(2 years and 1 month after Reincarnation)
[Kyrielle's POV]
Next day after the nightmare is the weekend, this meant that I would begin the first training session with dad.... I hope I don't get beaten up in a sparring contest since I'm just a little girl.
Right now, me and dad is standing on a grass field in the park, not very far away from the house. Normally, dad wouldn't allow me to go outside since it's dangerous, but right now he is accompanying me so it's all good.
People come to the park to do exercises all the time. A few people are glancing at us as they walked pass, but no one really paid any attention as it's not that uncommon for people to train in martial arts here. But, although there are quite a few boys learning martial arts from someone older, so far I haven't seen any girls at all. So it is imdeed strange for a girl like me to do that...
"Alright Kyrielle, it may seem hard at first but you must persevere in order to truly become a good swordsman. "
"Yes!"
"Sometimes you will hit a wall in your training, and no longer be able to improve beyond that, but if you don't give up on learning the way of the sword, you'll eventually overcome it and become someone even stronger than before. "
"Okay!"
"In other times, that wall may be another person that is better than you. Whether they are faster, stronger or more skillful, if you give up then you'll lose forever. "
"Yes!"
"If you persevere, you'll truly see the might that is the sword, the beauty of being able to counter your opponent's move with a well timed move of your own, the beauty of reading your opponent like a book and the beauty of your muscles. Of course, you are a girl, but you would be beautiful either way because warrior women are also attractive."
"Ok...." Umm... are you going to stop?
"And when you perform a technique so advanced that you have never been able to perform before, the feeling of achievement is more than enough to justify the pain you get from learning it. "
"....."
"And although you will want to demonstrate this to someone, or even use it on them, I will not permit you to abuse your power and hurt the weak. Your power should only be used to protect loved ones and the weak! Your techniques and sword is a tool meant for justice, it shall never be used in anger, or in unfairness. "
"...." Seriously, when is this dad gonna stop nagging?! And although I was a bully in my past life I have learned my lesson! I'm not gonna hurt anyone ever again, at least I think so....
"Finally, you are still a kid. There will always be time for you to grow up into a strong and beautiful swordswoman and become a symbol of power to young men seeking glory, fame and your body! There will be no need to rush things at all."
"...." How did horny teenage boys get dragged into it?! Also, who said anything about giving my body to boys?! I'm a boy too!
"Also, I did promise your mom that no accidents will ever happen to you when you are under my guidance. It would be bad if you rushed your training, hurt yourself and then ruin your appearance forever. "
"...." Just get started already!
"In short, you must not give up, never bully the weak, and be very careful! "
"Zzz...."
"I will take that silence as a yes. Now, let's get started!"
"Zzz... Yeah!" Finally, we can get started now. If he nagged any further I would've fell asleep for real.
Dad handed me a wooden stick about slightly taller than half of my height, and he holds his own stick that's about the same length when compared to his body. The sword that he normally used was sheathed to his waist and it's slightly shorter, about slightly shorter than half his height.
"Alright Kyrie, now you'll learn how to hold a sword. Grip the lower end of the stick with your non dominant hand."
"What is a non dominant hand? " I didn't understand the word 'dominant' in this language.
"It means the hand that you doesn't use to write. "
Now I see, that means my right hand is my non dominant hand.... I was right handed in my previous life, but somehow after being reincarnated in this world I have become left handed. Weird.
But I suppose this left handedness might give me an edge in battles. After all, Southpaws are known to be more advantageous against Orthodox fighters.
"Hey Kyrie, are you listening? "
"Oh, uh... yeah! "
I gripped the stick's lower end with my right hand and then the upper area with my left hand. I have never done anything similar to Kenjutsu back on earth so I'm eager to follow his advice.
"That's it. Now, I will teach you how to run with a sword in your hand. When you run, hold your sword behind your body like this. This so that you wouldn't fall into your own blade and cut yourself... Now, follow me! "
'Thud!' Immediately after he said that, he took off running with abnormal speed. What was that anyway?!
"Come on Kyrie, keep up! "
"O-okay! "
I tried to catch up to him but I was barely able to keep up even after he slowed down.
Of course, my body was weak... very weak. I had barely learned to walk properly a month ago and now I'm running already. That being said, his speed is not normal... It's probably among Olympic levels back in my world, not much slower than the likes of Usain Bolt.
"Hah!... Hah!... Wait... Pa...pa..."
After a while of running, I got exhausted and then sat down on the ground as I was too tired to stand....
Panting, I raised my head up and saw that dad had already ran back here. There's barely a drop of sweat on his face, it's not even a bad warm up.
"This is the reason I told you the first rule... you are very weak because you are a kid. With training though, you may become faster and also be able to run for longer, so it's better to start training early. "
"Why... How did papa... get so strong?"
"How you said? It's just by working out my Mana Shield. No matter the size, someone with the stronger Mana Shield will always be stronger physically."
"Hah... hah...."
I can't imagine a world where a girl half my size could wipe the floor with me... I guess in a magical world like this, something like that wouldn't be so far fetched.
_________________________
Dad let me rest for a while while he trained on his own. A few ladies was impressed by his performance as they walked by but he never gave them any attention, speak about commitment to mom! After about 5 minutes, dad walked up to me again.
"You good to go now Kyrie? "
"Yes, dad."
"Okay, I will now teach you a very basic Weapon Art.... It is a technique of the Eastern Sword God. To do it, you put your weapon up above your head like this as you lift your lead leg up. To perform the technique, swing it downwards as your leg stomps down. This is called 'One Line', as you can see it's very powerful.... Hmpt!"
'Fwoosh!!!' Dad swung at the air with terrifying power, making a loud wind noise in the process.
I have seen this technique before... Earth's kendo practitioners often do this barbaric overhead swing.
Now that I think about it, does this means that there is a counterpart to Japan in this world? Since you know, this world do share a lot of similarities with my old world....
This country that live in is extremely similar to France, despite its weather being closer to Russia... It won't be surprising if there is a Japan in this world.
If Japan do exists in this world then I'm definitely going to visit it someday! That place is my original home culture so it has a very high place in my heart... Besides, I missed eating rice!
"Now, it's Kyrie's turn."
"Eh? Now?"
"Of course! One Line is the very core basic in dad's school of swordsmanship, so you must practise it. The sooner the better!"
"Okay..."
"First grip your stick properly. Then raise it above your head while also raising your lead leg... Stomp your feet down as you swing the stick down, and exhale powerfully!"
"Hah!!!"
'Fwoop...' The stick swung with so little power that I doubt it could even hurt a dog...
"Haha, what's with the down look?"
"Well... Kyrie suck at this..."
"Don't worry, you are still a beginner, you will learn with repetition very soon!"
"Is that so?..."
"Mmm. For now though, dad just want to give you a demonstration, follow me."
He took me to a random big rock in the middle of the park.... The rock was about as tall as dad and twice his width, it looks really heavy and tough.
"Now Kyrielle, I want to see you break that rock. "
"Eh? That rock? But it's way biggie! "
"That's not a problem, just hit it with everything you have."
"....Okay... I'll do it...."
I stood in front of the rock. I raised my sword above my head...
"Hah.... Hmpt!!!" I groaned as I swung my sword and struck the rock.
'Thok...!'
It made a very weak impact, the rock didn't even bulge a bit, and my stick was sent flying away from the impulsive force.
"That's how it feels to hit a wall in your training.... The reason dad wants you to feel this is because I want you to know that no matter what you do, you will always at some point face difficulties like this.... "
As he said that, grabbed the stick that I lost grip of and handed it to me again. He gestured to stand back a bit and then he stood in the same position as I did.
"However, no matter what difficulties you face in the future, it is pointless to give up before you have tried anything! And even if you do give up, it doesn't hurt to continue practicing as much as you can."
He raised his wooden stick up above his head, and simultaneously lifted his leg up.
"This is because once you have given up on your obsession with a break through, you will still improve when given time.... A mighty castle wall to the 2 years old you will be just a garden fence to the 16 years old you. Hmpt!!!"
'Bam!!!'
With his stick and one of his leg raised, he stomped his feet down as he strike down with terrifying speed and power.
At the speed and power like that, the stick should have been snapped in half, but it didn't. His stick hit the rock but it was perfectly intact. Completely defying the laws of physics, the rock was split in half cleanly like it was cut by a water jet after waiting for about half a second.
"Woah!"
'(Clapping)' It seems that a few people was watching us from behind.... This must've been impressive even for the people of this world.
"As expected of papa! To split a rock of this size with nothing but a stick!"
"Haha, you speak just like your mother, little girl! With training, even you will be able to do this. But that is when you are a grown woman though, not a midget like now."
"I'm not a midget!"
_________________
We started our training about half an hour ago, and we spent the second half of the hour refining my form in normal attacks.... The One Line strike is called a weapon art, and depending on the type of arts it is not adviceable to repeatedly use them since it requires extreme concentration and a lot of stamina, tiring you out very fast.
Attacks other than weapon arts are considered as normal attacks. But it seems that with practise, even normal attacks can be improved, and ironically without practise, a weapon art would be as weak as just normal attacks.
I tried my luck again at the rock that was spilt but I can't even scratch it with my hits.... After just 2 minutes of swinging at it I became extremely exhausted. I guess a child's physical ability is only as good as this after all.
And I'm not just any child... I'm literally a 2 years old little girl. What was I doing when I was 2 years old back on Earth? Sucking my thumbs and playing legos, probably.
"It's almost an hour already, mom should have finished preparing breakfast by now. Let's head back!"
"Okay...." That's was the most enthusiasm I can muster up after such an intense workout.
"....Dad can't be here to help hone your techniques all the time, you must continue practising by yourself."
"Yes...."
"Start by strengthening your body. Once you grow big enough, we can start learning proper swordsmanship like Deflection and Parries."
"Mmmn. "
As I said that, he patted my head. If I was still the teenage boy back in earth I would be creeped out by that, but ever since I have switched to this body, I no longer get creeped out by things like this.... Is it because of a gender difference? Or is it that my mind has officially recognize Thomas and Katherine as my parents?
But still... I won't repeat the same mistakes I made back on Earth. I mustn't throw away the new chance I have been given in life, I owe this to Mama and Papa!
(Chapter end)