The next morning, they were on their way back to Dalna Village. Gana's whole body shivered uncontrollably during the whole journey. Shiki put over a blanket over him, they never once piped a voice towards each other.
Inside the house, Gana did not greet his mother at the door. After dinner, Ziri saw there are still a huge amount of leftover rice and chicken pieces in his plate when her son went to his room, still not saying anything. Ziri could hear his blanket and pillow ruffling together. Her brows furrowed, 'What the hell happen to my son?' Ziri opened the door, went to the paddy field at the back of their house as she shouts.
"Shiki! Come out. I know you there."
Shiki's figure materializes right to her front before greeting her.
"You were looking for me?"
"What in God's name have you done to my son?"
"Nothing much, just training."
"Training?! Until he can't even look at me? He won't even talk to me!" Ziri stomped forward until their faces are close to each other as her eyes stared into his.
Shiki uttered a sigh," It's because of you, really. He mentally blocked the incident in Sandak."
"The bandit attack?"
"Yes."
"Hmph, my son better be in good health. He better not die, he better not break," Ziri's eyes were like laser impaling Shiki's head, " After everything you have fucking done to me, my son is all I have left." Ziri left Shiki whose face were all grim.
'Hm, hm, sensei said I need to rest for at least three days. I cannot even hold the sword at least once, haish,' Gana gaze upon the sky as he hung his clothes on the clothesline. His eye peeked at the kitchen where the smoke came out of it. His nose twitched in excitement. 'Smells good.'
Ziri and Gana ate at the dining table while crossing their legs on the mat. Gana greedily scooped all the rice and the soy-sauced meat as his cheeks expanded. Ziri put her palm over her mouth, struggling to conceal her laughter.
"Sweetie, eat slowly, the food won't run away you know?"
"Umu, umu." Gana just nodded with all the food burbling in his mouth.
"So, did you have fun training with Shiki?"
Gana almost spat out the food in his mouth with him looking at Ziri in shock.
"Oh son, don't be too surprise. You think I don't know?" Ziri curled her lips upwards.
"Are you mad?"
"Not really, I'm just curious. Why you want to learn the Sword Path?"
"I want to be strong." Gana's face shone with resolve.
"You think learning how to handle a sword will make you strong?
"Uhm, yes?" Gana raised his eyebrow curiously.
"Why you want to become strong?"
"I hate being weak. Also, I want to protect you mom.
"Noble purpose. Let's say you already strong, what will you do with your newfound strength?"
"Uh..."
"Will you kill as you please?"
"No, of course not."
"Will you step over others for your own gain?"
"No, mum."
"If so, what will you use your strength for besides protecting me and not being weak?" She smiled sweetly.
Her words struck Gana straight home. Silence ensues for a few moments as Gana reached for his drink.
After chugging his cup of water, Gana asked something he would come to regret," So uh mum, why did you slap sensei when he saved our lives?"
"Him? Heh, he deserve more than just a slap, my dear son," she hissed.
Gana was struck with bewilderment at her sudden change of tone from warm to cold. Her statement contain undeniable hatred waiting to explode in fury.
Gana did not pursue further. He continued helping his mother to wash clothes and care for the paddy field for three days straight. . During his break, Gana questioned himself on him embarking on Sword Path. His mind pondered.
'Why do I kill animals?
'Why do I kill others?'
Gana swept the floor as his mind replayed the screams of his mother. The feeling of being weak, of being helpless, of his own inability when he was caught by the assailant.
Gana decided to explore the rainforest, 'I never once felt I needed sight but I do wish to witness beauty.' His hands began caressing the tree trunks letting his senses familarize with the nature again.
Roar!
His ears shuddered at the sudden roar. Immediate, he leapt onto onto branch. Crouching as his hand grab a nearby vine, letting his body weight to carry the momentum of the swing. Gana's ears recognised that a tiger was preying upon deer. After hunting frequently, the subtle footsteps of a deer was no longer a mystery to Gana.
When Gana was balancing himself on a branch, the tiger already pounced on the deer. He could hear the shredding, the wildness as well as the predator.
'Is it the fate of those who weak just to be consumed by those stronger?'
'What if the strong has no desire to eat the weak?'
'What if being weak is a choice and people are at fault for not trying to be strong?'
That very night of the third day, Gana sat on the dried leaves-covered roof. He kept asking himself 'What is strength?' over and over.
'What if strength comes in different types?'
'Mom raise me to be healthy.'
'Grandpa Manhad knows alot and taught me many things.'
'Me? My sword? What is the purpose of my sword?'
That morning, Shiki and Gana met at their usual training place. Shiki moves his head from side to side as he looked at Gana with searching eyes. "You seem abit different today, pupil."
Gana crossed his arms and declared," I found my answer, sensei."
"Huh?"
"My life is void during my Sword Path, my sword shall cut whoever that threatens me and those who are close to me, even if I die in my Sword Path."
"So that is your resolve."
Gana simply nodded.
"Good, because this is the Third Stance: Skyfall," Shiki put his dominant foot forward one step, his katana was raised as high as he could with his left hand at the lowest part of the katana's handle. He swung the katana downwards with all his power. In alarm, Gana lifted his curved upwards to parry but his block was broken with both of his hands were knocked towards the ground.
Shiki didn't the stop as he repeat the same exact move step by step. Gana saw this and retreated by five steps back. With a new heart facing the sword path, Gana felt enlightened when facing this stance. 'Absolute power as opposed to Light Needle's absolute speed,' Gana understood.
He raised his left palm in front with his curved blade just in behind his neck. Just when Shiki was about to lunge forward, Gana used the first stance to evade then quickly transistion into the third stance. Unlike Shiki who raised his katana straight up, Gana bend his elbows backwards with the curved sword following his lead. Letting his pivot foot slid back, Gana swung down his sword.
Amaterasu Third Stance: Skyfall.