Story 1 Martial Glory Chapter 9

Shigure instead of asking for an explanation or saying anything, She instead plucked the impromptu spear that was the wooden broom handle she had thrown into the ground to separate me and Kasumi to stop us from fighting. She flicked the long round wooden bar to knock off the dirt from it and then she took a kendo pose as she held the bar of wood between her hands with the bar held perfectly in front of her form that it obscured her nose and was between her slitted eyes.

There were no words spoken. As our blades would do the speaking for us. Though granted her sword was a broom handle and my blade was my hands, arms, knees, feet, and shins. Loud cracking noises rang out as I retreated mentally at the pain of the broom handle leaving purple welts on my arm and hands as I blocked her blows and tried to kick at the back of her legs to destabilize her.

But in response, she merely rammed the flat end of the broom handle into my chest and I could feel that rib almost crack as she spun the broom handle a couple of inches so it tore my skin off leaving a quarter-sized wound. "Don't go for the legs with your blade... Leaves your vital points open." She said softly and the other girls were silent at this sparring-turned-teaching session.

They and I myself was well aware that teaching under the eyes of actual Grandmaster's was not a painless luxury, they were treasures of the martial arts world and they became superhuman with their willpower and anyone they taught was expected to take their teachings to reach the Master rank at least. I breathed deeply sucking in hair and filling my body with strength while I went limp with my arms slightly bending over and she nodded.

"Musashi's stance of relaxation... Good." She said in a monotone and then nothing else was said as she took a blinding step forward and stabbed forward with the sword's point going right for my adams apple as she sought to put me in my place.

I hissed drawing upon the concept of extreme limp relaxation giving strength to sudden tension combined with the essence of Bang's breathing style I overloaded the breathing style by drawing out the breath in the Lightning breathing style hiss that would push the body further than any of the other breathing styles and as my body was flooded with the energy I could feel my vision going red as some blood vessels in my eyes popped.

But in that brief moment of intense adrenaline, I tapped into the Kyotōryū and used the almost supernatural elements within as I repeatedly squeezed my fist together while keeping it partially sealed and then as my fist impacted her sword the compressed air added more force knocking the sword away from my throat and having it skate just past my ear as I dashed forward to stab Shigure with my hand that had formed a knife-hand.

Shigure then showed me what a weapon mistress was all about as she elegantly stepped back to bring her the broom handle slicing against my shoulder from where I had punched it out of the way but either way I kept going forward but was swiftly caught by a chain that Shigure brought out from behind her back that was attached to a kusarigama she held with her free hand.

At that sight and my arm being bound to my chest via the chain, I relaxed as there wasn't anything I could do. And I didn't want to be actually torn apart by Shigure's live weaponry. "You did... Decent, you are a sword? But you are a soft and dull sword?" Shigure said almost fascinated at what the martial art had made of me and her following words reminded me how she was also known as one of the Master Blacksmiths of the world. "I will forge you into a master's sword then." She finished, nodding before turning around, and without another word, she walked away as Kasumi came over and checked on the round wound Shigure gave me on my chest.

"This stings." I said wryly as Kasumi looked at me with a soft smile while Honoko snorted to my side.

"Jake, you got off easy... Shigure gives people a maze of small cuts and typically cuts almost all the clothes off women to teach them how to avoid blades." Honoka said sarcastically making my face twitch at how tight-fitting all these girls' clothes were.\

With Marie adding on. "Yeah, she is so damned mean about it! It's like she goes." Marie's voice became deeper as she tried to copy Shigure's monotone voice. "The way of blades is one not kind to clothes... That's why I don't wear underwear!" She finished rolling her eyes and I shivered as I felt killing intent land on us Marie Rose went deathly pale as a cold wind blew past us and then a series of dull thunking noises rang out as what looked like two dozen throwing stars flew just past Marie's form and pierced the tree just past us without any of us other than Miu being able to react to the blurs flying past us.

Shigure for all that she was soft-spoken, and dressed... Scantily did in fact have some modesty and could feel embarrassment. And it seemed the weapons mistresses had a petty streak within her as Marie Rose's tight-fitting school uniform that clung to her petite frame all but exploded into shreds of clothing reminding me how Kenichi was an ecchi anime with how Marie cried out and covered her small breasts with her hands while running back to the main house while screaming about how Shigure was a bully.

"So Honoka, could you show me to the local shopping mall so I can get some new living essentials tomorrow?" I asked wryly trying to move past the scene while Kasumi snorted at my attempt at changing the subject but Honoka was more thankful for the chance as she gave me a grateful smile as she held up a fist to show how energetic she was.

"Alright Jake, I gotchu!" Then she matched my wry smile as she continued. "Well I need to go make sure Marie doesn't drown herself in the showers in embarrassment at our first male fellow disciple seeing her boobs so bye!" She said cheerfully and ran off in the same direction Marie went leaving me and Kasumi alone.