Fukuoka City—the heart of the 'Kitakyushu-Fukuoka tropolitan Area' and a powerhouse outside of Japan's three major tropolitan zones. It stands as the sixth-largest city in the nation and the largest in Kyushu, boasting a population of around 1.5 million. Situated in northern Kyushu, it serves as the seat of the Fukuoka Prefectural Governnt and is one of Japan's designated cities.
The Gyokuryu-ki is held right here, in the Hakata District of Fukuoka City.
Japanese people have a habit of referring to Fukuoka simply as Hakata. For instance, if soone is heading to Fukuoka for work, they'll say they're going on a business trip to Hakata.
It's quite similar to Chiba Prefecture. Outside of Chiba City itself, the na Chiba usually refers to the entire prefecture. However, if a resident of Chiba City says they're going to Chiba, they usually an they're heading to Chiba Station.
Inside the Shinkansen carriage, a tranquil silence reigned, broken only by the occasional low whisper. Hikigaya Komachi, dressed in a petite light-yellow dress and a small straw beach hat, was pressed against the window, gazing out at the passing scenery with wide-eyed curiosity.
Kawasaki Saki and Dango—better known as Yuigahama Yui—were seated beside Komachi, whispering about the kind of secrets only girls share. Judging by the awkward twitch in Kawasaki's expression, she clearly wasn't quite used to Yuigahama's high-octane enthusiasm yet.
Across the aisle, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru and Totsuka Saika were engrossed in a handheld ga, their voices hushed. Every now and then, a dramatic groan would escape Zaimokuza whenever his character t an untily demise.
Behind Komachi's seat, the Kondo siblings, Soichi and Kaiko, were hunched over a Monopoly-style board ga on the tray table, joined by three mbers of the girls' team.
Every so often, Kaiko's cheerful laughter would bubble up.
In the seat in front of Komachi, Akishin held his phone, ticulously scrolling through data from previous Gyokuryu-ki tournants. Hachiman sat right next to him, arms crossed and eyes closed, seemingly catching a few monts of rest using a rhythmic breathing technique.
And seated beside Hachiman was Yukinoshita Yukino, radiating her usual aura of razor-sharp coldness, her expression as still as ice.
Tucked away in the corner of the carriage, Yukinoshita Haruno sat casually with earphones in, lost in her music. She must have caught wind of the Gyokuryu-ki trip from Shizuka. On the very morning they were set to depart, Haruno had essentially dragged Yukino along to join the group.
Her excuse? She happened to have business in Fukuoka and figured she'd take her little sister on a sightseeing trip since they were all heading that way anyway. Might as well go together!
It was a lie so transparent anyone could see through it.
But could they really say no?
Where they chose to travel was their own business.
It was only two extra people, and they weren't asking for a cent, so it was easier to just let it slide—besides, it was obvious Haruno's real target was Hachiman. (Chuckles)
Shizuka wasn't sitting with Akishin; she was in the seat ahead of Haruno, slumped over the tray table in a deep slumber.
There had been a small get-together last night, and she'd ended up having a few too many drinks.
The rest of the group consisted of four others, including Mizukawa Masaru, who were actually competing in the Gyokuryu-ki. They were all resting with their eyes shut. There were also the mbers of the girls' team, who were mostly there to fill the roster.
Sobu High's Kendo Club did have a girls' team, but they were strictly amateurs. They had initially approached Akishin for coaching, but after witnessing the brutal training regin Mizukawa and the others endured, they had promptly reconsidered.
When they heard the trip was school-sponsored with all expenses covered, they happily hopped on board, eager to see a bit of the world.
Finally, there were three faculty mbers from Sobu High, including Director Okazawa, who were handling all the logistics, from accommodation to tournant registration.
Of course, if the team won, they would be the ones representing Sobu High to reap the prestige.
In total, the group numbered twenty-five. Travel, lodging, and als were all on the school's tab. Even the Yukinoshita sisters were included; presumably, so arrangents had been made with the school beforehand.
As for the 'family' mbers like Kondo Kaiko and Komachi, Akishin had intended to pay out of his own pocket. However, once Director Okazawa found out, he stubbornly insisted on covering them too, looking almost physically pained at the thought of not paying—after all, it was all being reimbursed by the school anyway.
Sobu High's instructions to him were clear: satisfy Akishin's requests whenever possible. Building rapport with Akishin for such a small sum was a bargain they couldn't pass up.
"Chishima-sensei, what kind of rank do you think Onii-chan can get?" After watching the scenery for a while, Komachi lost interest and sat back, turning to Akishin with curiosity and a hint of sisterly worry in her voice.
She appeared cheerful and a bit airheaded like Kaiko, but in reality, both girls were incredibly perceptive and sensitive to their surroundings.
Hachiman, who had been resting, cracked one eye open.
Akishin smiled, glancing at Hachiman before speaking softly. "I can't give you a guarantee. There's always the chance of soone extraordinary showing up. But based on the level of previous tournants, it shouldn't be hard at all for your brother to reach a high rank."
Truthfully, based on past standards, Hachiman taking the championship wasn't out of the question.
But nothing was ever certain. Every year, over eight hundred high schools from across the country participated in the Gyokuryu-ki, aning over eight hundred teams.
Among them were over five hundred boys' teams and three hundred girls' teams. In a pool that large, it was hard to say if there was a hidden monster stronger than Hikigaya.
"Oh oh, I see. Komachi understands!"
Komachi nodded happily, her snaggletooth showing in a cute grin as her ahoge bounced.
She turned to her brother and offered a quiet cheer. "Onii-chan, do your best! Win the whole thing and make everyone see you in a new light."
Hachiman blinked, stunned for a mont, before offering a small smile and a nod. "I get it."
As for making people see him differently... he didn't really care. How others viewed him was their problem, as long as they left him alone.
He was competing mainly to prove the worth of his own hard work. But since his little sister had asked, he certainly couldn't afford to let her down.
The feeling of achieving honor... it was sothing he had never really experienced before.
The date was August 3rd, and sumr vacation had been underway for over a week. Two days ago, the final exam results had arrived. Hachiman's grades had seen a teoric rise; his deviation score—his hensachi—had surged past the target of 60, hitting 64 and nearly touching 65. That was more than enough to get into a top-tier university.
It was the direct result of Hachiman burning the midnight oil throughout the sester.
The journey from Chiba to Fukuoka City was a bit of a trek. They had to take the train to Haneda Airport first, then catch a flight to Fukuoka Airport.
The whole trip took roughly four hours.
Most of the group had never flown before, so excitent was high—especially for Kondo Soichi. Even back in the waiting lounge, he had started getting fidgety, looking both hopeful and terrified.
"Chishima-sensei, tell ... what happens if the plane falls?" Soichi gripped his trousers, asking Akishin with a voice tight with tension.
Akishin let out a helpless laugh. The kid hadn't even boarded the plane yet and he was already worrying about it falling out of the sky. Couldn't he think of sothing positive?
Akishin chuckled and said, "It won't fall, Soichi, don't worry. Besides, there are parachutes. Even if it did, we'd be fine."
He only said it to soothe the boy.
In reality, if a plane has an accident, they don't give you parachutes—that's actually less safe.
The best thod was to keep sothing identifying in your mouth, like a driver's license or ID card, to make it easier for recovery teams to identify the remains. (Chuckles)
"And what if there's ocean underneath?"
"..."
Akishin gave Soichi a light flick on the forehead. "The plane will be fine, and you aren't falling into the sea. Just sit still."
"Oh!"
Soichi imdiately turned obedient.
"Yukinon, have you ever been on a plane?"
"I have."
"Then... what's it like? This is my first ti."
"There's nothing special about it. It just is."
Yuigahama Yui and Yukinoshita Yukino leaned against each other, whispering privately.
The others waited patiently, so on their phones, others reading books.
Taking this many people on a flight was no small expense. With average round-trip costs per person hitting over twenty-five thousand yen, the total for over twenty people exceeded half a million yen—and that didn't even include the return. But Sobu High was loaded; they clearly didn't sweat the small stuff.
Following the announcent, the group boarded the plane. Amidst a mix of nerves and excitent, they soon touched down at Fukuoka Airport—located in the Hakata District, the sa area as the Fukuoka Stadium.
The group moved together like a large tour party, creating quite a stir.
It was the peak of the Gyokuryu-ki season. With over eight hundred schools, individual entrants, event staff, volunteers, and spectators, the crowd easily exceeded ten thousand people.
Accommodation was at a premium.
Akishin only realized this potential issue after they landed. Upon asking Director Okazawa, he found out the school had already handled everything.
This wasn't their first rodeo; Sobu High had plenty of experience with this tournant and had booked enough hotel rooms well in advance.
It was a three-star hotel. Compared to the treatnt other schools received, Sobu High was being incredibly generous.
The group hauled their protective gear and sword bags to the hotel and began the room assignnts.
The larger rooms slept four, while the smaller ones took three or two.
Director Okazawa had intended to book a private room just for Akishin, but Akishin declined. He ended up sharing a room with Hachiman and Soichi.
Once the luggage was settled, Director Okazawa took Mizukawa Masaru to the organizing committee to register and sign in.
The tournant began tomorrow, so there was a lot of administrative work to finish today. There were no preliminary rounds; once it started, it was straight into a grueling single-elimination format.
The Gyokuryu-ki rules were quite unique.
It used a "winner stays on" format, often called the Gyokuryu-ki system, where five mbers from each team stepped up one by one.
If you defeated your opponent, you stayed in the ring. If you lost, you were out. The match continued until all five mbers of a team were eliminated—essentially a King of Fighters chanic.
The only exception was when moving to the next round.
Because of this rule, a highly prestigious award existed: the Kanto-sho (Fighting Spirit Award). It was specifically reserved for the 'monsters' capable of defeating five, ten, or even fifteen opponents in a row.
It didn't an fighting them all at once, but rather staying in the ring round after round, defeating entire teams single-handedly until they either lost or won the championship.
The Kanto-sho was an individual prize for those who took on the ultimate challenge. In so ways, it was considered more impressive than the team championship itself.
This was why the tournant was so popular among high schools; even a school with only one or two strong players could achieve a high rank and boost their reputation.
After Director Okazawa left, Akishin checked the ti and saw it was just past noon. They hadn't eaten lunch yet. After a mont's thought, he sent a text to Shizuka: [Want to go grab lunch?]
A reply ca almost instantly: [Sure. Ask how many others want to co along.]
Akishin turned to ask Hachiman and the rest.
Upon hearing Shizuka was coming, Hachiman and the others practically tripped over themselves to decline. They all claid to be exhausted from the trip and didn't want to step foot outside, opting to eat at the hotel instead.
Shizuka sent another ssage, saying the others on her end wanted to join.
When Hachiman found out, he imdiately ssaged Yuigahama and the girls.
Seconds later, Shizuka ssaged back: [Strange. They just said they wanted to co, but now they're saying never mind?]
Akishin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was already living with Shizuka; they didn't exactly need to manufacture "alone ti" during a school trip.
Hachiman and the gang remained adamant, refusing to budge and even going as far as looking up local food recomndations for the two of them.
Left with no choice, Akishin headed out with Shizuka.
But...
This didn't seem so bad either, honestly.
The two of them left the hotel. With no set destination, they strolled leisurely along the streets, taking in the bustling atmosphere and historical landmarks of Fukuoka.
"Why didn't they co? It's usually more fun with a big group."
Shizuka was still a bit puzzled. Akishin laughed. "They probably wanted to give us so space to be alone."
"To be... alone..."
Realization dawned on Shizuka, and her face instantly flushed red again. She shot a sidelong glance at Akishin and mumbled, "It's not like we have that kind of relationship... what are they thinking?"
"Well, I was the one who wanted to ask you out, Shizuka."
Akishin responded with a grin, glancing at the surrounding shops and wondering where to eat.
Just then, a commotion broke out ahead of them.
"Yukari, keep an eye on these two. Don't let them wander off, and make sure you look after Yoko."
"Got it! Co on... I heard the eel over rice and grilled eel boxes in Fukuoka are legendary. Everyone knows about them and everyone craves them. Let's try so tonight!"
"Shuji, let's go eat eel..."
A group of seven people walked past them, quite a lively bunch. Among them were six females—one of whom looked about the sa age as Soichi—and a toddler being carried by a shorter woman.
This group caught Akishin's eye.
Specifically, the young man leading them caught his attention. He was incredibly handso, but that wasn't it. What mattered was his character—or rather, his aura.
This young man, who looked like a high school student, gave off a strangely familiar vibe to Akishin. It was like...
The swordsn in the Patch Space!
The student across from them seed to feel it too, as he turned his head.
Their eyes t. Both pairs of eyes narrowed, brows furrowed, and the index fingers of their right hands twitched almost imperceptibly.
'Killing intent?' ×2
Both Shizuka and the companions of the young man felt a sudden, icy chill run down their spines, their hair standing on end.
"???"
"Chishima-kun, did you feel that?"
Shizuka looked around in confusion, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. What was that sensation just now?
The two parties passed each other. Akishin withdrew his gaze, gave a slight shake of his head, and smiled. "It's nothing." Never mind. Better not to ddle in other people's business; protecting those around him was enough.
"How strange."
Shizuka glanced at Akishin one more ti, still looking skeptical.
Akishin took the initiative to take Shizuka's hand and said softly, "Don't overthink it. Let's go find that eel. I heard them say it's famous around here."
After a delicious al of eel over rice, Akishin and Shizuka returned to the hotel, deciding not to wander any further.
He thought about that young man again. He didn't recognize him. After a quick search on the internet revealed no famous figures fitting that description, he pushed the thought out of his mind entirely.
That evening, everyone gathered for a massive feast to boost morale for the next day.
Tomorrow was the girls' tournant. No one had particularly high expectations; they were purely there for the experience. The girls themselves weren't very nervous either. After eating and drinking together, the topic of the match didn't even co up.
The rest of the group let them have their fun, only offering a final reminder to stay safe and that winning a few rounds would be a nice bonus.
Not for the school, but for themselves!
The next morning, the sky was clear and a gentle breeze was blowing.
The Gyokuryu-ki tournant officially began today.
The group stepped out of the hotel and made their way toward Fukuoka Stadium.
...
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