At the center of the swordsmanship room stood a humanoid training dummy.
Nanatsuki Katori picked up a wooden sword and slowly walked toward the dummy.
The students gathered in a circle, watching his every move.
The dummy was specially made—tough and durable. Even a shallow strike with a real blade would struggle to cut through it.
Nanatsuki lowered into a forward stance, raising the wooden sword with his left hand pressing against the back of the blade. Spiritual pressure wrapped tightly around it.
In the next instant, all the muscles in his body tensed. He stepped forward with explosive speed—so fast no one present could see clearly—and thrust the wooden sword forward.
Katori-ryu: Shun Strike!
Thud—
With a muffled impact, the wooden sword pierced straight into the dummy's chest.
Nanatsuki pulled it back. As he dispersed the spiritual pressure on the blade, the wooden sword instantly splintered into wood chips, scattering across the floor.
Most of the students in this class were born in the Rukongai. They had never witnessed swordsmanship like this—they were all stunned.
"That was amazing, Sensei!!!" Kana Chijō cheered, clapping her hands excitedly.
The other students came back to their senses and followed with applause.
Shinji Hirako kept his usual lazy expression, casually clapping along.
"Tch..." Kensei Muguruma muttered, "I could punch a hole through it just the same."
He wasn't impressed by swordplay. Compared to blades, he preferred the satisfying feeling of flesh-on-fist combat.
"This was 'technique'. Now, let me demonstrate 'finesse'." Nanatsuki took out a bowl of red bean rice he had brought and waved to someone in the crowd. "Kana, come here a second."
The moment she saw the red bean rice, Kana flashed to his side like lightning.
"Sensei, do I get to eat it now? Isn't that kind of… unfair?" she said expectantly.
"Not yet. Just hold it and stand right here." Nanatsuki placed the bowl in her hands.
He then used a pair of chopsticks to take out a single cooked red bean and gently stuck it to the center of her forehead.
Once that was done, he went to the weapons rack and picked up another wooden sword.
Kana stood there, confused by his actions, staring blankly as her teacher approached slowly.
Then, Nanatsuki's eyes suddenly sharpened.
Kana felt a chilling sharpness on her forehead.
Whoosh—
The air split with a crisp sound.
Kensei Muguruma's pupils dilated. "He… he cut it in half!!!" he exclaimed.
Even the lazy look on Shinji Hirako's face disappeared as he stared seriously at the red bean on Kana's forehead.
That fully cooked red bean had been split in two by the wooden sword.
"Incredible... Can a wooden sword really deliver such a sharp slash?" Shinji murmured.
A red bean, cooked and barely stuck to the skin, wouldn't hold well. If the swing was even slightly slow, it would be smacked off instead of sliced cleanly.
Not to mention, the red bean was so tiny that striking it precisely—without harming Kana Chijō—required unbelievable control of distance and aim.
The difficulty of that strike was sky-high. Katori-sensei's swordsmanship was terrifying!
"That was amazing! Katori-sensei—please teach me the way of the sword!" A student with a fierce-looking face was in tears from excitement.
He felt today was special—he had finally found his life's calling. He would learn swordsmanship and become a great swordsman!
The other students were just as fired up, all declaring they wanted to learn too.
"I'm your swordsmanship instructor. Of course I'll teach you with all my heart. But the path of the sword is long and dry—it requires daily practice and persistence to master. The basics are your foundation. Today, I'll teach you how to build that foundation," Nanatsuki said slowly.
He then guided the students through repetitive swings and several basic stances.
...
"Once you get home today, make sure to review the stances you've learned. Only when they become muscle memory can you truly say you've mastered them. That's all for today. Tomorrow, I'll teach you the four basic movement steps."
[Lesson Complete – Rewards Calculated]
[Gained Reward: 10 Swordsmanship EXP]
[Your impressive sword technique left a deep impression on the students, causing them to pay extra attention in class. Feedback effect doubled.]
[Gained Reward: 10 Swordsmanship EXP]
Nanatsuki focused on his Status Interface. His Swordsmanship skill had been at level 50 with 996/1000 EXP. The 20 EXP from class pushed it to Level 51.
After class, Kana Chijō eagerly grabbed the red bean rice and began eating.
With every bite of Nanatsuki's food, Kana smiled blissfully. "So delicious!"
"Do you have another general studies class this afternoon?" Nanatsuki asked.
"I forgot..." Kana replied, cheeks puffed out and words muffled.
"You do. I remember your schedule. After class, come to the Katori-ryu Dojo," Nanatsuki said. "Your basics are decent, but you still need polish. Starting today, we'll raise the intensity."
"Okay! I'll head straight there after class!" Kana beamed at the thought of scoring another dinner at her teacher's house.
"I've got something else to do, so I'll be going. The bowl—" Nanatsuki was about to tell her to return it later at the dojo, but saw it was already empty. "I'll just take it now..."
After class, Nanatsuki left the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy.
He still had an important task today—Batsu'unsai's medicine was running out. He needed to pick some up from Squad Four.
Well, "pick up" was generous—he didn't have the money, so he'd be putting it on tab again.
Nanatsuki walked out of the academy and headed toward Squad Four.
"Good afternoon, Katori-kun. You're back again," a Squad Four member greeted him.
Nanatsuki was a regular here. Everyone in Squad Four knew him.
"Good afternoon, Murata-kun. Is Captain Unohana around?" Nanatsuki asked with a smile.
"I saw her in the courtyard just now. She should still be there—go on in," Murata replied. He didn't offer to guide him; Nanatsuki knew the place well.
"Thanks, Murata-kun. I'll head in myself," Nanatsuki nodded.
As he neared the courtyard, a gentle fragrance drifted toward him—the scent of flowers from the trees.
The courtyard was filled with beautiful greenery, refreshing to both eyes and mind.
In the center stood a woman clad in a white captain's haori. She had the serene elegance of a traditional Yamato nadeshiko. Her long black hair was intricately braided and hung down over her chest.
As she raised her hand, her sleeve slipped down, revealing fair, delicate skin.
Captain Unohana was holding a pair of scissors, carefully pruning the tea trees.
"Katori-kun, here to pick up medicine again?" she asked without turning—already sensing who had arrived.
Her voice was as soft and gentle as always, smooth and calm, making Nanatsuki feel as if someone were tenderly brushing his chest.