The next day, Monday.
Ren woke up early in the morning and was training in Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu in the house's backyard. His expression was noticeably more relaxed and gentle than before; after confirming that he could keep Masaki alive—even if only as a spirit—that was enough for him for the time being. He no longer carried that heavy mood he used to hide behind a forced smile.
"Is it fun watching me swing the Bokuto?" Ren raised an eyebrow in mild puzzlement as he looked at Rui, who was sitting nearby, watching him intently.
Rui sat close by, her cheek resting on her hand, her gaze fixed on his movements with obvious interest. She didn't look away from him even once.
"Kind of," Rui admitted quietly, her ruby eyes locked on him. "I'm not the athletic type, but I'm a little curious to see you swing the Bokuto."
"Hmm." Ren hummed, scanning Rui from head to toe with a thoughtful look. "How about trying to swing the sword yourself? It's good for the body and will help get your blood circulation going."
"Alright." – Contrary to Ren's expectations, Rui didn't hesitate to agree. She walked toward him calmly, looking genuinely interested in trying out the wooden sword.
Ren's eyebrow rose slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he handed her the spare Bokuto resting on a flat stone near the garden.
"Here, take this. It's medium weight, so it shouldn't be too heavy for you." He watched as Rui held it with both hands—hesitant at first, then with a steadier grip.
"Do I… look stupid?" she asked while raising the sword a little, trying to copy his stance.
"Not yet." He replied with a faintly sarcastic tone before positioning himself in front of her. "But I can help you get there later."
Rui let out a soft, genuine chuckle, then took a deep breath.
"Show me the steps, Master Ren."
"Uchiha Ryū isn't for show," he said seriously. "But it might help you defend yourself one day, so take it seriously, alright?"
She nodded, her ruby eyes gleaming with focus.
Ren began teaching her the basics—how to stand, how to hold the Bokuto, hand placement, and how to coordinate footwork with the swings. He explained each step calmly, occasionally stepping forward to adjust her grip or guide her shoulders gently.
"Have you trained in this since childhood?" she asked while trying to execute a vertical swing.
"No. I've only been learning it for a little over a month." Ren shook his head slightly. He had been training in Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu ever since obtaining it from the system, and had already reached the Perfection stage—the second-highest recorded mastery level in the system. The mastery stages were: Basic, Advanced, Perfection, and Master.
There were no stages above that. Apparently, reaching the Master level meant the technique was fully mastered and could not be refined further… at least in theory. But that didn't mean a dead end—he could still modify the technique to make it stronger, allowing for further growth.
Of course, Ren had no intention of revealing the system to anyone. Even Mikazuki, who was part of his soul, knew nothing about it.
Watching Rui shift slightly to adjust her stance, he spoke in a measured tone:
"Raise your left elbow a bit… yes, like that. Steady breathing is the key—don't hold the Bokuto like it's just a weapon, hold it like it's part of your body."
"Easy for you to say…" she muttered, trying to follow his instructions. "But this is harder than I thought."
"That's normal." Ren stepped closer to gently correct her grip. "Sword control starts with understanding its weight and feeling its reach—not just with your muscles, but with your heart."
Rui nodded, following every word carefully. Though her movements were clumsy at first, she quickly improved, becoming smoother and more precise.
Ren watched her in silence, offering occasional guidance. He had to admit—Rui was exceptionally talented, managing to grasp the basics of Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu in just under two hours.
"Alright, let's stop here." Ren spoke after noticing Rui sweating heavily. She clearly needed a shower—especially since it was now 7 a.m., and they needed to have breakfast and head to school soon.
"Mhm." Rui nodded lightly. Despite her usual blank expression, fatigue and excitement were clear in her eyes—it was obvious she had enjoyed wielding the wooden sword.
"I need a long bath to wash all this sweat off," Ren muttered in annoyance as he headed toward the house with Rui. He enjoyed bathing, but wasn't really in the mood right now; still, leaving his body sticky with sweat felt disgusting.
"Me too." Rui agreed, rubbing her stomach slightly—she was also hungry after nearly two hours of training, and her whole body ached from using muscles she wasn't used to.
"Good morning." Upon entering the house, they were greeted by Hina, who looked at them in surprise. "I didn't expect you two to be up so early… I even saw something rare—Rui swinging a wooden sword."
"Morning." Ren replied calmly, removing his shoes at the entrance. "Even I didn't expect her to agree, but she was more serious than I thought."
"I was just a little curious," Rui replied casually, though her eyes sparkled slightly—a sign she had enjoyed herself. "I guess I got a little carried away."
"A little carried away?" Hina raised an eyebrow mischievously, giving Rui a scrutinizing look. "You looked like you were in a life-or-death duel with the air."
"The air was a stubborn opponent." Rui replied with exaggerated seriousness, then smirked as she headed toward the stairs. "I'll shower before I start stiffening up like a wooden plank."
"Good idea." Ren murmured, heading toward the kitchen. "I need to wash all this sweat off before I start the day too."
Hina watched the two of them with a hint of suspicion. It was strange for the cold and reserved Rui to get this close to someone she'd only met a few days ago—even if he was her stepbrother from their mother's remarriage. She couldn't shake the feeling that the two of them had known each other before.
...
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