I Thought I Was Dead After Getting Stabbed While Protecting a Girl From a Random Attacker, but a Goddess Gave Me a Special Reward and Brought Me Back to Life in My Original Body—Now, All These Girls Are Coming on to Me!? - Chapter 32: Let’s Watch the Semifinals First

Chapter 32: Let’s Watch the Semifinals First

“We inform all visitors… smoking is completely prohibited inside the venue…”

“The inside is really spacious! Yuna will compete here…! I’m getting nervous…!”

“Hahaha, well, thinking about competing while so many people watch naturally makes you nervous. Plus, the attention for the semifinals is on another level.”

“Ugh… just thinking about it gives me chills… Yuna, do your best…!”

“Yuna will be fine. Let’s go to our seats. We need to cheer for her from a good spot.”

“Yeah! Hurry!”

Kanade told me the seats are… around there.

Since about 30 minutes remain until the match, the seats still have plenty of space.

At the match area, staff members busily prepare for the start. From here, I can clearly see Yuna’s figure.

“In kendo, just hitting the opponent with a bamboo sword isn’t enough, right?”

“Yeah. Some hits become invalid depending on the spot, and there are elements like zanshin, shouting, and other martial arts aspects. I’m not an expert, though.”

“The more I hear, the harder it sounds…”

“If you’re interested, ask Yuna later. She’s a kendo nerd, so she’ll happily explain everything.”

“Really!? I’m excited!”

The tournament pamphlet briefly lists kendo rules and cheering etiquette. As we read it shoulder-to-shoulder, the area below grows noisy.

It seems the players competing today entered.

“Hey, isn’t that Yuna?”

“Looks like it.”

Yuna enters the match area, showing no signs of nervousness. She appears in excellent mental condition.

I want to call out, but in kendo matches, spectators generally stay quiet as etiquette. Regretfully, I’ll watch her silently.

Then, Yuna glances around as if searching for something.

She might be looking for us.

“Makoto, let’s go to the front.”

“Oh, yeah!”

We move to the front row of the spectator seats and peek out.

Yuna, who happens to look our way, spots us.

She thrusts her fist toward us.

I clench my fist and extend it in response.

Makoto does the same.

Though the distance prevents our fists from touching, I see a strong resolve in Yuna’s expression.

I hope seeing us boosts her positively.

“We inform all visitors. The men’s and women’s individual finals will soon begin. All participating players, please gather at the match area.”

“…The match will start soon.”

“Yeah…! Yuna, you can definitely win… do your best…!”

The semifinal match begins.

“Now, we begin the women’s individual semifinal. Red, Kyoto Prefecture representative, Reizan High School, Sana Michigami. White, Fukuoka Prefecture representative, Yuna Yamamura.”

Yuna walks calmly into the match area.

Her opponent looks somewhat nervous.

“The opponent seems really fidgety, doesn’t she?”

“Well, it’s understandable. She’s facing last year’s runner-up, after all.”

“Still…”

Indeed, kendo players wear full protective gear, so their expressions and gestures rarely show. Yet, as Makoto says, Sana’s distracted demeanor seems odd.

“The Kyoto player is kinda pitiful.”

“If Yamamura wasn’t here, she’d be the top championship candidate…”

“Did you see yesterday’s matches? That Yamamura ended every match with the first strike…”

“That’s insane…”

I hear other spectators’ voices from behind.

I see. Yuna’s strength, plus her dominant performance yesterday, likely adds pressure.

Even without that, few high schoolers can move freely under Yuna’s intense aura.

Both players rise from squatting and draw their swords, preparing for the match. It begins.

“Begin!”

The referee’s command starts the match.

“Yaaaaaah!”

The opponent shouts, seemingly psyching herself up.

In kendo, one needs heart, technique, and body to defeat an opponent.

Sana knows she’s already lost to Yuna at this stage.

Yuna, however, stays completely still.

Like a still image, her sword tip doesn’t twitch.

Yet, the pressure she exudes is palpable even from the stands. She shows no openings.

She seems to aim for a counterattack.

Waiting for the opponent to move requires immense patience.

No high schooler, except her, possesses the mental strength to stay still despite any opening.

The match will end quickly.

“…Sorry, but I can’t show a pathetic performance today.”

I reached the national tournament semifinals without issues.

I got too fired up yesterday and overdid the preliminaries, but it’s not a big deal.

Today is my shining moment.

After all, Ryu came to watch my match.

As a kid, I showed him countless matches at the dojo, but showing my performance on such a big stage feels overwhelming.

If I showed a disgraceful performance, I might never recover.

So, in today’s semifinals, I will seize victory without giving my opponent any chance.

“…Phew.”

I exhale softly to set my rhythm.

I don’t need to move first. My opponent feels immense pressure, so if I snap her tension, she’ll attack on her own.

I gradually heighten my focus.

Not just my fingertips—I make the bamboo sword’s tip part of my body.

All surrounding sounds vanish.

Even my opponent’s voice fades.

She seems unable to find an attack timing.

I don’t show openings easily.

…It’s about time.

I see her growing impatient, unable to strike.

I shift my sword tip slightly left.

In extreme tension and desperation for victory, her body reflexively reacts to such slight movements.

“…! …Damn…!”

Movements where heart and body aren’t aligned create big openings.

As she steps forward, I step back in response.

She thinks she advanced, but the distance between us stays the same.

The mismatch between her expectation and reality disrupts her movement.

Her body lurches forward, practically begging me to strike.

“Men!”

I win the semifinal.

“The match goes to White, Fukuoka Prefecture representative, Yuna Yamamura.”

“…That was amazing…!”

“Yeah, it was overwhelming.”

Even to an amateur, the gap between them was clear.

The opponent reached the semifinals, so she’s likely skilled, but she wasn’t Yuna’s match.

“Kendo… is really amazing…! Like… it’s amazing!”

“Where’s your vocabulary?”

In any field, a top player’s movements are art.

Even those unfamiliar with the sport can see their greatness and beauty.

Yuna’s swordsmanship is in that realm.

“It felt like watching Ryu’s pitching…! It’s like… it’s amazing from the bottom of my heart!”

“…! I see.”

She says something flattering.

Though the fields differ, I hope to reach Yuna’s level in baseball someday.

Now, we rest until the other semifinal ends.

As I think about what to do…

“Ryu, Makoto, I came.”

“Kanade! Is it okay to leave the newspaper club?”

“The club president said, ‘Go watch it together!’”

“She’s a kind president.”

“Yeah. She was in a great mood today. She gets to meet her long-distance boyfriend legally.”

“What!? The president has a boyfriend!?”

“I was shocked when I heard earlier.”

From their talk, the newspaper club president seems friendly.

They’re indebted to her, so I’d like to meet her someday.

Anyway, this unexpected chance lets us three watch Yuna’s match together—a stroke of luck.

“Also, it’s unfair for Makoto to hog Ryu. I’ll make her make up for it.”

Kanade tightly grips my left hand.

“Well… I did feel a bit sorry for you two… kinda…”

“Liar. You totally enjoyed it. I’ll hear the details later.”

“…Eek.”

Wow, Kanade’s voice is the lowest I’ve ever heard.

Makoto’s in for it. Rest in peace…

“Why do you look uninvolved, Ryu? You’ll properly entertain me and Yuna.”

“Eek!”

Entertain… what will they make me do?

I’m a bit scared to go home.

Ten minutes later.

The women’s individual final begins.

“Now, we begin the women’s individual final. Red, Fukuoka Prefecture representative, Phoenix High School, Yuna Yamamura. White, Iwate Prefecture representative, Iwato Gakuen High School, Ririka Kanemaru.”

“Finally, the final…”

“I’m nervous. Will Yuna be okay?”

“She’ll be fine. Yuna will win without issue.”

“You really trust Yuna, don’t you, Ryu?”

“Of course. I’ve seen her effort since we were kids.”

“Hmm… effort really matters…”

“Huh? What?”

“Nothing. I won’t lose either. Look, the match is starting.”

“…? Yeah, we can’t miss it.”

The final match.

I’ll watch Yuna’s big moment until the end.