How the hell did Miyamoto Mokichi made me undo all what I have invested in our lucky charms?
Kamijou Touya can't help but wonder to himself as he found himself packing the last of the precious artifacts displayed on their third shelf as not only was he following the advice of a certain old-aged samurai but also packing up almost all of their bigger belongings as sooner or later, they would eventually move out into a newer home that is still under construction and would move sooner or later, depending on favorable circumstances.
As much as he was hesitant at first to begin gathering up their things, especially the ones that are larger and less important, he was already coaxed by both Shiina to begin putting most of their belongings in the boxes so that the ones that are less bulkier can just be transported by their car when it's time for the whole family to move one.
As the Kamijou patriarch had begun to remove all the statuettes and souvenirs he bought, his eyes then rested upon a certain room which was hardly used and if he were to go inside that room, he would be met with countless powdering of dusts and dirt flying into his face. He sighed as he thinks about it.
It was the old room which used to be the room of his great-grandparents, which shows how old this old house of theirs is and that it was renovated a lot of times to make it sturdier in the face of the test of times.
Deciding to take a break, Touya decided that since no one bothered anyway to check on him and he was the current head of their family, he decided to stop by that old room, which became an old chamber as well as times had passed. He himself had never been here there before ever since no had had used the room anymore as a sleeping room and that his wife sometimes goes there to sweep the floor just decently enough but as Kamijou head, he did have rights of access to the place. It did helped that they were moving and thought that he could move some objects he thought are important to their family. Judging by what he was told by Mokichi, he was surprised to learn that his ancestors who bore their name had indeed collected some weapons and other spoils of war from the past, notably during the pre-Meiji era days and even stretching far back to the pre-Genpei War days. But as far as he can remember, his grandfather did tell him stories about their forefathers used to engage in close combat in the war-torn era, even battling against against the armies of the Imperial government. Touya had actually laughed at that story at one point since he believe his grandfather was merely exaggerating but right now, he wasn't sure.
Perhaps, Miyamoto Mokichi had some connection to that part of history and is the reason he was currently training his son in the ways of the Bushido.
When he first entered the room, there wasn't anything special in it, at least in a quick overview. He just found a large bed for two people and a simple lamp in a wooden table. Feeling disappointed, he was about to exit the large room when, turning around, his eyesight caught sight a large, split-door cabinet that was strangely bind by a rusty chain and a padlock. Wait, what?
After leaving for a minute to get a saw, Touya managed pry open the door by sawing and cutting the chain and once he managed to pry open the large cabinet, he wasn't prepared with what he saw.
The old cabinet was actually nothing more than a simple disguise for a small chamber room which he never actually have entered before and when he did explored inside, he wasn't prepared for what he was about to see.
He found himself looking at various Ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) woodblock prints and paintings, all of which he found it very well-detailed and aesthetically unique. Some of the paintings look very old, judging from the little cracks seen in the surface of a depiction of what looks like to be a hand-to-hand combat between two clan-based armies. It seems like there is something about my great-grandparents that I wasn't aware of. Touya mused to himself as he picks up a random painting depicting Mount Fuji being reflected by a great lake.
Putting down the painting, the next thing he saw are bunch of what looked like large scrolls of paper or white cloth bundled in a wooden box in one corner. Taking out one scroll, he then read out a description written in the binder of the scrolls. Fūinjutsu? As in seal techniques? He then opened the scroll and, to his confusion, it contained a lot of what looked like an ancient form of kanji as well as strange symbols, some of which looked eerily familiar with Buddhist-themed images. For some reason, it began to conjure up strange but terrifying imaginations in his head so rather than to toy with something he doesn't even understand, he decided to put back the scrolls and hurried to the other objects he might find.
He looked through various samurai armor on the display shelves, some of them looking all that unique to him. The kabuto helmet, in particular, caught his attention because aside from the unique design it has, it was ornamented with a small bronze statuette of a dragon that was rested atop of the helmet. Some other armor found were couple of various men-yoroi (facial armour) like a bronze happuri (forehead and cheeks armor) and the menpō. I don't think Touma needs them, though. Some other samurai weapons found in the small chamber are a number of yari (Japanese spear), the more famous naginata (pole arm), and, to his surprise and amusement, an antique tanegashima flintlock musket.
That's strange…there's no sword at all…
His thoughts were broken the moment his eyes caught something from the corner. While it was hidden by the rack of kimonos hanged there, he can see it properly.
It was a black wooden chest.
Quickly walking near the corner, he quickly pushed aside the racks of kimono before closely inspecting the box. The latter was about more than five feet in length, three feet in length, and two feet in height. The cover of the chest was adorned with carved mythical creatures but most of all, it featured a dragon again as an animal motif. Hmmm…another dragon design again? Slowly, he opened the lid, releasing a cloud of dust that made her cough and some spiders that made her yelp. Brushing it all of quickly, Touya then set his eyes on the hidden object inside the now-opened chest and what he saw would make him remember again the old master of his son.
He was now gazing upon three sets of Japanese swords, one of which is a wakizashi while the other two are the longer katana. They are all rested in a caved-in foam bedding and for some reason, Touya began to feel immense power coming out of the blades. Checking out the first katana, he checks all the qualities of the sword and was somehow enamored with it.
First, the koshirae (mounting) of the katana was rather elaborate as its tsuka (hilt) was decorated as its hilt wasn't covered in silk like most other katanas but was wrapped in cow leather. The tsuba (round guard) was shaped almost like the mon of the Sarutobi clan while it's blade had…another dragon carving? Touya then looked at the other side of the blade and found an inscription which says Ryūzume (龍爪, Dragon Claw) and the gleam of the blade almost blinded him as he quickly returns the blade to its sheathe.
Picking up the next katana, he noticed that like the first one, this was has also cow leathering wrapped although it doesn't have a dragon carving. Nevertheless, he found this sword unique because its steel is colored blackish-grey—indicating that it was originated from a meteoric iron. Its signature says Intetsu (陰鉄, Shadow Iron).
"They're no ordinary swords…" Touya whispered to himself when he felt a surge of power and warmth around him as he looks at the blades, not even bothering the check on the third and last one, which is a simple wakizashi. In his mind, they are all unique from each other and that's all he needs to know.
Quickly putting back the lid, Touya wasted no time getting the box out of the room and quickly, he dashes towards their bedroom, carrying with him the three swords.
"Ara…ara…Touya-san…" Shiina, who was cooking lunch nearby, noticed her husband running like he was being chased by a wild dog. "What's with you running?"
"You know what…" Touya replied back as soon as he puts the chest in another corner. "I think we need to pay Touma a visit when he gets back to Academy City. Oh and we needed to hire someone to carry a few more things…"
"Uhm…why exactly is that, Touya-san?"
"Well…you see…Touma's master…"
"I wanted to know if you're aware of your familiar origins and if you have a sword in your family heirloom."
Touya blinked at the strange request of the old man, "Uhm…Miyamoto-san, not to be rude but I don't remember any of our family or close relatives owning one if ever and even if we do own a sword, do you really think I'm going to let someone else look through my family's possessions and possibly take whatever they want."
Mokichi shrugged, "I never said I was going to take anything because they belong rightfully to your family...specifically to your son. If ever you found three sets of swords belonging to your ancestor, don't hesitate to give it to your son if you don't mind since you don't seem to be interested at all in the affairs of being a swordsman. That and…"
"He kept asking me if my grandfather or any older relatives had any memorabilia of their past. Normally, I would have branded him as insane but…" The scrolls and the samurai armor came back rushing into Touya's mind. "Just a while back, I have discovered a lot of things about my kin and to be honest, I don't know what to say anymore. Perhaps, it might really be a good thing to leave our dear Touma to that old man. The latter certainly knows what he's doing." And I can imagine him laughing at me right now.
Shiina sighed as she puts down the frying pan, "As much as I'm happy that someone took Touma-san under his wings, I'm still worried. Don't you think he had an ulterior motive for training our son? I was just worried because the memory of that one time when Touma-san was almost stabbed to death by that lunatic man was still fresh in my mind…"
Touya entered his thinking pose for a moment before he replied, "He doesn't give off that vibe. I can feel that he genuinely cares for the welfare of our son. I trust Miyamoto-san."
It had been a month since the last meeting between Kamijou Touma and his sensei. The scroll the old man him gave contained detailed information about the human body and its meridians or energy highways that proved very difficult for the young teen to understand. However, despite the complexity of the information, Kamijou studied hard.
Along with some lessons about archery and traps taught to him by Sarutobi Sasuke who occasionally drops by in the forest, his Ki training was coming along nicely and he was beginning to understand the concept of what his sensei was saying. At first, he was really struggling to access his Ki due to the influence of his right hand and he was trying hard to understand the old man's words. To understand and utilize (even if it's difficult for him) Ki, he needed to understand the nature of Ki, but the old man already told him everything about Ki.
'What the hell am I missing?' was the question that ran through the boy's mind as he made his way to the river that became his usual resting spot in the forest.
He stood at the river's edge and was looking at the water as it receded and faded on the bank. It was then that Mokichi's words came back to his mind. 'The more you think about something, the more you narrow your eyes in desperation to see and the more difficult it becomes to find the answer. When something is too difficult to see, then try closing your eyes.'
With that, Kamijou closed his eyes for the moment and began to calm down. As cleanse his mind of distracting thoughts, he began to clearly hear and feel nature more clearly as his auditory perception began to pick up sound waves coming up from the stomping of a wild boar a hundred feet away from him. Listen to your instincts and to your body because the body always knows. Listen to your sword and listen to your spirit and lasty, listen to Mother Nature. Learn from her for she is your greatest teacher. The words of Mokichi came ringing into his ears as he focused more on the movement of the water, which came crashing into the shore, yet it retreated gently as it flowed back into the river. At the same time, a soft gush of the wind blew past him.
The water is the source of everything. It has the power to give life…Kamijou remembered one of his master's teachings. And yet, it also has the power to destroy life.
He took a deep breath as he began to feel his spiritual Ki run through his veins.
Stillness and movement are just different sides of the same thing for the movement ends in stillness and starts from it. He recited in his minds. In the end, it is all the same Ki everywhere. It doesn't matter if I am moving or still; fighting or resting the Ki doesn't change because it is always present. Then in order to cultivate whatever Ki I have and sense it, I cannot be distracted by the different forms it takes. It is all the same Ki, all the same energy. If that is so, then my right hand has the highest concentration of spiritual energy? I don't know yet but I can feel that I'm headed in the right direction.
With this realization, the whole forest became different for it felt more alive around him. In him, there was an absence of fear for he was serene. He began to feel the spiritual Ki rising up within his body. He held the energy within his body and basked in the warm and calm feeling. He tried to keep the vital force there but his concentration faltered and the Ki shattered back into his being.
By now, his body had undergone a lot of changes and his Ki sensing abilities had somehow increased greatly. Although it did helped that his right hand had the power to cancel out any supernatural power that is out of lace, he could now feel the Ki within the things around him, and this resulted in an increase of his sensing abilities. Now, he could easily identify the location of the hidden Sarutobi clansmen even though he was skilled at hiding his markings, he could never hide his Ki.
If anything, the Gulag no longer held any fear for him since it was so full of life now. He then remembered his master's words on the first day he was introduced to that sector of the wide and thick forest. Welcome to the forest of life young one for this would be your new home. He then began to laugh, "The old geezer sure knows what he's talking about"
The Sarutobi clansman thought the spiky haired boy was going crazy.
An hour later, Miyamoto Mokichi returned to the forest to train his apprentice.
His student was sitting a little distance away from the river. He had now just caught his dinner and was eating the fish raw as he didn't want to attract any of the wild beasts in the forest. For him, it would just mean unnecessary killing and he would want to avoid that as much as possible.
Sitting down cross-legged, Kamijou felt a cold metal touching the back of his neck. "How did you get here without me sensing you, sensei?"
The Sarutobi clansman was thinking the same thing as he didn't even realize that the last Miyamoto had just arrived.
"Three reasons, young one. Reason number one, I noticed you are able to sense Ki around you, but your ability is still limited. You can identify individual Ki signatures but you have yet to develop your field of awareness. I will help you with that."
The boy nodded.
"Reason number two, there are two ways to enter a person's field of awareness undetected. One way is to lack intent and the second way is to be as innocent as a child," Mokichi added. "Reason number three is that I am just that good.."
"Senile old man," Kamijou muttered.
"Your still a hundred years too early to hold me down, brat."
"By the way, sensei, it's nice to see you again…"
"Well, it's good that you haven't gotten yourself killed, young student, especially since you got your infamous right hand."
The pair shared a light-hearted moment as Kamijou finished up his lunch of raw fish and wild berries.
"So sensei, you said you will help me develop my field of awareness."
"Ah, yes, I did say that but before I do, I need to determine your Maai. In order to that, I need to show you how to use your energy flow to enhance not only your speed but also," Mokichi explains.
Kamijou simply nodded, "So how do I do that?"
"You have learnt to access the Ki in your body other than your right arm," Mokichi shrugged, "Now all you have to do is to pour the maximum amount of energy flow that the muscles of your body can take to move."
"So that's why you had me learn the human anatomy in detail…"
"That is one reason although there are other, more important reasons," the old man interjected. "To a samurai, speed is of the utmost importance. You need to able to move like the wind and win in one decisive stroke of your blade. No prolonged battles, no flashy techniques, and no wastage of energy and movement. Use the right technique for the right situation. You need to be able to kill in a single blow and so quickly that your opponent doesn't even know that they are dead. In other words, Ichigeki Hissatsu (One Strike, One Kill). That is what should aim for and that is what you will achieve with this training."
"So it's a life or death in a single stroke," Kamijou remembered his encounter with the gigantic wild boar.
Mokichi nodded, "Yes. That's the essence of the Japanese swordsman. Now, I would like you to get into your ready stance."
Kamijou did as he was told, going into his ready stance perfectly with no holes in his defense.
"Good. Now I want you take one step and strike horizontally with your bokken."
Once again, the boy did as he was told.
"Remember that range well for it is your Chika-ma or your close striking range, any opponent within that range will be struck unless they are quicker or have greater reflexes than you."
"Your itto-ma is approximately twice to three times your chika-ma and your opponent needs to be fairly quick to avoid your strikes at such a range."
The young teen just listened attentively to his teacher's words.
"Go a good thirty feet away from me and I want you launch an attack at me. Try to concentrate your Ki as much as possible into your muscles for your movement or at least, in the left portion of your body. Remember to attack with your whole being."
Kamijou nodded and quickly launched himself at the man, leaving a small dust cloud.
"Not bad but your body left a small dust cloud which alerted me to your attack," Mokichi corrected his student. "Even though it is small and quite impressive for a gaki like you at this phase of training, the small dust cloud broadcasts your movements. Always remember, leave no trace of your movements. You must kill your opponent before they even have time to react."
The boy nodded.
"Back to your position and try again," Mokichi in a firm voice
Kamijou just nodded and was turning to walk back to his spot. He knew that when the old man spoke him in that manner, he meant serious business that would result in serious pain if he did not immediately obey.
But before he could start his way back to his original spot, he heard his sensei's voice
"I did not tell you walk back. Return the way you came…"
Uh, what sensei? "How am I going to do that?"
The old man just shrugged.
Kamijou stopped in a contemplative state for a while before he smiled and reappeared at his original spot. I was so stupid.
Mokichi smiled, "You are beginning to get it now. You are learning to use your Ki and your Ma-ai."
"It was rather easy to figure out sensei. It was all the same energy. So all I had to do was use the same amount of energy to return that I used to reach."
"And…." The old swordsman said, motioning for the boy to continue
"And if I use more Ki, I will be able to reach the same distance in a shorter time…" Kamijou said, catching on to where his master was trying to lead him.
"Excellent, my boy! Now try again…"
Kamijou answered a resounding "Hai!" before entering his stance.
For the next few days, Miyamoto Mokichi regularly visited the forest to help Kamijou Touma in training his Ki senses and Maai. Through his training, Kamijou discovered that the physical aspect of his Maai was forty feet. This came as surprise to Mokichi as he knew that his right hand was restraining, if not totally cancelling out, the boy's true power. Despite that, he also knew that unlocking the secret of Kamijou's right hand is something only the latter can do on his own. In his estimation, this meant that the maximum distance that Kamijou could unleash an attack at full power when he is unrestricted was beyond forty feet.
Mokichi also taught the young teen to extend his Ki to edge of his To-ma. While the boy did learned about efficiency in using spiritual energy as well as physical and mental exercises needed to control his Ki, he had yet to do a lot of things before he eventually get taught some Ki techniques or the Noble Arts, as the old man called it.
"Now young one as I said before, your field of awareness allows you to detect and attack if you so choose, anyone or anything that enters that field. However, you must understand that the field is extremely sensitive to a person's intent."
"How is that, sensei?"
Mokichi grips his bokken as he said, "Intent is the closest thing you can get to Ki but not exactly like it. Therefore, intent or thought creates a disturbance in the samurai's field of awareness and that is how it is almost impossible to catch a real samurai off guard. The intent to do harm is very easy to discern because it is forceful and violent. It causes a great disturbance in a samurai's sense of awareness."
"Now, that's what I call cool…"
"Yes…cool! I felt the same way when my father taught me about the field of awareness," the old mad said while remembering glimpses of his father's youth. "In fact, this is the samurai's greatest weapon against the shinobi, who specializes in stealth approach and back attacks. It forces them out into the open."
"The ninja?..."
"Yes, the samurai and the shinobi live by two opposing codes that are often at odds with each other." Mokichi quickly explained, "The samurai believed in facing your opponent face to face and valued loyalty and honor amongst other virtues. They do not fear death and I will even go as far to say that they welcomed death. They do not know the meaning of retreat and surrender. They follow a code of gentlemanly conduct and took to educating themselves in the way of art, calligraphy, math, economics, tea ceremonies and proper decorum. You have yet to learn them but you definitely will be learning it."
"Why learn those things? They sound boring…" Kamijou snorted.
"They are necessary because there are times when the sword is not necessary and when you put down your sword, there must be something else to fill the gap," Mokichi lectured sternly. "If there is nothing to fill the gap, you will just become another blood thirsty killer and I won't hesitate to kill you."
The boy nearly choked at what he head. "K-Kill me"
The old man nodded, "Yes. Should you choose to walk such a path, you would bring disgrace to the name of the Niten Ichi-ryū," the voice of the old man became dark. "Our school has already gone through such a bloody period with my ancestor before he founded the school and as a result, he gathered many enemies. I will not allow any student of mine follow the same path. There will be times when you will have to draw your blade, for instance, in the service of your master. In such a case, you show no mercy to your enemies but to seek out fame through violence brings nothing but shame to the teachings and to the blade."
"I understand and I promise that I will not bring shame to the Niten Ichi-ryū, sensei," the boy said solemnly while giving a deep bow to the old man who responded with a firm and solemn nod.
"Continuing….the shinobi on the other hand were mercenaries and worked for the highest bidder. In the old days, it was not uncommon to find shinobi of the same clan fighting on opposite sides of the battle field. They relied on stealth, sabotage, ambushes and assassinations and as you know, they utilize Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and their own variant of Taijutsu techniques that make them formidable opponents," Mokichi said before stroking his beard. "Although to be fair, it's case to case basis when it comes to who were their victims. While most ninjas work for whoever can pay them, Ashina-kun's wife was a kunoichi herself which is why Sasuke-san knows some shinobi techniques to some extent. But going back to the topic, by being virtually unable to be caught off guard, a true samurai takes away one of the shinobi's greatest assets, which is stealth."
"That's cool, sensei…"
"Now don't get too excited there because pride always comes before the fall," Mokichi chided him. "There are two ways to enter a samurai's field of awareness undetected. The first way is if an opponent lacks any particular intent. Because they lack intent, they are able to enter the samurai's field of awareness with causing a disturbance. Only master class samurai and certain high level warriors and spies are able to achieve such a feat. The other way to enter a samurai's field of awareness is to be completely innocent, lacking any desire to cause harm. Only infants and young children are known to possess such innocence. Now from now on always keep your field of awareness up"
Kamijou's mouth went agape, "Even during sleep?"
Mokichi nodded, "Once you have maintained the field for a long period of time, keeping the field up during sleep becomes ingrained in your memory just like any basic skill. You need to practice."
This is what Kamijou practiced for a couple of weeks until the old man decided to level up his training.
"Your progress has been great so far so now, you are ready to learn the nitōjutsu sword techniques"
Kamijou nearly squealed with eager anticipation at the prospect of new techniques.
"Some of the techniques of nitōjutsu are not actual techniques but rather philosophies of attacking," Mokichi pointed out. "My father was not one for elaborate techniques and he firmly believed that the ultimate end is that the sword is simply a tool to kill your opponent…"
"Oh…" Was the boy's short reply
"The most important concept and philosophy of nitōjutsu is the strike of Non-Thought," Mokichi lectured. "It is not an actual sword technique, but rather a state of the swordsman's mind. This means that when you attack, you attack to kill. When you defend, you defend not to be overwhelmed. When you face your death, you smile. When you seek to protect, let no one be harmed. When you are in this state, all your actions will be true. There is neither middle ground nor half-hearted attempts. Remember the third rule of Dokkodo?"
"Yeah. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling."
Mokichi nodded, "This is very important in battle, partial feelings create doubt in battle and doubt in battle often result in death. When you are in a life and death battle but you do not want to kill your opponent, your sword will not be true. If you are defending yourself and you are worried about getting hit, your defense will not be true. If you stare at face of the shinigami and you are afraid, then she will most assuredly claim your life. If you are protecting what is important to you and worry about losing the lives of others, then they will die. You gave your all and there is no middle ground. Once you attain the state on Non-Thought, all your strikes will be true."
"So…how do I do that Non-Thought thingy?"
The old man sighed, "As I said before, when you attack, you attack to kill. When you defend, your opponent cannot get past you. When you protect your master and your people, they do not get harmed. That is why you should not take the drawing of your sword lightly."
"Yes, I understand, sensei. I must not doubt myself or otherwise, I will lose my life and the lives of those whom I'm bound to protect."
"Yes, that is correct," Mokichi affirmed. "This school is not one for weaklings and the weak-willed ones. This leads into the second concept of Nitōjutsu which is No design, No conception. This is where words and actions are spontaneously the same. If you tell a man that you are going to kill him, let your actions follow through with your words. Don't say things that you will not or cannot follow through on. Your word is your oath and sets you apart from other people. Stay true to your word and do not make idle threats. If you say you're going to do something, then do it. Nothing more, nothing less. These two principles are what will set you apart from others and will make you both feared and respected."
Kamijou nodded.
"Now I am going to teach you an actual technique and it is called In-One Timing," Mokichi took out his swords and pointed it into the neck of his student. "It means to simply bide your time until an opening presents itself and with that opening, you can attack with one, deadly shot. The key to this technique is the combination of speed and evasion. You must evade until your opponent lowers his guard even in a mere millisecond and then you must strike your opponent like lightning, killing them in a single blow."
"So how am I going to do that?"
"You will first begin by drawing a circle that represents your Chika-ma…" The old man points at the soil with his sword.
The young teen did as he was told.
"Now, you are not to move from that circle," the samurai master said as he gathered fresh, fallen leaves from the ground. "I will throw these leaves in the air within your range. Do not let a leaf touch the ground or else…"
Though he left the threat hanging in the air, Kamijou gulped because he knew exactly what came after the last to words of his master. For hours, he practiced what his sensei called the 'The falling leaf exercise' until he could cut down fifty leaves without one dropping on the ground.
The next step of his In-One Timing training consisted of him simply evading blows and strikes from his sensei. It proved to be challenging at the start because despite his age, Mokichi was extremely quick. This resulted with Kamijou having a lot of bruises all over his body as well as a busted lip. The old man told him that In-One Timing was a technique that could only be truly developed in battle although to the boy's credit, he did have the fundamentals of the technique mastered.
The next technique he was taught was the Abdomen Timing of Two. This technique involved feinting an attack, then striking an enemy as they are retreating from the attack, hitting them in the abdomen with the correct timing of either two moves or two seconds. This was move that required extreme precision, but thanks to training he received with In-One Timing, the precision was not a problem.
"Young one, the key to mastering this technique lies in a fundamental understanding of the concept of sticking to your opponent."
"How do I do that?" His students asked in slight confusion.
Mokichi then motions for the boy to come closer, "By bringing your body as close as possible to your opponent. This will bring the person within your Chika-ma and thus, in an extremely vulnerable position. This technique requires you to lead with your body and not your limbs. This will not only get you within close range of your opponent but also generate much power in your attacks as well."
The boy nodded and with that, they continued to train.
As times passed by, the old man lectured and demonstrated to the boy the other attitude of swordsmanship.
The Fire and Stone's cut refers to when two swords clash together. Without raising the blade up high, one should cut as strongly as possible. This means cutting quickly with hands, body, and legs. It was a technique that he learned quickly and it required him to attack with his entire body. Mokichi told him that the stronger his body became, the more force that would be generate in the attack.
Towards the end of the year, the two people were down to two more attitudes.
"Continuous Cut refers to when you are again faced with stalemate within a duel, where your swords are clasped together," Mokichi explains, "In one motion, when your sword springs away from theirs. You should use a continuous motion to slash their head, body, and legs."
Kamijou nodded.
"It is a technique that utilizes either both your Katana and Wakizashi or your Katana alone. With both weapons, you attack with a horizontal slash with the Wakizashi and with the force of the momentum you pivot and slash with the Katana. It is the same principle using the Katana alone. The stronger you get, the stronger the attack becomes. As you are now, this is a technique that you can only utilize against a weaker or equally skilled opponent. Against a strong opponent it will be useless because you are too weak."
Despite the blunt words of his master, Kamijou merely nodded as what his sensei said was true.
"The final technique of Nitōjutsu is the Chance-Opening blow. The technique is true to its name in that the first strike is used to catch the enemy off guard or force them into a defensive position that you are able to attack. In that single moment, you must attack to in their moment of distraction."
Kamijou practiced mastering these techniques for two more months. He came a long way with the techniques plus the benefits of running up and down in the rugged and forested mountains of Yamagakure. By far, his favorite technique was the Continuous Cut but Mokichi warned him about getting too accustomed to one particular technique.
The old man told him that over-familiarity in one technique makes it easy for your opponent of predict his movements and thus, his strength can become his weakness. To remedy this, the old man pushed the boy even further to be equally proficient in all the techniques of Nitōjutsu.
Needless to say, Kamijou was very sore everyday.
On the last two months of their training in the forest, Kamijou Touma was standing before his master at the clearing of the forest. By now, he was already tall in his age at 178 cm and the results of his training were clearly evident in his muscles.
Mokichi looked proud as he said, "Well young one, I must say that I am impressed by your development so far. You didn't die in the forest and you actually thrived in it. The time draws near for the end of your training in the mountains of Yamagakure. In approximately ten weeks, we will be returning to Academy City for you to continue studying and if possible, serve as part of the Anti-Skill organization. I will tell you now that you will be in the most unique of situations. After all, you will become a full-fledged samurai."
As the two were conversing, Komoe, Yomikawa, and Tessou was standing at the edge of the forest as they watched the two after giving the boy some chocolates as a gesture of a job well done. While they were glad that they will be returning to Academy City soon after a one-year leave, the three admitted that they will miss this place, especially its roasted deer and the natural hot springs in the mountains, although the Yomikawa thought that their stay in the springs would have been more enjoyable if not for Sarutobi Ashina, who is not only known as an expert in using the nodachi and kanabo but also a pervert as he sometimes drop by to peep at the female section of the springs. Needless to say, it landed the bearded man in troublesome situations.
It seems that the three women will have to do all they want within the two remaining months they have.
"You have completed the discipline of Earth and Water so now you are going to learn the disciplines of Fire and Wind," Mokichi announced. "You are learning these two disciplines together because they are both about tactics and strategy. Fire is a volatile element that is not easily controlled. It is the same with war for you rarely get to choose the environment or conditions of the battle you want but with proper strategy, you can change the tides of battle."
The boy, as usual, nodded.
"As one man can defeat ten men out of his knowledge, so can one thousand men defeat ten thousand. However, you can become a master of strategy by training alone with a sword, so that you can understand the enemy's tricks, his strength and resources, and come to appreciate how to apply strategy to beat ten thousand enemies. However, these things cannot be clearly explained in words. You must learn to forestall you enemy. In forestalling, you must judge the situation. This does not mean that you always attack first; but if the enemy attacks first you can lead him around. In strategy, you have effectively won when you forestall the enemy, so you must train well to attain this. These are things you must experience in battle."
As the old man was speaking, a breeze of wind suddenly blew pass them.
"The wind is unpredictable and free flowing and goes where it wants. Understand Kenjutsu but also understand the ways of other styles and incorporate them in to Niten Ichi-ryū. Study your opponents their strengths and weakness and how they can be countered and capatilzed on. Study crafts outside of that of the sword and in this way, you will achieve balance in your life. The sword cannot be wielded forever. There is a time and place for everything."
He then paused to remember what he was supposed to said before he continued.
"This aspect of your training will consist of me putting forward various combat and non-combat scenarios to you. For each scenario, you are to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of the situation and the best course of action. I will also teach you the basic manners befitting those who follow the way of the true samurai."
"Hey! I have still have manners, you old coot!" Kamijou whined irately
"My point exactly," Mokichi face-palmed. "There are certain situations in which decorum is of the utmost importance and you need to know those times when they come along."
Kamijou muttered, "Okay, okay, I get what you're saying, sensei."
"That is good to hear, because proper decorum will get you very far as well."
The said boy only pouted.
"In addition to strategy and tactics, you will also be learning a Taijutsu style that complements our Kenjutsu style perfectly," Mokichi then raised his left arm while lowering his right as he entered a peculiar stance. "This martial art is known among the ancient Chinese as the Yin Style Baguazhang and it is the end product of the combination of several forms of Taijutsu. It is a style that contains a wide variety of techniques and is a Taijutsu that puts great emphasis on circular evasion. The aim is to flow in and out of your opponent's attacks and quickly disabling them. However, I am going incorporate the use of Ki in this style. Have you learnt everything about the human boy and its meridians?"
Kamijou nodded, "Uh, yeah. It took me a while to understand the location of the meridians and their effect on the human body. But after almost five months of study, I think I can understand them."
"Good, splendid," Mokichi nodded. "I am going to teach you how push your Ki into the points of your opponent to produce different effects on their bodies. However, pushing Ki directly into vital organs such as the heart and lungs will cause immediate death. Pushing Ki into the muscle groups and kidneys can cause debilitating pain and weakness."
Kamijou nodded as he subconsciously touched the portion where his lungs and heart are located.
"Yin style Baguazhang consists of eight different animals styles. These styles are the Lion, Monkey, Rooster, Dragon, Phoenix, Snake, Bear, and Unicorn. The animal systems of Yin Style Bagua have a total of 448 unique strikes. Each of the eight animal systems contains eight striking methods, and each striking method has seven strikes. Three of those seven are considered the primary or the main strikes and are emphasized more than the others in single practice. These are the strikes we will be focusing on for now because they are the most important to learn. The others will be learnt in time."
"I get it sensei but how is this style related to our Kenjutsu?"
"They two are related because they both emphasize the quick elimination of the enemy. Also the different animal forms are compatible to the use of wide variety of weapons. As you train in the style, you will understand my words," Mokichi said.
The boy nodded.
"Now, there are four basic practices of Baguazhang that must be totally mastered above all else. They are the Standing, Turning, Striking and Changing."
Mokichi then entered a new stance.
"The first stance you are going to learn is….."
Kamijou Touma spent the remainder of his time in the forest learning the Baguazhang and the incorporation of Ki into the style—or at least majority in the left hemisphere of his body. Miyamoto Mokichi was right yet again as the fluid movements of the style was a perfect match for the sword and Kamijou thoroughly enjoyed learning the style both with and without the sword. The old man also paid extra emphasis on the teen's speed and awareness abilities.
The old man often gave Kamijou theoretical dilemmas and battles that he was actually involved in his past as a way of gauging the boy's reasoning abilities. He was coming along nicely and would come up with outrageous yet brilliant plans of action for the different situations.
On the final day of training, Mokichi imparted the final discipline to his apprentice.
"Well young one, today is the last day of your training in the forest of death and today is also the day that I will impart the final discipline of Go Rin No Sho. This discipline is the discipline of Void. This discipline cannot be taught as you must understand it on your own as you walk your own path."
Kamijou nodded and quickly lent his ears.
"Void is empty yet full for it contains all the elements but at the same time contains none of them. By knowing that which exists, you can know that which does not exist. In the void are virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, and spirit is nothingness. All things end in Void."
The young boy nodded. "Hai Sensei…"
"And…" Mokichi then motioned to his right hand. "I believe that someday, you will learn the secrets of your right hand. If it does suppress a much higher form of your own power and you unlock it, then good for you but if it's simply a mass collection of vital force aiming in keeping the harmony of this world, then I believe you will use it in what you think is right."
Kamijou gave a gentle smile and nodded.
"Well, this is your official good bye to the forest of life. Now that I begin to think about it, it is already the last week of July so by now, some of your classmates are already third years. However, Tsukuyomi-san said that you will be get a special examination to be able to enter the same grade. Well, right now, your parents are back in the Sarutobi compound and it seemed that they want to give you something. You might as well take a look at it before we all go back to Academy City."
Quickly, both the teacher and the student walked out of the forest.
Once they got back to the house, they wasted no time settling down as Shiina quickly hugged his son while Touya took note of his physique—something which the elder Kamijou enviously wanted and quickly made a mental note to ask his son's sensei for some tips on how to gain that kind of body build.
Kamijou Touma and Miyamoto Mokichi were kneeling facing each other while the boy's parents were kneeling at the side of the tatami mat.
"I'll be honest, Miyamoto-sama. While I get it that these swords are valuable, I myself don't know what to do with them," Touya admitted. "I'm not even a swordsman like my son and I doubt I can carry the legacy of our ancestors so I think it should be my son who should own what legacy of our ancestors has been left." With that, he quickly gave the large wooden chest to Mokichi, who opens quickly for everyone to see. Once everyone had seen it, almost all of the elderly samurai were quickly stunned at the three blades.
"Th-This…" Sarutobi Butsuma nearly had a heart attack as he saw the blades.
"The Intetsu…" Ashina muttered, quickly impressed at the collection of the Kamijou family.
"Toublesome…and here, I thought the old geezer already had the most expensive blades in the whole of Japan…" Sasuke particularly eyed the same sword that his father had noticed. "The Intetsu, huh? Didn't know that a legendary sword is just lying somewhere in a Kanagawa residential house…"
"Neh, neh…what's so special with that sword?" Komoe asked. "It's just an ordinary blade for me."
Mokichi drew a breath, as if what the pinkette said injured him personally. "It's not just an ordinary sword, Tsukuyomi-san. While not known even among most prominent historians in Japan, it has been said among our local circles that the Intetsu has been used by the Kamijou's ancestors to slaughter more than a thousand men. It's made from iron meteorite which they say has been a gift from Amaterasu-ōmikami."
Komoe wanted to say that it's all nothing but a myth but a sharp glare from Sasuke told her to just shut it.
After much debate over the swords, Mokichi quickly returned them to the box and pushed them towards Kamijou Touma, who gratefully accepted it. Turning his attention to the swords, it is as if he was by some invisible force as the black blade felt perfect in his hands. Slowly he drew the blade from its sheath; he had never seen something of such beauty.
"It is said that when he forged this sword, he placed it in a stream. All manner of things flowed past it: leaves, fishes and even the air, yet none were cut. This is a blade that does not cut that which is undeserving. You must understand that the sword is a reflection of its owner. If you use it as simply a tool to kill indiscriminately it will take life, but in the process you will lose access to the true power of the sword"
"How do I access the true power of the sword, sensei?"
Mokichi sighed, "As I said before, you need to listen to your sword. There are wonders in it that even I have not been able to access with my own sword."
"Eh? Really?" was the boy's stunned reply
"Yes, and I believe that you will be able to wield the true power of the blades for I see that you are destined to surpass me…"
This old gas bag really believes in our son. Shiina thought.
"Thank you, sensei…"
"I am not done yet young one." Mokichi interjected as he reached to his side and presented Kamijou with two garments. The first was a black kimono, very similar to what the boy currently had on. However there was one difference as in the front, it had the kanji for Japan on it. "You are not only a swordsman of Academy City but you are a servant of the land of the whole Yamato people. Academy City is just one small aspect of the great whole that is the country of the Japanese people."
The old man sighed as he continued.
"You are about to embark on a unique journey as a samurai in a city full of Espers. I know you love that city and to be honest, I really don't know why after all it put you through. However, as a samurai, your loyalty lies first and foremost with the Imperial Chrysanthemum. His life is vital to the stability of the country, even more so than the leader of Academy City. Do you understand?"
Kamijou hesitated for just a bit before he answered in the affirmative. He did made a friend Aogami but...
Mokichi sighed at this. "I know that you have created a harmonious relationship with the few people you consider precious. However, you must also understand that your feelings come secondary to the safety and lively hood of the many."
"Dokkōdō rule number four. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world." Kamijou said, having learnt all the teachings by heart.
Mokichi nodded. "In the bigger picture, your personal feelings are insignificant to the plight of the many. Man has inflicted so much pain and destruction upon each other because of greed and selfishness. The world is much bigger and much more important that our own selfish wants. Our lives are important, that is true; but one life is not worth thousands or millions. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. You are not as important as you think you are and yet, you are important as you think you are. In the grand scheme of the Kami, your life is like a grain of sand. However, the beach is not made up of a single grain of sand, is it not?"
"No, it is made of millions of grains of sand." Kamijou replied.
"Exactly, my student…"
"If I focus on myself, I will miss the whole world. I need to look at the world in its entirety."
"Very good, Kamijou-kun. You have learnt well young one."
He then took out another garment from his side.
"Now the second piece of garment I have for you is this…." He then presented a black haori. "This was my younger cousin's haori, which was passed on from the older generation to ours. It was first worn by the son of Musashi-sama, who died honorably in battle during the time when the land was unstable due to the warring clans. I kept it in the hope that you would honor me by wearing it in battle. In many ways, I see the son I never had in you."
Tears were beginning to form in Kamijou's eyes. No has ever been this kind to him and no one never gave him such a gift, except from his caretakers in Academy City as well as his parents and cousins.
He then bowed deeply to his master. "I will not dishonor your ancestor's memory." Kamijou said in a solemn tone
"I know young one. Now, you are a samurai and the word samurai means 'one who serves or servant.' Who do you serve? The Emperor and the Yamato people. The life of the samurai is a life of service. It is not one of fame, glory and prestige. It is not about winning great battles and exhibiting your techniques. The samurai's path is one of…"
"…Righteousness, heroic courage, benevolence and compassion, respect, honesty, honor, duty and loyalty and self-control," Kamijou said as he finished him master's statement.
"Keep these ideals close to your heart for they are the code of the Bushido…"
"Yes master"
"Now, I know that we will go back to Academy City now but I will press on to matters of your continued training…"
Touma's ears perked up at hearing of more training
"When you once you are finished with your classes, you will report back to me so that I can begin your lessons in calligraphy, sado or the way of the tea, proper mannerisms and the academic arts."
Kamijou frowned when he heard what his training would consist of, "Seriously, sensei?"
Mokichi remained firmed, "These are important things you must learn"
"What does tea drinking have to do with being a samurai, though?!"
The old man sighed, "It teaches you to honor the most simple of things. You will see when I teach you. Besides, it will come in handy someday."
"I don't see where it will come in handy sometime, but if you say so"
"Calligraphy will teach you about sword play and grace. Study in mannerism is self-explanatory and study in academia is to keep you well-educated as well as to supplement what you're learning in your school. You don't want to become an uneducated ruffian, do you?
"Of course not, sensei. I don't want to become like that perverted blue-head of a friend…"
"Good answer. Rest well young one, for tomorrow you will walk the path of the servant and you walk the path of the samurai. First step, we will embark a trip back to Academy City…"
The next day, everyone had already left Yamagakure at exactly 5 in the morning. The family of Kamijou Touma went back to Kanagawa while the rest all proceeded to Academy City. Before they left, Komoe had done a last-minute shopping as she filled her basket with deer meat that she will share to her co-workers when they got home. Yomikawa Aiho also bought the best local grape wines she can buy while Tessou merely accompanied her.
Once they were back in Academy City, Mokichi quickly left his students, saying that he will have some word with the general superintendent while the Komoe told his students that he would have to attend summer classes to catch up with the remaining lessons that he needed to cover which wasn't covered by Komoe back in Yamagakure.
Needless to say, the boy did woke up the following morning earlier than usual and before he attended his summer classes, he quickly did his regular sessions consisting of 500 pushups and 1,000 running drills. While he was doing all of these, he was again met with something he hasn't experienced in a while.
Misfortune.
But while running into a gang of Skill-Outs seemed like bad news, Kamijou can merely sigh as he quickly made work of them by pounding all of them in the ground when they decided to attack him with their weapons. I had it worse back in that village. He thought as he dispatched the last Skill-Out gangster who tried to attack him by using an iron pipe but the boy merely sidestepped it and knocked him out by simply touching a certain points in his body.
After that, he arrived late for summer classes. At first, he was a bit surprised when he didn't see any signs of Aogami Pierce in the class but quickly realized that Komoe decided to enroll him in a different school. Still, it was a bit unnerving to him as everyone was looking at him like he was some kind of a big predator.
Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for the young man.
Now, it was late in the night in Academy City and the moon was high in the sky and the place look so beautiful. Kamijou, who is in his black kimono and had the Intetsu in his waist, had just finished his torturous training session with Mokichi over calligraphy. He decided to take the long route to his apartment to get as much sight as possible of the lovely night. He was making his way through the back alley when he felt several large disturbances in his field of awareness, so he decided to check it out. As he got closer, he can sense that it was getting larger and larger.
What's with the large signature? Is Academy City experimenting something or what?
As he quickly closed in a back alley, he then noticed something hovering over the area and that things was not something he would expect in this place.
A large dragon?!
But more than that, he quickly noticed two young women who seemed to be pursued by the large dragon, judging by their movements. I don't know the two of them but one of them was wearing the Tokiwadai uniform. If that was the case…
Noticing a huge truck with an L.S.S logo near them, Kamijou quickly drew his katana, intending on inquiring his sword's first possible victim.