"The Sword Path of Amaterasu has five stances. I wanted to say watch carefully but in your case, feel it, embrace it," Shiki drew his all-black katana from its hilt. "This is the first stance, Fleeting Wind."
Shiki bent his knees while gripping the katana with both hands with the handle at his head, as soon the katana was lifted to its highest point, Shiki faded. The whole surrounding became still, Gana didn't even realize his teacher already moved behind him.
"Boo."
Gana rolled away before unsheathing his short-curved blade. Pointing at him, Gana panted, "Is this the same move you always used to tease me with?"
Grinning Shiki replied," Hehe, you got to shift like the wind. The key is when people blink, you move, in your case, it's a bit easier for me to do it."
"Haish, so what we have been doing before this? I thought for sure my swordsmanship improved."
"It did but remember, your sword is more than a weapon. It needs to be an extension, another arm of yours. Enough chit-chat, now, block this." Shiki vanished again.
Gana caught the subtle air movements near his skin, barely parrying the attack from above. Gana tried to counter but to no avail.
"Ho, nice response pupil. Here's another key, you have to be vicious like the wind while also be untouchable. Now, let me see you suffer. Since you are blind, hands-on experience is your best bet to mastering this, hehe."
Both Shiki's and Gana's swords locked against each other in the middle of the forest near Dalna Village.
Ting!
Ting!
Ting!
"Feel the wind, pupil." Shiki launched his leg into Gana's gut. It is a favourite move of his to create distance. After recovering from the kick, Gana began calculating the time it took for a human to blink their eyes. 'A human blink their eyes less than a second, then I just have to be faster.'
Gana focused himself to hyper sense everything that revolved around him. Shiki smiled while waiting for his student to execute the first stance. Gana's forehead was wet with sweat, he decided to use the time his sweat that fell as an interval to attack.
Drip!
Shiki blinked. After blinking, Gana was in front of him slashing towards his face. In return, Shiki vanished.
Amaterasu First Stance: Fleeting Wind!
"Nice, keep ahold of that feeling, pupil."
Gana triggered the first stance repeatedly against his teacher until his arms couldn't lift a feather. 'Argh, the previous sparring session was easier than this.' Gana huffed and puffed, desperately crying for all the air he could.
"Not bad, not bad. We need to do this for a whole week then you will be considered mastering the beginner-level of this stance."
"What!? There are levels to this stance?!"
"Oh, yeah. I should have mentioned each of the five stances has three levels of mastery. Good luck pupil. I will just be teaching you beginner-phase for all the stances. How you master them? Up to you, hehe." Shiki has an evil grin on his face. Gana may not see it, but he could feel his hair standing up.
That night, his arms felt so sore, his mother became worried when he was struggling to eat his food.
"Son, are your arms fine?" Ziri's face wrinkled with worry.
Gana forcefully fed himself by lifting the plate of rice to his face. Ziri then grabbed the plate away as she began feeding her son by her hand. Gana's face contained a bit of disdain.
"Mum, I can eat myself, you don-," Ziri shoved the rice into his mouth.
"Now, now, as your mother I'm allowed to do this. Not every day I can feed my son the way I used to." Ziri just smiled.
Gana hearing the happiness in her tone gave up as his cheeks reddened. Outside of their house, Shiki was resting on a branch of a tree that occupied on the paddy field. The straw hat he usually wears laid on his stomach while the wind blew away his fabulous bright purple hair. His eyes shimmered up into sky blue colour and then dimmed back into his normal black pair of pupils.
"Heh, seems like they both enjoying themselves. They have come a long way from eating sweet potatoes to now eating rice and meat." Shiki mused before shutting his eyes.
Following a week of practising the first stance, Shiki then taught Gana about the second stance. His hand relaxed while the katana hung by his waist. Swiftly, Gana found a piece of his hair ripped.
"And that is the Second Stance: Light Needle."
"Uhm, do you mind slowing down?"
"Nope."
"Figures."
Gana unleashed the First Stance: Fleeting Wind to learn more about this second one. Shiki faintly smiled before sparking the second stance again. Gana felt the change in action where Shiki's katana was put in a thrusting motion. He twisted his neck to left, barely dodging the stab and rolled to recover.
"Speed. The key here is speed."
"Very good, student. If you dispatch the stance from an opponent's blind spot, it'll be a thousand times more effective. Now, shall we make you suffer like before?" Shiki grinned per usual. Gana's swordsmanship became limited by Shiki's constant usage of the second stance. The instant Gana sought to attack, Shiki's katana was already at his blind spot so Gana had to retreat. 'Unlike Fleeting Wind, where you have to be nimble and cunning, this stance is more about efficiency. To attack with little motion as possible.'
Gana's body relaxed as he absorbed more air around him to exude composure. He wasn't exasperated like before rather he's thinking the shortest route for his curved blade to reach Shiki. Shiki who saw all this nodded in approval. Gana charged forward, instead of attacking endlessly, he feinted, letting his feet stopped in a halt in front of Shiki as he thrust his curved sword forward.
Amaterasu Second Stance: Light Needle.
The sparring session lasted a few more hours before they both rested. Gana had a puzzled look on his face.
"Don't you ever get tired, sensei?"
"Me? Nope."
Gana just shook his head before asking again," Why is it learning stances is way harder than just normal sword fighting?"
"That is because it is a technique and a way of life. That is why it's called Sword Path just like other paths like Spear Path and Axe Path. Its a dedication. With your blindness, learning these stances are harder due to the mental strain it put on you."
"Hm, does it mean it can never be done?"
"Just because a blind never person never mastered a Sword Path does not mean you can't do it. Why you think I even bothered to teach you all this?"
Gana nodded. Shiki then pulled a parchment from his sleeves.
"Get ready tomorrow, We got ourselves a bounty."