Sanada and Muneyoshi's First Official Showdown

Ten minutes later, the referee's voice rang out again.

"Up next is the second singles match of the semifinals: Sanada Genichirou of Rikkai Dai High School versus Saeki Muneyoshi of Fudomine Junior High."

"Both players, please get ready and enter the court."

The announcement was broadcast three times in a row.

The spectators by the court first held their breath, then burst into even louder cheers.

At the net, Sanada struggled to suppress the heat building in his heart.

He remembered what Yukimura had said when he saw the match draw: there was a good chance this match would require sacrificing him.

For Rikkai Dai's victory, Sanada didn't mind making that sacrifice. In fact, once he learned that his opponent was Saeki Muneyoshi, his fighting spirit had only continued to swell.

Apart from the time in their first year when Muneyoshi had challenged him of his own accord, he had never approached Sanada again.

Even at the training camp, it had always been Sanada who challenged him.

Aside from those occasions, the two of them had had no other connection.

"We're finally facing each other in an official match, Muneyoshi! I look forward to playing you!"

Looking at Saeki Muneyoshi standing opposite him, Sanada's throat bobbed slightly. A hoarse voice escaped him, one that might even have surprised him.

At that moment, Sanada seemed to recall the consecutive defeats he'd suffered at the hands of Tezuka and Muneyoshi in their first year.

Even now, the memory of those crushing defeats remained vivid.

After more than two years of reflection, Sanada could look back at his past self and easily see how arrogant, overconfident, and quick to anger he had been.

His understanding of kendo had barely gone beyond the surface. He had even cast aside its lessons of self-discipline and