With the presence of a new resident, Jun immediately realized one simple yet important thing:
the small cabin was no longer enough.
Summer had just begun.
Free time… and a girl who now lived with him.
"I'm going to renovate the house," Jun decided one morning, as flat-toned as usual.
Rina, who was sweeping the small yard in front of the cabin, quickly turned. "Eh?"
"Not anything major," Jun continued. "Just adding one room, a more proper kitchen."
He didn't lack money. That wasn't the problem. What bothered him slightly was something else.
'Akeno's reaction later…' he thought.
The image of a dangerous smile mixed with a joking tone that was never truly a joke made Jun let out a quiet sigh. But that was a problem for later. For now, his priority was clear.
Renovation.
...
After the renovation was completed, the rhythm of life in the small cabin slowly found its own shape.
Rina, who for the time being had no school or other obligations, naturally took over the role in the kitchen. At first Jun didn't think much about it—until he realized one fact that dealt a blow to his pride as someone who had survived all kinds of environments.
Rina's cooking was far more delicious.
Not luxurious, not complicated, but warm and precise. Simple soup felt more alive, the rice was never too mushy or too dry, and the seasoning was always balanced. Jun, who usually ate just to survive, found himself finishing every meal without leftovers.
Without much discussion, the responsibility of cooking changed hands.
Jun didn't mind. He knew when to surrender.
Outside mealtimes, they spent most of their time training together. The empty area beside the cabin, which had originally been just flat ground, had now become their favorite place. That was where Jun practiced swordsmanship every morning, and Rina—watching with deep interest—observed from the side.
Jun's sword techniques always drew attention.
Every swing of his sword felt light, almost beautiful, yet carried a sharp intent. When he used Mount Hua techniques, the air seemed to fill with invisible flower petals. Layered sword shadows, the direction of attack becoming vague, and a single slash could feel as if it came from many angles at once.
Rina watched without blinking.
"Is that… an illusion?" she murmured, half amazed, half disbelieving.
Jun finished one sequence of movements and lowered his sword. "Not entirely," he replied calmly. "It's perception manipulation."
From that day onward, Rina more often approached whenever Jun was training. Her questions were simple, but full of enthusiasm.
"Teach me," she said one afternoon. "That technique."
Jun went silent for a moment, looking at Rina from head to toe. Not judging her strength, but her direction.
Eventually, he shook his head.
"Not suitable."
Rina froze. "Eh?"
"The Mount Hua technique isn't suitable for you," Jun repeated calmly. "Its foundation is different. Your sword intent is different as well."
A trace of disappointment flashed across Rina's face, but she held it back. She didn't argue—she knew Jun never spoke carelessly.
But Jun wasn't finished yet.
"Imitating someone else's technique will only dull your sword," he continued. "You have something else."
Rina frowned, confusion clearly visible on her face. "What do you mean?"
Jun didn't answer right away. He simply picked up a wooden sword leaning against a tree trunk, then stood facing Rina. This time there were no beautiful dance-like movements, no illusionary petals, no intricate Mount Hua illusions.
Just a single simple swing.
But before the sword moved, qi flowed calmly from Jun's body, wrapping the wooden blade like a thin layer of light. He took a breath, then swung it forward—straight, without tricks.
The air split.
From the tip of the sword, a pale blue slash drifted outward. Its form was faint, nearly transparent, like an illusion not fully real. The slash shot forward and struck the tree before them.
KRAK!
The tree split cleanly and fell with a heavy sound, shaking the ground around it.
Rina jolted.
"What—!?"
Her eyes widened, her breath caught. She stared at the fallen tree, then at the wooden sword in Jun's hand, as if unable to believe that something so simple could produce such a result.
Jun lowered his sword casually. "Even though it looks like an illusion made of pure energy," he said calmly, "what I just did is the same as the previous technique. Basically, nothing is different."
"What?" Rina turned to him quickly.
"That's called manipulating the energy inside your body," Jun continued. "Then manifesting it into a technique."
He stepped closer, then tapped his own chest with a finger. "We live in a world where the supernatural still exists. The energy of this earth—qi, mana, whatever you want to call it—is still abundant. It can be absorbed. It can be used."
Rina listened without interrupting.
"Most supernatural beings," Jun continued, "are born with terrifying abilities. Devils, angels, dragons—they have foundations from the beginning. Meanwhile humans?" He gave a faint smile. "We are born with nothing."
He lifted the wooden sword slightly. "That's why humans created their own abilities."
Rina fell silent.
"Some created magic spells, manipulating magical energy through language and symbols. There are also onmyōji, who manipulate qi through talismans, formations, and rituals. But are the two different?" Jun shook his head. "No."
He looked straight at Rina. "Magic energy and qi are both spread across this planet. The only difference is how we understand them."
Jun planted the wooden sword into the ground.
"The sword isn't the source of strength," he said softly. "The name of the technique isn't the source of strength. Even a Sacred Gear isn't everything."
He looked at Rina seriously. "What matters is how you shape your energy, and what you convince the world of when you swing your sword."
Rina unconsciously clenched her fists.
"…So," she murmured, "I don't need to imitate anyone?"
"No," Jun replied shortly. "You only need to understand yourself."
The forest wind blew gently, rustling the leaves.
It reshaped the understanding that Rina had gained because of Jun, and because of that, she resolved to do the same.
Jun wasn't just speaking carelessly—he also guided the girl with precise direction and built her initial foundation, because since she mostly used Qi as her power system, the girl's meridians had to be rearranged so that the Qi in the air could be absorbed properly.
//---//
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