The wooden sword class did not stop at merely going through the motions on the first day. On the second day, it pressed a level deeper.
The same row of short wooden swords wrapped in old cloth lay on the training ground. Wind blew over from the target range, carrying a little fine dust. The children's grips were clearly steadier than yesterday, but because of that, their desire to win and lose had become clearer too. Who had been struck, who had fooled someone else, who had seen that "retreat was a false opening" during Keisuke and Che's sparring—all of it had already stirred a round of heat in their small chests.
As soon as Yamashiro Takuma arrived, he used a twig to draw two short lines on the ground.
"Today, we're talking about winning half a step and losing half a step."
Kiyo blinked. "Half a step can count as winning or losing too?"
"Many people lose because they think it's 'only half a step,'" the teacher said.
He had Takuya demonstrate again. This time, there were even fewer movements, almost nothing more than two feints forward and back. Takuya first threatened with the tip of his sword, looking as though he meant to seize the initiative. Yamashiro Takuma did not immediately respond. Instead, he kept his blade on the centerline and shifted half a step to the side. Though Takuya's strike arrived first, he failed to gain space to withdraw. His line was pressed too full, and Yamashiro Takuma lightly guided the blade along its back, forcing Takuya to recover his stance first.
"The first person to land a strike is not necessarily the winner," Yamashiro Takuma said. "Some people strike their opponent once, then lose the entire line in the next breath. That means they won a