The Municipal Youth Palace, Musashi Kendo Training Center.

In the center of the field, two people in kendo armor stood facing each other, each holding a bamboo sword.

>

Two bamboo swords crossed, the tip of the one on the left vibrating slightly. This wasn't due to the wielder's fear, but a probing tactic, also concealing a potential attack that could be launched the next second. It bore similarities to the shuffling steps used in taekwondo, sanda, and wing chun.

The man on the right remained motionless, in every sense of the word. His bamboo sword held firm, his breath steady and long, only his feet shifting subtly within arm’s reach to adjust for the best position to attack and defend.

The hall was deathly silent, countless pairs of eyes fixed on the duel unfolding before them. Sword fighting wasn't like a brawl, back and forth, victory or defeat often came in an instant, decided with the crackle of thunder. If this were the era of wandering samurai, what followed the sound would not be applause, but a silent rain of crimson.

The hall fell silent for a full two minutes. The two sword-wielders remained motionless, only subtly shifting, advancing and retreating, but neither launched the first strike.

In the third minute, the person on the left who had been probing all along finally couldn't take it anymore. Under their helmet, a roar erupted, shaking the hall — but they still didn't draw their sword.

The person on the right was not disturbed by this sudden burst of energy. He remained completely calm, his bamboo sword in his hand not even trembling slightly.

At twenty-three seconds, the left person finally launched an attack. Without any warning, the bamboo sword was raised high, and a downward strike executed flawlessly after thousands of rehearsals struck.

The swordsman on the right drew his sword the instant his opponent raised their arm. The bamboo sword shot up, striking the attack aimed at his face, deflecting a deadly downward blow. He stepped forward, capitalizing on his opponent's momentary disarray and delivered a clean, sharp downward strike.

...face strike.

A standoff that lasted three minutes ended in less than three seconds.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

Thunderous applause erupted from the stands, mingled with the excited cheers of children.

This is the biggest youth center in the city, of course there will be many children here.

Therefore, the duel happening right now is not a highly anticipated matchup between legendary swordsmen, but rather a performance match within the dojo's kendo training class for young children. The purpose of this event is to showcase the allure of kendo to the children and their accompanying parents in order to recruit new students for the spring session of the dojo's kendo program.

"If my face wasn't still a little numb from the shock, I would think I was dreaming." A man on the left side of the stage removed his mask, revealing a face that looked to be in his forties or older. He wore an expression of amazement and disbelief.

The victor of the previous match on the right side also removed his mask, revealing a boy who looked far too young. He had black hair and black eyes, a calm expression on his face, devoid of any joy from victory. He politely bowed to the older man and stood up, saying: “Strength fades with age, just as it does in swordsmanship.”

"It's still about your reactions and speed, though. You need to change this habit of never probing and only striking from behind. Not taking the initiative puts you at a disadvantage." The middle-aged man held his mask on his right hip, gazing curiously at the boy in front of him who was probably only sixteen or seventeen years old. "If it weren't for the fact that your foundation was taught by me, I'd think you started learning swordplay in the womb. That sudden burst of energy in those situations doesn't even make your footing falter."

In kendo, "ki-ha" refers to a sudden shout made by the middle-aged man during the confrontation. It had both invigorating and intimidating effects. Nowadays, more people call it a "war cry." As long as you have a loud voice and suddenly roar, you can startle your opponent, causing them to make a mistake. This allows you to seize the opportunity and defeat them in one go.

"Coach, you're overthinking it." A helpless smile finally appeared on the boy's face: "I just reacted quickly. You didn't even apply any force with your sword hand when you were attacking just now, how could I have gotten hit?"

"You still call me Coach, huh." The middle-aged man glanced at the excited children on the sidelines and the parents on their faces with pain as they fumbled in their pockets, sighing: "At least last year I passed the sixth dan, but I lost to you. Do I even have any face left?"

"A disciple shouldn't be inferior to his master." The boy shook his head. "Besides, I was taught by you. Doesn't that mean your coaching skills are even better than your own technical abilities?"

"That makes sense." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, but then reacted and immediately spat, saying, "You've only beaten me a few times, and you dare say you've surpassed me? Have you taken the test? Have you practiced your stance and posture to standard?"

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

"Okay, okay, okay." The boy wisely chose to sidestep the topic: "But why Coach didn't invite Brother Chu Zihang back, and instead asked me to come back for this performance?"

"Didn't he take the college entrance exam this year?" The coach shook his head and said, "Besides, I don't know him very well. If it wasn't for your reason, that kid wouldn't have contacted me at all. After graduating from elementary school, he never came to learn again. He only occasionally came back to perform as an honorary graduate. Besides, what would I ask him to do? Wouldn't you be a better handyman than him?"

"If he can take the college entrance exam, why can't I?" The boy sighed. "Besides, I think Chu Zihang is more handsome than me, and he would be more appealing in a performance exhibition, which could help balance the yin and yang of your kendo dojo a little."

“Don’t talk nonsense, you’re handsome too, not worse than him. But speaking of which, do you have any plans for what university you'll attend in the future?” The coach laughed, revealing his pearly white teeth. He pulled the boy over with his left hand and turned him towards the sidelines where parents and students were gathered. Snap, snap, he took several photos. In the crowd, there was even a pretty blonde foreign girl holding a camera, snapping pictures of the two of them furiously.

“It’s almost done.” The boy in front of the camera smiled again, and after taking the picture, he immediately put away his fake smile and said calmly, “Whatever, let fate decide.”

"How can you just accept fate?" The coach patted the boy on the shoulder. "You still need to read books, broaden your horizons, and besides, you have a quick reaction time and good coordination. If you're interested in the future, you could develop in kendo. I can recommend you; my level is at least sixth dan."

"Forty-three years old and only six dan." The boy said bluntly, stabbing with a knife: "When are you going to take the seven dan exam?"

"It's been five years, the rules are still there, it's a shame that they're too rigid. Otherwise, based on your skills, I estimate that by age thirty, practicing swordsmanship and becoming a Sword Saint shouldn't be a problem." The coach rubbed the boy's hair with force and smiled.

"Don't put too much pressure on me, after all, kendo is just a hobby now." Facing the coach's expectations, the boy clearly seemed unconvinced.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

"Make the most of your youth. Have a romance and gain some experience in high school so you won't be clueless when you get to college." The coach said with emotion, "I hear that on rainy days, Shi Lan High School has more luxury cars outside than a car show, and there are so many wealthy daughters inside the school. Seize the opportunity to swindle one or two of them; your college tuition will be covered."

"What kind of vulgar language is this? I didn't realize you were a scumbag who relies on others and uses people's feelings." The boy looked at the coach in astonishment.

"If I could eat, I definitely would. It's a shame that time marches on. But it's a real shame that your face is too good to be fed soft food." The coach said seriously.

"My stomach is fine, I like to eat plain rice, besides, I'm not interested in that kind of thing, and nobody would like me anyway." The boy shook his head.

“Alright, alright, stop being modest. You think I don't know how popular you are at school? There are so many people who like you. Young people should have less resentment and bitterness in their hearts, and more of the butterflies flitting through springtime flowers.” The coach pushed the boy and gave him a kick on his butt: “Now get to work! Go to the front desk to collect your wages later.”

“Is there still pay? Didn't you say it was an exhibition match?” The boy paused and replied, turning his head.

"Will you have enough tuition for next semester?" the coach asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not too early, is it?" The boy smiled helplessly.

"It's getting late, focus on your studies in high school and then go chase girls. Don't waste your youth working." The coach waved his hand and walked towards the impatient children by the sidelines. "Get lost, study hard, strive for progress every day. When there is another performance competition, I'll call you again. Remember to let me win easily."

The boy was stunned for a moment, said nothing, just smiled and walked away.

"Oh, right, Lin Nian." The coach suddenly called out to the boy.

"What?" the boy asked, turning his head.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

"It's nothing, just letting you know, my daughter said she saw your sister again a few days ago at that new coffee shop in the high-tech zone." The coach said.

Let me know if you have other text you'd like me to translate! ?

"Are you working?" The boy was taken aback.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

"Yes, I'll tell you about it." The coach nodded.

"Got it." the boy said. "I'm leaving."

Here is the translation of your text: Let me know if you have any other content you'd like me to translate!

"Uh huh."

After saying that, the boy held his helmet and bamboo sword as he left the venue. However, his back seemed heavier than usual.