At the center of the swordsmanship room stood a humanoid training dummy.
Katori Nanatsuki picked up a wooden sword and slowly approached the target.
His students gathered around in a circle, watching his every move.
The training dummy was made of special material—tough and resilient. Even a shallow strike with a real sword would struggle to cut through it.
Nanatsuki took a bow stance, raised the wooden sword, and pressed his left hand against the back of the blade, channeling his Spiritual Pressure into it.
In the next instant, all the muscles in his body engaged. He stepped forward with explosive force—so fast that none of the students could even see the motion—and thrust the wooden sword forward.
Katori-ryu: Shun'geki (Instant Strike)!
Thunk—
With a dull thud, the wooden sword embedded itself into the dummy's chest.
Nanatsuki withdrew the sword. As he dispersed the spiritual energy from the blade, the wooden sword instantly disintegrated into splinters and scattered across the floor.
Most of the students in this class were from Rukongai. None had ever witnessed swordsmanship like this—they were stunned speechless.
"Teacher, you're amazing!!" Chijō Kana clapped enthusiastically.
The other students snapped out of their daze and joined in the applause.
Hirako Shinji remained as laid-back as ever, clapping lazily with the group.
"Tch…" Muguruma Kensei muttered. "I could punch a hole in that thing just as well."
He still didn't see much value in swordsmanship. He preferred the feel of fists landing solidly.
"That was 'technique,'" Nanatsuki said. "Now, let me show you 'precision.'"
He took out a bowl of red bean rice he'd brought and beckoned to Kana.
"Kana, come here for a moment."
As soon as Kana saw the red bean rice, she flashed over at lightning speed.
"Teacher, are we eating this now? Isn't that a little inappropriate?" she asked, hopeful.
"Not yet. Hold this. Just stand right here."
Nanatsuki placed the bowl into her hands.
Then he used a pair of chopsticks to pick out a single cooked red bean and stuck it lightly to her forehead.
Next, he fetched another wooden sword from the rack.
Kana blinked in confusion, unsure what her teacher was up to, as he slowly approached.
Suddenly, Nanatsuki's gaze turned razor-sharp.
A chilling sensation spread across Kana's brow.
Swish—
The sound of air being cleaved echoed through the room.
Muguruma Kensei's pupils dilated. "It… it split in two!!!"
The lazy look on Hirako Shinji's face vanished. He stared at Kana's forehead with full focus.
—The red bean stuck to her brow had been cleanly sliced in half by the wooden sword.
"Incredible… Can a wooden sword really cut that sharply?" Shinji murmured.
A cooked red bean, lightly stuck on the forehead, would usually fall off if struck with anything but perfect speed. Slower, and it would simply fly off—not split.
And considering how small the bean was, striking it precisely without harming Chijō Kana required exceptional control over distance and precision.
The difficulty of that strike was absurd. Teacher Katori's swordsmanship was terrifying.
"Absolutely brilliant! Teacher Katori—please teach me swordsmanship!" a rough-looking student shouted, tears streaming down his face.
He felt today was a turning point in his life—he'd found his path. He would master the way of the sword and become a great swordsman!
The rest of the class was equally moved, all clamoring to learn.
"I'm your swordsmanship instructor, of course I'll teach you sincerely," Nanatsuki said calmly. "But sword training is not easy. It takes day after day of relentless effort. A solid foundation is everything. Today, I'll teach you how to build it."
Nanatsuki then began instructing them in suburi (basic sword swings) and several commonly used foundational stances.
…
"Tonight, be sure to review what you've learned," Nanatsuki said at the end of class. "Only when these motions become muscle memory can you truly say you've learned them. That's it for today. Tomorrow, we'll cover four basic footwork patterns."
[Lesson Complete — Rewards Settled]
[Reward: +10 Swordsmanship XP]
[Your stunning demonstration deeply impressed the students, increasing their attentiveness — Feedback Doubled]
[Reward: +10 Swordsmanship XP]
Nanatsuki focused on his panel. His Swordsmanship, previously level 50 with 996/1000 XP, now rose to Level 51 thanks to the 20 XP earned.
After class, Kana couldn't wait to dig into the red bean rice and started eating on the spot.
As soon as she tasted Nanatsuki's food, a blissful smile spread across her face: "So delicious!"
"Don't you have a general studies class this afternoon?" Nanatsuki asked.
"…I forgot…" Kana mumbled through puffed cheeks.
"You do. I've seen your schedule. Come to the Katori Dojo after class," Nanatsuki added. "Your foundation's decent, but it needs refinement. We'll be stepping things up."
"Okay! I'll come after class!" Kana beamed, already thinking about mooching dinner.
"I have other things to do, so I'm heading out. The bowl—"
Nanatsuki was about to tell her to bring it back later, but she had already finished.
"I'm taking it," she said, licking the last bit.
After class, Nanatsuki left the academy.
He had something important to do—Batsu'unsai's medicine was almost gone. He needed to go to Squad Four to get more.
And "get" was the right word—he had no money. Everything was on credit.
Nanatsuki made his way out of the academy and toward Squad Four.
"Afternoon, Katori-kun! Back again?" a Squad Four member greeted him.
Nanatsuki was a regular here—everyone in Squad Four knew him.
"Afternoon, Murata-kun. Is Captain Unohana here today?" Nanatsuki asked politely.
"I saw her in the courtyard just a moment ago. She should still be there—you can go on in."
"Thanks, Murata-kun. I'll head over now."
As he neared the courtyard, a light floral fragrance filled the air—from the trees and flowers growing all around.
The garden at Squad Four was filled with pleasing plants, refreshing and peaceful.
There, standing in the courtyard, was a figure draped in the white haori of a captain. Her face bore the gentle grace of a Yamato nadeshiko. Her long black hair was intricately braided and rested naturally over her chest.
As she raised her hand, her sleeve slid back, revealing delicate, pale skin.
Captain Unohana held a pair of pruning shears and was carefully trimming the tea trees.
"Katori-kun, here for medicine again?" she asked without turning around—yet she already knew who had arrived.
Her voice was gentle and smooth, like a soft caress across Nanatsuki's chest.