"Listen to the voice of your own heart."
Kanao Tsuyuri murmured the words, trying to understand what her uncle meant. But her mind, long unused to thinking for itself, didn't know how to begin processing such ideas.
"Take it slowly. There's no rush."
Seeing her expression, Soma spoke gently.
After all, the cruel experiences of her childhood had long since sealed off her heart. Expecting Kanao to instantly return to the bright, lively self that a girl her age should have was clearly unrealistic.
"Let's head out for now. You can think about it little by little."
......
Holding Kanao's hand, Soma walked out of the inn. This time, he walked slowly. Whenever they encountered something interesting, he would deliberately stop. However, most things that would make other children burst into laughter left Kanao calm and expressionless. It seemed her emotions were difficult to stir by external events.
"Try to feel it…" Soma murmured softly beside her.
Kanao tilted her head and looked at him.
Soma smiled but did not explain further. Some things couldn't simply be understood through explanation alone.
Before long, they arrived at the Hiko Dojo.
Once again, he met Akihiro Arakawa and continued learning Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū under his guidance.
While Soma trained, Kanao stayed nearby obediently, quietly watching her uncle practice.
Time slipped by unnoticed during their lessons.
After two hours, Akihiro Arakawa corrected Soma's grip and stance once more before speaking in a low voice, "For now, you more or less understand everything I've taught you. But understanding and truly mastering it are two different things."
"What do you mean?"
Soma frowned.
"It means your mind knows what to do. But when it comes to actual combat, you may not know how to act. For example, you might know which technique to use to block a thrusting attack—but if your opponent suddenly changes the angle midway, you'll panic."
Soma nodded. "So how do I truly master it?"
"True mastery can't be taught through explanation alone. The most important thing is real combat."
Akihiro Arakawa spoke seriously. "Only through actual sparring can you truly grasp it."
With that, he stood up and picked up a wooden sword from the weapon rack. "Now, treat me as your opponent. We'll spar."
"Alright."
Soma nodded and picked up a wooden sword as well.
"Begin." Akihiro Arakawa stood in place and spoke calmly.
"Okay."
Almost instantly, Soma rushed forward with his sword raised.
Akihiro Arakawa's expression flickered in surprise. Over the past few days, he had already noticed that Soma's physical abilities were extraordinary, so he had remained cautious. Even so, Soma's speed still shocked him. An ordinary person simply couldn't move that fast.
Though startled, Akihiro Arakawa reacted immediately. His wooden sword flashed out in an instant. Even though Soma had initiated the attack and struck first, Arakawa's blade arrived faster, blocking the strike almost effortlessly.
Soma frowned. When his strike was stopped, he immediately changed direction and attacked again.
As Akihiro Arakawa stepped back, he defended with his blade, always managing to block Soma's attacks at the very first moment. At the same time, he counterattacked instantly—and each counter left Soma scrambling.
After several consecutive attacks were blocked, frustration began to rise within Soma. His strikes grew increasingly hurried and impatient.
At that moment, Akihiro Arakawa suddenly moved again. After blocking yet another of Soma's attacks, the man—who had been retreating under the pressure of Soma's offense—suddenly stamped hard on the ground. A dull thud echoed as he lunged forward, his wooden sword flashing out in a decisive swing.
The wooden blade nearly split the air, producing a sharp whistling sound.
By the time Soma came back to his senses and hastily retreated, the tip of the wooden sword had already reached his chest.
"You're dead." Akihiro Arakawa spoke calmly.
Soma froze slightly, lowering his head to look at the blade that had stopped just inches from his chest. Clearly, if it had moved forward even a little more, it would have struck him squarely.
For most people, once a blade pierced the heart, it would mean near-certain death.
"So fast…"
Soma lowered his wooden sword. "Impressive. I lost."
Arakawa also withdrew his wooden blade and looked at him. "I didn't expect you to admit it so quickly."
He had taught many students and sparred with many people before. Most were unwilling to accept defeat, always believing they had been careless or that they still had another chance.
"A loss is a loss."
Soma shook his head. It was a fact—there was nothing to argue about. Even though he was a demon and wouldn't die if his heart were pierced by a standard blade, that only applied to a real battle, not a spar.And while he hadn't used his full strength, there was no denying that the final strike had caught him completely off guard.
"Let's go again..."
Soma gripped the wooden sword again and looked at Arakawa. Next time, he was certain he would be able to respond.
But Arakawa shook his head. "It's already too late. Besides, I'm no longer suitable to continue teaching you."
Soma frowned in confusion.
"I can tell that when you attacked just now, you were holding back. I can sense that your physical ability is extremely strong. If you fought at full strength, your speed would be even faster. I might not be able to block it."
Arakawa looked at Soma and sighed softly.
"I truly don't know how you trained such a powerful body."
Soma fell silent. As a demon, his physical abilities far surpassed human limits. Although he had tried to conceal it, when he made a move, an expert could still see through it.
"So you really can't continue teaching me?" Soma couldn't help asking. He felt there was still much left to learn.
Arakawa hesitated. Soma's physical strength was too overwhelming—almost inhuman. Before, he had been able to suppress him through superior swordsmanship alone. But as Soma continued learning and closed the gap in technique, Arakawa would no longer be able to dominate him. In fact, he might not even be his opponent.
Once a teacher is no longer superior to the student, the lessons lose their meaning; what worked for the teacher might not fit the student's burgeoning style.
"I still feel like I can learn more," Soma said again.
After a moment's hesitation, Arakawa replied, "How about this—I'll introduce you to my senior brother. His strength is more than sufficient. With his swordsmanship, even if you go all out with your physical ability, he could handle it with ease."
"Alright." Soma nodded.
Arakawa stepped out, and soon returned with a man who had brownish-red hair.
"This is my senior brother—Himura Kenshin."
Arakawa introduced him to Soma.
Soma smiled in greeting. "Hello."
Himura Kenshin wore a gentle smile on his face. "We met briefly yesterday."
Soma smiled as well. "I look forward to your guidance."