Only Weapon Master

[Ah… that’s unfortunate… Son Ga-yeon really did well……]

In the end, she lost..

I had expected this outcome, but seeing Ga-yeon slump to the ground after the match made my heart ache a little.

With Gojo Sayaka’s victory in Semi-final Match 1 ……. Semi-final Match 2 contestants Kang Ara and Shikanoko Koshitan should prepare with their equipment at the arena entrance…….

‘Unni Ga-yeon did well too. Hmm Sayaka… Sayaka… This should be pretty fun, heheh..’

I was heading towards the door with my face guard, which I had taken off because it was stuffy, when the doorknob moved by itself.

— Click

“….Good job.”

The protagonist who moved the doorknob was none other than Son Ga-yeon, who had just lost to Sayaka in the previous match.

She must have removed her face guard while walking to the waiting room; her face was streaming with sweat like rain, and the smell of exertion around her told me how much she had perspired.

“Hehe… I lost. Sigh. The opponent was too strong.”

“……”

Her face and voice seemed normal, but I could sense an unbearable depression in her eyes, which prevented me from saying anything out loud.

“…Ara.. win, okay? After all, who’s going to be the champion?”

“….Me.”

This conversation made me realize once again what kind of person this unni Son Ga-yeon was.

Even her habit of talking too much and bothering those around her—thinking positively, perhaps she did it on purpose to make others feel comfortable…

“Unni. Get some rest.”

“Yeah. Ah, I’m so tired I could die~”

Oh, and also.

“That last attack. Even if it were me, well… it was cool.”

“….Heh. Ara, you’re terrible at lying.”

Hmm. Was it that obvious? If it had been me instead of Gojo Sayaka, I would have properly blocked Son Ga-yeon’s final attack.

Still.

“You might have grazed my clothing at least…”

“Heh. Thanks. Make sure you win!”

“Yes. Thank you.”

With my limited way with words, this was the best I could do to show respect for her excellent strike.

Encouraged by Son Ga-yeon, I went to the arena entrance.

And following the announcement and the referee’s signal to come up, I stepped onto the arena floor.

“Kyaa!! Kang Ara!!”

“Noona!!! You’re beautiful!!!”

“End it quickly and let’s win this thing!!!!!! Kang Ara fighting!!!”

Despite the one-hour rest period, the tournament had been going on for almost 6 hours.

Yet, the Korean citizens in the stands cheered loudly without tiring.

I bowed 90 degrees toward Son Ga-yeon, who had seen me off with a smile from the waiting room, and toward the audience cheering enthusiastically, then faced my opponent.

“….Y…Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”

“..Pleased to meet you. Oh, and gomen nasai?”

“…Hai? Naniga..”

“Um.. hayai? Uh hayai owaru? Yes..gomen”

It might sound like provocation, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Japan’s next-generation Sword Saint who had just faced Son Ga-yeon.

I wanted to test her talent… like a child who sees an advertisement for a new toy and wants to play with it… that kind of excited feeling…

That’s why…

Semi-final Match 2 Kang Ara VS Shikanoko Koshitan… begin!

I should end this quickly.

— …..Thwack!

“Waist!”

“…..Waist. Ippon!”

As soon as the match began, I forcefully stepped at about a 5-degree angle from where the opponent was looking and struck their waist with my bamboo sword.

Ara maintained zanshin after striking her opponent, remaining motionless with her sword, and her kiai and posture were so remarkable that the referees had no choice but to award the point, even if they couldn’t see her lunging out at bullet speed.

“… E.e..eh?”

The Japanese player was confused, not understanding what had happened to her.

“Hey, what was that just now…?”

“Was that Kizaru?”

“…Damn, even Kizaru couldn’t keep up with that..”

“”Kang Ara! Kang Ara!! Kang Ara!!! Kang Ara!!!!”

And my performance reignited the energy in the stands that had been waning.

— Thwack!

“Wrist!”

“…Wrist…Ippon!”

The speed was no different from before, but I lowered my center of gravity and positioned my bamboo sword in an extreme lower stance, stepping as if dragging it along the ground, and when the opponent came within range, I slashed upward to the left, striking her wrist.

“…Urgh…i..itai…”

As soon as Koshitan was hit on the wrist, the impact caused her to drop her bamboo sword.

Although there are protective guards on the wrists, their hardness is weaker compared to other areas.

In the end, she had no choice but to forfeit, just like the player who faced Ara in the Round of 16.

Her wrist hurt too much to properly swing the bamboo sword, and she was crushed by the despair of knowing she couldn’t win against Kang Ara even at full condition.

She ultimately became the second player in this tournament to lose in record time.

♦♦♦

Due to Shikanoko Koshitan’s forfeit, Kang Ara advances to the finals ……. The finals will begin in 10 minutes, so …….

“……”

Sayaka was dizzy.

‘….Haa? She’s gotten even faster?’

The content of Kang Ara’s match was too shocking.

Before leaving the waiting room, Shikanoko Koshitan had looked into her eyes and said something.

Probably that while it would be nice if she won, that seemed impossible, and that she would try to hold out as long as possible so Sayaka could learn from Ara’s techniques.

Sayaka felt sorry for her, but after seeing her straightforward gaze, she could only nod heavily.

This tournament was no longer about Korea vs Japan? It wasn’t that.

The Japanese players’ goal had long since changed to ‘how to defeat Kang Ara.’

But…

6.1 seconds…

That was the duration of Shikanoko Koshitan’s match.

‘….Gulp…..Ko….Kowai….hic… Pa… Papa..’

After seeing that match, she desperately wanted to hug her Papa and hide in his arms, then flee back to Japan.

—….Tremble tremble tremble

It wasn’t a conscious trembling, but her arms and legs were genuinely shaking from fear.

‘H…huuk…’

Why… WHY! Why did heaven create both her and Kang Ara…

Today, Sayaka became an aspiring god-killer, venomous with the desire to kill the divine.

♦♦♦

The last event of the tournament. The finals will now take place. Spectators, please remain seated quietly until the players enter. Once again …….

“Honey… do you think… Sayaka will be okay..?”

“…..This is cruel..”

Sitting in the stands, Gojo Satoro thought about Yumiko’s words.

He felt so sorry for his daughter Gojo Sayaka, who would compete in the finals.

Her talent was one that could have extended to the world stage.

But…

“”……””

Many Japanese around him had already been silenced for a while because of one Korean woman.

Kang Ara.

Where did this girl come from? She appeared in this tournament as a massive wall blocking his daughter.

As a father, he wanted to cheer for Sayaka’s victory, but as a kendo practitioner, he felt jealous of Ara’s talent while still wanting to see her swordsmanship.

Finals player entrance.

The final match announcement came as the 10 minutes passed in an instant.

Satoro could see Sayaka’s downcast demeanor.

She probably knew it herself. That winning against Kang Ara would be impossible.

Nevertheless. Because I am that child’s father.

Finals first player. Gojo Sayaka.

“Sayaka!!! Ganbare!!! Show your spirit, Sayaka!!!!”

It’s only right to cheer, even if everyone else is deflated.

Perhaps thanks to his loud cheering.

“…Right… Even if that player is strong, she can’t be perfect, can she?”

“…Sayaka can win… Sayaka ganbare!!! Nippon no next-generation Sword Saint!!!”

“”Sayaka! Sayaka! Sayaka! Sayaka!””

The Japanese cheering caught fire.

“You are the real Sword Saint, Gojo Sayaka!!!”

♦♦♦

“頑張ってください さやか 君が本物の剣星だ”

(Fight hard, Sayaka, you are the real Sword Saint of Japan.)

What are those Japanese guys saying?

Do they really think she’s going to be a match for me while they’re making that noise?

Hmm… perhaps not.

Looking carefully at the cheering Japanese, I can see them trembling even as they cheer. Probably trying to shake off their fear.

Seen this way, it feels like I’ve become the villain. Hmph..

“Both sides, bow.”

“…Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!”

The other side shouts loudly. The woman called Japan’s next-generation Sword Saint.

I acknowledge that this woman’s talent is exceptional.

That’s why I say

“Well…ganba-tte?”

Do your best.

When I said that, my opponent stiffened, but I wasn’t curious about her reaction, so I returned to my position and took my stance.

Finals… start!

Even with the start signal, Gojo Sayaka remained motionless.

I can see she’s abandoned her previous form, which was a mix of lower and middle stance, and switched to a middle stance.

‘?’

What is she trying to do? Damn… I didn’t wait for the finals to see something like this…!!

Since she didn’t approach, I entered her attack range and swung my bamboo sword indiscriminately.

— Ta… Tat…Ta-tak

The first attack aimed at the waist. Gojo Sayaka somehow managed to react.

The next attack targeted the wrist. She blocked it, but I could see her stance collapse.

Finally.

— Tak!

“Head!!”

“Head. Ippon!”

Unable to maintain her balance during the third attack, she took a hit to the head.

Really. This would be quite pathetic.

“Hey. Yowa iyo. Tsumannai? Mo tto chikara dashitemitte? “

(Hey. You’re weak. Boring? Why don’t you try using more strength?)

So to draw out her true ability, I bluntly spoke provocative words I wouldn’t normally use.

“Player warning. Refrain from provocative remarks.”

After continually taunting her with a snide tone, the referee issued me a warning.

“Yeees.”

“……Grind”

I answered the referee who warned me by dragging out the end of my word in a half-hearted manner, then walked back to my position with a waddling gait, hearing the sound of teeth grinding behind me.

Heheh.

This should make things more interesting.

♦♦♦

[Indeed. Even Gojo Sayaka is no match. Eo-Woo-Gang. This seems to be becoming an immutable law in the kendo world.]

— Eo-Woo-Gang!

— Brother. Believe. A-men.

— A-meeen!!

— But what is she talking about with the referee?

[..Um. It seems she received a warning.. She supposedly provoked the opponent..]

Along with Lee Hyun-tae’s voice, the broadcast screen was replaying what Ara had said before receiving the warning from the referee.

‘”He… Yowa… Yo. Tsuman. Na…? Mo tto …kara hoshi…? “

Due to the distance, it wasn’t clearly audible, but…

— Hm? What is she saying?

— Um. That does deserve a warning.

— What did she say? Can anyone guess?

— Hey you’re weak? Boring? More strength? Try? Something like that

[Perhaps she was dissatisfied? She’s absolutely not the type of player who normally uses such strong wording. From the beginning, Kang Ara has rarely conversed with opposing players.]

Commentator Baek Kumdo was right. Ara was completely unsatisfied.

[Perhaps, Sayaka’s defensive approach to the match appeared to Kang Ara as essentially surrendering in her heart, even if she hadn’t verbally forfeited. So it seems she provoked her to draw out the opponent’s fighting spirit… but since I’m not certain, let’s just continue watching the match.]

— But it does feel a bit off. She crushes other players on the way up, but when she meets Kang Ara, she gets all timid lol

— Maybe she expected more because the other player is supposedly a generational talent too?

— Still, provocations are… isn’t that lowering our national dignity?

— F~uck, she’s telling the opponent to show her true skills because it’s painful to watch her getting destroyed, and you call that lowering national dignity, idiot?

Ara’s provocative behavior caused confusion in the chat, and the delayed match resumed.

[Hmm. She’s returned to her own style from the middle stance. It seems this is what Kang Ara wanted.]

[I see. Now the start signal appears and… oh, this time Sayaka moved first..!]

Unlike the previous defensive round, this time Sayaka was on the offensive.

She naturally swung her bamboo sword, mixing attacks to the wrist, head, waist, chest, and feints to the wrist to strike her opponent’s target areas.

But

[Something seems… a bit strange, doesn’t it…?]

— Why is she only defending?

— Not to say the opponent is a dog, but it’s like she’s playing with a puppy.

— Is this provocation too?

— What provocation again, damn it.

[She’s not going easy. Right now, Gojo Sayaka’s combinations are becoming increasingly optimized.. This is entirely my opinion, but… it seems like Kang Ara is teaching her opponent in the middle of the tournament…]

[..What? Is that even possible.. during a tournament..]

As Lee Hyun-tae expressed his surprise and questioned Baek Kumdo.

— Tak.

“Waist!”

“…Waist. Ippon!”

Kang Ara’s bamboo sword was touching Gojo Sayaka’s waist.

♦♦♦

‘Ha..haa..haa… monster..’

Currently down 2-0.

She requested a time-out to catch her breath.

‘That girl… she’s correcting my sword technique…’

And just from the previous round, she heard something breaking in her heart due to her opponent’s actions.

Following the experience of overwhelming talent, having the swordsmanship she’d honed her entire life corrected by her opponent felt like her mental state was about to collapse.

“Sayaka!!! Don’t break!!! You can do it! You can score one point against that monster!!!”

“Fight on! Sayaka! Pride of Japanese kendo! Japan’s next-generation Sword Saint!”

“Hic… Sayaka… stay strong!!”

Starting with her father’s voice, followed by the voices of strangers… and then her mother’s tearful encouragement.

‘……What was I thinking……’

There were still people watching over her, yet she was about to give up alone.

She briefly removed her face guard.

Gasps of admiration erupted from both the Korean and Japanese sides, but she had no time to pay attention to that now.

— Slap!!

“Saya… oh why are you doing that!!”

Seeing her Papa making a fuss at the stands’ railing after loudly cheering and then getting restrained by Mama after she slapped both her cheeks hard, she couldn’t help but smile.

“..Hihi..”

“Player. Time out over…………”

Just then, the referee informed her that the time-out she had requested was over, so she hurriedly put on her face guard and composed herself.

‘..Let’s learn. Yes. Just don’t break… then…’

In this long, long life, she might be able to defeat her at least once.

“Hmm~?”

A snorting sound came from the monster, and she wondered if it was her imagination that it seemed satisfied with her attitude.

“Yoroshiku..!”

As soon as she said “please take care of me” to the monster.

Finals 3rd match… start!

The match that might be her last time swinging a bamboo sword in this tournament began.

— Tak! Ta Tat. Tatada!

She was becoming increasingly refined.

Sayaka’s weaknesses were being covered.

Thanks to the monster’s corrections.

She was evolving in real time.

The spectators held their breath, watching the bamboo swords beautifully intertwining regardless of the win/loss outcome, and the VTube viewer count hit a peak in an instant.

The third match between Kang Ara and Gojo Sayaka was the highlight of this tournament.