THWACK!
CLANG!
"GUH!" Shin flew through five trees before falling and rolling across the hard dirt. He shakily got to his feet, using Hirume as support.
"I said I wouldn't hold back, Shin-chan."
He looked up and saw his older sister pointing her wooden sword at him. She had one hand behind her back and her focus was kept solely on him.
He wanted to entertain the thought that she was distracted but…
Asia appeared seemingly from nowhere behind Akane and swiped a wooden sword at her head.
Akane shifted in her spot and parried Asia's blow before kicking her away.
Group Sparring.
Since Akane was helping Asia get situated, she decided to just train the both of them at the same time in the mornings before splitting off to their specialized training.
With both of her older siblings helping, Asia soon found herself growing at a faster rate than originally anticipated.
"Heh…" Shin channeled touki to his legs. His body disappeared from sight as he took off in a burst of speed towards his older sister.
He thrust his wooden sword at her head only to narrowly miss as Akane moved her head slightly.
She swung her wooden sword and hit him in the ribs. The blow sent Shin careening into another tree.
"Remember that your goal is to force me to move from my spot," Akane said.
It was a goal that was virtually impossible to attain but it was a goal nonetheless. So far, none of them have gotten or forced Akane to move. Each and every blow they dealt, no matter how strong or how calculated, had been effortlessly shutdown or countered by their older sister's superior show of combat skill. It was like a gust of wind beating uselessly against a mountain. They were simply not powerful enough to force her from her spot.
"Come on, Akane-chan! Beat them up!"
"Brother…"
Ravel and Riser served as the peanut gallery. The two had finished their training earlier which was similar to the training Akane was doing with her siblings.
Ravel rubbed her arm, wincing as the phantom pain from her older brother's brutal blows flared up.
One did not date the Vermillion Star without gaining some serious strength.
"Alright, alright, that's enough for today," Akane said, lowering her sword.
"Not… yet!" Shin appeared above her.
He held his hand out and created another wooden sword. He twisted his body slightly before performing a downward spinning slash on her.
Akane looked up and swished her wooden blade, disrupting Shin's spin and causing him to spiral into the ground.
"Uggh… that hurt like a bitch!" Shin groaned.
"We're calling the sparring match for today because Asia has Omnyoudou training with Mom. You and I are going to Mount Benizakura to continue your style. Nice job by the way," Akane said.
The development of his own fighting style. Or rather the beginnings of it. That was Shin's short-term goal during his stay here. After the incident in the forests of Mount Benizakura, Akari had banned Tenma from ever training him and relegated Akane to training her brother. Whether or not this was a good decision, Shin did not know. Akane had a different definition of training from their mother and her definition involved endless amounts of pain.
However, his sister's no-nonsense draconian methods had pushed Shin further than he did when he was training to use the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu. And to Shin, it was a price he was willing to pay even if his body would be broken every day by his older sister's brute strength.
And so far, the two discovered that Shin had a talent for dual-wielding.
"I'm still not there yet," Shin said, gripping his wooden blade tightly.
"Onii, you're plenty strong. Besides, we all need some work," Asia said, looking down at her calloused hands. The hands that she once thought would never be used for anything other than healing were showing signs of wear and tear.
"Besides what Asia said, you're improving nicely and I am using my senses to track your improvement, Shin-chan," Akane said.
A weight landed on top of her head.
"Lady Jingwei…"
Jingwei tilted her head and glanced down at her Contractor.
"Anyway, Riser, can you bring Asia to Mom? Shin and I are heading up to the mountains," Akane asked.
"Sure, I got nothing better to do. You two are going to be at the same spot?" Riser asked.
Akane nodded.
"Ne, Onee. I was just wondering… why aren't you personally training Asia?" Shin asked.
The two were pushing past the thick brush of Mount Benizakura's forest. Akane pushed a branch out of the way. Lady Jingwei was sitting comfortably on her head like a chicken on a perch.
"Mmm, I was personally training Asia for a while but her style doesn't suit my method of training. Mom's better at training new users of the Onigari-Ryuu better than I am," Akane said.
"But… you trained me since I was a kid," he replied.
"I guess you're just built different. It's still surprising. I've been watching you since I got back and during your fight with Kokabiel. The rust hasn't completely fallen off yet but now…" she smiled.
"I think we're finally chipping off layers. Pretty soon, we'll have you back at the level of your prime."
"Really? Doesn't feel like it," Shin said.
Akane stopped and turned around. She reached up and flicked her brother's forehead.
"Ow! What the…?" he looked up at his older sister expectantly.
"Don't put yourself down. Everyone is different. Remember?"
Shin nodded. He breathed and remembered. He was trying to move past everything. No more putting himself down. No more being completely jealous of his older sister and any feelings of envy he would have, Shin would put into bettering himself.
That was what he promised himself. What he promised his older sister. And what he promised to the friends he needed to beg the forgiveness of.
"We're here. Alright, let's get started on what you have so far. Bring out two wooden swords for yourself," Akane said, turning around and crossing her arms.
Shin nodded. He held his hands out and constructed two wooden blades. He dropped into the stance he felt comfortable with and closed his eyes.
"When crafting a personal style, the point is that your movements must be from yourself. Not from anything you were taught, I can guide you in centering yourself but the entire thing must be completely up to you," Akane said.
"This is completely different from learning the Onigari-Ryuu or even trying to learn the Musou-no-Onigari Ryuu."
She walked around her brother. "To do this, you have to remember and use the experiences that have accumulated inside of you. Let them guide you."
Shin nodded and concentrated.
Experiences…
In the past few days since he began training with Akane again, she had given him the same spiel over and over again. And surprisingly, he took to it.
Shin began slowly moving through each movement, fluidly making circular arcs and flowing through the air like water.
Water.
His First Contractor was a Water Spirit.
Vivi's movements and personality was always flowing and her teachings to him was to go with the flow and be free like water.
But flow would not compensate for strength alone.
Water may be powerful but he wanted to add ferocity to make his attacks hit with the force of a tsunami.
Shin's swings began to get stronger.
Ferocity was the trait of his Original Contractor.
It was the only thing he knew of her.
A powerful and ferocious God whose skills outmatched that of the Faction Leaders despite the difference in raw power.
And he distinctly remembered her movements.
He remembered the pain he felt when he was on the receiving end of her attacks.
The speed at which she swung her sword.
The angle from which her sword arcs came.
The amount of power behind each and every attack she dealt to him and to her opponents.
And he also remembered the way she moved about during combat.
She was fast, nimble, and swift, moving gracefully as if she were weightless.
All of the experiences he had so far were being channeled through his body, traveling through the nervous system, and activating each and every muscle within his body. It was information his entire body would remember with time and repetition.
Akane watched as her brother moved about.
His arms were moving faster in accordance with the rest of his body. Yet his movements were flowing like water. She tried to commit it to memory but she soon realized that she would no longer be able to mimic the style to its core.
That was true with all the moves she copied.
While she could copy techniques, she could not copy the heart behind them. In the end, the techniques she copied were just movements she added to her repertoire.
Shin stopped moving and opened his eyes. It was odd that he felt that he needed to get used to his own body's movements again. He surmised that it had something to do with attempting to use his sister's movements as his own for so long.
"Onee, is it usually weird for you not to be used to your own body's movements when making a new style?" Shin asked.
"Mmm. It was the same for the Musou-no-Onigari Ryuu when I created it." She rested her hand and Sakura and drew it rapidly before resheathing it.
The tree before them fell as soon as Sakura's blade was fully sheathed.
"It's not that you're a stranger to your own body. Your body is just not used to moving in such a manner," she explained.
Shin nodded.
"Now, keep going," Akane said.
Shin nodded and continued working through the motions.
"Onee, why can't anyone copy the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu?" Shin asked.
"You mean aside from the fact that it demands so much skill?" she clarified.
Shin gave her a deadpan expression. His sister's voice had oozed so much pride that he could practically taste it.
"Yeah," he said.
"The Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu is a sword style that I created based on my experiences and journey throughout life as a swordmaster. Everything I've learned. All the trials I've gone through and the pain I suffered in life. All of that is imprinted into the style. It's not as if you can't copy the movements. You have gotten the movements down but you cannot copy or learn it at its core," Akane said.
"There's something I call Personal Concept and I put it into the essence of Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu," Akane continued.
"What's Personal Concept?" Shin asked.
"Personal Concept is the idea that a fighting style does not just contain movements or techniques. But rather, a fighting style is an idea through which the user expresses and communicates their experiences and thoughts. An expression of their personality and ideologies as one set of motions that fit and define the user at the core of their entire being," she explained.
"Like uh, for example, Tetragrammaton. Azazel uses the Heh form which is spearmanship. The movements I stole from him belonged to Heh but… in the end, I can never completely fight like Azazel. Our ideals and personalities are radically different and I cannot match my thoughts to his to produce the same fluid motions that he can with his spear. I can certainly mimic the movements of Tetragrammaton Heh and refine them to the point where my usage of the style's techniques is better but… I can never use it the way Azazel does.
"Or think of this another way, you listen to a speech someone else from the past gave. You can memorize all of the words and speak in a more eloquent and refined manner than the original speaker can but can you really say that the way you handled and delivered the speech is the same as theirs? Will it have the same impact as the original speaker?"
Shin pondered her question for a second before shaking his head. "Even if you do say it better, the delivery depends on the person speaking- Oh."
"Exactly. Copying skills and swinging your sword the same way the other person does is no problem but conveying yourself the way they do through your technique is something you can never do," she said.
"That's why the Perfect Battle Analysis will never be perfect. Because it can copy movement but never the spirit behind it," Akane said.
"So that's why I can't copy Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu?" Shin asked.
Akane nodded. "Doing so would require you to abandon who you are and become me."
Shin froze.
"You're just a weakling who has abandoned themselves in pursuit of power…"
"Are you thinking about what Yaldabaoth told you?" Akane asked.
"I am…" he clenched his fists and fought down the feeling of anger he felt towards the God.
"Let's spar. Use that feeling you have right now and spar with me. That way, you can get the motions down for your personal style," Akane said.
Shin nodded and dropped into his unique stance. It was an odd stance that was not reminiscent of any of the forms of the Onigari-Ryuu. His legs were wider apart than they usually were yet his stance wasn't as low.
Akane dropped into her stance, blade resting at her side and hand hovering above it.
"I'll let you have the first move, Baby Brother," Akane said.
Baby brother.
The word triggered something in him.
He rushed forward with blinding speeds.
Akane grinned and raised her wooden sword, blocking one of Shin's strikes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other wooden blade coming upward.
She swiped the other sword away and kicked Shin's hand, causing him to narrowly miss.
Shin stumbled. His animal brain reacted and he ducked, avoiding the swipe of his older sister's blade.
He twisted his body rapidly. He gripped the hilts of the wooden sword tightly and began swinging ferociously at her.
She deflected his attacks with a flourish before doing an upward slash that forced him to dodge.
"Good! Keep it up!" Akane urged.
And Shin kept on pushing.
To the untrained eye, the two siblings were appearing in multiple spots.
Akane was being chased across the field by Shin, who was relentlessly trying to land a single blow on her.
He ducked underneath one of her strikes and thrust his left blade towards her midsection.
However, his older sister was fast. Extremely so. He pierced right through her but her body faded into the air.
An afterimage!?
He quickly turned and blocked her attack just in time.
"Don't hold back, Onee!" Shin said.
He pushed her away and slashed in a half-arc.
Akane said nothing and nodded.
She deftly evaded Shin's strike before moving forward.
"!?"
He sensed the shift almost instantly. And he suddenly felt the hard ground on his back.
W-What? What is this weight on my chest? And why am I staring at the sky-
It had taken him a second to realize what just happened. Shin had been knocked over and sprawled out over the ground.
Akane looked down at him with a cold stare on her face. Her boot was on his chest and her wooden tachi was pointed at his face with the tip being mere millimeters from his nose.
"Damnit," Shin said.
Akane smiled and took her foot off her brother. She reached out and helped Shin up.
"I still have a bit to go," Shin said, dusting himself off.
"Mmm. But I think you'll get there. You're doing far better than you were when you were learning the Musou-no-Onigari Ryuu. Maybe it's because you're trying so hard not to be me and trying to find out who you are as a person. On another hand, I heard from Vivi that you don't want to be like your Onee anymore," Akane said, feigning sadness in her voice.
"O- Oi! Damnit, Vivi!" Shin yelled.
"What? That's what you told me back at the house," Vivi said, manifesting above them.
"You said you wanted to be one of the Seven Stars as a goal in life," she said, placing her hand on her cheek.
"One of the Seven Stars, eh? I guess I'll keep the chair warm for you, Shin-chan," Akane said, petting his head.
"O- Onee! Cut it out!" Shin said, moving away from her hand.
"Besides… I don't want to be in a different generation. I can be in the same generation as you, Onee. Mom and Dad are retiring. Won't Lady Nuwa or Lord Dagda take me since I'm their Contractor's son?"
"Mmm. Not really. The Seven Great Gods pick humans that appeal to them. It's not necessarily a who's related to who situation. Remember that, with the exception of Athena, these Gods are older than the other Gods and humanity itself. They're not going to just limit themselves to the son or daughter of their Contractor. A Seven Star must be able to prove themselves to a God and not rely on the relations they have. Whatever name you have, no matter your reputation, the Seven Great Gods care not for that," Akane said.
"Take me for example. Remember when I was back in China?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"I was there to meet Lady Nuwa about succeeding Mom as her Contractor and representing her on the World Stage as her Star. Unfortunately, Lady Nuwa didn't take me in as her Contractor and passed me over. However, Lord Brahma took interest in me and bestowed the Law of Karma upon my Stigmata, taking me as his Contractor," Akane said.
"I see. So basically, I have to appeal to one of the Seven Great Gods?" Shin asked.
"Well, not all of them. Despite being called the Seven Stars, we're actually only six. We're still called Seven because of the fact that Lord El had a Contractor back during the dawn of humanity," Akane explained.
"Lord El is the only one that doesn't take a Contractor?" Shin asked.
Akane nodded.
She clearly remembered the Canaanite God of Heaven and Eternity. The time Brahma had taken her to Mount Lel after becoming his representative. The fear she felt when she felt the icy gaze of a God that, in her view, transcended time and space. Akane was roused from her thoughts when she heard her brother speak up.
"And he's the strongest of the Seven Great Gods?" Shin pressed.
"Shin, I know what you're thinking but getting Lord El to sponsor you is impossible. Many potential Stars have tried and all have failed. Mom tried and she failed. Dad tried and he only ever Contractor was the sister of Cain and Abel, Aclima."
"Still, having the Law of Eternity would be pretty cool," Shin said. He sulked for a bit before sitting up.
"Out of the Seven, which Gods have Contractors already, Onee?" he asked.
"Oh, I know this one! Your Mum and Dad are retiring but so their spots are opening up but only 3 have been filled so far," Vivi said.
"First, you have Akane representing the God of Creation, Brahma, and the Law of Karma as the Vermillion Star. After that is Caspian Emrys, your sister's best friend, representing the Goddess of Necessity, Ananke, and the Law of Absolute as the Golden Star. And finally, there's Tosca, your sister's other best friend. She represents the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, and the Law of Order as the Alabaster Star," Vivi said.
Akane nodded. "Three more spots. Nuwa of Sentience, Dagda of Power, and Viracocha of Change," she said.
"And El of Eternity," Shin added.
"If you can dream about having the Law of Eternity, then you can certainly go a few more rounds, right, Shin?" Akane asked.
An ominous flaming aura appeared around her.
Shin froze when he saw his older sister dropping back into her stance.
"Ow, that hurts," Shin said. He cracked his neck and stretched his back.
Even if Asia healed all of his bruises, she could not get rid of phantom pain.
Asia held Ran in her arms and gave her adoptive brother an apologetic smile.
"I mean, you did spar with Aka-nee. What did you expect?" Kureha asked.
The three walked down the village road, looking for things to do. People were preparing for the Dragon Festival. Everyone, ranging from young to old, played their parts in bringing the festival to life.
Shin sighed. His parents were busy and forgot to assign him his role.
"Everyone's in high spirits for this year's Dragon Festival," Shin noted.
"Well duh. Mom's going to announce her successor this year," Kureha said.
"Successor?" Asia asked.
"Shin and I recently turned old enough to be chosen as successors to the Shrine. When Aka-nee turned 17, there was also a big festival like this because everyone thought she was going to be The One," Kureha said, making air quotes.
She let out a giggle at the memory.
"Of course, Aka-nee never accepted. She turned down Mom before she could even ask in public and now, it's either me or Shin-chan," Kureha explained.
"Just keep rubbing it in. Soon, I'll be the older sibling for the year," Shin said.
"Of course! Well, that is if you win." Kureha's smug face rubbed him the wrong way.
Shin was going to win. He knew that Kureha trained with Aunt Ayaka but Shin was training with his older sister. And there was no doubt that within the family, Akane was now the strongest Furude to have existed since his grandfather and mother.
"Well then count the days. We only have a couple of days left until the Dragon Festival. After the Ryuugami Kagura, we're going to fight out in the woods with Onee as the ref like last year," Shin said.
"Speaking of the Ryuugami Kagura, is Asia going to be part of it this year?" Kureha asked, glancing over at her cousin.
Asia, who was content in just remaining quiet, was now the center of attention between the two cousins.
"Um, I don't know what the Ryuugami Kagura is," Asia admitted sheepishly.
Kureha shot Shin a deadpan look. She raised her hand and slapped the back of his head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for!?" Shin rubbed the back of his head and glared at his cousin.
"You adopt her into the family and you don't even teach her our family's basic customs and traditions!?" Kureha asked. "Do you want her to embarrass herself?"
"Calm down! I've only known her for literally 3 months!" Shin said.
"3 months was enough for you two to build a familial bond! I expected her to have known the basics beyond the Onigari-Ryuu," Kureha said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Then you explain it. You're one of the performers each year for the Ryuugami Kagura," Shin said.
"Fine, lazy bones. Asia-chan," Kureha called.
"Y- Yes!" Asia stiffened and stood at attention.
In the distance, Asia swore she could hear the sound of stifled laughter.
"The Ryuugami Kagura is a ceremonial dance that the women of the Furude Family perform every year during the Dragon Festival. It's to honor the Goddess, Ame-no-Uzume-"
Ran growled unexpectedly when she mentioned the name.
"Right, I forgot Ran has a thing against Ame-no-Uzume. But anyway, it's to honor her assistance in holding down the Evil Dragon Moryo long enough for our ancestor, Akatsuki Furude, to use the Ama-Kakera-no-Ken and seal it underneath Mount Benizakura," Kureha said.
"People say it's a myth but this entire valley is a result of the single swing of the Ama-Kakera-no-Ken," Shin said.
Asia's eyes nearly bugged out at the statement. "The whole valley?" she asked.
"Yeah and this valley is like what… the size of the prefecture?" Shin said.
"Yup," Kureha confirmed.
"I see," Asia said.
"Not as exciting as you hoped?" Kureha asked, noticing Asia's silence.
"No, it's just. It's kind of sad, right? I read in an old book somewhere that Moryo was the Shikigami of Akatsuki Furude. To be called an Evil Dragon, what happened to them?" Asia said.
Shin and Kureha pursed their lips, not really knowing how to respond.
The story of Akatsuki and Moryo was just that. A story. To them, the matters of hundreds of years did not concern them.
"Sorry if that sounds… weird," Asia said.
"No, it doesn't sound weird. I just never heard anyone question that story before. Well, no that's wrong," Kureha said.
"Are you talking about the Shuen Cult I've been hearing so much about lately?" Shin asked.
"Yeah. That's a heavy topic. Let's just keep walking on. I'm sure there's someone who needs help setting up for the festival," Kureha said, pressing forward.
They followed after her, going up to stalls and helping them set up. Their reward was almost always food though there was the occasional yen that someone threw their way. Either way, the activity helped them busy themselves and pass the day by much faster than it would have if it was by themselves.
As the orange light of the setting sun bathed the entire valley and village in its sweet amber glow, the three began making the trek back to the Furude Manor.
"Ryuugami Shrine is lively right now," Shin said.
"Yeah, they're putting the stage together. The rehearsal for the Ryuugami Kagura is in a few days before the festival starts," Kureha replied.
"Do I have to go there?" Asia asked.
"Mom will probably ask you if you want to be part of the dance but she won't mind if you say no," he answered.
"N- No! I- I want to dance! I'm a Furude too!" Asia said.
"Ahahaha! We never said you weren't. It was just an option," Shin said.
"I still want to dance," Asia said.
"Then tell Mom. I'm sure Mom would be happy to see you dancing up there with the rest of us," Kureha said.
"I'm sure Mom would be too," Shin added.
As the three walked, they failed to notice that obstacle in front of them.
Asia felt herself hit something hard and she stumbled back.
She looked up and saw the scarred face of Yasuo Amawaka staring down at her. His arms were now crossed and his look was one of annoyance and disgust.
Asia tentatively took a step back from Yasuo, standing next to her cousins.
Shin and Kureha stared down the Amawaka Clan Head without showing any sign of backing down.
"I didn't know we left filth run around the village so freely like that," Yasuo said. "The qualities of the Furude Family have fallen. First, they allow their heiress to have half-breed children with an outsider and now, they're allowing the outsider to inherit the family name?"
The words slid out of his mouth like poisoned honey. His words stabbed at Asia, who shrank in her spot at such harsh commentary.
Shin could visibly see the pain his younger sister felt at having to listen to such disgusting and cruel words.
"You, Half-Breed. How long is your mother going to play dress-up with her doll?" Yasuo asked.
"Dress up? Doll?" Shin muttered.
"What was that boy? I can't hear you," Yasuo said, leaning forward.
"Asia is not a doll. She is a member of the Faulkner and Furude Families and you would be smart to remember that," Shin said.
"Are you threatening me, boy?" Yasuo asked. He swaggered over and towered over Shin.
Shin didn't back down and began releasing a mixture of Touki and Divine Power. His right eye glow a dull red while his left eye glowed a bright blue.
Yasuo scoffed before backing off. He spat on the ground before turning around to leave. However, before he left, Yasuo left them some parting words.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid. Pretty soon, this village will be back to the way it was. Back to the way it always should have been. A village purely for the children of Akatsuki Furude," he said.
Personal Concept
An esoteric martial arts concept whose name was coined by Akane Faulkner.
The concept exists in all fighting forms and serves as the basis for the logic of all fighting styles.
The first end card in so many chapters.
This is it. The end of the binge posting. I'll likely not update Azure again for a little bit as... I'm looking to finish my Honkai Fic and there's another fic I'm also working on. So for now, let's go over the things that this chapter discussed.
Shin is learning to make his own style. I shouldn't say learning. Shin is making his own style! The name is pending but it is a two-weapon (not just sword) style. Its beta test won't be until the near-end of this arc and the style shall develop over the course of the fic.
Personal Concept. I discussed this with another author on Discord. Basically, Personal Concept is the person's idea of how a fighting style should work. The term "Speak with your fist" is the idea here. Akane mentions that copying moves doesn't mean she can copy the way the person fights because that would require her to copy their entire personality and spirit, hence why she mentions that her Perfect Combat Analysis isn't perfect. It also adds in another layer as to why the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu is practically impossible to learn. It's not a style, it's an idea. The culmination of all of Akane's experiences and skill as a swordswoman wrapped into a series of movements that, while possible to mimic, is impossible to truly learn. Note, I made a distinction between learning and mimicking.
Finally, the Seven Stars are actually Six. El has no Contractor.
And they gave a list of current Contractors!
1. Akane Faulkner - Vermillion Star - Brahma
2. Caspian Emrys - Golden Star - Ananke
3. Tosca Cristaldi - Alabaster Star - Athena
And finally, I would like to thank... the 5 or so people that continued to stick by this fic. This fic has its ups and its downs and a few of you might argue that it's mostly just downs. But still, thanks. Thanks for reading and reviewing... if people even do that anymore. I'll still be here even after you leave, dropping chapters for Azure until I either burn out or complete the fic.