Chapter 103
For as long as I could remember, whenever I trained in swordsmanship with Kaeha, I had always swung my sword alongside her.
But now Kaeha, who was teaching me swordsmanship, stood before me without a sword in hand.
The mismatch left me so unsettled that I couldn't relax.
"You don't need to look so troubled. For as much time as you spent swinging your sword while trying to imitate me, or longer, I spent swinging mine while thinking about how to teach Eisa."
Kaeha said that with a smile as she faced me.
Though she had said it so lightly, if Kaeha said it, then it must have been an undeniable fact.
It was a great honor, but at the same time, I felt terribly apologetic that it was only now, after all this time, that I was finally learning swordsmanship from Kaeha.
However, she no longer seemed to care about that.
"People have times when it's easier for them to bring out their strength. Conversely, there are times when it's harder to do so. For example, if you exhale while your blades are locked and you're struggling against each other, you'll lose your strength, won't you?"
She continued explaining in a matter-of-fact tone.
I had heard something like that somewhere before.
Perhaps I faintly remembered hearing it in my previous life.
In practice, breathing was quite important.
Even when hunting with a bow, I read my prey's movements from its breathing, gaze, and presence before releasing an arrow.
"When wielding a sword, the best state is when the mind, technique, and body are all in harmony and the circumstances are favorable. Moreover, arranging the situation so that you can wield your sword in that best state is extremely important in battle."
As she spoke, Kaeha made a motion as if swinging a sword.
Though her hands were empty, her graceful movement gave me the illusion that the air she grasped had sliced through space.
As expected, Kaeha's swordsmanship had flair.
She read her opponent's gaze, breathing, and presence, judged the timing, and cut them down with the perfect strike.
It was an incredibly beautiful sequence—the very ideal.
I sincerely wished I could always be like that.
"Perhaps it's because you practice archery? You seem very good at that sort of thing, Eisa. But conversely, when your mind, technique, and body aren't all in harmony and the situation isn't favorable, you don't seem to want to swing your sword very much."
As if she had seen right through my thoughts, Kaeha said.
...Yeah, well, maybe there was some truth to that.
Because a sword swung with my stance broken, or before I was properly prepared, could never be the sword of the Kaeha I admired.
I hated swinging a sword from a compromised stance.
That was why my swordsmanship consisted solely of waiting for my opponent and then delivering a single blow.
Since that was all I could do, if my opponent saw through it, my sword would no longer work against them.
"That is your weakness. Even if your stance is broken, even if you aren't mentally prepared, swing your sword to throw your opponent off balance, force your way into an opening, and cut them down. A strong swordsman is one who swings the sword that must be swung and wins, even if doing so is forceful or inelegant."
I couldn't say anything in response to Kaeha's words.
That was probably true.
No—not probably. Since she said it, it had to be true. Even so, something in my heart remained caught on it.
I couldn't help wondering whether it was really all right to wield, even imperfectly, the sword I had learned from Kaeha—the sword I had modeled after her.
Silence fell between Kaeha and me as we faced each other.
I simply couldn't bring myself to say, "I understand."
Even I knew that she—my teacher—was right.
"...But you're stubborn and selfish, so I know you won't listen just because I tell you."
Kaeha was the first to break the silence.
Her words were tinged with a sigh, yet she somehow sounded pleased.
"So I thought about it. If Eisa can't swing my sword in an imperfect state, then it will be enough if I can swing the sword you want to imitate no matter what situation I'm in—even while falling, while asleep, or after being caught off guard."
Then she started saying something rather strange.
Wait, this was supposed to be about how I couldn't swing an imperfect sword, so why had it turned into Kaeha being able to swing a perfect sword from an imperfect state?
Was such a thing even possible?
"I told you earlier, didn't I? I swung my sword a great deal while thinking about how to teach you. So I can do it to a certain extent. I'm still training to do it while asleep, but even when I'm about to fall or taken by surprise, I can swing my sword without much difference from normal."
Kaeha spoke as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
She made it clear that she meant every word—there was no falsehood or exaggeration in it.
Moreover, while still empty-handed, she actually grasped the air and, from no stance at all, rapidly swung her arms in every direction—even behind her—sending an invisible sword forth in smooth, flowing motions.
At first glance, it looked as though she was merely moving lightly and casually swinging her joined hands around, but, just like the slashing motion from earlier, I felt a sharpness as though the air she grasped had sliced through space.
Surely, even with a sword in hand, she could swing it just as sharply yet casually, without any preparation or stance.
"All that's left is for you to imitate my sword and make it your own. Eisa, it won't be easy, but you can do it, can't you?"
Even as she spoke, she never stopped moving her hands. Not a trace of sharpness faded from any of her motions, and she even wore a smile.
She asked me that.
In other words, Kaeha had trained herself to swing a sword from every possible state so that I could imitate her.
There was no way I could say that was impossible.
Eventually, Kaeha stopped moving and watched me with amusement, while I was still unable to shake off my shock.
"Teaching this to Eisa is something only I can do. I've worked quite hard at it, so I'm happy I managed to surprise you."
She chuckled again.
Indeed, my swordsmanship had been honed out of admiration for Kaeha's technique, so that I could reproduce it.
That was why, even now, my heart raced at the technique she had shown me, and my body trembled with the desire to swing the same sword.
"Um, does Shizuki practice that swordsmanship too?"
But I also began to worry whether it was really all right for me to learn that technique.
Because I couldn't help wondering whether it was some sort of ultimate secret of the current Yosogi style.
However, Kaeha shook her head.
"No. Shizuki does swing his sword to help the Yosogi style flourish, but he also does it to genuinely grow stronger himself. He has no need for such outlandish swordsmanship. He already thinks for himself, hones his techniques, and grows every day."
She said it proudly.
As though she were saying that Shizuki wasn't a troublesome swordsman like me.
Her expression seemed to say, Don't underestimate my exceptional son, who can choose victory over his own fixations and has his mind, technique, and body all in harmony.
"I'm the only twisted disciple whose goal is to reproduce my sword, Eisa. My other disciples don't require nearly this much effort. That's why I'm the only one who can teach you."
To someone as immature in spirit as me, Kaeha was saying that I should cut down my opponents with overwhelming skill even without the proper state of mind.
She had made herself the example by mastering that very feat.
I lowered my head at Kaeha's words, set down my sword, and grasped the air as though I were gripping one.
The reason she had shown it to me without a sword, rather than using one, was surely so that I could imitate her.
I still didn't understand the meaning of it, but... that was precisely why I would imitate it and think about it.
Imitate and think, imitate and think, and understand it only after imitating it to the end.
It was swordsmanship training no different from any other day.
Once again, a guidepost had been laid out before me.