It's the scenery seen by the shogun
A warrior who can take on a thousand foes, huh? Sure, they exist. Not a monster from old Chinese tales who can defeat a thousand enemies by themselves, but someone whose presence inspires a thousand allies and terrifies a thousand foes... that's what I mean by a warrior who can take on a thousand."
"For example, there's Kondou, the commander of the Shinsengumi, and Hijikata, his vice-commander. Then there's Takasugi Shinsaku from Choshu and Saigo Takamori from Satsuma."
These are the words of Nagakura Shinpachi from "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc".
"And then, Sergio Ramos has also decided to leave after this season. The leadership he poured into the team and the positive atmosphere he created undoubtedly helped Paris through tough times."
These are the words of Nishi, given to Sergio Ramos on his last match in Paris.
"Hijikata was not someone who could envision a great future like Sakamoto Ryoma. He devoted his entire being to loyalty and demanded the same from those around him. He was strict with discipline and inflexible. He staked his life on that. But I liked Hijikata for that. So I will give my loyalty."
These are the words of Izuminokami Kanesada from "Touken Ranbu".
EURO 2024 concluded with Spain's victory.
Like with the Champions League, my impression was that something was missing.
There was no warrior whose presence inspired a thousand allies and terrified a thousand foes, nor was there a man who devoted his entire being to loyalty and staked his life on it.
"But that proposal is rejected. Certainly, if we took it on, training and raising strong soldiers under the military's command would be easy. But in that environment, true warriors would never emerge. What is most needed for someone to become a true warrior is an indomitable spirit. And that can only be cultivated in hell."
"You all gathered here are exactly that, aren't you? Each of you, through your own personal hell, gained a resilient spirit and became warriors who can take on a thousand."
"Unwanted conflicts. Unattainable ideals... A resilient spirit grows by feeding on these. Absurdity. Injustice. And death... they are the products of hell."
These are the words of Toza from "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc".
Since my student days, I have clashed many times with incompetent leaders, and sometimes I experienced things that would now be considered problematic.
Time has passed since then, and in the present day, acts of power harassment or violence under the guise of guidance are prohibited and rarely seen.
I think this is a wonderful thing.
However, the opportunities to express the murderous intent of "I'll kill you" on the pitch, in defiance of such absurdity, have disappeared.
Maybe I am a stubborn person.
I don't want myself or my family to go through hell.
But on the other hand, I believe that experiencing hell is necessary to become a warrior who can take on a thousand.
I think the essence of football lies in watching men who, no matter how humiliating the defeat, no matter how harsh the criticism, no matter how many betrayals they suffer, appear on the pitch a few days later as if nothing happened, and through their play and presence, silence the world.
There is more to it than just football; there is life packed into it.
And for that, perhaps it is outdated, but I believe the presence of warriors who can take on a thousand is indispensable.
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