Chapter 2 – Swing Like You Mean It
Hakuji stood in the dojo's courtyard, holding the katana with both hands.
The old man, whose name he had finally learned was Master Genzō, stroked his mustache and barked orders.
"Feet apart! Posture straight! Breathe as though the sword is your lung!"
Hakuji blinked.
> "If my sword is my lung, then I'm already dead."
WHACK!
The old man smacked him with a bamboo stick.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For disrespecting the blade spirit!"
"There's a blade spirit?!"
Master Genzō nodded, deadly serious. "Every sword has a soul. Treat it like a friend. Talk to it."
Hakuji looked down at the katana in his hands.
> "…Yo. Uh. Sup?"
The silence was painful. Even the cicadas stopped buzzing.
Master Genzō buried his face in his palm.
---
Training: Take One
"Alright, swing down with all your might! Imagine cutting through the air itself!"
Hakuji lifted the blade, yelled, and swung down with all the force in his body—
CRASH!
The sword slipped from his sweaty hands and lodged itself in the dojo roof. Tiles rained down.
"…I'm fired already, aren't I?" Hakuji mumbled.
Master Genzō just smiled. "You've got potential. At least you didn't drop it on your foot."
> "That's your standard for potential?!"
---
Meanwhile… Zoha's Palace
Zoha sat again in front of the golden statue of the Insane Swordsman. His fingers drummed on the armrest of his ornate chair.
One of his advisors whispered, "My lord, the smuggling of ancient weapons continues smoothly. But… the statue…"
Zoha's eyes narrowed.
"I told you. The statue does not move from here. It is more than gold. It is the key."
He rose, approaching the statue, running his hand along its blade. His reflection in the golden sword shimmered strangely, almost alive.
> "The world has forgotten swords," he murmured.
"That is their mistake."
---
Back at the Dojo
Hours later, Hakuji collapsed onto the tatami mats, drenched in sweat. His swings were sloppy, his grip was shaky, and his arms felt like noodles.
But—Master Genzō's sharp eyes noticed something.
Every tenth swing… the boy's form was perfect. Natural.
It was almost like his body remembered something his mind didn't.
"Not bad," Genzō said finally. "You might survive after all."
Hakuji groaned, staring at the ceiling.
> "Survive what? I only came here because the sign said free lessons…"
Genzō smirked. "Oh, you'll see."
The cicadas screamed outside, and for just a moment, the katana beside Hakuji gleamed unnaturally under the dim light.
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✨End of Chapter 2✨