"A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm." -Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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SHIN|
After gramps left me here in the forest, I must find a way to make it back home on my own. I'm sure that gramps already set up a countless of traps here. He's not the type to hold back when it comes to training.
I walk carefully to find the correct path which lead me outside this forest. As I walk, I heard a sound of breaking branch, it made me if a bit anxious.
I guess I'm just paranoid- Oh shit! "Urgh! Damn it!" Before I even notice it coming, a huge log swings towards my direction and hit me directly on my side!
I lost my balance and I felt like I step on a rope! Damn! It's another trap! I immediately stepped back when and manage to dodge the bamboo arrows that was about to hit me but it seems like there's more trap than I expected.
I stepped on a man-made hole with spikes on the bottom. Good thing I manage to hold unto the side of the hole and didn't fall completely.
I just can't help but to laugh in annoyance. Gramps is not holding back with his tricks. But I'll conquer it and return home immediately or else Aria will be worried sick again.
I slowly climbed my way up again to continue my task. This is serious, how will I avoid all the traps that gramps set up? I guess, I have to resort to this trick.
I climbed one of the trees and jump from branch to brach to avoid the traps that was set on the ground. I continue to jump from one branch to another when I got caught on a thin rope and fall.
"Damn! He even set a trap above, huh?" As expected of gramps. I slowly get up when I felt like I touched something I shouldn't have. I saw a giant boulder falling towards me so I immediately roll to avoid it!
That was close! I'll be as good as dead if that boulder hit me. But I have to continue and finish this task! I must return home to Aria immediately!
I continue to run around the forest. I can't even remember how many times I almost die, how many rocks hit my head, how many times I was almost pierced by arrows, how many times my body was hammered by a giant log. But I must continue to move forward.
I have to get stronger... For Aria and gramps... I have to get stronger so that I won't lose anyone, anymore... This pain is nothing compared to the pain I felt when mom and dad died... I will find my way out of this forest!
And finally... After hours of dodging traps, climbing holes, and running for my life... I manage to get out of that forest in one piece...
I just smiled in relief... Finally...
"Aria, big bro is coming home... Wait for me..." I support myself with the stick I found inside the forest so I can continue to walk...
I continue to drag my battered body home, thanks to the stick I picked up, I manage to reach our house...
I saw Aria standing at the front door of our house with a worried face, few meters away from me... I can finally see her again...
She rushed towards me with tears falling from her eyes. Damn... I made her worried again... I'll definitely receive another scolding from her!
"Big brother!" I heard her call out to me with a worried voice and she helped me stand properly. "You've made me worried again! I told you to be careful didn't I?! You idiot big brother!" She said while hugging me while tears kept on falling from her eyes.
I brushed her hair and kissed her on her forehead and smiled. "Forgive your big bro, but I returned home alive, didn't I?"
"That's right..." she uttered while brushing her tears away and smiled at me. "Welcome home, big brother."
"Yes... I'm home..." That's right... as long as she and gramps are with me, no matter how hard the trials I face, I'll definitely overcome it without fail...
****
The next day, gramps and I continued our training, but this time, he taught me how to properly handle a sword the way he, a Samurai Warrior holds a sword.
Apparently, the warriors here in Reishen are called Samurai and their most common weapon of choice is either a sword called katana or a bow.
Gramps taught me everything about the way of the warrior, or to simply call it, Bushido. From how to properly wield a sword to how to defend yourself, and specially, what I think is the most important of all, the discipline, honor, morals, justice, and respect.
Me and gramps never missed a day without training, after training on how to wield a sword, we continue our usual training the next day mainly, the running, meditating, balancing, and survival.
I also understand why gramps made me do all those impossible task, I never thought it would benefit me so much. The running improved my agility, endurance, lower body strength, and speed, the meditation on the water falls enhanced all of my my senses, awareness, and spiritual strength, while balancing helped me improved my balance, body coordination, and flexibility.
All of those tasked helped me improve all the necessary skills I need to become strong and the survival task inside the forest helped me understand and apply the things I learned in an actual battle situations.
Each day, the tasks are getting even harder and harder than before. I tried to meditate on the summit of the rocky mountains, balance my entire body using one hand while the pressure of the falling water from the water falls crushed my body and run a marathon inside the forest.
Not just that, gramps also made me survive inside the forest with him chasing me around and I must avoid him in any means necessary.
It continued for days, weeks, months, and without us noticing, four long months had already passed.
Many things have changed, gramps is getting older and older and my hair is also longer than before, but not just that, my body also developed and my sword skills is way better four months ago.
My little sister, Aria still continues to train and improve her spearmanship with Goza-san's guidance. She also didn't stop his magic training. With the books that mom and dad left, she practices magic all on her own...
And today, I'm also training my swordsmanship. I continue to swing my sword when I saw gramps walking towards my direction.
"You've improved a lot, haven't you?" I uttered as he continues to watch me swing my wooden sword.
I stopped of a while and wiped the sweat all over my face as I looked at gramps with a smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, gramps. But I'm still too far from my goals."
He signaled me to sit at the side walkway of the walkway which I obey immediately.
"I know, Shin-kun. But with your strength right now, I can now teach you the three fundamental stance of my Ganryu style." I was so shocked when I heard what he says. Is he going to teach me the technique for real this time!?
I-I can't utter a single word... This time, I will learn the swordsmanship of the Sword Saint...
"But first, let us practice your Ki control." Huh? Ki control? What is that? And what is a Ki?
It seems like gramps noticed that I was confused that's why he explained what he just said.
"You see, Shin-kun. Ki is the inherent life force that all living beings possessed. To us who doesn't have a much magic powers, we always depend on our Ki when fighting." He stated and showed me his palm and I noticed that there's a blue light ball building up on top of it.
"This is what we called Ki, Shin-kun. Instead of magic, we release our energy and use it as a weapon. We could also use it as a barrier or to strengthen our body." He added and demonstrate how to use Ki in different forms.
I've got a good grasp on how can I use and control my Ki. It's just like what I do when meditating. I tracked every location where my Ki gathered and lwt it flow all over my body.
It's tiring, but with my improved endurance and mental strength, I manage to learn how to control it with ease.
Gramps seems to be satisfied with my development that's why he stopped me for a while.
"That's enough, let's now move on to our main training." He said to me and draw the wooden sword that was placed in his waist.
"Before I teach you the Three Swords. I'll demonstrate it first so burn it in your memory." He stated as he took a deep breathe and do a proper fighting stance.
He changed his stance which made me more curious. Instead of a normal fighting stand where he holds the sword with both hands and the tip of the sword is pointing upwards diagonally in the front. Instead he did this weird looking stance.
He returned his sword back to his waist with his eyes closed and stepped his right food forward and slightly bent his knees. This is really unusual, I wonder what this stance can do.
"Ganryu Style, first stance, Sha no Kamae." He mumbled something but I can't hear. When he opened his eyes, the next thing I knew is that, he already slashed the training dummy in half using a wooden sword.
My jaw dropped because of what I just saw... I-Its so fast I wasn't able to completely see what happened. He slashed the training dummy with insane precision and manage to cut it with just a wooden sword.
I brushed my eyes if I was just seeing things, but it's real... Such power... Can I really do that?
"That's the first sword, Swallow Strike. A speed based attack that requires precision and lower body strength." He stated and do another stance.
This time, it's a stance that looks exactly like the stance he used against me when we have our first duel.
Just like the first time I saw it, he closed his eyes and the tip of his sword was pointed diagonally to the ground. Now, I can clearly see what happened during that fight.
"Ganryu Style, second stance, Gedan no Kamae." Again, he mumbled words that I can't here. I payed close attention to this move, and try to understand it even more.
When he opened his eyes, he raised his sword and made a full strength downward swing! It was so strong I can feel the wind even from here but before the tip of his sword reaches the ground, he manage to stop it, he switch the blade of the sword and made an upward slash!
T-That's amazing... Stopping that powerful downward slash midway is nearly impossible, but gramps pull it off and what's more, he even pull off a lightning speed upwards slash!
"Second sword, Tsubame Gaeshi, the move that I used to beat you on our first duel." He stated while stretching his shoulders. It must've taken a toll on his body, after all, that move requires insane amount of strength and control.
"And this will be the last, Shin-kun. Pay more attention to this one, for this technique is the hardest to master." He said and prepare to make another stance.
Out of all the three stance, this last one is indeed the weirdest of all. His wooden sword is placed parallel to his eyes and its tip was pointed forward horizontally. He once again stepped his right foot forward and bent his knees.
"Ganry Style, third stance, Te Ura Gasumi." There it is, the words he must mumble before doing the strike.
With just a blink of an eye, he's already infront of another training dummy and using his full strength, he thrust the dummies head that caused it to explode! That's an insane amount of power, and what makes it more special is, I saw three concentrated Ki balls that flew out of gramps' sword and hit the dummy simultaneously.
Is that even possible? Can I really pull that scary technique off?
"That's the third sword, Yatagarasu. A technique that is powerful enough to kill it's target with just one strike." He stated while stretching his arms again.
"T-That's incredible, gramps! Can I really pull that off!?" With my current strength, I still don't know if I can master even one of those three techniques.
"With my guidance, I will hammer it inside your body." He said and points his wooden sword at me. "You will become the strongest swordsman, Shin-kun. Trust me..."
That's right... I should trust gramps and never doubt myself... For my parents that died, and my family that I swore to protect, I will become the strongest...
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KOJIRO|
Day after day, I continue to teach Shin-kun my three fundamental swords that he can use in battle.
He has the potential to become the strongest, using the strongest form of swordsmanship in existence and with the strong magical powers that he inherits from his mother, Azrael-chan, he will definitely become the strongest magic swordsman to walk in this world.
But that's still not enough, for a strong swordsman need an incredible weapon. And I exactly know what he needs.
After Shin-kun's training, I went to the person known for being the greatest blacksmith in history. He who has the power of eternal youth and blessing from the God of Forge Hephaestus. He's who forge my sword, The Nodachi and the one who will forge Shin-kun's sword.
I knocked on his door a few times when he opened it up and let me enter his house.
"Kojiro-san, I've already finished the sword that you asked me." He uttered as soon as the two of us sit.
"Here is the sword named, Muramasa. A sword that depends on the strength of the wielder with an insane power. But it's still not the time to tell you what that power is." He added and handed a sword to me. It looks like a normal katana but I can sense something odd in this sword.
"I understand Shimizu-dono. When the time is right, my grandson will understand what kind of power that this sword holds."
I examine the sword, again and again but even I still have no idea what kind of power does this sword possess.
"And Kojiro-san, after this. I won't be able to forge swords anymore because I used all my powers while forging that sword. I know it will be all worth it because that grandson of yours will end this never ending war..."
I was flattered by his words, his compliment is not directed to me but the way he believes in Shin-kun makes my heart at ease.
That's right... Shin-kun will end this war... He's the one who will end this war...
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End of Chapter 16