On the second day, the bell rang as the sixth class came to an end.
Shōgo had already greeted Rina early on. He was going to the martial arts hall alone as he had something to attend to and couldn't accompany Rina to the fencing hall for practice.
At the martial arts hall, a robust man with a fierce appearance and demeanor stood before Shōgo. He approached Shōgo, assessed his muscles and bones by touching them, and then spoke.
"You're a promising one. Wide bones and dense bone structure. Well-developed and coordinated muscles, and good reflexes. So, you want to learn weaponry, young man?"
"Um... yes, any issue?"
"No issue. If you're just looking for a basic understanding, it should be quick. But if you want to delve deeper, you'll have to endure some hardships."
"I just want to have some combat capabilities against large carnivorous animals in the wilderness, that's all. Not for harming others."
"I see. That makes it easier. So, what kind of weapon do you want to learn?"
"What weapon is most suitable for the wilderness?"
"Knife, spear, bow, and arrow. What do you want to learn?"
"Let's go with a knife and a spear."
"Alright then. I'll teach you the basics of knife and spear techniques."
Soon, under the guidance of the robust man, Shōgo entered a training room in the basement of the martial arts hall. The room was covered in marks, with a few solid sandbags in the corners.
The robust man took out two broad knives from the equipment storage and handed one to Shōgo, speaking solemnly.
"Listen carefully; a knife is a sharp weapon to be used carefully; knife techniques involve drawing blood, it's not something to take lightly."
"Um... I don't intend to harm others."
"Heh, I'm just old-fashioned. I like to make things clear before teaching. Now I'll show you some basic knife techniques. You can learn as much as you want."
As he finished speaking, the robust man demonstrated several basic knife moves to Shōgo, including slashes, chops, blocks, stabs, and thrusts, explaining each move as he practiced.
Soon, the demonstration of basic knife techniques was over, and the robust man allowed Shōgo to try them himself.
To his surprise, Shōgo executed the entire set of techniques flawlessly when he took the knife.
The robust man looked somewhat surprised and slightly annoyed. "Did you learn knife techniques before?"
"No, it's my first time handling a knife like this."
"Are you kidding? How is that possible?"
"Well, Coach, I have an ability similar to photographic memory."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
The robust man fell silent. He then performed an ancient martial spear technique that was deadly and precise. After he finished, Shōgo picked up a long spear and flawlessly recreated the entire technique once again.
Looking at Shōgo with a mix of astonishment and excitement, the robust man spoke.
"A peerless genius. Consider this, How about learning traditional martial arts with me instead of martial arts? Martial arts are just about scaring people and fooling yourself."
The robust man's sudden words startled Shōgo.
As if the robust man had emerged from a battlefield, his words carried ferocity and bloodlust.
"Coach, I'm just looking to defend myself against wild animals. No fighting or killing."
"Think about it. Now that you've learned the knife and spear techniques I taught you, you can leave."
This left Shōgo bewildered. Was that all? Was he done learning?
With a puzzled tone, he asked the robust coach, "Coach, is this enough?"
"Um, it is. Practice these basic techniques every day and work on fundamental movements. That should suffice."
"Coach, are you sure this will work?"
Shōgo was confused and unsure, he found the situation quite bizarre.
However, the answer he received was a truth he had to accept, a reason that was straightforward and undeniable.
"You'll learn the forms quickly, but whether you can effectively use them depends on your practice and proficiency with the forms. It's something innate and developed through training that I can't teach."
Such a simple, direct, and blunt truth.
It was like someone who hadn't learned combat, after becoming a soldier, found killing as easy as eating. It all depended on practice and the flexible application of techniques.
With half a bow, thanking the robust man, Shōgo left the training room with an iron spear.
The iron spear was a blunted practice weapon given to him by the robust man.
After tormenting someone on the training ground, Shōgo carried his large spear and slowly walked back home, drawing strange looks from onlookers.
Inside the villa, when his mother saw him carrying the spear, she looked surprised and asked, "Shōgo-kun, have you become obsessed with something?"
Shōgo hesitated, thought for a moment, and said, "Yes, mother. The school club asked for my help, so I'm helping them with their portrayal of Zhao Yun from 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. Do I look the part, mother?"
With that, he hoisted the large spear and pointed it toward the sky, as if challenging the heavens.
"You do, alright, now come inside and have dinner!"
Shōgo chuckled and entered the villa. After that dramatic action of challenging the heavens, he truly hoped that the heavens wouldn't take offense and strike him with a thunderbolt, turning him into ashes.
So, from the next day onwards, Shōgo would wake up early, practice some punches, practice knife and spear techniques, and perform basic movements. Considering time for daily chores, he only had to wake up an hour earlier. For Shōgo, who was serious about mastering a skill, this was quite manageable.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
On a new Monday, after the second class ended, Rina excitedly ran to Shōgo and shared some basketball news with him.
"Shōgo-kun, the junior high basketball league is over. Teikō Junior High completely defeated Meikō Junior High, winning with a score of 111:11. You've achieved the three consecutive championships you talked about."
Hearing this, Shōgo was momentarily stunned. He smiled at Rina and then turned to look at the cherry blossom trees on the school grounds, lost in thought.
Three consecutive championships!
The generation of miracles had already gained renown, featuring such names as Seijūrō Akashi, Daiki Aomine, Shintarō Midorima, Ryōta Kise, Atsushi Murasakibara, and the invisible Tetsuya Kuroko.
These six would also tread their destined paths. Yet, with his influence, the outcome might take a different turn.
The school year was coming to an end, and summer vacation was approaching. With graduation approaching, the story was about to unfold.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Shōgo snapped back to reality.
Looking at him with a look that seemed to ask, "What are you thinking?", Rina inquired, "What's the plan, Shōgo-kun? Which high school are you considering?"
"I'll continue at Fukuda High School!"
"That's nice. We'll be classmates again, Shōgo-kun."
As if satisfied with the answer she had sought, the demure and composed Rina hummed a tune while in her place, seemingly unfazed by whether Shōgo could hear her or not.