*huff *huff
It was a bright sunny day.
"Ha!" "Ha!"
The breeze gently flowed.
*slash
A young girl's hair and keikogi swayed and flapped as she tirelessly did her practice swings in their courtyard. Leaves fell from a nearby tree and landed on her head.
"Sayo."
The girl named Sayo stopped her swinging and turned around and met the gaze of the woman inside her house. The woman wore a formal kimono patterned with blue roses. Like Sayo, this woman has long silver hair, a hair color associated with the genetics of their family along with their blue-colored eyes but unlike Sayo, her long hair was let down accentuating the curls on the end part of her hair. It would be an understatement to just call this woman beautiful.
"Big sister Shina. You've already arrived. Have you been well?"
Despite her dirtied clothing and sweaty face, Sayo smiled sweetly with an air of gentleness and greeted her elder sister with a respectful and elegant bow, which she diligently practiced. This is an etiquette required of a noble lady as young as her.
Unlike her little sister's soft-spoken voice, Shina's voice sounded cold, strict, and mature but it is still a beautiful voice nonetheless.
"Yes, I've been well," Shina said while observing her little sister and looking at Sayo from head to toe. She then let out a sigh.
"I believe that's enough of that activity for today. We will have guests later. Go clean yourself up and wear a dress fitting of the Toketsuha Clan. After that, eat. I'll ask someone to bring your food to your room."
Sayo bowed and her sister then left her as she stood in the middle of the courtyard gripping a wooden katana.
"I…have to get stronger," Sayo whispered to herself in a soft voice.
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After the guests have gone home, Sayo returned to her room, only to find her older brother waiting for her outside while still in his formal clothes. Usually, her older brother wears a blue hakama and haori patterned with ice crystals for his casuals.
Out of all of the children in their family, he inherited their father's looks the most. A handsome young man with short silver hair and blue eyes, like his older sister's and their father's, has a cold and emotionless aura to it.
"Sayo, spar with me. I want to test something out," he said in a voice void of any emotion like an automaton or a golem.
"…Yes, big brother Komoya," Sayo gently said, agreeing with her elder brother.
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"Haa, Haa," Sayo breathed heavily as she knelt from having failed to parry Komoya's last attack.
For fifteen minutes, Sayo barely held her ground against her brother's relentless attacks. She couldn't get a hit in and she was out of breath. Komoya wasn't. He did not even break a sweat.
"Stand up, Sayo. Grip your sword tighter and properly form your stance. If you won't, my new technique might wound you even if we are both using wooden swords."
With a deep breath, Sayo steadied her breathing and stood up. She gripped her sword more tightly than before even with fatigue slowly enveloping her body as she positioned her body into a defensive stance. When she felt that she was ready, in a low voice, she signaled her brother to attack.
"I'm ready, big brother."
Komoya then went into an offensive stance and readied his wooden blade above his shoulder while twisting his upper body as if he was in a batting position. He lowered his legs too, with his left foot forward and his dominant right at the back, ready to propel himself forward.
Komoya then inhaled a deep breath and in a flash, he sent his little sister flying.
Her wooden sword was broken and she landed on her back on the ground. Sayo fell unconscious within seconds. Attendants immediately rushed towards them and brought her to her room and began treating her.
Shina who witnessed everything called Komoya and talked to him.
The attendants who were nearby couldn't hear a thing about what they were talking about as they spoke very softly and very quietly as if not wanting anyone to hear about their discussions.
The place got colder the more their two masters talked. Mist and frost even began to form on the walls and the floor.
On the other hand, Sayo was unconscious and no one inside her room could say anything. The attendants could only bite their lips as they waited for the young princess to awaken.