"Listen to the voice in your heart."
Kanao Tsuyuri murmured the words, seemingly trying to understand what her uncle had said. But her mind, which had gone so long without thinking for itself, did not know how to begin making sense of them.
"Take your time. There's no rush."
Su Mu spoke gently as he watched Kanao Tsuyuri.
After all, the cruelty she had suffered as a child had long since caused her to close off her heart. Expecting Kanao Tsuyuri to suddenly regain the youthful exuberance a girl her age should have was clearly unrealistic.
"Let's head out first. You can think about it little by little."
Holding Kanao Tsuyuri's hand, he walked out of the inn. This time, he walked very slowly, making a point of stopping whenever they came across something interesting. Yet most things that would have other children roaring with laughter left Kanao Tsuyuri unmoved. It seemed very difficult for anything around her to stir her emotions.
"Try to feel it..."
Su Mu spoke softly beside her.
Kanao Tsuyuri tilted her head and looked at him.
Su Mu smiled and did not explain further. These were not things that would become clear simply because he explained them.
Before long, they arrived at the Hiko Dojo.
He met Arakawa Akihiro again and continued learning Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from him.
While Su Mu trained, Kanao Tsuyuri stayed obediently nearby, quietly watching her uncle learn.
Time slipped quietly by as he trained.
Four hours later, Arakawa Akihiro corrected Su Mu's sword posture once more before saying quietly, "From what I can see, you've more or less understood everything I've taught you. But understanding something and truly mastering it are two different things."
"What do you mean?"
Su Mu frowned.
"Your mind knows what to do, but when it's time to act, you don't know how to put it into practice. For example, you know which sword technique to use to block an enemy's thrust, but if they suddenly change the thrust midway, you start to panic..."
Su Mu nodded. "Then how do I truly master it?"
"True mastery can't be taught. What matters most is actual combat."
Arakawa Akihiro spoke quietly. "Only through actual combat can you truly master it."
As he spoke, Arakawa Akihiro stood and picked up a wooden sword from the weapon rack. "Now, treat me as your opponent. Let's spar."
"All right."
Su Mu nodded and took a wooden sword from the weapon rack as well.
"Let's begin."
Arakawa Akihiro spoke from where he stood.
"All right."
Su Mu nodded and lunged at him with his sword almost instantly.
Arakawa Akihiro's expression flickered with surprise. Over the past few days of teaching Su Mu, he had noticed that Su Mu's physical abilities were extraordinary, so he had remained on guard throughout. Even so, Su Mu's speed shocked him. No ordinary person could move that fast.
Despite his surprise, Arakawa Akihiro reacted immediately, swinging his wooden sword in an instant. Although Su Mu had attacked first and begun his slash first, Arakawa Akihiro's wooden sword arrived sooner, blocking his strike almost instantly.
Su Mu frowned. With his first slash blocked, he changed his sword's direction and struck again.
Arakawa Akihiro retreated while defending with his sword, always managing to block Su Mu's attacks immediately before launching an instant counterattack. Every counterattack left Su Mu scrambling.
After several consecutive attacks were blocked, Su Mu began to grow irritated, his strikes becoming increasingly frantic.
Just then, Arakawa Akihiro suddenly moved again. After blocking another of Su Mu's strikes, he abruptly stamped his foot against the ground, abandoning his steady retreat beneath Su Mu's attacks. With a dull thud from the floor, he lunged forward and swung his sword in the same instant.
The blade sliced through the air with a whistle.
By the time Su Mu came to his senses and hurriedly tried to retreat, the tip of the wooden sword had already reached his chest.
"You're dead."
Arakawa Akihiro spoke calmly.
Su Mu's movements faltered slightly. He lowered his head and looked at the sword poised a hair's breadth from his chest. Clearly, had it moved just a little farther, the wooden blade would have struck him there.
For most people, a sword strike to the abdomen or heart would leave them as good as dead.
"That was fast."
Su Mu lowered his wooden sword. "Impressive. I lost."
Arakawa Akihiro lowered his wooden sword as well and looked at Su Mu. "I didn't expect you to admit it so quickly."
He had taught many people and sparred with them, but most were unwilling to accept defeat, always believing they had merely been careless or still had a chance.
"A loss is a loss."
Su Mu shook his head. It was a fact, and there was nothing to argue about. Although, as a demon, he would not die even if a real sword cut through his heart, that applied to a real battle, not their current sparring match. Even though he had not used his full strength just now, there was no denying that the strike had caught him off guard, leaving him unable to react at all.
"Let's keep going..."
Su Mu tightened his grip on the wooden sword again and looked at Arakawa Akihiro. Next time, he would definitely be able to react.
But Arakawa Akihiro shook his head. "It's already too late. Besides, I'm no longer suited to teaching you."
Su Mu was puzzled by his words.
"I could tell you were holding back when you swung your sword just now. I can sense how physically strong you are. If you went all out, your sword would have been much faster. I'm afraid I might not have been able to block it."
Looking at Su Mu, Arakawa Akihiro could not help sighing softly.
"I really don't know how you trained your body to become so strong."
Su Mu fell silent. As a demon, his physical abilities had already surpassed human limits. Although he deliberately concealed them, an expert could still see through him quite easily once he made a move.
"Can't you keep teaching me?"
Su Mu could not help asking. He felt he still had a great deal to learn.
Arakawa Akihiro fell silent. Su Mu's physical abilities were so formidable that they almost felt inhuman. Previously, his overwhelming advantage in swordsmanship had been enough to suppress that strength. But as Su Mu learned and made up for his shortcomings, Arakawa Akihiro could no longer keep him in check. He might not even be a match for him.
If he was no longer a match for Su Mu, there was little point in continuing to teach him. After all, what worked for him might not suit Su Mu.
"I still feel like there's more I could learn."
Su Mu spoke again.
Arakawa Akihiro hesitated before saying, "How about this? I'll introduce you to my senior fellow disciple. He's strong enough. With his swordsmanship, he could handle you easily even if you used your physical abilities to their fullest."
"All right."
Su Mu nodded.
Arakawa Akihiro went out, and before long, he returned with a man who had reddish-brown hair.
"This is my senior fellow disciple, Kenshin Himura."
Arakawa Akihiro introduced him to Su Mu.
Su Mu smiled in greeting.
"Hello."
Kenshin Himura wore a very gentle smile.
"We already met yesterday."
Su Mu smiled as well. "Please teach me."
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