"So you're saying all we can do now is wait for the Hunter sent by the Guild to arrive?" Isis asked, gnawing on a carrot she was eating as a snack.
Altaïr nodded. "That's the gist of it. I couldn't get much information out of the Professor, so I went to find Erik to learn more.
According to him, this type of investigation quest relies heavily on the ability to act flexibly, so the Guild usually doesn't send Hunters with overly rigid personalities.
That's good news for us. If they sent a Guild Knight who strictly adhered to every regulation, we probably wouldn't have any room to negotiate.
After all, bringing along a Hunter who is 1★ below the requirement is a 'customary exception'; according to the explicit rules, it's not allowed."
"I hope it's a senior who's easy to talk to." Isis crunched loudly on her carrot. "In that case, we'll probably be idle for a few days. I wonder what we should do...
Ah! I almost forgot, I brought something good!"
As she spoke, Isis stuffed the remaining stub of the carrot into her mouth and jogged back to her room.
When she returned, she was holding a notebook slightly larger than the palm of her hand.
She chuckled and handed the notebook to Altaïr. "This is a transcript of the swordsmanship insights compiled by my mother. I took a quick look through it on the way here, and it records some incredible weapon arts.
I rarely practice the Long Sword nowadays, so you keep it. This transcript was handwritten by Grandpa Amos himself, so be sure to take good care of it."
Altaïr's heart skipped several beats.
The swordsmanship insights of the legendary "Red Blade"!!
"Is... is this really okay?" Altaïr didn't even dare to reach out and take it, feeling that Isis was being far too reckless.
Was this really the kind of thing you just gave away to others?!
Seeing Altaïr's hesitation, Isis smiled and said, "Dad and Mom said long ago that the weapon arts, experiences, and hunting techniques they taught me, and everything recorded in their notes, can be freely shared with other Hunters.
If this knowledge and these skills can help more people, they would be happy, too."
With that, she pushed the notebook toward Altaïr again.
Altaïr rubbed his hands vigorously against his clothes before carefully accepting the notebook as if he were receiving a legendary secret manual.
In a way, there wasn't much difference between the two.
"Ah, I have something to teach you as well." Altaïr suppressed the urge to flip open the notebook and read it immediately. "It's nowhere near as precious as this notebook, of course, but I feel like it's a technique you could use.
Have you ever heard of the Surge Slash Great Sword?"
"Surge Slash?" Isis tilted her head and thought carefully, eventually shaking her head.
There were as many martial arts styles in this world as there were stars in the sky; she couldn't have heard of them all. Regardless, her father had never told her anything about a "Surge Slash."
However, Nymera spoke up. "I have heard of it. It seems to be an ancient Great Sword style passed down in Kamura."
As she spoke, she looked at Isis and then at Altaïr.
Suddenly feeling a bit like a third wheel standing there, she smiled and said, "Perhaps the two of you should go to the Training Area. I need to head to the alchemy lab to start crafting some Bowgun Ammo." With that, she took Hibiki and left.
Altaïr couldn't even bring himself to stuff the notebook into his pack, keeping it held firmly in his hand. "Come on, let's head to the Training Area and I'll show you.
There are three forms and nine moves in total; with your talent for swordsmanship, you'll learn them in no time.
These sword techniques aren't just for the Great Sword. With your strength, executing them one-handed with a Gunlance won't be a problem at all.
Didn't you used to feel that the Gunlance's physical attacks were just simple swings and slams, not powerful or fluid enough?
Incorporate the Surge Slash techniques, and both your power and offensive flow will definitely jump up more than just a level!"
"Ooh! There's actually a technique like that?"
Isis sounded excited but still carried a hint of doubt. "But I don't have your level of physical coordination. Something like a one-handed Charged Slash... I probably won't be able to pull that off, right?"
"There are no Charged Slashes; the Surge Slash Great Sword style almost never uses Charges." As Altaïr pulled Isis toward the Training Area, he explained:
"This style emphasizes the transition. You'll see in a bit!"
The two arrived at the Training Area in high spirits.
It was afternoon, a time when many Hunters usually came to train, but the Training Area here was built spacious enough, and there weren't that many Hunters in Metapetatto to begin with, so they quickly found an open spot.
Altaïr took a heavy, unsharpened training Great Sword from the weapon rack and handed it to Isis, then picked one up for himself.
Surge Slash Great Sword was, after all, a Weapon Art created specifically for the Great Sword. He definitely had to let Isis learn it with a Great Sword first before considering how to integrate it with Gunlance techniques.
"We're starting. Pay attention to the footwork, the use of inertia, and the details of storing power."
From the very beginning, Altaïr pointed out the core of the Surge Slash Great Sword. Aiming at the training dummy, he began demonstrating move by move.
The first time through, Isis simply focused her mind on watching without moving.
The second time, Isis began trying to extract certain key mechanical details, such as the blade dragging at critical moments and the brief windows of storing power.
Starting from the third time, she followed Altaïr's movements, hacking and slashing alongside him, step for step, swing for swing.
After performing the moves five or six times in a row, Altaïr, his breathing slightly rushed, stopped and turned to observe Isis's movements instead.
"Try linking the third move of Rising Slash after the second move of Vortex Slash!"
"Don't try to force it with raw strength! It's such a waste of inertia! Adapt! Utilize! Accumulate!"
Under Altaïr's guidance, Isis's movements grew increasingly fluid. She also began trying to switch between the three sword stances on her own, attempting to weave in her own understanding of swordsmanship.
It was obvious that Isis was slightly worse at utilizing inertia than he was, but this wasn't because her talent for swordsmanship was inferior.
On the contrary, Isis's talent for the Great Sword likely surpassed his own. The only reason she hadn't become a Great Sword user was simply that her control over timing wasn't precise enough.
As for why he could use Surge Slash so well after seeing it just once? It was mainly because he had the advantage of knowing how to use the Hammer.
Isis had never practiced with a Hammer, yet she could still grasp the core principles of the Surge Slash Great Sword so quickly; she truly deserved the title of "stunningly talented."
Gradually, Altaïr stopped speaking.
For certain subtle flaws and pauses, he didn't need to remind her. After a few more repetitions, Isis would correct those awkward spots herself.
Only when it came to certain advanced inertia and power-storing techniques, flaws she couldn't figure out on her own in a short time, would she stop to exchange a few words with Altaïr.
In this way, through repeated attempts and corrections, Isis's movements became increasingly smooth and increasingly... fierce.
Altaïr noticed something fascinating.
The same Surge Slash Great Sword, when performed by different people, felt completely different.
The Surge Slash teacher Haifa performed was strictly by the book; it was clearly a style that didn't suit her, but she had memorized it by rote. Her movements were the most "orthodox" Surge Slash Great Sword.
At least it ensured that when she taught others, she wouldn't lead them astray.
His own Surge Slash focused more on the seamless flow of transitions and inertia, his sword stance continuous and unrelenting. In the words of his teachers Karin and Haifa, it was "like a vortex" that "never stops spinning."
But Isis's Surge Slash was terrifyingly aggressive. She focused more on accumulation, stacking her sword stance while attacking until the final moment when it became nearly uncontrollable, then releasing it all at once.
It was like floodwaters instantly bursting through a dam after reaching capacity. It was also like... a Great Sword's Charged Slash.
Was this just what a natural Great Sword prodigy looked like?
Altaïr looked down and smiled.
No one's Surge Slash was more "correct." This was also why he was unwilling to over-correct her; he wanted Isis to better integrate her own style.
The rest was up to her own practice.
Altaïr found a place to sit and opened that precious book of swordsmanship insights.
(Translated by yourtl.app)