pjbooks Chapter 202 The Sword Saint's Wooden Sword Subdues the Councilor's Son
Chapter 202 The Sword Saint's Wooden Sword Subdues the Councilor's Son
Chapter 202 The Sword Saint's Wooden Sword Subdues the Councilor's Son
three days later.
Kitahara Shin received a call from Team Leader Takayama.
Team Leader Takayama: "Brother Kitahara, I've thought it through. We'll do it your way. I'll first allocate half of our manpower to register a legitimate security company. As for the rest of those rascals, I'll have someone take them to Director Miike's film crew tomorrow."
Kitahara Shin smiled.
"A wise decision. I wish us a pleasant collaboration."
The collaboration between the two was officially finalized. Team Leader Takayama acted swiftly, immediately beginning to clean up his gray-market operations and supplying Kitahara Shin's V-Cinema crew with a large number of free and absolutely authentic "yakuza extras."
Meanwhile, the cinema market ushered in its first weekend.
"Kikujiro's Summer" achieved a rare "box office reversal" thanks to its extremely strong word-of-mouth and spontaneous recommendations from various film critics.
Saturday and Sunday box office revenue doubled.
Every movie theater was packed to capacity. Families with children were a common sight. Laughter and sobs mingled in the theaters, and Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack became a staple in record stores throughout the city.
the other side.
"Summer Love Song," directed by Ōyamada, suffered a complete backlash from critics.
The plot was so weak and the melodramatic love triangle left casual viewers feeling cheated. Aside from a strong opening day boosted by enthusiastic fans, box office numbers subsequently plummeted.
High-rise offices in the Dongbao Building.
Oyamada sat in the leather chair, looking at the weekend box office summary report in his hand, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He just couldn't understand it.
Oyamada: "Why? A road movie that's box office poison, with a script written by an actor with only a high school diploma—how can it possibly overshadow our meticulously crafted summer blockbuster?"
The numbers on the report were just cold, hard figures sitting there.
On Sunday evening, Kitahara Shin stayed in his apartment.
After a period of collecting and searching, he finally gathered enough ordinary white items related to swordsmanship and martial arts in the system space.
With a slight thought, the synthesis panel unfolded.
Several pieces of white martial arts protective gear and a wooden sword merged into green.
The green equipment has once again merged into blue.
Finally, he placed the three blue martial arts equipment pieces he had collected into the purple crafting frame.
The light flickered.
[Synthesis complete. Please select from the following three purple keywords:]
Option 1: Iaijutsu Master's Sheath (Purple). Special Effect: Increases draw speed by 300%, only for the first hit.
Option 2: The Indestructible Old Taoist Robe (Purple). Special Effect: Greatly increases resistance to blows, grants immunity to minor blunt force damage.
Option 3: The Sword Saint's Worn Wooden Sword (Purple). Special Effect: Martial Arts Mastery. One technique leads to mastery of all techniques; upon equipping, instantly master the essence of all martial arts and melee weapons, gaining master-level muscle memory and combat instincts.
After reviewing the options, Kitahara Shin made his decision immediately.
"Option 3".
A flash of white light appeared, and the phantom of a seemingly ordinary, worn-out wooden sword appeared in the equipment slot.
Kitahara Shinku used his mind to place it directly into the equipment slot.
[Equipment successful.]
In an instant, a wealth of experience regarding footwork, power generation techniques, and distance control flooded his brain. His muscles trembled slightly, his body seemed to have undergone countless trials, and that absolute control over power made him extremely sensitive.
To test the effectiveness of the new equipment.
Kitahara Shin changed into a tracksuit, put on a mask and a baseball cap, and walked out of the apartment.
He arrived at a well-known kendo dojo near Shibuya.
The receptionist handed him a registration form. In the 1990s, kendo dojos weren't strict about single-session visitors; no identification was required. Kitahara Shin filled in a fake name, paid the fee, and received a locker key.
As soon as I stepped into the outer perimeter of the dojo, a series of crisp sounds of bamboo swords clashing and a powerful roar rang out.
"noodle!"
In the center of the arena, a young student who looked to be in his teens was locked in a fierce battle with an adult coach. The young man was full of vigor and agility, each swing of his sword accompanied by a deafening shout. Several students sitting around, taking a break, occasionally exclaimed in amazement, clearly finding it a spectacular display of skill.
Kitahara Shin watched for a while, then turned and walked towards the changing room to change his clothes.
There weren't many people in the locker room.
A boy with short hair was sitting on a bench fastening his belt.
This is Takeru Satoh, who is about to enter junior high school. He is the same little fan who was previously dragged by his parents to watch TV dramas and movies, and whose attitude towards Shin Kitahara gradually changed from dislike to a complex "tsundere" persona.
Takeru Satoh is here today because his parents insisted he enroll in an extracurricular activity. In the Japanese education system, having experience in the kendo club during junior high school is highly beneficial for future high school entrance exams, student council elections, and even university admissions. Society generally believes that kendo practitioners are hardworking, resilient, and more disciplined.
After weighing his options, Takeru Satoh ultimately chose this kendo dojo.
Hearing the sound of the cabinet being opened, Takeru Satoh looked up.
Kitahara Shin had just taken off his shirt.
His body, enhanced by the system, was instantly revealed to be lean, well-defined muscles. There was no exaggerated bulkiness, but the texture of each muscle was taut, full of pure power.
Takeru Satoh instinctively took a deep breath. He stared at the masked stranger, thinking to himself that this guy was definitely something else.
Noticing the boy's gaze, Kitahara Shin turned his head and smiled slightly at him.
Kitahara Shin stroked his chin. He looked at the child's features and felt that they looked strangely familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
But he didn't think about it too much, and quickly changed into his martial arts uniform and put on his protective gear.
A few minutes later, Kitahara Shin walked out of the locker room carrying a bamboo sword he used for practice and came to the edge of the area where the two people had just fought.
The sparring coach had just finished his instruction and was standing there drinking water. Seeing Kitahara Shin walking over in full protective gear, the coach approached him.
Coach: "Are you a new student who signed up today? Have you practiced kendo before?"
Kitahara Shin shook his head.
The coach pointed to the empty space next to him, showing a very responsible attitude.
"Since we have no foundation, let's start by learning the most basic sword grip and sliding steps. Kendo is very disciplined, and it's easy to get injured if you don't have a solid foundation."
Kitahara Shin, wearing a mask, looked at the other person through the metal mesh and smiled.
"Coach, let's have a match. I'm not sure what level I'm at right now."
The coach put on his mask and raised his bamboo sword.
"bring it on."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the coach shouted and swung his sword down with both hands.
In Kitahara Shin's eyes, this sword strike was full of flaws. He didn't even move his feet much; he simply twisted his wrist, deftly deflecting the attack with his bamboo sword, and then pressed down with his wrist.
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
Just two strikes. The first strike knocked the instructor's bamboo sword away, and the second strike came to a steady stop in front of the instructor's neck guard.
The coach was completely dumbfounded. He took off his mask and stared incredulously at the young man wearing a mask in front of him.
"Where did you learn this? What style is this?"
Kitahara Shin casually twirled his sword.
"I practiced a little bit before."
He now has an extremely clear understanding of the power of this purple equipment. The muscle memory brought about by his mastery of martial arts has allowed him to reach the grandmaster level in his control over cold weapons.
Just then, the young man who had been stealing the show in the center of the field stood up.
He strode up to Kitahara Shin, carrying a bamboo sword, his eyes gleaming with intense fighting spirit.
Young man: "Please fight me."
Several students watching nearby began to whisper among themselves.
"It was actually Kobayakawa who took the initiative to contact him—"
"Kobayakawa is this year's national champion of Yulongqi, the strongest high school student in Kanto."
"And his dad is a member of Congress; even the headmaster at the dojo gives him a wide berth. This kid's in trouble."
Kitahara Shin listened to the discussions around him and nodded. It would be a good opportunity to try his hand at winning a national championship.
The two stood apart, bowed, and assumed a starting hand gesture.
Kobayakawa roared and charged forward like a tiger descending a mountain.
His speed and strength are indeed far superior to the coach's.
But from Kitahara Shin's perspective, everything remained perfectly clear.
Before his eyes appeared bullet trajectories, revealing Kobayakawa's points of attack, trajectory, and defensive blind spots. Kitahara Shin wielded his bamboo sword with effortless ease.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
In every exchange, Kitahara Shin deftly deflected Kobayakawa's powerful blows with the slightest movement. It felt less like a duel and more like an adult teasing a toddler who had just learned to walk.
Kobayakawa grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, followed by a surge of intense anger. He, the champion of the Jade Dragon Flag, had been treated like a monkey!
"Aaaaaah!"
Kobayakawa abandoned all defense, raised his sword with both hands, and unleashed a desperate thrust.
Kitahara Shin shook his head as he looked at the attack, which was full of flaws.
He slid slightly to avoid the thrust, and at the same time, the bamboo sword in his hand became a blur.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Face, hands, body!
A series of extremely swift, dazzling, and swift combos rained down on Kobayakawa's protective gear like a storm.
The final, powerful blow knocked Kobayakawa off balance, sending him sprawling to the floor in a sorry state.
The edge of the dojo.
Takeru Satoh, who had just started junior high school, hid behind a pillar, completely dumbfounded.
He stared wide-eyed at the masked man, only one sentence echoing wildly in his mind.
He's fucking handsome! Absolutely incredibly handsome!
In the center of the field.
Kobayakawa knelt on the spot. He first felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation, but then, recalling the flawless, godlike combo he had just witnessed, he was filled with profound shock. His opponent was indeed terrifyingly strong.
Kitahara Shin thought he had been injured somewhere and was about to go over to check on him.
next second.
Kobayakawa suddenly turned around, faced Kitahara Shin, put his hands on the ground, and slammed his forehead heavily on the floor, performing a very standard dogeza (a deep, prostrate kneeling posture).
"Please accept me as your apprentice, Master!"
Kitahara Shin was completely dumbfounded.
He came here simply to test his self-defense capabilities. After all, with his net worth skyrocketing, he didn't want to rely entirely on bodyguards or yakuza for safety; personal strength was the only true measure of success.
Who knew that a casual fight would result in an apprentice?
Kitahara Shin smiled helplessly.
"You really don't need to become my apprentice; I can't teach you anything."
Kobayakawa suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with fervor.
"You're capable of teaching me! I am the champion of the Jade Dragon Flag, yet I couldn't even withstand a single move from you. This shows I still have a long way to go! Please, you must accept me as your disciple!"
Kitahara Shin found it very troublesome.
"I really don't have time. I just came here to hang out for a bit, I'll be going now."
After saying that, he put the bamboo sword back on the shelf and turned to walk directly towards the changing room.
Kobayakawa remained kneeling on the spot, as if he had made up his mind that he would not get up unless Kitahara Shin taught him.
Kitahara Shin ignored him and walked straight into the locker room, thinking to himself that young people these days are all so outrageous.
Driven by curiosity, Takeru Satoh sneaked into the changing room as well. He hid behind two rows of lockers, peeking out half his head, wanting to see what this peerless master looked like.
Kitahara Shin walked to the locker, reached out and took off his mask, pulled it down, and exhaled.
The moment I saw that face clearly.
Sato Takeru's pupils suddenly contracted, his mouth opened wide, and his eyes almost popped out.
It's Kitahara Shin?!
That big star who acts, does TV shows, and even has to pass the national bar exam?!
Sato Takeru's mind was buzzing, and he had completely lost the ability to speak.
Kitahara Shin noticed the commotion and turned to look at the child hiding behind the cabinet.
He found Sato Takeru's stunned expression quite amusing.
He walked over, smiled, and patted Takeru Satoh on the head.
Kitahara Shin: "Please don't tell them about my being here."
Takeru Satoh remained staring blankly at him, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.
Kitahara Shin changed his clothes, slung his bag over his shoulder, and slipped out of the kendo dojo.
The locker room door was closed again.
Takeru Satoh stood there blankly, touching the head that Shin Kitahara had just patted.
Before this, although he had watched many of Kitahara Shin's dramas with his parents, he always felt that the heroes in TV dramas were all acted out. His real idol was the Kamen Rider on TV who could transform and fight monsters.
But today, his worldview has been completely overturned.
The man who strolled leisurely through the dojo, utterly defeating the national champion and even forcing him to kneel and become his disciple, was a hundred times cooler than any Kamen Rider.
Most importantly, it's real.
Takeru Satoh lowered his head and looked at the bamboo sword in his hand, which he hadn't yet put back on the shelf. He took a deep breath and gripped the hilt tightly.
From this day forward, he had a crystal-clear goal—he would practice kendo diligently. He wanted to become as strong and composed as Kitahara Shin.
Kamen Rider is a thing of the past. Now, Shin Kitahara is his only idol.
At the same time.
Inside a sprawling luxury detached villa in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
Kobayakawa changed out of his sweaty martial arts uniform and sat on the spacious living room sofa in his pajamas. A cup of cold black tea sat in front of him, and he looked unusually sullen, completely lacking the spirited demeanor he usually displayed as the "strongest high school student in Kanto."
There was a noise coming from the entrance hall.
A middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing an expensive bespoke suit and with slightly graying temples, walked in. His secretary took his briefcase and coat and respectfully withdrew.
This is Kobayakawa's father, Yasuhiro Kobayakawa, a current member of the House of Representatives. In this country, political families hold a position at the very top of the pyramid.
Kobayakawa Yasuhiro walked into the living room, glanced at his dejected son, and frowned slightly.
Kobayakawa Yasuhiro: "Why do you look so dejected? You won the Jade Dragon Flag championship, and you've had your fill of the limelight. It's time to settle down."
He sat down on the single sofa opposite Kobayakawa, picked up the hot tea that the maid had just brewed, took a sip, and said sternly, "I sent you to practice kendo to hone your resilience and courage, to enhance your future resume, and to make it easier for you to get into the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo. You need to understand your place; you are going to inherit my political empire in the future. Don't spend your days thinking about being some kind of martial artist in the dojo."
Normally, Kobayakawa would definitely stick his neck out and argue back, emphasizing his love for kendo.
But today, he just nodded blankly.
"I understand, Father."
The crushing defeat at the dojo this afternoon shattered his pride as a genius. The masked man was like an insurmountable mountain, making him acutely aware that his prized swordsmanship was nothing more than child's play in the face of a true master.
Seeing his son's unusual obedience, Kobayakawa Taihiro raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't say anything. He casually picked up the remote control on the coffee table and turned on the TV.
The huge Sony color TV in the living room lit up.
The screen was playing a preview of GG during Fuji TV's prime time slot.
A highly provocative voiceover echoed through the living room: "In between preparing for the bar exam, Kitahara Shin's ultimate challenge continues!"
"Next episode: Kitahara Shin Can Do Anything - Kendo Special!"
"Watch as the king of ratings challenges a master swordsman with zero experience! Stay tuned!"
The trailer is very short, showing only Kitahara Shin wearing a set of kendo protective gear, with his back to the camera, swinging an extremely fierce sword, the movement so fast that it even leaves a blur.
Kobayakawa, who was still immersed in frustration, subconsciously looked up when he heard the sound from the TV.
When he saw the back of the sword-wielding figure on the screen, and that extremely familiar, chillingly powerful posture, he froze completely.
He stared intently at the television screen.
Kobayakawa swallowed hard, feeling his heart pounding.
Could it be that the person who knocked me down with a flurry of attacks this afternoon was Kitahara Shin?