Chapter 2
The reason I had to stick a knife into my abdomen was simple.
-PureAndLovely*) The basics of swordsmanship are about wielding aura. Looking into your inner world comes after that, yeah.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Yes, Master.
└PureAndLovely*) But you haven't even awakened your aura yet, have you?
└DaggerTechniquePro) The most efficient way to awaken it at this stage is to feel your life is in danger.
└PureAndLovely*) Fuck, why'd you steal my line?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) I get it, at least.
The reasoning made sense.
But.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) But do I really have to stick a knife into my stomach?
Until just now, I'd been an ordinary person. There was no way I'd go, “Oh, I see!” and stick a knife into my own stomach.
They should at least say something that made sense.
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Honestly, I agree with the blue-tag mod. Coming to this gallery means you have talent, so at the very least, you won't die.
└As expected of Sword Princess.
└I agree too. If a little stab in the stomach kills you, you couldn't learn swordsmanship anyway, yeah.
At first, most of the comments were like that, but…
└Maybe build up some basics first, just in case? You could die if it goes wrong.
└Nah, if you build a foundation first, it'll be less effective. You only get a huge boost if you slam your head into a brick wall right off the bat.
└I'm asking what if you die while slamming your head into it?
└Then that's too bad.
The gallery's opinions split into two camps.
Shut your eyes and stab your stomach vs. What if you die doing that?
While the heated debate went back and forth like that…
└PureAndLovely*) So, what are you gonna do, newbie? I'm not really forcing you or anything.
The blue-tag mod asked what I thought.
‘Hmm.’
Honestly, I was a little tempted.
They said it was an easy way to learn aura. Of course I'd be interested.
Still, pointing a blade at my own stomach was scary.
‘I should say no.’
Just as I thought that and looked through the gallery…
One comment caught my eye.
└Maybe this guy's too chicken to do it anyway. Shouldn't we just leave him alone?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Maybe it's because I'm an emotionless psychopath, but getting stabbed doesn't faze me at all, lol. If anything, it makes me laugh?
“Gasp!”
The moment I read that I was chicken, my fingers reacted on their own.
If I deleted the comment fast, I could still take it back—
-GeniusSwordMaiden) That's impressive. I look forward to seeing what you'll do, newbie!
-PureAndLovely*) I don't know what a psychopath is, but you're kinda cool, newbie.
└PureAndLovely*) I like you. I'll keep a close eye on you from now on.
└How dare you earn the favor of the super-genius, frail, beautiful Sword Princess, newbie!!
└GeniusSwordMaiden) That's my nickname!!
-GreatswordFan) I can see the makings of a greatsword wielder in this newbie…
└Big swoosh slash
└You've fallen to the greatsword~
It was too late to take it back now. I'd already gotten too much attention.
“…Haa.”
Think positive.
I was going to get all kinds of injuries once I climbed the Tower anyway.
To keep my head in the game then, I needed to get used to pain in advance. This was part of that process.
‘And I can awaken my aura while I'm at it.’
Thinking of it that way made me feel a lot better.
What, this was basically a total cakewalk?
I immediately ran to the kitchen and grabbed a chef's knife.
“Hh, uh…”
Just as I was taking a breath with the blade pointed at my stomach…
-Ding!
A blue window obscured my vision.
-PureAndLovely*) By the way, where'd the newbie go all of a sudden? Don't tell me they already went to stab themselves?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Why?
└PureAndLovely*) You should know what to do after stabbing yourself first. Don't tell me you were just gonna ram it in without a plan?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Haha, of course not.
I put down the kitchen knife and listened closely to the blue-tag mod.
I nearly made a huge mistake by rushing.
└PureAndLovely*) If you put a hole in your stomach, it'll hurt like hell. Don't panic when that happens. Focus your mind on your heart.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Yes, Master.
└PureAndLovely*) Imagine yourself slowly entering your heart. There'll be some kind of barrier? Anyway, something like that…
The blue-tag mod's explanation went on.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Okay, I totally understand.
└PureAndLovely*) Hmm. So you don't understand?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Correct.
She sure was sharp.
No wonder she was a Sword Master.
└PureAndLovely*) You'll get the hang of it once you try. Now just stick the blade into your abdomen, yeah.
“Mm.”
I closed the gallery and picked up the kitchen knife.
‘…I should disinfect it first.’
It's not like I just don't want to stab myself right now.
-Hiss!
I sprayed the knife liberally with alcohol disinfectant.
Aura seemed to be able to heal wounds, but I didn't know if it could prevent bacterial infections.
“Phew.”
I steadied my breathing and focused my mind on my heart.
‘I don't know exactly how to do it, but…’
I could definitely do it.
Even if I couldn't, it was better to believe I could.
‘Let's get it over with in one go.’
I just had to stab it in far enough.
“Hup—”
I inhaled, readying myself, and…
-Shunk!
I plunged the blade into my lower left abdomen.
I expected pain to hit right away, but strangely, I didn't feel a thing.
-Thump.
Only my heart was beating.
-Thump.
Hearing that faint vibration, which I normally couldn't hear, even started to reassure me.
‘…Am I okay?’
Maybe I hadn't actually been stabbed yet.
If so, wouldn't it be better to stop now?
‘…’
I knew it was a ridiculous thought. But for some reason, I desperately hoped it was true.
With an absurd glimmer of hope, I looked down at my stomach, and…
-Squelch…
I saw blood running down my stomach, the kitchen knife lodged in it.
“Holy shit…!”
In that instant, a dizzying pain slammed into my mind.
I could vividly feel the flesh tearing, being crushed, and ground under.
-Thud!
My legs gave out on their own, and I fell backward.
“Ugh, aaah…!”
It hurt. It hurt like crazy.
This was dangerous. At this rate, I was definitely going to die.
‘Fuck, fuck…!’
Even so, I tried to hold on to my senses and remember what I had to do.
Aura.
I had to feel that damn aura as soon as possible if I wanted to survive.
-Thump, thump, thump!
I focused my mind on my heart, remembering what the blue-tag mod had said, but the chaotic pounding made my head spin.
I didn't have the presence of mind to sense something like aura.
“Aaaagh…!”
I could feel blood trickling out of my abdomen.
Pain filled my mind, and my vision gradually blurred.
‘…Shouldn't have done it?’
Just as regret was about to wash over me…
-Thump.
Something stirred in my heart.
It was like a black mist, and it felt like a living creature moving.
-Thuuum…!
It was trying to tear down the wall separating my heart from what wasn't my heart.
My heart was me alone.
My heart was my world.
-Slither…
The black energy broke down the wall that separated my world, and soon seeped outside.
For some reason, that energy felt familiar.
-Thump.
I heard my heart pounding, and…
The black energy began moving toward my lower abdomen.
‘I need to stop the bleeding.’
At that thought, the black energy began wrapping around the flesh that the blade had torn apart.
‘What is this…’
The severed flesh joined together in an instant, and the blood that had been gushing out like a fountain stopped.
Just as I was marveling at the impossible sight…
-Tap.
I lost consciousness.
***
“Aah! My stomach!”
I screamed and opened my eyes.
I seemed to have passed out after sticking a knife into my stomach…
‘It doesn't hurt at all.’
Aside from my back hurting from lying on the floor, there was nothing wrong.
It felt like I'd had a short dream.
Looking outside, it was already evening. Had I slept all day?
‘…Anyway.’
I felt a strange foreign sensation in my abdomen.
I raised my head to look at my stomach, and…
“Hmm.”
I found the kitchen knife stuck in my lower abdomen.
‘Holy shit?’
It didn't hurt at all, and it was sitting there naturally, like it had become one with my body.
“Ugh…”
Then, along with a headache, the memories from a little while ago came rushing back.
‘Did I pass out while healing the wound with aura?’
It seemed I'd kept healing myself unconsciously while I was out.
If I hadn't, I would've died of blood loss ages ago.
‘Looks like I survived, thankfully.’
There was a problem.
What was I supposed to do with that kitchen knife stuck in my stomach?
“Mm.”
I thought about it for a long time, but couldn't come up with a good solution.
I guess just pulling it out was the best option.
“Phew…!”
I calmed myself and grabbed the kitchen knife.
Once I pulled it out, blood would gush out, and it was bound to hurt like hell… but I could just heal myself with aura again.
‘Don't chicken out.’
With that resolve, I yanked out the knife—
-Shunk!
Blood spurted from the hole in my abdomen.
“Ugh-aaah…!”
I hurriedly wielded my aura.
Fortunately, this time all I had to do was move the black energy spreading through my whole body. No complicated process was needed.
-Shaa…
About ten minutes after I wrapped the wound with aura…
The hole in my stomach was completely healed.
‘It left a bit of a scar, but I guess that doesn't matter much.’
What? A scar from stabbing myself in the stomach with a kitchen knife to awaken my aura?
That's a certified gigachad badge.
Proudly stroking my scar, I opened the Swordsmanship Gallery.
‘It's all about me.’
To get a feel for the gallery's mood, I clicked on a suitable post.
[Title: The newbie didn't die, right?]
They disappeared this morning and haven't been back since.
Don't tell me they're dead?
-Nah, we don't know yet.
-It usually takes a long time at first.
└How long did the blue-tag mod say it took them?
└PureAndLovely*) I was out for about a day, then woke up after awakening my aura and spent a few hours healing my wounds.
└If it took the mod that long, should we give the newbie at least three days?
└That's the most likely, yeah.
└If they're faster than the mod, they're not human, yeah.
“Oh?”
From a quick read, most people thought it was impossible for me to awaken aura already.
‘Am I crazy talented?’
At that thought, my bragging instincts, honed by years of online community life, awakened.
[Title: Super-genius, beautiful TS newbie is here.]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
Yeah, it's your big bro.
Your big bro awakened aura in less than a day, yeah.
-???
-What? For real?
└You think it's true? Obviously a lie.
└For real lol
└Didn't that bastard just take a nap and come back?
-PureAndLovely*) …?
-GeniusSwordMaiden) Lying is bad, newbie…!
Most of them seemed skeptical.
Guess that wasn't going to work.
‘The gallery has a photo function, doesn't it?’
I took a few photos to prove it.
[Title: Proof lol]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
(Bloodstained kitchen knife.jpg)
(Scar on my abdomen.jpg)
It's your big bro lol
‘They'll believe me now.’
I waited for the comments, excited.
Come on, hurry up and praise my talent!
-Oof.
-Wakya!
-Whoa, that figure.
“Hmm?”
One comment after another came in, completely unlike what I'd expected.
When I looked to see what was going on…
-What is that figure?
-Huh? You really are a girl?
-Are you trans?
-So this isn't some old Sword Saint grandpa pretending to be a girl;;
“Ah.”
I'd meant to take a picture of just the scar on my abdomen, but I ended up showing off my whole body.
While I was too flustered to say anything…
Several comments came to my defense.
-Guys, stop messing with them;;
-They look like a kid. Do you really want to sexually harass them?
-Newbie, don't pay attention to that. Most of this gallery is women anyway; they're just teasing you.
Huh? Most of the gallery users were women?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Weren't all the gallery users here guys?
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Everyone I know is a woman, at least!
└For that matter, women's bodies seem more suited to swordsmanship, so you can assume there are almost no men in the gallery.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Hmm;; Sounds like a lie.
As soon as I reacted with suspicion, countless messages poured in through private DMs.
[GreatswordFan: Yes, I'm a woman (photo)]
[GeniusSwordMaiden: This is my naked body! (photo)]
[PureAndLovely*: If you don't believe me, here's proof (photo)]
.
.
.
“…Oof.”
From familiar regulars to people I barely recognized, everyone showed up and sent me pictures of their bodies.
Most of them were wearing clothes, at least.
‘What's with Sword Maiden?’
She was the only one who sent a suggestive proof pic.
Anyway.
‘So women's bodies really are better suited to swordsmanship.’
Then I could make a rough guess as to why I'd become a TS girl.
They must have reconstructed my body to make it suitable for swordsmanship.
-GreatswordFan) This is insane, though. You awakened your aura that fast?
└For real, what's your aura sensitivity like?
└At this rate, aren't you the number one in the gallery?
└Are you looking down on the head mod?
└That one's an exception. They barely even show up in the gallery;;
└Setting aura sensitivity aside, doesn't the aura itself seem to be a higher grade, too?
└With a scar that deep, it must've been a pretty serious wound. It's crazy that you already healed it.
-GeniusSwordMaiden) You're amazing, TS girl! Ask me anything you don't know from now on!
-PureAndLovely*) Anyway, what did your aura feel like?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) What do you mean, what did it feel like?
└PureAndLovely*) Yeah. It probably hasn't taken shape yet, so just try to remember what it felt like.
I closed my eyes and recalled the sensation of wielding aura.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) How should I put it? It was an energy tinged with black? Like a suffocating mist, even just imagining it.
└PureAndLovely*) …Are you serious?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Sorry, was that too vague?
Just as I was trying to focus more closely on the shape of my aura…
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Newbie.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Yes?
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Seriously, and you're not lying—you could sense a color in your aura?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Oh, yes.
Sword Maiden suddenly talking like that was a little scary.
I was worried something had gone wrong.
└PureAndLovely*) That's impossible, though?
└Holy shit…
└No, is this for real? Sword life is so unfair.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Wait, what does it mean that my aura is black?
-PureAndLovely*) …I'll explain simply.
└PureAndLovely*) At first, you can't sense your aura's shape. It doesn't have any form to begin with.
└PureAndLovely*) The higher your swordsmanship gets, the more your aura takes shape, and eventually it manifests a unique color…
└PureAndLovely*) Your aura manifested the strongest color of all: black.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) I like silver better, though;;
I understood that I was talented.
But honestly, this stuff about colors and all didn't really sink in.
‘They already said I was crazy talented.’
Just as I was thinking there was no need to be any more surprised…
└GeniusSwordMaiden) I don't think you understand how incredible colors are, newbie. This is truly unbelievable…!
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Is it?
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Yes!!!
└GeniusSwordMaiden) The time it takes for someone's aura to manifest a color varies, but in my world, even among Sword Masters, people with colored aura were rare…!!!
…Huh?