The sound of the small bell echoed softly as I raised the wooden kusarigama against the sun, trying to find any cracks.
It wasn't perfect, but it was already a thousand times better than what I had made in the forest.
"What is that, Usan?" Kanae's light voice sounded behind me.
"It's a wooden kusarigama for training" I turned and replied, finishing fastening a padded weight to the end of the chain.
"Hmm..." She tilted her head, thoughtful.
"I've never seen a slayer use a kusarigama, although I've met two who use chains."
I nodded.
"I perform better with it than with a katana, I think it's because I've been using a scythe for longer."
She laughed softly.
"Then let's see it in action."
"What do you think about a small spar?"
"Alright," I said, standing up and adjusting the bead bracelet.
Kanae took her stance, bringing the wooden katana in front of her body.
The wind passed through the trees of the Butterfly Mansion garden, lifting petals and dust.
We positioned ourselves in the middle of the courtyard, I held my stance, analyzing Kanae's movements.
Kanae moved first.
She barely raised any dust as she ran, her steps were absurdly light, but I knew those attacks were anything but light.
She slashed horizontally, and the air split in a precise arc.
I raised the short blade of the kusarigama and parried the strike.
The dry sound of impact echoed, followed by the circular motion of the chain, which shot toward her ankle.
Kanae jumped, avoiding the chain.
The petals rose along with her, spinning like small pink blades around her.
Her smile remained, even as she spun in the air and brought her strike down.
"Flower Breathing, First Form: Nejibana!"
The sound of the strike cut through the air, and I stepped back, dodging the attack.
The pressure was enough to make the bell ring sharply.
I planted my right foot forward and spun.
"Shadow Breathing, First Form: Kage Giri."
The wooden blade cut in a full circle, leaving behind a trail of smoke.
Kanae barely dodged, but her expression changed, now she had a strange smile on her face, one I found quite dangerous.
"You have impressive strength and speed," she commented, stepping back twice.
"You'd already be more than ready for the Final Selection... which is expected, from someone who dodged the attacks of an Upper Moon."
I felt a slight chill.
"You're not taking this as seriously as you could either."
"Ah, but neither are you~"
"I haven't seen any of your special tricks yet, teehee~"
'teehee~?' I swallowed dryly.
"Maybe we should try a spar going all out one of these days."
"Sounds good," she replied, her smile widening just a bit more.
The bell rang again, along with the loud sound of my advance.
The chain cut through the air in a wide circle, while I positioned the wooden blade at a lower angle.
Kanae maintained a more defensive stance, waiting to counterattack when the opportunity appeared.
At one moment, our weapons clashed with force.
The chain stretched, the padded weight hit the ground.
TlimTlim~
The bell rang loudly again, echoing through the courtyard.
I changed the rhythm, closed the distance, and wrapped the chain around her wrist, pulling hard.
She lost balance for a moment.
I took advantage of the movement and, in a quick spin, released her wrist and wrapped the chain around her katana.
She reacted quickly, compensating for her imbalance and striking, but the training katana was already caught.
Before she could fully recover, my blade stopped just a few centimeters from her neck.
"Point for me"
But at that same moment, the chain loosened due to Kanae's weight, and because I myself had reduced the tension, releasing the katana.
The katana slipped free and struck my chest with force, and despite being made of wood, it was still reinforced by Kanae's Flower Breathing, which caused a cut.
"Oh no!" Kanae exclaimed, dropping the katana.
"I'm so sorry, Usan!"
"It's fine, it's just a little cut," I replied calmly.
"Even so! Come with me, I'll treat the wound!"
"It's nothing, it's not even worth using a potion."
But she didn't give me a choice, saying that even a small cut could become a problem if it got infected.
─── ◆ ───
A few days later, I was helping with treatments at the Butterfly Mansion, which usually meant carrying the injured or the medicine, and occasionally using my potions on more serious cases.
I was applying a bandage to the neck of an injured slayer.
As always, I tightened my bandages very firmly.
"Hmmm… why is your face turning purple?" I scratched my chin as I noticed the patient's expression.
"Usan!!"
Before I realized it, Shinobu appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bandage from my hands, quickly removing it from the slayer's neck, whose face rapidly returned to normal color.
"Are you trying to suffocate the patient!?" she shouted, eyes wide.
"Is that wrong? That's how I was taught…" I replied, somewhat confused.
"I've always done it on myself like that."
"Who taught you such nonsense?!" she began, gesturing furiously, then stopped.
"...You said on yourself?"
I nodded.
Shinobu fell silent for a moment.
"...Take off your shirt," she said, crossing her arms.
"Why?"
"Just do it already!"
I blinked, then covered my chest with my arms and turned slightly to the side, narrowing my eyes.
"Pervert..."
A very audible vein popping on Shinobu's forehead appeared almost instantly, and I quickly started taking off my shirt, muttering a "sorry" in the middle of it.
When I finished, her expression froze.
Her eyes scanned my body covered in old scars, defined muscles, and bandages so tight it was a miracle blood was still circulating.
One of the assistants passing by stumbled, almost falling.
After a few seconds, Shinobu composed herself, although her face was still slightly red.
She approached and carefully removed the bandage from my chest.
The wound from the spar had already become just another scar, but the skin around it was far too compressed, even though it had already healed.
"How is his blood even circulating like this?" she muttered, indignant, as she left the room to attend other patients.
I put my shirt back on, pausing to reflect on how I had been interpreting the absurd things from the guide as normal, not even noticing anything strange in the first aid section before.
"Urgh… I… I'm alive?" the patient murmured, finally regaining full consciousness.
"Oh, you are."
"Speaking of which, I still need to finish your treatment," I said.
To the absolute terror of the demon slayer, who could only watch with wide eyes and a trembling body as I approached him with a roll of bandages in hand.
─── ◆ ───
Stones? :)
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