After a month of intense sword training, Neizan was beginning to understand the discipline that his master, the knight Miguel, demanded of him. Outside the mansion of Marquis Alberto, where Neizan and his friend Arthur were staying, there was a clearing by the forest—a wide, open space of green grass under a clear sky, illuminated by sunlight. There, with only two unsheathed swords as their company, Sir Miguel decided to show his young disciple something new.
『Miguel: It's time for you to learn something special. 』
Miguel said with a confident smile as he twirled the sword in his hand.
Neizan watched attentively. Over the past month, the knight had reserved one hour every morning to train him—a limited time but enough to teach him the fundamentals and check on his progress. Though this daily hour was only the start of his dedication; after training with Miguel, Neizan would spend the rest of the day practicing on his own until he was exhausted. He only rested for meals, devoting himself entirely to the art of the sword.
『Miguel: Come, follow me. 』
Miguel instructed, glancing toward the dense forest nearby.
They walked to the edge of the forest, where some trees, wider and sturdier than those Neizan was used to chopping with his axe, stood imposingly. Miguel stopped in front of one of these trees and, with a calculated move, unsheathed his sword and held it with both hands in a firm, elegant stance.
『Miguel: Watch closely. 』
He directed. With a swift, single movement, Miguel sliced through the air, and immediately, a sharp sound echoed through the forest. The sword had cut through the tree trunk with such precision that it began to yield slowly, collapsing thunderously to the opposite side, without even coming close to them. Neizan watched in astonishment, aware that the skill required to do something like that was far beyond his current level.
『Miguel: Now it's your turn. 』
Miguel said, sheathing his sword.
『Miguel: Try to cut the tree as I did. 』
『Neizan: Alright… 』
Neizan murmured, feeling a mixture of determination and doubt.
He took a deep breath, imitating Miguel's stance, and focused all his energy on the cut. He stepped forward, raised the sword, and channeled his strength into the strike, but when the blade hit the trunk, it only managed to penetrate a few centimeters into the wood. Although the blow was clean and precise, the difference from Miguel's cut was obvious.
『Miguel: Not bad; that was a good cut. 』
Miguel commented approvingly, still assessing Neizan's attempt.
Neizan, frustrated but intrigued, looked at the shallow cut he had made and then at Miguel.
『Neizan: How is it possible to do what you did? 』
He asked, trying to understand the gap between their skills.
『Miguel: Looking at your result. 』
Miguel replied thoughtfully.
『Miguel: What do you think is missing for you to achieve it? 』
Neizan thought carefully. At first glance, they were using identical swords; the weight, the balance, even the technique seemed similar. He couldn't identify any clear difference in Miguel's strength or precision.
『Neizan: I'm not sure… maybe I need more strength. 』
He admitted, somewhat uncertainly.
Miguel looked at him with a compassionate expression and nodded slowly.
『Miguel: Strength is only one of many ingredients. What you truly need is to understand the connection between your body and the sword. Strength doesn't come from your arms alone; it comes from your center, from every muscle working in harmony. The goal is not just to cut the tree but to become one with your sword, allowing all your energy to flow through it. 』
Neizan listened intently, each word revealing a new aspect of sword mastery.
『Miguel: Next time, don't just think about striking or applying force. Feel the sword as if it were an extension of your arm, and let it flow through you, without resistance. 』
With this new perspective, Neizan took his stance again, drew a deep breath, and prepared for his next attempt, determined to find the balance that Miguel had described to him.
When Neizan tried to cut the tree again, he managed to drive his blade a little deeper, but still couldn't make a clean cut through the trunk. Despite his efforts, the cut was shallow and lacked the precision Miguel had demonstrated earlier.
『Miguel: Do you know what reiki is? 』
『Neizan: I've heard of it before, but I don't know the details. 』
Miguel nodded slowly, watching his young apprentice's face closely before continuing.
『Miguel: Reiki is the energy from which the spirit is composed and formed. To be clearer, I'll explain further. This energy is concentrated in our soul and flows throughout our body, allowing us to manifest our strength and will. Mages are able to extract this energy to use it in the form of magic, but there are other ways to harness it… in our case, to amplify the art of the sword. 』
『Neizan: So, you're saying you used some kind of trick to cut that tree? 』
『Miguel: It's not a trick; it's about understanding and channeling this energy. Let me show you what happens when it's not used properly. 』
Miguel walked over to another nearby tree, and, with a posture similar to the one he had shown before, attempted the same cut. This time, the sword became embedded in the trunk at the same depth Neizan had managed, only slightly deeper. However, with a slight gesture, Miguel released the blade and performed several swift and precise cuts, dividing the trunk into multiple sections within seconds.
Neizan watched in amazement, unable to hide his mixture of awe and frustration.
『Neizan: It even… looks easy… 』
His voice, though subtly filled with frustration, couldn't conceal the admiration he felt. Deep down, Neizan longed to achieve a similar feat.
Miguel noticed his disciple's intense gaze and smiled, knowing he had fully captured his attention.
『Miguel: This is the great difference that marks a chasm between the conventional use of the sword and a technique in which reiki is employed. Channeling spiritual energy into the sword isn't easy; to achieve it, I trained for years with dedication and sacrifice. 』