Golden Week, the long holiday, ends tomorrow.
During the break, I’ve barely engaged in any combat, mostly just muscle training.
I feel like I need to regain my senses, but today I have plans, so I can’t train.
“Alright, I’m heading out, Himik. As I mentioned, I’ll be eating dinner out.”
“Indeed! Go and enjoy yourself!”
“Suella, contact me if anything comes up.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“…”
“Memoria, you don’t have to force yourself to stay awake if you’re sleepy.”
“No, have a good time.”
“Alright.”
I left the entrance, seeing Himik in her apron, Suella in her casual clothes, and Memoria, who had woken up just minutes ago and was still half asleep in her pajamas. I walked down the corridor, usually turning left, but this time I turned right and headed out for business. I’m trying to believe I’m getting used to the feeling of magic draining from me, but I’m still not accustomed to my body feeling heavy or unexpectedly lacking in strength. With this heavy body, I started walking. Since I plan to drink today, I didn’t use my car and walked towards the station. Fortunately, it was still early, so the flow of people was sparse. I leisurely gazed at the Tokyo cityscape as I made my way to my destination. The destination was located about four train stations from my company. It was in a residential area, slightly removed from the city center.
“Excuse me.”
“Hiiii, it’s Mr. Tanaka! Welcome!”
“It’s been a while, Itsuko-san.”
Should I call it an old-fashioned samurai mansion? The gate itself looked ancient, and a sign reading “Hasebe Dojo” was attached to it. This is a dojo I’ve been attending for a long time. However, I was a student a long time ago, and becoming a corporate slave meant I couldn’t visit often. Still, when I did drop by, Itsuko-san, the master’s wife, would always greet me with a smile.
“You’ve arrived, Tanaka-kun.”
“It’s been a while, Master.”
Then, the Master, Takeru-san, appeared from the back. Despite being seventy this year, his posture was still straight, and his muscular physique remained unchanged, with no flaws in his bearing. He usually teaches kendo classes for children twice a week and for adults like me the other three days. Seeing his unchanging appearance brought me a sense of relief, and since I had made an appointment beforehand.
“Come in, please.”
“Yes.”
Invited by the Master, I entered the house and was led to the living room. The Master and I sat facing each other, and as soon as Itsuko-san served tea, she left.
“Well, it’s good to see you looking well after not seeing you for so long. Every time you visit, it’s for you to release something.”
“Hahaha. I’m always grateful for your indulgence.”
“It’s nothing. Showing the way to young people is my job now. I find spirited youngsters like you quite likable.”
First, he indirectly pointed out that I always look unwell when I visit, and I apologized with a laugh. The Master smiled as if watching something heartwarming. As the Master said, most of my visits to the dojo were to release the pent-up feelings from work pressure. It was quite embarrassing to have him understand and accept that.
“So, after not seeing you for a while, you contact me only to ask for a favor.”
“I am truly sorry for contacting you so suddenly after neglecting to visit.”
“No, we know each other well enough. It’s perfectly fine to ask for a favor.”
And so, we got to the main point. Coming to this dojo itself was not unusual, but it was the first time I had come solely to ask for a favor.
“However, I never expected you to ask me to introduce you to a sake brewery.”
“Hahaha, I’m sorry.”
Despite coming to a kendo dojo, I felt truly sorry for bringing up a topic related to alcohol, which has nothing to do with sword fighting. The Master has been running this dojo for a long time and has a wide range of acquaintances. I remembered that among his connections, there was a sake brewery.
“Well, I have my superior’s birthday party coming up, and there are many heavy drinkers attending.”
It was because Instructor Kio’s birthday is next month that I came all this way to ask for this. I learned this fact just the other day and thought, “Huh? He didn’t have one last year, did he?” However, initially, I didn’t have the余裕 to participate in such a grand banquet, nor did I have the notoriety. So, as a way to celebrate my promotion and broaden my network, the instructor invited me this year. And that’s where the problem arises. I was told that sake would be an acceptable birthday present, but the quantity is the issue. Normally, even one bottle of sake per person would be a lot. Heavy drinkers might be able to manage that, but my counterparts are demons. A single bottle of sake would be nowhere near enough. A barrel would barely be enough for one person. Or perhaps, for the instructor, even a barrel might only be a single serving.
“Oh, you’re attending such a banquet?”
Slightly surprised that such a large amount of alcohol would be needed, the Master began to think, resting his hand on his chin. The Master might be picturing a wedding venue in his mind, but I wanted to say it’s not that grand, yet I couldn’t. And he’s an instructor I’ve relied on daily. Even if they drink excessively, I want them to drink delicious sake. That’s why I dug through my connections and ended up here, with the Master.
“Hmm, there is one brewery I recommend.”
“Really!”
“Yes, it’s one of the sakes I’ve been drinking for a long time. I’m sure your superior will like it.”
And, as I expected, the Master readily agreed.
“However.”
I thought this, but the Master grinned like a mischievous child, stood up, and said.
“It’ll be after a match with me.”
“H-haah.”
Suddenly, I was challenged to a match. I followed the Master, who started to walk, towards the dojo. Come to think of it, I just remembered I’ve never beaten the Master before. He was originally from a Jigen-ryu dojo, and while swordsmanship was his main profession, I recall hearing somewhere that he moved to Tokyo to marry his wife. Jigen-ryu is a sword technique famous for not needing a second strike. Those who practice a sword technique focused entirely on cleaving everything in one stroke tend to have somewhat extreme personalities. Despite that, the Master is a gentle person. I never expected him to challenge me to a match. I changed into a dogi prepared by Itsuko-san. How long has it been since I put on kendo armor? About a year, I think. As I stood up, fully armored.
“…”
A cold sweat dripped down my cheek. I never thought I’d experience such a clear killing intent outside the company.
“Tanaka-kun, you seem to have become quite strong.”
I immediately realized it was the Master emitting it. With a bamboo sword and armor, it should be a normal kendo outfit, but the Master’s figure appeared as a true warrior. The bamboo sword in his hand looked as if it were a real sword without any sense of incongruity. And above all, the Master’s eyes spoke volumes. As if he had been waiting for this day his entire life running the kendo dojo, his eyes sparkled.
“Perhaps so.”
I don’t know if I should regret letting my guard down, but I tensed up, facing the Master with an aura so sharp it felt like a blade, where a single lapse in concentration could lead to my head being severed.
“Ah, I had given up for my wife’s sake, but I couldn’t stop training.”
We slowly raised our bamboo swords, preparing to face each other. In kendo, the match officially begins after crouching in the center and striking bamboo swords before the starting signal. But this was not kendo. It was sword fighting, or rather, a duel. He swiftly raised his bamboo sword upwards and held it perfectly still. This posture is not seen in kendo; the Master’s stance was the “Tonbo no Kamae” (Dragonfly stance). Seeing it, I had no choice but to respond in kind.
“Tanaka-kun, I am fortunate to have met someone like you.”
To respond to the passion of a martial artist, I adopted the same Tonbo no Kamae. No second strike needed. The conclusion was expected to be instantaneous. However, after one second, ten seconds, and a minute passed, neither of us moved an inch. I kept my focus, staring intently at the Master, but inwardly, I was astonished. For someone who spends their time in that company, I prided myself on being able to handle anything outside the company, even without magic. Yet, at this very moment, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. It’s true that one should never let their guard down, but I thought I would have some room to spare. However, that thought vanished immediately. The crystallization of human training. It was right before me. I couldn’t hide the grin that spread across my face when faced with it. Because of this, I chastised myself to discard extraneous thoughts. Without even thinking of the word “concentration,” I focused solely on cutting down the opponent. The second stretched into ten seconds, and ten seconds into a minute, accelerating my brain’s processing. Like a sportsperson entering “the zone.” In other words, a state of extreme concentration. I wouldn’t have been able to succeed in that company without understanding this. I never thought I’d come to understand this.
“Kiyaaaaaaaa!!”
And, as I predicted, the match ended in an instant. The Master’s lunge, and my lunge. We moved almost simultaneously, and the strike I saw from the Master was straight and sharp, significantly faster than that of newcomers. However.
“…It didn’t reach.”
My one-stroke, which was faster and sharper than that, hit the Master’s face from the front and surpassed the speed of his strike. Then, a hundredth of a second later, his strike landed on my shoulder. The sensation of throbbing pain told me that if it had been a real sword, my right shoulder would have undoubtedly been severed. It was a blow that made me understand this. This is what the weight of history feels like, I felt it physically. Looking at the bamboo sword, I saw it was broken. That’s how much force was put into the swing.
“Well, in just one year, you’ve become that strong.”
We both gently lowered our bamboo swords, mimicking the act of sheathing them, and then removed our armor. Despite the match lasting only a few minutes, the Master, sweating all over, smiled broadly as if refreshed.
“Yes, well, various things happened.”
I was about to add, “Yes, I was trained by demons,” but the Master said, “Is that so?” his words allowing me to swallow them. And the Master, too, seemed satisfied.
“Actually, I was thinking of closing the dojo.”
“Eh?”
He started saying something unbelievable.
“No, I’m getting old too. I have children, but they’re both married and have left home.”
Then he began to explain why. He kept glancing at me, but naturally, I had no intention of succeeding the dojo, so I averted my gaze.
“If there was someone to take it over, things would be different, you know?”
From the Master’s perspective, he was indirectly expressing his wish for someone to take it over, but.
“…”
“…”
Under his gaze, I suddenly thought of someone.
“Ah, Master, speaking of which.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“I actually have an acquaintance, or rather, a junior from my company who is interested in samurai. I don’t have the knowledge to teach him, so I would love to introduce him to this dojo.”
“You mean the sword technique, not kendo, right?”
“Yes.”
That’s Benny. He still practices his swings every day, but there’s no one at the company who can teach him about sword techniques, especially swordsmanship. So, it wouldn’t be bad for him to seek instruction from the Master. Moreover, in terms of strengthening a junior’s combat capabilities. Seeing the Master glancing at me, perhaps considering a disciple, an “if” scenario formed in my mind: “if he had magic aptitude.” And, thinking calmly, I realized that people in the position of “instructor” are necessary.
“Well, if possible, please do.”
“Understood. I don’t know what will happen until I meet him, but since you’re introducing him, I won’t refuse outright.”
I thought I should take this matter to Evia first. Then, I was relieved when he told me he would properly introduce me to a sake brewery later. And as for me, this is the main reason I came here. After greeting the Master and his wife, I left the dojo. I feel a bit heavy-hearted about where I’m heading next, but also nostalgic; my feelings are split fifty-fifty.
“A class reunion… it’s been a while.”
With such emotions, I headed on my way.
A word for today: Nostalgia is different for everyone.
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*The first volume of the novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The ebook version was released on October 31 of the same year. The second volume was released on December 19. The third volume was released on February 20, 2019. These volumes contain revised and expanded content from the original web novel, with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters. Please consider purchasing the new volumes!
A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.” We hope you enjoy that as well.
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