Strike 3

Strike 3
Title	The After School Duel
Kanji	後の学校の決闘
Navigation
Prev ← Strike 2	Next Strike 4 →

The After School Duel is Strike 3 of the manga.

Characters In Order Of Appearance

1. Shidou Hazakura
2. Sayuri Toujou
3. Hiroto Kurogane
4. Tsubame Shiratori

Summary

Shidou Hazakura is doing 1000 practice swings thinking about his match with Hiroto Kurogane. Kurogane reads the challenge letter he received with Sayuri Tōjō. Sayuri seems to have concocted the whole thing. Shidou appears behind Kurogane and seemingly attacks him, only for it to be him killing a mosquito so during their fight Kurogane can't complain about an itchy hand. He gives Kurogane some ointment just in case. In class, Tsubame Shiratori asks if he's seen Shidou because she was going to recruit him but he wasn't in his homeroom class. At the sound of the first bell, Kurogane goes to the roof to see if Shidou is really going to come. Shidou is already their standing in the rain waiting. Shidou starts to attack, as Kurogane is forcibly given his sword and takes his glasses off. Sayuri says she is going to help Kurogane, or else he'll be beaten but doesn't show herself. Shidou uses Taiatari and Hikiwaza to attack Kurogane fast enough so that only his eyes not his body can keep up. Sayuri can tell why he was the Former Strongest Kendoist in Japan, even though he is only using his right hand. Kurogane notices Shidou's left arm, and asks if he's okay. Shidou tells Kurogane not to worry about him. Shidou attacks with his left arm, and Sayuri notices that he got much faster. Kurogane says that they should stop, but Shidou refuses. Shidou says as a swordsman he will throw away his sword. Shidou remembers when his doctor kept telling him that he should quit kendo, but just kept on refusing. As he ties his tie around his left are, he says everything is irrelevant as long as he can still swing his sword. Sayuri likes his words and asks Kurogane if she can use his entire body to show to Shidou, a first rate swordsman. Sayuri says she's going to attack with all her power. She uses Sakura One-Strike Style/The Finishing Strike. Shidou has know idea what happened but he lost. Kurogane is at a lost too. She says that The Finishing Strike is the last technique of the Sakura One-Strike Style. Shidou asks what that technique was. Kurogane Kurogane says he doesn't know. Shidou thinks he's just playing dumb. He asks that when his left arms heals if he can see that technique once more, and that he won't lose the next time. Kurogane asks Sayuri can someone like him really be able to do it. She replies of course since he is the successor to the Sakura One-Strike Style. Kurogane says Shidou that the next time he wont lose either. Later that day Kurogane and Shidou turn in Kendo Club forms to Tsubame. Sayuri realizes that the one person who can convince someone is a friend, as Tsubame hugs Shidou and Kurogane.