Another day has passed, and today we will return to regular classes at the dojo. While going through my morning routine, I bumped into Yuki on the way to the bathroom. He didn't completely avoid me, but he averted his eyes, and I could clearly see his cheeks turning red. Was he embarrassed about what happened before? I don't know what I should say... should I try to encourage him?
Kaimmy: "Yu... Yuki, good morning. Are you okay?"
Yuki: "Oh, hi, Kaimmy. Good morning. I... I'm getting better, I think."
Kaimmy: "I-I... I wanted to say that... you know, if you need anything, I'm here. And... we can, like, train together, or, I don't know, whatever you want to do to get it off your mind."
Yuki: "T-thank you."
Yuki's cheeks turned even redder, and he quickened his pace to the bathroom with his head down. I thought I saw smoke coming out of his head too, but it must have been just an illusion... I hope.
After this awkward moment, we had breakfast. Apart from the detail that Ayako mysteriously disappeared while we were eating, nothing much happened. Yuki seemed to have recovered from the earlier incident, but still avoided speaking as much as he could. We then headed to the dojo to start the day's training. After the warm-up, we were all gathered in the courtyard. Today, as promised, Hiroshi will begin teaching us the basics of using weapons. On a wooden stand, various types of training weapons were displayed, from wooden swords to spears. Each student approached and wielded something, swinging and twirling it in their hand as if evaluating the object. These replicas, according to Hiroshi, were all made to mimic the weight and balance of the real objects.
In front of the other students, Yuki was behaving in the same calm and gentle manner as last week, as if nothing had happened. If I had to point out a difference, it's that he seems to be paying much more attention and dedicating himself more to the training. We were encouraged to try out all kinds of weapons, spending time swinging wooden swords, staffs, hammers, until eventually, each student seemed to have chosen what they liked best. Yui held a spear with a short sword strapped to her waist; Mei skillfully twirled a dagger between her fingers; Kaelan wielded a stick representing a mace, and Yuki seemed to have settled with a long sword and a shield.
We engaged in several simulated fights against each other, and Hiroshi always appeared to give us instructions and tips on how to handle our weapons correctly. After a while, Ayako decided to pop out of nowhere behind me, giving me a big scare, and then called me over with a playful smile on her face. Knowing that nothing good happens when I see her with that smile, I approached, a bit wary.
Ayako: "Well, I see you've chosen a sword, huh? I kind of expected that, considering your dad also uses one of those. So, have you reached a decision? I mean, are you going to follow the path of the sword, or dive into my style?"
After placing my hands on my chin and tilting my head slightly, I stood still for a few seconds, pondering. Using a weapon has its advantages; my reach would be considerably longer... well, thinking about it, if I use magic, my reach would be even longer, wouldn't it? So, that point loses a bit of meaning... Hmm, would my attack power increase? No, definitely, a kick a la Ayako would be just as powerful as a blow from a mace... That's it, I think there are no more doubts; I'll go with her style. Moreover... I would love to be able to execute moves as beautiful as hers. Actually, I would say that's the main reason; the rest are just excuses I'm using to convince myself more easily that this is the right choice. Yup, that definitively is the case...
Kaimmy: "Hmm, I think I'll continue using your style," I said as I placed the sword back in its place and picked it up.
Ayako: "Yay, that's music to my ears. Can I ask if there's any special reason for that?"
Kaimmy: "I... umm... it's just that... it's so beautiful to watch that I want to be able to do the same..."
Ayako: "Ah-ha, I knew putting so much effort into that demonstration would pay off, but you still need a weapon for today's training, right? But don't worry, that's exactly why I was late today. Look, from today onward, these will be your weapons!"
She then pulled out from the bag she carried a pair of shoes similar to the ones she usually wears, but made of wood. Awkwardly, I took them in my hand and began to analyze them. They are definitely high... about 10 centimeters of sole in the front and 16 in the back. I've never worn anything like this before. Curiosity started to take over, and I soon had the shoes on my feet. They fit me perfectly, but the moment I tried to take the first step, I almost lost my balance and clung to her waist to avoid falling. How on earth does she manage to wear these all day as if it's nothing?
Kaimmy: "Bwah!!"
Ayako: "Pfff... don't worry, it's quite challenging at first. You'll need to wear them for a while until you get used to the height. But one thing I can guarantee, a kick with these has more than enough power to break some bones, so be careful when practicing with the other students."
I tried to take a few more steps around her, but my feet insisted on tilting to the sides as I walked.
Kaimmy: "Ugh, this is quite challenging."
Ayako: "You know what's the secret? If you use your aura to constantly strengthen your ankles, you'll find that everything becomes easier. Consider it part of the training; with time, it will become as easy as breathing. And as a bonus, you'll never have trouble controlling your aura again."
Kaimmy: "Uh, why did you choose such complicated shoes?"
Ayako: "You know, I'm not exactly an example of a woman with a strong physique..." she said, pointing to her own body. Definitely, her body is not what I would expect from a lifelong martial artist. Depending on how you look at her, she even seems... a bit fragile. "I started trying to use the same style my master used, training alongside Hiroshi. But it didn't take long for me to realize I didn't have the strength to perform the throws and locks that this style required. Yes, I could strengthen my body with my aura to increase my strength, but the opponent could also do the same and use it to resist, don't you think? I thought that as my body grew, I would finally have a constitution that allowed me to do that, but in the end, it never happened. I ended up giving up on following that style and ended up creating my own. I always had more strength in my legs than in my arms, so to make the strength of my strikes comparable to the other students', this was the solution I found. Honestly, I was practically a dwarf among giants, so the height of my shoes was a way to increase my reach, and the weight also added power to the impact of my strikes. Despite seeming strange, I achieved very good results with this, and I've been refining my style ever since."
Kaimmy: "Incredible... how old were you when you came up with this?"
Ayako: "Hmm, I think it was around my 15 years old? Before that, I was still insisting on trying to follow my master's path... Between us, he wasn't very pleased when I started deviating from the path he wanted me to follow, but who cares? It ended up being the best thing I could have done."
After that, I returned to the other students and spent some more time training with them using my new 'weapon,' which earned me several curious looks that I had to deal with, trying hard not to turn as red as a pepper again. Many slips and stumbles later, I was finally managing to retaliate against some strikes. Fighting opponents with swords, spears using only my kicks proved to be quite challenging, which resulted in me seeking some tips from Ayako. She taught me some tricks for dealing with armed individuals, then dragged me into another stretching session, always with a smile on her face. I ended the day learning one of the moves that has become one of my favorites so far. Ayako called this move 'illusion,' which is basically using one leg as an axis while making an almost vertical rotating motion with the body, kicking the air with the other leg. The air... or, as we're talking about martial arts, some other unfortunate target that gets in the way... And she was right; using my aura to strengthen my ankles made me stop twisting them to the sides, although I still need to work more on my balance.