It's July 1st, 2024. It's almost a full school year since Shiba Nakamura and Uragiri Sanada began training under their coach, Okuwa Kamishiro, in the martial arts club. While Shiba and Uragiri focus on their exercises, Okuwa gets lost in thought.

Okuwa thinks: "Nearly a year has passed since these two boys first came here. They've made impressive progress. Uragiri hasn't grown much physically, but he has gained mass. His talent for learning new techniques and his understanding of combat are remarkable. He analyzes situations precisely and acts accordingly. Shiba, on the other hand, has changed enormously. Puberty has overtaken him physically, making him taller than Uragiri. He too shows talent in learning new fighting styles, but it's something else that makes him special—an insanity not every martial artist possesses."

Shiba: "Okuwa-Sensei? Heyyy! Are you still with us?"

Uragiri: "The old man's probably crossed over to the other world in his mind."

Shiba: "Don't say such things, Ura. What if his heart really has stopped? Then we'd be without a coach."

Okuwa: (sneezes loudly) "Achoo!"

Okuwa: "Oh, sorry. I was a bit distracted."

Uragiri (thinks): "One day I'll put poison in his food. I swear it!"

Shiba: "What were you thinking about, Okuwa-Sensei?"

Okuwa: "I was thinking about something big. Today is a special day!"

Shiba: "Really! What's happening today? Fighting Uragiri is getting boring."

Uragiri: "WE'RE NOT EVEN FIGHTING TO WIN OR LOSE. Wait until we compete under real conditions, then we'll see who wins."

Shiba confidently: "That'll be exciting, Little One."

Okuwa interrupts the two.

Okuwa: "Today, you'll have your first sparring against other students."

Both: "AWESOME!"

Uragiri: "Who are these students? Come on, spill it, old man."

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Okuwa: "They train at a martial arts school. Their coach and I are old acquaintances. They're about your age."

Shiba: "From a martial arts school? They must have more experience."

Okuwa: "That's exactly why I arranged this. Sparring gives the best experience. Which martial art you choose, I'll leave up to you. The sparring is today, so hurry up!"

Uragiri: "Pretty arrogant to leave the choice to us. Hey, Shiba, we have to win!"

Shiba confidently: "Losing is not an option!"

Knocking on the door.

Okuwa: "They must be here."

He rushes to the door: "Welcome to the Hibiya High Martial Arts Club. How are you, Mr. Kobayashi?"

Kobayashi: "Let's skip the formalities, Master Okuwa. It's rather I who should be addressing you by your last name."

Okuwa: "Ah, my memory isn't what it used to be. I wouldn't even respond to 'Kamishiro.'"

Okuwa looks behind Kobayashi.

Okuwa: "Hey, there they are. How are you, Daiko and Mei? You've grown quite a bit!"

Mei and Daiko: "Good morning, honorable master!"

Okuwa: "Come on in, my students are waiting for you!"

The visitors enter. Uragiri whispers to Shiba.

Uragiri: "Hey, Shiba, can you believe this? There's a girl!"

Shiba: "How did she even get here?"

Meanwhile, Mei critically sizes up the two and says:

Mei: "Hey, you with the black hair. What's so funny about a girl being here?"

Uragiri: "Chill out lady. It's rare that girls are interested in martial arts. Can you even fight?"

Mei: "I could easily knock you into the bin, weakling. You probably have hardly any experience."

Uragiri: "OH REALLY? Well, I want to see that. I challenge the girl!"

Okuwa: "Oh man. They haven't even introduced themselves, and they already want to fight. Watch out, Uragiri and Shiba. These are Daiko Fujimoto and Mei Inoue. Both have been fighting since they were kids at a martial arts school. Show some respect!"

Shiba: "Nice to meet you, I'm Shiba Nakamura."

Uragiri: "Grr... I'm Uragiri Sanada."

Okuwa: "Since you've apparently already decided, the fights will be as follows: Uragiri against Mei and Daiko against Shiba. Get ready!"

Uragiri: "Since I don't like hitting girls, I choose wrestling."

Mei: "Hmm. You've just sealed your defeat."

Shiba worried: "Hey Ura, are you sure that's the right choice? A lot can go wrong in wrestling."

Uragiri: "Trust me, I can handle this chick."

Okuwa: "Then get changed and warm up!"

As Uragiri and Mei change and warm up, Kobayashi explains the rules.

Kobayashi: "The fight here works a bit differently. Whoever makes the other unable to fight or pushes them out of the ring wins the round. To win, you need three victories."

Mei (thinks): "What kind of rules are these? Well, that means the boy will embarrass himself even more."

Uragiri: "Don't think that just because you're a girl, I won't take you seriously. SO, BRING IT ON!"

Kobayashi: "3, 2, 1... go!"

The match begins with intensity, as both participants are eager to prove themselves.