Chapter 285: Ichigo vs Kenzo [2] The referee conducted thorough pre-match inspections, examining both contestants’ equipment, clothing, and swords to ensure no tampering or cheating devices had been introduced. The meticulous process maintained the tournament’s integrity and competitive fairness between all contestants. With all preparations complete, the referee positioned himself at the platform’s edge and released a single leaf into the mountain air. The leaf caught the gentle breeze and began its slow descent towards the middle of the platform. The crowd held their collective breath, understanding that the match would begin the instant the leaf touched the ground. Tension filled the venue as spectators leaned forward in anticipation. Ichigo’s eyes were fixed on the leaf as it began approaching the platform. As for Kenzo, he looked at leisurely. The leaf finally made contact with the platform floor, creating the softest sound that somehow seemed to echo across the entire venue. Both fighters exploded into motion simultaneously, their explosive reflexes and skill allowing them to react the moment the starting signal occurred. The distance between them vanished in an instant as they closed for immediate engagement. CLANG! Their swords met in the centre of the platform with tremendous force, metal grinding against metal as both competitors pushed against each other in a test of pure strength and skill. Neither gave ground in the initial clash, their weapons locked together as they sought to gain an advantage. The opening exchange revealed that both fighters possessed similar speed and reaction times, suggesting this match would be decided by technique, endurance, and strategic thinking rather than overwhelming physical superiority. Ichigo’s expression remained focused, while Kenzo’s expression showed a calm smile as they began what promised to be an amazing match in the tournament. ..... WHOOSH! CLANG! Ichigo immediately broke the blade lock with a swift pivot, flowing into a horizontal slash aimed at Kenzo’s ribs. The strike cut through the air, but Kenzo ducked under the attack and countered with an upward thrust toward Ichigo’s exposed torso. SWISH! CLANG! "Beautiful form from both fighters!" one spectator called out. "Look at that footwork!" Ichigo deflected the thrust aside and immediately launched into an overhead strike, bringing his blade down with considerable force. Kenzo sidestepped at the last moment, the sword whistling past his ear. THWACK! The missed strike embedded briefly in the platform before Ichigo recovered, pulling back just as Kenzo’s counterattack swept toward his midsection. "Ho-ho, you did not disappoint me Ichigo," Kenzo muttered to himself as he blocked the attack. WHOOSH! CLANG! "This is an incredible technique!" another observer shouted. "Both fighters are incredibly skilled. I feel like one of them might become the champion." Another spectator shared his view on who might win the championship. "I don’t think so, whilst they are incredibly skilled. Noah Carter is a real challenge. Have you seen the way he dominated Hikari with his strength? That man has a real sleeper build." The observer from earlier shook his head in disagreement. "Whilst I agree that Noah is most probably the strongest physically in this competition, I don’t think he will win. Are you seeing this? I mean just look at their footwork, I didn’t see Noah pull anything like it during his two fights." "Well, it’s because he didn’t need to. Why would you need to dodge attacks if you could simply block them with a casual strike." The guy rooting for Noah countered. As both spectators argued whether Noah was going to win the championship or not, Noah watched the exchange between Kenzo and Ichigo with interest, recognising the skill being displayed. "They’re both demonstrating level 9 swordsmanship. Initially, I didn’t expect this calibre of skill, but as we’ve gone deeper into the tournament, contestants have been forced to reveal their true abilities." Noah muttered silently in admiration. SWISH! CLANG! THWACK! Kenzo executed a masterful feint, appearing to thrust low before redirecting into a diagonal cut that caught Ichigo off guard. Ichigo barely managed to parry, the impact sending vibrations through both blades. Ichigo took a step back, gaining some distance between himself and Kenzo, his will untarnished despite the close call. WHOOSH! CLANG! The pattern continued with increasing intensity. Kenzo pressed forward with a series of combination strikes—thrust, horizontal slash, overhead chop—each flowing seamlessly into the next with textbook form. CLANG! CLANG! SWISH! Ichigo defended admirably, but the sustained assault forced him to give ground a few times. Still, Ichigo’s footwork remained clean as he retreated, never allowing Kenzo to fully capitalise on his aggressive momentum. "Excellent defensive positioning!" a judge spoke approvingly. The judge beside him nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed, to be able to fight ’that guy’s’ student like this, for so long...this kid must really have an amazing talent." THWACK! WHOOSH! Ichigo found his opening when Kenzo overextended slightly on a thrust. He sidestepped and launched a diagonal strike that forced Kenzo into an awkward backwards lean to avoid the blade. SWISH! CLANG! "They’re both showing remarkable endurance; most fighters would be showing fatigue by now, but their conditioning is exceptional." Noah noted, impressed by their sustained high-level performance. Of course, that didn’t mean that Kenzo’s endurance or Ichigo’s endurance were anywhere near Noah’s. No, not at all. Noah’s appreciation of their endurance came from the fact that they were humans who had simply pushed their bodies to the absolute limit. WHOOSH! CLANG! THWACK! The crowd was fully engaged now, calling out appreciation for particularly skillful exchanges. Both fighters had earned genuine respect through their technical displays and competitive spirit. Kenzo attempted another feint sequence, this time starting with an overhead motion before transitioning into a low sweep. Ichigo read the deception perfectly and jumped over the attack while bringing his own blade down in a controlled arc. SWISH! CLANG! "These two have clearly been hiding their true capabilities until now," Noah reflected. "The tournament format forces gradual revelation of skill levels as weaker opponents are eliminated." WHOOSH! CLANG! THWACK! The match had become a showcase of pure swordsmanship artistry, with both competitors pushing each other to demonstrate techniques that would have easily dominated earlier rounds.