"Is that all?"
"My sword... is it really not as perfect as my sister's?"
Facing Yuki's evaluation, Alexia's hands clenched a little tighter, a flash of unwillingness in her eyes.
Actually, she had heard similar comments not once or twice, but frequently, when others compared her swordsmanship to her sister's.
The usual conclusion was that she couldn't match her sister, Iris.
Of course, initially, Alexia hadn't paid much attention.
She believed that even if she wasn't there yet, given time, she would eventually catch up to her sister and be recognized for having a "Perfect" sword.
But now, hearing Yuki say this, she found herself caring about it more.
"Is reaching your sister's so-called 'Perfection' really that important?"
Yuki looked at Alexia, asking seriously.
"Yes! It's very important!"
Alexia nodded emphatically, her expression serious.
However, Yuki shook his head.
"If that's the case, then you'll never truly change, never truly grow stronger."
"Merely chasing another's shadow, denying your own sword..."
"That can never reach another height."
Yuki sighed as he spoke.
"That phrase again!"
Hearing this, Alexia frowned.
"Are you saying I should acknowledge and accept my own sword?"
"Yes!"
"Only by accepting yourself, understanding yourself, can you progress."
"If you merely keep imitating your sister, your sword won't just fail to surpass hers—it might not even reach her level."
Yuki directly pointed out the consequence if Alexia stubbornly continued down this path.
Hearing this, Alexia's face showed a look of shock.
She hadn't expected it to be so serious.
This made her take it seriously.
"Of course, the so-called 'Perfect Sword' your sister is praised for by the public isn't truly perfect either."
"Because in the end, she was defeated—defeated by me."
Seeing her reaction, Yuki then stated another fact to Alexia.
This statement left Alexia with no grounds for rebuttal.
Thinking about it carefully, it was true.
"I can't find any reason to refute that."
Alexia shook her head helplessly.
Yuki, however, smiled and then ruffled Alexia's hair.
"So, don't think about becoming someone else."
"Just be yourself!"
Yuki's tone softened as he spoke gently to Alexia.
Looking at Yuki at that moment, he seemed to glow. That gentle, smiling face made her heart flutter and race a little.
She quickly turned her head away, not daring to look at Yuki anymore.
"Since you're so skilled... could you instruct me?"
Alexia stammered as she asked Yuki, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Of course I can!"
"But before that, call me 'Teacher' first."
Hearing Alexia's question, Yuki's expression paused for a second, then he grinned as he spoke.
"Te... Teacher."
Hearing this, Alexia didn't hesitate to call him that.
"Good!"
Yuki nodded, clearly satisfied with Alexia's address.
"Alright, now I'll start by teaching you the basics!"
Yuki then casually waved a hand, and a sword with red and blue coloring appeared in his grasp.
The blade shimmered with alternating red and blue hues—the blue like a bolt of lightning, the red like a flame.
Additionally, it was engraved with some runes, making the overall sword appear quite mysterious.
This sword was the "Thunderfire Sword" Yuki had previously obtained from a daily check-in, sharing its name with a certain production team from Earth.
This was the second time Yuki had taken out this sword, because when he first obtained it from the check-in, the name had been so corny it left him speechless.
It had killed any interest he had in using the sword again.
Though the name was strange, the sword's abilities were actually quite decent.
The sword naturally possessed the powers of fire and lightning. Even someone without any inherent power could use it to freely release lightning and flames.
Of course, given Yuki's current strength, the sword's power wasn't particularly impressive.
At full power, it was only surface-level at best.
So now, he only took it out to "let it breathe" when instructing Alexia in swordsmanship.
"Come on, follow my movements."
Seeing Alexia staring at his sword in a daze, Yuki interrupted her thoughts.
Snapping back to reality, Alexia gave a slight nod, picked up her own sword from the side, and mimicked Yuki's stance.
Then, she followed Yuki's simple sword-swinging motions.
"Standing sword, thrust forward directly, this is the thrust!"
Yuki called out softly, then performed a thrusting motion forward.
Alexia immediately followed, executing the same thrusting motion.
Next was the slash, followed by the upward sweep, and so on...
After going through the set, Alexia realized these were all basic swordsmanship movements.
This left her very puzzled as she looked at Yuki.
Yuki seemed to have anticipated her confusion and explained.
"The most fundamental is often the best."
"From complex to simple, from simple to complex."
"That is the true essence of the sword."
Yuki offered a brief explanation.
Hearing this, Alexia found it somewhat reasonable.
So she continued.
Yuki, meanwhile, occasionally corrected Alexia's movements.
From a first round of somewhat rough movements, to gradually improving, and finally to a clean, fluid set of basic actions—only then did Yuki nod with satisfaction.
"Now, do you feel as if the sword in your hand has become one with you?"
"Mhm! Teacher!"
Alexia nodded with pleasant surprise.
This change astonished Alexia immensely.
If before, she had simply held the sword and swung it mechanically, now she felt her sword and hand were connected.
Every move and stance flowed naturally and effortlessly.
"That's right! If you keep practicing, in time, even your sister won't be your match."
Yuki smiled, then gently ruffled Alexia's hair.
Receiving this "head pat" from Yuki, Alexia's cheeks flushed again. She nodded shyly.
After letting go of Alexia, Yuki turned to leave.
"You keep practicing. I have some matters to attend to."
Yuki waved goodbye to Alexia.
Alexia nodded, watched Yuki leave, then resumed her practice.
While Alexia was practicing, unbeknownst to her, in a hidden corner nearby, Iris was secretly watching.
Her eyes gleamed as she recalled the words Yuki had spoken to her sister earlier.
A trace of envy appeared on her face.
She envied that her sister had received guidance from a powerful person like Yuki.
Thinking of her own situation, her spirits sank slightly.
She carried too much on her shoulders—something she had realized after a sleepless night.
Combined with what Yuki had said to her earlier, Iris seemed to have identified her own issues.
But even so, Iris found she couldn't let go immediately.
Perhaps only time would allow her to slowly accept her defeat and lay down her pride.