Volume 8 Chapter 3 Part 2 (1/2)
As they did not have anything urgent to do, s.h.i.+n and Karin followed Kankurou to the Toudou house's dojo.
It was a separate compound, used only by Kankurou, Tos.h.i.+ro, and a few others.
In the same way as the Saegusa house, the dojos were separated between teaching use and personal use.
”Some wish to focus on personal training without being bothered by their surroundings. This dojo is also used sometimes for matches such as this.”
”.I suppose they don't want to be seen.”
”Well, yes, that would be better.”
s.h.i.+n and Tos.h.i.+ro then both wielded wooden swords.
As Kankurou had told s.h.i.+n on their way to the dojo, Tos.h.i.+ro was close in level to the Hinomoto Brave Ten. The aura s.h.i.+n felt emanating from Tos.h.i.+ro convinced him that it had to be the truth.
While they were talking, s.h.i.+n regarded Tos.h.i.+ro as a guy he couldn't help but like, but now the man before him was nothing but a proud swordsman.
”Here I come.”
With this short declaration, Tos.h.i.+ro stepped forward. Without any pre-emptive movements, he closed in on s.h.i.+n as if sliding on the ground.
Tos.h.i.+ro's sword arm might have seemed to be moving leisurely, but an instant later it was already penetrating s.h.i.+n's s.p.a.ce.
”Shah!!”
s.h.i.+n swung his sword in response to Tos.h.i.+ro's strike. The clash of the two wooden swords produced a dull sound that echoed through the dojo.
”Hmm”
Looking at the two fighters, Kankurou was deep in thought, his chin resting on his hand. He felt that s.h.i.+n's movements had become much sharper compared to when they fought a few days before.
(.he's already changed so much?)
Even more so than Kankurou, s.h.i.+n was surprised at his own movements.
Karin's teachings resulted in s.h.i.+n eliminating unnecessary motions from his movements.
They didn't do any training for actual fighting, she had just observed him swinging his sword and re-enacting skills with his body movements.
”I see you have grown d.a.m.n well already.”
”I'm surprised myself.”
s.h.i.+n was so surprised by the results that he answered exactly what he was thinking.
Tos.h.i.+ro's first strike was meant to be a test; the second and third strike that followed were much heavier and faster.
They might have been inferior to Kankurou's, but most Chosen Ones would have had trouble parrying them.
s.h.i.+n, however, deflected them all with ease.
It was also thanks to the speed boost granted by his high stats, but more than anything, his body felt really light.
He had not changed the Limit on his status, but he felt the distance linking each one of his strikes had shrunk. The speed of his swings had increased. Each strike's weight had changed too.
”To think that it can all change this much.”
He might have felt the change more clearly thanks to his high stats.
Even so, the clear results showed that, he had to admit, his former movements were riddled with unnecessary motions.
The sound of the impact between the two men's wooden swords grew progressively louder, the pause between clashes shorter.
(Slash downwards from the right, then slash up right away from the leftno, stop halfway and thrust forward!)
s.h.i.+n dodged, parried, blocked the wooden blade attacking him.
The two blades clashed again, this time locked, grinding against each other.
”Fuuh!!”
Tos.h.i.+ro tried to push forward by pressing his weight into the sword, but, after a brief moment, suddenly retreated.
His rapid movements gave the illusion that the floor under Tos.h.i.+ro had slipped away. The distance he had retreated was the exact distance needed for the tip of his sword to reach s.h.i.+n.
The blade formed an arc in mid-air and swung down, aimed towards s.h.i.+n's left side.
”Not so fast!”
s.h.i.+n didn't dodge or parry, but stepped in closer to Tos.h.i.+ro before his blow could land. He charged forward, with the intent of shoving Tos.h.i.+ro away.
”Guh!!”
Tos.h.i.+ro probably judged he couldn't make it in time; he pulled back his sword at the same time as s.h.i.+n's tackle.
s.h.i.+n accelerated his charge against the swing while Tos.h.i.+ro was retreating. Naturally, the former won.
Tos.h.i.+ro avoided the fate of losing balance and falling down, but because of that he couldn't defend himself against s.h.i.+n's following attack.
Tos.h.i.+ro tried to twist his body to avoid s.h.i.+n's wooden sword aimed at his neck.
s.h.i.+n, ready to intercept such struggle, brought down his sword on Tos.h.i.+ro's neck, then stopped just as the blade touched it.
”.what?”
Tos.h.i.+ro regained his balance and questioned s.h.i.+n.
s.h.i.+n answered while looking not at Tos.h.i.+ro, but the dojo entrance.
”Someone is coming. Two people.”
”Hm, looks like it.”
Kankurou had also perceived it, and nodded at s.h.i.+n's words. Karin too felt the new presence, and turned to look in the same direction as s.h.i.+n.
After a little while, two men appeared at the dojo's entrance.
”Did we interrupt something?”
”Brother! Why are you here!”
Tos.h.i.+ro yelled to one of the two men, who looked apologetic.
According to a.n.a.lyze, his name was Yaejima s.h.i.+den, a young man in his late twenties.
He had black hair mixed with white, red eyes, and was around the same height as s.h.i.+n, about 180 cemels. In contrast to his soft speech and gentle expressions, both his arms and legs were very thick; to s.h.i.+n they looked like bundles of steel.
His job was samurai and his level, quite high, was 238.
”I thought that you would be here Tos.h.i.+ro. I have sir Tadahisa's permission to move within the castle compound. Lord Kankurou, I am glad to see you too. Lady Karin, I see you have returned from the search for Lady Haruna's medicine.”
”I am glad to see you in good health, sir s.h.i.+den.”
”It has been a long time.”
Kankurou and Karin each answered the man's greetings. Obviously enough, the three all knew each other.
”Sir Kanezuka, I trust you are well too.”
”Hmm.”
After greeting s.h.i.+den, Kankurou spoke to Kanezuka Araki.
He was a man between his late thirties or early forties. He seemed to be of rather short stature, maybe because he was standing next to s.h.i.+den.
His job was blacksmith, as manifested by the very developed muscles on his arms. His level was 166. His grey hair was cut short, his black eyes fixed on Kankurou's Black Moon.
”This man is sir s.h.i.+n, correct?”
”That's me, but why do you know my name?”
s.h.i.+den looked at s.h.i.+n and inquired about his ident.i.ty. His expression was very serious as he did so.
”I have been informed that you have a.s.sisted in the search for the medicinal herbs to cure lady Haruna's illness. Oh, I have yet to introduce myself, have I. I am the first-born of the Yaejima house, Yaejima s.h.i.+den.”
”Er, as you already know, my name is s.h.i.+n.”
He was apparently aware of s.h.i.+n's status as guest, and had been informed about what s.h.i.+n looked like.
”What brings you here today then? As sir s.h.i.+den came in person, I can imagine what the matter might be though.”
”I think many are aware of the whispers that there are suspicious movements in the west. I would like to say that they are all groundless rumorsbut I received a report that the Ichinose house, one of our va.s.sals, is making suspicious moves. I came to inform sir Tadahisa that our Yaejima house, along with 3 other houses, are investigating this matter at the moment.”
After s.h.i.+den finished talking, Tos.h.i.+ro interjected.
”The Ichinose house!?”
”Yes, that house always sought to unify Hinomoto. But would they move only by themselves, I wonder?”
Kankurou, after pondering for a moment, voiced his doubts.
”Our investigation being still underway, I cannot say anything yet. However”
”Ehm, excuse me!”
s.h.i.+den and Kankurou were continuing to discuss the matter, ignoring the surprised Tos.h.i.+ro, when s.h.i.+n interrupted them.
”Is anything wrong?”
”Sirs, please, you know you can't talk of such delicate matters with an outsider like me around!”
Kankurou looked at s.h.i.+n as if he had a question mark over his head, without the slightest concern on his expression.
”I have heard from sir Tadahisa and lady Haruna that you are a man worthy of trust, sir s.h.i.+n. You have no intention of talking about this to anyone, correct?”
”That's true, but”
s.h.i.+n regarded this excessive trust with suspicion.
”Sir Kankurou says that you are someone that can be trusted. I have no reasons to doubt you. Moreover, sir s.h.i.+n is someone even sir Kankurou said he cannot win againstI would never want such a person to think of us as enemies. I know sir Kankurou's strength very well after all.”
Both the eastern and western families trusted Kankurou's word apparently. The reason for this trust came from s.h.i.+den's own experience. No one would want to turn a powerful warrior into an enemy for no reason after all.
”I see that you have crossed swords with Tos.h.i.+ro too. How did my brother fare?”
”He was quite strong, I think. I wonder if it is wise to trust so easily though.”
”I have heard the sound of your swords clas.h.i.+ng. Your sword swings straight and true. Sir Kankurou's words and the sound of those sword clashes, as a samurai myself I cannot mistrust you.”
””
s.h.i.+n was somewhat at a loss for words.
He had heard that masters could communicate without words, through their fists or their blades.
During his battle against Girard, s.h.i.+n had understood his feelings. But that time, his mental state was in a kind of extreme condition, and he managed to do it because he knew his opponent very well.
To understand someone he never met before only through the sound of sword clashes was something utterly impossible for s.h.i.+n.
”You are trusted, isn't that enough?”
”Well, it is better than to be suspected.”
Araki spoke to the speechless s.h.i.+n. His expression told him to ”stop sweating the small stuff.”
”By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet, right. I'm Kanezuka Araki, a blacksmith. Today I came here to admire sir Kankurou's Black Moon.”
”Yes, here you are.”
Kankurou nodded, took Black Moon from his waist and handed it to Araki.
Araki sat down on a corner of the dojo and, using a cloth to be sure not to touch it directly, stared intently at Black Moon's blade.
The user limitation had been removed apparently.
”What is he doing?”
”I am collaborating with sir Kanezuka in order for him to forge a divine blade like Black Moon. I suppose you have heard that I am looking for someone to inherit Black Moon, yes?”
”Only in pa.s.sing. I know that lady Karin, my host, is a candidate too.”
”At present, Black Moon is the only katana bearing the ”divine blade” moniker. I do not know who will inherit it, but there have been squabbles about itif it will be kept by the eastern or western forces. Of course, it will be the side the inheritor belongs to, but many worry that it could tilt the balance between the two forces.”
It might be just one blade, but it was not to be underestimated.
The stat bonuses given from the katana to the owner were high, but the long-range attacks it could unleash, paired with high stats, could easily surpa.s.s average skills in power.
”Thus I thought that having another divine blade could be a solution, but apparently even for sir Kanezuka, Hinomoto's finest blacksmith, forging an Ancient-grade katana is no easy feat.”
He observed Black Moon to find hints, researched doc.u.ments and oral traditions and continued to forge, through a process of trial and error.
”Do you know what the materials are? It's quite difficult to obtain them.”
”We have some of the materials left by lord Jinkurou. We don't know, however, how more than half of them should be used. I am a complete novice in the blacksmith profession after all.”
s.h.i.+n whispered to Kankurou, who he thought would be knowledgeable in the art of forging. s.h.i.+n thought that it would have been a very difficult, if not impossible, feat; as expected, success seemed very far.
”Personally, I hoped we could receive some words of advice”
Kankurou, who knew of s.h.i.+n's real ident.i.ty, hoped that s.h.i.+n, a blacksmith himself, could offer some advice.
Looking at Araki's bloodshot eyes, s.h.i.+n had already understood that he was close to a dead-end.
”If I just said something out of the blue, would he believe me? He looks like a hardcore artisan type, I doubt he'd pay any mind to a youngster like me.”
”Those of relatively high social status already know that you are a Returned Ancestor, what the Adventurers' Guild calls Chosen Ones. Because of this, I think he will listen to you, at least a little. Even the tiniest hint would suffice.”
Kankurou wasn't ordering s.h.i.+n to show all his skills and knowledge as a blacksmith.
It would be far too easy if it was possible to forge an Ancient-grade weapon only after hearing some advice.
Looking at Araki, desperately trying to draw the tiniest bit of information from Black Moon, s.h.i.+n felt solidarity as a blacksmith. Thus he decided to give him some help.
”I might be able to say something if I saw him forging. Blacksmithing techniques vary greatly from school to school, and the methods I know are influenced by one's ability. I would at least be able to understand if there are techniques that could be used in this case.”
”Let us do just that then.”
Kankurou went closer to Araki and explained the situation. Araki looked at s.h.i.+n first with surprise, then with a glare so sharp s.h.i.+n felt like he could be sniped down any moment. After staring at s.h.i.+n for several moments, Araki gave a small nod.
”..you're knowledgeable about blacksmithing?”
Tos.h.i.+ro, who had been excluded by the recent developments, asked s.h.i.+n.
”I don't think I can do anything special, but I might be of some help.”
s.h.i.+n's techniques were instinctive, born from his experience during the game era. It was difficult for him to explain crafting processes with words, so he decided to think after looking at Araki's forging first.
s.h.i.+n was capable of forging strong weapons not only because of his technique, but also because of his magic powers, so he wasn't absolutely sure he could be of help.
”Our match ends here then.”