"What else was I supposed to do?"
Yun Feiyang turned to look at the sea. "If there's a problem, solve it. If you can't solve it now, then work hard to become stronger—strong enough to fear nothing. When that time comes, there won't be any difficulty you can't overcome!"
"Really? Becoming stronger can solve every problem?"
"Of course!"
Yun Feiyang turned to her and said solemnly, "Becoming stronger doesn't just mean gaining power. It also means becoming stronger in your heart. Only those with strong hearts are truly strong!"
Erza blankly touched her chest. "My heart?"
"That's right. Resilience makes people strong, and courage makes people fearless!"
Erza calmed down and sat back down, saying softly, "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it. The Guild Master said that Guild partners are family. Helping family is only natural!"
Erza smiled. "Yeah. Having family feels wonderful!"
"And then? Are you that kind of strong person too?"
"Me? How should I put it?"
Yun Feiyang gave a bitter smile. "I was trapped in a forest, the only human there, surrounded by countless Magic Beasts. If I didn't want to die in that environment, I had no choice but to become stronger and stronger and stronger."
"If I ran into something I couldn't beat, I ran. Then I trained desperately and went back for revenge once I had become strong enough. That went on for three years, until the Guild Master brought me out."
"Do you think that counts as being strong?"
Erza nodded. "Of course it does. You never gave up, and those scars all over your body are the best proof!"
"I'm so envious. If I could have been as strong as you, maybe I wouldn't have been so powerless back then."
Yun Feiyang patted her shoulder encouragingly. "Then work hard and become strong!"
Then he stood up. "It's time for me to train!"
"Are you going to work hard now? Please let me see how you train!"
"Suit yourself. Training is boring anyway."
Yun Feiyang reached behind his back and pulled out... Little White!
One man and one beast stared wide-eyed at each other. How awkward!
"Ahem... My mistake, my mistake!"
"Go play somewhere else!"
Little White was ruthlessly tossed aside, and Muramasa left its sheath.
Holding a long blade nearly as tall as he was, Yun Feiyang began swinging it again and again as he practiced the Slash Art.
"Basic swordsmanship?"
In the Island Nation, blades and swords were not distinguished. One might wield a blade, but what one cultivated was swordsmanship.
Erza soon noticed something astonishing: a crack had appeared in the ground.
What looked like an ordinary practice routine caused the crack to deepen with every swing Yun Feiyang made.
There was no enhancement from Magic Power, nor were there any savage strikes. They were truly just simple swings—and that was what made them so shocking!
"How did you do that?"
"Oh? You noticed?"
Yun Feiyang did not stop moving as he spoke while practicing. "If you want to cultivate swordsmanship, the basics are the key. Basics are like a foundation. How can you build a skyscraper without laying it properly?"
"There are eight basic blade forms: sweep, chop, deflect, shave, skim, press, slash, and thrust. If you perform each move a thousand times every day and keep it up for three years, you'll be able to do this too!"
"For example..."
Yun Feiyang's eyes sharpened, and his entire aura changed. He raised his katana high and aimed it at the sea ahead!
"Slash!"
A huge trench split open across the sea's surface, taking quite a while to close again!
"This..."
Erza stared with her eyes wide in shock. There had still been no fluctuation of Magic. It had truly been nothing more than a simple slash.
Was that something human strength could accomplish?
Coming back to her senses, Erza dropped to the ground with a thud and shouted, "Please teach me swordsmanship, Master!"
"Huh?"
Yun Feiyang was dumbfounded. Why wasn't she following the script?
"I have a reason why I must become stronger. Please accept me as your disciple!"
"No, no, there's no need to go that far. I can teach you swordsmanship, but you don't need to become my disciple. Get up quickly!"
"No, this is the proper etiquette!"
Yun Feiyang scratched his head, feeling troubled.
"Get up first. We can talk while standing!"
"Yes, Master!"
Yun Feiyang rolled his eyes. "What Magic are you good at?"
"I only know Costume Change Magic!"
Erza clenched her hand, and a sword appeared in it out of thin air.
"How about this? I'll teach you swordsmanship, and you teach me Costume Change Magic. You don't have to become my disciple, and neither of us will owe the other anything. How does that sound?"
Erza asked suspiciously, "Do you really want to learn Costume Change Magic, or do you just not want to take me as a disciple?"
"Of course I want to learn Costume Change Magic!"
He did not intend to master it deeply, but Yun Feiyang truly wanted to learn it because Costume Change Magic was extremely convenient in daily life.
Costume Change Magic created a storage space within one's body for storing equipment. Yun Feiyang's goal was to use it as a Portable Space to store weapons and various daily necessities.
Generally speaking, that space was more than enough.
Of course, the Fairy Queen before him was far from ordinary. She had mountains of equipment and an outrageous amount of daily necessities, which was why she would later have to drag an entire cart of luggage wherever she went.
Erza said seriously, "Costume Change Magic is an extremely common type of Magic. You can learn it anywhere. The Guild even has it."
In other words, you just don't want to take me as your disciple because you dislike me!
"Uh... Isn't it better to have someone ready-made like you to teach me? The Guild Master praised your talent too. She said your Costume Change Magic was unique."
Just kidding. When it came to using Costume Change Magic, who could compare to you?
"Really? I didn't expect you to think so highly of me!"
"Then it can't be helped. I'll teach you everything I understand about Costume Change Magic!"
At that moment, Her Majesty the Queen was surely secretly delighted.
"In exchange, please teach me the essence of swordsmanship!"
"No problem!"
Yun Feiyang had received more than just Mumei Shinpū-ryū from Muramasa. He had also gained all kinds of training methods and insights into swordsmanship.
He did not dare call himself a swordsmanship master, but teaching an Erza was more than enough.
Yun Feiyang held his katana horizontally and said, "Attack me. Let me see how far your swordsmanship has progressed."
"And don't use Magic Power."
"All right. Then be careful!"
Erza did not hesitate and thrust her sword at him!
Yun Feiyang shook his head. "Nothing but openings!"
Muramasa hooked and turned, using the Deflect Art to easily knock her sword away.
"Uh..."
Erza stared blankly at her empty hand.
"Too crude. This isn't swordsmanship at all. You're just using it as a weapon."
"What do you mean? Isn't a sword a weapon?"
"You need to correct that way of thinking first. To a swordsman, a sword has life. A sword is an extension of the arm. You must treat it as part of your body, grow accustomed to its presence, and regard it as an important partner—as beloved family!"
Erza's eyes lit up. There was actually such a way of looking at it!
"I know Costume Change Magic relies on equipment in battle. I don't understand other weapons, but if you want to learn swordsmanship from me, you must treat your sword seriously!"
"Yes, please teach me!"
Yun Feiyang nodded. "You've never learned swordsmanship at all, so you'll have to start with the basics. Also, the way you grip your sword is wrong. A true swordsman will not let someone easily knock the sword from their hand."
Erza's little face flushed as she muttered, "No one taught me before. How was I supposed to know any of this?"
"What did you say?"
"N-Nothing! I'll train hard!"
Before you continue