"Shooting" originated from the Six Arts of Gentlemen during the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China. It was a skill that everyone in the Zhou Dynasty's nobles needed to master.
After it was introduced to Japan, it gradually evolved into the later traditional kyudo, and a complete set of standards and theories were developed based on this - commonly known as the "Eight Sections of Archery".
It is widely circulated in the country.
Step on the ground, settle down, set the bow, raise the bow, draw the bow, aim, shoot, and pay attention.
There are eight movements in total, and each movement has detailed requirements and explanations, making it very easy for beginners to understand and get started.
As long as you can do these details well, you will definitely hit the target, that is, you will definitely hit the target if you shoot straight!
To sum up, this is actually a sport that is more ornamental than practical.
People tend to pay more attention to a person's shooting pattern and status than whether he hits the target or not. Hitting the target is just a result.
certainly.
Since it is a competition, there must be a winner.
So the target hit rate became the criterion for judgment.
In the team competition.
There are a total of ten players in the two teams.
A group of players each has 4 arrows, a total of 20 arrows.
The team with the highest number of hits can advance.
If the two teams hit the same number of targets, each team will shoot one more arrow as the winner.
Regarding specific standards.
Competitors have to shoot a target with a diameter of 36 centimeters from a distance of 28 meters.
After three consecutive days of competition, there is still one final battle for the king in this selection meeting, which will be held in 10 minutes.
In the auditorium.
While thinking about the specific rules of the game, Sayu put his hands to his mouth, took a breath, and rubbed them gently.
From Hokkaido to Tokyo.
Hiding it from everyone, she took a plane and came here alone.
The origin of the matter begins a week ago.
From Aizawa Uichi, she learned something about that person.
…
"Anyway, my knowledge of Kato-kun is relatively limited. As you know, I met him at the end of summer, that is, at the National High School Athletics Meet."
"Having said that, I only interviewed his teachers and some classmates at school. He himself doesn't seem to like to appear in the media."
"Let me talk about my specific impression... He had black hair at the time and was tall. His appearance made people feel clean and refreshing. He seemed to be quite low-key."
"You may not believe it, but Kato-kun didn't attract much attention before the game at that time. It was another player who was sought after by everyone.
As a result, Kato-kun later achieved astonishing results at the semi-professional level, and that was probably the beginning of his fame.”
"What happened after that was similar to what was circulated on the Internet. He did not develop in track and field, and I didn't hear anything about him for a long time..."
"What people didn't expect was that he later became a cartoonist and was even interviewed on television! It's really impressive that he could achieve such an achievement at such a young age."
"Of course, Ogiwara-san, you are not bad either. I also heard about your heroic deeds of sacrificing your life to save others. You are so brave!"
"Back to Kato-kun, he has changed a lot since I first met him.
Not only has the color of his hair changed, but he has also become a popular figure and is very popular with girls. Is that why you came to me?"
"Huh? You asked me what happened to the color of his hair? Sorry, I don't know much about this, but it shouldn't be an illness or something. Maybe he dyed it himself?"
"Basically, that's about all I know. As a bonus, I can tell you one more piece of news."
"I heard that Kato-kun seems to be participating in this year's Kyudo Tournament, which will be on December 24th.
Not many people know about this matter at present, so if you are interested, you can pay attention to that information."
…
that's all.
To learn more about that person.
With an indescribable fear and anxiety, Sayu came to the site of the archery competition.
Running away from home for the first time in my life.
First time coming to Tokyo.
The unfamiliar environment brought her not only nervousness, but also an indescribable and subtle feeling.
She felt that she must be crazy, otherwise why would she do such a crazy thing, trying to prove that her delusion was real.
but.
The moment she actually saw him, all those concerns and worries turned into determination.
"Iwanami-san..."
The girl chanted softly, and wisps of white air escaped from her lips.
Just like the promise I made to myself that day.
No matter what, she must find him...
While thinking about this, the voices of several students in the front row suddenly reached her ears.
"Ah, the last match of the team competition is against Kato Yusuke from Toyosaki Private School. Are they okay, seniors?"
"After all, he has hit all the shots since the beginning of the qualifiers..."
"Isn't that guy first in the individual competition?"
"No..."
"That's amazing. He's only in the first grade."
"I really can't stand it. What's the first grade? He just became a monk halfway and came to play kyudo, right?"
"The target hit rate is 100%... Damn it, you actually have to fight against that kind of monster?"
"And he didn't even move the bow back! Didn't the shock of the bow have any effect on him? I even broke the calluses on my hands."
"Seriously, isn't this guy exaggerating? A track and field champion, a cartoonist... he's even so good at kyudo. It's just cheating!"
As he spoke, his voice became louder.
Sayu raised his eyes and looked over.
Several boys and girls wearing the same sportswear were talking there, with expressions of mourning on their faces.
After looking at them for three consecutive days, she recognized that those people were students from another strong school in this archery tournament, and they were also the school that would compete with the private Toyosaki Academy for first place.
'It seems to be called Tongxian High School, right?'
She thought a little uncertainly, a soft smile blooming on her cute little face.
Although she felt a little sorry, she couldn't help but feel happy inside.
The more in-depth you investigate, the more you will know how good that person really is.
Sayu didn't know much about kyudo and had never been exposed to this sport before, but this did not prevent her from understanding the situation at all.
after all--
Being able to take the top spot among more than 200 contestants selected from 43 counties across the country is not something that anyone can do easily.
Frankly speaking, that person's level of excellence is enough to make anyone feel ashamed.
'No wonder so many people admire him...'
While she was thinking about this, a sound came from the speakers arranged in the venue.
"Next is the men's team competition, the second round of the finals."
"The first shooting range, private Toyosaki Academy."
"No. 1, player Kato."
"..."x4
"The second shooting range, Tongxian High School."
"..."x5
As the players walked out from behind one by one.
Sayu's attention was immediately attracted by one of the figures.
It's like the protagonist stepped out of a comic book.
The young man with short white hair appeared in people's sight and instantly became the focus of the audience.
His complexion is fair, his facial features are perfect, his dark eyes contain a bit of unconscious carelessness, and he exudes a calm and ethereal temperament.
The young man knelt quietly on the floor and adjusted his bow in an orderly manner.
The crushed sunset hung from the sky, falling through the gaps in the beams, dotting his hands, and lying meekly at his feet.
The air seemed quiet.
No matter who it was, they all had an indescribable feeling when they looked at that figure.
It is an extremely unique temperament, extraordinary and transcendent, almost distorted.
It looks like the fresh mountain mist, elegant and timeless.
"Gudu..."
The sound of swallowing came from everywhere.
"Okay, so handsome..."
The girls couldn't help but murmur and looked at the young man on the shooting range with burning eyes. Even the girls from Tongxian High School were not immune to this.
"..."
Sayu calmed down, turned a deaf ear to the commotion around him, and focused on observation. After a while, he breathed a sigh of relief.
At least on the surface, the recent Internet turmoil did not seem to have had much impact on the other party.
Looking at the young man's calm expression, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved, but she couldn't help but become troubled the next second.
After all, she came, but how should she contact that person afterwards?
What's more, if the other party doesn't want to see her...
Bang~
As if to break her myriad melancholy, the melodious string sounds came from the field. With an aura without confusion, it easily penetrated into her heart.
Bang -!
The bow and arrow hit the target.
Sayu's body couldn't help but tremble slightly, and she felt as if the dark clouds hanging over her heart were swept away in an instant.
"""""Okay~~~!""""
The girls shouted loudly, their voices echoing in their ears.
Some people were holding homemade support fans. The words "Xiaoyou" were embroidered with pink thread on the black fan, and there was a heart arrow pattern next to it.
【Private Toyosaki Academy:】
【Tongxian University:】
Both players in position 1 successfully hit the target.
Sayu immediately adjusted his mood and began to watch the game seriously.
One, two, three, four, five...ten.
From position one to position five, the five players from both sides quickly shot the first arrow.
The scores on both sides are displayed on the scoreboard.
【Private Toyosaki Academy:】
【Tongxian University:】
Some viewers couldn't help but say: "All ten people actually hit the target! It's so exciting!"
The crowd nearby also nodded in agreement with "Yeah, yeah, yeah".
At the same moment, Kato Yusuke also began to prepare to shoot the second arrow.
Without being influenced by anyone, the young man slowly drew his bow and drew an arrow.
He stood sideways in front of the track, his eyes looking straight ahead calmly, his face full of ease and ease, exuding a strong sense of presence that could not be ignored.
You can see that his left arm pushes the bow forward and his right hand pulls the string backward. Even when the arm is fully stretched, his arm does not shake at all, which is extremely stable!
The tall bow and bow set off his tall and straight figure, complementing him perfectly.
Neither early nor late, the timing is just right.
——The young man shot out the arrow.
Bang~
The bowstring vibrated the air, bringing up a refreshing wind that gently blew through the ends of his hair, like silver threads dancing lightly.
Whoosh~
The bow and arrow flew forward driven by huge kinetic energy.
It's like drawing a straight horizontal line with a pen, without any unnecessary movements, and hitting the target in the distance straightly, making a crisp sound of "pop!"
"——Another bullseye!"
Some people couldn't help but exclaimed, their faces full of surprise.
Slowly, Tongxian's "big front" player also hit the target. It was just a hit, not the bullseye.
Kato Yusuke didn't react to this, and just knelt down on the floor, turning a blind eye even if everyone in Tongxian looked at him with fear.
Unable to maintain all the shots, one player from both sides missed the target this time, and they were both in the second position. I don’t know if they were influenced by someone.
As the second round ends, then comes the third arrow.
Under the gaze of everyone, the young man stood up calmly.
There is no time to shoot the bow.
Kato Yusuke first looked back at Miyazaki behind him, with a faint thought in his eyes, and then turned back to the right direction.
For some reason, Miyazaki in the second position had a vague feeling that the other party seemed to be encouraging him, but it was somewhat specious.
Before he could think too much, the other party had already taken action.
Creak~
The bowstring groaned faintly.
Just like a reenactment of a perfect movement, the boy naturally drew the bow and drew an arrow. The whole movement was smooth, pleasing to the eye, and extremely elegant.
Bang~
The melodious sound of strings overlapped with the sound of flying bows and arrows, piercing the air and shooting sharply into people's hearts.
Bang!
Three times in a row, the bow and arrow hit the target.
A look of shock appeared on Miyazaki's face, and he was so shocked by this hand that his eyes almost dropped.
It's not just him.
Other teammates and opponents were also shocked.
However, compared to everyone at Kirison High School who was shaken, the private Toyosaki side was more excited.
Different from single-player competitions where individual soldiers fight, team competitions often involve the whole body.
A person's momentum and state will not only affect his or her own performance, but also affect other people.
Due to the ebb and flow of events, Kirison High School missed the target twice in a row in this round, while the private Toyosaki side missed the target only once.
It's just that one person acted too weird, and the pressure on Tongxian's players suddenly increased dramatically, and a dark cloud hung over their heads.
In the auditorium.
Shocked by the miraculous archery skills, people couldn't help but become excited, and the atmosphere was as fiery as if they were celebrating the New Year.
"Wow! Isn't this too accurate?!"
"He's so handsome, it makes my blood boil!"
"Kato-kun's shooting style is great!"
"What is that? The posture of drawing the bow is too good, isn't it? And the aura is so strong!"
"President Xiaoyou is great at everything he does~!!"
"..."
Listening to the compliments that kept ringing from all around, Sayu's face was also filled with excitement and joy.
Even a person who does not understand archery can see the result from the target where all three arrows hit the bullseye, which is a great visual effect.
The young man at this moment is like a general on the battlefield.
He pointed in a direction with the bow and arrow in his hand, and the four people behind him followed him forward with great momentum!
It was under such a situation that the players ushered in the fourth round.
The current score is 13-for-12.
If Kirizen’s players cannot achieve a comeback in this round, or if Toyosaki’s players do not make mistakes, the outcome will no longer be changeable.
It's like feeling the tension of the situation.
The surrounding wind suddenly became stronger, causing the snowflakes in the air to flutter and make a faint rustling sound.
The scene was quiet.
Everyone was looking at the shooting range, staring straight at the slender figure, looking forward to his last arrow.
Kato Yusuke stood up calmly and prepared to play the final sound of the game.
His expression was very indifferent.
His handsome face was like a rippleless lake, as if nothing could arouse his emotions, he just stepped on Zhang Gong calmly.
The audience held their breath unconsciously and tensed their nerves.
"President Kato...!"
"Kato-kun...!"
"Xiaoyou..."
The girls murmured, clasping their hands in front of their chests and closing their eyes tightly as if praying.
Sayu looked at the young man on the shooting range, and was also affected by the atmosphere. He felt that there seemed to be some kind of voice in his heart that he wanted to express.
In order to suppress this urge.
She first lowered her head and took a deep breath, letting the cold air flow into the depths of her nasal cavity, and then slowly raised her head.
Two or three seconds passed.
"Come on, Iwanami-san...!"
After all, she couldn't hold it back and shouted in a medium voice.
As soon as he finished shouting, he lowered his head guiltily, not daring to look at the reactions around him.
after all.
Follow the rules I heard from others these days.
The support outside the shooting range seems to be limited to "ok" and applause. It is strictly forbidden to provide any archery guidance and can only communicate in a low voice with the companions.
'Did I just break the rules...?'
Sayu thought this while timidly peeking towards the shooting range.
——Boom.
The stiff breaking sound suddenly resounded, reaching everyone's ears clearly and harshly.
People couldn't help but be startled.
Look around.
On the archery target in the distance, next to the archery target at position 1 of the first shooting range, a bow and arrow was stuck alone on the ground.
——Very eye-catching.
In contrast, there were four bows and arrows stuck firmly on the archery target at position 1 of the second shooting range.
"Liar, Xiaoyou actually missed the target..."
A girl covered her mouth and said, her voice full of disbelief.
Being awakened by this sentence, people suddenly looked back.
The young man was looking down at the Japanese bow in his hand. The two broken bow strings were hanging feebly from both ends, like weeping willows floating in the residual wind.
The bangs on his forehead covered his eyes, making it difficult to see the expression on his face.