Bamboo wind blows, rustling the leaves and bringing a fresh, cool air to the small wooden hut in the grove. Inside, a composed, orange-haired man and a spry, energetic elder sit facing each other, sipping tea.
"I only have some ordinary green tea at home. Please forgive my lack of hospitality, Saito-sensei. Please," Himura Shinta says with a gentle smile, pouring the old man a cup of tea.
Saito looks at the middle-aged man, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He has spent a lot of time asking many friends, trying to find the descendant of his old rival. He wondered why his rival's dojo had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
By chance, Saito visited his disciple and unexpectedly saw the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū style again. This brought back memories of his youth, when he and his rival competed fiercely. It also confirmed that his rival still had a successor. By getting to know Hiratsuka Ryosuke, he found out who his master was. It's a strange twist of fate that a swordsman would abandon his ancestral dojo to become a chef at a family restaurant.
Saito sips his tea. The fresh, long-lasting flavor of green tea lingers in his mouth. He puts down the teacup and says seriously, "Ancient sword styles are in decline in today's society. Countless styles have disappeared into the river of history. I have many excellent disciples. Many of them joined the police force after graduating and have contributed greatly to the stability and harmony of society."
Saito glances at the long katana in the room. "Himura-san, I know the uniqueness of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. But Kamiya Kasshin-ryū is also an ancient sword style. Our ancestors were both patriots. Haven't you considered passing on and promoting another ancient sword style for the sake of society and our country?"
Himura Shinta shakes his head. He takes a hunting rifle from under the table. "This world is constantly changing, day and night. Therefore, the way of a gentleman is to adapt to the times. It took me a lot of effort to get a legal gun license."
Saito's brow furrows. This Himura is very different from the old friend he knew. Are they really father and son?
"Then why did you pass on Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū? Why did you give the reverse-blade sword to that young man, Hiratsuka Ryosuke?" Saito asks.
"Saito-sensei, do you know why my disciple started learning swordsmanship?" Himura Shinta asks, his expression calm. Without waiting for a reply, he continues. "He told me he wanted to protect his sister."
"Ryosuke's eyes at the time were like a sharpened blade. He had the resolve to cut down any enemy in his way."
"In this day and age, is it naive to want to protect the people you cherish with a sword?"
"High-tech weapons have replaced ancient sword styles. Power and wealth are the powerful forces that can change other people's fates. That's the reality."
Himura Shinta pauses, a gentle look in his eyes. "But compared to that cruel reality, I prefer Ryosuke's naive idea."
"The philosophy of Kamiya Kasshin-ryū is too gentle. Ryosuke is different from me... that style doesn't suit him, a sharp blade."
He recalls what Ryosuke said to him one night a year ago. His tone becomes firm. "As for the direction of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū... I didn't interfere with my disciple's choice. He, in his heart, chose the reverse-blade sword."
Saito falls silent. He loves his country and ancient sword styles. His purpose in coming here was twofold: to meet the descendant of his old friend and rival, and to convince Himura to join the government and pass on the ancient sword style. It's clear now that Himura's mind is made up. He sighs to himself. It seems another ancient sword style is about to disappear.
"Master!"
A voice from outside the hut makes the two men turn their heads. Ryosuke first went to the family restaurant. He didn't expect his usually hardworking master to not be at work. Himura's home is not far from the restaurant, so he came to the bamboo grove. Seeing the guest in the hut, he understands why Himura left the restaurant. Ryosuke walks closer, a look of surprise on his face. He bows to the guest. "Saito-sensei, hello."
Saito nods with satisfaction. At his age, he no longer has the competitive spirit of his youth. He has no intention of making trouble for Ryosuke because he defeated his disciple. He admires the young man who defeated Takamachi Kyouya.
"Ryosuke, may I call you that?" Saito asks with a kind smile.
"Of course," Ryosuke says seriously. He has a genuine respect for this master of an ancient sword style, a modern-day swordsman.
"Then, Ryosuke, do you know about the Gyokuryu Flag?" Saito asks, taking a sip of his tea.
"Yes," Ryosuke says calmly. Since he plans to compete in a kendo tournament, he's familiar with modern kendo events. The Gyokuryu Flag is a national kendo tournament held in Fukuoka every year in late July. There are no preliminary rounds, and there is only one rule: Deathmatch. Each team has five people. The winner stays, and the loser leaves until one team is completely eliminated. The tournament even has a "Fighting Spirit Award," for the record of consecutive victories by one person. As far as he knows, the current record is 14 consecutive victories, which means one person defeated almost three teams by themselves. This also means that the Gyokuryu Flag isn't about the overall strength of a team; one or two strong fighters can carry a team a long way. But this is a high school tournament. He doesn't know why Saito is bringing it up.
Saito sees that Ryosuke knows about the tournament. He takes a sip of tea to clear his throat. "This year's Gyokuryu Flag will have a middle school division. It's a request I made with some old friends, and it has been approved."
Ryosuke and Himura look at each other, then back at the old man. Saito's status in the modern kendo world must be higher than they thought. It's not easy to get a new division added to a national tournament just by asking.
Saito's tone softens. "I care about that boy, Kyouya. He is my last and most talented disciple. He cares a lot about his kendo club, and his biggest wish is to win a team award for his seniors."
"Kyouya is strong for his age, but he could have gone further in last year's team competition. He was eliminated in the semifinals of the Tokyo tournament."
"I saw how disappointed he was last year, and I decided to do this. But Ryosuke, after meeting you, I realized I might have done something unnecessary. But it doesn't matter. I'm looking forward to your performance in the tournament as well."
Saito puts down his teacup and bows to Himura. "Thank you for the hospitality. I will take my leave."
The master and disciple walk Saito out of the bamboo grove.
"I can't believe the day is here so soon, Ryosuke," Himura says. He knows that Ryosuke wants to win a national championship to prove himself. As his master, he is confident in him.
Ryosuke nods, thinking to himself, I can finally prove myself to my sister.
"Come on, Ryosuke. There are about two months until the tournament. Let me give you some special training," Himura says with a gentle smile.
"Master, do you not have confidence in me?" Ryosuke asks, a little surprised. He has fought Takamachi Kyouya many times since their first meeting. After getting to know his moves, he finds their matches are getting easier. And Kyouya is a nationally ranked seed in individual competitions. By comparison, Ryosuke's strength should be on a national level, right?
"Ryosuke, you must know that there is always someone stronger than you. This world is not lacking in geniuses. You are strong, but you can't be complacent. Swordsmanship is also about training your mind. A true master will always have the heart of a student," Himura Shinta says earnestly. He won't say what he's really thinking, which is that it's been a long time since he's had a chance to fight his disciple, and he's eager for a challenge. After all, he's just a chef now, and his only acquaintances who practice martial arts are a fighter. No matter how calm Himura seems, he hasn't forgotten that he is a swordsman.
Ryosuke's heart pounds. He's right. Have my recent victories blinded me and made me stop improving?Master is right, there is no end to learning. Ryosuke nods firmly and bows. "Please help me, Master!"
Himura Shinta smiles genuinely and says with enthusiasm, "Good. That's my disciple. I will create the most rigorous training plan for you, to ensure you can dominate the Gyokuryu Flag tournament!"