Kondo, who bore such an important responsibility, glanced at the crowd with faces of resentnt and displeasure, and took a deep breath:
"Everyone focus a bit! Don’t heed those people’s petty words!"
To boost everyone’s morale and dispel their tension, Kondo delivered a brief yet stirring "mobilization speech."
Kondo’s "mobilization speech" had a significant effect; many people looked visibly better afterward.
Aoto also slightly suppressed the displeasure in his heart.
At this mont, Aoto suddenly noticed—within the "Main Array" of the Little Chiba Sword Dojo opposite, Sazanoko was still warming up there.
She wielded a bamboo wakizashi, sotis delivering a heavy slash into the air before her, other tis turning the blade and thrusting forward.
Her expression was serious and ticulous.
Aoto always felt that even if he called out to Sazanoko now, she, deeply focused on warming up, probably wouldn’t hear anything except the sound of her own sword slashing.
Watching Sazanoko’s intensely focused expression... Aoto couldn’t help but tilt his head and quietly remark to Chokata beside him:
"Miss Sazanoko seems very determined..."
Chokata glanced at Sazanoko opposite and smiled: "Miss Sazanoko has a very competitive nature."
"Because she’s competitive, she is extraordinarily earnest, focused, and driven in everything she does."
"Also, because she’s competitive, Miss Sazanoko... cares quite a bit about winning and losing."
"Mr. Tachibana, do you rember telling you: our Shiwei Hall had won against Little Chiba Sword Dojo twice in the ’Red and White Battle’?"
"I rember clearly, every ti we defeated Little Chiba Sword Dojo, Miss Sazanoko would show a very unwilling expression."
At this point, Chokata suddenly licked his lips.
"Ah... I’m feeling a bit thirsty."
Chokata looked back behind him.
"Mr. Tachibana, I rember there’s a sugar water stall not far behind us. Would you like to join in having a bowl of sugar water right now?"
Upon hearing Chokata say this, Aoto realized he was feeling a bit thirsty himself.
Without much thought, Aoto nodded to Chokata.
There was still so ti left, enough for Aoto and Chokata to have a bowl of sugar water nearby and return, so Kondo didn’t stop them, only reminding them to "co back early."
Aoto and Chokata ran one after the other to the sugar water stall Chokata ntioned, which was close to the competition venue.
There happened to be no custors at the stall, so the two smoothly ordered a bowl of sugar water each and drank it all.
"Ah... after drinking my favorite beverage, I don’t feel as tense anymore." Chokata remarked while handing the empty bowl back to the stall owner.
"Mr. Chokata, are you feeling very tense now?" Aoto gulped down the last sip of sugar water.
"I was quite tense earlier." Chokata giggled, "But after drinking the sugar water I love, I feel much better."
"That’s good." Aoto returned the empty bowl to the stall owner, then continued in a jokey tone, "Mr. Chokata, you are the absolute main force of our Shiwei Hall; if you end up performing poorly due to being too nervous, that would be a problem."
"...Actually, regardless of my current state, the result won’t make much of a difference—today we’re surely not going to win against Little Chiba Sword Dojo. What I can do today is only to demonstrate to the onlookers the might of our Natural Reasoning Heart Stream."
Aoto was montarily stunned, then turned to look at Chokata, who was tightly pursing his lips.
"Both of our Shiwei Hall’s main forces: Uncle Gen and Mr. Hijikata aren’t here today."
Uncle Gen and Mr. Hijikata... After a mont of contemplation, Aoto rembered that the two people Chokata ntioned were key mbers of Shiwei Hall: Inoue Genzaburō and Hijikata Toshizo, who he had yet to et.
"The two matches we won against Little Chiba Sword Dojo were only barely won when all our main forces of Shiwei Hall were present."
"Today, both Uncle Gen and Mr. Hijikata are absent; no matter how you look at it, our chances of winning today are slim..."
At this point, Chokata abruptly stopped and then vigorously shook his head, his slender ponytail flying in all directions.
"No, no, no, how can I say such pessimistic things before the match has even started..."
Chokata raised his hands and vigorously rubbed his cheeks.
Once he lowered his hands, his expression had returned to a radiant smile.
"Alright, Mr. Tachibana, let’s head back! If we’re too late, Brother Kondo will surely scold again."
"...Mm."
Chokata led the way ahead while Aoto followed back along the sa route.
At this mont, unexpectedly, a conversation from a short distance halted both Aoto and Chokata in their tracks.
...
"Tsk... so tense... it’s my first ti competing in swordsmanship under the watchful eyes of so many people..."
"Sa here... Look, I’m so nervous my entire hand is shaking."
"I feel alright, actually. As soon as I thought today’s opponent is that Shiwei Hall, and today’s ’Red and White Battle’ will be a fairly easy match, I imdiately felt less nervous."
"Ha... I wonder who gave Shiwei Hall the courage to compete in swordsmanship with us at the ’Plum Blossom Festival.’ Previously, when their Kondo Isami, Chokata Toshisuke, Hijikata Toshizo, and Inoue Genzaburō—their four main forces—were all present, they still weren’t our match. Today both Hijikata Toshizo and Inoue Genzaburō are absent, what are they going to use to compete with us?"
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