Amid shattered walls and fallen beams, dust still drifted through the air like fading echoes of violence.
"Sensei Genzo! Sensei Genzo!"
"Are you all right?!"
Students of the Shimotsuki Dojo rushed forward in alarm, their wooden sandals scraping frantically against the fractured ground.
A visibly disheveled Shimotsuki Genzo paid them no heed.
His gaze remained fixed elsewhere.
Kuina could lower her voice, soften her steps, or conceal her thoughts but never from him. Not from a father who carried her safety in every breath he drew.
Yet as he turned the matter over in his mind, his rigid expression gradually eased.
Leaving Kuina in Seraphina's care…
Perhaps that was not such a terrible outcome.
Seraphina's swordsmanship was unlike anything he had witnessed in decades of discipline sweeping yet precise, fierce yet impossibly controlled. Every strike flowed with natural authority, as though the blade itself obeyed her will without hesitation.
A swordsman's style is a mirror of the soul.
And Saint Roselith Seraphina…
…was someone worthy of entrusting a life to.
More than that, her future was clearly destined to transcend the ordinary tides of the world.
If Kuina were to walk beside her
It might well be the best path available.
After all…
Who would dare bully the disciple of such a monstrous force?
Only the faintest ache of paternal reluctance stirred within Genzo's chest.
He slowly lifted his eyes toward Seraphina.
"…Very well."
Kuina's talent was undeniable.
Her dedication to the blade burned brighter than most seasoned disciples.
And within her resided an unyielding hunger for strength. raw, defiant, and pure.
Seraphina regarded the young swordswoman with quiet approval.
Her expectations were high.
"Thank you, Sensei!"
Relief flooded Kuina's voice.
Moments earlier, doubt had clawed at her heart.
What if Seraphina refused?
What if she had been arrogant… presumptuous… foolish?
But the instant Seraphina accepted
Joy burst forth like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Kuina clung tighter to her.
Seraphina could feel the tremor of excitement radiating from the girl.
"…However," Seraphina added gently, "you must call me 'Teacher.'"
She was still unaccustomed to being addressed as "Master."
"Understood Teacher!"
The flustered child vanished.
In her place stood Kuina, proud and resolute once more.
Time slipped quietly into afternoon.
Golden light stretched across Shimotsuki Village.
By the time Roronoa Zoro returned to the dojo, dusk had already settled.
He sheathed his swords.
Then immediately began scanning the training hall.
Searching.
Restless.
He needed to challenge Kuina again.
Every defeat sharpened his resolve.
Every loss forged his ambition.
His growth over the past year was unmistakable. His body had hardened, his strikes had gained weight, and his endurance far exceeded that of most children his age.
He could now lift a stone broader than his own head with a single hand.
Yet after a lengthy search
No Kuina.
Strange.
At this hour she should have been training.
Why wasn't she here?
He questioned a nearby disciple.
Only then did he learn:
Kuina was preparing for her initiation ceremony.
He also heard whispers of the warehouse incident.
And couldn't help releasing a quiet breath.
The ceremony itself was modest.
More tradition than spectacle.
Yet Genzo treated it with solemn gravity befitting the Shimotsuki name.
When it concluded,
Zoro watched silently.
Then stepped outside.
Training alone beneath the darkening sky.
A pebble struck his shoulder.
"So I hear you still want that duel!"
Kuina stood behind him.
Eyes blazing.
"Kuina!"
"Duel Two-Thousand-and-Two!"
"Zoro enters the fray!"
No further words were needed.
Kuina raised a single blade, gripping it firmly with both hands.
Zoro drew two swords.
Their skills had sharpened.
Their spirits had hardened.
Two young swordsmen,
Bound by rivalry and ambition,
Crossed blades once more.
Steel rang.
Footwork blurred.
They fought fiercely.
Relentlessly.
"Zoro!"
"Still so weak."
The path of the sword is decided first within the mind.
Kuina's taunts struck as sharply as any blade.
Zoro clenched his teeth.
"Two-Sword Style: Lightning Strike!"
A technique born from imitation.
Inspired by Seraphina's overwhelming slash.
That single strike had etched itself into Zoro's memory.
Even in sleep, it haunted him.
Kuina's eyes widened.
But the technique lacked refinement.
Its timing imperfect.
Its structure unstable.
With swift footwork,
She slipped past the attack.
Then countered.
The duel ended.
"Duel Two-Thousand-and-Two!"
"Defeated"
Zoro.
Again.
Kuina sheathed her blade, breathing heavily.
"That last strike…" she muttered.
"It's getting dangerous."
She collapsed onto the grass.
Limbs spread wide.
"Kuina…"
"You're leaving, aren't you?"
Zoro's voice was unusually quiet.
He had sensed it during their clash.
Something had changed.
Of course.
Seraphina would depart.
And Kuina
As her disciple
Would follow.
"…That's right."
Days passed.
Zoro challenged Kuina every single day.
And every single day
He lost.
"Duel Two-Thousand-and-Ten!"
"Defeated"
"Zoro!"
He rose without complaint.
Without hesitation.
Without surrender.
"Zoro."
"Tomorrow, I leave Shimotsuki Village with Teacher."
A brief pause.
Then
"Kuina."
"The next time we meet…"
"I will defeat you."
Without waiting for a reply,
He turned,
And walked away.
Seraphina felt it.
A surge.
Her swordsmanship had advanced more during this visit than in months at sea.
But all journeys must resume.
All feasts must end.
It was time to depart.
Night descended early.
Moonlight pooled like silver across the courtyard stones.
Seraphina sat alone,
Watching the quiet village.
A place untouched by chaos.
A peace she wished to protect.
"Teacher! The hot spring is ready."
Kuina's voice drifted from the doorway.
A wooden bath pail hugged tightly to her chest.
Truth be told, Kuina felt almost giddy.
The thought of bathing with her teacher sent heat rushing through her veins.
The day's relentless discussion and instruction had enriched Seraphina immensely.
But even she was not immune to exhaustion.
Ever since learning Shimotsuki Village possessed hot springs,
Anticipation had robbed her of sleep.
A hot spring…
An experience she had never known.
Now,
At last
She stood before it.
Silver hair loosely tied.
Body wrapped in a bath towel.
Steam curled softly through the air.
She tested the water with cautious toes.
Ripples spread.
"…Perfect."
The door slid open once more.
Kuina entered through drifting mist.
"Teacher!"
"Allow me to wash your back."
Though her expression remained obscured,
Seraphina sensed the emotion beneath it.
Dependence.
Admiration.
Unspoken longing for guidance.
Knowing Kuina had lost her mother at a young age,
Seraphina understood.
"…All right."
Seated sideways upon the small stool,
Her back exposed to the steam-warmed air,
Seraphina closed her eyes.
Soap-lathered hands moved gently across her skin.
Careful.
Respectful.
"Kuina…"
"Finished?"
"Not yet, Teacher!"
"…Almost done."
A final rinse.
Warm water cascading downward.
"Teacher, I'm pouring water now."
"…Mm."
At last,
Kuina completed her task.
Seraphina slipped into the spring.
Warmth enveloped her like liquid tranquility.
Her mind softened.
Her body relaxed.
This…
…is living.
Moments later,
A soft splash.
Kuina joined her.
Ripples faded.
Silence returned.
Kuina's gaze drifted toward Seraphina's face.
Serene.
Radiant.
An almost unreal beauty.
Like something untouched by the world's cruelty.
Kuina did not know the words to describe such a presence.
But she knew this:
Before her sat not merely a Marine officer.
Not merely a swordswoman.
But her teacher.
Her savior.
Her guiding star.
Her name
Saint Roselith Seraphina.