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The School of Strategy: Seven Heavens as One
[At the feet of Mount Fuji, a small, wooden dojo stood proudly in the great, green fields. A small pond was at its side as small fish swam freely without any care for this world. Indeed, in a place such as this, it was not usual for any kind of building to be constructed, let alone for people to be around, however, here this dojo was, waiting for anyone to enter.]
[It was all in silence, not even the wind could be heard, and as the forests surrounding the place was all more than a mile away.]
{Sayori smiles with absolute joy upon laying her eyes on the dojo. Accidentally being separated from her friend while on a trip certainly sucked and by now she could feel the throbbing heels of her feet. This dojo was practically a godsend to her and stumbling toward the doors of it she certainly hoped there would be someone around to aid her.}
I hope my friends aren't too worried about me.
{She sadly pouts at the thought as she reaches the door and lightly taps upon it.}
Ah.....
Eating a bar of chocolate, Kotori stumbles upon the dojo
.......................
Yeah.... I think so too.
She walks inside, burning the wrapper and putting it in a pouch
Homura wanders through the forest, she'd sigh to herself and mutter something upon realizing she's come out and hasn't found any Witches in there. Then the girl notices the Dojo before her,
can't hurt checking the place out right? Might even find some prey if it's abandoned or something.
"Well, it's a Witch hunt so I guess I'll not leave anything unchecked... Time to see what I'm dealing with."
She'd go through the door with a wary look on her face, shield on her arm standing ready as she prepares for whatever might be inside this place.
*Serge wonders up to the dojo with damaged armor, a very broken visor and tattered cape and hood*
Finally, a meditation spot so I can do my daily Void channeling...
{Sayori notices all the girls simply entering the dojo and awkwardly follows behind them.}
Oh I didn't know we could just enter like that~
{She anxiously gazes to the side and laughs.}
Hehe~
[Nightstalker makes it to the Dojo in a very bad state indeed.]
[Kotori, Homura and Sayori make it inside. The dojo on the inside, however, was far, far different from the outside, the complete opposite of nature. The interior seemed straight out of a sci-fi movie, grey and metallic walls with small, blue lights were all around, and the entrance hall was completely empty, besides an automatic door right in front of the pair. It doesn't seem locked, but on top of it, a small message was displayed.]
Gah!
The sudden shift startles her
Wha-?
.....................................
You're telling me....
She reads the message
Ah, Homura-san, Hi.
{Sayori excitedly looks about with an awed gaze as she begins to touch everything in sight. That everything would include the walls, the floor, and even the air itself with plenty of wild gestures.}
Woah this place is so amazing! Like something straight out of those space movies!
{Her hands finally stop in front of her as her head continues to move about.}
This is adventure material~
Homura stops and attempts to read the message, for a moment she's too distracted to even know there are others around the place... She then spots Kotori, That guy in armor, and... Who's this new girl anyways?
"Hi Kotori-chan! What brings you out here anyways? I was just... Looking around for places to go on a date, yes that was it."
Homura's lie is fairly obvious if one knows what her outfit at the moment means, but she'd just shrug it off and look to Sayori with a smile on her face.
"And it's nice to meet you! I'm Homura Akemi and hopefully we can get along, though I'm a little curious what brought you out here as well... But who am I to talk about wandering strange places?"
She laughs a bit nervously and begins walking up to the automatic door, she'd then go through it and look around wherever she ends up carefully, this place is pretty interesting after all... Very odd design choice for a Dojo, but cool to see!
(He slithers into the dojo as snake centipede hybrid) Ayyy
A young man with brown hair and blue eyes would stand outside the Dojo. His clothes would be their usual monotone stained color underneath a thick black overcoat the insides of which would have its colors faded as well. He had heard of a Dojo out here that specialized in teaching the way of the sword to any willing to undergo training.
Quintus had come here on little more than impulse as he knew he didn't exactly know how to handle his weapons and had mostly been flailing around with it at this point. Even still, he wasn't sure if he had the guts to undergo training even if it meant it'd serve his goal of staying alive better in the long run.
"I came all this way...but...I don't know if I want to go through with this...heh.
Quintus would nervously pace around for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Lets just get this over with..."
With one final statement he'd attempt to enter the Dojo.
Ah..... you're transformed......
Were you gonna fight without me!?
She puffs her cheeks, pouting
(edited by Kotori_K)
{Sayori shyly smiles at Homura and begins to respond.}
It's a pleasure to meet you Akemi~
My name is Sayori and i'm here cause I got ...
{She trails off once she notices Homura walk away and looks a bit downcast.}
(He slithers into the middle of the dojo, and joins the group) ayyyyy people
*he sees the trio walks into the dojo but simply shrugs*
I am here to get better buuut I may wander about once I am done...
*he sits down as he starts to regain his connection to the Void*
So...how y'all doing?
[Quintus enters the Dojo without much of an issue. Not much of notice but the automatic door on the front, the message on top of it, and the group of people that recently showed up.]
[The message on top of the automatic door reads...]
“To proceed forward, to learn and grow in this new road, you must accept the vows of our school and our way.â€
1.- “Be at the service of those important to you, for you are now a warrior at their service.â€
2.- “Show respect to those who have been in the road longer, for their wisdom will guide you.â€
3.- “Respect all forms of life, as every life if a precious thing.â€
4.- “Never leave the road. You may fall and get lost, but you must never give up.â€
[The door opens to those who approach, allowing anyone to go inside. Behind the automatic door, a rather simplistic looking hallway appears right in front of their eyes, but funnily enough, this one is made out of woods, leading to a very big and open room, the training hall itself. There isn't much of note in here, it's just the run of the mill Dojo, and a young man is at the other side of the hall, meditating with his back to the group.]
Hm..(he slither Inside) AYYYYY everyone
Homura looks back at Sayori and grins, geez she didn't mean to hurt the girl's feelings...
"Um please go on! I'm sorry about running off, I just... Feel the need to check things out first."
She giggles to herself for a moment, might as well at least pretend to be normal right?
"You could say that I'm very concerned with people's safety! But don't take it the wrong way please, I'm just trying to help, not be rude!"
Homura then glances back at Kotori and sighs... That girl has even less tact than her, sure hiding magic is a fruitless effort mostly. But no need to be so obvious about it's uses!
"And I don't know what you mean Kotori-chan! Why on earth would I be out fighting something, hah, that is a pretty good joke though!"
The man way she winks at Kotori upon saying that might tell the girl she doesn't mean it, but hopefully nobody else will notice it.
(He slithers sigh by the man doing his meditation) um...ello person
Kotori copies the note down, checks that she doesn't break any of the rules
Protect your friends.....
Respect your elders....
Don't kill without respect.....
Don't give up....
...........................
Yeah, I think I don't break any rules!
She continues inside, looking curiously at the man
Um..ello?, can ya talk man?
(edited by Reperzel)
Oh I wasn't trying to hint at something like that Akemi-san!
{Sayori instantly feels the need to slap herself after realizing that she just used an honorific for a girl that looked to be about her age. She knew she needed to get herself together and fast before she died of the embarrassment. As if answering her need a thought struck her and she could feel her usual smile begin to form.}
Umm What is this whole form thing the two of you were talking about?
{She pouts in contemplation as she begins to walk forward down the hallway.}
Is it like a cosplay thing the two of you have going on?
Hm..alright then (he coils up into a small circle right by the man) so....how ya doing?
"Well, these rules don't really seem to be much of an issue. They're pretty standard as far as a warrior's code goes or at least they seem that way...Guess it depends how serious the one who wrote them actually is."
Quintus would look around the interior of the Dojo with a bit of surprise. He wasn't expecting someone to have built a high-tech facility out in the middle of nowhere but he supposed it wasn't the weirdest thing he encountered here.
He would continue down the hall with a nervous glance. The way this was all set up made him feel uneasy like he was in some sort of haunted attraction that was building up to something.
Upon reaching the large, open room he would be put a little at ease. He would start by simply looking around as he wasn't really the type to approach someone right away. He would perhaps let someone else be the first to do so.
Takeno tip-toes into the dojo, rubbing the back of her neck and squinting at the scenery that stands before her. While she doesn't seem too surprised, the confusion in her complexion was pretty evident from the get-go.
"This is easily the fourth walk I've gone on, in a row, that's led me to some weird-ass place with weird-ass people. I'm beginning to think I'm cursed, and at this point, that may not even be a hyperbole anymore!"
She stares at the people crowding around the dojo, waving a bit.
"Hey! Seemingly normal people! ...For once..."
Hm.....ya...ya deaf...or...
"Cosplay yes... Hehe, I don't like owning up to it sometimes, but um yes I'm dressed as a Magical Girl in fact. Please don't tell anyone okay?"
She'd grin sheepishly at the other girl for a moment, a blush appearing on her face before she walks up to the man on the other side of the room.
"And um... Sorry to bother you, but this is your dojo, right? I was just kinda looking around and uh if you want us to leave I'll get out of course, but I'm a little curious about this place honestly."
She'd then look back to Takeno... Normal people, well, if Magical Girls can be normal, then yes she fits that bill pretty well actually!
"I'd like to think I'm pretty normal I guess, but what's that mean anyways? Either way, I'm Homura Akemi and it's nice meeting you!"
She grins and chirps at the other girl, sounding pretty cheerful for a person who's seemingly wandering around without any clue.
*a astral image of the Nightstalker blinks into existence next to Homura*
Doing something?
PK hops on by and notices that a Dojo had opened up, taking a look up he notices the giant mountain and stands there, aweing in the beauty before jumping towards the door
I shall continue my training! There is never a time where you do not need to improve your skills! Now! Onwards!!!!!
Hmmmm.......
After thinking for a bit, Kotori sits down somewhat behind the man and mimics his pose
Um....(he pokes the meditation man with 2 of his centipede arms) um...dude?
Take offers a smile to Homura and a hearty chuckle.
"Hey even if you're not, you know what they say! Fake it 'till you make it! Takenomi Yoshiko, at your service!"
She'd give a thumbs up before staring at the silent man in the dojo, not wanting to make anymore noise considering how concentrated on his meditation he seemed to be.
That's my body, it's doing meditation to reestablish a link to the void. This is me in pure void light. See...
*he waves his arm through his torso*
{Sayori's face suddenly scrunches in concentration as she attempts to remember something important. Something vital. Something serious enough to instantly stop her. As her memory starts to piece itself she starts to frown in abject horror.}
Oh No!
I forgot my snacks!
{She grips Takeno and practically shouts in her face.}
Do you think they will provide food here!?
Ok then....
"Whoah! Ease up there a little, I'm sure you won't die of starvation if you made it this far! I think I've got a couple apples in my bag if you want 'em?"
She reaches into her satchel, pulling out a nice, shiny red apple. It had a few bruises here and there, but it probably would've looked tasty otherwise.
[The rest of the group should be in the training hall right about now, and what a crowd it is indeed. Once again, the training hall doesn't have much of importance, but a bunch of wooden swords lined up, enough for many people to take. They "blade" were four bambu sticks bound together with leather and a a rope, while the handle itself was covered in nothing but white leather. The certainly looked like swords, but not like a japanese sword.]
Quintus, if you are interested, they are named "Shinai", training swords safer than the more dangerous "bokuto".
[The young man stands up, leaving his meditation and turns to look at the group of people that had made it there. PK, Homura, Takeno, Sayori, Quintus, Kotori. he didn't know most of them of course, but regardless, he needed to move on.]
It's clear all of you came with a reason, and one reason only.
[Kazuya takes his own shinai, and hits the wooden floor with it, making a very loud noise to gain their attention, quickly followed by his own, calm voice.]
Those who want to train, must sit down in a line. No meditating, just sit around here like this young one just did.
Pay attention.
[He points at Kotori before finally sitting down.]
First, some introductions are at hand.
My name is Kazuya Yasuo, owner of this Dojo and the creator of this style.
Oh...(he slithers to the "blade" and grabs it with 11 of his centipede arms) I can work with this
Kotori bows to Kazuya as she stays sitting
Kotori Kis-....
.........................
Kotori.
Aye aye Kaz! Here we go!
PK then falls to the ground and tries to sit still, however, this is a big ask for our knight clad in white, struggling to not move as he fidgets with a ball of white energy, forming it into different shapes, from a ball to a cube, and a plethora of other designs
I'm getting the hang of this!
(Sense having a ton of arms, and grabs 3 more, making him having 4 "blades") names reperzell, call me rep
*the purple colored phantom waves to Kazuya*
Hey there.
She trots up to one of the swords, examining it over with a raised brow.
"I'll admit it's quite foreign to me, but I suppose learning a blade could be handy in the future."
She sits herself down in a less than formal position, looking more like a squat than an actual proper kneel.
Homura sits down and looks at Kazuya... She'd never heard his full name before, but she thought that he looked familiar for some reason!
"Homura Akemi, but you might recall me from Gamma's cafe... Then again, we did only meet briefly."
She simply watches the man curiously, given the blades Kazuya caries around she'd assume he's going to teach that... Swords huh, more Sayaka's thing, but that knife isn't exactly the most comforting thing in close range, she's met one monster that shrugged off time. Perhaps learning melee is worth doing?
Anyways, what ya Gonna do kanz?, teach us?
(edited by Reperzel)
*Haruko, well, this Haruko hadn't come to the mountain really intending to find a Dojo. But she was just going on a trip... alone.... of the head-clearing variety when she found the Dojo.
So she enters into the main area, looking around entirely lost and confused and out of place.*
{Sayori gratefully accepts the apple and hugs Takeno with a teary look in her eyes. At that moment her stomach decides to rumble eliciting a blush on her face.}
Thanks you so much! I promise I will repay you!
{She then quietly chews her apple as Kazuya goes on speaking until he finishes. Training does sound like a very fun activity for her to try but her mind couldn't resist straying to her friends. They were probably looking for her and she couldn't spend years learning the sword like in those samurai books. She hesitantly raises her hand and looks down at her apple.}
Excuse me Yasuo-san ...
How long will this training take? I kind of have friends that may be waiting for me. Oh I also have school tomorrow.
So...1v1, combos, 2v2?
Quintus with a nervous expression would hurry and sit down in the line as well. He'd attempt to sit as far to the left as possible in order to be at the end of the line or perhaps the beginning? Regardless his eyes would stick to where the training swords known as Shinai were kept.
"Y-you seemed to already know my name but I suppose I should say it for everyone to hear. I'm Quintus Geminus and, uh, I guess that's it..."
(He slithers to the end to the line, with his 4 "blades" in his centipede arms)
[Kazuya blinks a couple of times as he looks at the pink haired girl before speaking out.]
Well...anyone can come and join at any time, people can come every day or they could come once a month, whatever feels right.
[After that, he gestures for the newest arrival to sit down.]
Now that that's over...it's a pleasure to meet all of you, even if this might be the second or perhaps third time we do so!
We will begin right away.
[Kazuya simply stands up, and holds his own shinai with his right hand, while keeping his left hand inside of his pocket. The young man smiles at everyone and gestures towards the Shinai at the side of the training area.]
All of you, pick one and then come back here. And when you do, I want you all to attack me at once.
However, I'm very aware of the different abilities all of you may have, so using anything but that sword is forbidden from now on, no matter what it is.
[However, he then raises his sword to the air.]
But first, the new one has to tell us her name, and pink haired girl has to make her choice.
After that, you can attack.
*he looks at Sayori and back to Kazuya*
I am confused on the last part.
Quintus would get up and go over to where the Shinai would be held. He'd pick up one of the training swords carefully before examining it with caution. He seemed to want to record every detail of the weapon with his eyes as if it were some great treasure.
"I wonder how I even fight with a weapon like this properly..."
I just call the guy kanz
*Scrambles to sit down, not really wanting to make a bigger scene than she might have already made. And then suddenly is told to get back up and introduce herself.*
Er... m-my name? Well, it's Haruko.
*She bows to the group. And then fairly quickly heads to the weapon racks.*
C'mon, I'm ready
Homura wanders over to the blades, she'd look for one that's fairly short if she can find it... She doesn't quite see the point in this really, it's fairly obvious that they'll lose horribly. No clue how to use the weapons, no clue how to fight with each other... Oh well, he's surely got a point to it somehow, right? She'd then simply hold the blade in front of her with both hands and wait, no sense speaking up right now.
I already have 4 blades, sooooo
*he summons his void Duskbow and draws a arrow of violet light*
Name is Serge, a Nightstalker.
And like I said, I'm reperzell, the only snake centipede hybrid you'll ever see
PK smiles and jumps up, throwing the orb of energy away as it disappears, running towards the weapon rack and taking a blade off the shelf, wasting no time and rushing towards Kaz, keeping the blade behind himself and down low until he's only a short distance away, then jumping and bringing the weapon high into the air, upon the descent PK brings the blade down as fast as he can in attempt to hit Kaz
I won't go easy! Pancake Slash!
{Sayori intensely blushes at being called out by the master of the dojo and already begins to feel the usual pricks of disgust at her temples. She knows that no one probably cares but she can't help the sped up intake of breath. A weak smile graces her face as she attempts to ignore the frantic beating in her chest and wrists.}
I'm sorry Yasuo-san but I-I guess I have to come another day ...
{She jerkily terns around and heads for the exit with both her hands tightened into frozen fists. Not only did she have to bother her club members but she also had to bother other people she didn't even meet before. }
My friends are probably worried about me anyway.
{She knew her friends would wait for her and that sickened her more. She then runs out the dojo.}
Take seems to hold the sword in a semi-proper stance, her footwork being the only thing keeping her from actually performing correctly. With a quick dash and a lean forward, aiming to try and stab at Kaz.
"You asked for this!"
After watching Sayori leave, Kotori picks the shortest Shinai and gets in a battle stance, handle next to her head, both hands gripping it, the point aimed at her opponent, a look of determination in her eyes
...........................
*Haruko grabs a sword after a little bit and then turns around to look at Kaz. After a moment she runs over to him....
Nah that's a lie, she walks over, and half-heartedly slashes at him. She's holding back, it isn't even hard to tell.*
The girl rushes forward, reaching Kaz's left side quickly. She is pretty fast but... She's got no clue how to actually use the dammed thing, instead clumsily bashing it towards Kazuya in a manner akin to a golf club, it's fairly clear from the look on her face Homura not only can't use a sword, but is just scared of fighting up close at all in fact.
Ngh!
She rushes to Kazuya, drawing her blade up and around into a diagonal slash from right to left
Seems a quick match couldn't hurt.
*the hunter fires a Shadow Shot next to Kaz's leg to pin him down*
Quintus would stand by as he gives the weapon a few practice strokes. He tries a few times but it always feels a little awkward to him to just be striking with one hand. He wasn't confidant in his ability to even hit Kazuya while trying at this rate as he feels his lop-sided swings would miss on their own.
"I didn't think this'd be so...weird, I guess."
PK, why are you...
[Kazuya lazily blocks PK's incoming attack before using his own wooden sword to send him flying back by...well, simply pushing him with the shinai. As PK falls backwards, Kazuya quickly moves in to hit PK right on his head with his wooden sword as hard as he could. After this, the young man went back to his previous spot with the same careless expression.]
PK, leave the shinai back where it was and sit down behind the white line.
[Kazuya points at the training area's floor, and indeed, it was all surrounded by a white line in the shape of a rectangle. The lines were just a meter from the walls. Basically, PK had just been punished for his rash action.]
I said after, not before...seriously, every time.
[He then notices Sayori running out, and so, he figures the rest would quickly jump on him. This was what he asked for. In the small moment he had to analyze the situation, he took notes of everyone's choice of attack before finally making his move. Takeno probably had a decent idea; she seemed like a quick learner. As the girl was the first to approach, Kazuya simply decides to hit her shinai and redirect the attack somewhere else, specifically at Haruko who was not even trying at this point. Kotori was not exactly moving right now, and so, he simply decided to ignore her for now. Now it was Homura's turn, and to the very bizarre move she just made...the young man simply moved to the side, avoiding the clumsy move and using his left foot to make the girl trip. After this, the man lazily moved towards Kotori and simply blocked the attack. She was fast and the attack was indeed well done, better than the rest indeed, Kazuya was impressed. And then there was Quintus. The young man pushes Kotori away and casually moves up to Quintus. Indeed, the random swings weren't effective at all, and so...Kazuya simply hit him on the head with his own Shinai. Not with much force, but enough for him to not get hurt and still feel the strike]
Aaaand you are dead, Quintus.
I can already see the mistakes in the majority of you.
You don't have to keep attacking, I got what I wanted.
[Kazuya smiled at the group and gestures with his hand for them to make a line.]
Now, I want you to take a fighting stance with your weapon.
As simple as that.
Another red door... these doors are almost iconic at this point. Out steps the man with a black suit with black hair to go with it. The red tie around his neck, the white shirt underneath, and not to mention the silver buttons. It was of course, Jonathan! Though... when he gazed upon the scene... he seemed rather bewildered.
Did.... did I make a wrong turn somewhere? No... this should've been right...
Ay. I'm still here
Ack!
As PK falls back and is hit on the head, a very audible donk sound is heard, leaving a red mark on his head as he moves to put the sword away, then sitting in the box with his kneed on the floor with his hands on them, his personas hoping out to pat him on the back RIP PK
Take, having put an unfortunate amount of effort into her swing, is easily redirected, her stab turning more into a tumbling shove with the tip of her shinai, coupled with the girl's poor footwork led to an absolute car crash of a first move despite her decent ideology, her blade moving towards Haruko.
"Whoa- OH SHIT!"
(He turns around to Johnathon, and he notices a Snake centipede hybrid) ayyyy
Uwa~
Kotori stumbles back as she's pushed but manages to barely keep her footing, then backs up a bit before taking the same stance as before, A left handed Ko-Gasumi stance
(edited by Kotori_K)
Homura chuckles sheepishly and stands up, she'd focus on her blade and hold it out in front of her. Both hands gripping the weapon tightly as she makes an attempt to square her feet out and take a wide stance... It seems vaguely sensible, which is better than her swings she hopes.
Ah screw it, I'll join the fight (he throws all 4 of his swords at kanz, then, rig after that happens, he quickly coils around kanz)
Greetings... well I can tell from first glance that you aren't human. You seem to mix qualities from multiple living creatures... reminds me of some personas.
Now... I'd like to know what is currently occurring before me.
Quintus would rub his head after getting hit. He already knew that he barely knew what to do with his weapon but it seemed he failed to even do anything in the end.
"That's fair, I guess..."
Taking a deep breath he would follow the next set of instruction as he lined up in his past spot.
He would attempt to get into a fighting stance as he tried to imagine how he'd stand in the case of actual battle. It was a little strange for him to be using a different weapon so he knew he'd need to adjust his typical stance.
He'd stand with one foot behind the other as he held the practice weapon out in front of him though he did so in a way in which the weapon would wobble around from time to time. His other hand however would be slightly fidgeting as he'd be unsure of what to actually do with it or where he should place it.
*Knows enough to duck, even if she's still crashed into by Takeno.*
Ack! Hey watch what you're doing!
*She pauses, and suddenly looks flustered.*
Er, I mean, I-I'm sorry.
(He coils tighter onto kanz, as the swords fly straight into him, he also bites the man, with a poisonus fangs)
She picks herself up, offering a hand towards Haruko after laughing off her disastrous attack.
"No don't be sorry! I was clumsy and I should've watched myself, you're right. Need a hand?"
With a confident smile, Take would lean on the sword that just tried to impale the other woman.
*Takes the hand and gets up*
Thanks.... and no it's fine, really.
*She grabs her sword, before getting into a fairly simple combat stance like everyone else.*
[Kazuya walks closer to Kotori, and the stance was indeed good. It was clear she had experience with the sword at this point.]
You are promising, Kotori.
I know for certain that if you pay attention and train, you could very easily surpass most here rather quickly.
However, don't let your guard down or waste time like you did before.
[He pats her on the shoulder before moving on. Homura was next and he inspects her stance. He gently places his Shinai over Homura's hands.]
Don't use too much force. This is not a stick, it's a sword, an extension of your own self.
Simply hold it and let it flow, just like another extremity.
Concentrate.
[He then moves onto Quintus. He gestures for him to mimic his own stance. He holds his sword with both hands. His dominant one on the front, while the other one was in the lower part of the hilt. And with his hands in place, he points the tip of the sword towards Quintus neck.]
Try to follow Homura's example, her feet are in the right position, and swords are meant to be used with two hands, especially if you just came into this difficult road.
Always hold it this way, point it at your opponent's neck, align the hilt with your belly button.
[He smiles at the man before gesturing at PK to come back and continue his training, hopefully he would take a stance too. He then moves towards Haruko and doesn't find anything too weird about her stance.]
Be more firm, and don't hold back in a battle.
No matter what happens, those moments of weakness will be used against you.
Never forget this.
[After this, he walks up to Takeno and sighs before hitting her on her head with his Shinai, not too hard though.]
Concentrate.
He spots out the man... kid.... Hmm... it seems I cannot tell age. Either way he spots out Kaz from the rest of the people here.
Ah. Are you the instructor here? And... to be clear this is instructing... correct?
"Kyah! Right, right!"
She'd hold her head for just a moment, grumbling incoherently before taking a standard stance, her feet still a little off from where they're supposed to be, her left foot much to far forwards and her right foot too far to the right.
Quintus would take his hand and grab onto the bottom of the hilt of the practice sword. He would then widen out his feet to try and fix his stance. Rather than keeping on behind the other he'd line his feet back up.
He'd attempt to hold the weapon in front of him once more but this time with his right hand on the top of the hilt and left hand on the bottom. He'd focus to hold it in the position Kazuya had shown him as well but the sword was still clearly unsteady in his hands.
Nn.
She nods, keeping in her stance, however, a blush is visible on her face, and she's obviously trying to hold back a smile, proud of the praise she received
Homura nods at Kazuya's advice, it's nice hearing that... Basic common sense really, led her to an at least passable stance, and she already knew that swing was messed up beyond belief.
"Yes Sensei, I've... Well, the only "melee weapon" I ever used much was a golf club, heh... It's a little embarrassing honestly, but um I'm kinda scared of being close... I figured I should try and get over that though, it's kinda been an issue."
The girl looks down at her wooden blade... An extension of herself huh? It feels a lot easier to swing than that stupid club did, hmm. She might actually want to try getting used to these, can't hurt to have in her shield after all.
PK jumps up at the opportunity to do training once again! Dashing around frantically as he picks up a sword and nods moves over to the rest of the party, putting the hilt of the sword near the right of his waist and pointing the tip of the blade at and angle so it's level with his nose
Alright! What next! I'm raring to go!
Yeah.... try harder....
*She says it, but she seems unsure about unleashing her all.... Though she does grip the sword a little tighter, and a hair more confidently.*
[Kazuya looks at Takeno for a moment before slightly pushing her. The current position of her feet make it hard to keep balance.]
You have the right idea with the sword, but your feet...if you lose balance in the middle of a battle, it would definitely end up in death for you.
You must stand strong, like a tree on the dirt.
Your feet are the roots that connect you to the battlefield.
[He then takes the same stance and shows her the right way to place the feet. His right one was on the front and the left one on the back. Their position was reather ample, but not too much, firm and strong with enough room to keep moving.]
And even if you stand strong, don't force your muscles.
[He smiles at the girl before adressing Jonathan.]
Uh...something like that, you got the basics.
[As he makes his way to PK, Kazuya gives both Quintus and Homura a thumbs up.]
Quintus, breath, keep calm and don't over think it.
Using a sword should feel natural, like a river flowing.
Homura, same thing, don't think too much.
Feel.
[And now that he is in front of PK, he checks his stance. Kazuya moves the Shinai on PK's hand a bit as he stand right in front of him. He makes the angle align with the knight's belly button, and at an angle that was actually pointing at Kazuya's throat.]
Extend your arms a bit more, but do try to calm down.
Fighting, as you know, is exhilarating, but you must retain a certain amount of calm to succeed.
You got that?
The way you are is fine, but there is always room to grow.
[Kazuya then walks back and as he crosses his arms, he looks at the promissing group.]
"Sensei", Huh...
You all are doing a nice job, but tell me...when you saw the message outside, what did you think about?
What did you all feel?
I mean.... it's what you're supposed to do, right? If you have the skills to help people, you have to help them. Otherwise you're a villain.
*It's a simple stance, but one that is perhaps a dual-edged one.*
Ah, very good.
Well it would be rude not to introduce myself. I am Jonathan, the master of the Scarlet Room. I've come here to observe your students... is that the correct term? Well either way...
(edited by -Jonathan-)
"Like a river? It's weird not being connected to your own weapon in a literal sense but maybe I should treat it more as if it was..."
Quintus would take a deep breath before closing his eyes. He'd try to focus in on the weapon in his hands as he tries to think of it as a flowing river. He wasn't sure on the true meaning but he just tried to imagine that he was holding a flowing mass of water in his hand rather than a practice sword.
He couldn't be sure how this was effecting his stance with his eyes closed but at very least this exercise calmed his nerves allowing him to hold the weapon more steadily.
With his eyes still closed he would answer the proposed question.
"Uh, that depends on you,uh, Sensei...To me those rules were kind of an extension of the kind of person you were. If we're learning under you than it's important to know what kind of people you ant us to be under your training.
Of course, I wasn't sure if you were truly serious about those rules or not. I feel many people establish rules for themselves without truly understanding their meaning...but I feel that isn't the case for you."
(edited by Quintus_Geminus)
PK shifts around to Kazuya's suggestion and holds that position for a while, it felt strange to him, but it definitely was an improvement over wailing his laser blade around like a mad man
Aw! But fighting is supposed to be exciting! I have never once been particularly calm! But I can try! Hnng!
PK then attempts to be "calm" but ultimately clenches every muscle and achieving the opposite, after a few seconds though he gives up and responds to Kaz's second statement
Message? I think I might have missed it! But I am sure it resonates with me! After all my code is a Pancake Knight's code! It is a just and righteous code!
It's like an oath, right?
Like, "by entering this dojo and learning under its master, you swear to uphold these rules.."
It's like, a swear to not use the techniques used here for purposes the master wouldn't want them to be used for.
Right?
And I don't plan to break any of them, so it should be fine right?
(edited by Kotori_K)
Take staggers a bit, her feet slipping against the floor for a moment before she regained her composure, shortly after trying to analyze Kaz's stance. After a few micro-adjustments and awkward shifts she'd stand at the right position, though not quite enough strength in her stature. At least for a moment that is, until she tensed up like mad!
"I think I've got the hang of it!" She'd almost growl out with tension.
"The message outside huh..."
The first point, being at the service of those you care for. Madoka, Kotori, Gamma, there's more than a few people who come to mind as a smile crosses her face. That's the whole reason she's trying to get stronger after all.
"To the first point, that's just what I do, I started fighting to protect someone in the first place, and I'll never go back on that promise."
Respecting those who have been on the road longer... Not "your elders", but those on the road.
"The second one... You might take it a simple respect your elder's thing, but I don't think that's what you meant right Sensei? If I were guessing, you really mean. To... "Respect those who've got experience in what you are doing", or something to that effect? If so, I'd say I agree entirely."
The third is all too simple, killing is something she's never done and she'd rather not ever have to, lives aren't meant to be ended. Least of all carelessly...
"The third I don't have much to say on, killing should be a very last resort and even if you have to it isn't a good thing... So yeah, respecting lives sounds pretty normal to me anyways."
And the fourth point, the words are fairly simple, and yet those too resonate with her to no small extent.
"Finally, when it comes to the last one... Never give up, sometimes you might get something wrong, and things happen, but quitting entirely just isn't something worth considering. Or that's what I took from it, so yeah I'd say that makes sense to me... Not always easy to follow, but it's something you have to if you want to get anything done. In summary, it seems like the kind of thing I can understand quite well honestly."
Her thoughts on Kazuya's words said and done, Homura breathes in deeply and closes her eyes for a moment, staying calm when doing this is just like aiming her guns after all. You can't hit anything if you're spending too much time thinking, it's why the best way is to just do things long enough to get good. The same applies here, but as the girl's grip relaxes a bit and she begins breathing steadily, she'd then open her eyes and begin moving her blade a bit more naturally... Still not good, but better, she thinks.
That's fine, Jonathan...just don't interrupt their training, okay?
[He looks at Quintus and is able to see him relax, he wanted to tell him that what he said was not really that literal and just a very simple metaphor, but he didn't say a word to him. He wanted the young one to get used to this feeling of calm, especially now that they shared the same road, the same way. He shifts his attention to Haruko, and nods.]
That is true, if you have the skills then it would be best if you do use them for good.
However, to serve others...it must be done with or without the skills, and in any way possible, being willing to sacrifice it all for that goal.
[He then turns to PK and simply chuckles.]
You might not be the most common of people and even not very bright, but you have a very pure heart and soul, if you ask me.
Your heart is in the right place, but you must be willing to listen and understand others, we all have different points of view.
[He then turns to Kotori and shakes his head.]
No, these are not rules, but vows.
These are different from oaths because you swear to no one...but yourself.
I am your teacher, yes.
But those techniques, what you learn here...only you can decide what to do with them, but if you decide to accept this vows, and if you fail...you will fail no one but yourself.
[He notices Takeno tensing up.]
Takeno, relax.
It is true that a warrior must hold out a much as he can, but everyone here is a starter in one way or another.
"The true soul of the warrior shows up when they are tired"
You have a strong will, but do take the time to rest for a moment before taking a stance once more.
[And finally, Homura.]
You got it all right. Serve, Respect and Willpower are the most important concepts in our teaching, never forget it, perhaps even more than the Seven Virtues of the Warrior.
However, I must add something to the fact that we, at some point, must kill.
[Kazuya closes both eyes, and lets his arms fall to the side, deep in thought.]
Killing, ending lives is not a bad or a good thing, but rather, a natural part of our world.
If it's right or not, it doesn't matter, especially in the battlefield.
Indeed, even in the lives we take, we must be respectful and merciful.
We are not training just to protect and grow, but also to kill.
If it comes down to killing someone, and it will at some point...we are training to end those lives while sparing them the pain.
It's our failure if we send off someone in pain.
But of course. I wouldn't want to do such a thing.
Now... I have yet to learn your name as well.
So..... not an oath to the dojo, but one to ourselves......
Kotori listens to Kazuya, her face one of difficulty, as if trying to comprehend what she's hearing
It's ok to kill..... but only as..... uhh.... a respectful..... uhh.... Nnngh....
Killing is a natural part of life so we shouldn't be afraid to do it, but we shouldn't default to killing. And only kill if need be and out of respect for the opponent.
R-right?
(edited by Kotori_K)
The mention of killing was enough to stir Quintus from his concentrated state. The thought of taking a life never sat well with him. He himself fears death like a plague infecting the very core of his being so the idea of taking the life of another horrified him just the same but despite that he knew in the end that when it came down to his life or the life of another there was only one answer for him.
"Sparing someone pain when we send them off...Where do we send them off to though?"
Mmm! Of course! I want to strive for my perfect world! That perfect world allows for people to speak their mind! To live peacefully! To get criminals tried for their crimes and to be given second chances in that world!
That's my goal! So I have to get strong enough to make that world a reality!
PK then frowns at the last statement Kaz said, killing didn't sit well with him, he would do everything he could before it came to that, it just wasn't something he felt right doing
I hope it never comes down to that! I believe that everyone has some good in their hearts! So killing shouldn't be necessary!
An oath, huh....
But.... we're not ACTUALLY expected to kill people, right? Like that's just some old oath from Samurai days, right?
She eases up a little and scratches at her head, humming softly in thought.
"The true soul of the warrior shows up when they're tired...? I like that."
After a moment's rest, she'd resume the stance, her footwork on point once more and this time much more lax. Her face was still pretty serious though, if coupled by a confident grin.
Homura's face goes a bit dark as she hears that... What he's saying makes sense, and hasn't said she'd kill to keep Madoka safe before anyway? Even so, hearing it said so plainly is... A bit scary, and in some ways refreshing.
"That's... Killing people isn't something I want to do, but I've already chosen my path and honestly? I kinda figure it'll come to that someday, merciful huh... Yeah, if it really comes to that there's no sense making it worse than needed."
The girl closes her eyes once more, it does make sense to her... But she doesn't like it in the least bit. Still, if it's for her goals then she'll do what she's gotta.
"It'll happen one day, I already knew that... So yeah, I guess that makes sense too."
Homura nods before looking at Kazuya, her face one of steely determination as the girl ponders his words... It's a hell of a thing to think about, and she's not sure if she'll be quick enough when the time comes... But, nothing for it but just giving her all like always.
Life works in mysterious ways.
If it comes down to killing being the only way...you must do it fast and painlessly.
Be it shadows, demons, or other humans...you must be ready if you choose to fight.
[Kazuya smiles and opens his eyes, crossing both arms once more.]
But it's true, that should be the last resort, I'm not a fan of killing needlessly.
There are other methods I will teach you all as well, there is more to learn than just swinging a sword around.
That's just how it is, in the world of a Demon Summoner, or a "Warrior" simply put.
[The man then sits on the ground and leaves is Shinai to the side while facing everyone. He gestures to everyone to sits down as well and leave their training swords to the said.]
Sit closer to me, let's form a circle so we can all look at each other.
We will now move on to the next part.
Quintus would take another breathe before walking forward with a slightly solemn look. He would sit within the circle though he was a little uncomfortable doing so and would try to make as much room between himself and anyone else as he could without breaking the circle.
Kotori comes close and sits on her knees, laying the Shinai to her left
PK throws away his sword without much regard for his surroundings and dashes over to a spot in the circle, taking a seat as he vibrates in anticipation for the next part
The girl sits down near Kotori, she's a tad uncomfortable being near most people herself, but if nothing else she's spent enough time around the smaller girl that she can deal with being close to her without feeling anxious... She'd sit a bit close to Kotori, and a bit further from anyone else, in so far as she can without breaking this little get-together.
Er.... demons?
*she'd sit down on the side of Homura, similarly keeping far away from the others.*
Take sits herself down, hugging her sword as if it were a close friend. She'd look towards Homura for a moment, offering her a friendly smile for half a second.
"Demons? Well that's a new one. I've killed shadows in the past, but that's the extent of it. Demons sound... a little intimidating though."
Yeah...the demons...that is actually a part of this training, you will understand soon enough, but that is only if...
[Kazuya thinks for a moment before continuing.]
I have to ask now...you know that you may have to kill in the end.
You know you might die at the end of it all.
The Way of the Warrior is a very bumpy road, dangerous.
[Kazuya closes his righ hand on a fist and points it forward.]
Right now, you will decide your fate.
You can choose to refuse this way and leave, or you can stay and learn.
[It was fairly simple, to stay or not. It was now or never.]
Learn how to be a warrior at the service of everyone, ready to sacrifice your very lives to uphold what you believe in.
Learn what it truly means to be a "Warrior".
Quintus would rise at this point with a hint of shame in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry but I don't think I'm ready for something like that. To throw my life on the line...I don't think I could do that again knowing what's waiting at the end. I-I'm not a warrior so I think I should just leave now before I embarrass myself."
With that Quintus would begin to head towards the exit as he leaves the Shinai behind. He felt a tremendous amount of shame as he walked away. He knew that perhaps he should stay but the ideals of the "warrior" were something he had given up already long ago.
Kotori mimics the gesture, Holding her left fist out
I've made that choice already.
I'll kill if I have to.
I've almost die nearly every day since.
I need to learn. Or I'll never amount to anything.
"Well if I was concerned over my life I wouldn't do half the things I do now. Sure. I'd sacrifice my life for what I believe in."
She seems pretty nonchalant about the matter, despite the weight of what she'd just said. It was easy to tell she meant it though, despite her lack of seriousness in her tone.
Yeah.... Demons aren't real, but I don't feel like sticking around to find out what crazy depths you're about to have everyone go to....
*Haruko would stand up as well. Eternally branding herself as an outcast to all present by opting to leave.*
Homura shrugs her shoulders slightly, Demons, Familiars, Witches, Shadows, all the same in the end really. Whatever tries to hurt those she cares for has to go.
"I'm not going to be scared just because they're called Demons, in the end, monsters are scary yeah, but... Well, I've killed enough of my own kinda monsters really. That being said, I couldn't tell anyone the first thing about these Demons, so I'd say it's wise not to take them lightly, same as any foe."
Homura looks back to Kazuya once again... To be a Warrior or not? Wasn't that a choice she'd made all those months ago when she made a foolish contract she didn't understand?
"I'm staying, not fighting stopped being a choice I can make a while ago, so I'm going to learn how to do it better. I want to get good at this, not just try and coast by without understanding what I'm doing..."
She looks over to Kotori and smiles for a moment, there's more to it than just that though, always is right?
"Besides, I've got people I need to protect too. So for good or ill, I'll see this thing through!"
I'm sorry you two are leaving. However, it's your choice, so...I wish you all good luck.
[Kazuya smiles at the ones leaving, honestly wishing them well. After this, Kazuya looks to the ones who stayed. Homura, Takeno, Kotori.]
You know the drill now, this is your choice, and your choice only.
Now you must never give up, it's the oath you've made to yourselves.
[Kazuya at this point retreats his own fist, and smiles at the group.]
So, I think that before we end today's class, we should look at the first two of the Seven Virtues of the warrior.
Tell me, when you hear the words "Justice" and "Courage", what do you think about?
She puts her hand on the handle of her Shinai, gripping it
Courage is....
The determination to continue even when all hope is lost.
Justice.....
Kotori has to think longer and harder about this one
It's..... a word that doesn't really have a meaning....
People just seem to throw it around when they need an excuse....
Everyone's "Justice" is whatever they decide it is.....
(edited by Kotori_K)
PK breaks out of his daze as he shakes himself, get back into it! After listening to Kaz he shouts out with confidence
Justice! The protection of the weak and the downfall of villans! It is our job to bring villains to justice! To reform them into heros so that the world is a better place for all!
Courage! The strength to fight to the end! With that we can all stand up and protect our loved ones! A very valuable trait!
She'd raise a hand to her chin in thought, Courage is...
"Courage is being able to stand up, yes. But to me, it's not so much... "Being fearless", as it is "Fighting despite your fears". Not being scared of anything sounds more akin to madness than Courage, I agree with their endpoint that it's the will to go on, but I feel that it's kinda badly represented sometimes."
She'd then sigh and pull her glasses off, that one is a heck of a thing to talk about... But might as well get to it.
"On Justice, To an extent, I agree with Kotori honestly, Justice is something everyone seems to have their own meaning for, I've got one too and I'll follow to the end. But I can't say for sure that it's better than anyone else's, I also can't say that I shouldn't change it, however..."
The girl smiles for a moment, her eyes looking confident in spite of how odd it feels to be saying.
"As I said, I'll stick to that no matter what! I don't think that everyone can be grouped so simply "villains and heroes", but if I see someone causing harm I'll try to do what I can to stop them! Sometimes people have good reasons... And if I've learned anything? It's that if you ask me, you have to understand what you're dealing with to enact any kind of Justice!"
She looks towards Kazuya and toss her glasses back on, she's pretty curious about those things... But, in spite of there not being any "right answer", she's at least got one that she's fine with.
That is right; "Justice" is something the warriors themselves must define. You must accept that the world is, in the end, grey. But by accepting you possess "Justice" in your soul, you choose a clear white and black from your point of view.
To fully understand "Justice", the first step is to believe in yourself.
[He smiles at the group, he indeed enjoyed the company of people that had opinions. He had met many in the past, those without one...and even he used to be one in the past.]
While "Courage" is not to be confused with recklessness. "Courage" is strong and intelligent, heroic and daring, to live with "Courage" is to live to the fullest, and for a warrior, there isn't anything that's best in a life that could end at any moment.
Take risks, but don't be dumb about it, and stand up in a sea of masses that refuse to do so, or are unable to.
In a storm, even the smalles of rocks can change the currents, and the flow of the water.
[Kazuya writes in two piece of paper two differen Kanji. "義", read as Gi, which meant "Justice", and "勇", read as Yu, which meant "Courage".]
PK crosses his arms and listens on the best he can, sitting still and listening wasn't the best of his abilities but he will try! He then stares at the strange characters, even if he couldn't read it, it resonated in his soul
I think I understand! Most of it is a little complex for me! But I can understand the main picture!
....................................
Kotori thinks hard, trying to grasp the idea of Kazuya's definition of courage, and compare it to her own
Homura nods along with Kazuya's words. Define it for yourself? Most teachers would say that's wrong, likely try to say that their "Justice" is clearly best. But him... It's actually refreshing hearing someone admit that things aren't quite so simple, suits her just fine.
"I see then, that's a rather uncommon viewpoint, a good one if you ask me, but quite odd to hear about "Justice. Far too many, seem to think that only one idea of "Justice" can exist."
And as for Courage... The smallest stone huh? Even a tiny girl can make a change against a horrible beast that tears cities asunder perhaps? Yes, that very idea is what pushed her to keep slogging against Walpurgisnacht after all, so the idea isn't that hard to understand.
"And Courage is... I'd say that puts it into better words than I can really, those are all things I was already trying to do. If perhaps not succeeding that well, but I guess that's part of why I'm trying to learn more... Hah, funny how a few months ago I was some sick school girl stuck in a hospital, yet now I'm trying to learn about being a "Warrior "."
She chuckles to herself for a moment, funny indeed how much things can change so quickly.
She scratches at her head in frustration
Grrr! I don't get it!
.................................................
Courage.... Not reckless.... but... isn't standing when there's no hope reckless in of itself?
..........................
Or is that.... desperation?
Like I said before, life is mysterious like that.
You never know what will happen, and so...
[Kazuya stands up.]
One most be prepared at all times.
But now...I do believe it might be getting late, so I advise you all to head home as I will.
Keep practicing your stances, always aim for perfection. And you should ponder these ideas, make sure you find your answers, it will make the road much more clearer.
[Kazuya bows down to his new "students" and finally heads outside.]
The Dojo will close itself when all of you leave.
I will see you all soon!
(edited by Kazuya)
Kotori, still confused, bows back to Kazuya
Thank you Sensei!
She then puts away her Shinai and leaves the building, heading for Java the Hutt
Hmm... interesting...
Well, no display of their abilities... but I suppose their commitment is enough for now. Perhaps I'll visit again...
And like that he vanishes. He kept his word and didn't interrupt the lesson... though why did he want to observe them in the first place? ... Best to ask another time.
Homura wanders out of the building with a smile on her face... She's not sure if she should leave the blade, so she replaces it where it was found and vows to get her own before too long,
might even ask Em about getting her hands on something real once she's put in some more practice, but for now. The girl simply waves goodbye to Kotori and sets off for home, it'd be best to get back before anyone is worried about her.
PK gets up and stretches, bowing down to Kaz before running off,
yelling out behind him
Alright! Thanks Kaz! Ill see you around! Ill be sure to improve the next time we meet! So you better be ready!
[In the same Dojo lost in the middle of nowhere, right at the feet of Mount Fuji, the young man laid on the grassy fields near the pond. He was looking at the sky with a thoughtful expression. He finally made it, after working around in different things, he managed to build this "idea" of his. Even better, he already had some students and perhaps the existence of this place would be know more as time goes on.]
Even still, I hope more people come...I don't know why I feel like I need to do this but...
[The front door was open again towards the room with the automatic door, which in turn lead to the training area itself. Kazuya, however, decided to stay outside for now. At least until people show up.]
*Urumi was falling from the sky after battling a dragon, she throws a teleport knife to the ground and teleports to the knives, landing on her hands, she got up and brushed herself*
*After brushing the dirt off of herself, she looks up to see a Dojo in the middle of no where*
who puts a dojo all the way over here...
*Urumi looks around to see if anyone else was here*
(He slithers into the dojo, and still a snake centipede hybrid) ayyy
Wonder of an-oh, ay fox women
Kotori walks up to the Dojo, when she sees Kazuya
Ah... Hello Kazuya-sensei. Is it time for the second lesson?
Also ay kanz
[Kazuya was as confused as it gets when the girl with the mask showed up, he figured it might be a good idea to just...let her be, since she seemed a bit dangerous, perhaps much more than PK himself in his own way. But after this, he notices Kotori, and the young man can't help but feel a bit embarrassed at being called "Sensei", he was still not used to it and so, he scratched his right cheek with one finger]
Well...you could say that's the case, tell me, what did you think of the last...uhm...first class?
[He still felt a bit awkward, but he was doing his best at calming down. He raises his torso, but stays sit on the ground as he looks at the girl.]
Senri approached the Dojo, still in her school uniform.
She heard a rumor of this place; a specialized school for combat. After what happened in the underground, she felt like she should have done better. She shouldn't have been pushed like that... She needed to reach her potential by any means necessary. And with Morgana back, she wanted to be stronger for him too.
She arrived in the front of the Dojo and quietly bowed to Kazuya.
Greetings. I am Senri Suzuko. I come in search of self betterment, to become strong so that I may defend my existence in this world as well as what is dear to me. I hope you find me worthy of teaching.
*Urumi takes off her mask and puts it in her backpack for a moment before stretching*
*Urumi looks over at Kotori to see a young man there and since she has no idea who he is, Urumi took out her mask put it on, just to make sure she does not get shy*
The Courage thing was confusing....
But other than that, I can't wait to keep learning!
She moves aside for Senri to introduce herself
Hi Senri-san!
She then turns back to Kazuya
I'm also really happy to learn from you.
Quite a few people have suggested I do so.
So coming upon this Dojo was almost perfect.
"Worthy of teaching"?
[At this point, Kazuya was on his feet again, as it was easier to look at everyone straight in the eye without ending with some neck pain. The young man bows to Senri back.]
I'm Kazuya Yasuo, and wheter you are worthy or not it's for you to decide, but we WILL see what you're made off inside.
[The young man smiles at her before turning to Kotori.]
I'm glad you feel that way, Kotori, and...when it comes to Courage, those concepts are simple but have a certain depth to them. It's important you define them in the end.
*Urumi was suddenly gone like the winds took her away*
...............................................
I guess I just don't get depth.....
My main battle strategy is just to rush down my opponent after all.....
Homura wanders into the area, been a couple days since her last trip so might as well check it out right? She'd grin upon seeing Senri and Kotori gathered with Kazuya. She waves cheerfully and walks up to them.
"Oh Kotori-chan, Senri-chan, Kazuya-sensei. So then I guess we're meeting again tonight? And I hope you have a good time Senri-chan! So far it's been... Very interesting to say the least. Anyway, what did you have planned this time Sensei? Or is that a surprise of some kind?"
Don't think too much about it, feel.
That's my best advice, Kotori.
[Kazuya places his hand on the younger girl's shoulder before addressing Homura.]
Planned...? Oh, I don't plan these classes, I just go and do whatever feels right, at any rate...we should get started before I get too distracted~!
[Kazuya has this very happy, yet lazy expression as he begins to walk towards the Dojo and into the training area. He takes his personal Shinai and stands in the front part of the area. The hall is the same as it was a few days before, with the Shinai lined up and all as clean as it gets.]
Hi Homura-san!
Kotori waves to Homura as she approaches
I think we're waiting for more people to arrive and start....
Do you think we should invite Sayaka-san sometime?
She follows Kazuya inside, sitting on her knees where she had yesterday
(edited by Kotori_K)
Ayyy, I'm back, and I'm gonna be here to train
(He slithers to kotori, and sits by her)
Senri waves to Homura and Kotori happily.
Hello, Kotori-chan, Homura-chan! You're coming here too? I'm surprised. Pleasantly, of, course.
Senri smiles brightly. She's wearing a very different expression than before. She seems happier.
She follows the group into the Dojo and looks around. It was incredible; like something out of a video game or an old shrine. She didn't think places like this existed in modern Japan anymore. She smiles, remaining humble and quiet as she stands by Homura and Kotori.
Homura giggles for a moment, of course, he'd say something like that... Oh well, he does seem to know what he's doing, so that's fine.
"I see then, well I'm sure it'll be something worth learning if it's like last time!"
She'd follow along behind Kazuya, a smile forming on her face as her shield appears for a few seconds. It'd quickly vanish, however, as a Shinai of about the same size as the one she'd used last time forms in her hands. True to her thoughts, the girl had indeed acquired her own. She then takes a seat near Kotori again, she places the blade in her lap before responding to the girl's question.
"Sayaka-chan is... Well, I'm not so sure she'd enjoy this honestly, she's pretty convinced that there's only one "Justice", so the last lesson at least likely would have just annoyed her."
So...last time I was completely ignored, So, god hope that don't happen
I'll convince her!
Don't worry!
I know exactly what to say!
So....what ya gonna teach us kanz?
Um...anyone else gonna say something?
Now, since you seem to know each other already, introductions are not necessary at all.
[Kazuya crossed both arms and closed his eyes, thinking and putting his own thoughts in order.]
Last time I evaluated your knowledge and your stances, and not only that but we also practiced the most basic of stances. We also discussed the first two virtues of the warrior.
Today...
[Kazuya takes the basic stance he taught them last time, and right after this, he slashed with his Shinai downwards from the same position, quickly followed by a shorter downwards slash, and finally, a horizontal slash from the left to the right.]
We'll move to the basic moves.
First...and since Senri is a new one, she will practice the stance with the sword.
Homura, you got it down last time pretty well so I want you to assist her.
After she's gets it right, you can join up in the coming exercises.
[He gestures for them to take their Shinai and quickly take positions. Kazuya then walks towards Kotori and stands by her side.]
Alright, we'll begin.
I showed you already how it is, but I want you to mimic it, and then explain to me what is the target in each of the three attacks.
Well, its gonna be difficult for me cuz...ya know, me being Snake centipede hybrid
(edited by Reperzel)
Kotori grabs the shortest shinai again and gets in her stance
Ok....
Vertical
Vertical
Horizontal...
She draws the shinai up and around, then down in a vertical slash, taking a step forward as she swings, then pulls her leg back before bringing her sword back down again in the same slash
After the two vertical slashes, she'd bring the shinai back, up, and around for a horizontal slash from right to left
.........................
The target is the opponent, right? Just like all the rest of the slashes.
The girl nods to Kazuya, she believes that Senri already uses a sword, but well so does Sayaka and lord knows that she's got no stance.
"Come on Senri-chan! I know you already use swords anyway, but um I guess I can see if there's anything I'd be able to help with?"
She stands up and grabs hold of her Shinai, gripping it lightly and squaring her feet, eyes, and blade pointing forward as she looks over at the older girl curiously.
"It should be about like this, but I guess you already knew that? Um, sorry if I'm just showing you something you already learned."
(He grabs 4 shinai, all of them all shorts of sizesx and trys to do the combos, but fails horribly) HOW THE HELL DO I SUCK AT THIS
Senri nods and approaches Homura, picking up a Shinai and standing at her side. She examined Homura's stance, studying it. It was awfully elaborate... Senri never thought about her movements too hard before, merely acted, though she learned about precision.
Though awkwardly at first, Senri copies Homura's stance, squaring her feet and narrowing her vision, before she points her Shinai forward dramatically. Her grip seemed tighter than Homura's, but she held it firmly and without even a tremble.
I learned a little of how to weild a sword better from Morgana... But, I must admit, I'm not quite used to this... traditional stance...
[Kazuya chuckles at the simple answer Kotori gave to him. But it was fine, she wasn't really wrong.]
Yeah, that's true.
But when it comes to using swords, every single slash is calculated, precise...you don't swing it around like a madman or...madwoman.
[Kazuya makes the first vertical slash, which is quite ample.]
This first hit, "Men", is aimed to the head.
With this move you are trying to cut it down.
[Next, the second vertical slash, which is much shorter and lower as well.]
"Kote"
With this, you try to cut down the wrist. It's quite difficult to cause death with this one, but it's important to disarm the opponent.
[And finally, he makes use of the horizontal slash, as ample as the first move, "Men".]
And the last one, "Do". This one is very simple since you use it to cut down the abdomen.
[He breaks his own stance and looks at Kotori with a smile.]
As you can see, every move count. That's what I mean when I say "Target", the specific area you are aiming at.
Homura glances at the older girl... Huh, almost like she feels it's overly complex? Doesn't seem any more complicated than a shooting stance to Homura. Well, seems she's got something of a grasp on it regardless.
"Huh, I guess you haven't really done much of this before... Not bad, but um that might be holding it a little too tightly? You don't want to end up rigid or anything, at least I think. Beyond that, it looks fine to a beginner like me."
Rigid? I don't think that's been a problem, atleast not so far.
Senri nonetheless loosens her grip a bit. She feels lighter and more agile, approving with a nod.
Yes. This is better. I suppose I'm just used to holding heavier weapons... This is quite light. If only you could attach a blade to this...
I've never done anything like this before; I pretty much had to learn through trial and error. But, if I'm good enough for Homura-chan, I suppose I'm done being behind.
She smiles with a playful giggle.
Different slashes to aim for specific areas?
...................................
Huh... Never considered that....
She tries the horizontal slash again, using Kazuya as a height reference due to her short stature
Abdomen.......
She then swings downwards, once again using Kaz as a reference before realizing something
...........................................................
I can't reach..........
I'd have to jump......
You don't need to do that unless you don't have a choice.
Part of being a swordsmaster is to know where and when to hit, as well as taking advantage of your own stature.
[Kazuya rolls on the floor and makes a quick stab.]
If we were fighting, you have a better chance at attacking from below rather than trying to get my head, trick me, use feints too.
Do you get it?
Trick?
Like kicking and following up with a slash in the direction i think you'll dodge?
...................
What's a feint?
She continues to practice a variety of slashes, most of which seem to default to a right to left diagonal slash
Homura grins and nods, it's not perfect... But her own isn't perfect either, she'd then turn to look at Kotori, tilting her head curiously as the girl ceases attacking.
"Heh, yeah I think it's good enough to start on some basics... No worse than my stance anyways, so let's go Senri-chan!"
In spite of her confusion at Kotori, the girl walks over to her and Kaz with a small smile on her face.
"Sensei, I think Senri-chan has a good enough idea to start practicing these? Um you want to look at it yourself I'd guess, but her stance seems fine to me. Anyway, basic moves right? Well, I'm ready if Senri is."
She'd glance at Kazuya's movements... Take advantage of your size huh? Well, she's a lot bigger than Kotori, but not really that tall quite yet. Hmm, she'll have to think about how to use that herself.
Senri hoisted her shinai over her shoulder, much like a certain someone else would as she follows Homura with a smile. She nodded to affirm Homura's words.
I'm ready. I can take on anything you wish to put in front of me, Sensei.
She watched Kotori and Kazuya intently, studying their movements. Already, she was working up some strategies in her head, should they come to spar...
A feint refers to the use of deception during a fight, you pretend to slash or blow, only to do something else.
You do this to distract the opponent and bait them, all so you can actually hit them.
[He then turns to look at Homura and Senri. He has to go and evaluate their progress for now, especially Senri who is newer. Kazuya decided to call out Homura.]
Homura, you did great, you are more diligent than I initially thought.
Practice the movement I just taught to Kotori, in fact...
[Kazuya raises his Shinai to the air in a horizontal way with one hand, then, he lowered it, and after that, with one hand on the handle and another on the "blade", he changed it from horizontal to vertical.]
"Men", "Kote" and "Do".
With these positions you can block the moves, you two take turns as one practices the moves and the other blocks them.
Remember, stay in the basic stance as you do it, don't run around either~!
[After giving them their instructions, the young man moved over to where Senri was.]
Alright, you seem like you are holding up nicely...tell me, what do you think of this very basic stance, and about swordsmanship, too.
Blocking.......
Isn't that for shields though?
I thought blocking most attacks just wore down the sword and broke it......
.................................
She turns to Homura, holding her shinai in a battle stance
Homua-san, Do you want to attack or defend first?
"Alright Sensei, and um yeah... I've been trying to practice a little on my own, not ready to use this stuff in a real fight. But well, that's what I'm aiming for."
She nods to the man before once more assuming her stance and looking at Kotori, she'd eye the smaller girl curiously while preparing to block. She'd prefer to try blocking first, after all, get an idea of how Kotori handles herself.
"I'll defend first... And um Kotori-chan, you do understand that weapons can be repaired and maintained right? I'm new to swords, but my guns at least need working on sometimes if I don't want them failing. Most things do, unless it's just a club or something like that. And an unrelated thing, but you don't need to call me Homura-san, we're friends after all so it just seems too formal!"
Yeah, but I dunno how to do that....
I wipe it down after every fight, but I dunno what else to do.
Taking her stance, Kotori brings a heavy horizontal slash towards Homura's left side
.................................................
Homura..... chan?
Senri looks up at Kazuya, unblinking.
The pose is new to me, Sensei. It was slightly stiff, but Homura-chan showed me properly and I believe I will master it in time.
As for swordsmanship... I feel mastery of it is being one with your body and Will. When I fight, my blade is the chariot of my heart, rebelling against the status quo and cutting down those who would impose upon my will and passions.
If I can master the sword, I feel I will be limitless. I will protect what I love and light the way to a world where the strong need not fear the wails of the old guard. This is my testimony.
She looked Kazuya dead in the eyes despite his size imposing on her. She had no fear, but no arrogance in her eyes either. She wanted to show her Sensei her strength and spirit.
That might be true for actual swords Kotori, and the usual technique is to parry.
But since we are using training swords...the rules of a blade do not apply to a couple of sticks~!
We'll go little by little, there are many specific details and characteristics to swords you may have never even heard about.
Even more with the many different types of blades.
[After saying this to her, the young man turns to Senri with a gentle smile on his face.]
I'm sorry for that, anyway...
That's true, there is more to swordsmanship than just knowing how to fight.
You train you body, yes, but also your spirit, and focus it all in a single path, forward.
[However, the young man rubs the back of his head, being very casual about it all.]
And about the stance...don't force it, just let it flow and be firm, never over do it.
Otherwise, if you body is stiff you will get some very severe injuries that might lead to your death or crippling in more than one way.
The girl smiles and slams her blade to the left, holding it out horizontally as Kazuya had shown. it's not the hardest attack to read thankfully... But she does stagger a bit from the impact, tch, harder without transforming. Still, there's gotta be a better way to deal with the impact, right?
"Hmm, yeah Homura-chan is fine. Or even just Homura if you wanted to, honestly I'm not overly worried about the honorifics thing these days, I just keep it up to be polite. Also, that was... Easy t- no, telegraphed I think it's called. You just swung, and it was how it looked. If you're a lot faster or something that can work, but um we're about the same speed so it's not too hard to deal with."
She'd then attempt to examine the other girl's stance, clearly getting ready to attempt a strike of her own.
"Anyway, if it's okay I guess that I'll try attacking now."
Senri nods her head with a smile. She was surprised. He was much more easygoing than her school teachers, and they couldn't fight off a Slime. She found it easier to relax with him. She came expecting boot camp too...
Thank you, Sensei. I agree completely.
And, that's a load off my mind. To be honest, I've gotten into some crazy things in this world. My friends and I, we've faught things the size of this building. My stances have always come naturally.
...Of course, I am aware death and injury is almost close. I've had a painful reminder of that recently... I don't want to experience that again, not just for my own sake... That's why I came here.
Right.... Sorry.
That's probably as fast as I can swing....
I'm trying to use as little mana in my swings as possible...
Cuz, Y'know.... Not supposed to be using magic...
She holds her blade at a diagonal, preparing to switch position for an attack from both horizontal and vertical
Homura smiles at Kotori before moving a bit closer.
"Don't worry about it okay? Hmm, perhaps you'd be better off trying something clever rather than simple speed?"
She raises her blade over her head... Starting to slash it downwards at Kotori's own, before quickly shifting her aim to the other girl's left shoulder. It wouldn't do as much damage with a real weapon, but in theory, it should still be able to hit, and might be a bit harder block?
It's fine, I understand how you must be feeling.
But I need to tell you right now, this will take time and practice...more than you probably think.
[The young man slowly took the same basic stance, and from the looks of it, it even seemed fragile. His face seemed almost sleepy and his voice was soft enough to think he just woke up.]
Now, I assume you payed attention to the moves I explained earlier.
So, I want you to practice them.
[Kazuya then suddenly raises his voice as he prepares to block.]
The point is to practice the movements and perfect the way you move your sword.
This is not a duel or a battle of any kind, so do try to aim at the Shinai itself.
Remember that to hurt your partner is your own failure, so always be careful and precise.
Now Senri, whenever you feel ready.
(edited by Kazuya)
Kotori lifts the diagonal blade to block, but the shift and the fact that Kotori's diagonal is opposite to Homura's strike makes the block completely whiff as she's struck on the shoulder
Eh?
................
Ah... Is that a feint?
..................
Hmm.... Ok, I'll try something then....
She lifts her blade and swings from pretty high strait towards Homura's head, However, should Homura block it as she's expecting, Kotori will put pressure on the handle in order to pivot the blade where they connect in an attempt to slam the hilt into Homura's face.
However, upon hearing Kazuya, she immediately regrets this decision
(edited by Kotori_K)
I understand.
Senri raised her shinai once again, narrowing her eyes. Careful and procise...
Senri had initially thought of going all out with her attacks, but Kazuyas words stuck. If she got too aggressive, she could hurt him, or her friends, which was not on the agenda.
She remembered the trio of moves that he had Kotori use.
Men, Kote, Do.
Senri looked almost serene for a moment before she snapped into a sudden focus, first horizontally striking towards Kazuyas head; if allowed to continue, the additional strikes would follow. Senri was quick, but she made sure to ease back on the impact itself, remembering,
"To hurt your partner is your own mistake".
Homura does indeed attempt to block as she'd expect... And feels the hilt smash into her, it's a bit painful, but at least Kotori seems to be getting the idea now.
"Yeah, that's right Kotori! I'm un not sure that it's something you'd do in a real fight? But you're starting to get the idea behind trying to trick someone... Now then, I guess I'll just do this for now."
She'd raise her blade up once more, slashing down towards the other girl's head with the basic "Men" they'd been shown before. Another vertical slash, this time aimed lower and obviously going for her wrist, "Kote". And finally, an attack on the abdomen from a horizontal position, "Do" as it had been called, in spite of that, however. All 3 are as Kazuya had said, aimed more at the Shinai than the girl herself, it's not like this is one of those live fire rushes in GYM after all.
Probably due to Homura aiming for the shinai, Kotori is barely able to block the first two swings,
but isn't able to react fast enough to switch from a vertcal guard to a horizontal and gets hit by the third slash
Geh...... Ou..... slow.....
M-maybe I should put more magic into my movements.......
Girls, take it slower.
Remember you are not fighting and that magic or other mediums besides your own bodies are forbidden in this place.
Wait for your partner to block before you hit!
[Kazuya says this to Kotori and Homura as he blocks all three moves Senri threw at him without much trouble, and his expression didn't change at all. He still looked relaxed and even happy at all times. As he blocked the movement, his movements seemed natural, out of pure instinct.]
That's right, all you need to do right now is to understand how the moves themselves work, it's not about beating me or hitting me in the head.
That would hurt a bit too, I hate it when it happens.
[Kazuya smiles as he takes a more aggressive stance, as he was about to hit now.]
I will use one "Men", prepare your Shinai to block, Senri.
[The young man would wait for Senri to place her sword in a blocking stance before he made the move. When she is ready however, he would slash downwards in a rather simple but very precise way, almost as if it was a machine moving, or it was as simple as breathing. He is holding back, but the strike should be strong enough to still send more than a few strong vibrations.]
Umm...... Kazuya-sensei....
I.... uhh.... sorta have....
She looks away, afraid that this topic would eventually come up
an issue where moving my body is hard without magic.....
So... Uh... A little bit, just enough to move naturally..
Is that allowed?
Senri raises her Shinai, ready for the hit to come. Senri freezes, almost still as a statue as she waits for his movement.
Her expression was blank and unreadable, but she had a stance like that of a viper ready to move at a moments notice. She wasn't the best blocker, she fancied herself more as a speed demon.
When Kazuya moves, Senri unorthodoxly quickly grips the Shinai in both hands, from both ends and uses it as a shield to block the horizontal strike. The impact broke wind between the two, bending Senri's Shinai noticeably and making it vibrate like fragile bamboo, but thus it did not break. Senri could be seen smiling after the strike; her devious nature could be seen honestly in that expression.
[Kazuya blinks a couple of times before replying.]
Of course that's allowed Kotori, all you need to avoid during training is to make yourself faster and stronger than usual unless it's absolutely necessary.
[He then turns to Senri and notices her expression. The young man closes both eyes and his expressions goes from lazy to an almost comical one. All he does is point at her for a second or two.]
I was worried, I almost broke it...
I can't blame you for being satisfied, after blocking a strike like that...
[Kazuya opens his eyes and proudly nods, breaking his stance and walking to the front. The young man sits on the ground and leaves his Shinai to the side. He stays silent for a few seconds before he speaks up again. Indeed, the basic movements were taught, and soon he would have to move into the more complicated teachings. But for now, the virtues remained.]
Everyone, is time for us to relax and take a breather.
Please, just like the other day sit in front of me and let's form a small circle.
Right.... Thanks.
Kotori returns to her sitting place
Sorry about not saying anything.....
Homura sits down as usual, simply taking her place next to Kotori as she ponders... Hmm, maybe soon she'll want to start trying out in the world? If she's going to use a sword, might as well try using it in combat sooner than later, right?
Oh, erm, if it broke, I would take full responsibility. My apologies, Sensei.
From confidence to embarrassment, Senri smiles awkwardly and bows.
She puts her Shinai aside and sits with Homura, Kotori and Kazuya in the circle. She closes her eyes and relaxes, as if mediating. If she focused hard enough, she should be able to tap into her cosmic innermost power and reach to the gods for power, to help her transcend the universe itself.
...She learned this on a shady occult website.
Kotori, there is no reason to apologize.
I know why you would keep silent, especially if all of us met recently...or at least I met you all recently.
What's important is that you were able to share it.
[Kazuya then looks at his students and thinks for a moment. This moment gave him an idea. The girls knew each other for an amount of time he didn't know, but they certainly didn't know each other very well, and so, he had only one thing to do.]
Before the final lesson of today, and in order for us to trust in each other better, all three of you can ask me anything, but...you only get one question each.
[The young man makes emphasis on the number itself by rising his right index finger.]
If you choose to follow this road, then it's better if you can rely on me, and I can rely on you.
The future is always full of surprises after all.
After thinking for a while, Kotori raises her hand
How do I stop losing?
Senri opens her eyes as Kazuya speaks, and nods.
Ask him anything, she thought...? She should choose carefully.
Actually, she wondered about him. He didn't seem like a normal person; owning a Dojo at a young age, his easygoing attitude, his experience that drew people in... She had to ask.
Sensei... Have you faught them before? Demons, I mean.
One question huh... Well, she could ask something about training, but he'll likely answer that regardless. No, there's something she's been meaning to ask him for quite some time in fact.
"This honestly has nothing to do with our training Sensei, but well you did say anything so... What exactly is going on with Gamma and that dammed snake? He claims to be simply trying to help it, and that you're aiming to stop him but... Somehow, I doubt you'd do that without a reason."
She pauses and pushes her glasses up, it's an odd thing to ask. But regardless of how odd, she's got to figure out what her friend is doing.
"Gamma is... A good friend of mine really, so I guess I've just gotta know what mess he's in this time. I've seen a lot of deaths honestly, so I'm kinda trying to make sure that doesn't happen here. If he's doing something stupid, well I just have to make sure he doesn't get killed over it."
A dark look crosses her face as she finishes up, it might not make Gamma like her, but she'll stop him from getting killed the hard way if needed.
"Honestly, if I have to keep him from fighting by just fighting him myself... Well, better that than let someone else I care about die. But anyway, what idiocy is Gamma involved in because of that snake, that's my question."
[Kazuya laughs loudly at Kotori's simple and even innocent question. He couldn't help it, it was kind of cute after all.]
How not to lose...?
Well, it depends, you could get stronger, wiser, more skilled...almost anything, really.
[Then came Senri's question, and his expression doesn't change much, but his eyes don't lie. Melancholy and nostalgia were visible, pain and the signs of struggle painted his usually calm eyes.]
Demons...yes, I did and I still do in my own world.
It's a long story but I have a few years of experience, I fight against and by their side.
[It was clear the subject itself was a bit heavy for Kazuya at the moment, or perhaps it always was there weighting him down to some degree. Regardless, it was Homura's turn now.]
When it comes to Gamma and the Snake...I don't really know what is Gamma's deal, but I'm sure he is aiming to help it in some way or form, by keeping it alive.
You see...the Snake possessed a very...unique friend, and a group which included me and Gamma set out to rescue her from the fangs of this "parasite".
[Kazuya thinks for a moment, trying to keep the story and context short but clear.]
We lost one of us, and everyone almost died...but we saved her.
And foolishly, we spared the Snake, and now, when we weren't looking the thing took a hold of her...and it's worse than before.
Gamma wants to help it because he feels that the Snake is misunderstood and may have some kind of excuse...
[For a moment, Kazuya's eyes shift completely from calm to nothing but hate. His mind kept playing the same image again and again, of Ene breaking down the moment she came back to normal, haunted by her actions as the Snake had its influence in her.]
I want to save my friend no matter what, and for this to never happen again the Snake has to die.
Gamma thinks the opposite, even if we want to save her, he wants to keep the Snake alive.
[After this, Kaazuya quickly closes both eyes for a couple of seconds and lets out a very loud sighs before going back to his usual self. He smiles gently and rubs the back of his head.]
Anyways~
I think we should move on to the last part...the next two Virtues of the Warrior.
What do you think about "Benevolence" and "Respect"?
OOC: Yes it is, it'll close down soon.
But I will open it again another time, so you can still join in the near future if you are still interested
Hmm.....
That's the same answer everyone gives.......
She rolls her head back in thought
Respect is easy.
Treat other's how you want to be treated.
Benevolence......
It's got something to do with nice goddess', right?
Homura nods... Dammit, she knew that thing sounded dangerous.
"I see... I'll only say this quickly, but um I don't really care about this snake or whatever Sensei, if it's controlling your friend then you can do whatever you want with it."
The girl sighs and looks down, her voice suddenly sounds very tired as she stares at the floor.
"I'll help you deal with it, assuming that I can show up anyway. Just um... Leave keeping Gamma out of your way to me, I'm not willing to kill him. But I should be able to make sure he's not a problem. He may well hate me for it, but better that than letting him get in the way of helping someone at best, or get killed at worst."
She'd the shake her head and look back up, her own face shifting back to a smile as she ponders Kazuya's question... These, she doesn't have as clear thoughts on, but she'll do her best.
"Benevolence... I guess to me it means trying to help people? But, sometimes it's pretty hard knowing what you should actually do to help. Still, I'd call it... "Doing what you can for people, even if it's hard." Of course, one's idea of what is actually helping kinda ties into people having different ideas of "Justice" too, doesn't it?"
And then respect, there's something she's never given much thought... Everyone's "respectful"
in Japan, it's simply how the county works, but real respect is something greater than that social grace.
"As for "Respect"... That's something people have to earn, real respect isn't the same as what everyone excepts. It's taking somebody's words and thoughts into consideration above those of others, "Respect" and "Trust" have always seemed kinda alike to me... Both shouldn't be given too freely, not unless you want something bad to come of giving them to the wrong person."
I see... I apologize if that's a difficult subject. It seemed like, if you were this renowned, that had to be the case...
Senri thought about Kazuyas question for a moment. Benevolence and respect... She may as well be honest.
Benevolence... I feel it can be dangerous. If you spare your enemy, there's no guarantee they will appreciate the gesture alone. They may come back for vengeance, and you may not survive again... If someone is truly irredeemable, then they do not deserve benevolence. Much like that snake you mentioned, Sensei... However, I do believe that hearts can be changed. I've seen it... Awful people brought to their knees in forgiveness, repenting for what they've done. Even me... I did something terrible once. But, they gave me a second chance... Benevolence, perhaps, must be done intelligently and with proper judgement by those strong enough to give it. That's how I feel.
Respect, I strongly feel, is earned. I personally have no reason to go out of my way to respect someone who is not my friend, who has only shown weakness, who will not benefit my life or those I care about are not obligated respect. It is not the same as courtesy. I also feel however, that is arrogant to outright disrespect what you do not understand or isn't in your place to judge. Those people... Are the most undeserving of respect.
All of you have different points of view.
Similar, complicated and yet simple and different.
[Kazuya begins to draw in two different pieces of white paper with a small paintbrush and black ink. His movements were gentle and quick, with grace, as if he was trying to carefully design the most beautiful of mountains. After a minute, Kazuya is done with the drawings. Much like last time, they were a pair of Kanji.]
"ä»", read as "Jin", means "Benevolence".
Through our training and diligence, we acquiere power and abilities that put us above others, fast and strong unlike any other. Us, "Warriors", must assist our partners every time, in any possible chance.
One of the greatest weapons the "Warrior" has is the power to stand up, and do what is right for everyone.
[Kazuya then points at the next drawing.]
And finally, "礼", read as Rei, which means "Respect" or "Courtesy".
Us "Warriors" have no reason to be cruel, not in the slightest, and we have no reason to prove anything to anyone. Even with our most hated enemies, courtesy and respect is what separate us from beasts.
It's true, not everyone is deserving of respect, but the true strength of spirit of the "Warrior", the respect one gains doesn't come from just being powerful, but also from the way we treat those around us.
What I will share with you is similar to what I told Takeno, and it's true.
"The true power of a warrior becomes clear when he has to struggle."
[Kazuya breathes slowly as he finishes his explanation on the virtues of a warrior. Indeed, he had already explained four of the seven virtues.]
Practice what you've learned, and ponder these ideas further.
Remember that you must create your own path, but always be willing to listen and learn from other's point of view and wisdom.
Next time, we will begin with the more advanced techniques, I will teach you girls the style I developed over time...
"Seven Heavens as One", as well as furthering our study on the virtues of a warrior.
[Kazuya stretches out for a bit.]
Is there...anything else you girls want to discuss before you head out?
The class is over for today.
...................................................................
Kotori looks down, specifically at her lap, a solemn look on her face, she says nothing.
That's... Do what's right whenever you can huh? Well, she's been saying she'd do that for a while.
Might as well keep it up, and Respect comes from treating people well huh? Well, she'd already intended to try and do that... As for something else?
"Um, what do you know about different kinds of swords? I don't want to just pick something blindly, but I have been meaning to try fighting up close for real soon. And well, isn't using what you've learned out in the world a good way to get better?"
In history, different kind of swords have been made for different purposes.
Right no we are training under the styles of the japanese sword as an introduction into a much more refined fighting style.
But medieval swords are vastly different, and curved swords are too.
[Kazuya makes a quick drawing of these three examples.]
"Seven Heavens as One" works around every kind of sword, but with the basics directly taken from the Katana.
However, what you choose depends in no one but you, the "Warrior" chooses his...or rather, her tool.
Think about the lenght, weight and shape...use whatever you feel more comfortable using, Homura.
[After this, Kazuya stands up and slowly walks towards the exit, with his final destination being his own home.]
Alright, have a safe trip back home girls!
You too Kazuya-sensei......
She stands up
As for me. I prefer longswords.....
well.... Shortswords....
B-but they're long for me!
So......
She's quiet for a moment
Ya wanna go home Homura-sa-...
Homura-chan?
Homura nods at Kotori, geez between this and that Tower before she's feeling too freaking tired... Oh well, at least she learned something interesting today... Gonna have to figure out what's up with Kotori too, but that's for another time.
"Yeah, Kotori-chan, I need to get some rest. And it'd be best if I get home before passing out in the streets or something, didn't sleep enough last night."
She'd begin walking off like a normal human being, no fancy magic as for once the girl feels entirely too worn down to do any of her usual Parkour. She'd simply wander off and look at Kotori every now and then, a slight smile on her face. In spite of hearing some horrible things, she's glad to have some clue what she's contending with at least... And, guess it's time to get a real sword if she doesn't want to try fighting with an enchanted Shinai.