The moment the three from Iaian spoke, the entire stadium fell into absolute silence.
Even those who had been so shocked they wanted to shout could only clamp their mouths shut, holding their breath in the eerily tense atmosphere that now enveloped the arena.
Up on the stands, Yuuki Kyouko—longtime matriarch of the Yuuki family, who had weathered countless business storms and fought fiercely with Madam Yukinoshita over the years—was momentarily paralyzed, her brain completely stalling.
Kuzeha's victory over Yuta from the Council of Swordmasters had already far exceeded her expectations.
It had already elevated the Yukinoshita family's weight in this kendo tournament beyond anything the Yuuki family could match.
But before she could even formulate a strategy to salvage the situation, the appearance of Iaian and his companions—and more importantly, their deferential attitude toward Kuzeha—completely shattered her mind.
These three were A-ranked heroes at the top of their class!
Forget their achievements and honor. Just their strength alone was enough that any family or conglomerate would have to receive them with utmost courtesy.
Not to mention, they were the direct disciples of the S-rank Atomic Samurai.
She glanced toward the neighboring VIP box and saw that Madam Yukinoshita's expression was still calm—as if everything unfolding now was completely within her expectations.
"I see… I was the one who underestimated this boy..."
Kyouko's eyes flickered as she internally reevaluated.
"From their behavior… Kuzeha may very well be someone on the same level as Atomic Samurai."
At that moment, Kuzeha's voice rang clearly through the dead silence.
"Do we know each other?"
Just five simple words—and Yuuki Kyouko's barely recovered brain crashed all over again.
The jaws of others that hadn't fully closed dropped even lower.
They didn't even know each other?
Then why were the three disciples acting so reverent?
Even Yuta and Shido were stunned.
They might be reckless, but they weren't stupid.
Iaian and the others were disciples of Atomic Samurai. Even when facing their own fathers or the Council of Swordmasters's leader Nichirin, they had always been composed and proud.
But now… they were practically groveling to someone they didn't even know?
And then, as if struck by lightning, both of them remembered the rumors from the past few days—
The House of Evolution Incident.
Those three had been present.
They had witnessed with their own eyes a single sword strike carving a chasm—a deep abyss that shocked the entire world.
The overwhelming sword intent embedded in that abyss had shaken their sword spirits.
And most importantly… The one who caused all of it was said to be a young boy.
A boy.
They looked at Kuzeha.
He was a boy.
And in the next moment, Bushidrill confirmed everything.
"Two days ago, we witnessed Mr. Kuzeha's awe-inspiring swordsmanship in the Northern Mountains..."
The moment those words landed, Yuta and Shido's hearts thundered.
The Northern Mountains—now known as the Abyss of Hell.
"It was him…"
The image of that endless abyss surfaced in their minds.
They had stood at its edge—small, helpless, insignificant.
Without first-hand accounts, they would never have believed such destruction could have been caused by a single person.
And they had just tried to challenge him?
Cold sweat broke down Shido's back.
If Kuzehad gone full force… a single slap could've vaporized him.
As for Yuta—now she understood:
She didn't lose because she was weak.
She lost because he was far, far too strong.
Kuzeha simply nodded.
So they had been at the scene that day.
"I see."
Seeing that Kuzeha didn't seem displeased, the three swordsmen finally breathed a little easier.
"Mr. Kuzeha, our master Atomic Samurai wishes to invite you to join the Council of Swordmasters for sword exchange and discussion,"
Iaian said cautiously.
Even standing here, he could still feel that faint, domineering sword pressure from Kuze.
The stronger one was, the more sensitive they were to it.
And these three had faced the abyss full of that sword intent—it haunted them still.
"Atomic Samurai..."
Kuzeha's eyes narrowed slightly.
He was probably among the highest-tier swordsmen in this world.
But for Kuze now, sparring with him wouldn't offer much growth.
"Maybe another time."
He waved it off.
Iaian's eyes dimmed with regret.
If someone like Kuzeha joined the Council of Swordmasters, the benefits would be immeasurable.
Even if he only helped refine their sword spirits with that oppressive sword intent, it would let them regain their shaken resolve.
But—such power couldn't be forced.
"Then, we'll take our leave."
The three bowed and started to pull Shido and Yuta away.
But Yuta didn't move.
Okamaitachi glanced at her, confused.
Yuta blinked innocently.
"Why are you dragging me? For the next three years, I belong to Mr. Kuzeha. I've got nothing to do with the Council of Swordmasters anymore!"
Everyone froze.
They looked at Shido, who suddenly slapped his forehead, finally remembering the bet.
"Before she fought Kuzeha, she staked a three-year contract…"
The three seniors facepalmed.
Still as wild as ever...
Seeing Yuta obediently walk to stand beside Kuzeha, the trio said nothing more.
They weren't about to defy someone like Kuzeha.
And from Yuta's expression… she looked genuinely happy to serve.
"Let her father deal with it,"
Iaian muttered, shaking his head as they left the stage with Shido.
Only now did the stadium's heavy silence slowly lift.
Every gaze turned to Kuzeha—filled with awe and reverence.
This was someone the Council of Swordmasters tried to recruit.
Without hesitation, the remaining finalists lined up to challenge him.
Forget the prize money—just being able to receive pointers from a swordsman of this level was a priceless opportunity.
As for Kocho Kanae?
Completely ignored.
What stung even more was that her two most favored candidates, Kanao and Suguha, hadn't chosen her either—nor had they challenged Kuzeha.
"I'll just wait for the finals this afternoon..."
She thought quietly.
—
"Kanao, why didn't you try the judge challenge?"
Kuzeha asked curiously.
With her and Suguha's current skill, sparring with someone like Kanae—one of the Flower Pillars and founder of Flower Breathing—would've been a great experience.
Kanao tilted her head and smiled softly.
"I just want to eat lunch with onii-san quickly."
Suguha also nodded earnestly beside her.
Seeing their serious expressions, Kuzeha could only let out a helpless laugh.
For them, eating with him was more important than anything else.
Back in the private room, the girls swarmed around Kuzeha the moment he entered.
Sora and Akiko clung to either arm.
Meanwhile, Sakura and Nao gave Kanao and Suguha a thumbs-up.
"As expected from you two! Amazing!"
Sakura said warmly.
She had been observing their training day by day.
Watching them reach the finals together was the perfect reward.
The two finalists scratched their cheeks shyly.
Honestly, the matches had felt easier than daily practice.
Like... sparring with kids.
"It's all thanks to Kuze-nii's training!"
Suguha beamed.
The girls turned their attention to Kuzeha—and then noticed the tanned girl behind him.
They had watched the entire Yuta vs. Kuzeha fight and knew about her bet.
Sora and Akiko exchanged glances, eyes instantly full of suspicion.
Silver high ponytail, wild beauty, curvy figure, and that healthy dark tan...
This girl's type didn't exist in Kuzeha's circle yet.
Highly dangerous.
Yuta, seeing Kuzeha surrounded by so many girls, was briefly stunned.
Then she looked at him and declared proudly:
"Mr. Kuzeha! I'm a woman who honors her bets. For the next three years, I'm yours to command! Whatever you want—I can do it!"
Her tone was bold and carefree.
Now that she understood Kuzeha's true strength, three years of servitude sounded like a bargain.
Who knew?
If she was lucky, she might get taught swordsmanship directly.
Kuzeha didn't know what to do with this energetic, dark-skinned beauty.
But with her skill, she'd make a perfect sparring partner for Kanao and Suguha.
"Go report to Madam Yukinoshita for now. I'll call you when I need you."
At that moment, a Yukinoshita Group secretary arrived and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Kuzeha, lunch is prepared."
Led by the secretary, Kuze brought the girls to a small private dining room.
A round table large enough for a dozen people stood in the center, already loaded with hot, fragrant dishes.
"Wow, smells so good!"
Ayumi exclaimed as everyone took their seats.
Of course, Kuzeha's sides were tightly occupied by Sora and Akiko.
After lunch, they rested briefly in rooms prepared by Madam Yukinoshita—mainly to let Kanao and Suguha conserve energy for the finals.
—
For the Yuuki family, this tournament was a complete defeat.
Everything they poured in ended up as fodder for the Yukinoshita Group's success.
Kuzeha's arrival made it so even though this was a co-hosted event, only the Yukinoshita name mattered.
Even the supporting cast were now Council of Swordmasters and heroes.
Still, the tournament had to go on.
They'd spent too much to cancel it now.
—
That afternoon, Kocho Kanae returned to the venue and greeted Kuzeha politely.
"Mr. Kuzeha."
Sitting beside him on the judge panel, she felt strangely nervous.
She peeked at his side profile—perfect jawline, high nose bridge, and that ever-present calm smile.
He looked like any handsome, gentle boy.
If not for what she saw this morning… no one would believe this boy was someone even the Council of Swordmasters revered.
What intrigued her more than his power, though, was his ability to teach.
Over lunch, she had asked Asuna about the sword techniques he modified.
After trying them herself, both she and Shinobu were stunned by the results.
Just a few pointers had made Asuna visibly stronger.
If Asuna could improve with such simple guidance, then surely Shinobu could too.
Maybe even she—despite being stagnant for years—might break through.
More than that—his techniques seemed tailored to breathing styles...
Just then, the final match between Kanao and Suguha was about to begin.
Kanae set aside her thoughts and turned to the arena, eager to watch.
As the referee gave the signal, both girls dashed forward simultaneously!
They had trained together for ages—fought countless duels.
No need for warmups—this was all out from the start.
Kanao couldn't sit still.
She stood up abruptly, eyes quivering.
"Flower Breathing?!"
She exclaimed in shock.
Read advance chapters on: patre on.com/Bored_Mortal
TL: Cooking some mass release. Should be available by tomorrow or the day after. Each new review/100 power stone, and I'll add further chapters into the mass release! Though it's only till the mass release.