Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 65.

Episode 65: Inter-High Main Tournament – Second Part.

A little past noon, Shiina’s second-round match began. The heat inside the venue had risen even further, and the spirited kiai of the competitors echoed through the high-ceilinged space.

“Shii-chan’s next match is about to start~”

At Moe’s words, the tension in the waiting room rose slightly. Having advanced from the first round, Shiina let out a deep breath. Her opponent was the ace of a school that was a regular contender at nationals. Because it was one of the most anticipated matches in the girls’ individual division, a large crowd had gathered in the stands.

“…Alright. I’m off.”

Shiina stood up from the bench, lightly lifted her men, and gave us an awkward smile. The tension was clearly visible on her face.

“Stay focused. Don’t rush, okay~?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

After Moe’s short encouragement, Shiina walked toward the arena. Once the match started, there was nothing more Moe or I could do to help. We knew that, but it still left a frustrating helplessness in our chests.

***

The moment the match began, the dry clash of shinai rang out.

Shiina closed the distance in an instant and took the initiative. Her opponent was fast as well. Neither yielded even a step; they probed for openings with sharp footwork. The air in the venue grew taut, and sweat dampened my palms.

The instant the opponent switched to offense, Shiina’s shinai flashed.

“Meeen!”

A sharp, ringing kiai accompanied the strike. All three flags rose at once.

“Men—point!”

Cheers erupted. I unconsciously clenched my fist. Moe made a small guts pose beside me. She had taken the lead. But the opponent was also a national-level player and immediately launched a counter. The next moment, her tsuki struck Shiina’s dou.

“Dou—point!”

The flags went up. The point was returned. Just as expected—the opponent was strong.

While the venue stirred, Shiina took a deep breath to steady herself. Even through the men, it was clear she was regathering her scattered concentration with her entire body.

Then came the third point—the one that would decide the match. A silence fell over the arena as if time had stopped. One step. Another. Shiina advanced. The moment her opponent’s shinai moved, she stepped in low.

“Meeeenn!!”

The impact sliced through the air. The murmur of the crowd vanished in an instant. All three flags rose simultaneously.

“Men—point! Match over!”

In that moment, I was already on my feet. I barely managed to hold back the shout rising in my throat. Shiina quietly removed her men and took a deep breath. Rather than the face of a clear victor, she wore an expression that still seemed unsatisfied. Moe narrowed her eyes and murmured.

“As expected of Shii-chan…”

Amid the applause that filled the venue, Shiina bowed and returned. I picked up a towel and welcomed her back.

***

“Next up is the third round~”

Moe’s voice echoed in the waiting room. When I checked the clock, it was already past 2 p.m. The tension in the room remained heavy. Even with the air conditioning running, the atmosphere felt somehow suffocating. Shiina, seated on the bench with her men resting on her lap, was breathing from her shoulders—probably from extreme nervousness. The way she wiped the sweat from her skin with the towel seemed slower than usual.

“…Tired?”

When I asked, Shiina gave a small smile.

“No, I’m fine. But my legs feel a little heavy.”

I approached and handed her a fresh plastic bottle.

“Here, water. Drink it slowly.”

“Thanks, Ryuuji.”

Shiina opened the cap, brought it to her lips, and took several gulps before letting out a sigh. My eyes were momentarily drawn to the movement of her throat—an inappropriate thought in this situation.

“Shii-chan, make sure you stretch so your legs don’t cramp, okay~?”

Moe called out from beside her.

“Yeah. Thank you, Moe.”

Watching the two of them smile at each other, I felt a strange warmth in my chest. Simply reaching this stage was already a tremendous achievement to be proud of. Even if she lost the next match, I wanted to celebrate and praise her. And yet, deep down, I still desperately wished for her to win.

“…Alright.”

After finishing a simple stretch, Shiina stood up. It was time. Her gentle eyes sharpened into those of a true swordswoman. A dignified expression.

“I’m off.”

“Yeah, go enjoy it.”

“Just don’t get injured, okay~?”

Nodding at our words, Shiina readjusted her grip on the shinai.

***

Her opponent in the third round was one of the top contenders for the individual championship. Tall, with an unshakable stance. Clearly on a different level from the previous opponents.

The moment the match began, Shiina chose not to attack immediately and instead observed. She was being cautious. However, the opponent’s strikes were equally sharp. Every clash of shinai produced a heavy, dull impact.

—She’s fast.

Even as a spectator, I could tell. A single delayed judgment would cost her a point instantly. Within that razor-sharp tension, Shiina fought back with unyielding spirit. But after the midpoint of the match—

“Meeen!”

The opponent’s shinai caught Shiina’s men. Two flags rose. The opponent took the lead.

—Damn…

My chest tightened. Moe bit her lip.

Yet Shiina didn’t retreat even after taking the hit. She kept her stance firm and quietly regulated her breathing. The match resumed. Seizing a momentary opening, Shiina stepped forward.

“Dou!”

With a low kiai, she landed a clean strike to the dou. All three flags rose at once.

“Dou—point!”

Cheers erupted. The score was tied. Everything would be decided by the final point.

Time was running out. Even from the sidelines, it was obvious—both were breathing heavily. Fatigue was visible in Shiina’s movements. Still, her burning determination to win had not faded.

The match went into overtime. After dozens of seconds passed without either finding a decisive blow, the opponent slightly closed the distance. Shiina did not miss that single step.

“Meeeenn!!”

Her shinai flashed, and all three flags rose.

“Men—point! Match over!”

In that instant, the gymnasium exploded with energy. Applause rolled through the stands like a wave.

“She won! Shii-chan won~!”

Moe’s voice trembled. Before I knew it, I was standing too, fists clenched tightly. Shiina bowed at the center of the court and quietly removed her men. Sweat glistened on her cheeks, and though she was catching her breath, a faint smile touched her lips. She had advanced to the best four.

***

The kendo club members waited outside the waiting room door to greet Shiina. Kawaguchi-sensei and the upperclassmen all wore bright smiles as they praised her hard fight.

“Well done! That was an incredible match!”

Even the usually composed Saeki-senpai raised his voice with an excitement I had never seen before.

“To reach this level on the national stage…!”

Kawaguchi-sensei couldn’t hide his admiration either.

At the center of the circle, Shiina smiled shyly. But I noticed that behind that smile, she was subtly favoring one leg. I quietly approached.

“Shiina… your leg. Is it okay?”

She averted her eyes for a moment and laughed.

“It’s just a little tight. I’m fine.”

Her movements, however, were just slightly stiff.

***

Back in the waiting room, Shiina removed her armor and sank onto the bench. Moe brought over a cold spray and glanced at me.

“Ryuuji-kun, please. Can you cool her leg?”

“O-okay.”

I knelt beside Shiina and took the spray. A red mark was visible around her shin—probably from the impact of shinai and footwork. When I applied the spray, Shiina let out a small breath.

“…It’s cold.”

“Bear with it. You’ll get used to it soon.”

Silence settled between us. The cheers from the venue sounded strangely distant.

“Hey, Ryuuji.”

“Hm?”

“…When you’re beside me, I feel somehow at ease.”

The sudden words caught me off guard. When I looked up at her face, her cheeks were faintly flushed and she was smiling softly.

“I haven’t done anything.”

“No… Just having you here is enough. That alone is plenty…”

A gentle warmth spread through my chest. I tried to think of a clever reply, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, while applying the tape, I murmured quietly.

“Enjoy the next one too…”

“Yeah. I will.”

Shiina nodded and clenched her fist. Her profile looked somehow satisfied.

***

Semifinals.

Shiina had clearly accumulated fatigue from the previous matches. Until just moments ago, she had been lying almost horizontally on the bench to rest. Even so, there was no hesitation in her eyes. Before putting on her men, she took a short, deep breath.

“…Alright. I’m off.”

She smiled as she said it. The semifinal match began.

***

“Begin!”

At the referee’s signal, the sound of clashing shinai rang out. The air in the venue grew instantly taut.

From the start, Shiina attacked aggressively. Her opponent was the captain of a powerhouse school considered one of the top in the country. Tall, with terrifyingly precise distance control. A fierce back-and-forth battle unfolded. The sound of footwork, the clash of shinai, and spirited kiai all reverberated against the high ceiling.

—Do your best, Shiina.

All I could do was whisper those words in my heart. Moe sat beside me, hands clasped tightly as if in prayer.

In the middle phase, Shiina made the first move.

“Meeen!”

A sharp strike. But the flags did not rise. It had missed by a hair. Immediately afterward, the opponent countered with a dou.

“Dou—point!”

Two flags went up. She fell behind by one point.

Moe gasped. I couldn’t stay calm either. Unaware of our anxiety, Shiina remained unfazed. She readjusted her stance and stepped forward. With little time remaining, she continued her assault, pressing the opponent relentlessly. Then, with ten seconds left—

“Meeeenn!”

The dry impact echoed. One flag. Two… The third flag hesitated and did not rise.

“Men—not a point!”

The referee’s voice rang out, followed by the whistle signaling the end of regulation time.

“Match over!”

Silence. Then, slowly, cheers and applause spread through the venue. The result was a narrow defeat by a single point.

***

“…That was so close.”

Moe murmured softly. I couldn’t say anything. I simply stared at Shiina’s back. After exchanging bows with the winner and removing her men, there were no tears on her face. She looked frustrated, yet somehow satisfied.

On the way back to the waiting room.

“Shiina!”

When I called out, she turned around.

“…Sorry. I lost.”

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

The words came out naturally. Moe quickly followed.

“You were really amazing~ Right until the very end… you looked so cool.”

Shiina lowered her gaze slightly.

“Thank you.”

That was all she said before sitting down on the bench. Sweat trickled down her cheeks, and her shoulders rose and fell with each breath. I silently handed her a towel.

“…It really was a shame.”

“Yeah. But… I had fun.”

Shiina’s expression was complicated. Still, I was sure that “I had fun” was her true feeling. She had fought with everything she had and genuinely enjoyed the match. That was who Kayano Shiina was.

***

Third-place match.

Her opponent was the other semifinal loser at the national level. The venue had already begun shifting its focus toward the final, so the atmosphere felt slightly quieter. Shiina put on her men, gripped her shinai, and took a deep breath.

“Begin!”

Both sides cautiously probed for distance. Although fatigue was visible in Shiina’s legs, her spirit came through clearly even from the sidelines. In the early phase, she calmly deflected the opponent’s attacks and redirected the shinai. Then, seizing a tiny opening, she stepped in sharply.

“Meeen!”

The impact reverberated through the gymnasium. All three flags rose at once.

“Men—point!”

Having taken the lead, Shiina did not ease her attack even as she caught her breath. The opponent fought back desperately. The sound of clashing shinai continued without pause.

With little time remaining and neither able to land a decisive blow, the match entered overtime. Amid the tension, Shiina did not miss the subtle change in distance.

“Dou!”

Her strike to the dou connected cleanly, and all three flags rose.

“Dou—point!”

The match was decided. When Shiina removed her men, she was breathing hard, yet a soft smile graced her lips.

***

Back in the waiting room, the club members’ cheers awaited her.

“Shiina, congratulations on third place!”

“Third in the whole country! That’s incredible!”

Moe smiled brightly and offered her a plastic bottle.

“You worked so hard, Shii-chan~”

Shiina lowered her head shyly and, while catching her breath, said:

“Thank you… I can finally feel satisfied.”

I lightly patted her shoulder.

“Congratulations for real. Third place—third strongest in the entire country.”

At those words, Shiina gave a deep nod and showed a genuine smile. There must have been regret as well. But the sense of accomplishment overflowing in her expression was even stronger. It was the smile I loved most.

***

“The closing ceremony for the girls’ individual kendo division will now begin.”

The announcement echoed quietly.

In the evening, soft light poured into the venue as the long day of the national tournament drew to a close. Having fought through the third-place match, Shiina looked slightly exhausted in the waiting room, yet she stood tall with perfect posture as she stepped onto the podium for the closing ceremony.

On the podium stood the champion, the runner-up, and Shiina in third place. She maintained her dignified expression without faltering. Carrying the fatigue of the matches and the regret of the semifinal, pride still shone clearly in her eyes.

The emcee’s voice continued.

“In the girls’ individual division, third place goes to… Kayano Shiina!”

Applause spread throughout the venue. The club members clapped with bright smiles, wrapped in joy. Moe clapped while fighting back tears. I naturally stood up as well and watched over Shiina.

When she stepped down from the podium, Shiina gave a shy bow and smiled modestly.

After the closing ceremony ended, the evening twilight enveloped the venue. The summer heat had finally calmed, and a gentle light filled the sky. We left the venue quietly, smiling among ourselves.

The result was third place. But it was far more than just a ranking. It was proof that Shiina had fought with everything she had on the national stage, embracing both regret and pride. And we had witnessed every moment of it up close. That, more than anything, was our most precious treasure.

***

Inside the car on the way home.

As we left Tokyo behind, the strong rays of the setting sun poured into the car. Midori-san was driving, Moe sat in the passenger seat, and Shiina and I were in the back. All three of us quietly reflected on the long day.

Shiina leaned against her seat and murmured softly.

“…Finally, I can focus on romance.”

I missed those words as they slipped out like a sigh.

“Next year, I’ll be standing on the same stage.”

I called out from beside her. Shiina gave a small laugh and lowered her eyes.

“Yeah. If it’s you, Ryuuji, I know you’ll make it.”

A brief silence followed.

The Tokyo scenery visible through the car window was dyed in the sunset, carrying a nostalgic feel. The soft orange light gently wrapped around the long day.

“I’m going to get even stronger.”

I murmured. Shiina smiled and gave a light nod.

“Yeah… definitely…”

We smiled at each other. The car continued to drive quietly onward. The orange light spilling through the windows and the lingering afterglow of the matches remained softly in our hearts.