Tokyo: The story begins with a confession.

Page 7

Maeda Kazue's face was a little ugly. This pretty boy seemed different from the bookworms who could be scared out of their wits by him in the past. He seemed a bit naive. It seemed that he had thought too simply. He should have made more preparations and called more people.

"Very well, kid, you've got guts. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance. See you here this Friday night, which is three days from now. If you dare not come, I'll go straight to your class!" Maeda Kazue, with a fierce expression, looked at Uesugi Kenichi. "Changying, let's go."

"..."

Uesugi Kenichi felt a little tired. Was this some kind of child's game?

I'm speechless that they even arranged a time to fight.

"Hey, wait."

"What, scared? You should have done this earlier. But let me tell you, it's too late. If you kneel down and apologize now, I'll let you off the hook, hahaha." Maeda Kazue laughed arrogantly.

Uesugi Kenichi shook his head, took a small step forward, and delivered a powerful knee strike to Maeda Kazue's abdomen. Before Maeda could react, he crossed his legs around Maeda's calves, grabbed Maeda by the neck, and slammed him to the ground.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! What are you doing, you bastard? How dare you ambush me! Changying, beat him up!" Maeda Kazue yelled, his body curled up like a shrimp, clutching his stomach.

"You bastard!" Kozagi Masahide shouted and threw a punch. Uesugi Ken dodged to the side and kicked him in the back. Then he lunged forward, kneeing him in the back and twisting his hands in a grappling position.

"Let me go! It hurts! It's going to break! I was wrong! Let me go!" Xiao Zuomu Changying cried out, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing the two men in such a miserable state, Uesugi Kenichi did not stop. He punched them a few more times, leaving them bruised and swollen, before finally stopping at Watanabe Futa's intervention.

Judging from their expressions, he knew they had done a lot of bullying in the past, and he didn't seem to feel any guilt.

Although his strength and physique are only '8', which is a little short of the average '10', the two people in front of him don't even have an 8. Moreover, fighting like this depends more on experience and timing. Having grown up in that kind of environment, he has a lot of fighting experience, and dealing with these two high school students is more than enough for him.

Maeda Kazue and Kosaki Masahide helped each other limp down the rooftop in a disheveled state. Before leaving, they didn't forget to utter a threat, "You've got guts. Just you wait and see in three days. Then you'll see what Okubo-senpai is all about!"

Uesugi Kenichi paid no attention to the two men's barking, which sounded like they were dogs with their tails between their legs. So what if they were strong? If he really couldn't beat them, he would just chase after them and beat them to a pulp.

Upon hearing the name Okubo, Watanabe Fuuta's eyes flashed with deep worry. He tugged at Uesugi Kenichi: "Uesugi-san, how about we ask for leave on Friday (Monday)? You absolutely can't come. Okubo-senpai is truly amazing!"

"Fūta! How dare you boost the enemy's morale while belittling your own! If that Ōkubo dares to come, I'll show him what Kobayashi-sama is all about! Today was so boring. I didn't even have a chance to make a move, and Uesugi took them all down by himself. I'll definitely have to show off in a few days!" Kobayashi Yoshihara felt a bit regretful. He had indeed wanted to help, but he hadn't expected Uesugi Kenichi to act so quickly, defeating those two in an instant. What a waste!

"Stop talking nonsense!" Watanabe Futa got impatient seeing this brat causing trouble again. He turned to Uesugi Kenichi, "Uesugi, believe me, I'm not joking. I've heard of Okubo-senpai's reputation even before he enrolled. He's the captain of the Yamato Private Academy Kendo Club and once won a five-man kill in a high school kendo competition. He's incredibly skilled, and that was last year. This year, Okubo is a third-year student, so his skills must be even better!"

"The kendo club is recruiting today, why don't we go and take a look and see what's going on?"

“Alright, let’s go take a look.” Uesugi Kenichi nodded. Although he was fearless, he had no reason to refuse to learn about the enemy’s strength.

As they talked, they walked down from the rooftop and strolled around the side courtyard of the academy for a while before arriving at the kendo dojo. Even before they got close, they could hear the clanging sounds of bamboo clashing against each other.

Chapter Seventeen: The Juicer

Although Yamato Private Academy has not been established for long, its facilities are extremely grand. Whether it is the basketball court, the soccer field, or the tennis court, the facilities are very well maintained, which fully reflects the school's wealth and resources.

The kendo dojo is the same; the entire venue is made of wood and is a full foot off the ground, which shows that it was not built for long. It is also cleaned every day, and there is not a speck of dust on the floor.

After taking off his shoes and socks at the entrance, Watanabe Futa opened the door and went in first. Although he disliked the custom of taking off and changing shoes everywhere in Japan, he had no choice but to comply, otherwise he wouldn't even be able to enter the school building. Uesugi Kenichi followed behind Watanabe Futa, curiously looking around.

He didn't know much about Kendo, a sport that only existed in this country. His impressions of Kendo came entirely from the anti-Japanese war films he had seen, where two people were dressed in clothes so that their faces were obscured, and they would be wielding bamboo swords and slashing each other.

The venue is very large, about the size of two and a half standard basketball courts, and it certainly looks impressive.

The walls around the house were not decorated much, except for some Chinese calligraphy works, such as "Victory is certain", "Benevolence", "Righteousness", "Propriety", "Wisdom", "Trust", and "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain". From these, one can see the great influence of Chinese culture on this country.

Besides these, the most eye-catching thing is a 4-meter-long circle drawn with white powder in the very center of the hall. At this moment, four people are fighting inside the circle, and many people are watching.

Kenichi Uesugi also went over to watch from the sidelines. Judging from the situation on the field, it was actually one against three!

“Look, that should be Okubo-senpai,” Watanabe Futa said, pointing to one of the people.

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Kenichi looked over, and the person Watanabe Futa was pointing to was the one who had fought three against one.

He took a look. Because the other party was wearing a mask and thick clothing, he couldn't see his face. However, judging from his figure, he was about 1.75 meters tall and had a rather muscular build.

"That's right, it's Senior Okubo up there right now, sparring with the second-year club members to test their training and also to show other aspiring members that Senior Okubo's skills have improved again. He seems to be handling the three of them with such ease..."

Before the man could finish speaking, the situation suddenly changed. Okubo Rinto moved swiftly, shouted "Men!" and slammed his bamboo sword heavily into one of the men's faceplates, sending the man flying and rolling a meter on the ground. If the faceplate hadn't been of good quality, or if he hadn't been wielding an unusual bamboo sword, the blow would have likely given the man a concussion.

"Holy crap, that's incredible!" Kobayashi Yoshihara swallowed hard, somewhat shocked.

After his initial attack succeeded, Okubo Ryouto continued his offensive relentlessly. With a gliding step, he lunged forward and swung his sword forward in a mid-range stance, shouting, "Arm!" One of them dropped his bamboo sword to the ground with a thud, and soon all three were defeated.

"Thank you for your guidance, Okubo-senpai!" The three stood up and bowed to Okubo.

"You're all too complacent! With this level of performance, how are you going to qualify for this year's competition? Do you all want to pack your bags and go home like last year? Starting today, increase the training intensity by one-third, and do 1,000 repetitions of the basic exercises. Not a single one can be missed!"

"Yes!" The three men bowed and answered with a tremor in their hearts.

After Okubo Rinto removed his mask, Uesugi Kenji saw his appearance clearly. His appearance was not outstanding, but he looked very resolute and did not seem like the kind of person who would associate with Maeda and E.

"Let's go," Uesugi Kenichi said softly. Although this was not a formal kendo match, judging from the battle just now, Okubo Rinto was obviously quite skilled. He could tell that the three of them were really no match for him and hadn't held back at all.

With the rudimentary skills I've developed through haphazard fighting, I'm no match for him.

However, he wasn't worried. Fear wasn't the solution, and he still had the system, so he wasn't necessarily doomed to lose.

Back home, he placed the few pieces of wood he had picked up in the park at the door, changed his clothes, and sat down on the tatami mat.

He took out his phone and searched online. It seemed that the martial arts in this world were not just fancy moves or empty techniques. Although they were not as exaggerated as depicted in martial arts novels, they could indeed improve a person's physical fitness and combat skills, and their practical effects were not bad.

This seems to be thanks to the fact that even after the war, the Celestial Empire continued to promote these things, which is why the martial arts trend did not completely subside.

"It seems I really need to learn some fighting skills." Uesugi Kenichi thought to himself, not to mention becoming incredibly powerful, he at least needs to have the ability to protect himself, otherwise he wouldn't have the confidence to speak loudly, and what man doesn't crave power in his heart?

After thinking it through, he found the books he had previously flipped through, a thick stack of about a dozen books.

However, apart from one book on the basics of kendo, there were no other books on kendo, nor any other sword techniques. After thinking for a while, he logged onto LINE and sent a message to a netizen with the username "Juicer", asking him to help collect some sword technique books.

He met this online friend a few days ago. At the time, he was unfamiliar with all the common sense things in the world, so he asked this person a lot of questions and was ridiculed by him. However, apart from being sarcastic and having a habit of making inappropriate remarks, this person was not bad. After all, he was just an online friend.

After sending the message and not receiving a reply, he put down his phone. Since there were no books on kendo available at the moment, he decided to practice his fist techniques first.

Currently, his skill list includes Tai Chi and Bajiquan. It is no exaggeration to say that these two styles of boxing are extremely well-known. As the saying goes, "Tai Chi brings peace to the world, while Bajiquan stabilizes the universe." These two styles of boxing have been given very high praise.

He thought it best to practice Bajiquan first, since he had limited time and couldn't practice both. Taijiquan, on the other hand, is a slow and meticulous art. As the saying goes, "Taijiquan takes ten years to master, while Xingyiquan can kill a man in a year." In terms of speed and practical combat effectiveness, it was better to learn Bajiquan first.

Chapter 18 Keiko Kagura

After reviewing the relevant books, he understood the practice method. This system was very convenient in this respect, and he was even inclined to give it a good review. Although there was no instruction manual, the effect was indeed quite good.

After tidying up the room and clearing out a space, he set up a boxing stance and began practicing using the knowledge the system had instilled in him.

As he continued to unleash his fist power, a series of experience prompts rang out. He practiced with focused concentration, his heart filled with anger. After all, anyone would be upset if they were provoked and troubled for no reason. Moreover, because of this inexplicably appearing enemy, he had to take time out to practice his fist techniques and such, which seriously disrupted his planned schedule.

Fortunately, he didn't have to bump into trees or anything when practicing Bajiquan through the system, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to practice in such a small place as his house!

As he continued to unleash his fists and feet, a series of notification sounds from the Dao system followed one after another.

"Bajiquan level upgraded to LV2".

"Bajiquan level upgraded to LV3".

"Bajiquan level upgraded to LV4".

"Bajiquan level upgraded to LV5".

"Character level increased to LV7, Strength +1, Constitution +1, Charisma +1, free attribute increased by 1 point, five skills were detected to have been upgraded to LV5 or above, acquired the skills Simulated Battlefield and Fighting Specialization."

As the final system notification sounded, Uesugi Kenichi felt his internal power increase slightly, and his bones seemed to itch. He maintained his standing posture, and a surge of heat rose from his lower abdomen, flowing to his limbs and bones.

Drawn by this force, he shifted his foot and stepped onto the tatami mat. With a "bang!", the tatami mat beneath his feet instantly collapsed.

……

Kenichi Uesugi looked at the collapsed area with a headache. He would have to call someone to fix it, otherwise the landlord might cause trouble.

However, when Bajiquan level was raised to level 5, it felt like a qualitative change had occurred. Even with each breath, one could feel a power constantly flowing through the body.

As expected of Bajiquan, which is said to be able to determine the fate of the world, he dared to say that if he had learned something like karate or taekwondo, even if he reached level 5, he would still be beaten to a pulp by someone who had learned level 8.

He stretched his body, and the previous frail feeling had completely disappeared. Solid muscles surged up on his body, which was extremely beautiful. Just by looking at it, one could imagine the power contained in such a body.

The character's level has now been raised to LV7, and his strength and constitution have both reached 10 points. If he were to face Okubo Rinto now, he feels he should be able to easily defeat him, but only if he were unarmed. It shouldn't be a big problem.

If a real fight breaks out, who's going to be foolish enough to stand there and practice swordsmanship with you in a proper and orderly manner?

After feeling relieved, I suddenly felt a strong hunger pang, and my stomach kept growling.

After checking the time and finding it was almost 8 o'clock, he found a wooden board to cover the tatami mat he had just stepped on before going out.

As soon as he stepped out of the apartment, he heard a faint noise in the hallway. The hallway lights in this run-down apartment were intermittent. He glanced at them and seemed to see a small figure through the darkness.

"Keiko-chan?" Uesugi Kenichi asked.

“It’s me, Onii-san.”

Kenichi Uesugi walked over and turned on his phone's light, revealing Keiko Kagura's small figure.

"What's wrong? Didn't you bring your keys?" Uesugi Kenichi squatted down and touched her hair.

"Yes, I forgot by accident." Kagura Keiko smiled sweetly at him and obediently rubbed her hand against his palm.

"Do you want me to call your mom for you?"

"No need, Onii-san, I've already contacted Mom, she'll be back soon."

"Would you like to come in and sit for a bit? I'm going out for a bit, so could you watch the house for me?"

"No need, I can wait here. Mom will be back soon," Kagura Keiko said coldly, her face wary.

Kenichi Uesugi chuckled at Keiko Kagura's somewhat wary look. This unlucky girl called him "Onii-san" so sweetly during the day, but now she's so wary of him. However, it's a good thing for a girl to be a little wary.

Seeing that Kagura Keiko had indeed not accepted his kind offer, he took a step back and nodded. "Then be careful yourself. I'll be going now."

"Goodbye, Onii-san." Kagura Keiko breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Uesugi Kenichi leave and hid back in the shadows. Although Uesugi Kenichi seemed very approachable and she really wanted to get close to him, who knew if he might be a hidden pervert? It was better to be careful.

"No, I can't stay here," Kagura Keiko thought to herself as she glanced at the dark stairwell.

As Uesugi Kenichi descended the stairs, his expression turned somewhat grim. With the increase in his various physical attributes, his hearing had also been enhanced. Moreover, the soundproofing of this apartment building wasn't very good; judging from the sounds coming from Kagura's house, there were clearly people inside.

Moreover, he naturally understood what was happening inside the room from those indescribable sounds.

It's truly unimaginable that a mother would do something like leaving her daughter outside the door while doing such a thing inside the room!

Kenichi Uesugi felt a little sad. He vaguely remembered hearing people mention that Keiko Kagura's mother was a hostess. After all, she often vomited all over the corridor in the middle of the night. If he weren't in financial straits now, he would have moved away long ago.

He really couldn't understand why she would give birth to the child if she couldn't fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.

Despite his difficult family life in his past life, his parents still gave him the love and care he deserved, which made him feel warm. Some things don't change because of poverty; what makes a person human is the sense of responsibility written into their blood.

"Sigh~" He shook his head. He was barely able to take care of himself, so he was powerless to help in this situation. After all, they were mother and daughter, and it was not his place as an outsider to interfere.

Even if we take a step back and assume that her mother is no longer alive, that's a matter for the government to consider, not for him. Japan has a comprehensive legal system in place to deal with orphaned children.