It was a bright, sunny morning. The sun bathed the earth in light, and winter sunshine felt wonderful to people—like a warm spell that let them enjoy its gentle warmth even in the cold season. Stretching your fingers from the shadows into the sunlight, you could feel warmth spread through them in an instant. No words were needed; all you had to do was take your time and savor the feeling, letting sunshine fill those damp, gloomy corners once more.
Watching the sunlight pass between her fingers, Himeko leaned against a bamboo stalk. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Little Himeko, who was swinging her greatsword nearby, and made up her mind.
"That's enough for today. You've got the hang of it!"
Leaving the bamboo behind, she walked over to Little Himeko. At this point, Little Himeko could use a greatsword well enough to pass. At least she no longer struggled to control its weight and force like she had at first.
"..."
At Himeko's voice, Little Himeko stopped, put away her greatsword, and looked at her.
"We're ending practice this early today?"
Little Himeko was a little confused. Before, they had practiced until after noon, then stopped for lunch and continued until evening. It wasn't even eleven in the morning yet. Why were they stopping now?
"You've got the basics down. From here on, you'll have to figure things out for yourself. There's a lot I can't teach you... I can only teach you the fundamentals. The rest... you'll have to explore on your own."
Himeko's skills and abilities had all been forged gradually through actual combat; they weren't something you could master just by sitting through a lesson. Most Valkyrie skills were created by the Valkyries themselves.
Take Yae Sakura's swordsmanship, for example. At first,