Volume 1: Re:Zero -Starting Life as a Samurai Chapter 66: Real Sword Duel
Hanbei wanted to make a final struggle and call back Ogata who had already entered the field.
But before he could say anything, a loud shout enveloped the entire arena:
"The festival competition begins now! No one is allowed to make any noise! No one is allowed to enter the arena to disturb the competition between Ogata and Toyama!"
This is Cangyong’s cry.
When Kuranaga shouted this, he deliberately glanced at Hanbei.
Kuranaga's shout left Hanbei completely helpless. He could only stand anxiously outside the arena, looking at Ogata on the field.
After uttering this loud shout, Cang Yong sat down in the audience seats on the north side of the arena.
After Cang Yong arrived at the audience seats, people came one after another to be polite and curry favor with Cang Yong.
To all these people, Cangyong responded with a polite smile, using "politeness" to build a solid wall to protect himself firmly and isolate everyone else.
After sitting down on his small stool, Kuranaga stared at Ogata and Toyama who were already in the center of the arena.
Seeing that Cangyong seemed to only want to watch the sacrificial competition seriously, the other people in the audience were tactful enough not to bother Cangyong anymore, and together with Cangyong they cast their serious or indifferent gazes towards the arena.
After walking to the center of the arena, Ogata and Toyama first bowed respectfully to the nobles in the audience according to the rules, and then faced each other.
"...Ogata Yoshisei, I didn't expect that the festival competition would start earlier than expected."
"...Yes." Ogata said in a cold tone, "It really is... Man proposes, God disposes."
" The God Sacrifice Competition is held in advance... It's just what I want!" A terrifying shadow appeared on Yuanshan's face, "I must... kill you!"
"Before we start the competition, let me ask you a question..." Xu Fang asked expressionlessly, "Why did you bring a large group of people to my sword hall to find me? Did I do anything to offend you?"
Toyama did not answer Ogata's question.
Or rather - he was disdainful of answering Ogata's answer.
He simply tightened his sleeves silently, made final preparations, and continued to glare at Ogata with hatred.
"…Forget it. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't bother to ask any more. I'm not interested in the truth anyway."
After saying this, Ogata raised the wooden sword in his hand and assumed a mid-range stance.
However, Toyama did not raise the wooden sword in his hand like Ogata did.
Instead, he took a look at the wooden sword in Ogata's hand and threw it aside.
"I went to the arena with the determination to kill you here."
"So - just throw this kind of toy aside."
"Sato!"
Following Yuanshan's loud shout, the disciple named Sato, who was standing at the westernmost end of the arena, stepped out immediately, walked quickly to the center of the arena, and handed the thing in his hand to Yuanshan.
And this thing is exactly - Toyama's katana.
"Yuanshan! What are you doing!" From the far west of the arena, Ishikawa Heima shouted in fear, "Real swords are forbidden in sacrificial competitions!"
However - Yuanshan ignored his master's shout.
His eyes were still fixed on Ogata in front of him.
"Come on, Ogata." Toyama said as he took Sato's saber from his hand, "Let's just skip the game of wooden sword competition."
"Today it's either you or I."
"Someone is going to die anyway, so it would be more convenient to use a real knife. It would make killing people much easier."
Seeing that Yuanshan ignored him at all, Ishikawa Heima gritted his teeth angrily, turned his head and looked at the audience.
"Family elder! Real swords are not allowed in the god-sacrificing contest! Please send someone to stop Toyama Renjiro!"
Ishikawa Heima originally thought that Kuranaga would help him.
After all, competing with wooden swords or competing with real swords are two completely different competitions.
If real swords were used in the competition, the two people in the arena would definitely be killed or injured.
As soon as Ishikawa Heima finished speaking, Sakakibara Hanbei, who was on the easternmost side of the arena, hurriedly echoed him and asked Kuranaga to come forward and stop Toyama Renshiro's extremely ridiculous behavior.
However, Kuranaga did not stop Toyama from using a real sword as Hanbei and Heima had expected.
Instead, he said in a loud voice with no expression on his face:
"Let them both use real swords!"
When Kuranaga said this, not only the people from Sakakibara Sword Hall and Ishikawa Sword Hall were shocked, but all the nobles in the audience were also looking at Kuranaga in astonishment.
"Ogata-kun!" Kuranaga shouted to Ogata Issei in the arena, "Go and get your sword!"
"Family elder!" Hanbei was horrified, "Why..."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Kuranaga interrupted Hanbei in a much harsher tone than before, "Let the two of them fight with real swords! No one is allowed to say anything!"
…
…
Ogata looked at Kuranaga who ordered him to take out his sword.
Then he looked at the distant mountains in front of him, where he had put his sword back into his waist.
Then——
"Makino!"
Ogata called out the name of Makino, who was in charge of keeping his sword.
"Here!" Makino certainly knew why Ogata suddenly shouted his name.
Makino held Ogata's sword, looked around, his eyes full of anxiety, not knowing what to do.
Makino actually wished that someone would stop him from delivering Ogata's knife.
Because he didn't want Ogata to get injured or die in the arena.
However, whether it was the master or the other fellow disciples, the expressions on their faces were surprisingly consistent - heavy.
They were all like Makino - they didn't want Ogata to fight Toyama with real swords in a battle that was bound to result in casualties.
But... Kuranaga had already given the order, so they had to...
Kuranaga in the audience noticed Makino's hesitation, so he shouted with a slightly impatient tone:
"What are you standing there for?! Hurry up and hand over Ogata-kun's sword!"
"Yes Yes!"
Frightened by Kuranaga's extremely oppressive roar, Makino quickly walked to the arena holding Ogata's sword.
After handing the sword back to Ogata and saying "Ogata-senpai, please be careful," Makino quickly fled from the arena as if he was escaping.
"...Yuanshan, I have to be frank with you."
Ogata said calmly as he put his saber back into his left waist.
“I’m not a very kind person.”
"If someone wants to kill me, no matter what their reason is, I will not sit there and wait for death."
"So - since you want to kill me, then I'd like you to be prepared to be killed by me."
"Ha!" Yuanshan sneered, "That's exactly what I want!"
bass!
Yuanshan drew out the katana from his waist in one breath.
Ogata followed closely behind, drawing his sword.
The two men were in a mid-level stance, the knives in their hands reflecting dazzling light under the bright sunlight.
The sunlight was so warm, but the light reflected by the snow-white blade was so cold and creepy.
The two were too lazy to play the game of introducing themselves, and decided to just start a fight to the death where only one person could survive.
There was not a single cloud in the clear blue sky, and even the wind was still.
Both the arena and the audience seats next to it were completely silent. Not even the slightest cough could be heard.
Then--
Snap!
Snap!
The sounds of two footsteps on the ground rang out almost at the same time, breaking the silence.
Ogata and Toyama rushed towards each other.
clang--!
The two swords collided in mid-air, making a deafening sound of metal clashing.
