The Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was a school of swordsmanship exceptionally well-suited for Amamiya Rin.
The Sangaku-en no Tachi—or Sword of Three Learning Circles—that he had currently learned derived its name from the three learnings: Precepts, Dhyana, and Wisdom. It fused Buddhist meditative thought with martial application. Its core lay in the mastery of distance, rhythm, and timing, utilizing Dhyana to enter a state of 'No-Mind' and cultivate powerful intuitive reactions.
These techniques were an incomparable match for Amamiya Rin's realm of Observation. With the foundation of the Six Wondrous Gates already in place, the basics of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu posed no barrier to him whatsoever.
By twilight—the time when demons are said to roam—Amamiya Rin had already grasped the fundamentals of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu and began asking Sato Shihan for more advanced techniques.
Sato Shihan, however, looked quite troubled.
"Do you really not want to polish your foundation? Even if you understand the key points of advanced techniques, you won't be able to execute them."
In Sato Shihan's eyes, the young girl before him was too eager for quick success. She hadn't even mastered the moves she just learned before rushing to the next. He feared that once she was in actual combat, she wouldn't be able to use a single one.
"Please guide me, Shihan."
Amamiya Rin bowed slightly, his tone incomparably firm.
"Very well. It might be good to broaden your horizons."
Sato remained silent for a moment before finally nodding, finding an excuse for Amamiya Rin's haste.
For the next two hours, Sato Shihan explained two more sets of techniques to Amamiya Rin.
One set was Enpi—the Swallow Flight. Its guiding principles were the mutual generation of movement and stillness, and the transformation between the substantial and the insubstantial. It covered compound actions like leaping, rotating, and attacking, emphasizing the creation of tactical advantages through changes in speed and rhythm. It was a 'Life-giving Sword' focused on dynamic defense.
The other set was Kuka—the Nine. It emphasized a three-stage distance control: feinting at long range, pressuring at medium range, and delivering a killing blow at short range. It aimed to drag the opponent into one's own tactical rhythm. It was a 'Killing Sword' focused on active offense.
Just as Amamiya Rin wanted to press on, a clear knocking sound rang in his ears.
Naturally, this knocking wasn't coming from the dojo's main gate. Realizing he had a visitor, Amamiya Rin left a mental instruction for Kawakami Tomie.
(I have matters to attend to on my end. You're on your own here now.)
(Hmph! I know! You don't need to nag!)
Kawakami Tomie responded grumpily. Amamiya Rin gradually withdrew his inner mind, his intent of Observation retracting along the [Tomie Network] as he exited the state of Dhyana.
Outside the hospital ward door, the knocking sounded again, slightly heavier than before.
"Please come in."
Amamiya Rin sat up straight in his bed and called out.
The door was pushed open from the outside. The person walking in was not a nurse, but Miss Fujino Terumi. She wore a bright smile on her face as she greeted Amamiya Rin.
"Rin-kun, I'm not disturbing your rest, am I?"
Fujino Terumi was dressed in light sportswear today, appearing very energetic. Most notably, she was carrying a black sword bag in her hand.
"No, it's still early."
Amamiya Rin glanced out the window. The sun had just sunk below the horizon, leaving the residual glow of twilight in the sky, while a pale crescent moon had quietly emerged.
"Rin-kun, I brought you a gift. This is a Hon-Akagashi—True Red Oak—wooden sword I bought from a martial arts equipment shop."
Fujino Terumi unzipped the sword bag and took out a wooden sword, handing it to Amamiya Rin as if presenting a treasure.
The wooden sword came with a scabbard. It was about 110 centimeters long. The scabbard was made of light brown paulownia wood, unlacquered, covered only by a layer of beeswax thin as a cicada's wing.
Amamiya Rin accepted the wooden sword. Gripping the middle of the scabbard, he gently pulled upward, revealing the blade.
The blade body was deep brown, haloed with a pale yellow pith line, as if the light and shadow of twilight had been kneaded into the wood. The entire piece lacked superfluous decoration. The hilt was wrapped in dark gray cotton thread. The curve of the blade back was gentle, gradually narrowing from the hilt to the tip. The edge was a rounded, unsharpened design, polished smooth—one look was enough to tell it was a high-quality item with excellent craftsmanship.
Amamiya Rin held the hilt with one hand, sank his wrist slightly, and performed a phantom cut in the air.
As the blade sliced through, it produced a heavy whoosh.
The movement pulled at the muscles in his shoulder, bringing a trace of dull pain.
"How can a swordsman be without a sword? If Rin-kun had a sword yesterday, that vampire definitely wouldn't have escaped. Unfortunately, because of the 'Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law', buying a real sword requires half a month for the paperwork. And an ebony wooden sword requires a custom order in advance, so I had to settle for the next best thing and buy one made of True Red Oak."
Fujino Terumi showed a regretful expression. Although this Hon-Akagashi wooden sword she bought wasn't cheap—it cost her twenty thousand yen—it still felt insufficient to express her gratitude.
"You went to great trouble. It feels very suitable to use."
Amamiya Rin did not politely decline or stand on ceremony; he directly accepted Fujino Terumi's gift.
Ultimately, he had saved Fujino Terumi's life. No matter how she chose to repay him, he could accept it with a clear conscience.
And he was indeed lacking a handy weapon right now. He couldn't very well use a crutch every time he encountered an enemy, could he? He wasn't an alien from Planet Crutch.
Although a wooden sword wasn't as good as a real sword, it was at least easier to use than a crutch.
"It's great that you like it!"
Fujino Terumi's eyes lit up. She clapped her hands gently together in front of her chest, revealing a sweet smile. It seemed as if her whole being was sparkling, giving one the impression that she was born to be an idol on stage.
After chatting for a few sentences, Fujino Terumi prepared to say goodbye to Amamiya Rin.
"I still need to go visit a senior who is also staying here."
As Fujino Terumi said this, however, she revealed a hesitant expression.
"Senior? I heard you mention it yesterday. Is the surname Harase?"
Amamiya Rin recalled for a moment and asked.
"Yes, Harase. Harase Kyoko. Does Rin-kun not know this name?"
Fujino Terumi hurriedly nodded, but her expression turned helpless again, looking as if she wanted to sigh.
"I'm not interested in the entertainment industry, and I rarely watch TV."
After saying this, Amamiya Rin suddenly remembered something else.
That vampire from yesterday must have also been some kind of idol, star, or singer. Although Rin hadn't met the person, he had an impression of him, likely from seeing him on TV or a poster.
Fujino Terumi before him was an entertainer, and the hospitalized Harase Kyoko was also an entertainer. Was there a possibility that the vampire's true identity was an acquaintance of Fujino Terumi and Harase Kyoko?
"Harase-senpai debuted as an idol just like me, but in the end, she couldn't become a top star. Now she can only play the lead in horror movies. Although she has the title of 'Queen of Horror', Harase-senpai isn't satisfied. She even complained to me about it, urging me to seize my opportunities and learn acting while I'm young..."
Fujino Terumi seemed somewhat emotional about the circumstances of her senior who had also started as an idol, chattering on incessantly.
"Only able to play the lead in horror movies? Is that really so bad?"
Amamiya Rin couldn't help but retort.
"Although it's not terrible, artists who have been popular certainly wouldn't be resigned to only being the lead in horror movies."
Fujino Terumi said as a matter of course.
While horror movies had a fan base, they were ultimately inferior to mainstream commercial films.
"Hmm... and then? What happened to that Harase Kyoko?"
Amamiya Rin did not continue with that topic. He didn't understand those things, and Fujino Terumi's earlier hesitation likely wasn't for the sake of discussing career paths.
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