Final Volume: A Tiny World in the Dust - Dance (I)

"You have to aim for pure strength. Anything less won't do."

One day, as her mother sat beside the campfire, turning field mice skewered on sticks over the flames, she said this to Xiao Wu.

Young Xiao Wu didn't understand what she meant.

"I... don't understand."

"For example—"

Her mother picked up a skewer of roasted field mice. Xiao Wu copied her, and in just a few bites, devoured the golden, glistening mouse.

"Come on, Xiao Wu. When I count to three, we'll both stab each other's hands with our skewers. One—two—"

"Uh—"

"—three!" Whoosh!

The swishes of bamboo skewers slicing through the air overlapped perfectly. Bright red liquid splattered. Xiao Wu's skewer stopped less than a millimeter from her mother's hand, while her mother's skewer pierced Xiao Wu's skin.

They had struck at the same time and at the same speed, but only Xiao Wu was hurt.

"That's the difference in strength created by attack range."

Her mother dropped her skewer and began to explain.

"An attack comes down to four things: speed, accuracy, force, and range. You don't need flashy stances, cunning schemes, or showy techniques. If you can bring those four things to their utmost, then your attack will be the strongest."

"...But I got hurt just now, and Mother didn't."

"That's why weapons exist."

Her mother picked up the two guns hanging from her waist and caressed them gently, as if remembering something.

"Training the body takes a great deal of time and effort, and it also depends heavily on natural talent. To make up for their shortcomings, people invented martial arts and techniques. Their purpose is to bring out the full extent of one's limited strength as efficiently as possible."

"Then what about weapons?"

"Learning martial arts and honing techniques is easier than pure physical