"Shhh...... Ha ......"

After taking a few deep breaths, Ogata slowly raised his sword and set up his upper stance.

Looking at Ogata, who was in an upper position, Toyama's pupils shrank slightly, and he secretly said in his heart:

- Upper stance...... What is Ogata going to do......

- Are you going to use "water falling" against me......

- That's ......! Then I'll take his "water drop"!

Toyama subconsciously thought that Ogata, who was in an upper position, should be using their sakakihara's one-knife downward splitting technique - Mizurachi.

The distant mountain, which deliberately hard-connected Ojikata's "water falls", slowly lowered the sword that was originally held high and put it in a mid-section stance.

Ogata moved his feet and leaned towards the distant mountain little by little.

Toyama was also counting the distance between himself and Ogata.

One of the most important things to win against others is to keep your distance from your opponents.

The vast majority of people lose because they don't have a good sense of distance between themselves and their opponents.

For example, when the sword in his hand does not hurt the opponent at all, he rashly attacks.

Another example - he has already entered the range of the opponent's attack, and he still doesn't know it, he is still wandering there leisurely, thinking he is safe.

Toyama stared at Ogata in front of him, counting the distance between himself and Ogata.

- There are 4 more moves, and Ogata's sword can cut me......

- And ...... 3 Steps......

- And ...... 2 Steps ......!

- And ...... 1 step!

Phew——!

A strong sound of breaking wind struck the distant mountains from top to bottom.

The blade of Ogata's wooden sword slashed straight at the shoulders of the distant mountains!

- What!

Yuanshan exclaimed loudly in his heart, and his eyes widened.

For Ogata's "water fall", Toyama was not ready to take on any tricks at all!

Because according to Toyama's calculations, Ogata should have to take one more step forward before Ogata's sword can touch him!

Toyama didn't expect that Ogata's sword would be able to attack him when he was still a step away!

Yuanshan was stunned though.

But in the next moment, the person who was stunned was Ogata.

Because he saw the sword in Toyama's hand move at a speed fast enough to dazzle Ogata.

Boom!

The dull sound of wooden swords crashing exploded.

Almost at the last moment, Toyama raised his sword to open Ogata's "water fall".

After being removed from the sword in Toyama's hand, Ogata immediately took a few steps back and widened the distance between him and Toyama.

Toyama also retreated almost at the same time as Ogata.

After Toyama stabilized his figure, he immediately looked at Ogata, who had also just stabilized his figure in front of him.

To be exact - looking towards Ogata's hand holding the sword.

After seeing Ogata's way of holding the sword, Toyama let out a sneer:

"Oh, I see...... Ogata, is this the secret of how you increase your attack range......"

Ogata's right hand was now firmly held at the bottom of the hilt of the wooden sword.

Just now, when he was slowly approaching Toyama, only one step away from Toyama entering his attack range, Ogata quietly grasped the sword and shook it a little with both hands.

Hold the hilt directly with both hands.

Because his hands are directly on the bottom of the hilt, Ogata's attack range is nearly one more than a distance from the hilt when he swings the sword.

This is the reason why Oyama was already able to perform "water fall" on Toyama and attack him when he was only one step away from entering Ogata's attack range.

If it weren't for Toyama's quick reaction and speed, he raised his sword in time to open Ogata's slash, otherwise Toyama would have been defeated.

"I really almost lost just now...... I really didn't expect you to be able to use such a powerful attack. ”

"Each other, each other." Ogata said in a flat tone, "I didn't expect you to be so fast. ”

Yuan Shan's mood was not calm at this time, because he found that the guy in front of him was far more powerful than he imagined.

Ogata's mood was not calm at this time, because he also found that the guy in front of him was far more powerful than he had imagined.

Originally, he had already classified the distant mountains as a "strong enemy not to be taken lightly".

But Ogata found out at this time that he still seemed to have underestimated Toyama's strength.

Just now, Oke was in a winning mindset.

He had thought that it was impossible for Yuanshan to take the surprise attack he had just made.

But the distant mountains just caught it.

"Come on." Toyama took a few deep breaths, and his eyes became much sharper than just now, "Ogata Yisei, the victory is still not decided, let's continue." ”

“…… Come on. Ogata moved his wrist and repositioned his mid-stance.

However, at this moment, a shout suddenly sounded from the periphery of the "battlefield".

"Hey! You guys! What are you doing here! ”

The crowd of onlookers standing on the west side of the "battlefield" immediately split to the left and right.

Two samurai dressed in black featherweaves followed the opening of the crowd of onlookers and quickly stepped into the "battlefield" where the atmosphere was still tense.

Ogata, Toyama, and the crowd watching the battle all looked at the two samurai.

"Concentric ......," Ogata muttered in a deep voice.

Tongxin - a lower-level official position in charge of general affairs, police and other affairs.

"Between samurai, it is forbidden to fight in private! Don't you know?! ”

These two people who are united in the leadership yelled at Ogata, Toyama and the others with a fierce attitude.

“…… One heart Lord. Looking at the two concentrics who suddenly arrived, a smile gradually piled up on Yuanshan's face, "We're not fighting, we're just jockeying." ”

Yuan Shan said as he handed the wooden knife in his hand to a junior disciple beside him, and then slowly walked towards the two Tongxin.

After walking up to the two concentrics, Yuanshan took out a small handful of copper coins from his arms, and then quietly stuffed them into the arms of concentrics in front of him.

"Please forgive us for our petty fights."

The man looked at the copper coin that had been stuffed into his bosom by the distant mountains.

Then he said in a much softer tone:

"Remember to learn in the dojo in the future! Don't mess around in front of such a public! ”

"Definitely, definitely."

After echoing the same heart for a few words, Yuan Shan turned back and beckoned to his brothers:

"Go back!"

After saying this, Toyama turned his head slightly and looked at Ogata with a meaningful gaze.

“…… If I'm not mistaken, Ogata Esse - you Sakakibara Sword Pavilion who wins the chief position in the Pavilion Daibine every summer must represent Sakakibara Sword Pavilion in the July Worship Tournament, right? ”

"So what?"

"Nothing, just to confirm. Let me tell you the news, the person who represented the Ishikawa Sword Pavilion in the god sacrifice competition this year is still me. ”

"Oh." Ogata reacted with a flat "oh", "So what?" ”

"Just letting you know the news in advance."

"Today's unfinished battle, let's save it until the day of the god sacrifice competition."

"Hmph." The corners of Ogata's mouth twitched, revealing a sneer, "You say that like this, it seems that I will definitely win the first place in the big competition in the museum." ”

Toyama didn't go to pick up Ojikata's words.

After glancing at Ogata with a meaningful gaze, Toyama stepped out of his feet and led his brothers and sisters out of the place quickly.

And the two Tongxin also drove the onlookers almost away at this time.

- Is it over......

Looking at their smaller and smaller backs in the distant mountains, Ogata said secretly in his heart.

- Money is really a good thing...... It was easy to level out the concentric ...... Hiss...... It hurts......