Train to Death

"Wake up, Shin."

"Mmm..." I slowly opened my eyes, looking up at the rocky ceiling, and then turned to see Hokushin standing over me. "Hokushin...? What's wrong?"

"It's early in the morning."

"Early in the morning? I see... Thank you for waking me up." As I tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through my body, making me wince. "Urgk... I can't move."

Hokushin knelt beside me, her expression softening slightly. "Your body is still recovering. You pushed yourself too hard."

Huh? I swear yesterday I felt really normal.

"I guess I did..." I managed a weak smile, trying to shift into a more comfortable position. "Thank you for taking care of me."

She nodded, her eyes serious. "You need to rest. Pushing yourself too soon will only make things worse."

"Right..." I sighed, letting my head rest back against the cool ground. "I guess I don't have much of a choice."

Hokushin's gaze softened even more. "Thus... we will now begin your training."

"I see... I should focus on getting be– Wait, what?"

"Hm? Did I misspeak? I said we will now begin your training."

"Training? Eh? What for?"

"Hmm... Your body is recovering, but since it's still in the process of healing, we will also be training your mind. Strengthening your resolve and preparing you for the challenges ahead."

I blinked, trying to process her words. "Training my mind? How is that supposed to help me recover physically?"

Hokushin gave a small pause and then spoke, "A strong mind can often help a weak body. The mental discipline will aid in your physical recovery and prepare you for the battles to come. It will also help you control your honkai energy more efficiently."

"I see... Let me ask..."

"Ask away."

"Is it gonna be harsh?"

"It will not be a harsh one."

"Alright, if you say so. What do we start with?"

Although I don't know why she suddenly wanted training... It wouldn't hurt to try.

"First. Focus on your breathing, and clear your mind. This will help center your thoughts and manage your energy."

"Got it," I said, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'll do my best."

"Good," Hokushin said, her voice steady and calm. "We'll begin with simple exercises. As you grow stronger, we'll move on to more advanced techniques."

"Oh... right, we're not supposed to be training inside the cave... Do you think you can follow me for a walk?" Hokushin asked.

I nodded, slowly getting to my feet, feeling the pain in my body. Together, we stepped out of the cave, moved toward the mountain. As we walked, the crisp morning air filled my lungs, and I began to feel a bit more alive.

Suddenly, a few Praetorian zombies came into view. Instinctively, I prepared to jump and take them down, but Hokushin pulled me back.

"Huh– Hokushin? What's wrong?"

"In this training, you will use this," she said, handing me a sword made of bamboo sticks.

"Huh...? Why this weapon...?"

"In this training, I want you to focus on channeling your honkai energy into your weapon."

"Hokushin," I started, hesitating for a moment. "Why the sudden interest in training?"

She paused, looking at me with a mixture of contemplation and something deeper. "It's my way of communicating."

"How is this part of communicating?" I asked, my expression puzzled.

She turned away, her voice almost a whisper, "Through action, we understand each other better."

"What part!?" 

The Praetorians noticed us and began to surround us, their scythes gleaming ominously in the dim light.

"Uh... Hokushin? I think we're getting surrounded... Are you really sure I should use thi–" I turned to ask, only to find her gone.

"Huh?! Hokushin!?" Panic set in as I looked around frantically. The zombies lunged at me, their scythes slicing through the air. I backflipped, narrowly avoiding a lethal strike, and took a defensive stance.

"As if I'm using this sword!" I thrust the bamboo sword into the ground and tried to unsheathe my usual purple katana, but it wouldn't budge. "Huh!? Wait, what!?"

The Praetorians screeched and attacked, their strikes barely missing me as I dodged and weaved through their onslaught.

"Woah! That was close!"

"Tsurugi, can you hear me!?" I called out in my mind, desperation creeping into my voice as I continued to evade the relentless attacks. "Tsurugi!? Damn it... You can't be sleeping right now!"

As I frantically dodged, a thought struck me. "Focus on channeling honkai energy," Hokushin had said. I glanced at the bamboo sword stuck in the ground.

"Alright, let's give this a try." I grabbed the bamboo sword from the ground, trying to concentrate, feeling the faint hum of honkai energy within me. I focused on channeling it into the makeshift weapon.

The Praetorians closed in, their screeches growing louder. I gritted my teeth, feeling the energy pulse through me and into the bamboo sword. It began to glow faintly.

"Here goes nothing!" I swung the sword, and to my surprise, it cut through the air with a burst of energy, striking one of the Praetorians and sending it reeling back.

"It worked!?"

The remaining Praetorians screeched in fury, their eyes fixated on me as they saw their comrade reduced to ashes.

"Now then... come at me with all you got," I challenged, gripping the bamboo sword tighter.

The zombies lunged, their movements a blur. I focused, channeling more honkai energy into the makeshift weapon. As the first Praetorian reached me, I sidestepped and slashed, the bamboo sword cutting through it with surprising ease. Ashes scattered into the air.

One after another, the Praetorians attacked. I ducked, parried, and struck back, each swing of the bamboo sword glowing brighter with honkai energy. 

The grove became a whirlwind of movement and light as I fought, the sound of clashing weapons and screeches filling the air.

I was getting the hang of it. The honkai energy flowed more naturally now, each strike more powerful than the last. The remaining Praetorians hesitated, their movements more cautious as they realized their numbers were dwindling.

"What's the matter?" I taunted, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

With a final, concentrated burst of energy, I charged at the last of the zombies. My bamboo sword slashed through them, one by one until the grove was silent once more. The Praetorians were reduced to ashes, scattered like fallen leaves.

Breathing heavily, I looked around, half expecting more to appear. When none did, I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath.

From the shadows, Hokushin emerged, a faint smile on her lips. "Well done. You've learned to harness the honkai energy."

I nodded, still catching my breath. "Yeah... but I couldn't have done it without your... unconventional method."

Hokushin's smile widened slightly. "Training is not just about physical strength. It's about learning to adapt and use the tools you have, even in the most unexpected situations."

"Hmmm... It looks like we'll be finishing sooner or later. Follow me."

I trailed behind Hokushin as we ventured deeper into the forest. The towering trees grew denser, their thick canopy blocking out the sunlight, casting the area in a dim, eerie light. Hokushin came to an abrupt halt.

"Hokushin? What's wrong?"

"...I know this is sudden, but hear me out."

"I'll hear you out."

"...Good."

[Flashback: After the fight between Tsurugi and Hokushin Mei, back at the cave]

The fire crackled softly as they settled in. "I see, so Shin's brother died. That is... unfortunate," Hokushin said quietly.

Tsurugi nodded. "Yeah, that's why I'm taking care of this boy."

Hokushin frowned. "Wait... I'm confused. Why would he give you to Shin when you could just heal him?"

"Shin's brother wouldn't have lasted," Tsurugi explained. "He had an illness from overusing Honkai Energy. He was breaking down. To save me and his little brother, he sacrificed himself."

Hokushin's expression softened. "I understand now. It was really unfortunate. And here I thought I would fight him one-on-one again and finally be free."

Tsurugi's eyes glinted. "About that... This is where my offer comes in."

"Say it."

"I want you to train Shin."

"Train him? I can do that, but why?"

"You're going to train him so he can free you."

Hokushin looked skeptical. "Free me? Are you serious? I'm over a thousand years old... and he will free me? What makes you say that?"

"You'll see..."

[Present: Deep in the forest]

Hokushin turned to face me, her eyes piercing into mine with an intense bloodlust that made my heart pound.

"Shin, from now on, I will set this training to a higher level."

My eyes widened as she slowly unsheathed her katana. The air around her seemed to thicken with a palpable, menacing energy.

"Your goal for today," she said, her voice cold and unwavering, "is to kill me."

"Wha– That's ridiculous!"

Hokushin's gaze didn't waver. "If you want to survive and become stronger, you have to face me with everything you have. This is the only way."

A training and then deathmatch?! What is even going on anymore!?