Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 107

The Arrow Arrives!

Due to the rules of the competition, both participants hit the bullseye, ushering in the next round.

In Neon archery, the focus was not on competitive scoring but on hitting the bullseye. 

Whether an arrow landed in the outer ring or the center, it resulted in the same competition outcome.

Typically, Neon archers carried two arrows.

“I must give it my all,” Sato took a deep breath, his gaze becoming resolute.

Stepping forward again, adjusting his posture, lifting the arrow, raising the bow over his head, reaching full draw, and focusing, he released another arrow.

“Snap!” The bowstring made a sound.

“Bullseye, inner ring,” immediately declared by Uesugi, revealing the outcome.

Failing to hit the center was a bit regrettable for Sato, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he turned his head slightly to look at Kurosawa.

Neon archery required candid acceptance of the outcome of each arrow, regardless of its quality. Every result had to be faced with honesty.

At the same time, Kurosawa straightened his posture and prepared to shoot.

As his right hand’s arrow touched the bowstring, he raised the bow over his head and slowly pulled the string downward.

“Click, click!”

With the arrow at full draw, aligning with the length of his arm and his half-exposed left shoulder exhibiting muscular movements, Kurosawa further pulled the bow to its limit, producing a resonant sound.

“Boom!”

Sensing this, everyone watching felt as if something had exploded before their eyes, causing a resonating impact on their minds.

Unlike before, the posture of drawing the bow and shooting the arrow emitted a suffocating pressure.

This feeling was something only fellow archers could perceive, akin to the sensation of a gust of wind sweeping across their faces.

The shooting form, the posture of shooting the arrow, was naturally integrated, reaching a level of perfection that was flawless. 

It was as if the shooting posture was meant to be this way—beautiful like a painting, poetic like a verse.

Body, mind, bow, and arrow all seamlessly merged into one.

Everyone watched this arrow as if their hearts were collectively captivated by its beauty.

“Snap!”

In the next moment, the bowstring erupted, and the arrow was released.

This arrow seemed to break through the raging wind, displaying extraordinary vigor and impact.

“Thud!”

Immediately after, the sound of hitting the target echoed again in the archery field, even louder this time.

This time, there was no need to announce the result; everyone saw it.

On target, bullseye!

What was more terrifying was that this arrow directly pierced through the previous arrow, completely penetrating the bullseye, leaving a hole.

Once again, everyone looked at Kurosawa’s powerful and martial figure. 

His expression remained unchanged, calm and composed, in a state of finishing the shot, as if the result of this arrow was a matter of course.

If his first arrow showcased precision and gave the impression of luck, then this arrow crushed everything, revealing a profoundly shocking archery skill.

Everyone felt it directly—whether it was one arrow, two arrows, or ten arrows, a hundred arrows—the result would be the same.

As long as the bow and arrow were in his hands, he could hit the bullseye without exception!

After holding the bow, from shooting form, demeanor, conduct, technique, and various other aspects, the level of this man’s archery skill was so high that it seemed immeasurable.

Under the gaze of everyone, Kurosawa slowly lowered the bow and stood there with the bow in hand.

“I’m out of arrows. Can someone help me get a few more?” Kurosawa sighed deeply and turned to ask.

Upon hearing this question, everyone snapped back to reality.

“I’ll go get them for you.”

One of Sato’s disciples responded instinctively.

The instinctive politeness and attitude already conveyed everything. Kurosawa’s two arrows just now completely impressed him.

 As a fellow archer, he harbored a desire deep within to see more.

“I’ll go too. I know the arrow lengths.”

Uesugi, equally excited as anyone else, immediately ran off.

Seeing this scene, Sato, who had just been watching, glanced at the others present.

Unlike before, in just the time of two arrows, the gaze of everyone towards Kurosawa now carried an added sense of admiration.

The overwhelming and disdainful archery technique had impressed everyone.

Silence enveloped Sato as he tightly gripped the bow in his hand, the hand without arrows clenched firmly.

He had a sense that he might lose this match.

As a ninth dan archer, he was a significant figure in the world of Neon archery, and his entire life had been dedicated to the art of archery. 

He had faced defeats before, often at the hands of a tenth dan archer, but he had never dreamt of losing to a young talent.

He didn’t look closely at the first arrow, but he observed the second one keenly.

Among the new generation, this young man’s archery skills were probably unparalleled. 

His talent was overwhelming, and it seemed like he had put in a tremendous amount of effort and sweat.

This man’s prowess could make him the strongest archery master in the Reiwa era, standing above all others. (1)

Realizing this, Sato felt a complex mix of emotions. 

There was a sense of powerlessness, knowing that even in his prime, he might have struggled against this young man due to the insurmountable gap in talent.

Yet, there was also a feeling of gratitude, as this man would likely become the leader of Neon archery, bringing honor to the country and promoting the art of archery to greater heights.

At that moment, Uesugi handed two arrows to Kurosawa.

“Bring me arrows!”

Seeing this scene, Sato snapped back to attention, extending his hand and speaking in a deep voice.

Even though he had seen the outcome, he still wanted to compete. He wanted to witness more, to understand the extent of this young man’s strength.

“Yes, Master.”

Upon hearing this, his disciples quickly went to fetch arrows.

Despite harboring admiration for Kurosawa, they still respected their master.

Following the one-arrow-one-soul rule, they continued the competition.

As a ninth dan archer, Sato Shinichi’s skill was unquestionable. Despite his advanced age, his accuracy remained formidable. 

Perhaps not every arrow hit the bullseye, but over ten arrows, none missed the target, and one even hit the bullseye.

However, no one paid attention to his results anymore.

This was because every arrow shot by Kurosawa thereafter unerringly hit the bullseye, and what captivated everyone was the perfection of his archery posture.

Each arrow carried tremendous force, resembling artistry.

Ten arrows, all hitting the bullseye without exception, as if the god of archery had descended before them.

The two remained silent, each raising their bows to shoot.

Until the fourteenth arrow, Sato, the ninth-dan master, finally made a mistake, and one arrow missed the target.

“Thud!”

With an arrow from Kurosawa, hitting the bullseye, the competition came to an end.

Exhausted, Sato, seeing Kurosawa still looking relaxed, glanced around the archery range, observing his own disciples.

“I have lost, Mr. Kurosawa.”

After a moment’s pause, Sato stood with the bow, bowing to Kurosawa, acknowledging him as a superior.

Outstanding abilities could compensate for many things, including the initial rudeness.

Fully aware of his prowess, Sato no longer viewed him as an adversary but with newfound respect.

“I appreciate your humility, Master Sato.”

Even though he had won, Kurosawa did not display arrogance, but instead, he bowed respectfully to Sato.

Due to possessing perfect-level archery, he knew that his current archery skill was approaching that of the renowned archer in the Spring and Autumn Period, Yang Youji. (2)

Because of this, he was well aware of the formidable strength of Sato, the ninth-dan master.

TL Notes:

1. 1. Reiwa era: Current era in Japan, beginning from 2019.

1. 1. Yang Youji, a skilled archer in Ancient China during the Spring and Autumn period, was known for shooting through willow leaves at a hundred paces and piercing seven layers of armor with a single arrow. His exceptional accuracy is the origin of idioms like “hitting the mark with every shot.”