The beautiful house and large compound of Tora Kaminari was the shelter for Shinji, the last survivor of the Homuragi clan. Under the tutelage of Tora, the Kaminari Socho , Shinji alongside Denki began his training.
For weeks, they focused on the basics of the Shadowblades Sword Style. Tora taught with the patience of a mountain, his instructions calm yet firm.
"Your blade is not just a weapon," Tora would say, his golden eyes watching Shinji's every move. "It is an extension of your will. Command it, or it will control you."
Denki, who was training alongside Shinji already excelled in the shadowblade style and when he saw Shinji struggling,he said . "Loosen up, Shinji,"
"You're too stiff. The Shadowblades are supposed to flow, not clunk around like a pile of rocks."Tora said
At first, Shinji struggled. His movements were erratic, his strikes lacked precision, and his footwork faltered under the weight of his inexperience. But he refused to give up. Day after day, he practiced, his small hands gripping the wooden training sword until his palms blistered.
Weeks passed, and something shifted. His steps became lighter, his strikes more fluid. By the end of the fourth week, Tora observed him in silence as Shinji executed a series of drills. When the boy finished, Tora nodded.
"You've grasped the basics," Tora said. "You're ready for the next challenge."
Shinji's heart swelled with pride.
In the evening, Tora presented Shinji with a scroll having the Homuragi emblem
"Here , Shinji"Tora said,handing the scroll over to him.
"Is this not the scroll I brought here ,the one my father gave me?"
"You brought it here but I guess you didn't check the contents.It contains all the fire techniques from basic to high level for you to learn "Tora said
"Amazing!"Shinji said as he collected the scroll from Tora , a big smile on his face.
"Rest up kid , your real training starts tomorrow "Tora said as he left Shinji and went inside his room.
SCENE SHIFT
Tora and his wife both paid down on the bed as she said
"Are you sure you're not rushing that kid,he might not be ready for the fire techniques "
She said in a worried tone
"Don't worry about it,the kid's got guts "Tora said as he closed his eyes to go to sleep.
"I hope you're right "She said as she closed her eyes.
The next morning, before the sun had risen,Tora ,Denki and Shinji were outside in their training gear,Denki was already training thunder and lightning techniques while Shinji was still listening to Tora
"Open the scroll and look at the first technique there.
The scroll contained basic fire techniques, the first of which was the Inferno Slash—a technique that channeled a small burst of fire into a sword slash to enhance its power.
"This is your clan's heritage,I won't be guiding you fully as I had been doing before" Tora said, handing the scroll to Shinji.
"Understanding it will be up to you. Fire is an unpredictable element, fierce and demanding. It does not yield easily."
Shinji read the scroll with reverence and studied the technique's instructions. It seemed straightforward enough: summon a spark of fire through concentrated energy and direct it into the blade.
But when he tried, nothing happened.
For days, Shinji worked tirelessly. He meditated as the scroll instructed, visualizing flames in his mind. He swung his sword in endless repetitions, willing the fire to come forth. But the blade remained cold and inert.
Denki observed from the side, arms crossed. "Don't get discouraged," he said one evening as Shinji slumped in frustration. "The first time I tried a Kaminari technique, I zapped myself so badly I couldn't feel my arm for a week."
Shinji gave a weak smile but said nothing.
"I must leave for a time," Tora announced. "There are matters that require my attention elsewhere in the mountains. Denki , Shinji,guide each other while I'm away , you can learn a lot from each other "
They both said "Got it."
Tora placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Do not lose heart, Shinji. Progress comes in its own time. Keep trying."
With that, Tora departed, leaving Shinji and Denki alone.
Days turned into weeks, and still, Shinji made no progress with the Inferno Slash. He grew more frustrated with each failure, his confidence waning.
One evening, after another fruitless attempt, Denki approached him. "You're overthinking it," he said, sitting cross-legged beside Shinji.
Shinji looked at him, exhausted. "What do you mean?"
"Look," Denki began, "when I learned how to use lightning techniques, I used to think I had to force the energy out. I'd clench my fists, concentrate as hard as I could, and just... try to push it." He smirked. "Didn't work. You know what did?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Letting it flow," Denki said simply. "Lightning isn't something you force; it's something you channel. It's already there, in the air, in your body. You just have to guide it."
"Guide it?" Shinji echoed.
"Yeah," Denki said. "Stop fighting the fire. It's not an enemy. Think of it like... a stream. You're not building it from scratch—you're just giving it a path to follow."
That night, Shinji sat alone in the training yard, Denki's words echoing in his mind.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Instead of straining to summon the fire, he relaxed, letting the energy flow through him. He pictured a small ember in his chest, warm and steady, and visualized it moving down his arm and into his sword.
He swung the blade.
For a moment, there was nothing. Then, at the edge of his vision, he saw it—a faint spark, no larger than a candle flame, flickering along the blade's edge.
Shinji's heart leapt. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
He tried again, this time with more focus. The spark grew slightly brighter, lasting a moment longer before fading.
By the time the moon was high, Shinji could barely stand, but he smiled for the first time in weeks. He had done it—barely, but he had done it. The Inferno Slash was within his grasp.
When Tora returned days later, Denki greeted him with a grin. "You'll be proud of Shinji," he said. "He's got a spark."
Tora found Shinji in the training yard, practicing the Crimson Ember Strike. The boy's face was drenched with sweat, and his movements were unsteady, but there was fire—real fire—dancing along the edge of his blade.
Tora watched silently, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Well done," he said when Shinji finally noticed him. "You've taken your first step toward mastering your clan's legacy."
Shinji lowered his blade, his chest heaving, but his eyes burned with determination. "I'll keep training," he said. "I won't stop until I've mastered it."
"Good," Tora said. "But remember, mastery is not just about strength. It is about balance, understanding, and knowing when to wield your power. Keep that in mind as you continue."
Shinji nodded, and for the first time, he felt a flicker of hope that he might one day live up to the legacy of the Homuragi clan.
As the storm clouds rolled across the mountain peaks, he tightened his grip on his blade. The path ahead was long, but he was ready to walk it.