An Exchange of Hearts

[Musashi POV]

'Confused.'

As the boy continued to block my cuts, I was confused.

Musashi had cut down many opponents in his long life. Cows, buffalo, men, and even beasts—no one had been able to withstand his slash.

'This mere boy, how can he stop my sword with another?'

[Kuzan POV]

'Simplicity.'

'That's what everyone gets wrong about using a sword—they always make it so complicated.'

'To cut down your opponent? What else is there?'

Still, even as I conditioned myself to dodge, block, sidestep, and even 'attack' his attacks, I couldn't help but think of its essence...

the sword.

[Narrator POV]

The arena was silent.

....

Dead silent.

No matter where one looked, not a single person was present in either the audience stands or in the spectator seats.

Why?

Why would no one watch such a fight? Why would no one watch such a battle?

Were they afraid?

No.

Were they not excited?

No.

Still, they ran, they hid...

They survived...

It was not the sound of their swords clashing with each exchange that caused them to abandon the arena.

Nor was it the sound of the wind being slashed, breaking the sound barrier with each of their exchanges...

It was the sound of sirens blaring over the arena speakers that sent them fleeing.

Even the martial arts masters had refused to stay, respecting their friend's wish, taking the death-seeking elder with them against his will out of his own arena...

It was a tragedy,

For these fights, arranged by destiny, to not be viewed by any other man...

For this dance, between a man who died and a man who lived, to not be watched...

However, it was necessary, for legends never die...

[Kuzan POV]

'Swords are tools, like any other weapon conceived by the human mind...'

"SWISH!" I dodged his tool.

'It's how you use them that matters...'

'Flashy sure, but at their core, they should only ever be made for four different uses...'

"CLING!" I blocked his slash.

To defend.

'[Cyclic Breathing - 1st Form]'

'[Life]'

'A seamless defense, capable of intercepting any blow...'

[Musashi POV]

'He defends instead of switching to an attack.'

I knew the boy feared me not, neither my slash nor leaving himself vulnerable to my sword's path. Still, he hid behind his sword....

[Kuzan POV]

Life was a wish.

It was all-encompassing, like any dream.

It was not perfect, just like any defense.

It was not made to be easy, but still...

Still, I stood, unwavering in my movements, not willing to interrupt my flow.

It was not

'There!'

I had not expected him to make such a basic mistake...

'To think.'

Involving the mind where it had no part being was perhaps his greatest and last mistake in this match.

"CLING!" He blocked my swing, but I intercepted his attempt to parry.

It was a devastating mistake, turning the tide, giving me an opportunity to return in kind...

[Cyclic Breathing - 2nd Form]

'[Death]'

Death was a promise, from the moment you began life...

A relentless attack, made to reap your soul.

It had no form, no stance, no essence—just an impossible-to-counter force, the wielder forgetting the unnecessary need to defend.

Still, the foe was adamant, not allowing the moment to come...

'Makes sense, he's already died once. It makes sense he doesn't want to go through that again...'

[Musashi POV]

'What is this boy?'

I was distracted, still allowing the boy to attack...

'He's mastered the essentials but not more...'

It was not his attacks that kept me from cutting him down but my desire to understand...

'A boy or a man, a man or a beast, a demon or a saint, they are rotating, these wills, through the boy's body.'

"Shing!"

[Kuzan POV]

He seemed pissed as I knocked him back with a kick, causing him to leave his stance.

"Doesn't matter, boy, whether you're a demon or a beast..."

I could see him, his stance that I had so thoroughly studied, his attack that threatened to cut down the very Heavens themselves...

'Two Heavens as One...'

"Hahaha," the man stopped in his tracks as I began to tilt forward and laugh,

"HAHAHAHA..."

H̸̱̠͉͆̓̇́̽̚A̸̧̬̣̝͉͊̍͜͝ͅH̴̨̙̪̯̫̼͍̖̑́̈́͜Ȃ̶̡̤͚̫̲̣̮̜̺́̔H̶̛̤͓̥̱̥͎̠̙̅̽̆̾̊̆͛̒͝Ȁ̸̤̹̈̌͝H̵̛̼̅̂̍̈́̈́̅̃̽̾A̵͓̽͋́

'[Link Established]'

"Old man..."

"You've lived enough."

The wind cried at the loss, wailing from above...

'[Cyclic Breathing - 3rd Form]'

'[Rebirth]'

Rebirth is a dream...a dream of life, a wish of peace, a tale of loss, and a longing for change...

We exchanged blows, a single strong slash, that shattered our sword...

'It's ludicrous without life...'

'It's destructive without death...'

It's impossible to dream for change while holding onto what you have,...

'No.'

The strong have no need for choice.

For life, for death, for loss, for change...

I held on, held on to that life, held on to that love, held out for that dream...

A simple hug.

'To realize my dream.'

He struggled and squirmed as I crushed him with my embrace...

My arms around his back, my heart beating in sync with his own,...

He screamed in silence, spewing out blood with each plea, begging to give something in return...

Of course, it wouldn't be him if he didn't leave a final parting gift.

He turned his last sword, unable to let go, stabbing me in the back, piercing the demon currently weeping at our parting. I accepted his gift, knowing it was necessary, while in return...I patted his back in gratitude for his care...

To sever without a sword...

'[Samsara]'

'An exchange of hearts.'

His sword severing my heart, as my hand shattered his own.

We stood still, our weapons of choice skewering each other, holding ourselves in place. I had accomplished my goal,

...I had squeezed out his very soul.

Still, it was not enough, still my body carried on, wanting to surge again with life...

The cycle continued once more as after all life...

is death.

"BOOOOM!!!"