"Swing from the hips, little bear! If you just use your arms, a corrupted boar will snap your blade and eat you for breakfast!"
"Yes, Commander Tomoe!" Rin yelled, her tiny face scrunched up in absolute concentration.
She swung her oversized wooden practice sword, a bokken, with all the might a nine-year-old could muster. The heavy thwack of wood hitting a padded training post echoed across the snowy training yard.
Commander Tomoe stood nearby, her massive arms crossed over her iron breastplate, nodding with grim approval. "Good! Again! Imagine the post is a capital assassin! Bite the knees!"
"I am going to bite the knees!" Rin cheered, winding up for another swing.
"Absolutely not. Stop this barbaric nonsense at once."
Tomoe let out a long, long, very tired sigh. She didn't even turn around as Yuki drifted down from the roof of the armory.
