"I concede."
A hoarse voice mixed with smoke floated out.
"Alright, it seems both sides of the match are ready, so... Eh eh eh??"
The ponytailed girl turned her head in shock towards the scar-faced swordsman, "Mr. Killing, what did you say?"
The surrounding noise also stopped, and the surprised gazes of the audience all focused on Killing.
Clatter, that was the sound of a Bamboo Sword being tossed aside. Killing blew out a smoke ring, waved his hand, and said casually: "Don't look at me like that, I saw this kid's third-round match."
"Such terrifying Swordsmanship, I admit I'm not his opponent. At my age now, rather than being knocked out and embarrassed, it's better to leave myself some dignity."
"Is, is that so..."
The ponytailed girl was about to say something more.
But Killing had already stepped off the wooden platform. His silhouette, with a cigar in his mouth, vanished into the crowd in no time.
Shano withdrew his gaze, looking at the Bamboo Sword which coincidentally fell at his feet, frowned slightly, then suddenly bent to pick it up.
"This, can be considered a trophy, I'll take it, no problem?"
"Eh?" The ponytailed girl was taken aback, then quickly nodded, "Of course, it can, since Mr. Killing discarded it himself, you're free to handle it as you wish."
"Alright."
Shano tucked the Bamboo Sword alongside his own and slid it back into his waistband.
The ponytailed girl took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in her heart, stood on the wooden platform, and loudly announced:
"In the fifth round of the preliminary matches, Shano versus Killing, the final result, Shano wins!"
"Here, I also officially announce on behalf of the Sword Dao tournament organizers that Mr. Shano has won all five rounds! He will not need to participate in the revival elimination round and has officially become the first contestant to advance, securing a spot in the top eight!"
The audience present had already been murmuring, just waiting for her to announce the news.
So after a brief silence, deafening cheers of excitement erupted across the square——
"Shano! Shano! Shano!"
————
Boom!
In the spacious office, a richly dressed middle-aged man slammed his fist on the table, roaring in rage:
"This is what you call an unknown nobody? A chance encounter? Given the toughest draw opponents, and still wins all five rounds, such strength, clearly that rogue from the Sakuraba Family hired as strong backup!"
"An unknown nobody is what you said, boss."
The tall, slender swordsman wearing a White Fox mask spoke calmly.
"Huh, really?... No, that's not the point! How dare you talk back!"
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then became furious. He grabbed the ashtray on the table and threw it.
"That's because of your intel that we made the wrong analysis! Tell me, how should we handle this guy who's gotten that strong!"
"And that Killing! Weren't they always resentful about not winning the championship back then? I thought they were here for redemption this time, but it turned out to be a complete coward! Not even having the courage to get on stage for a match!"
"..." The tall, slender swordsman was silent, his face hidden behind the mask revealing no emotion.
The middle-aged man, still angry, remembered something:
"By the way, what about that Sakuraba family's kid? Has he finished his matches yet, how's he doing?"
"Five matches, four wins. He lost to another championship favorite, but he has a resurrection match qualification, so he's likely to make it to the top eight without any accidents."
The middle-aged man grew more agitated, standing up and pacing around the office.
"No! We absolutely can't let the championship fall into the hands of the Sakuraba family, or else the Sakuraba Dojo's reputation will rise again, and if it makes a comeback, it will take a lot of effort to deal with it..."
"Hey, White Fox!"
He suddenly turned his head, staring at the tall, slender swordsman, speaking coldly:
"Before the preliminary ends, you go participate right now. You must take one of the top eight spots. Only you have the strength to keep the championship throne in our hands!"
The tall, slender swordsman frowned slightly.
"Wasn't it agreed upon that I would stay behind the scenes and not have to publicly show up for such tasks?"
"Isn't this due to the circumstances forcing us? Besides you, who else can reliably block those two kids? Mainly, that Shano. Whether the Sakuraba family's kid can beat the other advancing contestants is still uncertain."
The middle-aged man sneered, "Moreover, we're not asking you to take off the mask, you can use your current fake identity as you wish, or change to another mask, who would be able to guess who you are?"
"..."
The tall, slender swordsman remained silent for a long while, eventually nodding.
"Go, and make haste!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand, and as the tall, slender swordsman's silhouette nearly disappeared outside the door, he suddenly spoke:
"I say, White Fox, you aren't going to get soft-hearted and betray our agreement from back then, are you?"
The footsteps outside the door paused slightly.
"...Pointlessly asking like that is meaningless."
A voice devoid of emotion came in.
"Haha, as long as you know!"
The middle-aged man looked up and laughed loudly, "Don't forget! My kind of power, just how terrifying it is, is not something you ordinary people can resist!"
…
Southeast area of the plaza.
"What's wrong, Mr. Shano?"
Junichi had just walked down from the wooden platform amidst cheers, with excitement still lingering in his heart, when Shano pulled him aside, causing him to wonder.
"It's nothing."
Shano smiled, "First, congratulations on easily passing the resurrection match and successfully advancing, but the top eight stage only starts at one in the afternoon. There's still time. How about having a meal with me first?"
"Eat now?"
Junichi scratched his head, not yet catching his breath, when Shano forcibly grabbed and pulled him by the arm, heading towards the outskirts of the plaza.
Once they reached a secluded alley, Shano finally stopped.
He tossed a bamboo sword in his hand to the puzzled Junichi.
"This is..."
Junichi lifted the bamboo sword and noticed a line of small characters engraved on it, "11 o'clock sharp, second floor of the Purple Vine Restaurant?"
"The opponent for my fifth round, Killing from Falling Leaves Dojo, gave it to me." Shano frowned, "Looks like there's something they want to discuss with us privately. Do you know this guy?"
"Deputy master? Killing?"
Junichi racked his brain, pondering for a long time.
Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he struck his palm with his fist:
"I remember now! You mentioned the deputy master, I have no impression, but this name, I saw it five years ago!"
"That year, when my father was still around, he was responsible for preparing and hosting that year's Sword Dao tournament. At the time, he would always bring a list home."
"The names on the list were those who actively registered for the tournament, but couldn't attend due to financial issues. My father specifically allocated funds to cover their travel and lodging expenses, and Killing was among them!"
"A list? You were only ten years old that year, are you sure you didn't get it wrong?"
"Absolutely!"
Junichi confidently nodded, "I only looked at that list closely twice. I wouldn't be sure about the other names, but this name was so unique and easy to remember that I still recall it now."
"So, the most reasonable guess is that you... or rather, our ally?"
Shano mused.
Recalling Killing's act of withdrawing from the competition and those two cups of coffee still warm from the morning, he twisted his neck, his bones cracking.
"Then let's go meet him and hear what Mr. Killing wants to tell us, but don't let your guard down, keep your sword with you."