"He is swift."
"Indeed, he is."
Having stepped out into the world, Yoriichi suddenly broke into a run, vanishing into the distance in an instant.
"Shall we not pursue him?"
"My objective was simply to leave the clan. Besides... it would take a great deal to actually kill that monster."
"Well, that much is true."
Even so,
"Let us at least see where he has gone."
Good heavens, he really is fast.
Finding it impossible to catch up on foot, I traveled on Uzui‘s back. We followed the path Yoriichi had taken until, eventually, we found him by a ridge in the rice fields, conversing with someone.
The person speaking with Yoriichi was a young girl with striking eyes, as dark and deep as obsidian. After a brief exchange, the two of them disappeared together into the distance.
The brat... he acted like a stone statue, yet it seems he is a man after all.
"Wooing a lady already... unlike a certain someone, he is truly no ordinary man."
"Don't ruin the moment."
"So, what do you intend to do now? Thanks to you, I have become unemployed in the blink of an eye."
"If you‘re so displeased, you shouldn't have followed me."
"Had I stayed, my head would have been on a platter by now. You must take responsibility for making me this way."
"Why not look for a different master?"
Uzui pondered for a moment before replying.
"I think staying by your side might be more entertaining. In a way, you are 'different' from Lord Yoriichi, though in a different sense. How should I put it... it‘s as if you‘re a person from another world. Someone who looks at things through a different lens... You are a loner in a way that differs from Lord Yoriichi."
That stung a little.
"I‘m sure flashy things will happen if I stay near you. Besides, don‘t you have some funds tucked away to keep me fed?"
I had indeed brought some emergency cash I‘d hidden away just for the moment I fled the clan.
"I have no use for a vagrant."
"I have no intention of just sitting around. By the way, are you certain you won't be joining Lord Yoriichi?"
"....."
I silently watched Yoriichi as he walked along, listening to the young girl's chatter.
"Being there will make him happier than staying with me."
I asked Uzui to teach me how to fight.
I had found a clue on how to become stronger, but was there any guarantee that a monster like Yoriichi was unique?
Another freak of nature on his level could emerge from anywhere at any time.
Yes, in this harsh world, I must become strong as quickly as possible if only to keep myself fed.
Uzui, a ninja who had seen her fair share of battles, would surely know a thing or two.
After some thought, Uzui nodded and suddenly told me to go climb a mountain.
I hadn‘t even slept properly, and she wanted me to run up mountains since daybreak? I‘m seven years old! This is child abuse!
When the spirited morning jog ended and noon arrived, Uzui handed me a wooden sword.
Wait, what? No Wind Style: Rasenshuriken?
"This is the Musical Score."
"A score?"
"It is a combat calculation method I developed. I read the rhythm of the enemy‘s movements and convert them into sound to discern their habits and blind spots. Even if it isn't as profound as Lord Yoriichi‘s Breathing Style, it will be quite useful once you master it."
Uzui drew her weapons. Nunchaku? No, they were a bit too large for that. The chains were long, and... what were those blades on the ends?
Where did she even pull those from? And aren't ninjas supposed to carry kunai? Why is she carrying such an absurd, oversized weapon?
"Kunai are tools, not weapons. My philosophy is to always do things with flair. For your sake, Young Lord, I shall refrain from using gunpowder today."
What did you say? Gunpowder?
"Do not worry. You are still far too green for me to face with my beloved blades, so I‘ll be using these things I found lying around."
Uzui took a stance, swinging her weapons with acrobatic precision.
Hold on, I only have a wooden sword!
"I shall come at you with the intent to kill. If you wish to live, visualize my Score."
Damn it all, I am only seven!
Uzui closed the distance in a flash, swinging the nunchaku-like weights downward with both hands.
I evaded by rolling to the side.
As expected, the common sense of dodging via a roll holds true!
Wait, no, this is still way too much for a seven-year-old!
"The Score! Every flashy movement of mine, my footwork, my breathing, even my habits—record them all as sound!"
How on earth am I supposed to do that?!
Trying to use Yoriichi‘s breathing now would be a mistake; with my current stamina, a single use would leave me bedridden.
She told me to visualize the Score...?
'Before an attack, the lungs move greatly; observe the direction of the bones, the contraction of the muscles, and the flow of the blood.'
How is that any different from Yoriichi's nonsense?!
Though it paled in comparison to Yoriichi, Uzui‘s assault was a marvel in its own right.
A flurry of strikes that created a personal space of absolute destruction.
Even though it felt like I was barely dodging and parrying, whenever a strike was truly destined to hit, she would subtly shift the trajectory to ensure it only grazed me.
Damn it, living like this is a humiliation.
No, focus. Focus. I will hit this woman at least once.
That‘s right, I am Michikatsu, a man who knows not the meaning of surrender.
I gripped the sword with both hands, concentrating as I had during my training at the estate.
"Do you know? A sword is far more powerful when wielded with two hands rather than one!"
As time passed, I eventually grew accustomed to her movements.
I couldn't tell if she was slowing down to humiliate me or not!
Whatever the case, it didn't matter!
Haa...!
Clang!
Again!
Haa...!
Clang!
Again!
Haa...!
Clang!
Aga... forget it! I‘m done!
I collapsed, splayed out on the ground like a starfish.
The sun had set without me noticing; above me lay nothing but pitch-black darkness and shimmering stars.
"Tch. The Score is a load of rubbish. I couldn't see a thing."
Michikatsu's vision grew dim!
"Well, it is your first time. Unless you‘re a monster like Lord Yoriichi, how would I earn a living if you mastered it in a single day?"
"Sigh..."
As I let out a deep breath...
Drip. Drip.
Water fell onto my cheek.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
"I‘m not crying?"
"Eh?"
As if in response to her words, rain began to pour heavily.
Shhhhhh.
"....."
"....."
Damn it all.
•
•
•
•
•
"....."
"....."
"....."
"Wow! The family has grown again!"
Forgive me, Yoriichi.
And so, daily life carried on.
Mornings began with Uzui‘s shouts as I rolled and climbed through the mountains...
Once noon passed, the beating disguised as 'Score training' began.
Is this bloody Whiplash?
My sister-in-law's name was Uta. She was a chatterbox who spoke incessantly from dawn until dusk.
Naturally innocent and overflowing with curiosity, she was constantly plying us with questions.
And understandably so.
A runaway eldest son from a prestigious clan.
An expressionless superhuman.
And a ninja.
What kind of bizarre combination was this?
Fascinating, really.
It was strange to see a girl who was the complete antithesis of Yoriichi. Is it true that opposites attract?
Her insatiable curiosity and the way she kept the conversation flowing created a strange synergy, but I didn't find it particularly annoying.
Compared to this fellow, anyway.
"Now, now, keep running. The sun is still high in the sky."
The Labor Bureau... no, where is the emergency services? The Ministry of Employment and Welfare?!
This ninja is literally trying to kill me!
"Don't live on your knees—die standing tall!"
Damn it!
Three years of rolling in the dirt like a dog passed, and I reached the age of ten.
I had attained some degree of mastery in creating a Score.
I could now decipher all of Uzui‘s attack patterns.
I have gone through far too much. It has been exhausting, truly.
My stamina had reached incomparable levels, and I had even developed a decent amount of muscle.
However, his Breathing Style... that had seen no progress whatsoever.
'We use a specific breath to run with as little burden as possible, but it is not the same for everyone. Each person adapts it to fit themselves, and eventually, everyone uses a different breath altogether.'
Uzui told me the key was to find my own breathing within Yoriichi‘s.
To be honest, I had no idea what 'my own breathing' was. I simply thought that since Yoriichi‘s was the best, I should just use that.
Trying to force a change felt like I was sabotaging a path that had already been perfected...
But no matter how many times I swung my sword, it felt like I was stuck on a repeating loop.
I couldn‘t shake the sensation of a gear that had been misaligned, grinding as it was forced to turn.
I continued to swing my blade, attempting that monster's Breathing Style.
By now, I could perform the twelve forms with some degree of competence.
Creeeak!
Tch.
What is it? What am I missing?
When I asked Yoriichi, he simply said it was natural to do it the way he does, which was of no help at all.
Uzui also merely repeated that I should find my own style.
In desperation, I went to speak with my sister-in-law.
"Hmm... I see... let me think..."
She closed her eyes, striking a thinking pose and humming in contemplation before she spoke.
"Why not just try breathing however you like?"
Breathing however I like... Come to think of it, lately, when I swing my sword, I‘ve only ever breathed like Yoriichi. I‘ve never once tried to keep my own pace. I‘ve only ever followed those twelve forms blindly.
Perhaps today, swinging the sword at my own pace wouldn‘t be so bad.
I stepped outside.
Today...
"It‘s a full moon."
At Uzui‘s mention of the moon, Yoriichi and Uta came out as well.
A massive full moon illuminated the front of the house. Yoriichi gazed at it with his usual blank expression, while Uta looked on with sparkling eyes.
Today, I decided to stop obsessing over Yoriichi‘s breathing. For just this once, I would swing the blade at my own pace.
I raised my wooden sword and concentrated.
I lifted the blade to perform the first form.
Why do I seek strength?
Simply to protect my own life.
Then why am I clinging so desperately to Yoriichi‘s breathing?
Because he was the embodiment of the 'correct answer.' It was a fact that imitating his breath had made me exponentially stronger.
So, if I use that breath, can I become Yoriichi?
No.
As if that were possible.
Indeed, I can never be Yoriichi.
Right.
"I think I'll stop now."
Stop trying to be Yoriichi.
I lowered my sword and prepared for a horizontal strike instead of a vertical one.
The breath, or anything else—it no longer mattered.
This unbearable grinding of misaligned gears ends now.
I shall be the one to stand at the zenith.
Vrummm.
As I took my stance, Yoriichi‘s breathing automatically began to leak from my lips.
But for now... stay back.
I took another deep breath.
Hooooo.
It was not my usual breath.
Yet it was not Yoriichi‘s either.
However, it was—
Click!
Yes.
Unquestionably, the gear had finally clicked into place.