22 Kenjutsu Club Part II
Please give me some stones~
---
Mei nonchalantly took her seat once again, oblivious to the nervous glances from those around after her introduction.
She was used to this kind of reaction.
As Kirihara closed his eyes, he continued explaining about the club activities.
"Well, juniors, in this club, our main focus is practicing sword skills. Typically, most members who join already have some sword training experience. However, we also welcome those of you who are interested in learning and want to discover your potential. And don't worry! During the summer holidays, we're planning a camping trip to strengthen our bonds. So, this club isn't just filled with sword-swinging maniacs."
Kirihara briefly outlined what would be done during their time in the club and, with a satisfied nod, he carried on.
"Alright then, I'll randomly pair each of you up for practice sessions. I'll use my terminal to determine the order in which you were introduced earlier."
"Hmmm," I murmured to myself, "I hope my partner isn't terrible. Maybe Erika would be a good choice since she's skilled. Leo isn't bad either, as I can observe the others' abilities and learn from them."
"The fifth pairing is Saijou Leonhard and Chiba Erika!" announced Kirihara.
"Ughh... why?" Erika grumbled beside me, her voice dripping with dissatisfaction.
"Tch, tch. I was hoping to be with Haku, but instead, I'm stuck with this rough gorilla-ouch!"
Erika landed a punch on Leo's waist and continued with a vein pulsating on her forehead, "Who said I'm satisfied with this? Stupid face!"
"Hey, hey! You two cut it out!" I intervened, turning my face away and sighing.
Erika stopped, hmphed, and Leo looked like he wanted to escape somewhere. Well, that means my partner is...
"This is peculiar, but the final pairing is Yuki Haku and Yotsuba Mei. Since today is our first day and we haven't officially started practicing, you guys can either head home or practice individually. Remember, the Kenjutsu Club has access to this place seven days a week, but official club activities only take place twice a week."
Essentially, club members were allowed to use this place casually for practice after school. It sounded practical and flexible, which meant I could easily manage my schedule with my committee activities.
"Leader," a senior raised his hand, and Kirihara nodded. "Is it appropriate for us to accept someone who humiliated the club in front of the other students?" he asked, shooting me a sharp glance.
I casually locked eyes with him, thinking that maybe he was young and still hung up on his reputation. Honestly, as someone who's already 25, I don't concern myself with trivial matters like that.
"Sigh. Tenjou, is that what you're getting at? Do we have to get expelled together too? This guy is just doing his job, or maybe you want to go directly protest to Chairman Juumonji?"
When he heard that, no, when Leader Juumonji called him, his face turned pale, and he started sweating profusely.
Kirihara nodded and pondered the situation, but I disagreed.
If trouble comes knocking, don't worry, I'll face it head-on too, Kuku.
---
"Ugh. It was Haku's repulsive grin. You know, it really doesn't suit your face."
On our way to the wooden sword storage, Erika made a disgusted expression and then followed it up with a playful smile and some teasing words.
That reminded me of something.
"By the way, do you know anything about Yotsuba Mei's sword abilities? Is she just getting started, or is she already a force to be reckoned with? At first glance, it's clear that she's one of the strongest in our generation."
As I asked the question, Erika's face turned pale, as if I had brought up something terrible or triggered some sort of PTSD.
"Ah... uhm... of course,"
Erika replied quietly, then lowered her head. I wasn't sure which question she was answering, but I could sense that the girl had exceptional abilities.
"Hmm. I remember how the room fell silent during her introduction, so she must be something special. But I still don't understand why everyone was so nervous back then."
Leo is completely clueless. I have no idea what he doesn't understand. But I'm not interested in discussing such matters, especially behind Mei's back.
The next day, after finishing my after-school patrol, I headed to the gym for training. Since I already knew where the equipment was located, I changed into a spring school gym outfit—a simple combination of shorts and a white shirt with green accents. Since it wasn't an official training session, I didn't bother wearing the traditional sword training attire.
I couldn't spot Erika. She mentioned she would be practicing at her family's dojo. As for Leo, he joined the hiking club.
I must say, I was quite impressed. The club was granted top-notch facilities like this spacious gymnasium, complete with such as shower rooms, lockers, a fitness center, a kitchen, and even a tuning room for their cad. Not only that but since this was an elite school, the room didn't have the typical mundane design. One glance was enough to see the luxurious modern touch in every detail.
I guess it's because of perks like these that magicians become both objects of scorn and envy in society.
Rather than joining the larger training ground where all the members gathered, I headed to the smaller training area specifically designated for first-year students. It wasn't a matter of discrimination but practicality, as everyone needed their own space.
-swing!
-takatakataka!
Currently, there were only two people present, Yotsuba Mei and Saiba Takumi.
Takumi briefly glanced at me before focusing on swinging his wooden sword at a practice dummy.
Mei was fully absorbed in her practice, gracefully moving back and forth with her footwork perfectly synchronized with every swing of her wooden sword. With just one look, it was evident that she was no newbie like me.
The two of them trained separately, paying no attention to each other, positioned at opposite ends of the hall. I trained in the space between them.
"Hmm..."
Before starting my training, I ran 10 kilometers on the indoor track field, recalling the basic sword techniques I needed to practice—stances, swings.
During the incident when Tatsuya and I defeated the kenjutsu club, I relied on the agility of the [Body flicker] technique and targeted their vulnerable spots, while Tatsuya's [Pseudo-Cast Jamming] made it easier.
Essentially, I don't rely on sword techniques at all; instead, I rely on raw strength and agility.
Two hours had passed, and the clock showed half past four in the afternoon.
-Whoosh!
-Swung!
-Swish!
I executed three moves in a single attempt. I believed that with practice, I could master the basic training within a week, at most.
"Huff. Ugh."
Despite my sweaty body, I still had plenty of stamina to continue performing three moves in a row.
Mei also performed the same sequence from the beginning. Her expression remained as calm as still water, which was reflected in her precise movements. If I were to make an analogy, her movements flowed as serenely as water. It appeared that the her mental played a significant role in her sword style.
On the other hand, Takumi's sword strikes were akin to piercing bullets. Every thrust was lightning-quick, almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Each stab he made at the dummy in front of him was deliberate, aiming precisely at the weak points resembling a dummy human-like.
Mei embodied the tranquility of a serene lake, while Takumi exuded explosive energy like a powerful explosion.
"Tch! This isn't good enough," Takumi grumbled as he missed his target.
---
Mei swung her wooden sword with an expressionless face.
We continued our sword practice, with time and sweat flowing all over our bodies.
"Hey."
"..."
"Wanna spar?"
-Nod
So, Mei is the a few words type.
After spending a considerable amount of time practicing the basic moves, I grew curious about today's outcome.
Casually, I approached Mei, who was seated with her legs spread out against the wall, taking a sip of water from her bottle.
I thought to myself, this girl is the "Why should I?" type. It seems like she doesn't overthink things, especially since we're officially practice partners.
She stood up, grabbing her wooden sword. After maintaining the necessary distance, we faced each other.
-Takatakataka!
With the sound of our wooden swords clashing, I initiated the first move, dashing forward and swinging my wooden sword towards Mei's left.
With a composed expression, Mei parried my wooden sword, redirecting its trajectory with the tip of her weapon. She didn't stop there; her parry was swift, followed by a counterattack. She thrust her sword toward my chest, but her fluid motion redirected it towards my stomach.
Mei increased her speed, concluding the move by crouching with her right leg extended to the side.
"Kuhuk!"
It was an elegant move.
I didn't have time to react, and unsurprisingly, I lost. If this had been a real sword, my blood and entrails would have scattered from the side of my stomach.
Basic moves against sword techniques like that, combined with more experience, surely make a huge difference, right? Despite my proficiency with spears and daggers, swords are a whole different ballgame.
"Shit! That hurts. huff... huff..."
I lay down, feeling the impact on the part of my body that was struck by the blade. I still felt the pain even though I had protective gear on. Call me narcissistic, but my weird body constitution called [Heavenly Body] doesn't stand a chance against this girl.
Or perhaps she's an even bigger freak than me?
We repeated this not just once but five times, and Mei won every round. Sure, I managed to land a few hits with my wooden sword, but I was mostly on the receiving end.
What in the world is she? This kid is like a living legend.
"Here."
Opening my eyes, I saw Mei offering me a drink of water. Behind her cold, expressionless face, she was actually a good kid.
With a faint smile, I expressed my gratitude. "... thanks. I'm Yuki Haku by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you. Ugh..."
She nodded, wiping her face with a towel.
"Um. I'm Yotsuba Mei."
She introduced herself, then left the room without saying goodbye.
As I drank the water, Takumi approached me.
Saiba Takumi had a slightly boyish face, but he was quite attractive. With short brown hair and a slim yet firm build, but he was shorter than me.
"You're Haku, right? Just a heads up, be careful around her,"
he said, glancing in the direction Mei had gone. I raised an eyebrow, puzzled as to why I should be cautious.
"Huh?"
My confused expression made him sigh softly. He glanced back at me, then towards Mei's departure, and whispered.
"I can see that you're quite oblivious. You see, there's a rumor that if you mess with the Yotsuba, you might vanish without a trace."
He said that, his teeth grinding together and his face turning pale.
It seemed more like a ghost story than a serial killer.
But I didn't care.
"Well, don't worry," I replied, standing up. "And I don't like talking behind others' backs."
After my remark, his expression seemed to say, "Alright, but don't come crying to me later." However, he said something unexpected.
"By the way, how did you pull that off? I thought those were just basic moves, right?"
"It was just an improvised move and... yeah, it's basic."
Takumi wore an expression of understanding and nodded. "Interesting. Not that I want to be friends, but I do find you intriguing." He flashed a slight smile and pointed to his chest with a smirk. "Saiba Takumi."
Wait, didn't he say something like, "I'm not here to make friends or anything..." Huh? What a peculiar kid.
I nodded. "I'm Yuki Haku."
And with that, I made the acquaintance of two club members.
